Post by Okwes on May 24, 2006 11:14:59 GMT -5
Indian country not a priority for Bush administration, Johnson says
Indian country not a priority for Bush administration,
Johnson says
Posted: May 15, 2006
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
WASHINGTON - Economic development in Indian country is
not a priority for the Bush administration, according
to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing
on economic development on May 10. After the hearing
Johnson, a member of the committee, spoke with
reporters by teleconference.
On April 21 Johnson held a listening hearing in South
Dakota with tribal leaders and American Indian
business leaders. At that hearing Johnson said there
is no political will to fix the problems Indian
country faces with infrastructure, financing and other
issues that hold back economic development.
At the news conference, Indian Country Today asked the
senator what it would take to create that political
will.
Said Johnson: ''I wish there was an easy answer for
that. I have to say I'm profoundly disappointed in the
administration's unwillingness to deal in an effective
way with the resources that are needed to create a
viable economy in Indian country; we need a much
stronger private sector. And the tools that are so
essential - including the Small Business
Administration, the Community Development Block Grant
programs and Community Development Financial
Institutions - are being drained of money by the Bush
administration's recommendations; these are all modest
programs - this is no 'Marshall plan.'
''These are modest programs that are critical to
developing entrepreneurial skills, teaching people
about business plans and creating small amounts of
capitalization for Indian entrepreneurs to make
progress; we also need [the] BIA to be a help instead
of a hindrance in terms of leasing policies in Indian
country, we also need better funding in education from
early Head Start all the way throughout tribal
colleges, and at each and every turn the Bush
administration has worked against us,'' he said.
''I hope that they will come around; they haven't as
yet in terms of budget priorities, As I say, we
attempted a $1 billion increase in funding that would
have gone a long ways toward improving economic
opportunities in Indian country, which in turn, then,
is beneficial to non-Indians as well. There are few
things that would be of greater help to non-Indian
families than a much higher level of prosperity on
reservations - that rise in tide does lift all the
boats, that's more money for everybody and fewer
social and economic problems.
''I'm just terribly frustrated that we don't see a
more ambitious effort out of the White House in
support of developing a strong private sector economy
in Indian country. I'm going to continue to speak out
on this. We are going to continue to hold hearings.
''I'm not going to give up on this White House, but I
do have to share with you that they have plenty of
money for every other imaginable purpose other than
living up to their treaty and trust responsibilities
and ending this cycle of poverty and dependency we
have too much of in Indian country. If they can spend
billion dollars a week, they ought to be able to
spend $1 billion a year in Indian country, to help end
poverty and help our people. If they can spend $21
billion rebuilding Iraq as foreign aid, why can't they
find $1 billion to rebuild Indian country and help our
schools and hospitals and housing, and to create jobs?
To me this is an outrageous set of upside down
priorities.''
Indian country not a priority for Bush administration,
Johnson says
Posted: May 15, 2006
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
WASHINGTON - Economic development in Indian country is
not a priority for the Bush administration, according
to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing
on economic development on May 10. After the hearing
Johnson, a member of the committee, spoke with
reporters by teleconference.
On April 21 Johnson held a listening hearing in South
Dakota with tribal leaders and American Indian
business leaders. At that hearing Johnson said there
is no political will to fix the problems Indian
country faces with infrastructure, financing and other
issues that hold back economic development.
At the news conference, Indian Country Today asked the
senator what it would take to create that political
will.
Said Johnson: ''I wish there was an easy answer for
that. I have to say I'm profoundly disappointed in the
administration's unwillingness to deal in an effective
way with the resources that are needed to create a
viable economy in Indian country; we need a much
stronger private sector. And the tools that are so
essential - including the Small Business
Administration, the Community Development Block Grant
programs and Community Development Financial
Institutions - are being drained of money by the Bush
administration's recommendations; these are all modest
programs - this is no 'Marshall plan.'
''These are modest programs that are critical to
developing entrepreneurial skills, teaching people
about business plans and creating small amounts of
capitalization for Indian entrepreneurs to make
progress; we also need [the] BIA to be a help instead
of a hindrance in terms of leasing policies in Indian
country, we also need better funding in education from
early Head Start all the way throughout tribal
colleges, and at each and every turn the Bush
administration has worked against us,'' he said.
''I hope that they will come around; they haven't as
yet in terms of budget priorities, As I say, we
attempted a $1 billion increase in funding that would
have gone a long ways toward improving economic
opportunities in Indian country, which in turn, then,
is beneficial to non-Indians as well. There are few
things that would be of greater help to non-Indian
families than a much higher level of prosperity on
reservations - that rise in tide does lift all the
boats, that's more money for everybody and fewer
social and economic problems.
''I'm just terribly frustrated that we don't see a
more ambitious effort out of the White House in
support of developing a strong private sector economy
in Indian country. I'm going to continue to speak out
on this. We are going to continue to hold hearings.
''I'm not going to give up on this White House, but I
do have to share with you that they have plenty of
money for every other imaginable purpose other than
living up to their treaty and trust responsibilities
and ending this cycle of poverty and dependency we
have too much of in Indian country. If they can spend
billion dollars a week, they ought to be able to
spend $1 billion a year in Indian country, to help end
poverty and help our people. If they can spend $21
billion rebuilding Iraq as foreign aid, why can't they
find $1 billion to rebuild Indian country and help our
schools and hospitals and housing, and to create jobs?
To me this is an outrageous set of upside down
priorities.''