My First 100 Days

In national politics, there is always a lot of media coverage and attention put towards our newly-elected president's first 100 days in office. Many believe that our president's first 100 days can define him/her and determine what kind of job he/she will do for our country. I don't believe that to be true especially when taking into account what kind of mess he/she has to clean up. But I do feel that there are issues that can be addressed and, in some cases, resolved in the first 100 days.

As a potential leader of our tribe and our people, I would like to list some of the issues I would like to address in my first 100 days if elected to Tribal Council.

First, I would like to address the ethics and accountability issue. I believe that Tribal Council should set the example and should act in a way that best represents our tribe. I also believe that there needs to be a way that obligates our Tribal Council to be at work. I actually have a couple different ideas on how we can achieve this:

1). Hang a dry erase board in the middle of the Governance Atrium with a list of all council member names with an indication as to whether they are in or out and a reason for being out if they are. This would allow the membership, employees or anyone who needed to speak to council to see who was available and to know who is actually showing up for work and doing their job.

2). Do a roll call every morning and post or publish the roll call on our website, in "Tilixam Wawa" or in "Smoke Signals". We need to make our Tribal Council's attendance public to the membership. (The roll call was actually a suggestion from a current council member and I liked the idea. Making the attendance record public was my idea).

The second issue that I would like to tackle in my first 100 days is communication. I feel Tribal Council can better communicate with the membership. As I've stated many times before, I know what it is like to not have the information. I would like to be instrumental in correcting this. Here are some of my ideas:

1). Take advantage of the communication tools that we currently have. In my opinion, Tribal Council should make daily posts on the tribal website. Whether it is their agenda for the day or news that the membership has a right to know. The "Tilixam Wawa" should come out more often than it does. I would like to see it come out monthly at least. It should also include input from Tribal Council members themselves. I would like to see council author a percentage of the material published.

2). I like the idea of a Tribal Council blog. A way for the membership to ask direct questions to council. Council would then be obligated to responding in a timely manner. This would be a great forum for council to address the membership's concerns without having to organize a meeting.

Please remember that I am not promising that these things can happen in my first 100 days. What I am promising to do is introduce my ideas to council and push to have them implemented within my first 100 days, if elected. I can also keep the membership updated, via my blog, as to the progress I have made and whether or not my ideas were shot down or are being considered.

Thank you for reading and remember, TOBY09.

The Troopers

When one runs for public office, they need those closest to them to be supportive. Here are my troopers. The ones that remind me of what life is really about...

Logan, Sandy, Landon and Abbey (The Dog)

Landon, Sandy, Me and Logan

"TOBY09" Campaign Footage

Candidate Forums

As many of you know, there have been a couple of Candidate Forums over the past two weekends. One was held in Portland, Oregon and the other in Sisters, Oregon. These have served as a blessing for the candidates who are trying to get their names publicized to the greatest degree possible.

I believe that this is the first year that anything like this has taken place. Which I find ironic due to the complications of the new mailing system. I know that there have been Candidate Forums in the past but were always held in Grand Ronde and were "censored" by the Publications Department. Last year was the first year in many that there was not a Candidate Forum held. And I don't believe that the Tribe plans to host one this year. However, there will be another one on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at St. Michael's Church in Grand Ronde. It will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Special Note: There was a concern brought to my attention regarding my above statement that the previous Candidate Forums were "censored" by the Publications Department. I would like to clear that up. There were bulletins put up around the tribal campus requesting that members submit a question to be asked of the candidates at the forum. The questions had to be signed by the tribal member including their roll number. If the question was not signed with their roll number, the question was not accepted. The Publications Department did not determine whether or not a question was appropriate. I apologize if I misled anyone. My interpretation of the word "censored" in this particular case was that the questions had to go through a filtering system before being asked. My statement was by no means meant to be contentious toward the Publications Department.

Back to my original point, this kind of forum coincides with one of my earlier posts titled "Support For Tribal Council." The forums allow the membership to meet the candidates, have a better understanding of the candidates and make an educated decision as to which candidate they will support. It is a blessing for not only the candidates but the membership as well.

As for being helpful to the candidates, it allows them to express their ideas and concerns in a public forum that would otherwise go unheard. There were only a couple of avenues for expressing ideas and concerns for the candidates in the past. One was the 600-word Candidate Statement in our tribal publication and the other was to spend a lot of money on mailouts. And I mean a lot of money!!! If one could not afford to send mailouts, that leaves only one option.

With that being said, I understand that this system has been used for many years. And for a tribe that only communicates with the local membership, this system is probably successful. However, there are many others casting votes outside of our six county service area. Opening up an opportunity for candidates to debate, discuss and communicate outside of Grand Ronde is what this is all about. To me, it is absolutely necessary.

I will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to let my voice be heard. The Candidate Forums are another avenue that benefits our entire tribe.

Thank you for reading and remember, TOBY09.

P.S. The Candidate Forums were hosted and sponsored by a non-profit organization titled "Grand Ronde for an Open and Honest Leadership" (GROHL). Both forums were recorded and can be viewed at: www.grandrondepac.org

Nomination Sunday Photos

Here are a few photos taken on Nomination Sunday. June 28th, 2009.
Christina Mercier, Dean(Running Bear)Mercier and Marion Mercier
Aunt Marion and I
Mom (Joann Mercier) and I

Grand Ronde Culture

There are always topics and issues that stand out more than others in every election. In this particular election, it seems as though censorship, the infamous "Leno Letter" and communication seem to be getting the most attention thus far.

What I find interesting is that I only see one of my top priorities in the issues listed above and that is communication. Are we so focused on the "Leno Letter" and censorship that the education of our people, the health care of our people and the cultures of our people are falling to the wayside?

Now, please don't feel as though the ethics of our people and making sure that the membership has the right to express themselves are issues not important to me. They definitely are. As many of you have heard me say in the past, we absolutely need a council that is held accountable and does not try to control everything. As far as I'm concerned, council has too much power and too much control. I would like to see a day in our tribe when the membership is more involved with the decision-making processes. That is a whole new blog and I will post something on that particular issue in the near future.

To get back on track, I hope that the candidates, including myself, are not putting all of their efforts into areas I feel aren't as important as securing self sufficiency for our people.

Our culture is the only thing we have as a tribe that has always been there and always will be. You don't need money to practice the ways of our culture. That has been proven before the opening of Spirit Mountain Casino. I firmly believe it can be proven again should anything happen to the amount of revenue we currently bring in. Our culture is one of the most important programs the tribe has to offer. Our culture is what separates us as an ethnicity. It is what keeps the legends, traditions and ways of our people alive. And we, the membership, need to believe in it, practice it and share it.

I feel we need to be more focused on the areas of this tribe that will help us pave the path to self sufficiency. We need to secure a foundation of success for the generations that follow in our footsteps. I would encourage the membership as well as each of this year's candidates to remember and focus on our culture as it will always be what makes Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde.

Thank you. And remember: TOBY09!!

My First Campaign Letter

I have spent a lot of money to send out my campaign letter just to find out that it has not yet reached many people. I sent it almost three weeks ago. It should have reached other countries by now. I plan to call the mailing company in the morning to find out what is going on. Anyhow, I have added it below for my firends and family who have not yet received it.


Dear Grand Ronde Tribal Members,

My name is Toby McClary. I am running for Tribal Council in the 2009 Tribal
Council election. There are many issues confronting the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde that concern me deeply. Please consider this letter just a primer as
future mailings will get in depth.

I grew up in Grand Ronde and have played an active role in the tribe for many
years. I was here before Spirit Mountain Casino opened and I remember what a
tight-knit community it was. I remember the days of community support, lending
a hand to whoever needed it and participating in the many fundraisers held each
year. Often fundraisers were held to send our Royalty to state-wide pow-wows as
Grand Ronde representatives. I can't help but smile when I remember all that.
I'm sure many of you can relate in some way.

Over the years, Grand Ronde has seen many changes, not the least of which was
the opening of Spirit Mountain Casino in 1995. The casino has been a blessing to
our tribe and created unprecedented opportunity. Many of our benefits would not
exist without it. We should all be appreciative and thankful to our ancestors as
well the Tribal Council who have served up to now. Any concerns I have about the
tribe are not of past decisions, but rather the decisions that lie ahead. My concern
and passion are what drive me to take such a great interest in the Tribal
governance affairs and ultimately fueled my decision to run for Tribal Council.
Here are two of my issues:

Accountability:

I have spoken publicly on many occasions about this issue. I understand people
are tired of hearing "accountability" and seeing little done to correct it. First, elect a Tribal Council willing to take responsibility for their actions. This is one
promise I intend to stand by. Council should not be above reproach. Everybody is
wrong at times. Yet a leader is somebody who can admit mistakes have been
made but takes steps to correct them, somebody that apologizes for wrongdoing,
and can move on with integrity and focus on tribal business (with people they
may not necessarily get along with). I feel that council members should conduct
themselves professionally and without personal vendettas. That is not much to
ask for. These are somewhat hidden characteristics that could begin to change the
face of our council's accountability. These are characteristics that I possess and
can assure you all I will stand by them if elected to Tribal Council. As I mentioned
in a letter recently in the Smoke Signals, there are many flaws and what I
consider to be "conflicts-of-interest" in the current Tribal Ethical Standards
Ordinance. I would encourage all Tribal Members to read that ordinance and
develop their own opinion.

Communication:

Through my experiences over the last few years, the membership is clearly
hungry for information, any information regarding tribal affairs. The tribe has
many communication tools that are not fully used. Let's take the tribal website for
example. I've heard there will either be live feeds or recorded footage of the
council meetings for the last year. I have yet to see any of this posted on our
website. Certainly there are complications with streaming video sometimes and
that is understandable. All I ask is that information be passed on to the members
in a timely manner. Seems like a reasonable request. I was also present at the

Wednesday Council Meeting in May when representatives from UBS (United
Bank of Switzerland) were present to discuss the minor's trust funds. There were
more concerned Tribal Members at that meeting than I have ever seen at a
Wednesday night meeting. And believe me they were there for a good reason.
However, some of them traveled a very long distance for information that should
have already been provided in a letter or something as they watched their kids'
money plummet month-by-month.

I also feel that an uncensored Tilixam Wawa could serve as a beneficial
communication tool. After the budget issue was sent in February, 2009, I did not
receive another issue until June, which for some reason featured Council meeting
minutes from August. August 2008. That was ten months ago! I remember a
few years back when I received a Tilixam Wawa every month that contained
articles written by council members themselves. I really appreciated those
articles because council was at least trying to interact with me and keep me
abreast of major issues. I would like to see a day when we revert back to monthly
publications in addition to Smoke Signals. To me, keeping information from the
general membership insinuates that there is something to hide. Whether there is
or isn't, that is my perception and I am not alone.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my first letter. Again, there are many
issues I am passionate about and I am excited to speak more on them in future
letters, web postings and forums.

Respectfully,
Toby McClary #1471

SMGI Board of Directors

The "SMGI Board of Directors" issue is one that has burned me up for quite some time. There are some things that I do not understand and some that just don't make sense to me.

Allow me to explain. First of all, why does the Tribal Council make up the majority of the board? As far as I know, council has the right to override the suggestions and decisions of the board anyway. As it stands right now, there are five council members and four non-council members that make up the board. If council makes up the majority, why do we even have a board? If for some reason council does not like what the board has suggested, they can just change the decision to their liking. That doesn't make sense. Maybe I am missing a part of the story that would clear everything up for me.

A few years back, the council gave the membership the right to vote on whether or not they would like to see council on the board. As much as I admired our council for giving us a voice, I felt that the vote should have been worded differently. I personally agree with having representatives from council on the board. I do not agree with them making up the majority. I feel that if there were stipulations stating that council could have representatives on the board but not make up the majority, the outcome of the membership's vote would have been much different. It was "black or white." There could either be council on the board or not. Even as "black and white" as it was, the vote was very close. I believe in the membership. We are not idiots and if we were provided with more of a voice, I believe this tribe could be ran a lot stronger.

There was also a non-council tribal member whose term on the board had expired. This individual was not reappointed based upon a vote made by the other eight board members. This person recently confronted the council members that voted against his reappointment at a Wednesday night meeting. Now, I am not sticking up for this individual and maybe there was justification for their vote against him. All I can say is that the answers for their vote against him to be reappointed did not seem justified to me. In fact, I didn't even make any sense out of most of them.

I would like to see the board's voting history for reappointments over the last three years. I'll bet it is pretty interesting. I would also like to know what the criteria is for denying someone's reappointment as well as the criteria for voting "for" someone's reappointment. I really hope that there are some guidelines in place for these kinds of decisions. These people make big decisions for our tribe and for our casino. Or they at least make big suggestions to our council. As I also feel about voting for Tribal Council, it is very serious business and should not be taken lightly.

Thank you for your time. And remember, TOBY09!!

Support for Tribal Council

My candidacy so far has been very interesting, to say the least. My eyes have been opened to many things I was not aware of and some things I wish I would have kept them closed. It's no lie when people say that "politics" are a whole different world.

One of the most interesting things I've come across thus far are the reasons for why the membership supports the candidates they do. I know that I have always voted for who I thought was ethical and who had the best interest of the tribe at heart, or at least made me feel that way. I have not always been pleased with the outcome or the performance of the people I voted for but I felt in my heart at the time, I was doing the right thing. Since I have been nominated, I have spoken to many people and discussed with them who they will support in the 2009 Tribal Council election. I am not perplexed by who people want to support but why they want to support them.

I usually try to do my homework during election time because I feel it is important for me to know why I would cast a vote in anybody's direction. How has that person earned a seat to represent the membership and how are they going to help the entire membership? Are they ethical? Are they accountable? Do they believe in me and my opinion? Do they trust me? Do I trust them? Will they support the membership and if so, how?

These are just a few of the questions I ask myself about each and every candidate, every year. Voting council members in is not just voting for your family. It's not just voting for whoever hasn't made you mad in the last year or voting for the person that made a promise in your favor. It's bigger than that. It's about your children, your culture and your tribe. It's about everybody and securing a success for those who will live beyond our time. Voting someone in for Tribal Council is a very important decision and should be taken seriously. It should not be taken lightly and I would hope that everybody does their homework in between the months of July and August every year.

Let's not forget who Tribal Council represents and who they are supposedly working for.

Strategic Planning?

I recently received a letter from the Executive Office at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR). It stated that there was a violation of confidentiality in a letter that was sent to the membership in June of 2008. That was over a year ago. It was an anonymous letter (Leno Letter) basically saying that Reyn Leno's influence on Tribal Council had put his family members in high-paying, respectable positions at CTGR. Now, whether or not this is true, I don't know because there was never an investigation done on that side of the letter. The immediate focus was put on the author of the letter and the private records that were obtained in order to find out people's personal financial status as well as the membership's addresses. I totally agree that this violation should not have occurred and it is a breach of confidentiality. I would never stand for this kind of behavior and I hope that the guilty parties are held responsible for their actions.

Now let's go back to the letter that was written by the Executive Office. The letter went on to say that personal and private records were obtained to write the "Leno Letter" and that the Executive Team was concerned for the membership's private lives as a result. That may be true. They may be concerned. But have they been concerned for the last 12 months? Again, the "Leno Letter" went out in June of 2008. The letter from the Executive Team said that we (the membership) should run credit checks and keep a close eye on our bank accounts in case of identity theft due to the records obtained by the author of the "Leno Letter". To me, 12 months of potential criminal acts to my identity and bank accounts is too long of a period of time to show that somebody is truly concerned for my well-being.

With all of the information and the timing of it being released (the day after nominations), it leads me to believe that the letter sent from the Executive Office was also a strategic, politically-feuled source of information. It is at the very least, something to think about. Why wasn't that letter sent 10 months ago, six months ago or even 30 days ago?

I do not steer away from the fact that the author(s) of the "Leno Letter" committed criminal acts and need to be held responsible. I do feel that there has been too much time, money and focus on the letter and everything needs to come to a head, resolved and we all need to move on. How could any productive business be conducted when this tension is lingering over the heads of not only Tribal Council but the entire membership?

Thank you,
Toby McClary