Dang, really, really tough getting old. One would think life would be more simple, less complicated when we live in a community like Sun City. Most of the local news i get comes from the Daily Independent that was just delivered to my door this morning. The weekly paper focuses on the community which allows me to ignore most of the crap that goes on outside these white walls. As my wife was leaving for pickleball she hollered out, "you made the front page." For some that may seem an accomplishment, i my case, i am ambivalent. Been there, done that too many times. I did read the article attached to it and damn, there truly is a fair amount of unrest. Seems people are unhappy with what has gone on this year. Then i went to the Opinion's page and my word, several writers were abundantly clear about what a mess the RCSC has made this past year. The writers didn't hold back, there was no question how they felt regarding the cluster-flock (please note the "o")they have made and how disappointed the membership was by their actions. Clarity to this point wasn't an issue. The confusion came when i went to the top of the page and saw the guest column from the RCSC board president. Really? Come to find out, they have been doing an awesomely, fabulous, simply spectacular job of getting stuff done in 2021. I'm just not sure how so many of us missed their incredibleness, and got it so wrong. So which is it: Did the RCSC knock it out of the ball park as the president claims? Or, did they create the most controversial year in recent history with their foolish actions? Somebody help me out here. Signed; Confused in Sun City.
The only thing the board knocked-out was the respect and confidence they once held from the membership! I'm sure they, the board, have convinced themselves that they did a wonderful job but anybody who has been paying attention to what has been going on at the board meetings knows different! Members needed to be at the meetings to see the rolling eyes, and the "here she comes again" comments, or the accusation that Karen McAdam was a liar or how about the sheriffs department showing up to protect the board members or time we were required to show our membership cards to simply attend the meeting? Yeah, they've done a wonderful job! Just ask any of them!
There-in is the problem FYI, the measuring stick is contained in their view, their eyes and their belief that if members aren't beating down their doors, everyone is happy. And to be honest, when 20 people showed up at board meetings for the past 10 or more years, it was easy to create that narrative. In fact, when you control every aspect of the communication, who is going to question or challenge? The reality that many of us refused to sign on to the ARS lawsuit wasn't because we liked their direction; it was because we felt suing ourselves was foolish. We had no interest in getting even or payback for some notion of abused actions from years before. We simply wanted them to listen to those of us who were involved. When they fired Karen it set off a shitstorm and they thought it would all just go away. Then we started digging into the firing of Barbara Brehm and it all became crystal clear. A board member questioning or challenging the gm was unacceptable. When you spend 15 years rewriting documents and allowing the gm to determine every course of action, the community ends up being left in its wake. Our voices are muted and we become captives to whatever they want, whatever they see fit as being right for us. And, that is exactly why our history is so damned important. Sun City was built on an entirely different platform. We went from being community inclusive to being excluded to the point of absurdity. Think not? Picture back to that first meeting in September; who the hell were we to think we had a right to be there and be angry? Who the hell were we to think we had a right to gather in their auditorium when the board went stomping off the stage and slinking out the back door? Who the hell were we to think we had the right to demand an annual membership meeting? Who the hell were we to file a petition for recall of the board president? The list is damned near endless. That's what happens when the gm reduces us from members to card holders. That's what happens when our rights are stripped from the documents that insured we had a voice. That's what happens when the board members we elect get tossed off the board because they aren't willing to compromise their understanding of what a board member should be and what they were elected to do. That's what happens when the gm is allowed to create a belief the boards job is to be loyal to the corporation. Let me be clear, none of this happened by accident. None of it. The end game was to be exactly where we are. They just never expected the push back they are getting. Sadly, rather than understanding the anger and frustration, they write glowing articles about how much they have accomplished. So freaking sad.
BP, I accept you've always thought suing ourselves was wrong. Many portrayed ARS in an evil light, and perhaps she personally deserved some of that, but much (albeit not all) of the lawsuit was fighting for the things we still seek... quorum, T33,etc. Frankly, organizations sue "themselves", so to speak, all the time when those in control refuse to listen -- sometimes it's the only way to break up an autocratic leadership situation and often saves money in the long run. So I continue to wonder -- if the community had shown a lot more support, would the RCSC have settled with an agreement more like what SCW did by opening their ways to member input? Could a lot more support have tempered the goals of the suit to everyone's liking? Could a middle ground have been found on the PIF situation? Whatever, how it DID turned out was not positive for the SC community as a whole. We'll never know the result had support been different.
You may be right IC, but i found neither side willing to give an inch. I learned early on in my work career fighting to the death was seldom practical...for either party. There's no point in throwing stones, suffice to say it didn't work out. I hardly see the logic of Sun City being unwilling to embrace Title 33 other than they didn't want to. Sun City West has survived nicely and the worst that can be said was some slight additional expense and being inconvenienced with having to be totally open and transparent. I suspect the bigger problem than both those issues was the fact the Sun City's gm had an agenda and being transparent would have gotten in her way. The real problem for me is i suspect the rcsc still thinks they are above all of the recent tumult and everything is just fine. Stay the course and we will all just go away. So we are clear, that isn't going to happen. the list is growing, the articles keep appearing and the angst will continue to heighten, unless of course we enter 2022 with a new found respect for the membership. The mere fact that Karen, whom they kicked from the board, was elected back with the largest vote total i can recall should scream something at them. It is my understanding the recall petition for the president was resubmitted (that makes 4 times now) and allegedly they were supposed to deal with it this week sometime. All of which begs the question; who will be sitting in the room? Those who were going off the board, or those newly elected and sworn in on Dec 16? I will tell every board member, we are watching every step you take and every move you make. Way too many times you have failed to take us seriously; it would be pure foolishness to continue to do so. All of us are looking for a better, brighter more transparent 2022. I always want to see the best in people, but after 2021, i find little to applaud you about. We'll just have to see eh?
