Shelly wants to see major changes

Vice President Ben Shelly wants to see some major changes in the way the Navajo Nation government works and he plans to emphasize this when he campaigns for president in the next several weeks.

Shelly made an unofficial announcement for the presidency on April 27 and will make his official announcement at Thoreau Chapter on May 15.

In an interview April 28, he said he wants to see a change in the government's thinking.

Although the Navajo Nation has taken steps in recent years to cut back on the paperwork needed to get a business site lease, more needs to be done, Shelly said.

"It still takes too long to get a business site lease," he said, pointing out that during his 16 years on the council, he served on the  Economic Development Committee and saw the problems facing reservation businessmen first-hand.

Shelly wants to create business-friendly zones on the reservation where Navajos could start businesses with as little regulation as possible.

The Navajo Nation is facing budget shortfalls as are other governments. Shelly said the budget reports he has seen recently indicate that the Navajos will be $15 million to $20 million short of what they need for next year's budget.

He said increasing taxes may be one way to raise revenue.

While he is against increasing taxes that would be paid by individuals, he said the government needs to find other sources it can tax. One possibility, he said, may be cellular phone companies and broadband services.

He would also like to see more resource development. Take, for instance, the Eastern Navajo Agency.

"I know there is oil in that area, as well as natural gas," Shelly said, adding that developing these resources would create many jobs and bring revenue from taxes and royalties.

How about uranium development?

"No, that's not going to happen," he said emphatically.

Shelly also said he is looking forward to seeing more casinos.

He worked with the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise to develop Fire Rock Navajo Casino and is happy it is doing well, though he's not happy that customers are tribal members rather than the original target market of truckers and tourists.

Another important aspect of Shelly's platform is education. He wants the government to do more in partnership with the states to improve the test scores of Navajo students.

And schools on the reservation also need to do a better job of teaching Navajo culture.

Shelly said more needs to be done to train Navajos for jobs on the reservation. He is happy about plans to build a vocational school in Kayenta that will train Navajos in welding and other professions. Navajo Technical College is also looking to offer a nursing program.

He said the government also needs to address the housing shortage and he feels that more multi-family housing, like the 97-unit apartment complex recently opened in Shiprock, may be the answer.

As for the government itself, Shelly said more needs to be done to make the government accountable to the people.

This includes having the president's office work closely with the council.

"I get along with everyone," he said.

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