By Joe Morey
News Editor
Following the passing of a directive for the LCO Attorney General’s Office to study a policy and procedure for issuance of hotel and gas vouchers, Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board (TGB) member Gary “Little Guy” Clause made a motion to analyze costs to the Tribe giving every member the same amount currently issued to Tribal Elders in the form of a birthday check, Christmas check and for home and auto repairs.
His motion was in opposition to any moratorium being placed on TGB members giving out hotel and gas vouchers. Although the vote passed to study policy and procedures for the vouchers, Little Guy was the only vote to oppose the plan.
Little Guy stated he made his motion because the tribal Constitution states that all members are to share in the Tribe’s resources, and although he supports Elders receiving the payments, he believes times are changing and that all members should share in the resources.
Little Guy said with current tribal revenues that he believes the Tribe could afford to help all members with these payments and their repairs. He stated the payment shouldn’t be a per capita and issued on a regular basis, but a once-per-year bonus like the Christmas checks to Elders.
The motion to analyze what the annual costs would be to include all members in these services passed with a vote of 5-0-0, with Louis Taylor absent and Lorraine Gouge acting as chair over the meeting.