COBELL SETTLEMENT LONG OVERDUE, BUT SHORT OF JUSTICE

SPECIAL POST

Many decades ago, our government started “banking” money due Indians from land sales and other Native American incomes to protect the funds for future Indian generations. The lands owned by Indians were fractionalized as generations wore on, because all family members owned a portion of the land; today, a hundred or more might own 20 acres of land or less.  Some of these accounts were Individual Money Accounts, which were supposed to receive deposits from the federal government from sources such as lease revenues from oil drilling on Tribal land. 

One day, it seems long ago, someone woke up and realized that the money had disappeared.  Yes, our government had somehow managed to “lose” it.  What’s worse, it seems that all of the accounting records were either missing or in very bad shape.  Remember that this is the government that knows to the penny how much you earned last year and every year going back to the beginning of time.  Once again, it appeared that Native Americans had been royally screwed by the United States Government, the same Government that cleaned out Social Security and is now after your savings, your cars, houses, piggy banks and anything else of monetary value it can glom on to. 

It is estimated by some people that the funds amounted to $100 billion or more, counting the interest.  When discovered, litigation called “Cobell vs. United States” and also vs. varied Secretaries of the Interior ensued.  The case dragged on and on for years and years, but was finally settled in less than a day.  The result is that about $4.8 billion was ultimately awarded to Native Americans, http://www.nativelegalupdate.com/2011/01/articles/cobell-settlement-payments-how-do-i-apply/

Doesn’t this make you proud to be an American?  Doesn’t this make you want to go and kiss your Congressman or Senator on the cheek?  Well, you’d better kiss up to them, because right now they’re not looking to cut Federal spending by much and you’re the one they need money from. 

That’s MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.