PSC chairperson blasts statements by Sandoval

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Public Safety Committee is standing by its statement that Navajo Division of Public Safety is underfunded and the Shirley Administration is derelict in seeking maximum funding for the Division.

PSC Chairperson Hope MacDonald-LoneTree said Feb. 1 comments by Shirley Chief of Staff Patrick Sandoval "asserting that I have misrepresented Navajo Public Safety facts and figures, and that I am irresponsible and reckless is once more a highly orchestrated cover-up designed to conceal the real state of affairs within the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety under his watch," she said Sunday.

PSC will continue to hold the administration and the Division of Public Safety accountable, and ensure that tribal and federal funds are spent wisely, she said.

"Sandoval's emotionally fueled response reveals the inefficiency and failure of the Office of the President of the Navajo Nation to provide executive leadership and guidance to a poorly managed Navajo division, much like the poor leadership and guidance that led to the closure of the Navajo Nations Head Start early last year," she said.

Sandoval also stated in the Feb. 1 press release that MacDonald-LoneTree's comments "appeared designed to undermine Mr. (Samson) Cowboys success in leading the division," and that her "understanding of the budgeting process is questionable."

The Chief of Staff challenged her comments made during a Jan. 31 PSC meeting to new committee members, saying, "If this is Hope MacDonald's crash course to new Public Safety Committee members, she's misleading you and the public."

Allegations 'absurd'
MacDonald-LoneTree said the Chief of Staff's statement that she is making an unveiled attempt to undermine Cowboy for political purposes is "absurd."

"Just as absurd as his suggestion that President Bush shut down Navajo Head Start as political payback for President Shirley's support of the Democratic Party all the while overlooking Head Start's employment of criminals and dangerous facilities," she said.

The Chief of Staff also disputed a story related by PSC member Kee Yazzie Mann during the meeting. Mann said he was aware of a Diné College professor who was terminated after failing to submit a $100,000 grant proposal.

Sandoval stated that Diné College Board President Clinton Jim said there has been no record of such an incident occurring since he began representing Eastern Agency in 2000.

MacDonald-LoneTree said, "Sandoval's suggestion that an honorable member of the Public Safety Committee is a liar is rather foolish. There is no reason to think Council Delegate Kee Yazzie Mann is a liar."

"With such bravado, Sandoval should be mature enough to face Mr. Kee Yazzie Mann and call him a liar, or mature enough to face the honorable Kee Yazzie Mann and apologize," she said.

Oversight authority
By Navajo law, the Public Safety Committee of the Navajo Nation Council has oversight authority of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.

As such, the committee's function is to ensure that the division is providing public safety across the Navajo Nation; that federal and tribal funds appropriated are spent according to approved budget; that the division is seeking all funds that the tribe is entitled to by law and by treaty; and that the division is managed and operated efficiently with adequate manpower, facilities, and equipment.

MacDonald-LoneTree said it is the responsiblity of the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President to implement the approved Public Safety budget and operate and manage personnel in the Division of Public Safety pursuant to tribal laws.

"It is the Public Safety Committee's authority by Navajo law to ensure the Navajo Executive Branch employs all of its effort to keep our Navajo communities safe," she said.

"If Sandoval has a problem with Navajo law granting oversight authority to the honorable Navajo Public Safety Committee, then I would suggest that he appear at the next Public Safety Committee meeting so that the honorable committee may help him deal with his issues regarding our authority. An invitation is extended to the Chief of Staff," she said.

"Mr. Sandoval must give his political machinations a rest. Our communities need him to deal with the increasing crime on the reservation as well as bring Navajo Public Safety Division up to standard, not the political make-believe world he inhabits," she said.

Problems continue
"Despite all the fumbling of sub-par executive level administrators, Navajo Nation Public Safety is recognized for its hard work," MacDonald-LoneTree said.

However, this recognition is not due to any one individual, but "to the brave and resourceful efforts on the part of field personnel and officers who put in many extra hours to provide public safety services to our communities with inadequate equipment, not enough personnel and deteriorating facilities."

MacDonald-LoneTree said, "The Chief of Staff may bluster about how his administration 'trained 500 personnel in the CODY communications system,' but despite all the technology, our communities still face serious problems with methamphetamine use, alcoholism and domestic violence.

"As a matter of fact, if Director Cowboy published the previous Navajo quarterly crime statistics, we would see that these social problems are on the rise and in desperate need of tribal and federal assistance.

"But as a matter of fact, these statistics are not published, and questions remain on whether Cowboy is in fact keeping track of these disturbing data," she said.

To suggest that there is "continued progress" within the Division "is to pretend that everything is A-OK. We need to tell our constituents and our funding sources the truth so we can get the help we need," she said.

MacDonald-LoneTree renewed her pledge to enhance public safety across the Navajo Nation, saying PSC would make sure there's action on the part of administration to address the rising epidemic of meth, alcohol, and domestic violence across the reservation, as well as adequate personnel, equipment and facilities.

"The Navajo public knows better than to believe Chief of Staff Patrick Sandoval's political poppycock," she said.