"Super" Lionel to the rescue - oy veh!
ACW Continues Freefall
Helgason, Bartlett Attempt To Pin Woes On Former ACW Pres
By Len Kruzenga
Grassroots News
Volume 10, Number 24
November 21, 2006
Source: www.grassrootsnews.mb.ca/Archives.htm
As if the recent election debacle and subsequent court case weren't enough to paint the ACW as irrelevant and dysfunctional in the eyes of many urban grassroots members of the organization, news that its federal funding has been cut off - it is thousands of dollars in debt, owes over $14,000 in federal taxes and penalties and has exhausted its $20,000 line of credit - have some calling for the organization to be dissolved immediately.
"It's a fiasco and a disgrace," said Logan Avenue resident Clara Maytwayashing." I was shocked to find that the people who have either sat on the Board or headed the organization trying to paint one person Larry Wurcherer as responsible for all this, when they all sat on the Board too. It's really too much, how little respect they have for the people."
But some government sources say the move to suspend federal funding to the ACW is attributable not to the finances of the organization as much as recent events including an election widely viewed - including by the organization's former Chief Electoral Officer - as rife with campaign and voting irregularities.
"Lets just say that it was effectively brought to the government's attention that what occurred at the ACW and some other matters related to the Aboriginal Centre that a decision was made to force accountability on this organization," said the highly placed Conservative Party source.
And while current ACW Director Wayne Helgason and its Treasurer Marileen Bartlett are attempting to pin the blame for the group's financial situation solely at the feet of former President Larry Wurcherer, the Ottawa source noted that the amount owed to the federal government was not significant enough in and of itself for federal funding to be suspended.
There are hundreds of companies and organizations that owe the federal government money but aren't being cut off. The government will work with any organization that they have confidence in as legitimately trying their best. What was missing here obviously for the government to take these steps is a lack of confidence.
As Grassroots News reported last month, both the provincial and federal governments are actively reviewing elements of several funding deals and practices at the ACW and of some groups operating out of 181 Higgins Avenue.
And past members of the ACW say they're pleased the feds have finally stepped in.
"The whole place needs to be put under a microscope. We've got a newly elected President who claims that only a small number of people contested the way the election was conducted, that the courts backed the election - they didn't just the voting results - and we have a number of people from Wayne Helgason, Marileen, Rhonda and others that sit on all these Boards of different groups that are supposed to represent the best interests of the community but are neither accountable to the community or responsible to them," said Andrew Moar. I read the court ruling that Lionel is crowing about. It never said the election itself was free and fair. The judge even said she wasn't asked to rule on that issue. Her ruling just said the results had to stand based on rules of procedure in the ACW's bylaws that's all. So for Lionel to even pretend he has the confidence or support of the ordinary urban aboriginal citizen is a joke.
Both Maytwayashing and Moar say they'll be attending a scheduled November 25 community meeting at the Thunderbird House regarding the ACW.
"The feds know the ACW and organizations like CAHRD only represent a few people so it's time to form a new rganization and take control of all these programs and services funding these groups that were created to serve the whole community and not a select few," said Moar.
"I guess Wayne and Marileen and Lionel really think everyone is stupid or just going to roll over and pretend things are ok."
Our ways are not to go running to court to let owhers decide what the people should be deciding. This group at 181 Higgins only knows one thing and that's running away from the people when they want information or blaming someone else when they were there the whole time everything was going on. These are our leaders? They couldn't get a pack of hungry strays to follow them even if they wore pork chop necklaces.
Helgason, Bartlett Attempt To Pin Woes On Former ACW Pres
By Len Kruzenga
Grassroots News
Volume 10, Number 24
November 21, 2006
Source: www.grassrootsnews.mb.ca/Archives.htm
As if the recent election debacle and subsequent court case weren't enough to paint the ACW as irrelevant and dysfunctional in the eyes of many urban grassroots members of the organization, news that its federal funding has been cut off - it is thousands of dollars in debt, owes over $14,000 in federal taxes and penalties and has exhausted its $20,000 line of credit - have some calling for the organization to be dissolved immediately.
"It's a fiasco and a disgrace," said Logan Avenue resident Clara Maytwayashing." I was shocked to find that the people who have either sat on the Board or headed the organization trying to paint one person Larry Wurcherer as responsible for all this, when they all sat on the Board too. It's really too much, how little respect they have for the people."
But some government sources say the move to suspend federal funding to the ACW is attributable not to the finances of the organization as much as recent events including an election widely viewed - including by the organization's former Chief Electoral Officer - as rife with campaign and voting irregularities.
"Lets just say that it was effectively brought to the government's attention that what occurred at the ACW and some other matters related to the Aboriginal Centre that a decision was made to force accountability on this organization," said the highly placed Conservative Party source.
And while current ACW Director Wayne Helgason and its Treasurer Marileen Bartlett are attempting to pin the blame for the group's financial situation solely at the feet of former President Larry Wurcherer, the Ottawa source noted that the amount owed to the federal government was not significant enough in and of itself for federal funding to be suspended.
There are hundreds of companies and organizations that owe the federal government money but aren't being cut off. The government will work with any organization that they have confidence in as legitimately trying their best. What was missing here obviously for the government to take these steps is a lack of confidence.
As Grassroots News reported last month, both the provincial and federal governments are actively reviewing elements of several funding deals and practices at the ACW and of some groups operating out of 181 Higgins Avenue.
And past members of the ACW say they're pleased the feds have finally stepped in.
"The whole place needs to be put under a microscope. We've got a newly elected President who claims that only a small number of people contested the way the election was conducted, that the courts backed the election - they didn't just the voting results - and we have a number of people from Wayne Helgason, Marileen, Rhonda and others that sit on all these Boards of different groups that are supposed to represent the best interests of the community but are neither accountable to the community or responsible to them," said Andrew Moar. I read the court ruling that Lionel is crowing about. It never said the election itself was free and fair. The judge even said she wasn't asked to rule on that issue. Her ruling just said the results had to stand based on rules of procedure in the ACW's bylaws that's all. So for Lionel to even pretend he has the confidence or support of the ordinary urban aboriginal citizen is a joke.
Both Maytwayashing and Moar say they'll be attending a scheduled November 25 community meeting at the Thunderbird House regarding the ACW.
"The feds know the ACW and organizations like CAHRD only represent a few people so it's time to form a new rganization and take control of all these programs and services funding these groups that were created to serve the whole community and not a select few," said Moar.
"I guess Wayne and Marileen and Lionel really think everyone is stupid or just going to roll over and pretend things are ok."
Our ways are not to go running to court to let owhers decide what the people should be deciding. This group at 181 Higgins only knows one thing and that's running away from the people when they want information or blaming someone else when they were there the whole time everything was going on. These are our leaders? They couldn't get a pack of hungry strays to follow them even if they wore pork chop necklaces.
posted by Clare L. Pieuk at 5:44 PM
1 Comments:
Bet Lionel sure loves that decision to go to court ! Boy, it was totally worth it, wasn't it? Now he gets to enjoy all the perks that go with being President of such a distinguished community organization! Best of luck, President Shithead!!!
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