The chasm between the Lumbee Tribal Council and Chairman Purnell Swett is getting wider, and if it continues to broaden, someone’s going to get swallowed up. The tribe’s Supreme Court now has been drawn into the dispute by the council, which maintains that Swett overstepped his authority when penning a contract for Tribal Administrator Rose Marie Lowry-Townsend.
But much more worrisome for Swett — if he indeed has acted without authority — would be a recent audit that was conducted by federal officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for the tribe. Swett maintains he asked for the audit in an effort to clear his name, but we have been told by more than one tribal official that the audit was already on the launch pad.
Meanwhile, the tribe tries to conduct business as usual, which included a resolution on Thursday night asking this state’s senators to introduce a federal recognition bill in their chamber similar to Rep. Mike McIntyre’s in the U.S. House. So one hand of the tribe seeks federal recognition while the other strategically positions the banana peel.
The Robesonian has seen Lowry-Townsend’s contract, and among the council’s worries are: an automatic two-year extension unless a notice of termination is provided 90 days before the end of the current term; bonuses at the discretion of the tribal chairman; and annual salary increases above the cost-of-living, also at the whim of the chairman.
So the chairman, in this instance Swett, has tremendous unilateral authority to reward Lowry-Townsend financially — even as the council pushes harder and harder for her termination.
Moreover, when the council wanted a look at Lowry-Townsend’s contract, Swett clenched his fist tighter, and only surrendered it under immense pressure. Perhaps we now know why.
Because of Swett’s history, which is recalled only because of the present, it’s an easy leap to look upon all this with a jaundiced eye. A refresher course: Swett, while superintendent of the Public Schools of Robeson County in the mid-1990s, was accused of awarding himself a bonus without proper authorization from the Board of Education. That led to his resignation as schools superintendent, an Alford plea in court to the misdemeanor crime of misprision — the misappropriation of money — and the repayment of the money.
It seems to us that the Tribal Council in recent months has been determined to bring transparency to governance, but keeps hitting a brick wall erected by Swett. Only sunlight will make the dark cloud disappear.
And yes, we know what you are thinking. The same thing we are wondering.
1. The moment Swett decided not to share the contract with the tribal council, the creditiblity of both Swett and Townsend was put under the spotlight.
2. Whether Townsend is qualified to be Tribal Administrator should be looked at next. Does she have the qualifications to hold the position? This isn't a question about money; look at other tribal administrators for a tribe of this size.
3. Swett and Townsend both have a responsibility to the tribe. If the tribal members feel that Swett is right man for the job and they voted for him, they need to take a hard look at who they really voted for. Did you vote for a man who was going to take the tribe forward or did you vote for name on the ballot who you thought you knew and you did not look at his past. It is one thing to give someone a second chance, it is another to completely ignore the facts of ones past.
4. There is nothing wrong with hiring someone you know to do a job. Swett did nothing wrong there. It is not unusal to hire a friend for our business or at our jobs. We do it all the time. The question is did Rose-Marie do a good job while she was in office.
5. I know some will think this is a rambling, but like the Swett/Townsend issue, we need to stay with the facts and leave the name calling out of it. Replace them both and put people in who will care about this tribe and want to see OUR PEOPLE more forward.
My main concern is that we are unified as a tribe and we stay focused on our tribal goals.
Another thing I've noticed about certain posters, they use this forum to stand on their soap box to talk about nonsense. All I see is finger pointing and crap talking. Justify yourself and talk sense.
Allow me to retort since I now have your attention. Go back and check old posts if you need to.
1) I have never said I supported Purnell. You assumed so. I simply pointed out that if the constituents were angered over this issue then they had better make it a priority to vote and implement change. Purnell won that election because of apathy and popularity, not suitability. So when he (or any elected official) gets out of line then there are mechanisms in place to address that. That is a constitutional democracy in action.
2) You have consistently instigated with all your posts (composts is closer to the truth) as I have tracked the tribal issues for some time. I take note of who says what as I feel that the tribe will just be spinning its collective wheels until we have a mostly united front. But this issue here seems to really bring out a nasty side to you, though you have been snotty on other issues as well.
3) I have seen nothing productive come from your posts...not once. Do you feel you could do a better job? I get the feeling that you do, as your words seem to imply that. I get the feeling that you feel you should be on the council calling the shots. Put your money where your posts are…
4) As for me having/not having a pot to pee in, this is EXACTLY the thing I was referring to when I said you were only marginalizing yourself with your comments. The folks who follow the tribe online do read what you post. Then when you open your mouth and write disparaging comments you quickly go from concerned citizen to loud mouth quack who can’t stay focused on real issues. You become someone who is a trouble maker and is so off track that you call (by name) individuals who have no relevance to the issue at hand. Like I said earlier (and I stick by it), you have a inferiority complex bubbling to the surface.
5) Your screen name says a lot about your personality. PercyKution …as in persecution. This play on words is witty but it only goes to prove my earlier thoughts on you. You feel you are the smartest person in a given conversation and therefore are uniquely qualified to solve everyone’s problems. So go on and run for a position on the tribal council. But not me. I can’t even afford a pot to pee in. So you just keep up your slanderous remarks and you very well could find yourself being persecuted for real.
Regards,
No Pot to Pee In
When you elect someone to any tribal position, you need to ensure that the person you voted for has a unique qualification (or outlook/experience/etc.) and is suited to take this position. This isn't about a popularity contest; this is about a united Lumbee future and our prosperity. So remember that when you vote next election (if you even bothered to vote). You get what you get when all the votes are counted and you can't go back and say "I woulda/coulda/shoulda".
And to @PercyKution: your lack of civility is noted to anyone with a serious thought on this tribal issue. Your attempts at humor are inappropriate and are starting to show a serious personality flaw as well. I sense that you have an inferiority complex about someone and you choose to make it public. But this forum isn't that place. Go take out an ad, write a letter to the editor or get a therapist; either way I suggest you stop making a mockery of everything you write about. No one is going to take you seriously.