Prez Shelly says he’s tribal presidential candidate

HERE AT NAVAJO COUNCIL SPRING SESSION, WHERE NAVAJO PRESIDENT BEN SHELLY GAVE HIS STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS AND COUNCIL DELEGATES ARE MAKING COMMENTS AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS ADDRESS.

DELEGATE JONATHAN NEZ
I’d like to see more of you, Mr. President, at our Budget and Finance Committee meetings for proposed tribal revenue projections for 2015. And as you know $175 million prior and this year $172 million and next year, 2015, about the same. But after everyone elected, there will be considerable less tribal revenues from oil and other natural resources. I have not heard from Executive Branch about tribal revenues. And we need to keep that in mind as go into 2015 budget session. And last year, there were proposed layoffs but we ended up looking for more funding to keep those employees in their jobs. And so each of three tribal government branches really need to based their budgets on performance. We need to re-evaluate way we do budgets so have better government for people. And I ask you that if you are running for presidency again.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAYE
Introduce Myron McLaughlin, presidential candidate, with his wife, who I heard say “we” during his campaign address.

PRESIDENT SHELLY
I believe public input needed, election year or not. One of things I told you about Navajo Fundamental Law, there are two Navajo medicine people’s association. And there are concerns about having Navajo Fundamental Law in proposed Rangeland Improvement Act. Let the tribal programs meet with two medicine people’s association and resolve those concerns. We’ll even give them funding. WE have our disagreements but we started to work and communicate together. I have also instructed my staff to work with Council. And a couple of years ago I asked you to have medicine people involved and I received no response from Council.

And regarding Decentralization Project and Regionalization Act, they are different from each other. Regionalization is taking programs to regions. As president overseeing Executive Branch, we have three months to establish Decentralization Project and I don’t want those funds to revert back to budget.

And on tribal financial assistance, when I declare an emergency, everyone wants those assistance even though there is no emergency in their areas.

And regarding Delegate Witherspoon’s question about road that crosses Hopi reservation. I talked with Hopis and it was about eagle gathering on Navajo land. I’m asking for $700,000 for fiber optics from Hopis before it goes across Navajo Reservation. And I also talked about impoundment of livestock and wood by Hopis from Navajo people living on Navajo Partition Land.

I restate that my talk about vetoing proposed Rangeland Improvement Act is because medicine people were not involved.

I have listened to 12 presidential candidate and they have good plans. I will announce my presidential candidacy on May 15 or 16 for me and my Vice President Rex Lee.

DELEGATE JONATHAN HALE
regarding Rangeland Improvement Act, i support New Lands Grazing Act. WE have started working on grazng permits. if you are to be successful grazing permitee, then you need to understand land management, such as rotation of livestock, open range grazing. the new proposed Act does not address grazing permits; it’s about policy and healthy land management. we also talk about health preventions outreach. And outside Council chamber, tribal programs have setup to educate and bring awareness about healthy lifestyles. There also are concerns from Department of Personnel Management regarding acceptance of resumes of college graduates. DPM tells these recent graduates that they are “over qualified.”

VOTE TO ACCEPT PRESIDENT SHELLY’S REPORT
14 in favor, 2 opposed

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