The Time Has Come To Assess If The Relationship Between Native American Indians, The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) Benefits Native American Indians and Our Communities...
Because of casinos, more money than ever is coming into Native American Indian communities--- the question is:
What is happening to these tens of billions of dollars and where does it go?
Alongside this tremendous wealth we have the most disgraceful unemployment and poverty the result of institutionalized racism. How can this be?
John McCarthy heads up the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and he produces a nice slick website leading us to believe gaming is the solution to our problems. McCarthy has become fabulously wealthy beyond our wildest imaginations. For McCarthy, a white man living in luxury, Indian Gaming has been good to him. He produces a website with Indians dancing and singing… it is all very nice. What we don’t see on this website is John McCarthy making trips to the bank to deposit OUR money into his account. Nor do we see how John McCarthy and the high-paid lobbyists he hires bribe every single Democratic Party politician in Minnesota to look after the interests of those who own the slot machines which are all owned by “investors” out of Vegas, Lake Tahoe, New Jersey and Boca Raton, Florida which has become home to those who inherited the Meyer Lansky “family business” which isn’t your typical “mom and pop” operation.
Not a single Indian owns any slot machines in the eighteen casinos in Minnesota--- because of the way John McCarthy and Stanley Crooks have set things up, the owners of these slot machines and the table games skim the cream right off the top of the take while leaving us with little more than to cover payments on the debts.
Debt means poverty for the people of any nations.
Nations heavily in debt to others are not sovereign nations because those to whom the debts are held dictate the terms of repayment of this debt along with how people will live. People who are debt poor cannot be sovereign people. Debt poor people become a pool of cheap labor for those looking to get rich and there is no better example than the Indian Gaming Industry in Minnesota.
Check out what John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have bribed politicians to do:
1.Create “Compacts” where casino workers have no rights. Most Native American Indians are working people. Look around you; how many casino workers do you find making real living wages? Here we are; told by John McCarthy and MIGA that we “own” an industry taking in tens of billions of dollars in profits and these casino managements are paying our own people and others poverty wages. Guess what you get paying people poverty wages? Poverty.
2.We are told these “Compacts” are protecting our “sovereignty.” In fact, these “Compacts” have destroyed our “sovereignty.” John McCarthy and his MIGA are paying off politicians who take our money and turn their backs on our problems--- problems from unemployment to poverty and affirmative action to running oil and gas pipelines and power lines across our lands without any participation by our people in the decision-making process; the peat mining taking place in the Big Bog is a perfect example. Native American Indians have opposed this environmentally destructive peat mining for years--- peat mining’s main opponent, Roger Jourdain, dies and only days later--- like vultures--- in move the white politicians elected with our money who could not have been elected without our votes assisting a Canadian multi-national conglomerate to destroy our lands and waters in the process of stealing our resources and they are assisted by Representative Brita Sailer, Senator Rod Skoe, Representative John Percell and State Senator Mary Olson--- all of whom would not be in office without our money or our votes as all other DFL legislators sit in silence as the destruction of our most vital resource takes place: fresh water. Where is our “sovereignty?” We were not part of the decision-making process.
3.In fact, in spite of the tens of millions of dollars of OUR money that John McCarthy and MIGA have doled out to elect these politicians, WE don’t have one single Native American Indian sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature defending our workers or our environment or our natural resources--- what kind of “sovereignty” do you call this? Not a peep out of any of these politicians who claim to be defending our “sovereignty” as they steal us blind leaving us in poverty as they refuse to demand full enforcement and implementation of affirmative action in hiring on massive public works projects for which we pay taxes without even being considered for employment--- where have John McCarthy, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and these white politicians they give our money to been while we have been excluded from employment in the planning, construction, staffing and maintenance of the Bemidji Regional Event Center? Is this “sovereignty” when Native American Indians are excluded by a bunch of white politicians from jobs we are entitled to by law?
4.These white politicians talk about how they are defending OUR “sovereignty” at election time and the only issue they know of involving “sovereignty” is the casino industry; an industry where we don’t even own the slot machines and others are running off after skimming the cream off the top of the take. These politicians don’t care that they have left our people to work in these smoke-filled casinos that the Indian Health Service says is the main cause of ill health among our people today. Some of these politicians are so arrogant they have the nerve to talk about the wealth these casinos generate for Indian people when most Native American Indians get nothing more than poverty wage jobs out of this casino industry.
5.These politicians being elected with our money and our votes don’t even know the meaning of the word “sovereignty” because if they did they would know that people without any rights in the decision-making process, people intentionally forced into poverty as a pool of cheap labor without any rights for these casino managements and the owners of the slot machines to grow rich as our lands are being destroyed by those stealing our natural resources sure as heck can’t be “sovereign” people. If people are not free to be part of a decision-making process which demonstrates the concern for the betterment of all there can be no “sovereign” Indian Nations.
6.We have Tribal governments; the form of which is constantly being dictated to us by the very politicians being bribed with our money so that others can steal our money from these casinos.
How else do we explain these white politicians elected with our money and our votes coming to us telling us how they are going to protect our casinos in the name of “sovereignty” when they turn their heads in indifference to all of our other problems? And when they aren’t turning their heads in indifference to racist unemployment, the racist poverty bred by unemployment which is fueled by institutionalized racism resulting in the failure to enforce affirmative action they start talking about how they are defending our “sovereignty.”
By perverting and distorting the meaning of “sovereignty;” MIGA and the politicians MIGA bribes are duping all Minnesotans--- Native and non-Native, all tax-payers and all those plunking their hard-earned money into slot machines.
Gregory W. Paquin
1511 Roosevelt Road
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Cell Phone: 651-503-9493
E-mail: hotpasstheketchup@yahoo.com
Please check out my blog: http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Flier Handed out at Minnesota Governors Forum (Native American Indian Issue Specific) Held 01-14-2010
The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association is destroying our sovereignty using our own money generated by what are supposed to be our casinos.
Our casinos have taken in billions of dollars in profits since gaming began.
How much in profits, we don’t even know because hiding behind sovereignty there has been no accountability from these casino managements or our tribal governments.
In spite of billions in profits generated by what are supposed to be our casinos, poverty amongst our people is at an all time high. The higher the profits of the casino industry the higher poverty climbs. MIGA wants us for cheap labor working in casinos, not the enforcement of affirmative action policies pushing wages along with our standard of living up.
With all the millions upon millions of dollars--- our dollars--- the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association has supposedly spent in campaign contributions doled out to white politicians defending our sovereignty we don’t have one single Indian in the Minnesota State Legislature defending our sovereignty, our rights or our livelihoods, or affirmative action--- is anyone really satisfied these white politicians elected with our money are defending our sovereignty or our livelihoods?
The Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, like all the politicians our casino dollars go to support, is white. What does John McCarthy know about sovereignty?
All we own as a result of all the investments we have made in casinos is debt.
Debt destroys the sovereignty of any people.
Debt creates poverty.
Increased poverty is what we have derived from an Indian Gaming Industry that pays our people poverty wages. Pay people poverty wages you get poverty.
John McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association who we had no say in placing in this position; somehow, while defending our sovereignty got himself rich as we have been pushed out of the decision making process and into poverty.
Something isn’t right with this picture.
John McCarthy has perverted what sovereignty is supposed to be and used our own money to destroy the very organizations like the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council which were intended to give us a voice in the decision-making process.
John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have even sabotaged the intent of this forum here today which was originally promoted as a chance for Native Americans to have a voice in the political process and they turned it into nothing but a lobbying effort on behalf the Indian Gaming Industry. Not a mention about affirmative action.
Where is there any discussion about affirmative action in hiring?
Just down the road is the Bemidji Regional Event Center now under construction, and the very politicians paid off to allow the casino industry to flourish and turn a blind eye to workers being employed in these smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws have turned away in indifference as a racist City Planner told Kraus-Anderson they did not have to abide by the City of Bemidji’s own affirmative action policies; a racist decision costing us jobs we are entitled to.
What about affirmative action? Affirmative action is our best defense of our sovereignty--- most Indians are working people. Working people without good jobs paying good wages are forced to live in poverty. Are we supposed to accept poverty in return for sovereignty?
Here we have politicians who made a big hullabaloo about eradicating poverty. They even spent hundreds of thousands of dollars establishing a committee to eliminate poverty.
I asked State Senator Mary Olson to help me get the City of Bemidji to enforce its own affirmative action policy because we Indian people are entitled to those jobs just like everyone else. Mary Olson refused to help us.
I called each and every one of these candidates for governor in the room here today asking for their help in getting Native Americans jobs constructing the Bemidji Regional Event Center. I even met with Dan McElroy the head of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; McElroy refused to help get affirmative action enforced on the BREC just like these politicians running for governor. We are a little less than a year away from the Bemidji Regional Event Center going into operation; and, guess what? No affirmative action program is in place regarding hiring the staff and those who will be maintaining the BREC.
Where is the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council? Where is the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party? Where are the politicians in this room today? All are out to lunch being wined and dined by John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with their hands out to grab our money--- they are using our money to undermine our best defense of sovereignty: affirmative action.
Who is going to work with me to enforce affirmative action at the BREC to get our people the jobs they are entitled to? That is what I came here today to find out.
Gregory W. Paquin
Candidate for Minnesota State Senate District: 4
1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
Home phone: 218-209-3157
Cell phone: 651-503-9493
Please check out my blog: http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/
Our casinos have taken in billions of dollars in profits since gaming began.
How much in profits, we don’t even know because hiding behind sovereignty there has been no accountability from these casino managements or our tribal governments.
In spite of billions in profits generated by what are supposed to be our casinos, poverty amongst our people is at an all time high. The higher the profits of the casino industry the higher poverty climbs. MIGA wants us for cheap labor working in casinos, not the enforcement of affirmative action policies pushing wages along with our standard of living up.
With all the millions upon millions of dollars--- our dollars--- the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association has supposedly spent in campaign contributions doled out to white politicians defending our sovereignty we don’t have one single Indian in the Minnesota State Legislature defending our sovereignty, our rights or our livelihoods, or affirmative action--- is anyone really satisfied these white politicians elected with our money are defending our sovereignty or our livelihoods?
The Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, like all the politicians our casino dollars go to support, is white. What does John McCarthy know about sovereignty?
All we own as a result of all the investments we have made in casinos is debt.
Debt destroys the sovereignty of any people.
Debt creates poverty.
Increased poverty is what we have derived from an Indian Gaming Industry that pays our people poverty wages. Pay people poverty wages you get poverty.
John McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association who we had no say in placing in this position; somehow, while defending our sovereignty got himself rich as we have been pushed out of the decision making process and into poverty.
Something isn’t right with this picture.
John McCarthy has perverted what sovereignty is supposed to be and used our own money to destroy the very organizations like the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council which were intended to give us a voice in the decision-making process.
John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have even sabotaged the intent of this forum here today which was originally promoted as a chance for Native Americans to have a voice in the political process and they turned it into nothing but a lobbying effort on behalf the Indian Gaming Industry. Not a mention about affirmative action.
Where is there any discussion about affirmative action in hiring?
Just down the road is the Bemidji Regional Event Center now under construction, and the very politicians paid off to allow the casino industry to flourish and turn a blind eye to workers being employed in these smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws have turned away in indifference as a racist City Planner told Kraus-Anderson they did not have to abide by the City of Bemidji’s own affirmative action policies; a racist decision costing us jobs we are entitled to.
What about affirmative action? Affirmative action is our best defense of our sovereignty--- most Indians are working people. Working people without good jobs paying good wages are forced to live in poverty. Are we supposed to accept poverty in return for sovereignty?
Here we have politicians who made a big hullabaloo about eradicating poverty. They even spent hundreds of thousands of dollars establishing a committee to eliminate poverty.
I asked State Senator Mary Olson to help me get the City of Bemidji to enforce its own affirmative action policy because we Indian people are entitled to those jobs just like everyone else. Mary Olson refused to help us.
I called each and every one of these candidates for governor in the room here today asking for their help in getting Native Americans jobs constructing the Bemidji Regional Event Center. I even met with Dan McElroy the head of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; McElroy refused to help get affirmative action enforced on the BREC just like these politicians running for governor. We are a little less than a year away from the Bemidji Regional Event Center going into operation; and, guess what? No affirmative action program is in place regarding hiring the staff and those who will be maintaining the BREC.
Where is the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council? Where is the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party? Where are the politicians in this room today? All are out to lunch being wined and dined by John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with their hands out to grab our money--- they are using our money to undermine our best defense of sovereignty: affirmative action.
Who is going to work with me to enforce affirmative action at the BREC to get our people the jobs they are entitled to? That is what I came here today to find out.
Gregory W. Paquin
Candidate for Minnesota State Senate District: 4
1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
Home phone: 218-209-3157
Cell phone: 651-503-9493
Please check out my blog: http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/
Letter to Court That Judge Melbye admonished me for.
December 17, 2009
Native American Indian Labor Union 12
Gregory Wayne Paquin
1511 Roosevelt Rd Se
Bemidji ,Minnesota, 56601
9th Judicial District Court File
04-CV-09-4736
Court Administrator/s and Defendants counsel
Plaintiff objects to the conference held on December 14, 2009 between Defendants and Court Administrator on the following basis:
1.Plaintiff was not informed of said conference taking place by any of the Defendants or the Court Administrator;
Plaintiff insists upon being provided the Court Rules under which this Conference took place without notification of Plaintiff and without Plaintiff’s presence.
Plaintiff is in the process of securing an attorney, Darrell Carter.
Plaintiff objects to any conferences or proceedings taking place by telephone because this hinders the ability of Plaintiff to respond and participate fully because Plaintiff has limited education and is lacking adequate communication skills; Plaintiff is not an attorney.
Justice requires a full and impartial hearing on the merits of this case which are based upon the historical roots of racism which has led to the present institutionalized racism which is responsible for unemployment and the resulting poverty.
Plaintiffs, the City of Bemidji, Kraus Andersen and DEED are, are fully aware of their obligations to enforce affirmative action in hiring--- and did, with a malicious racist intent--- deny employment to Native Americans on the construction of the Bemidji Regional Event Center.
Now, complicating an already unjust situation which Plaintiffs created, the same repugnant, institutionalized racism is undermining Plaintiff’s ability to right this injustice.
Plaintiff is entitled to his “day in Court,” free from this kind of racist denial of basic justice which most people take for granted as their right to due process protected by the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights and Treaties between the United States government and Indian people.
A seemingly rather progromonius relationship exists between The 9th District Court Administration and Defendants in this matter.
And on several occasions, first represented by a letter addressed to myself, dated 12-2-2009 by James J Thomson/Kennedy & Graven, attorney of City of Bemidji , referencing a letter to city council for a meeting to discuss with other coalition groups the review of what actually is the Affirmative action policy representation on the BREC . Mr. Thomson states" Because this issue is subject to a pending lawsuit ,it would not be appropriate for the Mayor and City Council to meet with you at this time" and "In an effort to resolve the lawsuit as quickly as possible ,I want to advise you that we have scheduled a court hearing for 2:30 p.m. on January 13, 2010 at which time we will be bringing a motion for summary judgment on behalf of the City. You will receive our motion papers no later than 28 days before that date."
Evidenced by notification of a hearing date of January 13,2010,2:30 pm by 9th Judicial District Court where i am expected to appear fully prepared, at this hearing , initiated by Kennedy & Gravens James J Thomson Jr on behalf of City of Bemidji,Mn .This being issued on December 8th ,2009 by 9th Judicial court Cynthia S Ebbighausen clerk of court.
Now i receive a letter dated December 14th not even a week from last directive by Court by David Camarotto/ Bassford Remele representing Kraus -Anderson, informing me a conference call with "Court Administration" initiated by counsel for defendants on 12-14-2009 by Nathan Hartshorn, Jim Thomson,and David Camarotto collectively (without Greg Paquin) requested on behalf of all Defendants that the Summary judgment Motion "hearing" scheduled for January 13,2010 be continued to a later date of which NOW the Court provided an amended date of February 22,2010at 2:30 p.m.for Defendants dispositive motions to be heard in this matter .
Also in addition the Court agreed for myself that all parties may appear via telephone for the January 13th 2010 ( Now Called) " Scheduling conference" by the Court. Where it was a originally designed to be a hearing scheduled to hear these dis-positive motions and acceptance as such by Court due to timeliness of notification by Court, All initiated by Mr. . James J Thomson.
Item of Note, that when court acquiesced to Mr. Thomsons request for hearing date to hear these dis-positive motions performed a seemingly innocuous function by stating this was a "scheduling" Conference yet knowing full well it was a attempt by the City of Bemidji representation to Exempt itself from this Discrimination case and in light of all this communication between Court and Counsel of Defendants leads me to believe this Court is attempting to participate in just such an insidious manner by misrepresenting what this so called, by Court ,"scheduling conference" was all about .
According to the rules of Court I read I have 60 days to file an informational statement and at that time these conferences and hearings would be issued by the Court Administration and a Assignment to a Judge. A Much Faster track is evidenced here to deny hearing the full merits of this case,
When i had earlier requested Informa Pauperis Status with this 9th District court, in regard to this case, the Court would not discuss with me any parameters of the reasons and causes i was requesting such benefaction for this Organization and person in charge of its mission ,myself Gregory W Paquin .Either Ms Ebbighausen is now doing a lot of Deciding and juggling of these change of venue dates and names attached to them by herself whence previously she told me she could not comment or even let me talk to the Judge signing Informa Pauperis order Denying me an official filed request to review the criteria I needed to present to allow the Judge a full understanding of the factors I wanted heard. while i watch her now bend over backwards to assist Defendants .The rules are being applied in unfair and uneven process. I see the Collusive representation of Institutional Racism and how it is being depended upon by these Attorneys for Defendants. Some Nice Ethics!
Plaintiff is requesting of this Court that all decisions made during this “Conference” be immediately terminated and a new Conference scheduled on these issues with Plaintiff included.
Plaintiff notes that Defendants’ attorneys are engaged in racist maneuvers seeking to obscure the basic issues of this case.
Gregory Wayne Paquin
Native American Indian Labor Union 12
Gregory Wayne Paquin
1511 Roosevelt Rd Se
Bemidji ,Minnesota, 56601
9th Judicial District Court File
04-CV-09-4736
Court Administrator/s and Defendants counsel
Plaintiff objects to the conference held on December 14, 2009 between Defendants and Court Administrator on the following basis:
1.Plaintiff was not informed of said conference taking place by any of the Defendants or the Court Administrator;
Plaintiff insists upon being provided the Court Rules under which this Conference took place without notification of Plaintiff and without Plaintiff’s presence.
Plaintiff is in the process of securing an attorney, Darrell Carter.
Plaintiff objects to any conferences or proceedings taking place by telephone because this hinders the ability of Plaintiff to respond and participate fully because Plaintiff has limited education and is lacking adequate communication skills; Plaintiff is not an attorney.
Justice requires a full and impartial hearing on the merits of this case which are based upon the historical roots of racism which has led to the present institutionalized racism which is responsible for unemployment and the resulting poverty.
Plaintiffs, the City of Bemidji, Kraus Andersen and DEED are, are fully aware of their obligations to enforce affirmative action in hiring--- and did, with a malicious racist intent--- deny employment to Native Americans on the construction of the Bemidji Regional Event Center.
Now, complicating an already unjust situation which Plaintiffs created, the same repugnant, institutionalized racism is undermining Plaintiff’s ability to right this injustice.
Plaintiff is entitled to his “day in Court,” free from this kind of racist denial of basic justice which most people take for granted as their right to due process protected by the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights and Treaties between the United States government and Indian people.
A seemingly rather progromonius relationship exists between The 9th District Court Administration and Defendants in this matter.
And on several occasions, first represented by a letter addressed to myself, dated 12-2-2009 by James J Thomson/Kennedy & Graven, attorney of City of Bemidji , referencing a letter to city council for a meeting to discuss with other coalition groups the review of what actually is the Affirmative action policy representation on the BREC . Mr. Thomson states" Because this issue is subject to a pending lawsuit ,it would not be appropriate for the Mayor and City Council to meet with you at this time" and "In an effort to resolve the lawsuit as quickly as possible ,I want to advise you that we have scheduled a court hearing for 2:30 p.m. on January 13, 2010 at which time we will be bringing a motion for summary judgment on behalf of the City. You will receive our motion papers no later than 28 days before that date."
Evidenced by notification of a hearing date of January 13,2010,2:30 pm by 9th Judicial District Court where i am expected to appear fully prepared, at this hearing , initiated by Kennedy & Gravens James J Thomson Jr on behalf of City of Bemidji,Mn .This being issued on December 8th ,2009 by 9th Judicial court Cynthia S Ebbighausen clerk of court.
Now i receive a letter dated December 14th not even a week from last directive by Court by David Camarotto/ Bassford Remele representing Kraus -Anderson, informing me a conference call with "Court Administration" initiated by counsel for defendants on 12-14-2009 by Nathan Hartshorn, Jim Thomson,and David Camarotto collectively (without Greg Paquin) requested on behalf of all Defendants that the Summary judgment Motion "hearing" scheduled for January 13,2010 be continued to a later date of which NOW the Court provided an amended date of February 22,2010at 2:30 p.m.for Defendants dispositive motions to be heard in this matter .
Also in addition the Court agreed for myself that all parties may appear via telephone for the January 13th 2010 ( Now Called) " Scheduling conference" by the Court. Where it was a originally designed to be a hearing scheduled to hear these dis-positive motions and acceptance as such by Court due to timeliness of notification by Court, All initiated by Mr. . James J Thomson.
Item of Note, that when court acquiesced to Mr. Thomsons request for hearing date to hear these dis-positive motions performed a seemingly innocuous function by stating this was a "scheduling" Conference yet knowing full well it was a attempt by the City of Bemidji representation to Exempt itself from this Discrimination case and in light of all this communication between Court and Counsel of Defendants leads me to believe this Court is attempting to participate in just such an insidious manner by misrepresenting what this so called, by Court ,"scheduling conference" was all about .
According to the rules of Court I read I have 60 days to file an informational statement and at that time these conferences and hearings would be issued by the Court Administration and a Assignment to a Judge. A Much Faster track is evidenced here to deny hearing the full merits of this case,
When i had earlier requested Informa Pauperis Status with this 9th District court, in regard to this case, the Court would not discuss with me any parameters of the reasons and causes i was requesting such benefaction for this Organization and person in charge of its mission ,myself Gregory W Paquin .Either Ms Ebbighausen is now doing a lot of Deciding and juggling of these change of venue dates and names attached to them by herself whence previously she told me she could not comment or even let me talk to the Judge signing Informa Pauperis order Denying me an official filed request to review the criteria I needed to present to allow the Judge a full understanding of the factors I wanted heard. while i watch her now bend over backwards to assist Defendants .The rules are being applied in unfair and uneven process. I see the Collusive representation of Institutional Racism and how it is being depended upon by these Attorneys for Defendants. Some Nice Ethics!
Plaintiff is requesting of this Court that all decisions made during this “Conference” be immediately terminated and a new Conference scheduled on these issues with Plaintiff included.
Plaintiff notes that Defendants’ attorneys are engaged in racist maneuvers seeking to obscure the basic issues of this case.
Gregory Wayne Paquin
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Native American Indian Labor Union vs. City of Bemidji,Minnesota Dept Employment,Economic Development, Kraus-Anderson
This past wensday 2:30pm, 01/13/2010 was our first appearance on what was originally billed by Court administration as a hearing to hear "dispositive motions for summary dismissal "of this civil right action on behalf of our members regarding the denial of implementing state mandated AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS detailed in Minnesota statute 363A.
During this hearing now called a scheduling conference i agreed to a trial date for the week of October 18th ,2010 and will post this notice when i recieve it from the Court. Also a date created in a pogrom -oriented fashion between Court and Respondants is a date to hear these Dispositive Motions for Summary judgement which i will fight tooth and nail as they are based on technicalities of law and theory but basically in this case are an attempt to find a racist Court to go along with, to Deny hearing the full merits of this case.
Judge Melbye admonished me for a letter i had written regarding this recognition i feel represents the collusive nature the Institutional Racist system so negatively affecting "protected class workers" has been allowed to operate unchecked.
During this hearing now called a scheduling conference i agreed to a trial date for the week of October 18th ,2010 and will post this notice when i recieve it from the Court. Also a date created in a pogrom -oriented fashion between Court and Respondants is a date to hear these Dispositive Motions for Summary judgement which i will fight tooth and nail as they are based on technicalities of law and theory but basically in this case are an attempt to find a racist Court to go along with, to Deny hearing the full merits of this case.
Judge Melbye admonished me for a letter i had written regarding this recognition i feel represents the collusive nature the Institutional Racist system so negatively affecting "protected class workers" has been allowed to operate unchecked.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WE OWN SOVEREIGNTY
Gregory W. Paquin Candidate for Minnesota Senate District: 4 1511 Roosevelt Road SE. Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601 218-209-3157 h 651-503-9493 c check out my blog: http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/ |
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010 RESOLUTIONS,RESERVATIONS AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
Dear Members
I hope all of you had a good holiday with family or friends as i did. The time given to us to share with our loved ones is truly a gift from our creator and the bounty given to us by Mother Earth.
In this new year i see many opportunities that must be seized upon to create our own conditions of the manufacture of a future as we see and not as one some governmental unit deems "well good enough" as evidenced by the representation we see from our Minnesota Legislature and Tribal leaders who have co-mingled in the form of Gambling to deny the basic truth to be told and recognized that Native Peoples in our State suffer some of the most indelible Poverty and Human suffering that goes on as a matter course. All this in a multibillion dollar gambling Industry here in Minnesota.
What can we do about all this, many of us have asked ourselves and come away thinking how do you grasp the very air around us ,we know it exists but cannot change the results of generational by -products of institutional racism that Anishinabe people became cursed with when they were forced onto RESERVATIONS, not for their benefit but for someone else s. The very word R-E-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N irks me because what it represents and just like the vote that these politicians rely upon from the DFL party to sidle up to our leaders and say we will hang some Anishinabe words around town and build you a treatment center in Cass lake and you just keep handing me money so we keep the Minnesota taxpayer uninformed as to the true nature of the political cover-up that is occurring right under all Minnesotans noses. And of course the Profits from our Gambling Casinos and the hopes of so many, who do not make a livable wage while working for "Their" Casino rake in this revenue so Mobsters can take the cream right off the top while tossing out the very nature of what this gambling dollar was supposed to do. Which is to create a spiritual foundation of recovery and rehabilitation for Us.
This past year has been a difficult one for myself as i have had to weigh the decisions i have made to bring our initiative to some level of recognition which over fifty now of us have signed up and recognized the need to collectively bargain with a system, so convinced we should stand back and watch as double digit un-employment continue off and on Reservations ,without so much as a peep from our Tribal Leaders.
What have i accomplished for this organization is in the form of effort, the court case we have against the City of Bemidji , Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Kraus-Anderson is about to go into its first round of deliberations which are the result of the claim that AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS REGARDING PUBLIC FUNDED PROJECTS WERE DENIED TO US . These Laws are to give minority "protected Class" workers on State and Federal projects the right to participate by statute in the expenditure of publicly funded monies.
The main reason for lack of enforcement of these laws is a precise representation of Institutional Racism ,because when a State legislator asks for a "Indian vote" and fails to enforce AFFIRMATIVE ACTION as both MARY OLSON Senator dist 4 and rep. JOHN PERSELL dist 4 did when asked many months before this landmark project here in Bemidji started, to do something ,anything to assist this organization to enforce this LAW,They did absolutely NOTHING!
I have made a request in person to the Bemidji Mayor and City Council at the truth in taxation meeting asking to be a representative for minority concerns on the Bemidji Regional Event Center "Advisory Task Force" which i have not received a reply to date. Without someone there to assist in the enforcement of Affirmative Action and Community Development for our Anishinabe people, we will be left out in the cold. I really hope these people understand when we can send our Beautiful young people down there to show this community how our youth are also a representation of wellness within our people .
Enbridge pipeline project has not called us once to make good on a claim to be a fair and equal opportunity employer, being we submitted over 50 applications which have not been given a fair opportunity. The reason for this is they believe that by hiring "Indians" through the Reservation TERO Departments,they have fulfilled their Affirmative Action Prerogatives. Contractually they are required to do this and i have heard reports from union officials and other Native workers they were NOT allowed to have UNION membership while working under this "agreement". This project goes right through the City of Bemidji and County which gave them land to use for their operation making it a Publicly funded project which we will get to later,believe me.
One of our members this year bought a used car from me when i placed an ad in the paper and when she and her daughter both employed in the local Casino Industry came to purchase it we had a long talk about her cash flow or lack of it while employed at one of these "clip-joints" and she was driving thee most unsafe vehicle i have ever seen or driven because i traded her what cash she had on hand and that old wreck for my used yet safe equipped car. During the course of the transaction i had asked her to consider joining THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN LABOR UNION 12, which she and both her daughter signed up immediately when she realized what we are trying to do for ourselves and i made her a promise , i will not give up fighting for her rights as a hard working woman and with many years to show for it albeit the most important part of our mission A FAIR LIVABLE WAGE.
Gregory W. Paquin
I hope all of you had a good holiday with family or friends as i did. The time given to us to share with our loved ones is truly a gift from our creator and the bounty given to us by Mother Earth.
In this new year i see many opportunities that must be seized upon to create our own conditions of the manufacture of a future as we see and not as one some governmental unit deems "well good enough" as evidenced by the representation we see from our Minnesota Legislature and Tribal leaders who have co-mingled in the form of Gambling to deny the basic truth to be told and recognized that Native Peoples in our State suffer some of the most indelible Poverty and Human suffering that goes on as a matter course. All this in a multibillion dollar gambling Industry here in Minnesota.
What can we do about all this, many of us have asked ourselves and come away thinking how do you grasp the very air around us ,we know it exists but cannot change the results of generational by -products of institutional racism that Anishinabe people became cursed with when they were forced onto RESERVATIONS, not for their benefit but for someone else s. The very word R-E-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N irks me because what it represents and just like the vote that these politicians rely upon from the DFL party to sidle up to our leaders and say we will hang some Anishinabe words around town and build you a treatment center in Cass lake and you just keep handing me money so we keep the Minnesota taxpayer uninformed as to the true nature of the political cover-up that is occurring right under all Minnesotans noses. And of course the Profits from our Gambling Casinos and the hopes of so many, who do not make a livable wage while working for "Their" Casino rake in this revenue so Mobsters can take the cream right off the top while tossing out the very nature of what this gambling dollar was supposed to do. Which is to create a spiritual foundation of recovery and rehabilitation for Us.
This past year has been a difficult one for myself as i have had to weigh the decisions i have made to bring our initiative to some level of recognition which over fifty now of us have signed up and recognized the need to collectively bargain with a system, so convinced we should stand back and watch as double digit un-employment continue off and on Reservations ,without so much as a peep from our Tribal Leaders.
What have i accomplished for this organization is in the form of effort, the court case we have against the City of Bemidji , Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Kraus-Anderson is about to go into its first round of deliberations which are the result of the claim that AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LAWS REGARDING PUBLIC FUNDED PROJECTS WERE DENIED TO US . These Laws are to give minority "protected Class" workers on State and Federal projects the right to participate by statute in the expenditure of publicly funded monies.
The main reason for lack of enforcement of these laws is a precise representation of Institutional Racism ,because when a State legislator asks for a "Indian vote" and fails to enforce AFFIRMATIVE ACTION as both MARY OLSON Senator dist 4 and rep. JOHN PERSELL dist 4 did when asked many months before this landmark project here in Bemidji started, to do something ,anything to assist this organization to enforce this LAW,They did absolutely NOTHING!
I have made a request in person to the Bemidji Mayor and City Council at the truth in taxation meeting asking to be a representative for minority concerns on the Bemidji Regional Event Center "Advisory Task Force" which i have not received a reply to date. Without someone there to assist in the enforcement of Affirmative Action and Community Development for our Anishinabe people, we will be left out in the cold. I really hope these people understand when we can send our Beautiful young people down there to show this community how our youth are also a representation of wellness within our people .
Enbridge pipeline project has not called us once to make good on a claim to be a fair and equal opportunity employer, being we submitted over 50 applications which have not been given a fair opportunity. The reason for this is they believe that by hiring "Indians" through the Reservation TERO Departments,they have fulfilled their Affirmative Action Prerogatives. Contractually they are required to do this and i have heard reports from union officials and other Native workers they were NOT allowed to have UNION membership while working under this "agreement". This project goes right through the City of Bemidji and County which gave them land to use for their operation making it a Publicly funded project which we will get to later,believe me.
One of our members this year bought a used car from me when i placed an ad in the paper and when she and her daughter both employed in the local Casino Industry came to purchase it we had a long talk about her cash flow or lack of it while employed at one of these "clip-joints" and she was driving thee most unsafe vehicle i have ever seen or driven because i traded her what cash she had on hand and that old wreck for my used yet safe equipped car. During the course of the transaction i had asked her to consider joining THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN LABOR UNION 12, which she and both her daughter signed up immediately when she realized what we are trying to do for ourselves and i made her a promise , i will not give up fighting for her rights as a hard working woman and with many years to show for it albeit the most important part of our mission A FAIR LIVABLE WAGE.
Gregory W. Paquin
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