January 1, 2012 (sixth New year)
April 1 , 2011 (five-year update)
June 22, 2009 (private letter to the Sycuan people)

October 27, 2009

RE: Open Letter to Sycuan, a 1,000-day grievance process against casino managers

Dear Sycuan band members,

This Web page and my separate public blog (read my public blog) are all about my 1,000-day grievance against casino managers and how your tribal council dealt with it — your council did not give me closure and 20 years worth of my intellectual property remains in limbo at Sycuan.

I wrote you all a private OPEN LETTER (below) on June 22, 2009 — that included many of the documented facts of my complaint — but I don't believe it was made available to you. Thus, my public blog (and this letter) are being published to set the record straight, to explain how Sycuan got my photographs, and what happened to my business as a consequence of asking one of your casino managers for an explanation.

If this is all news to you, then that's too bad, but I don't know what else to do.

If you have any questions or you want to review my complete unedited private OPEN LETTER for the undisputed facts and evidence of my complaint — feel free to CONTACT ME.

My intention at this late date is to finish our business at Sycuan so I can move on.

Regards,

GARY G. BALLARD

June 22, 2009

Sycuan Band of The Kumeyaay Nation
5459 Sycuan Road
El Cajon, CA 92019

RE: (PRIVATE) Open Letter, 900-day grievance process

Tip: To navigate the links on this page, please use your browser BACK BUTTON.
Edits: "[ ]" denote words edited for privacy.

Dear Sycuan band members and your tribal council: Daniel J. Tucker, Ricci LaBrake, Candelita Billingsly, Cody J. Martinez, Pilar T.A. Pettiford, Orlando Sandoval, Deedra Tucker,

After 19 years working for you, these are hard points to make because I remember a time not too long ago when I was made to feel like family on the reservation, and many of us were working hard together towards common goals and having fun.

Yet there are many people at Sycuan that I like and respect — and this writing is to provide them with some undisputed facts to draw their own conclusions about how Gary Ballard did business at Sycuan Casino — and how your tribal administration responded to my subsequent grievance against your executive casino management (because it leaves me with substantial unfinished business at Sycuan that needs to be resolved).

I believe my original grievance and this writing are warranted because of the pattern of *flagrant casino contract breaches that began on June 13, 2000, during my very first meeting with your new Casino Executive — the *straw(s) that eventually broke the camel's back — *how my subsequent grievance was (allegedly) handled on a tribal level (without giving it any time to cure).

And most specifically today: *Because Sycuan quit responding to my letters leaving me to *draw my own conclusions, and leaving me to do what a man has to do to stand up for his good name and life's work.

PREMISE

I have served you (the Sycuan people), your casino, your employees, your guests and your community loyally — with Honor, Dedication and Grace — and there is not even the slightest shred of evidence to even remotely suggest otherwise.

Moreover, I have performed every Sycuan contract over the past 19 years and I have never been notified of a single complaint against me or the quality of my work....

NO RESPONSE TO E-MAIL, LETTERS — the problem today

Over 900 days have passed since I put my detailed grievance in your Legal Director's hands — the problem today is — your legal director has not responded to my letters for more than 187 days now.

In fact, 118 days ago, I sent a letter directly to Chairman Tucker (via his executive assistant's E-mail) to try and restart our dialogue because the chairman told me in our December meeting that employees don't speak for the tribe — "that's not how Sycuan does business," Chairman Tucker said — and he added that I should come to the tribe if I am having problems with Sycuan employees.

LEFT TO CONCLUDE — most regretfully

Because 187 days have now passed with no response to my detailed Counter Offer, dated December 17, 2008, and my subsequent letters to your Legal Director and Chairman — I am left to conclude this administration has no intention of responding to my letters or providing me with the "fair review of the facts and timely closure" I asked your Tribal Council for in writing 308 days ago....

I have edited (omitted) the rest of this letter for this public posting — including the clear and convincing detailed facts and evidence of my complaint — but you may be assured I have all the e-mails, photographs and such to back up my claims.

*These hyper-links to my evidence were disabled before I made this letter public — I included some of my evidence on my FIFTH ANNAVERSARY UPDATE. April 1, 2011 (click to go to my most recent page to review a summary of my evidence).