"When nine tribal elders stage a sit-in at the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council headquarters, saying they are concerned about the secretive nature of the administration and demanding to see financial records, it’s going to raise some eyebrows.

And, indeed, it should. Transparency is a vital ingredient in good government. But let’s take a look at the allegations and the people making them.

First, there is the notion that council Chairman Cedric Cromwell and his administration have not been forthcoming with financial details. The elders say the tribe’s financial records are unclear and incomplete, but the record tells a different story. Cromwell has discussed the tribe’s business at several meetings, including an emergency meeting to specifically discuss money.

Where the money is and where it was going is a long-standing concern within the tribe, and Cromwell has made sorting it out a top priority.

In fact, he launched an audit earlier this year to determine the state of affairs and to clean up what he says is a financial mess. The results of the audit are due soon, and the current administration plans to share the findings. That is transparency.

The elephant in the room, of course, is that the protesters, who billed themselves the “Golden Elders” because they are all over 62, were close associates with the previous administration of Glenn Marshall."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Transparent protest (The Cape Cod Times 9/27)

Also Today:
Run of good luck for Mashpee tribe (The Cape Cod Times 9/28)

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