Good Morning Sisters and Brothers,
Today I would like to discuss the differences between Gary Batton’s ideology and the Choctaw Voting Block Party ideology using real world examples given to me by our blog readers.
Example #1
A young woman with a college degree gets into a custody issue with her former partner. She ends up serving time in jail. She is in her early twenties and is now the sole support for herself and her child.
Batton ideology: She gets a low paying job even though policy and procedure forbids hiring a felon. She is making minimum wage.
CVB ideology: Her application comes into the Choctaw Employee Rights Office (CERO) because she is a tribal member. There is no policy forbidding the hiring of felons. She is given an assessment to establish her personality and work traits better ensuring a good fit when hired. Since she already has a degree the CERO wants to partner her natural traits with her education and her life experiences. Where might this lead her? Possibly as an advocate for tribal children rights. This young single mother will be brought in above minimum wage but due to her lack of experience not much above minimum wage. Therefore she is referred to CNO daycare which is now based on income (only after the CVB candidate is elected into office). She is also referred to WIC (her child fits into their age range for services). Finally, she is referred to housing and the CAB program.
* This young mother is working and trying to do the best she can for her family once she moves up in the organization she will gradually not need the CNO services.
Example #2
Batton ideology: A distinguished Chahta man winner of numerous national and local awards and recognitions has offended a powerful HR executive and is fired after well over a decade of faithful service to the people. He is fired and then upon calling this administration is not told why – still to this day.
CVB ideology: The Chahta man goes to the CERO and explains the situation. The CERO, having established from its inception that all Chahta employees in danger of losing their jobs be put on administrative leave pending a full 360 investigation, puts the Chahta man on administrative leave. A full investigation ensues and the following would most likely occur:
* The Chahta man is found to have committed a serious grievance and is encouraged to explain his actions in writing. Where upon his years of service and possible problems are examined. He along with his Executive Director and HR establish a plan of action whereby the employee can keep his job if he agrees to follow the protocol established. OR
* The Chahta man has been found to be a victim of jealously and fear due to his substantial success in a department he helped to create. It is found the HR Executive had went against policy and procedure. Due to the HR Executive’s Chahta heritage, instead of being fired she is asked to take retirement or is found another position without supervisory duties. She is given a plan of action established by CERO.
Example #3. There is a Chahta woman who is proud and passionate concerning her Chahta heritage. She speaks the language beautiful and knows our customs and unique ways, so much so her face and voice was featured on phone systems and on television. She is seen as a trouble maker because the non-Choctaw’s mistake her passion for the people as insolence. She has reason to be offended hearing in the halls and offices at the CNO headquarters many disparaging remarks regarding Chahta people. She is moved from department to department until she is finally fired for assisting an innovative Chahta native speaker who has established a ground breaking Chahta language program. She pleads to the administration and Batton personally to no avail. She is fired by a non-Chahta.
CVB ideology: It is obvious to the CERO, which is where she would have went for assistance, that this strong Chahta woman would make a wonderful ambassador for the Chahta Nation. After all, she trained and assisted the non-Chahta who currently acted as the ambassador. The Chahta tribal member would have kept her PR duties and expanded them to make appearances on behalf of our nation across the country. She would not have lost her job.
Example #4
Batton ideology: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is now a multi billion dollar corporation and doesn’t need to protect its Chahta employees. The Chahta people need services for when they cannot pay their rent or car payment. They need scholarships to attend school and seed money to start businesses. The CNO is pressured to make all this happen and they need the expertise of the non-Chahta to see that services are kept intact.
CVB ideology: Spending millions of dollars on consultants to train Directors and Executive Directors on a tribal system they don’t understand is wasting money that could be spent on providing our orphans a home, our elderly a pension program or our people a transportation program. Yes, the CNO is a billion dollar corporation that exists for Chahta families ONLY therefore it is a family business. Non-Chahta’s do not understand sovereignty and what we stand to lose if it is ever taken away AGAIN. By hiring non-Chahta’s to operate the CNO a glass ceiling is virtually created because the non-Chahta’s then have to protect their jobs by making sure the Chahta’s know they are not to be too creative or strategic. Through the creation of a pro-Chahta administration, services are still intact to Chahta’s but so is the opportunity to make their own living by working for their own people.
Example #5
Batton ideology: To take the office of Chief without having to run for office. No paying the $5000 dollar running fee, no having to scramble for workers to work events (employees are strongly strongly encouraged to provide assistance) and no fund-raising needed. All monies are kept in confidence.
CVB ideology: When an outgoing Chief cannot finish his term there should always be an election. There should be two-term limits for Chief so the Chief does not “sit” in office for decades becoming complacent to the empowerment of the people. All government business should be transparent to the people. Every dime, every dollar accounted for along with plans for future spending.
I know you have heard all of this before but the foundation principles of the Choctaw Voting Block Party are simple, we are pro-Chahta. We are for transparency and a more balanced system of government for our people. We are for true empowerment of the people. One of our members called for the cooperation of the current administration to address our grievances and those grievances have not been addressed even though that would make political sense for him (Batton) to do so.
So do we wait for this administration to see our arguments even though it would mean term limits and transparency? Apparently, my friends that is going to be a very long wait.
CW/MW
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