Speaker Naize is presiding. Council voting on adopting agenda. 14 in favor, 0 opposed.
Members of the Council, we are on Legislation 0213. This particular legislation has been discussed so with that I want to take this to Sponsor, Delegate Katherine Benally:
I’ve taken a lot of your time in previous meetings and I’ll repeat what I said before, a government is in existence to provide its constituency with opportunities. And I believe this legislation does that. It provides our pple in small communities to pull themselves up by their own boot straps. It also helps small entrepeneurs to make a difference in our Navajo Nation economy. As we provide entrepreneur opportunity, they in turn will provide your’s and mine constitutents opportunity to gainful employment. And these varisou businesses will also provide goods and services, accessible goods and services in our communities. And I think today is the day to give them an answer one way or another. Thank you!
SPEAKER NAIZE
Members of the Council, I’m going to turn this over to Mr. Platero for information on legislation.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR TOM PLATERO
RDC corrections, $220 million. Replace $100,000 with not to exceed $35,000. Overstrike Attorney General. Budget and Finance Committee gave Do Pass. New Committee report with all amendments.
At Council level, One Amendment, section 3, first paragraph, authorizes Controller negotiate bonds which are taxable or tax exempt.
Amendment Two: didn’t pass and then Council lost a quorum.
SPEAKER NAIZE
Delegates Phelps, Maryboy and Smith are next to speak and that is how it is listed. For the sake of the record, this morning, Charles Damon and Danny Simpson on travel, and David Tom excused, he’s resting today.
DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
I hope you all had merry Thanksgiving and we are looking for to time with our families. Before I begin, I could get point of privilege: we were voting on my amendment but records states that my amendment voted down and that a quorum was lost.
PLATERO
That vote was taken, 3 in favor, 7 opposed, 14 not voting
PHELPS
I remember, we lost quorum during vote. I never heard final gavel.
SPEAKER
VOTE was 3 in favor, 7 opposed
PHELPS
The Five chapters that I represent are talking about this and they have been talking about this.
KENNETH MARYBOY AND ROSCOE SMITH DECIDE NOT TO SPEAK
ELMER BEGAY
I’ve been carefully reviewing how funds from Bond would be distributed. This is the People’s money and the nation has to pay back and that is why I asked for this information. And the People are apprehensive because it is a new way of generating funds. But in reviewing this, I have experience in Dilkon, at one time people wanted shopping center and no study done about impact on small stores that were there since my grandparents. These were business owners and they were surviving. Now their shelves are empty but they have been paying business site lease and providing goods and services to people. We are not educating them. We are supporting them. What if we allow them to operate these new stores. We look up to them. Today infrastructures for new educated young people. Another example, the people who operate Church’s Chicken are still paying loan for business in Dilkon. How can we help these business people? Is there a way?
DELEGATE LORENZO CURLEY
First off, President Obama wants economic agreement with Russia but people want to join European Union. These are two different economic systems. They want economic freedom and lot more freedom under European Union but others want continue dominate by Russia. So they are demonstrating. Thinking government doesn’t listen to the people and what they want.
In comparision to Ukrane, they listen to their people. I often think if the Navajo Nation had same situation here that we don’t present all our legislation to local people so they have better understanding. If we pass this, the nation can at a later time can change the source of funding because it is not specifically spelled out cuz repayment not specifically stated that repayment from new businesses.
