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No, in my opinion, the Indians' money should be given back to them, period! I realize that there was a time when it was necessary for the government to take care of them, and their interests. But now, it's getting to be a big hairy mess.

I really think the Indian leaders and their people; should be capable of taking care of their own. Surely they must have enough people with intelligence and capablility to take it over. And when they do, they can't blame the government anymore for the accounting goofs. And it is, after all, their money. I maybe thinking simplistically, but shouldn't they have had control of it by now? Why is the federal gov. still handling their affairs? Don't they have their own elected leaders, with their own government (within another government, of course)?

Another thing is, I'm wondering if someone somewhere isn't trying to 'set up' Mrs. Norton? I can't imagine why she would deliberately mess up things all by herself in there, or lie and cheat the Indian people. She would be bringing a lot of shame and embarrassment to her boss, the President. G. Bush wanted them to do everything above board, so that there would be no scandal in his administration.

I can imagine Judge Lamberth would have very little patience with gov. officials after the Clinton administration. I can't say I blame him. But I'm wondering if he is taking it all out on Sec. Norton, because of what the Clinton people did. And that's not fair, if that's what he's doing.

No, in my opinion, the Indians' money should be given back to them, period! [...] I really think the Indian leaders and their people; should be capable of taking care of their own. Surely they must have enough people with intelligence and capablility to take it over.

I don't think we are disagreeing with each other.

And when they do, they can't blame the government anymore for the accounting goofs.

It is way bigger than accounting goofs. What has already been admitted to is that the government has had no accounting system at all to be able to tell how much gas they have pumped, and to who they owe money. All parties know the Indians have been underpaid, since the 1970s, and the estimates of what is owed is in the billions.

Another thing is, I'm wondering if someone somewhere isn't trying to 'set up' Mrs. Norton?

No, she is simply acting in the exact same way that Babbit did. This is why I say that something is very wrong here. When Babbit did this, we could say this was part of the general Clinton corruption. But now that Norton had the chance to obey the courts and make a good faith effort, she chose the exact same tactic that Babbit used. Why? The only reasonable thing I can think of is that their internal estimates of what they owe are far higher than the Indian's estimates, so much so that the official government policy, no matter what administration, has become to lie to everyone , take their lumps in the courts, but refuse to pay.