At the Monday November 25, 2013 continuation of the Business Committee’s Friday November 22, 2013 Emergency Executive Session regarding banned open flame waste incineration that was discovered in a building owned by Oneida Seven Generations Corporation at 1201 O’Hare Blvd. in Hobart on the Oneida Reservation – and which may have illegally been in operation for months – a motion was made for the BC to communicate in no uncertain terms to Oneida Seven Generations Corporation and all other Tribal corporations that the General Tribal Council’s overwhelming May 5, 2013 vote was unambiguous and that all Tribal corporations are strictly prohibited from conducting incineration operations anywhere on the Oneida reservation.
That motion failed.
Ayes: Patty Hoeft, David Jordan.
Nays: Greg Matson, Brandon Stevens, Paul Ninham.
Instead a motion was passed to have Tribal Chairperson Ed Delgado and OSGC Liaison Brandon Stevens meet with OSGC to find out why they think they should be allowed to subvert the will of GTC and violate zoning laws and perhaps other laws as well.
In other words, OSGC, Greg, Brandon and Paul think GTC is a joke.
We’ll see who’s laughing after the December 15, 2013 GTC Meeting to dissolve OSGC.
And then we’ll see who’s left standing after the Tribe’s July 2014 General Election.
Oneida Eye will have much more on this story soon, including information about Arland Clean Fuels, Generation Clean Fuels, ACF Services, Eric R. Decator, and other enemies of GTC’s decisive May 5, 2013 vote against incinerators.
Until then we encourage GTC members to contact Tina Danforth, Melinda Danforth, and Vince DelaRosa and ask them how they would have voted on the motion to tell OSGC and Tribal corporations that they must abide by the will of GTC and to stop trying to undermine GTC, the Oneida Constitution and Tribal democracy.
We also ask GTC to consider this: Should someone like OSGC President & Board Chair Atty. William Cornelius – who heads a company which obviously has utter contempt for GTC’s decisions as well as for honesty and laws in general – be allowed to remain the Oneida Gaming Commission Counsel? Bill’s contract was recently renewed as approved by the Finance Committee and the Business Committee. It’s just another thing to remember come election time.
UPDATE: This follow-up article by Scott Cooper Williams in the Green Bay Press Gazette is a perfect illustration of how Chief Counsel Jo Anne House or one of her subordinates in the Oneida Law Office is working diligently to make sure that OSGC is protected from GTC and to perpetuate the perception that the Oneida Tribe’s elected leaders and law office are lawbreaking goons who couldn’t care less about what GTC wants. Grab a barf bag before you read Bobbi ‘B.S.’ Webster’s pathetic attempt at spin:
The Oneida Tribe of Indians is releasing little new information about a business on the Oneida reservation that critics believe involves an illegal trash incinerator.
…A fire inspector recently reported finding a business on Oneida Seven Generations property, 1201 O’Hare Boulevard, with what the inspector described as improper “open flame devices.” The fire inspector ruled the devices in violation of local zoning restrictions.
Tribal spokeswoman Bobbi Webster said a tribal attorney on Monday determined that Oneida Seven Generations was not in violation of the General Tribal Council directive.
What kind of flaming garbage is that?
Is OSGC going to try to claim that even though GTC told them they can’t incinerate garbage on the reservation that doesn’t mean that GTC cares if OSGC rents buildings on the reservation to other companies to do the same damn thing in violation of zoning codes?
This is what you have to expect when someone like Chief Counsel Jo Anne House is allowed by Chairperson Ed Delgado to run rampant and act only as the defender of Tribal corporations and the BC rather than act as an advocate for GTC.
Who is the legal advocate for GTC?
The Oneida Tribal Constitution says:
Article IV – Powers of the General Tribal Council
Section 1. Enumerated Powers. – The General Tribal Council of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin shall exercise the following powers, subject to any limitations imposed by the statutes or the Constitution of the United States:
(b) To employ legal counsel, the choice of counsel and fixing of fees to be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
(c) To veto any sale, disposition, lease or encumbrance of tribal lands, interests in lands, or other tribal assets of the tribe.
Apparently GTC is going to have to employ outside legal counsel in order to defend itself from the BC’s and OSGC’s legal counsel.
Putting the Oneida Tribe on the right track will obviously mean getting rid of Jo Anne House as Chief Counsel, which apparently means electing a different Chairperson come July 2014.
