Muffin
January 7, 2013, 7:58pm
68
I’m glad that is sort of stuff is getting out to the public, not because it makes First Nations look bad, but because illuminates a very significant part of the puzzle that all of us – First People and the ROC – must figure out if we are to mitigate the remote reserve poverty problem, for the problem is far greater than just insufficient funding.
Here’s what stood out to me when I looked at Chief Spence’s reserve’s financial statements a year ago (you can look at them on the band’s website):
In Attawapiskat, $2,031,007 is allocated to the housing program, of which $60,512 actually goes to housing program delivery, while $403,342 is spent on administration and $1,374,128 is spent on wages and employee benefits. Why does only 3% of the housing program go to housing program delivery? http://www.attawapiskat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Non-Consolidated-Schedule-of-Programs.pdf
In Attawapiskat, $607,364 is allocated to the Chief and Band Councillors, not including travel. In Manitouwadge, an economically struggling non-native northern Ontario bush town that is a few hundred people larger than Attawapiskat, $94,200 is allocated to the Mayor and Town Council, including the election costs. Why are the Attawapiskat Chief and Council costs six and a half times higher than those of a comparable non-reserve community? http://www.attawapiskat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Consolidated-Schedule-of-Salaries-Honouraria-and-Travel-Expenditures.pdf http://www.manitouwadge.ca/uploads/documents/By%20Laws/2011%20Budget.pdf
How did a temporary band manager run up a transportation tab of $68,397 in only two months? http://www.attawapiskat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Consolidated-Schedule-of-Salaries-Honouraria-and-Travel-Expenditures.pdf
Why is a band co-manager the spouse of the Chief? http://www.attawapiskat.org/wp-content/uploads/20111205NoticeQuestionsAboutAttawapiskat.pdf
Why does Attawapiskat not even have a budget, despite INAC (the Federal government agency that provides Attawapiskat with most of its funds) requiring it? http://www.attawapiskat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Management-Letter.pdf