Cynthia Conners' response to Corkey and Noni Eley

This is councilmember Cynthia Conners’ response to Corkey and Noni Eley’s recent letter. At least we know what she really thinks.

----- Original Message -----
From: Cynthia Conners
To: (undisclosed)
Cc (undisclosed)
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 10:00 AM
Subject: re: Fw: Irresponsible Actions

To the Elys --
Are you proposing this just because "it's the rule" and you believe therefore it must be followed?
Are you upset because there's no unified Leisure World Budget?
Well, legally, there isn't any Leisure World at all, anymore, so that may be one reason there's no such budget.
Or are you upset because not every member received a budget that covers the entire community?

How many people in United want to read Third's budget? Have you taken a survey? Is it more than six?
And vice versa?
And how many people want to read Mutual 50's Budget? Do you know more than 2 people in Mutual 50 who want to read the budgets for United and Third?

How much do you think the residents should spend to print and mail every budget to every member, for the benefit of 15 who want to have a paper copy of each one? Those budgets will be posted on the web site, and any person who wants to see them can do so. If they want to print them out they can do so.

Are you upset because they are accessible on the web site and not by mail to every member?
The Village already has legal and legislative opinion that they are in compliance with the Davis Sterling act by posting notices on the internet and at clubhouses, broadcasting them on Channel 6, etc., because the cost of printing and mailing to 12,000 households is too great. Perhaps we should have all the budgets read aloud on Channel 6. That'd draw a large audience....

I would think you'd be in favor of a move that minimizes cost, not a move that adds cost.

Cynthia

Two Letters from Corkey & Noni Eley

Since this letter was sent the "condensed" version has arrived in some homes in Third Mutual. Mine arrived on the 18th of November. The first letter:

Milt Johns, Gerneral Manager
Janet Price,

As of November12, 2009 there has not been an Operating Budget
mailed to the homeowners of Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village.
WHY? The Amendment to the Trust dated April 6, 1964 states the
Operating Budget should be mailed 60 Days prior to the beginning of
the fiscal year.

The Amendment to the Original Trust dated April 6,1964 under
number six (6) of the Terms of this agreement states:"Golden Rain
shall operate and manage the improvements and provide
administrative, recreational and medical services for the benefit of the
members of the Cooperatives and their successors in interest at cost
and on a nonprofit basis. The cost thereof shall be included in a monthly
carrying charges charged on a pro rata basis to the members by their
respective Cooperatives. Not less than sixty (60) days prior to the
beginning of each fiscal year GOLDEN RAIN shall prepare an
operating budget setting forth its estimate of the cost of operating
and managing the improvements and providing the other aforesaid
services desired for the ensuing year and shall cause copies of same
to be delivered to the members of the Cooperatives or to the
Cooperatives for delivery to their members. The estimated cost
shall include administrative expenses, operating expenses, utilities,
hazard insurance, taxes and assessments, interest and amortization,
and a reasonable contigency reserve. Golden Rain in its capacity
as Trustee of the Golden Rain Foundation Trust shall maintain
and repair the Improvements for the benefit of the Cooperatives
and their successors in interest at cost and on a nonprofit basis and
shall prepare and deliver cost estimates for such maintenance
and repair in the same manner and such costs shall be charged in the
same manner as provided above for operating and managing costs
Such cost shall include resonable reserve for replacement and
renovation.

Unless the homeowners purchase the RED BOOK, they have
no idea what the Operating Budget for Leisure World/Laguna Woods
Village is ($95,000,000 plus). It is time for PCM and GRF to mail a
Complete Operating Budget to each homeowner in this nonprofit
senior citizen homeowners association,
Sincerely yours,
Corkey and Noni Eley

The second letter:

Re: Article 5 of 2007-2011 Management Contracts between PCM
and the four corporations (PCM, Third, United & Fifty of LWV)

Questions have arisen regarding Article 5 of the Management
Contracts between Professional Community Management and each of
the four Corporations (GRF. United, Third and Fifty) who manage,
operate and maintain Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village. Article
5 is printed below.

Article 5, Fee. Agent shall be paid, as its sole compensation for
all services performed hereunder, a fee payable in advance on the first
day of each month in an amount, exclusive of all surcharges, determind
on the basis of the total number of dwelling units in Mutual
under management by Agent as of the last day of the preceeding month
as follows:
(a) Said fee shall consist of a monthly charge in the amount of
$1.80 per dwelling unit.
(b) Said fee shall be adjusted annually for each succeeding year
by the same percentage as the All Urban Consumer Price Index
(CPI) of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Los
Angeles - Riverside, Orange County Metropolitan Area/. Such annual
re-computation shall be based on the July to June CPI increase or
decrease but not to exceed eight percent (8%). Should the variation
in the CPI exceed eight percent (8%) the fee set herein shall be
reopened automatically and subject to renegotiations. Such fee
adjustments shall be budgeted and become effective as of January 1
of the succeeding year.

After reading Article 5(b), the question that needs to be answered
is: Was there a minus two point six percent (2.6%) decrease in the fee
paid to the Agent on the 2010 Operating Budget? The Consumer Price
Index (CPI) for the Los Angeles-Riverside, OrangeCounty, Ca. based on
the July to June CPI was minus two point six percent (2.6%)

There should definitely be a decrease in the fee paid to the Agent
on the 2010 Operating Budget based on the Consumer Price Index
(CPI) as per the Management Contracts between PCM and the four
Corporations Article 5(b).
Sincerely yours,
Corkey and Noni Eley

Land for Swap - Directors Abdicate Responsibility

Goings On LWV Issue 26 November 2009

I heard the word “LANDSWAP” at the November GRF meeting falling from Milt Johns’ lips. How often have we been warned about the San Sebastian taking over the parking lot next to the library? Now it has been said out loud and in public ON TV. A land swap….a tiny little piece of land slated to be a pocket park presently owned by the City of Laguna Woods which is behind the Aryes Hotel and the self storage units FOR THE PARKING LOT. Use your voices people!!! This has been the plan ALL ALONG.
PCM has a financial interest in the San Sebastian. They helped build it via partnership with the developer(s) and Milt Johns announced in a meeting that he was “in daily contact with Standard Pacific” during the construction of that property; this, even though LWV was completely out of the picture at that point.
IT IS A TOTAL AND COMPLETE YET REPEATED BREACH OF ETHICS to have ANYTHING to do with suggesting a land swap that is to PCM’s advantage.

A land swap must be equitable. That is, a real or perceived value of that given up must be at LEAST equal to what is received as well as being as valuable as the land is valuable to those receiving it.

The lot could be sold, say, for $100. Value exchanged for both parites. However, the lot ENHANCES the value to the San Sebastian far more than $100 would enhance GRF (the members.) There would therefore be a breach of duty to make that sale. It is inconceivable that the land exchange could be of equal value.
It is not about land area at all…size for size. It’s about the final REAL value overall.

For example: we negotiate the trade of horses of equal size, age and racing record. Each is a triple-crown winner. One is a gelding and one is a colt. Who gets the better deal?

Bob Hatch knows this as a real estate appraiser. The rest of them know it because they have been told over and over and over and over. PCM knows it but WANTS THE LAND!
Lloyd Foster can sit on the dias and mumble his ignorance telling people how “that’s a GRF issue” but what he repeatedly fails to say is that IT IS THE MUTUALS WHICH VOTE FOR AND ARE IN CONTROL OF GRF. The board members of the mutuals are the corporate members of GRF. IT IS the business of the mutuals. It IS the business of UNITED.

Speak up now or we’ll be back in the same situation we were with the land swap that sold us down the river the last time, people. How much of our land are we going to let PCM buy sell and swap with abandon? Are you going to put up with losing more of our land at the whim of PCM? Get your voices in gear and SPEAK UP. Write your legislators, law enforcement agencies and let your board members know you don’t like this behavior and it is to STOP. If YOU don’t raise your own voice and allow this to happen you have nobody to blame but yourself.

Decision Making by Boards - Taking the easy way out

Goings On LWV Issue 25 November 09

It is virtually amazing that more psychological or behavioral studies have not been made using our elderly population. Not only is the number of elderly/retired people increasing in the United States but changing social norms are moving elderly from family units into enclaves called retirement communities. Today, large numbers of senior citizens are gathered into these enclaves begging for study. And yet there are few studies on seniors which do not relate to Alzheimers or other forms of mental deterioration. One might suggest that these studies are driven by fears of what might be the future for many groups of social behaviorists. If it happens to you, it is a shame; if it might happen to ME it would be a terrible tragedy of awesome proportions. In the mean time seniors are usually kept out of sight and out of mind. If you don’t believe me, consider how often the kids drop over just to give you a hug or hang out. (Not that you would like the latter since we are all active seniors here and have our own lives that we are busily trying to live.)

And yet, here we are. We are a population at or nearing retirement age, living as active a life as our health and wealth will allow. And we have a distinct social structure. We are members of a homeowners association, governed (?) by elected boards, and managed by hired help. We are, in fact, the country in microcosm. We have self-important “leaders” who revile those who elect them. We have hired help that literally believes that what we have is theirs by right. We have elections, corruption, nasty leaders—we might as well be a separate state. And what characterizes our leaders?

Others have reported how new directors quickly get sucked into the machine and, to keep their own sense of importance, rationalize becoming just one of the good old boys. This is very much like the Stanford Prison Experiment where volunteers were put into a closed population and identified as guards or inmates. These average people started to exhibit the worst behavioral characteristics of sadistic guards and sullen or brutal inmates. The experiment got so bad, that the psychologists performing the study had to call it to a close to ensure the safety of all of the volunteers. We, of course, have directors who call us inmates, treat themselves to parties with our money, and call security when we try to protest. STANFORD, here we are, what are you waiting for?

Over the past few decades we have seen candidate after candidate call for reforms up until the moment they are installed to one of our boards. At that point they become meek as lambs, go with the flow, and soon become indistinguishable from the rest. What happened to those new ideas they had? What happened to their avowed declaration that they would shake the boat and make changes? STANFORD, we need another study. Or do we?

You all remember the Bay of Pigs debacle. Cuban nationals organized and were supposed to trained and supported by the CIA and potentially backed up by units of the US Military. The landing point on the island nation of Cuba was the Bay of Pigs. An elaborate plan to overthrow Castro and his fledgling government failed so miserably it became virtually synonymous with any kind of complete disaster and, as a US Navy Admiral I knew used to call a complete Cluster F***. I think the exact number of people killed was 118 with roughly 1200 captured in the three day debacle. Basically the US tried to deny we were involved and deserted the Cuban nationals. John Kennedy was in office 3 months. He had been present at every major meeting since the onset of planning for the Bay of Pigs. This contributed to the mentality that they did not want to displease or contradict the president. They wanted to one of the boys, Kennedy’s boys. GROUPTHINK.

The backblow from this horror story of an invasion was so bad that Kennedy could almost see his career going down the tubes right in front of his eyes. The Bay of Pigs invasion had been planned by GROUPTHINK.

Kennedy, while not my favorite president, was at least smart enough to recognize real trouble with a system of planning when he saw it. He took measures to fix the problem. He established a devil’s advocate to represent the opposition in every major operational decision made from that point on. Kennedy used mostly his brother Robert for the job but occasionally he used Ted Sorensen. The result was that the much more serious Cuban Missile Crisis exemplifies the success of strategies designed to combat GROUPTHINK.

There have been many studies about Groupthink since William White coined the term in 1952. The term applies to the philosophy that group values (real or perceived) are not only expedient but right and good. In LWV directors are given standards of behavior which tells them to get along, become one of the (good old) boys, don’t express contrary opinions or values, and get along in peace and harmony. This does, of course, result in a false sense of serenity, a smooth surface that belies the tensions of the community. That is, the boards soon no longer represent the diverse opinions and needs of the community. They are good old boys. They get along.
What would happen if law enforcement walked in here tomorrow? What if people were indicted and dragged off in chains? What would our beloved directors say? Just as Robert McNamara and Kennedy’s entire cabinet said, well they had their reservations. They didn’t agree with everything but felt it was futile to speak out (becoming bad old guys or perhaps old bad guys) when everyone else was so full of confidence. Believe me, Uncle Miltie and the Great Grub are not in Kennedy’s league. What stops people from speaking out? Why don’t they stand up and say that an outrage is being perpetrated by the actions of their board? What good is a statement that they stood up in closed session and objected? How can FOUR BOARDS allow a director to be persistently maligned and disenfranchised without a public statement from ANY director? How can ANY BOARD gang up on any resident they chose to target. How can ANY BOARD condone and participate when complaints are filed against these residents alluding to unsubstantiated misdeeds even when witnesses discount these allegations? How can ONE BOARD sit there and allow a sitting director to be voted off the board even when a judge of the superior court agreed that they did not have the legal right to do so? And why has no member of that board taken their feet to say, Hey, we really didn’t have the right to do this. Victims of GROUPTHINK, all. STANFORD, come and get us, we are ripe for your studies.

Dribs and Drabs

Goings on LWV Issue 24 October 09

*Wasn’t it fun watching the first “real” meeting of the new Third Board? Several of us took bets as to who would fall asleep again the next time: Lucy Shimon or Mike Straziuso. Shimon won hands down since she spent more time apparently asleep than Straziuso who actually admitted he was taking a lot of pain medication and wasn’t really “himself”. He did promise that the next meeting he would be demonstrating his very active participation. Does that mean he’ll be using the vicious mouth he has demonstrated before his election to the board? I wonder if he drove himself home.

I don’t know what Lucy Shimon did at the DAR meetings but sleeping on the dais wasn’t one of the recommended behaviors as a rule. Nice to know we have her full attention. I can hardly wait until she’s been through a cycle or two of meetings and see just how exhausted she really gets. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see if she’s just another ride-along board member who will do as she is told by her much touted “mentors” or if she’ll actually begin to function on her own. Anybody want to lay a quarter on it? That’s about all any of us will have left when they finish letting our pockets be sucked out if they can’t pay more attention than demonstrated on Tuesday, October 20.

*Did you love Milt going on and on about the elaborate “plan” in case Swine Flu shuts down the PCM offices? Maybe they should watch and see what happens on Capitol Hill since they all have the flu. Somehow I don’t think it needs to be turned into the scare fest Milt seems to be trying to make it. Get a grip and deal with it just like the rest of the world. How about the same kind of attention to transparency and accountability?

*How do you like the letter in the Globe today from Margo and Bob Bouer? (Bob Bouer is the brother of Arlene Stuller who is wife of Erwin (his onerous) Stuller, president of GRF.) They used the 2370 Via Mariposa address yet their letter is an unpaid advertisement for living at the Regency and they are still using the Mariposa address! They moved out of the Via Mariposa address and it was foreclosed on some weeks ago leaving the bank holding the bag and probably unknown thousands owed to Third Mutual in BACK ASSESSMENTS. The MEMBERS of Third are probably now stuck having to deal with that loss. A little too smelly-tidy for my taste. In fact right now the Via Mariposa property is listed as “lender owned” and is listed for $159,000. The multiple listing service number on the property is S588150. But what the heck….call ‘em, go visit them, they’ll buy your lunch; or so they say in their ad…er letter to the editor.

*That brings up the issue of the Globe editorial staff and the fact that they printed the letter with the address incorrect. This isn’t the first letter Bouer has written and had printed by the Globe about living at the Regency which is across El Toro Road from the LWV Community Center. It must be tough to have to use hard earned editorial skills only to have it seem you must cater only to the whims of management and the “special people” management approves of. In the meantime there is an advertisement for a group that has been left out of this week’s Globe at the apparent whim of the editor or would that be on orders given from above? Another feeling that there are special rules for special people.

*A miracle has occurred in a certain cul de sac. Earlier, during late summer, when the slurry crews were out making havoc everywhere they went, questions arose as to the need for the slurry schedule places where it obviously didn’t need re-slurrying. There was at least ONE question about why places that had damaged asphalt were just slurried and no attention given to repairing the problem underneath. We got the standard long winded and circular non-answer from Kathryn Freshley about how her father worked for the County back in Indiana when she was a child, etc. I guess that makes her the corporate oracle on asphalt repair. But nothing of any value. Pictures of the cul de sac I mentioned above were posted. By golly, out of the blue the concrete swale was repaired and now there is actual repair to the substrate going on and new asphalt being laid. Unfortunately, this much needed repair comes AFTER it had been slurry sealed this summer. This is a MONUMENTAL waste of money….your money.

Freshley had told us how competent they were in their re-sealing campaign because they depended on the recommendation of the VENDOR (who of course, has NO financial interest in how much slurry is laid. I also have a bridge for sale) for the needs of LWV. Hmmmm, do you suppose that somebody actually went out and with their own eyes took a look at a few streets and decided that MAYBE, just maybe, the vendor wasn’t doing the job and once again PCM wasn’t DOING THEIR JOB and the boards weren’t doing their job? Why? Because there is NO OVERSIGHT! Unfortunately no oversight means YOUR MONEY is just sucked out of your pocket at PCM’s whim and it’s OK with the boards!

Where in the world was Larry Souza who was the M&C Chairman for Third at the time? Oh, that’s right…his only job was to bang on the desk and tell people to “fix their own damned faucets because HE did.” We wouldn’t want any M&C chair to actually get it out of that chair and go and LOOK at these huge money sucking projects. Nah, that might mean accepting the responsibility that is theirs whether they want it or not. Just as we wouldn’t want any other board member to get off his or her duff and take a look around without depending totally and completely on STAFF REPORTS which are simply one side of any story or one opinion. In a future column I will talk about double blind testing and researcher bias. It might shed a little light on staff reporting.

*The machines for the All American Asphalt company are now parked in the red zone outside Gate 10 by the nursery gates. Interesting how a PCM vendor can park in a red zone but any other human being in an automobile will get moved and possibly ticketed for parking anything in a red zone.The OCSD has been called.

* I have pictures of the asphalt work and of the machinery all parked in the red zone on the Laguna Woods City street by Gate 10. Interested in seeing them? Just ask.

A response to Virginia Templeton

Goings On LWV Issue 23 October 2009

Dear Virginia, in response to your letter to the Globe editor of October 15 here are a couple thoughts.

Your question was “When does the Board plan to disclose its efforts to break up the PCM Management Team?” If you think seriously that Carol Moore will answer any question you have openly you are just kidding yourself. Personally, I don’t think they plan to “break up the management team”. Rather I think that the action they have planned will take care of the “team” and the chips will fall as they may. I personally have been advocating since March the full and complete disassociation with PCM in any form but that’s asking for the board to grow a pair and actually take charge. I’ve also been calling for the dissolution of GRF as our trustee since they seem to be bleeding us dry of every nickel. Decent and qualified trustees are a dime a dozen and we could hire one who would cost us less in the long run than GRF has any day.

So, what does Third plan to do vis a vis Professional Community Management? I’m surprised this isn’t a question that could be answered by the TRUTH SQUADS of Friends of the Village. In any case, according to a board member who seems incapable of keeping a confidence, somebody who stands proudly on their record of service, Third Board is suing PCM specifically with regard to the incentive plan that was initiated by PCM without knowledge or permission of any of the boards and then when it was accidentally disclosed quickly denied and an attempt to make light of the removal of funds from our pockets began.

What are all the secret meetings about, you ask. Well, Virginia, since they seldom even post a reason for them it’s hard to tell but I’d be willing to bet that many before the recent Third election had to do with trying to get the other boards to join in the suit against PCM. Considering the flurry of activity including a letter written by Marv Rosenhaft and signed by several others, sent to the Disbros and Olsen in Lake Forest, it probably means there was a very close margin between getting support for such a suit and not getting support. Frankly, those who didn’t support the effort, or any effort to discover the actual facts behind the incentive plan, are now going to have to face the possibility of being held personally responsible for the cover up and expenditure as well. They can no longer claim being uninformed. This also explains Carol Moore’s President’s comments at the November Third Board meeting where she discusses how that Board had been threatened and ultimata delivered by PCM. You remember the one where Milt Johns appeared to be angry that “confidential” information was being disclosed.

Virginia, the issues being addressed today are far more than mere “personality conflicts” as you call them in your letter. These are the very core issues of responsibility, honesty, integrity and morality. Ethics are a basic outline of what should be done and morals is the actual execution of what is right. Both seem to be missing.

My questions to you are: Why haven’t YOU asked to have an accounting that is full, open and complete from PCM? Who exactly got these bonuses? Were the proper tax reports filed? Were the bonuses grossed up so the employee didn’t have to pay taxes on the income? When were the bonuses awarded? For what precisely? How often? By whom? When did it become necessary to award a bonus/incentive to a salaried employee whose JOB it should be to find ways to save money for the client? Are the employees who manage the incentive awards awarding themselves bonuses as well? How was Janet Price awarded $100,000? How many don’t we know about?

Are you aware that Noel Hatch, now again on Third and Bob Hatch now on GRF are responsible for writing the management agreement that is being used on a month to month basis because THERE IS NO CONTRACT? Why are two people who have no business writing a contract helping the general manager write the contract that will pay for his and his employees services and “ANY AND ALL EXPENSES”?

Why haven’t YOU done something to find answers to the valid questions about this management company and the boards who simply walk in lock step with them because they seem to be too lazy to get off their complacent butts and actually accept the responsibility that is theirs whether they accept it or not. Why do YOU simply accept as absolute truth anything that comes out of the mouth of management without even caring to listen to others concerns? Why don’t YOU actually investigate some issues? Why don’t YOU pull your head out of the sand long enough to realize that this isn’t a new problem but a pervasive one that will only grow and become worse. Why are YOU part of the problem and not part of the solution? Are you one of the “special people” for whom there are “special rules”?

Instead of just criticizing and casting aspersions why haven’t YOU gone out and investigated alternatives to PCM? Why don’t you quit comparing apples to oranges when it comes to assessments and other HOAs and dig beneath the surface?
Why don’t you ask about the disappearance of security which is the main reason most people moved in here in the first place? Why don’t you ask about threats, intimidation and assault? Why don’t you INVESTIGATE? Why don’t you ask REAL QUESTIONS?

What you seriously don’t want to hear, Virginia, is that PCM has GOT to go. By that I mean everybody from Russ Disbro and his cohort Jeffrey Olsen and Baby Donnie down through the executive level of managers here including Janet Price, Chris (Trapp) Robinson, Jerry Storage, Kurt Rahn, Russ Ridgeway, Judie Zoerhoff, Milt Johns. Any employee who feels the loyalty and need to follow them out the door with empty hands would be welcome to go. They don’t want to work here anyway. ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE could start with nothing to lose but their jobs if they chose to stay and actually DO their jobs and be held accountable by the new management. New management can be in place in a New York moment and the people worried about whether their grass is mowed, their trees trimmed or their leak stopped wouldn’t even notice a ripple. The people concerned with honesty, integrity, responsibility, morals and actual attention to the laws governing corporations and non-profits would notice a huge and beneficial change. You think living here is a bargain now? It would be even better.

You’re old, you’re not brain dead. Use it.

Another Request to GRF-Others Ignored

Seems the same good old boy network can't get the message. This is the latest letter from Corky and Noni Eley. This kind of behavior on the part of the GRF board and the managing agent, PCM is why we need to FIRE PCM and dissolve GRF. We need competent and transparent management and a trustee we can trust.

Re: Request for open televised town hall meeting on Leisure World/
Laguna Woods Village governing documents (Trust, Regulatory
Agreement, Aicles of Incorporation, CC&Rs and Grant Deed).

Dear Sirs and Madam:

Several written requests have been made to the GRF Board, United
Board, Third Board and the Managing Agent for an open televised
town hall meeting regarding Leisure World/Laguna Woods Village
govenment documents (Trust, Regulatory Agreement,
Articles of Incorporation, CC&R's and Corporation Grant Deed).

Mr. Robert Miller, GRF Treasurer at the conclusion of the
treasurers report, for the past 4 months, has made false statements
regarding the frivilous law suit filed by the Discovery Group costing
this community in excess of $20,000. Each month Mr. Miller also
mentioned an eleven page letter and read a portion of page 5 of this
letter written by Attorney William P. Hart on May 2, 2008 to Attorney
Steven P. Rice. The petitioners were given copies of Attorney William
Harts eleven page letter of May 2, 2008 by Attorney Steve Rice and we
believe Attorney Hart would certainly give his clients copies of this
eleven page letter. We would suggest each GRF and United Board
member read Attorney Harts eleven (11) page letter of May 2, 2008,
especially all of page 5,6, and 7 or perhaps pages 5,6, and 7 of Attorney
Harts eleven page letter should be published for all to see.

Six Hundred twenty five (625) homeowners retained Attorney
Steven P. Rice, Crowell and Morning for Discovery. As you all
know, under Discovery all of the governing documents were
collected and certified by Nancy Noonan, Stewart Title Company
and a list of the governing documents was mailed to you on August
2, 2009. We are requesting one more time for Milt Johns, General
Manager, GRF, United Mutual and Third Mutual have an open
televised town hall meeting on the interpretation and review of Leisure
World/Laguna Woods Village governing documents.


Sincerely yours,


Corkey and Noni Eley

Safety is Job One...but not when YOU are paying the insurance costs.

Goings On LWV Issue 22 October 2009

Lack of oversight is the biggest problem facing the Laguna Woods Village community. The primary lack falls to the 4 boards responsible for the spending of every dime the owners shovel over month after month after month. Today I’m going to tell you about a little scene involving lack of oversight on the part of the Managing Agent which is Professional Community Management and one of our esteemed housing boards. One might ask, why wonder about this situation since PCM is not supervised or monitored in any way? This is the expected result of no oversight. Keep in mind that there are qualified people looking for jobs all over Orange County and far fewer jobs available than there are qualified people looking.

On October 6, 2009 at about 1:40pm a crew of at least 2 workers driving Laguna Woods Village Vehicles was working at 3083, Unit A. Two trucks were parked in the street directly outside the residence where the work was being done. One truck is California license number 6N85988; a Ford pick-up truck. The other was California license number P23549; a much larger capacity truck with racks for ladders and equipment.

As the resident observer drove past the scene it was noticed with horror that one of the workers propped a piece of lumber up on his ankle with his heel forming the lift needed from the ground, while the worker then used his circular saw to cut the piece of lumber. Clever lad.

The resident observer was so appalled by what was seen that they turned around and drove back to get the information provided. I have been asked to pass it along as part of just keeping track of things.

What would be wrong with this scene, you ask. Well, first of all why isn’t this man trained well enough to know that using a circular saw to cut a board resting on his ankle is an open invitation to disaster. All he has to do is slip or lose his balance for an instant and there would be hair, guts and eyeballs all over the place. It was far too beautiful an afternoon, they were wearing shorts and smiling and laughing, to disturb the beauty of the day.

Second, why wasn’t his crewmate concerned with such careless use of power tools? He, after all, would have been the one who would have had to call the rescue squad had the first complete fool cut himself. How do you suppose either of them would explain this little disaster to anybody? “Well, you see, I was just cutting this piece of lumber and like any rational, well trained, competent carpenter I was using MY BODY as a saw horse…..”

Did either of them stop to think for a single second of the consequences of their actions. Oh, heck no! They are not only really well paid, probably more per hour than the $41 per hour the gardeners are paid (see the United Budget numbers.) They are, after all, using really nasty power tools. But, part of their very pleasant compensation which includes a pension and retirement and probably unknown INCENTIVE PLAN, vacation, sick leave, parties, celebrations, etc. but also WORKER’S COMPENSATION INSURANCE which is State mandated and not exactly cheap. We won’t even discuss the involvement of OSHA if an accident had occurred.

Well, who pays for all of that? Why the OWNERS OF THE MANORS IN LWV. And what happens when there’s a Worker’s Compensation claim? The premium INCREASES. Let’s not forget DISABILITY which is also a very real possibility in the case of the irresponsible guy with the circular saw. Yup, he’d be on disability for as long as it took him to get his health back so he could again work at his lovely PCM job. Who pays for that? Oh, take a wild guess.

So, let’s see who’s responsible here. That would be PCM starting right up there with Russ Disbro and his buddy Jeffrey Olsen, Disbro’s little boy Donny and then down to good ole Milt Johns who is the General Manager of LWV and from him to Jerry Storage who is the director of Maintenance and Construction and from there to probably Jim Dyer who is in charge of carpentry and on down to the direct supervisor(s) of the two working on site and finally to the two bozos themselves! Oh, wait….let’s not forget the Third Mutual Board M&C Chairman, who apparently simply rubber stamps everything he is told by PCM and as long as he’s adored by “those he serves” he doesn’t seem to give a rip. And, who pays the bills?

Is it any wonder the board propping up a sink in one of the guard gate houses ….oops, I mean ambassador shacks….was left for months before a resident owner finally brought it to the attention of the plumbing staff? Yeah, boy, great oversight and supervision. What happens at the lowest level of the company is a mere reflection of what is really going on at the top.

The solution is FIRE PCM right now. We can’t afford this….even Bernie Madoff in his heydays couldn’t. Then let’s DISSOLVE GRF so we can get a real trustee.

Parking Fees are Just a Swell Idea.

Goings On LWV issue 21 October 2009

Visit the blog at http://goingsonlwv.blogspot.com


A letter to the editor in the Globe asks for residents to show up at the GRF Community Activities Committee and ask that Non-residents be charged a parking fee when they come to Emeritus classes. In his standard wisdom, Bob Hatch made his usual and ordinary comment at the end of allowing such a foolish plan. He said, “If we fear that we’re in danger of having a class cancelled because non-residents are not coming we can rescind the fee.” Then GRF imposed a $20 per semester fee for parking plus a $10 for summer session parking fee. The final decision will be made in November at the GRF meeting.

I suggest you show up in masses to protest this action. At least write the GRF board and copy your housing board to make sure that the letter is actually seen and not just discarded somewhere along the line. Apparently people in the community center have trouble actually receiving mail addressed to them.

Dick Blatman, author of the letter to the editor and Chairman of the Continuing Education Advisory Board, indicated that the $60,000 or so per year gathered for the parking fees would go into the LWV General Fund. Nowhere did he discuss the cost of PCM accounting for or collecting these fees. My suspicion is that the collected funds will be eaten up by such administrative tasks. PCM is a hungry little bugger and Hatch and Freshley are always looking for ways to make money!

But wait! This might be a GREAT idea! Just think….we’re a 501(c)4 corporation. That means we have to allow community access to our facilities. We could also charge a parking fee for all the people who come in to see any of the shows at Clubhouse 3.
We could charge a parking fee for all the people who come in our lovely gates to attend anniversary, birthday, etc parties….and FUNERALS…don’t forget them. The ever popular Aquadettes! That would be a really big money maker.

We can charge all the people who come in to play bridge….although GRF already skins them for extra bucks for the use of the hall. They might put up some kind of a fuss. We can get all those golfers who come in and play a round or drive a bucket of balls at the driving range. How about Tennis?

Another…all those care takers who take up all the residential parking places. Charge ‘em! Want to come to any holiday dinner with grandma and grandpa? It’ll be $10 for parking.

Come to the sale in Clubhouse 4 either in the art studio or the other studios but bring your wallet so you can pay the parking fee. Oh, let’s add a shuttle fee for the shuttle bus on those busy days. A gold mine.

How about all those folks who come in to estate sales? Or to look at real estate?
Let’s charge for the people who have 2 cars and use all the visitor parking because their car port or garage is too full to park a car in or the driveway is just a little too short to park another car on the drive. We can put meters in visitor parking. Wow, maybe we have to buy a couple Denver Boots to help with parking enforcement. How about a tow truck of our very own?

We could charge employees. They use an entire parking lot specially held for them at the Community Center. There’s all that parking up at the maintenance area, too. That needs to be maintained. How about UPS and FedEx and all the paper delivery people…wear and tear on the streets and Parking! How about all those maids who come in to clean? Or all the outside services people hire. Yolanda and her servers would love that. Screw parking fees….it should be an ENTRY fee. Come see the old people. They walk, they talk, they sleep and eat. What will we charge for golf carts or bikes or scooters? This MORE than makes up for all the illegal residents who pay no fees at all but are using all our amenities.

We should charge extra for heavy vehicles such as movers or U-haul trucks or service vehicles because they do damage to our streets.

We should probably lay on about 10 new employees to issue passes, check proper usage, enforcement. Let’s see, that’s 10 full time employees and their benefits. Could be a little expensive but what the heck GRF is scooping it in by the shovel full.

While we’re at it we should be sure to pass the information along on what a successful program this has been for LWV because all the other venues where Emeritus Programs take place will probably want to get in on the action as well. That would be any other school, library or community center where classes and programs are held. It could spread to all the shopping malls and other commercial establishments. Eat at Joe’s, parking only $20.

How about we welcome the people who come in our gates and rather than bleeding them dry then encourage them to move in so GRF and PCM can empty their pockets when they are captive.

The Duh Response

Goings On LWV issue 20 October 2009

Bob Hatch is the chair of the Community Activities Committee. That’s the GRF committee that deals with all the clubhouses, recreation activities, amenities and their usage.

The Garden Plots fall under his oversight.
At a recent CAC committee meeting a question was raised by a member about what is being done about the POT FARM which is being cultivated in the Garden Center Plots which are under the oversight of the CAC.

The answer from Hatch and Brian Gentry?

We’re keeping an eye on it.

Is that a satisfactory answer to you? The only way it could have been less so would for Hatch to have had bloodshot eyes and called the member, Dude.

Recently a report on the local CBS news said that each and every single individual pot dispensary in the Valley had been robbed a minimum of one time. This is growing right out in the open on common ground. YOUR GROUND.

Do you know the difference between burglary and robbery? Weapons.

On YOUR COMMON ground.

GRF is keeping an eye on it.

I feel so much better now, Dude.

Busy Busy and still covering up

Goings on LWV Issue 19 October 2009

Bob Hatch has decided along with the help of that Corporate Oracle, Kathryn Freshley, that a new incentive plan should be put in place for PCM. The fox is ripping apart the hen house. Even Linda Wilson admitted the board members are hardly experts according to the newspaper report.

Okay, folks, a couple little questions. First and foremost is how do you even dare broach this kind of thing when there hasn’t even been an accounting for the debacle which is acknowledged to be $5.4MILLION and may be as much as $13Million? Are you stone deaf or brain dead? Do you not realize that this year alone the employees got a raise in salary. There are more companies nationwide that not only didn’t give bonus/incentives but there were no increases than there were increases at PCM. The population here is made up of primarily people who are retired and living on a fairly fixed income. EVEN SOCIAL SECURITY isn’t giving COLA increases.
What is the matter with both of you? How DARE you?

What do you think it meant when the management fee increased exponentially last year? Didn’t you believe Milt when he stated that if the credit cards and incentive were cut off we’d pay for it one way or another? What do you think that HUGE increase was? And now you are going to give them even MORE? What is the matter with you?

Hatch’s favorite line is to say, let’s just do it and if it’s illegal we’ll fix it later. Well, Hatch, it may be legal to do but it sure as heck by no measure known under the sun is right. Where are your ethics? Don’t even try to answer because you are, after all, on the GRF board.

What part of this being a Non-profit don’t you people get? Freshley is apparently the all fired corporate genius of all time since she worked for one multi-divisional corporation and now advises small businesses for her livelihood. But, Kathryn, which of these is a non-profit and where did you learn about just shoveling money by the trunk load without any kind of accountability to a management team that threatens the boards they work for? Where did you learn that that was in any way acceptable? When did issuing ultimata to boards of directors become acceptable behavior on the part of a vendor? When did it become acceptable for the vendor to tell the contracting board what to do?

Did Milt and his executive staff and his masters, the Disbros and Olsen, tell Hatch and Freshley that they demanded more money for incentives on top of a 53.33% management fee increase? So now we’re going to pay twice for the same “incentive”? Did they finally decide to tell the people who are paying that money out of their fixed incomes where the money goes and how it is spent? Even Hatch, who hasn’t been in business for a rather impressive number of years and at that was apparently a real estate appraiser and not the CFO of a fortune 100 company, said about PCM “legally they are not our employees, but from a practical standpoint they are; they perform services solely for us.”

Why don’t you quit fooling around and hand waving to try to make the real issue of the huge amounts of money simply taken by PCM disappear? We are not going to forget about it. We want accountability NOW. Why are you are trying to make it appear that the secret incentive plan was the same as other, smaller, more reasonable and non-executive staff awarded plans. It wasn’t. It isn’t. It isn’t going away.
The only answer to this entire problem is to FIRE PCM and DISSOLVE GRF.

Pot Farm Plots Issue 18

Goings On LWV issue 18 Sept 23 09

The Garden Center Advisory Group of the Community Activities Committee of the Golden Rain Foundation Board (sounds like something right out of Imperial Russia, doesn’t it?) is meeting tomorrow…that’s THURSDAY morning at 9:00 am in the Birch room.

Anybody who would like to have an explanation about allowing 4 people, two of whom are NOT members of LWV, to grow pot on a community and therefore common ground garden plot might want to attend and ask questions. Bob Hatch heads up the CAC as chair and one of his very favorite things to say is “well, let’s just do it and if it’s illegal we’ll fix it later.” The chair person of the garden center advisory group is none other than the magazine toting champagne drinking GAIL McNULTY who said to the audience at large during the last broadcast GRF meeting that “the sheriff has approved” the plot. That is not true. In fact it was denied in writing by Lt. Griffin, who represents the Sheriff in Laguna Woods. He said, “The Sheriff’s Department did not approve the growing of the marijuana.” Perhaps McNulty should put her magazine and her champagne glass down and pay attention to her responsibilities. Surely one of the pair of McNulty’s serving on two different boards in this community could try to bear the responsibility they have chosen to undertake.

Ask, for instance, what extra security measures have been put in place at YOUR EXPENSE (any and all, remember) to assure the safety of the REST OF THE RESIDENTS who aren’t growing pot on common ground. Oh, you mean there wasn’t any extra security? Ask just exactly how many mature and immature plants there are on the plot. For EACH person bearing a proper prescription there is a limit of 6 mature OR 12 immature plants. Let’s see….that would be 24 mature plants or 48 mature plants TOTAL in that ENTIRE GARDEN PLOT. Better to ask why it was even considered allowable when there are much smaller things disallowed because of potential harm or danger to others such as riding a gyroscooter. WHY are non resident’s who are also not even members being allowed to use garden space when there is a list a mile long of people who DO qualify according to GRF’s OWN RULES for garden space. McNulty must have reached a really interesting decorating page that day.

Ask why they don’t spend as much attention to fulfilling their RESPONSIBILITY AND OBLIGATION to the members of this community as they do to covering their butts when they are caught with their pants down around their ankles…..over and over and over and over again. Why don’t they spend as much attention to responsibility and obligation to the members as they do to manipulating the vote in a recall election. Gail McNulty was one of the targeted directors in that recall, by the way, and the message from the 42-45% was very loud clear. (Somehow it stinks to high heaven of unethical – at the very least – to have two people from the same household sitting on two different boards; James McNulty on GRF and Gail McNulty on United. Hmmmm, I wonder how many votes they cast as members. Are there special rules for couples serving concurrently on boards?)

Ask them when they intend to fire PCM and disband themselves as trustees so we can move forward with a REAL trustee and management that has a clue about integrity and ethics.

Demand action from your boards. All of them. FIRE PCM. DISBAND GRF.

Issue 17 September 22 09

Water, Water Everywhere and We’re Exempt so…….

Apparently WE (Laguna Woods Village) can water any time we want, as much as we want, as irresponsibly as we want. At least that is what John Paulus, Landscaping Committee Chairman of Third would like us to do. I’m sure he’s had it confirmed by his connections with STAFF. Let’s see would that be the infamous Ismael Saenz and Brian Gentry or did he only listen to what Kurt Rahn, Milt Johns’ head of landscaping, had to say?

I asked Paulus why the sprinklers were running at full blast during mid-day which is the highest evaporation period and least effective watering time. We have been pounded with information from the City, from El Toro Water and from all our boards about how we have to cut back on water. We heard how THIRD was going to be fined if the water overage was as great during the next measuring period as it was during the last. Apparently the domestic use (that would be individual manors) was horrendous with some housing units using enough to wash their personal battleships daily. It also appears that there might possibly be some water meter problems! Wow, go figure! It might not ALL be residents just opening all their valves and letting the water pour fourth at full velocity after all.That information didn't come from Paulus, however. That information came from Dick Palmer, candidate for the board.

We are in a Level 1 Water Alert which has been in effect since July 1, 2009. In the brochure received from the City just Saturday it says Laguna Woods may water Tuesday, Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. Ok. Then it says WATERING IS PROHIBITED BETWEEN 10:00AM AND 5:00PM. Common sense would indicate that that is prime evaporation time…that time when the sun is highest and hottest and the water never touches the ground, it just becomes vapor. It makes COMMON SENSE not to water during those hours. But, as Paulus says, “We’re exempt.” (He is using "we" in the Imperial sense and it is only the outside watering done by the mutuals and GRF who are exempt...not individual manors) So it’s okay not to use any part of common sense and just go ahead and water any old way and waste not only the water but the plants that are being killed by neglect.

Being exempt doesn’t excuse irresponsible behavior and that is exactly what is going on with watering when the heat of the day is literally sucking the moisture out of the air before it ever gets to ground. When are boards going to get their glass navels adjusted so they can begin to SEE what they should be doing….OVERSEEING the operations here. I don’t care if we’re exempt from something like watering hours. If it doesn’t make good sense to water then WHY ARE WE DOING IT? I don’t care what Rahn or his underlings have to say….WHERE IS YOUR BRAIN? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Thanks for the explanation, Paulus. It was up to your usual standard of getting partial information but not even bothering to take it a step farther and ask the next question…”does this even make sense?”

No, it doesn’t make sense. The system is on a highly touted computer program. So program it to turn on and off during the hours when it isn’t going to go completely to waste. Further explanation is called for from our boards and the managing company who is driving us all into bankruptcy.

PCM has GOT to go and the sooner the better. GRF is bleeding our trust dry and we have no need for them. We can get a “real” trustee” without so much as even blinking. It is long past time to replace these total and complete incompetents.

Correcting the Record, Issue 15

Issue 15 September 09
During the Third Mutual Board meeting of September 15, Carol Moore practically broke her arm self congratulating. The other board members who have spent one grim year with her at the helm were all damned with faint praise save two….John Paulus and Kathryn Freshley. Moore no longer ever appears in public or indeed in closed session without her leech companion Freshley. Is Freshley afraid Moore will say or do something she isn’t “allowed” to in public? Is she afraid she’ll have another violent episode of temper and is now Moore’s watchdog?
Moore’s opening remarks were quite interesting. In them she discussed the number of times Milt Johns, General Manager of LWV and employee of PCM had issued ultimata to the board of Third; the first in January of 09 when I was present and again several times later. Milt sat on his tuffet at the end of the dais turning redder and redder while appearing to give birth to spiders and later attempted to publicly discipline the queen of sequins. For the first time in her tenure as a board member she kept her mouth zipped.
Moore also mentioned having to deal with “issues with a director”. She was referring, of course, to the unsuccessful attempt by her, Freshley and Paulus to unseat me from the board after they had elected me to the position of director. This is where we come to some VERY INTERESTING QUESTIONS.
Did Carol Moore, President of Third Mutual, misuse Third Mutual Funds for her personal problem?
In February during a closed session of the Third Board Moore threw a bottle of water across the table at me. Doing that was a personal act. Criminal acts are not shielded by closed session. Filing a police report was not a breach of confidentiality. She didn’t consult with the board, she didn’t take a vote, there was no resolution passed. Nobody in Third helped her propel the bottle across the table. SHE did it. It was a personal act.
I filed charges against her. They were filed against Carol Moore; not against the Third Board, not any member of Third other than Moore; ONLY Moore.
The OCRegister reported the following on March 5: “Moore declined to detail her version of events, but said ‘I did not throw a water bottle at anyone’ (and here’s the critical phrase, folks) THROUGH LWV’S MANAGEMENT COMPANY, PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT.” The question here is: WHY is Moore speaking THROUGH PCM when the entire incident was a PERSONAL act? WHO was billed for the service of being SPOKESPERSON for Moore via PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT? Any activity PCM engages in is billed to one of the 4 boards. Just as a lawyer keeps track of time so does PCM. If Third paid for the legal services of Moore and her private problem wouldn’t that a blatant misuse of Third Mutual Funds by a director for personal business?
The second question to be asked is: How would THIRD MUTUAL incur LEGAL charges unless something like the Third Mutual attorney (Adams/Kessler at the time) was used by Moore for her personal advice and counsel? WHO PAID THAT LEGAL BILL? Did Third? I have asked several directors to find out and answer that very question but none have done so to date. What is being hidden? Isn’t using the THIRD MUTUAL ATTORNEY for PERSONAL LEGAL ADVICE a misuse of Third Mutual funds?
A third question would be: Why/how would Third Mutual incur any legal expenses at all before a completely unrelated lawsuit was filed against Third Mutual? That is what Kathryn Freshley stated in her comments to the OC Register August 4: “McDaniel initiated legal costs before she was removed; her removal and lawsuit were later.” WHAT COSTS DID I INITIATE WITH THE THIRD BOARD? NONE. You can bet I didn’t call Adams/Kessler which is the only legal counsel for Third I know of (at that time.) The bottle incident had absolutely NOTHING to do with the question of law involved in the law suit I filed against Third Mutual. That should have cost only Moore her own funds IF she consulted with an attorney for HER OWN BEHAVIOR and the difficulty she brought upon herself for her act. But, unless the attempted removal from the board was the PUNISHMENT for filing a complaint with the Sheriff then there was absolutely NO REASON for Moore to use Third’s lawyers for ANYTHING. If, indeed the whole removal issue was punitive and vindictive then there is a whole other problem coming to light with the operation of the Third Mutual Board and they would have explaining to do.
Did Carol Moore misuse Third Mutual money? Prove to me she did not. Every single time Moore or Freshley brings this up they dig themselves in deeper. They need to accept that the lawsuit is OVER. Moore needs to learn personal responsibility and how to behave in the company of others. Just ask Lixian Lai, a resident who spoke Tuesday.
The truly bizarre end result is that they lost a staunch ally and supporter of many of the actions which they are currently contemplating and implementing vis a vis the managing agent and general manager.
A longtime and very vocal PCM supporter spoke during Member Comments at the Third meeting to decry the action(s) being taken by Third ostensibly against Milt Johns. Although one director chose to believe she was talking about the recall which had nothing to do with the Third Board (beyond several being directly, heavily involved in the No on recall effort) subsequent comments by Milt, Moore and other board members left absolutely no doubt that her comments were directed against unstated actions being taken against Johns by one or more boards. The fact that the resident had difficulty reading the prepared statement further supports the interpretation that she was speaking against actions discussed in executive session which have still not been disclosed to the public beyond Marv Rosenhaft’s letter to the Disbro boys, et al.
Did this resident have inside and confidential information as yet publicly undisclosed? Was her speech written for her? If the speech was written for her, who wrote it? Was her speech written by anyone in the employ of PCM? Was the information supplied through the usual source; the longtime conduit to Positive Solutions and PCM by a former board member? There are lots and lots and lots of questions but one thing is for certain: Carol Moore doesn’t know how to comport herself properly and she and her keepers need to move forward. It would be a good idea to start with a simple apology for her behavior. I won’t hold my breath but that one act could have prevented a world of angst for her both in the past and possibly in the very near future.

PCM and breach of Confidential Information

Goings On LWV September 09 issue 14

Four years ago when we moved in to our home in Laguna Woods and Third Mutual, our telephone was listed in the telephone book (SBC) but our address was not….. by specific request. We have never, ever been listed in any Laguna Woods directory not because we didn’t want to be but because it just never appeared. In the latest phone book our name and ADDRESS as well are listed. How did this happen? Who is responsible? When we moved in here we gave emergency contact information to PCM as part of the package we were required to provide. In the latest phone book that CONFIDENTIAL EMERGENCY information has appeared. The emergency contact never lived with us at this address. In the latest phone book our emergency contact name, our address, and the contact’s unlisted phone number WHICH IS OUT OF STATE is listed. How did this information become public? Who disclosed the information? When we moved in four years ago photographs were taken to be used for our LWV ID cards ONLY. We were assured they were for that purpose and that purpose alone; that it is confidential and would be used for NO OTHER PURPOSE EVER. We have not changed our consent to have the information used.
Cheryl Walker called when I was elected to the board and asked for a current photo to use in the story in the Globe; before I was able to e-mail the photo to Walker the LWV ID photo appeared in her story. It was in fact, used several times over the next months in both the Globe and OCRegister which owns the Globe. I gave no authorization to release this photo AT ANY TIME TO ANYBODY FOR ANY REASON. Who released it? Since this information and this photograph were only in PCM maintained confidential files this means there has been a breach of confidentiality and a dispersal of private and confidential information by PCM. If I were the only person thus victimized by the managing agent it could be considered personal harassment. It is indeed harassment, and possibly ID Theft. However, since this board is aware of at least one other Third Mutual resident also having personal and confidential information made public it becomes a PATTERN of activity. Has someone profited from the release of this information? Who might that be? Have membership lists and personal and confidential information been sold to outside interests? If so, who profited? Who authorized this activity? Who is responsible? What is being done specifically to rectify this situation?
It is interesting to note that a member is entitled to a membership list which includes names and addresses of fellow members. However, past experience has demonstrated that membership lists are not given to members when they are simply requested of the managing agent. Why then, is confidential information about members available to what appears to be paying customers?

The Pot Thickens, Those Responsible Hide issue 16

Here’s Lt. Bill Griffin’s response to the legality of the POT FARM on LWV COMMUNITY garden center ground which is COMMON AREA. “The marijuana plot in the Laguna Woods Village was examined by a Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Investigator. It was found to be in compliance with State Law through the Compassionate Use Act. The Sheriff’s Department did not approve the growing of the marijuana.”
Note particularly the last sentence where he said the Sheriff’s Department did not approve the growing of the marijuana. I guess Gail McNulty was talking out of order again when she said the Sheriff had approved it at the United Board meeting on Tuesday, September 8.
Here’s the URL for Senate Bill 420 which makes it legal, in California, to grow and use pot. However, it is still illegal under Federal law. Pay close attention to section 11362.77 (a) which defines exactly how much may be kept/grown/processed and ONLY for an individual. http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/sen/sb_0401-0450/sb_420_bill_20031012_chaptered.html "A qualified patient or primary caregiver may possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana per qualified
patient. In addition, a qualified patient or primary caregiver may
also maintain no more than six mature or 12 immature marijuana plants
per qualified patient." That is about a truck load of dope, folks, for one person. But 4 here of whom 2 are not even members of any mutual in LWV need an entire COMMUNITY garden plot on COMMON AREA.
The response from the Sheriff’s department via Lt. William Griffin, Chief of Police Services, Laguna Woods is too short and actually prompts more questions than he answered. Unfortunately it’s really tough to get the Lt. to respond to queries of any kind. Some of the questions are as follow:
Was the examination of the plot deemed for one person or for how many and were they in compliance with all the requirements of Proposition 215 which is known as the Compassionate Use Act?
A single COMMUNITY garden plot on LWV COMMON AREA would be large enough to produce pot for half the population of LWV. Just how many plants are being grown per qualified person?
When he says “the Sheriff’s Department did not approve the growing of the marijuana” what does he mean exactly? Does he mean to say that the investigator is not part of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department? If not, what agency was represented? Are we to infer that there are non-compliance issues yet to be resolved? Does he mean it is outside the parameters of what can be approved? We are once again left in the limbo of no real answer from the OCSD on this.
Just who are the persons of record for the Compassionate Use of the COMMUNITY garden plot on COMMON AREA ground in LWV?
Exactly how does one go about contacting the Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Investigator to get Compassionate Use ruling? Does the contact person need to be on the City Council? (Which in this case would be tantamount to asking GRF if it was okay. We already know that they think it is just hunky dorey and okay with them based on their little tea party attitude when Ray Gros announced the presence of the garden of the stoned.)
The U.S. Supreme Court has twice upheld the ability of federal officials to enforce federal law despite the protections afforded to patients under state law. The case of Gonzales v. Raich challenged the federal position by claiming that simple cultivation of plant was outside the federal regulatory scheme of interstate commerce. While initially successful in the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this argument. However, in his opinion, Justice Stevens expressed, while he denied them support at this time, he hoped "the voices of voters allied with these respondents may one day be heard in the halls of Congress." Justice O'Connor wrote in her dissenting opinion stated "This case exemplifies the role of states as laboratories."
It's all about MONEY. We need to FIRE PCM and dissolve GRF before they DESTROY US.

Letter from Corkey and Noni Eley September 9,2009

September 09. 2009

Milt Johns, General Manager
Erwin Stuller, President GRF
Carol Moore, President Third Mutual
Lloyd foster, President United Mutual

Re-Dissolution of Rossmoor Leisure World Laguna Hill Corporation.

The internet is a remarkable tool to get almost any information on any subject you request. We were interested in what is the criteria to dissolve
ROSSMOOR LEISURE WORLD LAGUNA HILLS a nonprofit homeowner’s corporation??

Below are two (2) statements on the dissolution of nonprofit corporations from the 9 pages of internet printouts we requested on what is the criteria to dissolve Ca. corporations.

1. The voluntary dissolution of a domestic nonprofit corporation is initiated by an election to dissolve. The election to dissolve may be made by the VOTE or Written consent of a majority of all the members of the
Corporation or, if there are no members, by the board of directors. Following this election the corporation must file documents with the Secretary of State. Statutory filing requirements are found in California Corporation Code Sections 6611, 8611, 9680 or 12631.

2. Mutual benefit corporations: If the dissolving corporation is a Mutual benefit corporation and the corporation is holding assets in a
Charitable trust, the distribution of those assets must be approved by the
Attorney General or made by decree of the Superior Court. (Corporation Code 8716).

Mr. Harry Curtis, President of Golden Rain foundation in May, 2005 and Milt Johns, PCM General manager called a Special Closed Session Meeting
Of the four boards (Golden Rain, United, Third and Fifty). This meeting was called to solicit Votes to CHANGE the Rossmoor Leisure World Laguna
Hills NAME without the VOTE or APPROVAL of the 12,736 homeowners.

To dissolve a nonprofit homeowner’s corporation in California requires a little more than a group of directors in a closed session meeting voting to dissolve the name of Rossmoor Leisure World Laguna Hills Corporation. “A certificate of election to wind up and dissolve is required when the
Election to dissolve was approved by less than 100 percent of the
Members, or if the corporation has no members, by less than a 100 percent of the Directors. To complete the dissolution process the corporation MUST also file a certificate of Dissolution pursuant
to Ca. corporation codes Section 6615, 8615, 9680 and 12535”.

To our knowledge there were NO papers filed to dissolve Rossmoor
Leisure World Laguna Hills Corporation, therefore this community remains Leisure World not Laguna Woods Village a fictitious name.
All of Rossmoor Leisure World Laguna Hills land and assets are held in the
Original trust filed March 2, 1964, with GRF the Trustee and the Mutual’s
(United, Third and Fifty) the Trustors .

WAS ROSSMOOR LEISURE WORLD LAGUNA HILLS CORPORATION DISSOLVED ???


CORKEY and Noni Eley

Cc: Attorney General
Orange County District Attorney
HUD

Issue #13 Advertising Bills paid for by members

The great 45th anniversary celebration of LWV was held Saturday 9/6 at CH5. I was amused when a neighbor came by and dropped off a couple bottles of water they had gotten up there. People are always bringing me different bottles of water, and shoes because it is an indication that they haven’t forgotten the infamous water bottle and the attempt by the board to unseat me as a result of filing criminal charges against the person who threw a bottle, Carol Moore. In this case their reason was to ask why was advertising for the real estate arm of PCM on bottles bearing our logo; had we licensed the use of the logo to them; WHO PAID FOR IT?
It would not be the first time we had paid for advertising for the real estate arm of PCM. According to the General Ledger for 2004, printing, type-setting and production of brochures for Laguna Woods Properties, Resales, etc. amounted to about $1800.00 on one day in November alone. Not as much as Angel’s baseball tickets at $3662.00 that same year, but after all baseball is more fun. Did you enjoy the games? (We can’t even get them all on our lovely Channel 6, you know. According to McArthur it’s just too expensive but we have something like 11 foreign language channels.)
Interestingly enough there was an explanation from none other than Wendy Bucknum to Mike Curtis when he asked her about it. She said the expense was “authorized by the GRF Board.” Well, we all have to sympathize with Wendy. She’s the one who is terrified of a 72 year old grandmother and is willing to file a SLAPP suit against her along with Milt Johns. Oh, yes, and they used Hart King and Coldren who is supposedly the corporate lawyer for United and GRF but seems to show up more and more representing PCM. But I digress.
Let’s get back to the senior expo and the anniversary celebration where all the commercial junk was being displayed along with the clubs who were soliciting members. Did they have information about the pot farm that GRF/PCM have growing on our community garden plots? It’s being farmed, according to Ray Gros, by two members and two non members. I’m sure they’re proud of the little factory they have going. And, while showing off their lovely amenities do you suppose they talked about how some special people can become so beloved that even if their manor is foreclosed upon and they are no longer residents (or owners) they are given CARte BLANCHE to come and go as they please and use any and all amenities at will? Or is it because they are related to the president of the GRF board, The Great Quivering Pale Grub His Onerous. Has anybody stopped to ask if these same people ALSO DEFAULTED ON ASSESSMENTS leaving Third mutual stuck holding the bag for that expense? Who do you suppose pays out of their assessments for these people and their debt. Thank goodness they are now safely across the street in a new luxury home and don’t have to answer these questions. They are also safe from any marijuana farm problems because they grow their own on their little balcony. Considering the size of the plant and the pot they grow enough for their entire new neighborhood. The stories on NPR and the Globe blog were lovely and informative.
As usual, it’s all about MONEY. We must FIRE PCM and REPLACE GRF as our trustee. PCM has for years seen us as a living breathing money tree and they want it all NOW. Let’s get rid of them NOW and live in some kind of peace. Beware the elections. Keep in mind that Noel Hatch was co-author, along with Bob Hatch and MILT JOHNS of the current Management agreement. “ANY AND ALL EXPENSES”

Secrets and the firing of PCM

After months of hush-hush whispers and rumor over various parts of the community it would appear that the not-so-secret is finally out in the open. There is a drive to fire Milt Johns and the only board members it doesn’t include are Ruth May, Isabel Muennichow, Mary Robertson, Bea McArthur, John Dalis, Gail McNulty, Arlene Miller, Marv Rosenhaft, Marty Rubin, Paul Vogel, Linda Wilson. These dissenting directors and their ELOQUENT letter to the Disbros must be the end result of almost non-stop meetings between Marv and Ruth May. I particularly loved the last line where we were informed that there were some board members “not available to sign”. Doesn’t matter, Marv, you corporate genius, you, they DIDN’T sign the third grade level missive. OH, maybe you are right in making it so simple….you do have to have the GRF board and PCM understand what is being said. Then you had to be able to explain it to those who signed it.

It stretches across all boards including GRF. As Mike Curtis asked in a recent e-mail “Is this payback for Milt providing access to facilities and staff support as part of the NO on Recall?” These pro-Milt signatories are the same directors so adamantly pushing against the recall. It is interesting that these people are the ones who made this go public.

Unfortunately, Carol Moore doesn’t seem to be able to figure out that a GRF Corporate board meeting can be called and it can take place no matter where it is held, who is in attendance and it doesn’t depend on the good offices of PCM or the Great Pale Grub of a president His Onerous Erwin Stuller. Call the stupid thing and MEET. No need to wait with baited (sic) breath for somebody else to do the work. Here’s the By-law:
5.3 CALLING SPECIAL MEETING OF CORPORATE MEMBERS A Special Meeting of Corporate Members may be called by: The President; or by any two GRF officers; or by a resolution approved by a majority of the Board of this Corporation; or by a resolution approved by a majority of the Board of a Corporate Member.

Let’s see, a majority of the board of a corporate member….that would be THIRD or UNITED or TOWERS or GRF…..it ain’t rocket science, Tootsie. Mooreshly manages to call plenty of closed Third meetings held at John Paulus’ rec room (5515 Paseo Del Lago West) at a time when that entity knows full well there will be certain board members unable to attend and thus de facto depriving them of their voices. Have all those meetings been conducted for the purpose of removing Milt or have yet even more topics which should be on the agenda for open session?

I have to ask this question: Who is in charge around here? Is it the mutual boards or PCM? Take a good hard look and tell me.

Bottom line. FIRE PCM. DISBAND GRF AND HIRE A REAL TRUSTEE.

Letter from Corkey and Noni Eley

September 2, 2009

Milt Johns, General Manager
Erwin Stuller, GRF President
Carol Moore, Third Mutual President
Lloyd Foster, United Mutual President

Re-list of Leisure Worlds Governing Documents--8/20/09.

We hope Milt Johns, GRF Board, and United Laguna Hills Mutual
Board, and Third Laguna Hills Mutual Boards have read and analysed
Leisure Worlds governing documents listed in the E-mail dated 8/20/2009.

Below are statements from the first three (3) documents on the list of Leisure World governing documents. These statements should help clarify
Each documents function and role in Rossmoor Leisure World Laguna
Hills, a non-profit senior citizen homeowners association.

(1) Rossmoor Leisure World Corporation Grant Deed was filed in
December 4, 1961 and refilled December 11, 1961 in Orange County,
California. (Rossmoor Leisure World, a Corporation).

(2) Golden Rain Foundation of Santa Ana Articles of Incorporation
Filed November 19, 1962.
THE purpose for which this corporation is formed are: (a) To engage
Primarily and specifically in sponsoring and forming California corporations,
Whose joint purpose will be to develop a community or communities for senior citizens: and to provide services and community facilities to the occupants of the community or communities. (b) To act as a partner and joint venturer and to enter into co partnership and joint venture agreements
with other corporations and with individuals.
(c ) To engage in any business or activity now or hereafter permitted under the General Non-Profit Corporation Law of the State of California.

(3) Declaration of Establishment of Covenants and Restrictions

Filed February 28, 1964 in Orange County, California. Rossmoor
Corporation, a California Corporation hereinafter referred to as “Declarant”,
is the owner of the following described property: That certain real property
In the County of Orange, State of California and described as follows:
All that real property designated as Parcel 2 and Parcel 3 in that certain Grant Deed dated November 30, 1961 and recorded December 4, 1961 in the office of the County Recorder of said Orange County Book 5931 of Official Records at page 586 and re-recorded December 11, 1961, in the office of the
County Recorder of said Orange county in Book 5839 of Official Records at page 534. The Declaration of Establishments of Covenants and
Restrictions filed in February 28, 1964 were filed by the Declarants Attorney and run with the land of Rossmoor Leisure World Corporation.

GRF, United Laguna Hills Mutual, Professional Community Mangement
(PCM) and Hart, King and Coldren, as well as Third Laguna Hills Mutual should explain WHY after reading Leisure Worlds governing documents
and the information given to you by the Discovery Group, you are still saying GRF and United Laguna Hills Mutual have NO CC&R’s? Someone should be held responsible for their actions.

Sincerely Yours


Corkey and Noni Eley

Marajuana being grown in our garden plots!

It’s always fun to listen to the GRF board meetings. Today’s was no exception. The big issue that made me laugh today was the absolute Hubris demonstrated by the Board and in particular the president of the whole mess, Stuller. His behavior was its usual nasty but he really shined in his FORMER FEDERAL JUDGE style when he said we didn’t want the DEA to come down on us. GRF apparently feels it is ABOVE THE LAW.
Quite a statement, Erwin, Bubby. And what could you mean? Well, it seems that it was announced to anybody and everybody within the broadcast realm of Channel 6, the Laguna Woods Village television station, that there are FOUR people sharing at least one Recreation Division GARDEN PLOT being used for GROWING MARAJUANA. Two of those people are NON-RESIDENTS! But it’s okay, according to the board and Ray Gros, Security Chairman, because they all have prescriptions for the marijuana (the Sheriff’s position is that it conforms to California law.) Oh, and they’ll take a look at things with our crack security force.
Not so fast, slick guys. I had a little chat with the DEA shortly after your announcement. It is a federal offense to manufacture, sell or distribute it. What is it being used for? Crop rotation? Manufacture would include growing the stuff. But I’m sure the DEA will just overlook it because Ray and Erwin say it’s being looked at. There is no resolution in place on the GRF policy about growing the plant.
Laguna Woods, the City, passed approval of allowing a dispensary here in the city. But no one can approve the growing of it on LWV property whether it is by resident OR non residents. Is GRF kidding when they think they are going to put a resolution in place about growing it? ARE YOU KIDDING?
This comes on the heels of the story in the Globe Blog on the internet and then a story in NPR and a bunch of other places about Margo Bouer and the rather large and healthy plant on her balcony at the Regency where she now lives. Margo may also remember that her very own husband Dr/Lawyer former Mayor Bob Bouer spoke vehemently against having a dispensary in Laguna Woods when he was still on the city council. As I recall, although I’m not positive, one of his arguments was about safety.
I asked the special agent with whom I spoke about the safety issue of having garden plots of weed, Mary Jane, whatever you care to call home grown cannabis. He said it was a serious problem. We can start with simple trespassing and go all the way to robbery and other pretty frightening things but it’s okay with the GRF board! It’s probably okay with that same esteemed body to have the neighbors of those plots put into jeopardy because of the potential spread factor involved with the growing of Marijuana. Why do you think they call it “weed?” Have you ever stepped out behind the restroom at a highway rest stop and taken a good look at what’s growing back there? Ever have an errant tomato show up in your plot?
GRF has GOT TO GO. We need a real trustee and they must take PCM with them!

Here's a letter the Globe didn't publish. Thought you might like to see it. There is a GRF meeting Tuesday, September 1 at 9:30 am. Go. Speak. Ask questions. GRF needs to be replaced as our Trustee and a REAL trustee put in place. PCM must go.

Letter to the Editor
August 24, 2009

Do you want to build a very expensive little house? GRF is planning on spending $550,000 on a new little gatehouse to replace the one at Gate 1 on El Toro, with our money. Younger, more affluent residents are being courted. Those dollars would be better spent on lighting, repairing cracks in the sidewalks, deteriorating pipes, and dry rot & termite damage, to name a few issues. Our lack of lighting is so dangerous. Residents fear walking into a coyote or a skunk in the dark or falling. Many have fallen on cracked and uneven sidewalks. Flooding in our manors is often disastrous for residents. Yes, the increase to us may only be pennies per manor, per month. However, don’t you feel that money would be better spent on OUR upgrades? Put a different style roof, new paint, and other gingerbread on it to change the look of the gatehouse. But $550,000 for one (1) gatehouse remodel?
Now, they’ve also begun talking about tearing down Clubhouse 2 again. The consultant, they hired in the past, did not advise doing that. They could just upgrade the main building, but have the old classrooms removed and replace them with new. Many of this elite group, want to create a “country club”. Can you afford that?
For some reason, GRF feels they are our “godfather” and know what is best and OUR MONEY IS THEIR MONEY! I don’t think so. Do you? Let them know! Go to their Meetings. They are the Board who sold the old administration building that has now morphed into the horror that is San Sebastian. Please act now!
Charlene Sydow

Property Services Survey

Property Services Survey conducted by the residents.
A substantial portion of our budget each year is spent on what PCM euphemistically calls “Customer Service” as listed on the phone directory list they mail out each year. It is more commonly referred to as “Property Services.” We all have to bear with them and work with them. In Third almost all “services” are chargeable services meaning we pay for them and even if no service is rendered we are charged a “service charge”. In United more services are covered under the agreements but the money still comes out of resident’s pockets since it is part of the budget. We all know that the money in the budget doesn’t just come off the money tree by the Serpentine Walk.
Horror stories about “services” abound and are enough to make the very word an oxymoron in the PCM context. I’m sure you have your own stories but I’m going to relate a few here.
Recently a dishwasher was replaced in a manor in United. The resident requested an upgrade in the standard for dishwashers for which he would pay. Now, the dishwasher belongs to the mutual, not the member, so when one is replaced it is NOT a chargeable service beyond the upgrade. The member/owner asked specifically THREE different times if there was a service charge. THREE different times he was told no. The dishwasher was installed and it works. The invoice arrived and sure enough, there was a $10 service charge listed right on the invoice.
As you know we are experiencing a severe drought. We are also having our water availability reduced substantially thanks to the Delta Smelt and politicians. Our water usage in the village is being restricted and serious financial penalties are in place for over use of water. When there exist such conditions, plants and lawns and gardens are stressed. It takes special attention and care to keep from losing them all together. The attention isn’t something that requires anything more than common sense and thought. One simply doesn’t do such overtly stupid things as park trucks and vans on the lawn even though PCM is allowed to do so (residents and guests are not.) While sitting in a car awaiting the arrival of a friend a resident witnessed a PCM property service employee get in his van after leaving a manor, drive it about 20 yards down the street, pull over right onto the dying grass and take a break. This is on a very quiet cul de sac with almost no traffic beyond the residents and plenty of guest parking and on street parking available. This happened on CDS 339 on Monday morning and the van had 2 numbers on it. One was 540 and the other was P2865. The resident who saw it prefers to remain anonymous because they fear repercussions from the boards and PCM. In any event, who knows what damage was caused by this sheer lack of thought. One thing is for sure. WE WILL PAY FOR IT.
The last example was the worker who finally came to the manor after more than 2 calls to property services where a great deal seems to get lost in the computer. He entered the manor to take a look at the problems. He informed the resident he would have to go get a step stool. He was then gone for over 90 minutes while he disappeared to get a ladder. He came back in time to climb up, take a little look around, make some humming noises and descend to say he would be back after lunch. He did return after a very long lunch and did part of the work. This went on until the problem was resolved over several visits. The resident was presented with a BLANK service charge form to sign. The resident refused to sign a blank form and when questioning the worker about the long absences and coming and going he told the resident that “they were told to do things that way.” That’s called “make work,” by the way, when task is turned into many more hours of work than are required. This resident also prefers to remain anonymous.
So, what to do? We know that the people working in property services are just trying to do a job and get a pay check. PCM is their employer as long as PCM is here. PCM is to be held responsible. They love to hear when things go well and ignore it when things do not go well. What has been suggested is taking a survey via residents and this is how it works:
When a call is placed to property services:
Log the time and date and name of the representative. Note the time of the appointment. Is it a chargeable service? Is there a service charge?
Did the worker show up on time? Did they do the work required? How long did it take overall? How many trips back and forth did the worker have to make while performing the task? Did other issues arise as a result of the original task? Did they fix/repair/coordinate the repair of the secondary issues? Did they explain what was going on to you? Did they answer any and all questions you had? If not what did they not answer? What was the name of the worker(s)? Are you completely satisfied with the job performed? If not why not?
Were you asked to sign any kind of form? Did you sign it? (DO NOT SIGN ANY KIND OF BLANK FORM OR DOCUMENT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you are presented with a blank form to sign write in the blank space: BLANK FORM PRESENTED FOR SIGNATURE and then draw a diagonal line through the entire page and sign it.)
Were you charged a service charge as indicated? What other charges were included? Were the charges itemized. (If charges are NOT itemized, do not sign the form.)
Be sure to secure a LEGIBLE copy of any form or document signed. Then send the information to me. Feel free to ask to remain anonymous and that will be respected. I will gather this information over the next 6 weeks and if there is anything to report I shall do so. Please indicate whether you are in United, Third or the Towers. Please also give me your contact information so I can reach you.
John Paulus, Third director, says he will stand on his record of 7 years of service to this community and was very seriously surprised when the daughter of a resident in the very building where Paulus is CAPTAIN (a garden villa) came in with a long and sorry list of long term problems that had been unresolved. He would like to think he has any influence with PCM and Jerry Storage (head of M&C) but it is substantially less than his dreams. You remember Jerry Storage. He and Kurt Rahn are known around here as the “On the Border Boys” because of their daily credit card charges of $25-30 daily at that restaurant.
The problem isn’t with the workers here. They a just doing what they have been told to do by their masters. There is no oversight. PCM has got to go! Milt Johns has to go and so does his entire executive staff. That includes Jerry Storage and Kurt Rahn. The workers can stay and have proper direction and oversight.

Goings On LWV Issue 8 August 09
It USED to be your money. Now it’s PCM/GRF’s
This is just a very short reminder to the residents of Third Mutual who have a choice this election. Running for the 1 year term are Pat Feeney and a former 3rd and GRF board member. He also lost his bid to become a member of the city council recently.
The former board member, NOEL HATCH, helped author the Management Agreement.
That agreement reads in ARTICLE 2 (a): ……” ANY AND ALL EXPENSES INCURRED BY PCM, INC. ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF LWV AND ARE TO BE REIMBUSED BY LWV CORPORATIONS.”
This clause gives PCM unlimited access to YOUR money. NOEL HATCH apparently has ship loads of money and won’t miss the millions PCM has used thus far without the knowledge of the owners. But, how about those who do not? What about those who actually care about how/where their money is spent?
Noel Hatch has no business being on any board again now or ever. He should be sentenced to helping PCM/GRF pack their bags when they leave LWV.
Which choice will you make? Will you vote for Pat Feeney or vote to have your pocket picked…..again?

Corrupting the elections season is in full swing at LWV. We all saw how PCM/GRF, HK&C, Racobs Fiorie and Powers, THIRD MUTUAL, Third mutual board members, United Board and Friends of the Village all merrily interfered in and manipulated as many ways as they could with the recall election. In spite of their best efforts they could not hold the vote to recall below 40%. Then United went and pushed out their election schedule in hopes of finding anybody willing to step into the web of horror to serve as a board member. People running for that board should look at the little bonus they are getting by having the election put off a bit: They don’t have to serve 3 full years. They get a little time chopped off their sentence because of diddling the system.
Now GRF/PCM wants to put the GRF/PCM election off because they want the new (United) board members to help vote in the next puppet for PCM to manipulate. How can GRF/PCM hope to have more malleable members on United than are there now? I think Third’s present M&C chairman can probably be seated so he can start his mindless, baseless obscenity spewing diatribes right away. Could it be that PCM and the gang have been too busy putting out fires to pull it together enough to have an election in any kind of normal order?
Boards are to remain “AT ARM’S LENGTH” during the nominating and election processes. Why, then, is the Moorshley so involved with hands on interference in the Third election process. Is it because the Moorshley was to have appointed a nominating committee at the second meeting after last year’s annual meeting or as soon after that as practical and to that entity “practical” is 6 weeks before the election itself? The Moorshley managed to turn all the suggestions for appointees to the nominating committee to GRF/PCM to use for THEIR nominating committee completely ignoring what any Third director said about who was being suggested for which committee. Typical the Moorshley behavior: do what you want, keep the board in the dark, tell the constituents nothing. Spend their money; never let them in on why. It’s all about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.
Now the Moorshley has appointed yet one more unsuccessful candidate for the GRF election last year to a new post. The loser Mark Stein, lost his attempt to be seated on the city council this year. Now he’s been appointed to “be in charge” of the Meet the Candidates program which is to be televised on Thursday. The Moorshley made it clear that the BOARD would vet the questions to be asked of the candidates although we all know that the entity means the Moorshley and The General Manager. The sure don’t want any REAL issues to come up. Stein isn’t even on the nominating committee which has been and should be in charge of this event. He’s just another has-been put in charge of a vital process because the president can’t be bothered to FOCUS and do any standard pre-planning. As much thought went into this decision as did her appointing the nominating committee. She’s grabbing at limp leftovers to do new work. OBVIOUSLY SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND OR EVEN CARE TO UNDERSTAND THE ELECTION LAWS AND PROCEDURES. She’s just reflecting her brother board, United, and taking orders from masters.

The campaign season in Third Mutual has started in earnest. At the last Third board meeting the candidates for this year were introduced and asked to give a one minute introduction.
This year there are actually two races going on. One is the regular full 3 year terms which are open with the expiration of Moore, Muennichow and Souza. There are four candidates for those three openings.
Lucy Shimon, candidate for a 3 year term, couldn’t be bothered to show up so we didn’t hear from her. Just as well. She doesn’t ever go to board or committee meetings and we wouldn’t want her to be confused too soon.
Moore, is apparently over her temper tantrum in the parking lot of last winter when she stamped her feet, waved her arms and screamed about how much she hated the job because she has announced her glitter candidacy much to the surprise of those who don’t know her very well and believe everything she says. I guess the presidency is a virus and a siren’s call. The funny thing is that I’m sure Moore expects to be president again after this disastrous year of her tenure. Unfortunately for her Kathryn Freshley is making huge footsteps in that direction herself and I’ll lay odds that Freshley is president next year. She has insinuated herself into every single position she has held so far and has taken over every committee on which she sits and some upon which she did not originally serve (the ad hoc committee to find a lien processor for the mutual, for instance.) Chow Tootsie.
Mike Strazuiso threw his hat into the ring. This is the guy who calls board members and spews expletives, screams and in general behaves obnoxiously. One board member finally just put the telephone down on the counter and let the man rave obscenely until he tired of his own voice and finally hung up. He has demonstrated the same behavior at public meetings although not at Friends of the Village where he is a board member and has to mind his Ps and Qs. His arguments are filled with flaws and completely empty. He’ll fit right in with the majority already on the board. He has already said “when” he is a member of the board not “if” or “hopes to be.” Obviously a guy who listens (not).
Dick Palmer is the final candidate for the job. He is the only one who is actually qualified to be a real, functioning board member. His business acumen is high. He is a Mechanical Engineer with HVAC experience who actually was the contractor on Clubhouse 5. He is rational and well reasoned. He is a gentleman and comports himself well both privately and publicly.
For the one year term we have two candidates who are polar opposites. One is Noel Hatch, the perennial board member and co-creator of the management agreement which says we will pay for “any and all” of PCM’s expenses. He is a former member of both Third and GRF boards. He LOST his bid to become a city council member. They even chose Cynthia Conners over him. He was a founding member of “Positive Solutions” which last year had to duplicate the list of members of that group in order to appear larger than it was. He FAILED in the bid to take over the Third Board and the group ultimately morphed into the “Friends of the Village” where they WON’T ANSWER questions if they are controversial and/or they don’t like them. During his minute presentation at the board meeting he mumbled about Pasadena and wandered aimlessly around listening to his own voice. He’s very good at that. He appeared to be having difficulty remembering why he was there and what he was supposed to be doing at the podium. It was clear he felt he didn’t need to actually run for the office. He is a pale shadow of his former self and really belongs back on GRF with all the other has-beens. There he can join the back-slapping self-congratulatory club of egoists squandering money just because they think they can and feel they aren’t answerable to the residents.
The viable candidate is Pat Feeney; a solid presence and rational thinker. She listens and forms her own opinion about issues. She isn’t involved in personalities or ego. She just wants to serve on the board and watch member’s money as somebody, ANYBODY should have been doing all along. She asks reasonable and reasoned questions and isn’t trying to out-glitter or overtake anybody. Ego is not her master. Concern for the community is. She has years of research (library) experience and that alone would benefit the mutual tremendously. Just imagine somebody who can read something, analyze it, extrapolate and use the information properly. What a concept!