The T. Boone Pickens Plan

I watch OPEC's actions with great suspicion when they make decisions to cut production in order to raise their prices. That often turns into higher gasoline prices. I then think about the countries from where the United States imports most of its oil. Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia, a number of countries with hostilities toward Americans.
Foreign oil boycotts have been tried in the past, with some disastrous results. While some solutions have been to "drill baby drill," we have to face the fact that oil isn't a never-ending resource. We need to seriously look at ways to wean ourselves off of, not only foreign oil, but oil period.
I've looked at T. Boone Pickens Plan, and it's likely the smartest approach we can take to addressing our current energy crisis. It makes a lot of sense economically too.
Western North Carolina, which currently lists a health care management organization and a casino as its top employers can benefit greatly by exploring and implementing alternative energy possibilities.
Wind energy is abundant in the mountains, particulary in the area in and around Boone. Natural gas also has a lot of potential. I encourage everyone to check out this plan. Alternative energy is going to be the next big boon for the economy, and we should take advantage of it.

Tribal Government and Communism

Referencing the "C" with the feather logo used by the Cherokee High School Braves sports teams, Diamond Brown in making a plea for Tribal Council to pass legislation calling for a referendum to split Cherokee County and Snowbird, stated "That 'C' doesn't stand for communism!" Maybe not, but let's not ignore the trends that tribal government has been taking. The obvious lack of respect Principal Chief Michell Hicks has for civil rights and public opinion, are definite indicators of the tribe heading toward despotism. But look at what tribal government does as far as a free market.
Chief Hicks banned the privately-owned Cherokee Times from Tsali Care Center, a tribally operated nursing home. The tribe, under his direction, has spent ungodly amounts of money building a theater and will spend ungodly amounts of money building a golf course. Rather than seek out private investors who would put up and spend their own money, government officials have decided they should do it.
The tribe runs health care, education (through an entity), a significant portion of the tourism industry and is getting more and more involved in private enterprise. We also can probably expect to see more interference in the gaming industry.
But the scariest thing is how much land the tribe keeps acquiring from individual tribal members. It's already bad enough that land held by individual tribal members is considered federal property held in trust for the tribe. But when those tribal member land holders, called possessory holders (the tribal version of land ownership), become less and less due the tribe buying and getting their holdings, more and more that makes the tribe a bigger possessory holder. If the tribe should become the sole possessory holder, then we will have achieved 100% communism.
We can stop it, if we care.

Parallels Between Two Anti Media Politicians

I've been a free press advocate since I edited my first edition of The Cherokee One Feather in 1996. I've always said that politicians who fight the press, whether it's access to information issues, open meetings or the mere act of exercising First Amendment rights, have something to hide. That opposition is usually highly indicative of major character flaws.
Such turned out the be the case with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The governor is facing corruption charges over allegations that he offered the senate seat vacated by President Elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder. In addition to that, he also is facing charges for demanding the firing of editorial writers for the Chicago Tribune over articles critical of him.
That sounds awfully familiar. Michell Hicks made his first threats against my job back in 2005 after I published a campaign ad that encouraged voters to cast ballots for candidates who would oppose Hicks' agenda. He made these threats before an open session of Tribal Council.
While Hicks ratified the Free Press Act, he has yet to carry out its intent. He ignored it when he had me transferred out of the One Feather citing statements I had made to the Asheville Citizen-Times, a transfer I refused resulting in me losing my job. He ignored the Free Press Act when he issued his order doing away with a popular column he happened to dislike (it was one that featured frequent critical comments of him). In 2003 when he first ran, he came out in opposition to a free press.
Hicks has had a lot to hide too. He never disclosed during his first campaign when he ran on a platform of honesty and integrity that he was charged with assault on a female in 1999. Nor did he immediately disclose upon request tribal credit card statements from he and Vice Chief Larry Blythe, which had several questionable charges. His legal department still has yet to respond to my request for several financial documents made in June. Keep in mind that the tribe's public information law (which Chief Hicks vetoed) requires an answer given in about two weeks.
At the time I was ousted from the One Feather, I was looking into the tribe's political campaign donations after the Asheville Citizen-Times reported that the tribe hadn't complied with state campaign finance laws.
The actions of Hicks and Blagojevich prove my point, if a candidate for office doesn't support the rights of the press, they don't have your best interest at heart, and they don't deserve your support. Both men should rightfully be removed from office.

Harlan Says Everything's Peachy Keen

Most of what Lynne Harlan writes for the Asheville Citizen-Times are just uninspiring displays about her knowledge of Cherokee culture. Occasionally, though she writes a piece showcasing the wondrous works of tribal government in ways that would make Leni Riefenstahl beam with pride. Such as it is with her latest piece in the Dec. 5 edition. From reading that one would think everything's just wonderful for the Eastern Band of Cherokee. No mention was made of the casino not meeting projections. Nor did she mention staff reductions at the casino or reduction in forces through attrition.
She just mentioned what a boon it is when the tribe gets per capita payments. It's doubtful that she'd mention that the under-the-table loss of jobs at the casino is so that profits will continue, and tribal politicians and the casino's top management can save face. Exchanging per capita payments for jobs is not helping the economy. Nor does it help the economy when so many tribal members use per capita for living expenses, and that number is going to grow.
The tribe is going to be impacted by the economy. It's not like it was during the Great Depression when the tribe was poor to begin with. Businesses that pay tribal levy are already being hit, hard, and it's going to be a given that in addition to reductions in per capita, we can also see reductions in tribal levy resulting in less resources for tribal programs.
Here's the Citizen-Times' bio on Harlan: "member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, works as a freelance writer, curator and tribal historian." Here's what the Citizen-Times fails to mention. She's tribal government's Public Relations Coordinator. She gets paid to make tribal officials look good and give a rose colored view of life on tribal land. The Citizen-Times should take that into account when she writes these "Triumph of the Will" pieces. These aren't just the opinions of some random tribal member rejoicing in the quality of life on tribal land, which actually has been steadily declining since Principal Chief Michell Hicks first took office. This is Harlan's job, and it doesn't reflect the views of the whole nor does it give an accurate view of reality.

When Will Tribal Government Get It? We Need to Conserve Money

Bill Killian at easternband.com certainly has drawn the ire of Principal Chief Michell Hicks, to the point of the chief during a tirade in 2005 calling his site "trash." Well not his site but ebci.com, which sells printing supplies. Bill touched on something though. He's usually about 90% accurate with what he posts, and he now says that, according to Chief Hicks, the tribe will be bidding out installation of Christmas lights in Cherokee, something that volunteers had been doing for free.
Bill is right to call out the boneheaded decision making going on at the executive and legislative branches, but this is one example of far too many that demonstrate the tribe's wasteful spending. The Hicks administration is without a doubt the most reckless administration when it comes to spending. It's worse than any teenaged girl with daddy's credit card and her own cell phone.
I've written before that with upcoming hard times ahead, and any of the business owners in Cherokee can attest that times are hard, the tribe needs to cut its spending. For the tribe to not look at cutting expenses and add additional ones where they used to get them free of charge is asinine.
Other examples, the building of the theater. Driving by on a weekend night usually shows three or four cars parked there. The building is elaborate, much more so than most theaters, and unlike most theaters that were likely built at a fraction of the cost, this theater only has two screens. Why the tribe didn't just approach investors to spring for the costs themselves and do it in a way that could actually make money is a total mystery. I'd love to hear the chief's explanation on that.
I'd love to know how much the tribe has spent trying to attract Wal-Mart to Cherokee. With as much money as this company has made, for the tribe to have spent anything to bring it here is outrageous.
Of course there's also the consideration to purchase Cherokee Hardware for well above what the business is likely worth. And let's not mention the tribally-funded narcissism through the Goss Agency and Marketing and Promotions.
Sooner, more so than later, the tribe will have to pay the piper. If the first area they look is laying off employees, then the chief and every council member should hang their heads in shame.

Reaching Out to Non Resident Tribal Members

While putting Cherokee Times online was done basically with the purpose of having our publication accessible through a popular medium, the other purpose was to reach out to and inform tribal members residing away from Cherokee. It turns out that we're really doing some good.
Today, I received a thank you email from a tribal member, who's currently in physician residency in Greenville, S.C. I asked her if it was o.k. publish her letter, and I hope she says yes.
Tribal members who reside away from Cherokee are just as much tribal members as those who live on the tribe's trust lands. One of the reasons for her appreciation was, and these are her words, for "providing an intelligent and open news source that is easily accessible for those of us who are not currently living on the reservation, and cannot easily access print newspapers." She also expressed her appreciation for presenting news as it should be, uncensored.
Despite having to halt print publications for now, among our advantages over our competition is that we are online.
I understand where non resident members are coming from. I've been one of them. I grew up in Auburn, Ala. It was a great experience. I grew up on Auburn football watching greats like Bo Jackson play. I also watched Charles Barkley play basketball for the Tigers. I felt a great sense of pride when schoolmate Robert (Bobby) Gibbs was named as President Elect Obama's press secretary. Both the high school and university I attended continue to excel academically as well as athletically.
When I came to live on tribal trust land, that too was a great experience, but some didn't welcome me with open arms. My lineage was questioned. In fact some still question my "Cherokeeness" because I didn't grow up on tribal land. Interestingly enough, those politicians who depend the most upon non resident support have the most contempt for them.
I know that non resident access to information is virtually non existent. I still have two brothers residing off of tribal land. The only information provided to them by the tribe is fluff, the glossy annual report from Principal Chief Michell Hicks. The Cherokee One Feather is owned by the tribe, for which only subscribers can obtain if they don't live in Cherokee, Maggie Valley, Bryson City or Robbinsville, of which the chief has a final say on budgets, and now evidently editorial content.
The Cherokee Times website is one avenue for which they can obtain honest news coverage about their tribe. With other avenues for information, easternband.com and this blog, what's presented on those two sites serves an intent for opinion and commentary.
While the issue of non residents voting in tribal elections is one that is controversial, one aspect of why it's controversial should be supported by all sides. The lack of information non residents get is being addressed by Cherokee Times. The information is there if they want it, and since all voters should be encouraged to be as informed as possible, cherokeetimesonline.com provides a valuable service. I'm proud to offer it to all tribal members no matter where they reside.

News Reporting in the Age of Blogging and Internet

Smoky Mountain News did a story a while back about blogging in western North Carolina. Of course this blog wasn't in existence at the time. Editor Scott McLeod urged journalists and publications to embrace the new media rather than fear it.
While what's going on with the Citizen-Times and other newspapers is partly indicative of a turbulent economy, it's also partly because of the expansion of new media, particularly blogging, and quite frankly it's a viable competitor with newspapers.
I've been publishing Cherokee Times in print since June. We had to stop when the economy bottomed out in September, and we were backed into a corner. While I know there still is a market for a printed product, that market is aging. I honestly believe that printed newspapers will go the way of the do do in 25 years. Advertisers see the trend, so they've cut back on print ads.
I've decided to embrace the technology. We have our "newspaper" edition online updated regularly. It's much cheaper. It's easier, and we can get the news out faster and to a much larger audience. Plus I like the idea of being able to inform tribal members residing away from Cherokee, who are starved for honest information about tribal government. While our tribal government-funded competition is still printing papers, they're woefully behind the times. They're reaching a fraction of the audience we are. While they may have improved the look of the paper, they still have no website, and we're uncensored.
While the media may change in format when it comes to written journalism, the need for objective reporting, for professional ethics and the principles that earn credibility haven't changed, and it won't change. The profession is still an important part of democracy. The printed product may become extinct at one point, but the profession must remain and tailoring the profession to the new media is what must take place if journalism as we know it is to survive.