Manataba Messenger

Page 10 Special Election September 18, 2021 Vice-Chairman Candidate WxÇÇ|á ctàv{ My name is Dennis Patch, I am running for the vacant position of Vice-Chairman. I have a bachelors and a master’s degree in education, served in the military in the United States Marine Corps and I have in the past served as the Education Director, Councilman, and the Tribal Chairman. The reason I am running I feel that there are too many petty arguments and we as a tribe have become stagnant. I feel that the tribal government is letting opportunities of past leaders and even present leaders slip away in this time of the pandemic with the Infrastructure bill just moments away from passing and there are vast economic opportunities in that bill for new roads, bridges, irrigation systems, broadband infra- structure and the possibility of solar energy. In 2020 during my administration we were among 11 tribes awarded broadband spectrum licenses by the Federal Communications Commission which is a major step forward in bringing the internet to the entire reservation in Arizona and California and it also allows CRIT the ability to apply for broadband grants. I want to be able be see this through to completion in a year or two. Another reason I am running is I see that many of our members can’t get access to the services that were created for them. We have departments put in place that are funded through grants and our own initiative that were meant to help our people whether they be infant, child, adult or elder. Our priority is to help all the member- ship as our constitution promulgates us the power to establish these institutions and that includes federally funded grant programs, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Indian Health Services. Each of these were put in place to help the people of this reservation. As leaders you need to make that happen not for just a few but for all. Another area I am concerned about is our ability to hire staff. Ten months ago, as Chairman I put forward the need to increase our minimum wage from $11 dollars an hour to $15 -$18 dollars per hour, depending on experience. This has been sitting with council, who has yet to make a decision. You should know these are the work- ers that sustained us economically and that have kept us moving as a tribe as the pandemic raged across the world without shutting down. But we are now losing them to fast food restaurants because they are paid a higher wage. You must remem- ber our first responders and enterprise workers who worked through the pandemic and they should be paid more because they worked the hardest for our well-being as a tribe during a dangerous time. During this computer hack or upgrade, whatever it was, still has departments and enterprises down for now 5 months going on 6, our most vital sources of revenue and services affected to this day and has not been resolved. I had already presented solutions that would have prevented this attack in my previous administration. As Vice Chairman, I can help the council solve this issue in a more- timely manner as well as provide a real “upgrade” by introducing technology used by other govern- ments. We must protect our data, our departments, employees, and membership’s information, and take it as a serious matter, not one where action or decisions can be delayed for more than 6 months. My goal is to run for Vice Chairman, to be a voting member of council to take action and con- tinue to push the tribe forward technology wise, economically and safely. I bring forth experience and knowledge of the history of this tribe, to make decisions in a cur- rent government that has not made decisions, not even to hire and fill the numerous vacancies that remain unfilled. Our legal depart- ment now lacks lawyers to assist in legal assistance and guidance, our police department lacks officers, our accounting department lacks accountants, all the areas that I made a focus of during my former administration have now been diminished. As a vote, I am your voice and momentum to push for- ward, fight for the tribe, to devel- op, secure and meet our goals and contribute back to the membership. Thank you for your support. You all hold a part in what makes this tribe great.