CCST 30 million in debt. What's going to be done?
Terry Woster of the Argus Leader is reporting this morning that the chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe reports his tribe is over $30 million in debt with no end in sight:
Why do South Dakotans need to recognize the need for this situation to be remedied? First and foremost, they're fellow South Dakotans in one of the poorest counties in the nation. Secondly, rampant crime and drug problems won't remain confined to their backyard.
If you don't think it's our problem - if left unchecked, it soon will be.
The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is $30 million in the hole and desperately in need of a cash infusion to beef up its anemic police force in the face of a surge in drug-related crime, Chairman Lester Thompson Jr. says.Read it here. As evidenced by the headaches that Cecelia Fire Thunder had when she took steps to ameliorate the OST's similar debt problems (completely separate from her headaches on the abortion issue), Chairman Thompson knows that it's not an easy fix.
Thompson, who took office in May, recently issued a report to tribal members outlining the severity of the tribe's financial woes. It included notice that the tribe owes the Internal Revenue Service almost $4 million in unpaid taxes and penalty fees.
The Crow Creek reservation has consistently ranked among the top five poorest areas in the United States. Unemployment tops 70 percent. Alcohol and other drug abuse is rampant. Education is sorely lacking.
The tribe has long had money trouble as a result.
"Our tribe is broke, due to excessive spending," he wrote in the report dated July 16. "All together, the tribe as a whole owes close to $30 million."
Thompson blamed the latest crisis, however, on the tribe's fiscal ineptness.
That's a problem Thompson and tribal council members must work quickly to address, possibly by realigning or closing programs, cutting payroll and getting a loan to pay off existing debt, the chairman said. But he acknowledged that creditors are leery because of the tribe's financial past.
He said his most immediate concern, though, is what he sees as a need for more police officers and access to a jail.
"The jail has been shut down for quite a while, and there's no communication with the tribe," Thompson said. "I'm chairman of a tribe in the poorest county in America. We don't have the money to operate it, and the Bureau (of Indian Affairs) apparently is unable to do it."
Why do South Dakotans need to recognize the need for this situation to be remedied? First and foremost, they're fellow South Dakotans in one of the poorest counties in the nation. Secondly, rampant crime and drug problems won't remain confined to their backyard.
If you don't think it's our problem - if left unchecked, it soon will be.
Comments
A sore point with me - if the reservations are "sovereign nations", is all the money the taxpayers pour into the reservation system foreign aid?
I'm sure that's it. The people in Ft. Thompson are saying to themselves, "Gee whiz, why bother working on our problems when the government keeps us in this awesome lifestyle?!!"
The problems go much deeper than what anyone individually might have done, as it's not just this South Dakota reservation that's in dire straits.
Me, I think more than anything, they need a reformation of credit, banking, and investment laws for tribes on a federal basis to standardize things.
It's the same reasoning why banks are terrified of Amendment E - it would be a different set of laws unlike anything they typically deal with, so they'd likely leave the state because it's not worth the headache.
If a bank can be assured that they can recoup property that they've loaned money against, they'd likely be more willing to take those risks.
With around 40,000 enrolled members in S.D., the value of property in just the Rapid City school district ($4 billion) would equate to a hundred grand each.
Seems to me the few billion the federal government passes out with an eyedropper to the tribes every year is a bargain for the taxpayers. Cook County (Chicago) for example, spends more on indigent health care every year than the entire Indian Health Service's budget.
And Anon #1: an entire population that speaks english, can trace their roots here back five hundred years at least and has the highest percentage of military enlistments for any ethinic group in the county sure are "Americans" in my book.
And Anon 11:25, if Ft. Thompson isn't providing economic opportunity for the people who live there, why do they continue to live there?
There seems to be a widespread belief among American Indians that leaving the extended family means turning their back on their culture. Every brand of ethnicity has its cultural traditions. Norwegians, Germans, Czechs and Swedes have all merged with our society, and have managed to preserve their cultural traditions. Is is still the fear of losing their culture that causes American Indians to continue to cling to life on squallid reservations?
Seriously, help me understand why the cycle of poverty continues. Why can't tribal leaders turn this around?
Unless my history books were wrong, the United States won the Indian wars. The tribes have no more right to any of land off the reservation than I do and our government's pateralist molly-coddling of our "red brothers" on the reservations has almost destroyed them.
"why are they still voting Democrat when nothing has been done for a zillion years and their plight just gets worse?"
that's the point. what have republicans done for native americans? who has been in power in this state? i'll give you a hint: not democrats.
"There seems to be a widespread belief among American Indians that leaving the extended family means turning their back on their culture."
yeah. members who leave the tribe and teh reservation are typically shunned and viewed as traitors. is this practice right, maybe not, but family and cultural bonds are difficult to break and turn away from.
additionally, native americans were forced into "schools" to be "americanized." the children were taken from their families and forced to learn english and to forced to forget their culture. on top of that, there were numerous reports of sexual assult at these schools. i wonder why native americans are skeptical of whites?
"Why not give them back the whole darn country since they claim it was "stolen" from them?
Unless my history books were wrong, the United States won the Indian wars. The tribes have no more right to any of land off the reservation than I do..."
yes, might makes right. the first rule we understood as kids, and then we were educated. additionally, this person probably d/n have a claim to land (nor do i) but native american tribes entered into contracts/agreements with the US government. these contracts gave specific land to the tribes, which was later taken from them by force b/c the US didn't want to abide by their own treaties (sp?). so technically, yes the land was stolen.
maybe before ranting about an issue it would be wise to be educated on it (in this case, Native American issues/history).
maybe the reservations need to be abolished or some reforms need to be done, but at least know the facts.
We are not talking about the state when it comes to the reservations, but the feds. What about the sainted Daschle? The eight years of the Clinton Administration? The ineffective Tim Johnson? Things just got worse, did they not? Who knows, maybe Republicans would take a different approach. Maybe they should be given a chance to prove themselves.
Well then the State of SD needs to leave the Tribes alone. For example the State could stop raiding the Tribal sales/motor fuel/tobacco taxes that the Tribes collect in order to help themselves. The State could afford the Tribes the same opportunity as it relates to gaming with unlimited quanities of machines. The AG could stop hog housing bills to stick the Tribe for more of the taxes that are collected on sovereign lands. Ah - screw it keep f***ing with the Indians and they will rise up and vote in State election and f*** US.
Where do they go? Do you have a couple thousand apartments that don't require a rental history or deposit? Do you have a couple thousand jobs that pay the rent on those, plus the rent for elders who can't work? I know life seems pretty easy when you're born white and middle class, but there are barriers our there for many people in this country that you haven't even dreamed of.
Yes, there are obstacles, but in order to improve their lot in life, people have to be willing to help themselves.
You hit the nail squarely on the head. As a mixed blood living on the edge of the reservation, I've lived with this issue all my life and have seen it from both sides. Unless a person decides to take responsibility for his own life he (or she) will never have a life and what race you are is immaterial. Those who refuse to take charge of their own destiny will continue down the path of least resistance, always ready to blame someone else for their own lack of initiative. Entitlement Indians, subsidized farmers, and welfare folks in the big cities have much in common and their troubles are usually “someone else’s fault”, or at least that’s their excuse.
The biggest difference between D' and R's is at least the Democrats believe we should try and honor our treaties. Though we haven't been perfect at least we acknowledge them.
I guess I shouldn't expect any less from a state that accepts the out migration of its young people as a way of life. Why do you think it is okay to force young people to leave their families and way of life behind to make a living. We complain that our farm communities are dying because of this so why do you think it is okay for the Native American communities? Don't their communities ie the reservation communities have as much right to survive as our farm communities?
Anon 10:47, when was the last time you heard a farmer blame someone else for their problems other than Mother Nature. Do you understand farming? Do you understand the idea of a cheap food supply as a matter of national security? I guess you would rather pay H
$10 dollars for a loaf of bread. Guess what...the government is making sure you can afford to eat. Perhaps we should stop that and you can grow your own food or force you to move some place where you can afford to eat. I am guessing you wouldn't like that option.
If you are so eager to subsidize laziness, inefficiency and chemical dependency, why don't you just send your paychecks to the government to give these guys? I'm sure they'll let you have anything left over that one of the entitlement classes doesn't "need".
Oh, wait. I guess there is always a "need", isn't there?
Do you understand what socialism is? And is that what you want for your children?
Why don't you pose that question to 11:11. He/she is the one who invoked farmers. I mistakenly said 10:47.
Tell me 3:06, is someone who has MS and receives "welfare" white trash? Please tell me?
MS is not a symptom of white trash. Not taking responsibility for your own actions and not being willing to work at any job that is available to you to support your family is.
MS, along with a short list of other disabilities, is something you have no control over. Holding a job when you’re able-bodied, even when that job isn’t ideal, is something you have control over and refusing to support yourself and your family when you have no physical or mental disabilities makes you white trash. Or black trash. Or red trash. Pick your race, because race has nothing to do with this issue and personal responsibility has everything to do with what kind of person you are.
MS is not a symptom of white trash. Not taking responsibility for your own actions and not being willing to work at any job that is available to you to support your family is.
MS, along with a short list of other disabilities, is something you have no control over. Holding a job when you’re able-bodied, even when that job isn’t ideal, is something you have control over and refusing to support yourself and your family when you have no physical or mental disabilities makes you white trash. Or black trash. Or red trash. Pick your race, because race has nothing to do with this issue and personal responsibility has everything to do with what kind of person you are.
If you're referring to people on disability, you have to have many medical tests done documenting a need. A family member of mine who could barely walk due to ms was denied three times before she was able to get help. Maybe she is just lazy.
You don't understand these programs. Yes, there are a handful of people who abuse the system but 99 % are really disabled. I bet you are one of those people who opposes the Americans with disabilites act.
Since you don't like government assistance, stop using your electricity, telephone, internet, and public roads. Those are all government funded and are a larger share of your tax dollar then welfare.
I am betting you're a big supporter of 1215. Protect them until they are born and then deny them medical care by doing away with the CHIPs program...that's Children's Health Insurance Program. Hey, too bad their parents are just lazy.
Quit jumping on your welfare high horse and riding off in all directions. All of us, black, white, red or yellow, must take responsibility for our own actions and look for that helping hand at the end of our own arm or we're all sunk.
Are you serious? You attack everyone who is asking for a "hand out" and then you say you don't care how the system even works. You just make uneducated assumptions.
How do you know that the tribes problems are because of "mismanagement, apparent misappropriations of funds, cronyism, and an almost total lack of a work ethic?" Or is that just another one of your uneducated assumptions. Clearly you have demostrated that you don't care about the facts and you just say whatever makes you feel like a MAN. Sounds like a personal problems to me.
Before you judge others, why don't you take a good look in the mirror.
I only know one Republican that says stuff like that and he is the last one to talk about hand outs and personal responsibility.
Ironically, he is never responsible for his own problems. It is always someone elses fault.
Yes, the family used to be a strong unit in native culture. No more. Now, for the most part, the parents are so strung out on drugs and alcohol that the grandparents are the ones raising the kids. Most of these kids are from mothers who never married and have children by several different men and those guys could care less if they’ve fathered children. The suicide rate is terribly high, a good share of tribal members have criminal records and there are more car wrecks caused by drunk drivers on reservation roads than there is in large cities.
Don’t preach to me! I and my family have broken out of the system and plan to stay out. My kids are being raised to be responsible for themselves. I suggest you raise yours the same way so my kids don’t have to take care of them.
Anonymous might want to grab a dictionary or political science basic text and compare welfare state with socialism, etc.
Take the money and run doesn't work in the long run...at least not for those left behind.
Are there Native American leaders willing to talk about the problems with tribes and desire to return to a stone age culture? I assume that any talk on a realistic plane produces a near instant assumption on the part of most tribal members that a person is racist bigot.
I sure don't know what the solution is, but it sure isn't what we are doing right now. It may mostly be a federal problem than a state problem however. A state with limited economic resources probably is not willing to dump money into a hole and burn it year after year after year.