Sitnews -Stories in the News - Ketchikan, Alaska - Viewpoints - Opinions

Sitnews - Stories In The News - Ketchikan, Alaska - Opinions

Viewpoints

KIC Settlement Issue Contentious
by Bill Thomas Sr.

September 16, 2004
Thursday

I am very familiar with the contents and ambitions of the Ketchikan Indian Community tribal council. I was in attendance and witnessed the evolution of this case. I am recognized as one of Naomi Michalsen's representative and advocate. Unfortunately, I have to to be inclusive of the entire membership of elected members of that council. All action reflect the wishes of the leadership generally via intimidation and persistence. They as individuals do not have the experience to know proper protocols of conducting business. They have no rules, and no direction. They have done nothing that reflects progress because of their experience. This puts any employee at a very unqualified disadvantage.

Meeting agendas have no meaning there. Integrity is absent. Respect is bogus.

I must say that the comments made by some council members are very credible in this article.

It is very apparent by what I say here because if this were a personnel issue they were dealing with, this would not have been published after three years of personal lies that have been used to and about Ms. Michalsen. When Naomi was an employee for KIC she had an impressive and impeccable set of evaluations of her performance. When she was terminated, there was no explanation as to why. That question has been asked over and over with no response from KIC.

In my opinion, KIC tribal government is rogue at best. Everything that was stated regarding precedence and personnel are bogus because they settled similar claims with whoever they chose to settle with.

The ones they settled with were told why they were terminated and no legal counsel was involved. Nor was the formula they propose now was not used in previous settlements. In this case, an astronomical amount of funds have been spent harassing Naomi and attempting to rob her of her self esteem and her integrity. She has risen above all of that in spite of repeated lies and false attempts at settling this inhumane treatment.
With all due respect in front page of the September 15, 2004 issue of the Ketchikan Daily News, I saw no truth in the article depicting KIC's accounts of Naomi Michalsen. Again, your source of information of this article is another piece of glaring evidence of a dysfunctional governing body.

In my opinion, Naomi Michalsen deserves the paltry settlement of $ 45,000 that was agreed on and adopted for approval by the KIC council in early August and a public apology from KIC. They decimated her good name and reputation for no good reason but selfishness and ignorance.

Respectfully,

Bill Thomas Sr.
Ketchikan, AK - USA