(This will be appearing or has appeared in the 2023 Tilixam Wawa Campaign Statements)
Six years ago I was blessed with my first opportunity to serve our people and three years ago that honor was renewed for another term. This very limited 600 word piece cannot hit every topic so more can be found at 4michael.langley.com.
Why should you invest in me for another three years?
We all have our niche on Tribal Council. I serve as the delegate for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), attend the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), and participate in the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA). My seat at our Tribal Council table allows me to work with committees and subcommittees for taxation, finance, budgeting, economic development, housing, environment, education, and gaming within these organizations. These are purposefully listed in order of my own priorities that do not have overlap with other Tribal Council interests. It is often impossible to hit all of these areas in a single conference. Fellow attendees often overlap the last five.
Due to my education and work experience, lessons and conversations from these conferences lead to further exploration of the General Welfare Exclusion Act (GWE). Learning from leaders from the Northwest such as Chairman Ron Allen of Jamestown S’klallam who are also national leaders, they remind me their time is rapidly approaching a well-earned retirement. They are keenly aware of the need for the bench to step up and continue the legacy of work. At 56 years old, it’s a surprise to be considered one of those young bench players. However, six years of Tribal Council and committee experience has me prepared to be put in the game.
There is much more work on taxation issues, both here at home and the national level. While our Elder’s Pension is no longer taxed, the next GWE topic we will be talking about this summer is a regular nontaxable monthly payment. In this time of high inflation, high costs of housing, high costs to eating healthy, inadequate education, lack of day care and/or affordability, and the higher costs of living in a food desert, the need is clear across all of our incomes. In the true Native way, most with more help those family members with less. This need only increased in the last decade.
At the regional and national level, while it is not imminent, the next big idea is gaining traction. Currently, enrolled tribal members must live on the reservation and be employed by the tribe for income to be tax-free. The committees are working to eliminate the residency requirement. This is becoming more important as tribal nations expand their economic reach outside reservations or for those like us without a large land base. Other current issues include the Kiddie Tax which is unfair to our youth trust funds, and developing clear guidelines around income and SSI impacts.
For many, talk about taxes, finances, accounting, and budgets are boring. It’s exciting though, especially in a time when we are exploring changes to our Constitution which will result in enrollment increases. These topics are and should be part of the discussions. Efforts through GWE save us 30% of those budgeted dollars, money that will not go to other governments and remain with our own people. While enrollment is an emotional issue, with 67% being the constitutional threshold we will need everyone on board including those concerned about impacts. Through innovation and GWE it will be important to plan how we will efficiently deliver the necessary services envisioned by our ancestors.
It would be an honor and pleasure to serve another term. Put me in. I’m prepared.
Michael A. Langley #1335
Michael A. Langley 