Interview Questions & Answers

Eugene Badonie is a longtime community figure and former presiding chair of the Workforce Investment Board, running for Navajo Nation Council. His interview with Cal Nez focused on veterans, health care, and accountability. Below are the main topics from the interview — the key question Cal asked on each, short summaries of Badonie's answers in our own words, and follow-ups a voter might still want answered.

Watch or read the full interview, and see the scorecard, on Eugene Badonie’s profile. This page is a nonpartisan summary; the Diné Civic Center does not endorse any candidate.

Background & Approach

A longtime community figure and former presiding chair of the Workforce Investment Board (the School-to-Work program), Badonie describes himself as a listener and observer who has learned from many people across a long career.

• What's the top thing your experience would change?
• What's your first priority?

Veterans

Badonie recalls the view that veterans wore the United States' uniform, not the Nation's, so their care is a federal responsibility — but notes his chapter's veterans group receives only $5,000 a year, “a drop in the bucket,” and wants new leadership willing to try something new.

• How would you increase veteran funding at the chapter level?
• What federal accountability would you push?

Health Care & the 638 System

Badonie is open to privatizing but warns that continuing under 638 risks the federal government trying to escape its treaty obligations, so the Nation needs trained lawyers to defend them. He says the Nation isn't currently capable of running a multi-million-dollar health system and should keep federal funding while building capacity.

• What capacity has to be built first?
• How do you defend the treaty obligation?

Customer Choice & Services

Drawing on his Workforce Investment Board experience, Badonie emphasizes “customer choice” in services and would pursue legislation on health care for Navajo citizens, including those living outside the Nation.

• What does customer choice look like in practice?
• Who's covered by the off-Nation health legislation?

Enterprises & Ranch Accountability

He criticizes the management of the Nation's ranches — citing the Flagstaff and Espil ranches — saying money was put in unwisely and the Nation did a poor job, and he wants better accountability.

• What audit or reform would you order?
• How should the ranches return value?

Education & Responsibility

Badonie stresses personal responsibility in education — students who fail do so because they didn't do the work — drawing on his own experience.

• How do you support students before they fail?
• What's the Nation's role in student success?

Questions that didn’t come up

Topics a voter in this district might still want to hear about:

• An economic-development and revenue plan.
• The executive-legislative conflict and Title II.
• A concrete first-100-days plan.
• The mechanics of increasing veteran funding.

What a strong answer sounds like

Not a judgment of this candidate — just what a specific, substantive answer includes, so you can weigh any candidate’s response:

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