New Election, New Opportunities

It's now 2011, which means there will be another Principal Chief's election. I know of at least four running, including the incumbent Michell Hicks. Whichever direction voters want to take, I hope it's one that brings real change, which means Michell Hicks needs to go.
Recently the Cherokee County Community Club changed leadership, and it's been a difference of light vs. darkness since that happened. Differences of opinion are now encouraged, and it's truly refreshing.
At the meeting where community members voted to change leadership, Chief Hicks was in attendance. He announced he'd seek a third term, and then stated that his record speaks for itself. Well, yes it does. Let's take a look.
* Opposed press freedom and government transparency - I'm not going to discuss my case against the tribe, but I will address the free press aspect of it. Chief Hicks has no respect for the rights of the press. He opposed the freedom of information act, and ignored the free press act, a law he signed, when he issued his executive order abolishing a column from the One Feather. Regardless of what one thinks of "Rants and Raves," a law was in place to keep politics out of the editorial process, and Hicks flagrantly violated it.
* Opposed freedom of expression for opinions for which he disagreed - ask People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He suggested banning the animal rights organization after they suggested a boycott of Cherokee over the tribe's refusal to mandate improved living conditions for bears on display. He and some of his cronies on Tribal Council accused the organization of violating tribal law. Other critics of his, like easternband.com have had to endure harassment from tribal officials.
* Mountains of debt - Hicks proudly opened a golf course that put the tribe millions in debt. This was after the tribe was approached by private investors who were willing to do it at no cost to the tribe, and even could've made the tribe money. The golf course isn't doing well, in fact neither is the theater built at tribal expense, and I'd love to see how much was spent prepping the Wal-Mart site, a project for which the mega store giant abandoned.
* $9 million budget shortfall - the tribe did the ultimate in stupidity, they created budgets based upon revenue not yet realized without updating and reforecasting on a quarterly basis, like the casino does. Hicks chose to immediately point a finger at the casino for supposedly not providing him with information regularly, information he as chief could've requested at any time and would've gotten it.
* More than $60 million lost from the minor's fund. Granted most of us expected some losses for minors in how their per capita disbursements are invested, but there was no avenue for minors who were nearing the age of withdrawal, like there is for 401k investors who can opt to have their savings invested more conservatively. Some children lost as much as $20,000 each.
* Hiring a number of unqualified candidates for highly important positions. Where could it be that someone who never set foot in a college classroom could be put in charge of a program that provided health care? No where else but the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Sooner of later this will bite the tribe in the butt.
* Expensive townhomes and condos that remain unoccupied after years of construction, not even making a dent in the housing shortages for the tribe.
Now on the positive side of things, Michell Hicks did manage to get himself a pretty sweet retirement plan, oh wait, the tribe in the long run won't be able to afford that either.
If Michell Hicks prevails in a fair election this time, so be it. But if the people allow him to remain after propagating to non residents who aren't likely to know any better, after refusing address disenfranchised resident voters in Wolfetown and after any irregularities that could unfairly affect the outcome of the election this September (or June), than the tribe deserves exactly what it gets.