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
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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?
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.
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.
Friday, August 21, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
ISSUE 5 August 09
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
The problem here is PCM/GRF. They are running through our money. They have to go. We need to get PCM OUT OF HERE. They should be fired. Gone. Done. Outta here. I’m not talking about the employees who are below the executive staff. I’m talking about PCM in Lake Forest and then Milt Johns, Janet Price, Jerry Storage, Kurt Rahn, Russ Ridgeway, Cris Trapp and Judy Zoerhoff. They need to not just leave Third Mutual. They need to be GONE from the property completely. This is EASY to accomplish. There are a number of WELL QUALIFIED companies who can step in and take over immediately without a single pink flower wilting. Those who think we live in paradise because of the landscaping and the employees they are so fond of will never notice a ripple. There will be an adjustment period and it will have some learning curve but it is by no means the Herculean task that those who are vulnerable to losing their jobs in a rather terrifying economy will tell you. The mutuals other than Third can take their lawyer with them.
The employees should be absolutely safe as long as they are willing to work for the new employer. YOU will be the employer. Not the managing company. They would be paid and their salaries, wages, benefits through the new management but the new management would not be the employer. We own the equipment, rolling stock, nursery, that stock. There are even several options for us for management.
We should have an executive director. An Executive Director is actually a wonderful option. Non-profits usually have Executive Directors. The present general manager here has insinuated himself into a corruption of what an executive director should be but he has by no means demonstrated the actual and active properties and qualities of a real one. J. Steven Ott has literally written the book(s) on Non profit management. The boards should get a clue.
We can have a city manager type structure. We are, after all as large as a city and a person educated and trained in that capacity would be fully capable of running LWV.
GRF should be dissolved. The power is in the hands of the people who are stake holders here. WE are the ones to whom the boards are answerable. WE must put pressure on the boards to behave properly, lawfully, civilly, ethically. How often do we have to remind Milt and others that GRF is a trustee. They don’t OWN things. They hold them IN TRUST for the real owners!!! Obviously GRF also has to go. They are trustees. We can dissolve them and replace them with trustees who will do the job properly.
Milt spoke today about PROSECUTION during a discussion of disciplinary action by mutuals vs. GRF. Milt, neither YOU nor any board here has powers of PROSECUTION! This man has got to go. He thinks he’s a lawyer. He spouts legal opinions. Unfortunately thinking and being are two completely different things. I don’t know about you but I’m so sick and tired of Milt Johns sitting at the GRF board table and telling whichever ventriloquist’s dummy is titled “president” of that organization how to act and what to say. Harry Curtis, George Portlock, Bob Miller and Erwin Stuller have not made an original statement as president of GRF. Their material all comes from PCM.
Third Board Antics….During Third meetings Carol Moore seems to be physically incapable of not speaking constantly. No matter who is speaking or what the topic she can be heard in the background talking. She frequently interrupts the speaker (particularly residents) to interject and then fails to allow the speaker to continue speaking! (She did it to Harry Curtis during the plumbing discussion.) The PRESIDER at a meeting simply directs traffic. Her continual, compulsive, non-stop blabber is not only unnecessary but it is disruptive, annoying and demonstrates her greater inability to function in the capacity as a board member. I wonder if any of members of the boards who insist on talking to one another or even just making snide side comments to themselves can frequently be heard. Sometimes all that is heard is the buzz and hum of somebody else’s conversation in the background which makes it very difficult to hear and understand anything else that is going on and is supposedly important. I’d like to know what part of listening all this blather constitutes. Moore and Muennichow sat on the dais today and entertained themselves during the entire meeting.
I find it interesting that the BOARD, according to the Treasurer, requested information about sales of manors in this community over 3 months ago and there is NO response yet from STAFF. My question is WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE? Is it the BOARD or is it STAFF. Perhaps if Boards would not request permission for something but TELL staff what is to be done they would DO it. The tail is wagging the dog and the boards are allowing it to happen. This started with Freshley personally when she began taking her instruction from Janet Price. This is not restricted to the Third board but applies equally to the other mutual boards. PCM is NOT supposed to be in charge here. The BOARDS are.
For the board’s information: The time before a dunning notice comes out from compliance is THIRTY DAYS. Believe me, it’s THIRTY days and nothing approaching any longer. Not only is it impossible to reach somebody telephonically to talk to about an error, one must cancel the entire day, march into the community center and go through the shredder while STAFF goes through their dog and pony show. Once again it is STAFF running things. When a bill is sent “in error” the behavior associated with getting it straightened out is harassment and strangely coincidental to other things occurring in time. I believe even Carol Moore got one in error in about January or February. The Treasurer, Finance committee chair and obvious self nominee for presidency (of Third) should know this. It’s pretty basic.
Again, Robertson is so busy making sure she is heard that she doesn’t pay attention to what a resolution says and what it refers to. The roofing resolution was perfectly clear particularly after several rounds of discussion about the additions, contiguous and continuous roofs, etc. Nobody made it clear to residents until a RESIDENT stood at the podium and told the board to clarify charges that there are CHARGES associated with calling property services and having a PCM plumber come in.
WHY DO WE HAVE PROPERTY SERVICES which name is an oxymoron since they won’t work on anything other than PCM installed equipment? Why does Souza only say “It’s being looked into.” And never seems to have any conclusion. Paulus and Freshley say the same thing, “it’s being looked into.” When will the boards get the idea that they need to DRIVE the questions and not sit back and wait for staff to get off its duff and DO what it has been told to do.
Congratulations are due to Isabel Muennichow for her sad choice of language in her report of the rules ad hoc committee. SHAME ON YOU. It’s part of the public agenda package. Maybe Souza’s disparaging has rubbed off on her. It will be lovely to see them both GONE from the third board. They will both, surely, run for the lowest level of shame there is and that is the GRF board.
I have a question for Carol Moore. She talked today about how the evaluation of PCM (as is to be done on an annual basis by management agreement) is just being discussed informally. OVER A YEAR ago there was the threat of a recall of several Third Board members. In order to avoid the recall the BOARD PROMISED to accomplish a number of things with speed. ONE was to review the management agreement and revise it with the input of the community. Another was the REVIEW of PCM. WHY are you saying now that this review is “just an informal discussion?” Basically the board lied to the membership and we would like an explanation for the promises not being kept. Would you prefer that the recall be brought back up again? YOU PERSONALLY were in favor of the recall action when it came up. Now you could very easily be a target of one in the unlikely event you are re-elected.
Abut the Third Finance V3 budget meeting…..This year GRF, oh hallowed body of fools, increased Operating Expenses and so lo and behold the mutuals are now being billed for more money. Well, seems Janet has to make the changes to our budget too! Funny how if it’s GRF it’s okay to have to change the mutual budget during V3 but if it’s the mutual she makes financial threats.
Larry is running fast and hard for a seat on GRF and he is trying to curry favor by “leveling out” the increases over the coming years for elevator funds. He’s involved right now in adding funds to the budget so our assessments will rise. Larry likes nothing better than to spend our money for the people coming to live here in the future. Larry, WE LIVE HERE NOW. YOU ARE SUCKING US DRY. Get in your oversized, gas sucking, pig ugly RV and go someplace where we don’t have to hear from you and you don’t have to put up with those of us who don’t have the ability to change our own “damn” faucets and install thousands and thousands of dollars with landscaping to surround our single family home.
Why would we want to have excess reserves? The people who move in in the future need to pay for their part as we are paying for ours as well as THOSE WHO LIVED HERE BEFORE US AND DIDN’T include adequate reserves. Why should we be penalized and pay for those who will come in here to live in the future?
Larry, there is a 30 year plan. The plan can be adjusted along the way. It is inappropriate and frankly, bad business, to over reserve when there is already a plan AND a cushion. If you want to donate several million dollars to some reserve fund feel free. But sit down and quit trying to overspend. Maybe you could invest in a pair of long trousers to wear to court. “Hooray for me and screw everybody else.”
Alan Cohen even admitted we have “bitten the bullet” and recommends we leave the reserves alone this year.
I am highly amused that Mary Robertson had a smarmy remark to make when Stan Feldstein interjected a moment of humor appreciated by everybody in the room and on the board. She whined about having to raise hands before speaking and yelled at Moore that Oh, it’s okay if he speaks without raising his hand but “I’m a loud mouth.” Well, Mary, you called it. Frankly, you need to get a clue. As I recall, last year you had trouble following along as the budget was presented and had to get up to the podium and ASK where they were in the discussion. Is there a little lack of financial understanding? Is being a 30 year cubicle bureaucrat not serving her as well as she thought? Robertson has absolutely NO idea what she’s looking at or even appropriate questions to ask.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
The problem here is PCM/GRF. They are running through our money. They have to go. We need to get PCM OUT OF HERE. They should be fired. Gone. Done. Outta here. I’m not talking about the employees who are below the executive staff. I’m talking about PCM in Lake Forest and then Milt Johns, Janet Price, Jerry Storage, Kurt Rahn, Russ Ridgeway, Cris Trapp and Judy Zoerhoff. They need to not just leave Third Mutual. They need to be GONE from the property completely. This is EASY to accomplish. There are a number of WELL QUALIFIED companies who can step in and take over immediately without a single pink flower wilting. Those who think we live in paradise because of the landscaping and the employees they are so fond of will never notice a ripple. There will be an adjustment period and it will have some learning curve but it is by no means the Herculean task that those who are vulnerable to losing their jobs in a rather terrifying economy will tell you. The mutuals other than Third can take their lawyer with them.
The employees should be absolutely safe as long as they are willing to work for the new employer. YOU will be the employer. Not the managing company. They would be paid and their salaries, wages, benefits through the new management but the new management would not be the employer. We own the equipment, rolling stock, nursery, that stock. There are even several options for us for management.
We should have an executive director. An Executive Director is actually a wonderful option. Non-profits usually have Executive Directors. The present general manager here has insinuated himself into a corruption of what an executive director should be but he has by no means demonstrated the actual and active properties and qualities of a real one. J. Steven Ott has literally written the book(s) on Non profit management. The boards should get a clue.
We can have a city manager type structure. We are, after all as large as a city and a person educated and trained in that capacity would be fully capable of running LWV.
GRF should be dissolved. The power is in the hands of the people who are stake holders here. WE are the ones to whom the boards are answerable. WE must put pressure on the boards to behave properly, lawfully, civilly, ethically. How often do we have to remind Milt and others that GRF is a trustee. They don’t OWN things. They hold them IN TRUST for the real owners!!! Obviously GRF also has to go. They are trustees. We can dissolve them and replace them with trustees who will do the job properly.
Milt spoke today about PROSECUTION during a discussion of disciplinary action by mutuals vs. GRF. Milt, neither YOU nor any board here has powers of PROSECUTION! This man has got to go. He thinks he’s a lawyer. He spouts legal opinions. Unfortunately thinking and being are two completely different things. I don’t know about you but I’m so sick and tired of Milt Johns sitting at the GRF board table and telling whichever ventriloquist’s dummy is titled “president” of that organization how to act and what to say. Harry Curtis, George Portlock, Bob Miller and Erwin Stuller have not made an original statement as president of GRF. Their material all comes from PCM.
Third Board Antics….During Third meetings Carol Moore seems to be physically incapable of not speaking constantly. No matter who is speaking or what the topic she can be heard in the background talking. She frequently interrupts the speaker (particularly residents) to interject and then fails to allow the speaker to continue speaking! (She did it to Harry Curtis during the plumbing discussion.) The PRESIDER at a meeting simply directs traffic. Her continual, compulsive, non-stop blabber is not only unnecessary but it is disruptive, annoying and demonstrates her greater inability to function in the capacity as a board member. I wonder if any of members of the boards who insist on talking to one another or even just making snide side comments to themselves can frequently be heard. Sometimes all that is heard is the buzz and hum of somebody else’s conversation in the background which makes it very difficult to hear and understand anything else that is going on and is supposedly important. I’d like to know what part of listening all this blather constitutes. Moore and Muennichow sat on the dais today and entertained themselves during the entire meeting.
I find it interesting that the BOARD, according to the Treasurer, requested information about sales of manors in this community over 3 months ago and there is NO response yet from STAFF. My question is WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE? Is it the BOARD or is it STAFF. Perhaps if Boards would not request permission for something but TELL staff what is to be done they would DO it. The tail is wagging the dog and the boards are allowing it to happen. This started with Freshley personally when she began taking her instruction from Janet Price. This is not restricted to the Third board but applies equally to the other mutual boards. PCM is NOT supposed to be in charge here. The BOARDS are.
For the board’s information: The time before a dunning notice comes out from compliance is THIRTY DAYS. Believe me, it’s THIRTY days and nothing approaching any longer. Not only is it impossible to reach somebody telephonically to talk to about an error, one must cancel the entire day, march into the community center and go through the shredder while STAFF goes through their dog and pony show. Once again it is STAFF running things. When a bill is sent “in error” the behavior associated with getting it straightened out is harassment and strangely coincidental to other things occurring in time. I believe even Carol Moore got one in error in about January or February. The Treasurer, Finance committee chair and obvious self nominee for presidency (of Third) should know this. It’s pretty basic.
Again, Robertson is so busy making sure she is heard that she doesn’t pay attention to what a resolution says and what it refers to. The roofing resolution was perfectly clear particularly after several rounds of discussion about the additions, contiguous and continuous roofs, etc. Nobody made it clear to residents until a RESIDENT stood at the podium and told the board to clarify charges that there are CHARGES associated with calling property services and having a PCM plumber come in.
WHY DO WE HAVE PROPERTY SERVICES which name is an oxymoron since they won’t work on anything other than PCM installed equipment? Why does Souza only say “It’s being looked into.” And never seems to have any conclusion. Paulus and Freshley say the same thing, “it’s being looked into.” When will the boards get the idea that they need to DRIVE the questions and not sit back and wait for staff to get off its duff and DO what it has been told to do.
Congratulations are due to Isabel Muennichow for her sad choice of language in her report of the rules ad hoc committee. SHAME ON YOU. It’s part of the public agenda package. Maybe Souza’s disparaging has rubbed off on her. It will be lovely to see them both GONE from the third board. They will both, surely, run for the lowest level of shame there is and that is the GRF board.
I have a question for Carol Moore. She talked today about how the evaluation of PCM (as is to be done on an annual basis by management agreement) is just being discussed informally. OVER A YEAR ago there was the threat of a recall of several Third Board members. In order to avoid the recall the BOARD PROMISED to accomplish a number of things with speed. ONE was to review the management agreement and revise it with the input of the community. Another was the REVIEW of PCM. WHY are you saying now that this review is “just an informal discussion?” Basically the board lied to the membership and we would like an explanation for the promises not being kept. Would you prefer that the recall be brought back up again? YOU PERSONALLY were in favor of the recall action when it came up. Now you could very easily be a target of one in the unlikely event you are re-elected.
Abut the Third Finance V3 budget meeting…..This year GRF, oh hallowed body of fools, increased Operating Expenses and so lo and behold the mutuals are now being billed for more money. Well, seems Janet has to make the changes to our budget too! Funny how if it’s GRF it’s okay to have to change the mutual budget during V3 but if it’s the mutual she makes financial threats.
Larry is running fast and hard for a seat on GRF and he is trying to curry favor by “leveling out” the increases over the coming years for elevator funds. He’s involved right now in adding funds to the budget so our assessments will rise. Larry likes nothing better than to spend our money for the people coming to live here in the future. Larry, WE LIVE HERE NOW. YOU ARE SUCKING US DRY. Get in your oversized, gas sucking, pig ugly RV and go someplace where we don’t have to hear from you and you don’t have to put up with those of us who don’t have the ability to change our own “damn” faucets and install thousands and thousands of dollars with landscaping to surround our single family home.
Why would we want to have excess reserves? The people who move in in the future need to pay for their part as we are paying for ours as well as THOSE WHO LIVED HERE BEFORE US AND DIDN’T include adequate reserves. Why should we be penalized and pay for those who will come in here to live in the future?
Larry, there is a 30 year plan. The plan can be adjusted along the way. It is inappropriate and frankly, bad business, to over reserve when there is already a plan AND a cushion. If you want to donate several million dollars to some reserve fund feel free. But sit down and quit trying to overspend. Maybe you could invest in a pair of long trousers to wear to court. “Hooray for me and screw everybody else.”
Alan Cohen even admitted we have “bitten the bullet” and recommends we leave the reserves alone this year.
I am highly amused that Mary Robertson had a smarmy remark to make when Stan Feldstein interjected a moment of humor appreciated by everybody in the room and on the board. She whined about having to raise hands before speaking and yelled at Moore that Oh, it’s okay if he speaks without raising his hand but “I’m a loud mouth.” Well, Mary, you called it. Frankly, you need to get a clue. As I recall, last year you had trouble following along as the budget was presented and had to get up to the podium and ASK where they were in the discussion. Is there a little lack of financial understanding? Is being a 30 year cubicle bureaucrat not serving her as well as she thought? Robertson has absolutely NO idea what she’s looking at or even appropriate questions to ask.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Goings On Issue 4 August 09
NO ON RECALL “ARTICLE” Take a look at the “article” the no on recall group is using as “proof” that everybody knew about the incentive plan. It’s right here in this URL http://www.recallno.com/RecallNo/Urgent.html First of all the program they are talking about is the suggestion program. It started in 1987 and ran until 1990. Oh, you didn’t know? Well, there are all sorts of little plans which have come and gone and they will try to get you to think are the Incentive plan but they aren’t. This “article” had to be run in the Leisure World News at the time because….assessments were rising and the people paying them didn’t like it! What a surprise! Now, look way down at the bottom of the “article”. See that little word? It says ADVERTISEMENT! That’s right. It’s the same kind of thing that you see when you are guaranteed to loose that weight around your middle for life if you just buy this magic electro gizmo that you attach to your pajamas and wear over night for just 6 weeks. Only $19.95 plus shipping and handling! It’s an AD! What will they think of next?
COMMENTS FOR IRV SNYDER, 4002-2C vis a vis his letter to the Glob Mr. Snyder, I suggest you keep on renting. You are dead on when you say any community should have a group seeking information for the good of the community. Friends of the village purports to do that (via their TRUTH SQUADS) and Residents Voice has been giving information for four years. What is it you suggest RV DO? They give out information. What does FOV do? Well, let’s see, it won’t answer questions it doesn’t like. It acquired enough feedback “to last for months as they develop programs that will be of interest to all” but they aren’t developed yet and the information has only been acquired. So they don’t DO anything. They say they want to be the club that ACTS rather than REACTS. Haven’t seen any acting yet. That would involve DOING. What have YOU done, Mr. Snyder? Why are you lying around waiting for somebody to DO SOMETHING? It is up to the residents to DO. You are wrong when you say RV recommended an alternate management company for PCM. They invited two different management companies to come in and talk about what management companies DO. The general manager made a serious mistake by even acknowledging the presentation of their arch rival Merit. That, by the way, is called reacting. But he didn’t even know for sure what had taken place at the meeting because he wasn’t there! Apparently just the mere presence of a rival company made him very nervous. Now why would that be? At no point was either of them endorsed as a replacement for PCM although either would certainly be capable of doing so. AND WHEN WE GET RID OF PCM TOP MANAGEMENT we will certainly be willing to listen to those companies who care to come in and make a bid for the job. Get your facts straight, Mr. Snyder. ‘Til then keep renting.
I’d love to see a copy of the RV newsletter that says RV intends to recall the Third Mutual Board. RV can’t recall anybody. RV isn’t a member. Are you aware that ANY owner has the perfect legal right to start a petition to recall any or all directors? Of course, it requires DOING something and that is just exactly what happened in United. A right was exercised and residents DID sign the recall petition. Lots of little, uninformed experts decided the people who signed the petition should be punished and made to pay the cost of the recall. Guess what, Mr. Snyder, under the law the cost is born by the mutual! Yessir! So, perhaps if enough people were able to DO something like READ governing documents, By-laws, CC&Rs and the Davis-Stirling Act there would be a whole lot less confusion and people would understand what others are DOING. Then they could mosey along to things like California Corporate Code and eventually even make their way to the US Constitution. It’s quite a document. But it’s something one has to DO for oneself.
Are you one of those people, Mr. Snyder, who expects everybody around them to DO and then you just grouse about it when it wasn’t done to your satisfaction? What exactly is it, Mr. Snyder, that you want to stop Residents Voice from DOING? Is it that they will take a stand? Is it that they make DO-nothing boards accountable by bringing information to the attention of the community? Are you aware that there are thousands of people who attend Residents Voice and ask to get the newsletter and are critically interested in their community? There is a bunch of malcontents who call them dissidents but in reality they are COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS. And they DO plenty. They DO as individuals and as groups and as any conscientious people who feel the need to DO in and about the community in which they hold a financial stake. Until you own here, Mr. Snyder, DO something productive and look for a place where you might be welcome. Oh, by the way, that little document called the US Constitution I mentioned earlier gives these COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS the right to speak. In fact, the General Manager carefully and clearly told the community via TV and a board meeting that the very exercise of these rights would cost them. You don’t like being put off (paragraph 1 in your letter), you don’t know what you’re talking about(the rest of your letter) so you really should disappoint your land lord and find another place to live. But that would require DOING something, wouldn’t it. Disagree all you want but at least have something to back up your side. It’s your right to speak, too.
UNITED’S FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING contained moments that should be examined. Mike Curtis asked for an accounting of the legal services for United in the Month of June which had been budgeted at $4,500 but were actually $19,965. Pat McLaughlin came to the meeting without any kind of breakdown of the charges. Janet Price stomped her foot and said “Why is staff having to do this extra work if he already knows the answer?” The problem here is several fold.
First of all, why was McLaughlin unprepared. It was a very sizeable amount of money. She is attached to her laptop at these meetings. Why didn’t she just pull the information up? Or, if it isn’t ON her computer why didn’t she have the answer. You can bet that any rational person paying bills would want to know why that large an overage had occurred and it is the JOB of the directors to ask those kinds of questions. Why was Curtis the only one to ask the question?
Second, Janet Price forgets she works for the boards. They don’t work for her and if a board member asks for something she is to give it. She can have a little hissy on her next trip to Hawaii or the Great Barrier Reef or the Great wall of China or while she’s standing in the unemployment line. The reason, Ms Price, is because McLaughlin didn’t bother to come with the information and an elected DIRECTOR wanted an answer. It’s not your place to editorialize. Maybe if YOUR STAFF were better organized and not trying so hard to be hostile all the time to all directors outside their sphere of influence, those kinds of questions wouldn’t have to be asked. Mr Curtis is absolutely right to bring to the attention of the member/owners of United that there was a HUGE discrepancy in the budget and actual amount. Complacency is exactly what has gotten this entire place in such an uproar.
Place the blame squarely where it belongs. In this case it belongs with the Financial Director and her staff. Perhaps if fewer Staff were in finance committee meetings and were instead working at their desks this kind of information could be immediately available and we would only be paying for half the time logged.
I wonder how many “explanations” of the incentive plan Price can come up with before the Feds come in and haul out the top management staff a la Enron. I suppose as many versions as times somebody like Vogel “invites” her to give an explanation.
Third Budget Review Version 2 also had some revealing moments. Milt Johns, General Manager, commented on how Direct Mutual Operating costs increased due to the length and number of meetings held by Third. I can tell you from personal experience that there have been an historical number of special and/or special closed Third meetings this year. These meetings plus regular meetings last for hours and hours and hours. You may have noted when Carol Moore appeared recently on the morning news with Rob Merritt that even the settlement conference at the courthouse lasted EIGHT AND ONE HALF HOURS. Yes, Virginia, in real life that conference should have concluded by noon. But remember who is sitting in the presider’s chair. Moore can make a meeting last for dog’s years. Perhaps if she personally didn’t have to have just a little something to say after every, single other person who speaks, meetings would move along with better speed. But she not only has something to say, she frequently dominates the debate completely. She seems lose her place in the meeting frequently and has to be reminded where she is and what action is next. It is truly a pathetic display yet she will talk about how diminishing function frequently strikes men more often than women. Frankly, Paulus doesn’t do any better at controlling his meetings. None of them seem to have any kind of understanding of how a meeting should be run or what it means to preside. When a meeting is run well business is conducted with grace and efficiency and has no need to last until Hades is a block of ice. Debate can still be strong and passionate but the meeting ultimately ends. Rumor has it that being in a closed meeting these days is like swimming in a pool of frenzied sharks. Is there truly blood in the water?
Kathryn Freshley wanting to combine the Disaster Fund and the Unappropriated Expenditure Fund is really a bad, bad idea. It is just exactly that kind of combining and splitting that prevents anybody from being able to follow a cost center from year to year. I see Freshley has fallen completely and absolutely under the spell of the Finance Director and her accounting practices. It clouds things rather than makes them more transparent and if anything the Treasurer should be working for more, not less, transparency. I’m not sure that is one of the things that Freshley learned to do in “her corporate experience” and I wonder if it is something she “always tells her clients” to do.
Basically, Third Mutual should go back in and tell the General Manager and Finance Director to tighten up and drop the assessments to where they belong and quit playing shuffle the funds.
Discussing the GOLF Building GRF director James Matson talked about many tasks being parallel “in order to speed completion.” Do you suppose he means to be as speedy as the report about the plumbing remediation or even the implementation of that project? And, why does Dick Sharp want somebody as construction manager to be somebody who knows golf? Do you suppose they are now considering a roof top driving range to add to their palace? I have to say here that I grew up playing golf on an amazing and highly ranked golf course. Many of you have probably not heard of it because the organization supported amateur athletics as opposed to professional but Jack Nicholas got his start there as did a number of other renowned pros. Our starter building was just exactly that. It was a building just about big enough for one person to sit in and start players at the first tee.
What surprises me about the entire discussion is Freshley saying that it was a good idea to have the ranking sheets (for the hiring of the architect) included in the minutes in case “10 years from now people might want to know.” Has Freshley learned that minutes aren’t to be mere scribbling and a record of who made xerographic copies of things but actual records of meetings and actions voted? What a concept! The reason I’m so surprised is simply because Freshley and I went toe to toe over the validity of a set of minutes she personally took and I demanded be changed for content. But you see that makes me argumentative rather than working for transparency and accuracy in the records. She will say one thing and vote another way. I call it sleight of vote.
South County Outreach Food Drive. Please give. Don’t just give now during this particular drive that PCM is trying to make a philanthropy and publicity for them. Barrels are out all the time in various locations and people are hungry all the time, too. I’m not sure we’ll ever convince the dusty old guard on GRF that there are actually people in this very place who are not eating and not taking all their prescriptions because they cannot afford to but you know it to be true and so do I.
Be Proactive!
NO ON RECALL “ARTICLE” Take a look at the “article” the no on recall group is using as “proof” that everybody knew about the incentive plan. It’s right here in this URL http://www.recallno.com/RecallNo/Urgent.html First of all the program they are talking about is the suggestion program. It started in 1987 and ran until 1990. Oh, you didn’t know? Well, there are all sorts of little plans which have come and gone and they will try to get you to think are the Incentive plan but they aren’t. This “article” had to be run in the Leisure World News at the time because….assessments were rising and the people paying them didn’t like it! What a surprise! Now, look way down at the bottom of the “article”. See that little word? It says ADVERTISEMENT! That’s right. It’s the same kind of thing that you see when you are guaranteed to loose that weight around your middle for life if you just buy this magic electro gizmo that you attach to your pajamas and wear over night for just 6 weeks. Only $19.95 plus shipping and handling! It’s an AD! What will they think of next?
COMMENTS FOR IRV SNYDER, 4002-2C vis a vis his letter to the Glob Mr. Snyder, I suggest you keep on renting. You are dead on when you say any community should have a group seeking information for the good of the community. Friends of the village purports to do that (via their TRUTH SQUADS) and Residents Voice has been giving information for four years. What is it you suggest RV DO? They give out information. What does FOV do? Well, let’s see, it won’t answer questions it doesn’t like. It acquired enough feedback “to last for months as they develop programs that will be of interest to all” but they aren’t developed yet and the information has only been acquired. So they don’t DO anything. They say they want to be the club that ACTS rather than REACTS. Haven’t seen any acting yet. That would involve DOING. What have YOU done, Mr. Snyder? Why are you lying around waiting for somebody to DO SOMETHING? It is up to the residents to DO. You are wrong when you say RV recommended an alternate management company for PCM. They invited two different management companies to come in and talk about what management companies DO. The general manager made a serious mistake by even acknowledging the presentation of their arch rival Merit. That, by the way, is called reacting. But he didn’t even know for sure what had taken place at the meeting because he wasn’t there! Apparently just the mere presence of a rival company made him very nervous. Now why would that be? At no point was either of them endorsed as a replacement for PCM although either would certainly be capable of doing so. AND WHEN WE GET RID OF PCM TOP MANAGEMENT we will certainly be willing to listen to those companies who care to come in and make a bid for the job. Get your facts straight, Mr. Snyder. ‘Til then keep renting.
I’d love to see a copy of the RV newsletter that says RV intends to recall the Third Mutual Board. RV can’t recall anybody. RV isn’t a member. Are you aware that ANY owner has the perfect legal right to start a petition to recall any or all directors? Of course, it requires DOING something and that is just exactly what happened in United. A right was exercised and residents DID sign the recall petition. Lots of little, uninformed experts decided the people who signed the petition should be punished and made to pay the cost of the recall. Guess what, Mr. Snyder, under the law the cost is born by the mutual! Yessir! So, perhaps if enough people were able to DO something like READ governing documents, By-laws, CC&Rs and the Davis-Stirling Act there would be a whole lot less confusion and people would understand what others are DOING. Then they could mosey along to things like California Corporate Code and eventually even make their way to the US Constitution. It’s quite a document. But it’s something one has to DO for oneself.
Are you one of those people, Mr. Snyder, who expects everybody around them to DO and then you just grouse about it when it wasn’t done to your satisfaction? What exactly is it, Mr. Snyder, that you want to stop Residents Voice from DOING? Is it that they will take a stand? Is it that they make DO-nothing boards accountable by bringing information to the attention of the community? Are you aware that there are thousands of people who attend Residents Voice and ask to get the newsletter and are critically interested in their community? There is a bunch of malcontents who call them dissidents but in reality they are COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS. And they DO plenty. They DO as individuals and as groups and as any conscientious people who feel the need to DO in and about the community in which they hold a financial stake. Until you own here, Mr. Snyder, DO something productive and look for a place where you might be welcome. Oh, by the way, that little document called the US Constitution I mentioned earlier gives these COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS the right to speak. In fact, the General Manager carefully and clearly told the community via TV and a board meeting that the very exercise of these rights would cost them. You don’t like being put off (paragraph 1 in your letter), you don’t know what you’re talking about(the rest of your letter) so you really should disappoint your land lord and find another place to live. But that would require DOING something, wouldn’t it. Disagree all you want but at least have something to back up your side. It’s your right to speak, too.
UNITED’S FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING contained moments that should be examined. Mike Curtis asked for an accounting of the legal services for United in the Month of June which had been budgeted at $4,500 but were actually $19,965. Pat McLaughlin came to the meeting without any kind of breakdown of the charges. Janet Price stomped her foot and said “Why is staff having to do this extra work if he already knows the answer?” The problem here is several fold.
First of all, why was McLaughlin unprepared. It was a very sizeable amount of money. She is attached to her laptop at these meetings. Why didn’t she just pull the information up? Or, if it isn’t ON her computer why didn’t she have the answer. You can bet that any rational person paying bills would want to know why that large an overage had occurred and it is the JOB of the directors to ask those kinds of questions. Why was Curtis the only one to ask the question?
Second, Janet Price forgets she works for the boards. They don’t work for her and if a board member asks for something she is to give it. She can have a little hissy on her next trip to Hawaii or the Great Barrier Reef or the Great wall of China or while she’s standing in the unemployment line. The reason, Ms Price, is because McLaughlin didn’t bother to come with the information and an elected DIRECTOR wanted an answer. It’s not your place to editorialize. Maybe if YOUR STAFF were better organized and not trying so hard to be hostile all the time to all directors outside their sphere of influence, those kinds of questions wouldn’t have to be asked. Mr Curtis is absolutely right to bring to the attention of the member/owners of United that there was a HUGE discrepancy in the budget and actual amount. Complacency is exactly what has gotten this entire place in such an uproar.
Place the blame squarely where it belongs. In this case it belongs with the Financial Director and her staff. Perhaps if fewer Staff were in finance committee meetings and were instead working at their desks this kind of information could be immediately available and we would only be paying for half the time logged.
I wonder how many “explanations” of the incentive plan Price can come up with before the Feds come in and haul out the top management staff a la Enron. I suppose as many versions as times somebody like Vogel “invites” her to give an explanation.
Third Budget Review Version 2 also had some revealing moments. Milt Johns, General Manager, commented on how Direct Mutual Operating costs increased due to the length and number of meetings held by Third. I can tell you from personal experience that there have been an historical number of special and/or special closed Third meetings this year. These meetings plus regular meetings last for hours and hours and hours. You may have noted when Carol Moore appeared recently on the morning news with Rob Merritt that even the settlement conference at the courthouse lasted EIGHT AND ONE HALF HOURS. Yes, Virginia, in real life that conference should have concluded by noon. But remember who is sitting in the presider’s chair. Moore can make a meeting last for dog’s years. Perhaps if she personally didn’t have to have just a little something to say after every, single other person who speaks, meetings would move along with better speed. But she not only has something to say, she frequently dominates the debate completely. She seems lose her place in the meeting frequently and has to be reminded where she is and what action is next. It is truly a pathetic display yet she will talk about how diminishing function frequently strikes men more often than women. Frankly, Paulus doesn’t do any better at controlling his meetings. None of them seem to have any kind of understanding of how a meeting should be run or what it means to preside. When a meeting is run well business is conducted with grace and efficiency and has no need to last until Hades is a block of ice. Debate can still be strong and passionate but the meeting ultimately ends. Rumor has it that being in a closed meeting these days is like swimming in a pool of frenzied sharks. Is there truly blood in the water?
Kathryn Freshley wanting to combine the Disaster Fund and the Unappropriated Expenditure Fund is really a bad, bad idea. It is just exactly that kind of combining and splitting that prevents anybody from being able to follow a cost center from year to year. I see Freshley has fallen completely and absolutely under the spell of the Finance Director and her accounting practices. It clouds things rather than makes them more transparent and if anything the Treasurer should be working for more, not less, transparency. I’m not sure that is one of the things that Freshley learned to do in “her corporate experience” and I wonder if it is something she “always tells her clients” to do.
Basically, Third Mutual should go back in and tell the General Manager and Finance Director to tighten up and drop the assessments to where they belong and quit playing shuffle the funds.
Discussing the GOLF Building GRF director James Matson talked about many tasks being parallel “in order to speed completion.” Do you suppose he means to be as speedy as the report about the plumbing remediation or even the implementation of that project? And, why does Dick Sharp want somebody as construction manager to be somebody who knows golf? Do you suppose they are now considering a roof top driving range to add to their palace? I have to say here that I grew up playing golf on an amazing and highly ranked golf course. Many of you have probably not heard of it because the organization supported amateur athletics as opposed to professional but Jack Nicholas got his start there as did a number of other renowned pros. Our starter building was just exactly that. It was a building just about big enough for one person to sit in and start players at the first tee.
What surprises me about the entire discussion is Freshley saying that it was a good idea to have the ranking sheets (for the hiring of the architect) included in the minutes in case “10 years from now people might want to know.” Has Freshley learned that minutes aren’t to be mere scribbling and a record of who made xerographic copies of things but actual records of meetings and actions voted? What a concept! The reason I’m so surprised is simply because Freshley and I went toe to toe over the validity of a set of minutes she personally took and I demanded be changed for content. But you see that makes me argumentative rather than working for transparency and accuracy in the records. She will say one thing and vote another way. I call it sleight of vote.
South County Outreach Food Drive. Please give. Don’t just give now during this particular drive that PCM is trying to make a philanthropy and publicity for them. Barrels are out all the time in various locations and people are hungry all the time, too. I’m not sure we’ll ever convince the dusty old guard on GRF that there are actually people in this very place who are not eating and not taking all their prescriptions because they cannot afford to but you know it to be true and so do I.
Be Proactive!
ISSUE #3
A LITTLE ASSISTANCE
For years we have been overwhelmed by the noise that comes up from the Verizon Center when there is a concert going on. Last year a number was published in the Glob which is the number of the center itself. We were supposed to be able to call and indicate we could hear the concerts and they were supposed to be sensitive to our needs. Such was not the case. More often than not we were treated rather like we were dissidents. We finally write the Mayor of the City of Irvine because our own City wasn’t helping, GRF/PCM wasn’t helping…. What we got was a few numbers after some helpful conversations. So, in the future, if you have a problem with noise coming from the Verizon Center here are the numbers to call.
Irvine Dispatch Center 949/724-7200. Say the noise is too loud. Indicate you live in LWV. Tell them that Jennifer Kaiser, Dispatch Supervisor said the dispatch center would get in touch with the compliance officer on site and help out. There IS a compliance officer at the venue. His name is Sgt. Anderson and he is Special Enforcement. If the dispatch center doesn’t help you out let me know and I’ll give him a little ring myself or I’ll call the head compliance officer and ask her to help out. I have been promised we would get relief.
Irvine Code Enforcement 949/724-6326. This is only functional Monday thru Friday during business hours but they do have a machine where you can leave a message. It won’t help that moment but you can put your voice on record.
THE GRF PUBLICITY MACHINE FOR WHICH YOU PAY
How many of you realize that you are paying over $700 for each and every full page advertisement GRF is putting into the Globe? To quote George the less than eloquent Portlock, it seems they “got caught with their pants down” and now they are pedaling as fast as they can to cover everything they can including their own backsides. The IRS makes it pretty clear who is responsible when the funds of non-profits are misused, and who will be held responsible personally. (I wonder if personal responsibility extends to estates and if the IRS can reach into the estates of the directors no longer with us to recover funds, fines, penalties.) Yes, Virginia, if you cover up or participate even inactively (meaning you know but don’t say or do anything about it) in unlawful behavior you become personally responsible and no E&O or D&O insurance will cover you. For instance, when a water bottle was hurled at a director by another director that was a PERSONAL assault and the person RESPONSIBLE is still being held accountable but any involvement by the board or managing agent could result in their being held responsible as well. Were board funds used for personal legal issues in that case? The question is who knew about things like the incentive plan and WHEN did they know it? It’s interesting to hear former directors like Richard Moos suddenly changing their stories and saying they “knew from the inception” about the program. But what about the people who didn’t know? If the (full) boards didn’t know and were not informed so they could give their permission for the funds to be spent then the money was not PCM’s to use. It wasn’t GRF’s decision alone to give permission for its use. Could this have been approved of and authorized in a “closed” session? Even if that were true it is still not lawful to expend the funds without informing the people whose money is being spent. Whose money is that? YOURS MINE AND OURS.
FRIENDS OF THE VILLAGE VOL. 1, ISSUE 1
Let’s talk a moment about the Friends of the Village Newsletter. In the first column it talks about the organization, how it came about and a quasi-mission statement. The one statement I’m curious about is the “non-profit” status. Which of the 501©s would that be under? Has it been granted non-profit status? When? Mike Curtis asked for a treasurer’s report and was practically shouted down for asking. I wonder if Treasurer Nancy O’Dell knows she has to keep very careful books and there are tax returns to be filed which become public when an organization has non-profit status. One of the things Resident’s Voice has been squinted at is their ability to raise money. Interestingly enough their books are open to inspection. The treasurer gives a report at every meeting. The basket is passed at every meeting in order to raise funds. It’s all out in the open. Residents get up and speak their minds. They may start a dialogue or even an argument but they are never told their question won’t be answered because somebody doesn’t want to answer it or that no controversial issues will be raised. (Don’t ask what that awful smell is or where all those trains are going.) I wonder if Sarah Hall Ingram, Commissioner Tax Exempt Government Entities, Internal Revenue Service would like to see the books of this little non-profit.
Beyond that there isn’t anything in the NEWSletter that is actually news.
In case you didn’t get your copy of the newsletter the club officers are:
President, Barbara Marsh; Vice President, Lynne Dvorak; 2nd Vice President, Programs, Betty Williams and Naomi McCabe; Treasurer, Nancy O’Dell; Secretary, Joan Milliman; Membership, Myra Norman; Publicity, Carol Cartwright; Newsletter, Mary Robertson; Refreshments, Mary Melgun, Aloha Saxon; Hospitality, Jan MacKenzie. These are the leaders of those who act rather than react according to their statements.
RESIDENTS VOICE
As an aside, yes, I’ve been to RV meetings. Yes, I’ve participated. I believe it’s a free country (well, maybe not so free in some gated communities.) So have too many board members to mention (but a few who were supported as candidates include Souza, Matson, Conners, Moore, Paulus) as well as the president of Friends of the Village, her sister, Virginia Templeton and thousands of others including many if not most of the signatories to the Positive Solutions flyer from the last election. You’ll remember that list, they needed so badly to make it look longer than it was so they printed it twice thinking nobody would notice. So has the Sheriff. So have several officers of other management companies, composting companies, political candidates and just about everybody you can imagine. It’s high bloody time for the people in this community who can find no other “goat” than Resident’s Voice to kick when something is done they don’t like or somebody says something they don’t like to get a grip and place the blame where it belongs. RV is just too convenient an excuse to do nothing to find the truth themselves. It’s a pretty well known understanding that when somebody is raging about something that they cannot control they choose the largest, most impervious entity to shoot with slings and arrows. In many cases it can be quite flattering. Frankly, I think Pam Grundke should hold her head high and smile at the fact that the organization she has led for its entire existence is chosen by those who can’t be bothered to find the real answers to things. I’m not saying everybody has to either agree with RV or Pamela and I’m not saying anybody has to like anybody else (in fact it’s obvious that there are some here who will never like anybody including themselves!) but they really should get over the concept that one organization could possibly be responsible for all the ills and ugliness they ascribe to RV. The one thing that unifies the people who go to RV meetings is their LOVE of the Village and their desire to be able to continue to live a life they love without harm or harassment. Believe me, it’s not the village with which they have issues. I wonder if the president of Friends is as prepared to accept the horrific things that have been said to and about RV as RV has. She should be ready to accept whatever comes her way because she has entered the public arena. I’m certain that she will also make both friends and enemies along the way. Mostly, if she can stick it out for any length of time, she’ll learn that she will both make friends and followers and lose them as well. It’s really too bad that all the critics of RV don’t come to meetings more than once and don’t sit and listen instead of think only in terms of personalities. People who participate in RV are also members of Friends and are also your neighbors……….lots and lots and lots of them.
A LETTER FROM YOU WITH QUESTIONS
This came from a person on my list. Thought you might like to see it, too. It starts out with a url: http://www.lagunawoodsvillage.com/article.cfm?id=2325
I’m not an accountant and I’m not a property manager. But as I look at the list generated by PCM of the “Extra-ordinary savings” which merited bonuses; I have to wonder what the actual expectations and job descriptions of employees are.
How has In-house cable TV saved us so much money still costing us so much money?
Where and how has hi-speed internet saved money?
$935,000 savings as a result of grant money? Even I was expected to apply for grants (occupation edited out to preserve anonyminity.)
Finding legitimate tax savings is a basic responsibility of any accountant-not extra-ordinary—expected.
The URL with the Table was taken from the GRF website.
KEEPING A CAREFUL EYE
Kathryn Freshley has often said she wants to hear all sides of an issue. Very recently she stated that it’s not what you discuss but how you vote. Watch how she votes. Don’t be fooled by “sleight of tongue.”
QUESTIONS
When will the lumber trellis that is supporting a rotted beam at 2403 going to be removed and the beam repaired/replaced. How long do the people in that building have to live like this? Is too much money being spent on landscaping to maintain this building? Drop by and take a look. The beam that is being supported by the 2x4s with “caution” tape all over them is visible and the rot is obvious. This didn’t happen last week. It has been like this for months. Do you suppose Larry Souza, M&C chair on Third is even aware of it? Does he even care? He’s off the board this next election and appears to be running hard for GRF. Can we afford that? Oh, that’s right…Larry says we should all fix our own faucets. Maybe a few residents should get out there with their saws, ladders and levels and just replace that beam themselves. He can go on to do gate beautification.
Why does Paul Vogel, Treasurer of United (Well, sort of. He has, after all, according to his own statement never looked at the bills and PCM takes care of all that”) think that hearing about transparency is inappropriate? What doesn’t he get about required transparency? Oh, that’s right…he’s just an appointee and he’s finished after this term so why should he care?
Why is security allowed to run stop signs? As we were driving out toward Gate 10 recently at 1:45pm we watched a security truck with the license plate number 8K03357 and truck markings P2861 and 40010 run both the sign at Algorrobo and Bahia Blanca (he was on Algorrobo turning onto Bahia Blanca) and again the sign at Cabildo and Sosiega. Had it been you or I………..Are there special rules for special people?
Maxine McIntosh of the United board said “We’re not a homeowner’s association , but we’re like landlords for the mutual. Maxine! Wake up! Another departing but not soon enough director. See http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mutual-wilson-dalis-2504416-resident-committee Would she care to explain herself over that last one? By the way, Maxine is one of those who blocks e-mail if she doesn’t want to hear from you. I call it the ostrich syndrome. It causes you to only hear what you want to hear and lets you think you live in paradise.
Here are some very informative pages you may wish to read:
http://www.rvoice.org/RVoice/Documents/Non-profit/GRF%20non-profit%20documentation.pdf This is the full documentation of the 50l©4 for GRF, who applied for it (KPMG), who got credit and “incentivized” (Price)
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/ingram__gtown__governance_062309.pdf Perhaps she should hear about how our funds are spent and see if she disagrees with any of their stellar accounting methods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6-uSGxP4Bs This was an expensive, professionally produced video. WHO PAID FOR IT? Rush speaks of being free to speak. Yet she doesn’t talk about the questions being asked by the people she doesn’t want to hear. I guess she is one with enough money for the rest of her life and can afford to have GRF just spend it at will without her consent. Again, I say…WHO PAID FOR THIS?
http://www.recallno..com/RecallNo/Urgent.html This is one of the no on recall pages. Please look at the bottom of the “article” they are using to defend themselves. It says VERY CLEARLY that the “article” is A PAID ADVERTISEMENT! There is a lot on the recallno site that is linked directly to the LWV website. That raises a couple questions, doesn’t it?
For years we have been overwhelmed by the noise that comes up from the Verizon Center when there is a concert going on. Last year a number was published in the Glob which is the number of the center itself. We were supposed to be able to call and indicate we could hear the concerts and they were supposed to be sensitive to our needs. Such was not the case. More often than not we were treated rather like we were dissidents. We finally write the Mayor of the City of Irvine because our own City wasn’t helping, GRF/PCM wasn’t helping…. What we got was a few numbers after some helpful conversations. So, in the future, if you have a problem with noise coming from the Verizon Center here are the numbers to call.
Irvine Dispatch Center 949/724-7200. Say the noise is too loud. Indicate you live in LWV. Tell them that Jennifer Kaiser, Dispatch Supervisor said the dispatch center would get in touch with the compliance officer on site and help out. There IS a compliance officer at the venue. His name is Sgt. Anderson and he is Special Enforcement. If the dispatch center doesn’t help you out let me know and I’ll give him a little ring myself or I’ll call the head compliance officer and ask her to help out. I have been promised we would get relief.
Irvine Code Enforcement 949/724-6326. This is only functional Monday thru Friday during business hours but they do have a machine where you can leave a message. It won’t help that moment but you can put your voice on record.
THE GRF PUBLICITY MACHINE FOR WHICH YOU PAY
How many of you realize that you are paying over $700 for each and every full page advertisement GRF is putting into the Globe? To quote George the less than eloquent Portlock, it seems they “got caught with their pants down” and now they are pedaling as fast as they can to cover everything they can including their own backsides. The IRS makes it pretty clear who is responsible when the funds of non-profits are misused, and who will be held responsible personally. (I wonder if personal responsibility extends to estates and if the IRS can reach into the estates of the directors no longer with us to recover funds, fines, penalties.) Yes, Virginia, if you cover up or participate even inactively (meaning you know but don’t say or do anything about it) in unlawful behavior you become personally responsible and no E&O or D&O insurance will cover you. For instance, when a water bottle was hurled at a director by another director that was a PERSONAL assault and the person RESPONSIBLE is still being held accountable but any involvement by the board or managing agent could result in their being held responsible as well. Were board funds used for personal legal issues in that case? The question is who knew about things like the incentive plan and WHEN did they know it? It’s interesting to hear former directors like Richard Moos suddenly changing their stories and saying they “knew from the inception” about the program. But what about the people who didn’t know? If the (full) boards didn’t know and were not informed so they could give their permission for the funds to be spent then the money was not PCM’s to use. It wasn’t GRF’s decision alone to give permission for its use. Could this have been approved of and authorized in a “closed” session? Even if that were true it is still not lawful to expend the funds without informing the people whose money is being spent. Whose money is that? YOURS MINE AND OURS.
FRIENDS OF THE VILLAGE VOL. 1, ISSUE 1
Let’s talk a moment about the Friends of the Village Newsletter. In the first column it talks about the organization, how it came about and a quasi-mission statement. The one statement I’m curious about is the “non-profit” status. Which of the 501©s would that be under? Has it been granted non-profit status? When? Mike Curtis asked for a treasurer’s report and was practically shouted down for asking. I wonder if Treasurer Nancy O’Dell knows she has to keep very careful books and there are tax returns to be filed which become public when an organization has non-profit status. One of the things Resident’s Voice has been squinted at is their ability to raise money. Interestingly enough their books are open to inspection. The treasurer gives a report at every meeting. The basket is passed at every meeting in order to raise funds. It’s all out in the open. Residents get up and speak their minds. They may start a dialogue or even an argument but they are never told their question won’t be answered because somebody doesn’t want to answer it or that no controversial issues will be raised. (Don’t ask what that awful smell is or where all those trains are going.) I wonder if Sarah Hall Ingram, Commissioner Tax Exempt Government Entities, Internal Revenue Service would like to see the books of this little non-profit.
Beyond that there isn’t anything in the NEWSletter that is actually news.
In case you didn’t get your copy of the newsletter the club officers are:
President, Barbara Marsh; Vice President, Lynne Dvorak; 2nd Vice President, Programs, Betty Williams and Naomi McCabe; Treasurer, Nancy O’Dell; Secretary, Joan Milliman; Membership, Myra Norman; Publicity, Carol Cartwright; Newsletter, Mary Robertson; Refreshments, Mary Melgun, Aloha Saxon; Hospitality, Jan MacKenzie. These are the leaders of those who act rather than react according to their statements.
RESIDENTS VOICE
As an aside, yes, I’ve been to RV meetings. Yes, I’ve participated. I believe it’s a free country (well, maybe not so free in some gated communities.) So have too many board members to mention (but a few who were supported as candidates include Souza, Matson, Conners, Moore, Paulus) as well as the president of Friends of the Village, her sister, Virginia Templeton and thousands of others including many if not most of the signatories to the Positive Solutions flyer from the last election. You’ll remember that list, they needed so badly to make it look longer than it was so they printed it twice thinking nobody would notice. So has the Sheriff. So have several officers of other management companies, composting companies, political candidates and just about everybody you can imagine. It’s high bloody time for the people in this community who can find no other “goat” than Resident’s Voice to kick when something is done they don’t like or somebody says something they don’t like to get a grip and place the blame where it belongs. RV is just too convenient an excuse to do nothing to find the truth themselves. It’s a pretty well known understanding that when somebody is raging about something that they cannot control they choose the largest, most impervious entity to shoot with slings and arrows. In many cases it can be quite flattering. Frankly, I think Pam Grundke should hold her head high and smile at the fact that the organization she has led for its entire existence is chosen by those who can’t be bothered to find the real answers to things. I’m not saying everybody has to either agree with RV or Pamela and I’m not saying anybody has to like anybody else (in fact it’s obvious that there are some here who will never like anybody including themselves!) but they really should get over the concept that one organization could possibly be responsible for all the ills and ugliness they ascribe to RV. The one thing that unifies the people who go to RV meetings is their LOVE of the Village and their desire to be able to continue to live a life they love without harm or harassment. Believe me, it’s not the village with which they have issues. I wonder if the president of Friends is as prepared to accept the horrific things that have been said to and about RV as RV has. She should be ready to accept whatever comes her way because she has entered the public arena. I’m certain that she will also make both friends and enemies along the way. Mostly, if she can stick it out for any length of time, she’ll learn that she will both make friends and followers and lose them as well. It’s really too bad that all the critics of RV don’t come to meetings more than once and don’t sit and listen instead of think only in terms of personalities. People who participate in RV are also members of Friends and are also your neighbors……….lots and lots and lots of them.
A LETTER FROM YOU WITH QUESTIONS
This came from a person on my list. Thought you might like to see it, too. It starts out with a url: http://www.lagunawoodsvillage.com/article.cfm?id=2325
I’m not an accountant and I’m not a property manager. But as I look at the list generated by PCM of the “Extra-ordinary savings” which merited bonuses; I have to wonder what the actual expectations and job descriptions of employees are.
How has In-house cable TV saved us so much money still costing us so much money?
Where and how has hi-speed internet saved money?
$935,000 savings as a result of grant money? Even I was expected to apply for grants (occupation edited out to preserve anonyminity.)
Finding legitimate tax savings is a basic responsibility of any accountant-not extra-ordinary—expected.
The URL with the Table was taken from the GRF website.
KEEPING A CAREFUL EYE
Kathryn Freshley has often said she wants to hear all sides of an issue. Very recently she stated that it’s not what you discuss but how you vote. Watch how she votes. Don’t be fooled by “sleight of tongue.”
QUESTIONS
When will the lumber trellis that is supporting a rotted beam at 2403 going to be removed and the beam repaired/replaced. How long do the people in that building have to live like this? Is too much money being spent on landscaping to maintain this building? Drop by and take a look. The beam that is being supported by the 2x4s with “caution” tape all over them is visible and the rot is obvious. This didn’t happen last week. It has been like this for months. Do you suppose Larry Souza, M&C chair on Third is even aware of it? Does he even care? He’s off the board this next election and appears to be running hard for GRF. Can we afford that? Oh, that’s right…Larry says we should all fix our own faucets. Maybe a few residents should get out there with their saws, ladders and levels and just replace that beam themselves. He can go on to do gate beautification.
Why does Paul Vogel, Treasurer of United (Well, sort of. He has, after all, according to his own statement never looked at the bills and PCM takes care of all that”) think that hearing about transparency is inappropriate? What doesn’t he get about required transparency? Oh, that’s right…he’s just an appointee and he’s finished after this term so why should he care?
Why is security allowed to run stop signs? As we were driving out toward Gate 10 recently at 1:45pm we watched a security truck with the license plate number 8K03357 and truck markings P2861 and 40010 run both the sign at Algorrobo and Bahia Blanca (he was on Algorrobo turning onto Bahia Blanca) and again the sign at Cabildo and Sosiega. Had it been you or I………..Are there special rules for special people?
Maxine McIntosh of the United board said “We’re not a homeowner’s association , but we’re like landlords for the mutual. Maxine! Wake up! Another departing but not soon enough director. See http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mutual-wilson-dalis-2504416-resident-committee Would she care to explain herself over that last one? By the way, Maxine is one of those who blocks e-mail if she doesn’t want to hear from you. I call it the ostrich syndrome. It causes you to only hear what you want to hear and lets you think you live in paradise.
Here are some very informative pages you may wish to read:
http://www.rvoice.org/RVoice/Documents/Non-profit/GRF%20non-profit%20documentation.pdf This is the full documentation of the 50l©4 for GRF, who applied for it (KPMG), who got credit and “incentivized” (Price)
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/ingram__gtown__governance_062309.pdf Perhaps she should hear about how our funds are spent and see if she disagrees with any of their stellar accounting methods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6-uSGxP4Bs This was an expensive, professionally produced video. WHO PAID FOR IT? Rush speaks of being free to speak. Yet she doesn’t talk about the questions being asked by the people she doesn’t want to hear. I guess she is one with enough money for the rest of her life and can afford to have GRF just spend it at will without her consent. Again, I say…WHO PAID FOR THIS?
http://www.recallno..com/RecallNo/Urgent.html This is one of the no on recall pages. Please look at the bottom of the “article” they are using to defend themselves. It says VERY CLEARLY that the “article” is A PAID ADVERTISEMENT! There is a lot on the recallno site that is linked directly to the LWV website. That raises a couple questions, doesn’t it?
ISSUE #2
This was published second.
Dear Mr. Tibbits: I’m sitting here watching the GRF meeting.
You are basing your current slurry application on “previous board” research. You just said that just now on tape and live. NOW you are telling us we can submit proposals for work done on a more cost conscious level (to paraphrase). You and I both know that you will ignore completely any suggestion that comes from the membership. Go back. DO YOUR HOMEWORK YOURSELF and stop depending on OLD information. Stop depending on information from a single source. The treasurer from Third decided that because she was an electrical engineer in her “corporate experience” and her father rode on an asphalt truck in Northern Indiana for the county that she was the expert and criticized input from members. Please stop treating us like mindless idiots and listen and DO SOME WORK of YOUR OWN. STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN.
A resident presented the research she had done with short notice and as a non engineer but “only” as a resident. Irvine and San Jose are on EIGHT year cycles. THEN YOU SAT THERE AND ARGUED WITH HER!!!! Is this welcoming people to bring in suggestions? Is Ruth May shouting her down when YOU were the one who began arguing welcoming residents’ input? This is hypocritical. Marilyn Sortino asked a question about the RV lot slurrying and YOU couldn’t answer it. GET IT TOGETHER OR STEP DOWN.
I particularly love it when Stuller demands to know what residents are commenting on. Why doesn’t he shut his mouth and LISTEN!!!! I believe we are at MEMBER COMMENTS which is being broadcast across the TV screen at this moment. That means residents may comment on anything they care to address. Of course, if it IS just report comments then perhaps the banner on the TV WHICH YOU OWN and RUN should be correct. Stuller interrupted each and every speaker because he can’t make anything clear. Ruth May says she is confused and says she has absolutely no idea where you are in the agenda. YUP it SHOWS. If she’s so tired of the parrying and carrying on perhaps she could step down with you and take the rest of the board with them. (the banner on the tv is now back to member comments and just flipped to Treasurer’s report and then to Board Treasurer….positively surreal incompetence in broadband. Congratulations on a job very poorly done!)
Ken Hammer just invited as many lawsuits as could be filed by saying people could sue GRF for people not driving with licenses and GRF not enforcing the rules appropriately. You have to question the thinking of somebody who essentially invites people to sue GRF. If they hadn’t thought about it before they certainly will now.
Are you losing your cognitive powers? You NOW thank Delsie Zuzak for coming up with the information on Irvine and San Jose and will take it to M&C. First you are insulting and argumentative and make quite a public impact. NOW you decide to be grateful. SHAME ON YOU.
STULLER IS NOW GOING TO REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE A MEMBER AT THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE HER! SHE IS A MEMBER AND SHE HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD. IT ISN’T UP TO ANY OF YOU. YOU MAY NOT SUPRESS FREE SPEECH.
I find it completely amazing that you cannot understand Erik Brouwer. Interestingly enough when you bother to try to LISTEN he is not difficult to understand any more than BOB MILLER. Miller, by the way is spewing misinformation again.
Inexpensive to fly round trip to Hawaii for Janet Price? I’m certainly glad you think so. How many people here haven’t been able to buy a full prescription because they CAN’T AFFORD IT!!!!! But Hawaii for Janet is cheap. Maybe the people going to South County Outreach for food would like to be given the chance to participate in her travels and donate a little extra money so she can have a little snack on the plane….they certainly don’t need the money! But for GRF YOU THINK THIS IS A CHEAP DEAL! By, the way, her hotel expenses were over $400 for one night. Obviously she stayed in the Motel 2.
Until you can treat members with the respect they deserve as their right as owners, you should flush your obviously meaningless unity statement down one of your low flow toilets.
Dear Mr. Tibbits: I’m sitting here watching the GRF meeting.
You are basing your current slurry application on “previous board” research. You just said that just now on tape and live. NOW you are telling us we can submit proposals for work done on a more cost conscious level (to paraphrase). You and I both know that you will ignore completely any suggestion that comes from the membership. Go back. DO YOUR HOMEWORK YOURSELF and stop depending on OLD information. Stop depending on information from a single source. The treasurer from Third decided that because she was an electrical engineer in her “corporate experience” and her father rode on an asphalt truck in Northern Indiana for the county that she was the expert and criticized input from members. Please stop treating us like mindless idiots and listen and DO SOME WORK of YOUR OWN. STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN.
A resident presented the research she had done with short notice and as a non engineer but “only” as a resident. Irvine and San Jose are on EIGHT year cycles. THEN YOU SAT THERE AND ARGUED WITH HER!!!! Is this welcoming people to bring in suggestions? Is Ruth May shouting her down when YOU were the one who began arguing welcoming residents’ input? This is hypocritical. Marilyn Sortino asked a question about the RV lot slurrying and YOU couldn’t answer it. GET IT TOGETHER OR STEP DOWN.
I particularly love it when Stuller demands to know what residents are commenting on. Why doesn’t he shut his mouth and LISTEN!!!! I believe we are at MEMBER COMMENTS which is being broadcast across the TV screen at this moment. That means residents may comment on anything they care to address. Of course, if it IS just report comments then perhaps the banner on the TV WHICH YOU OWN and RUN should be correct. Stuller interrupted each and every speaker because he can’t make anything clear. Ruth May says she is confused and says she has absolutely no idea where you are in the agenda. YUP it SHOWS. If she’s so tired of the parrying and carrying on perhaps she could step down with you and take the rest of the board with them. (the banner on the tv is now back to member comments and just flipped to Treasurer’s report and then to Board Treasurer….positively surreal incompetence in broadband. Congratulations on a job very poorly done!)
Ken Hammer just invited as many lawsuits as could be filed by saying people could sue GRF for people not driving with licenses and GRF not enforcing the rules appropriately. You have to question the thinking of somebody who essentially invites people to sue GRF. If they hadn’t thought about it before they certainly will now.
Are you losing your cognitive powers? You NOW thank Delsie Zuzak for coming up with the information on Irvine and San Jose and will take it to M&C. First you are insulting and argumentative and make quite a public impact. NOW you decide to be grateful. SHAME ON YOU.
STULLER IS NOW GOING TO REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE A MEMBER AT THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE HER! SHE IS A MEMBER AND SHE HAS A RIGHT TO BE HEARD. IT ISN’T UP TO ANY OF YOU. YOU MAY NOT SUPRESS FREE SPEECH.
I find it completely amazing that you cannot understand Erik Brouwer. Interestingly enough when you bother to try to LISTEN he is not difficult to understand any more than BOB MILLER. Miller, by the way is spewing misinformation again.
Inexpensive to fly round trip to Hawaii for Janet Price? I’m certainly glad you think so. How many people here haven’t been able to buy a full prescription because they CAN’T AFFORD IT!!!!! But Hawaii for Janet is cheap. Maybe the people going to South County Outreach for food would like to be given the chance to participate in her travels and donate a little extra money so she can have a little snack on the plane….they certainly don’t need the money! But for GRF YOU THINK THIS IS A CHEAP DEAL! By, the way, her hotel expenses were over $400 for one night. Obviously she stayed in the Motel 2.
Until you can treat members with the respect they deserve as their right as owners, you should flush your obviously meaningless unity statement down one of your low flow toilets.
ISSUE #1
This is issue 1, posted July 30 and here for a complete record.
Thursday, July 30,2009
This morning’s Glob and the stories, ads and information in it are so beyond the fantasy any reasonable human being could come up with I just had to respond to a number of the components and the editorial style as well.
Let’s start with the front page: FRIENDS OF THE VILLAGE TO MEET AUG. 5. Well, we certainly wouldn’t want to show any bias toward or against any groups, now, would we. This is the group that won’t take questions from the floor because they don’t want controversy and they have formed “TRUTH SQUADS” to ferret out the truth. Sounds like the mind control squads of Orwell’s 1984. So, let’s follow that story inside on page 3. Don’t forget, it was important enough to put on the FRONT PAGE.
The THREE TREASURERS, Vogel, Freshley and Miller are going to give breakdowns on how fees are spent. I can hardly wait to hear this especially since Vogel said on live TV during the United Board Meeting that he NEITHER SEES BILLS NOR PAYS THEM AND LETS PCM TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT. Bob Miller spends most of his report time during GRF Board Meetings spreading falsehoods about people and events and reading from statements he himself has not prepared. Freshley simply looks to Janet Price before answering any question or making any decision and so falls right in line with those who manage her. Pathetic.
We get to hear from Lynee Dvoark, VP of “Friends” and…….A REALTOR who is going to give us a run down on comparable assessments. Well, while she’s at it I hope she can provide information on other HOA INCENTIVE and BONUS plans and MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS not to mention all the little variables that might go into determining fees and dues and assessments. Perhaps she can shed a great deal of light on how the accounting is done so that it can be understood by each and every person living in LWV so they can also make a real judgment about how the dues/assessments/fees stack up. I somehow don’t have great faith that it will be a very complete report. I do hope the results are published so everybody can get the benefit of them. I mean published someplace where the WHOLE of LWV can read them and have it distributed to them. Maybe PCM could ask GRF to forego one week of propaganda laden paid advertisement and have the PR team put this information in the Glob instead. After all, we pay those people to do PR whether they actually accomplish anything or not. May as well give them a project.
As a final comment on “friends” note that “Admission is free” but membership is $15 for a single or $20 for a household. No wonder they don’t “get” $5.4 million (that we KNOW of) being paid out of OUR pockets! $15 isn’t nothing. It’s $15 and would probably buy a couple of the drinks Milt buys at Starbucks.
Let’s head over to page 5 and Maxine McIntosh’s “Director’s Corner”. Remember, this is the director on United who told Mike Curtis during a televised United Board meeting that Cris Trapp IS NOT A LAWYER! (Cris Trapp is a lawyer licensed to practice in the State of California and I’m sure that news came as a great shock to her. Her title with PCM is “Legal Affairs Director” even though she doesn’t seem to be able personally to make any kind of legal decision without calling corporate lawyers. Perhaps that is why she didn’t seem to be in private practice very long and came to work for an organization like PCM. McIntosh has missed the point of the recall completely. Maxine has called United the landlord to the “tenants” who are the members. She talks about everything but the point of the recall. She throws up her arms and bats her eyelashes and pouts and stamps her foot over everything but the POINT of the recall. BOARDS HAVE IGNORED THEIR LEGAL DUTY and have TURNED A BLIND EYE TO such little things as PCM making SECRET payouts to the tune of $5.4million (and that amount is what we now KNOW about but not necessarily what all was actually used.) The four people chosen for recall were chosen to stand as representative sampling of the board members who are shirking their duty and should be held responsible for their inaction or action. Maxine! Get a grip! Shut up and listen for a change. Maybe Gail McNulty can put down her magazine and LISTEN. Her drama is a disgrace. Maybe Arlene Miller can LISTEN and form an opinion that isn’t given to her. Maybe Marv Rosenhaft can find out simple things like the management agreement is NOT a confidential document. Maybe Vogel can act like a real treasurer and actually demand to see the bills! Maybe the big whoop fireman Foster can assume some responsibility as president of the board as he must have had to do when he was a fire fighter rather than just present to the public that which he is given to read. Maybe Linda Wilson can accept some personal responsibility. The POINT, Maxine, is the continuing dereliction of duty. The four are just examples. Maybe Third should start a recall next. At the rate the boards are going there won’t BE boards.
On Page 7 you will note that the PCM/GRF public relations department is hard at work and keeping busy by writing little lovelies for GRF to insert as a PAID ADVERTISEMENT on a now weekly basis in the Glob. YOU are paying for these “advertisements”. These full page ads cost plenty. Yes, Virginia, your assessments pay for these ads. I do hope all those who are living here in Paradise are enjoying them. They are created just for you! Does it occur to anybody that we not only pay for the ads but we are paying salaries for these people not to mention benefits and BONUSES.
Some of the letters to the editor are hysterical. Richard Moos, for instance, is backpedalling so fast about his involvement in the bonus and incentive plan it’s hard to see his feet. He has now had three completely different stories about when or if he knew about the incentive plan. One moment he knew nothing and all of a sudden he knew it all along. Moos is the man who was the treasurer of Third and seldom called a finance committee meeting. Boy! Talk about operating behind closed doors as often as possible……
There is a long article in tribute to Cheryl Walker on page 3. I wonder how many people will remember that Myra Neben who is quoted extensively is the editor who retired and was gifted with a pair of DIAMOND EARRINGS from Tiffany and Co. from our friends PCM/GRF. Hmm, a little more pricey than the usual IRS allowance of $75 for a gift.
On page 4 “UNITED MUTUAL COUNSEL” makes a statement about recall calls. They are talking about what is traditionally called an EXIT POLL; that is people are asked how they voted after they have cast their votes. Exit polls are PERFECTLY LEGAL and are conducted at every election at every level from local to national every time there is any kind of vote. The VOTER is under no obligation to disclose how they voted. The ballot remains secret. It is entirely up to the discretion of the voter to answer or decline to answer. All the whoop de doo over the exit poll is just one more attempt by the powers that be to frighten and bully people and “spin” events so that absolutely legal and legally conducted polls are made to look like something sinister. Hart King and Coldren is the “counsel” of record for United Mutual. Bill Hart, the first named partner, is the lawyer who recently wrote to Mike Curtis telling Mr. Curtis that all communication would have to go through Curtis’ lawyer. Why, then, Mr. Hart, are YOU WRITING DIRECTLY TO MR. CURTIS? Is there one rule for you and the rest of the United Board and another rule for Mr. Curtis? Interesting.
I will discuss the information on Page 2 under City, Village Updates in my next issue. Read it. It’s very interesting and very telling.
In the meantime I have a couple of thoughts. Just how critical IS PCM? No, we won’t fall off the face of the earth and the sky won’t fall. We could just fire the corporation and the top level people involved. That would mean Milt Johns, Janet Price, Judy Zoerhoff, Jerry Storage, Kurt Rahn, Russ Ridgeway, Cris Trapp, and any of their immediate underlings who feel they cannot or will not work FOR the residents of LWV. They can be replaced instantly by one of the three companies I happen to know of personally who will be willing to come in and take over OR we could do a search and find a city manager. Fluffy’s owner will never even feel a ripple. Paradise will remain intact. Any employee under that level of management will be able to work for the residents of LWV providing they understand who they work for and to whom they answer. Individual cases can be considered as they arise. It’s the same deal if they decide to invoke their 90 day clause and tell us they’re out of here.
Second, let’s get rid of GRF. They are supposed to be trustees. The trust is being bled of all its assets and it is as easy as hiring a professional trustee to take over the position. If they bleed off the assets quickly enough WE DON’T NEED A TRUSTEE at all because there won’t be a trust. Remember when the walls were part of the trust? Or how about the globe?
Just a couple of things to think about. We’ll talk more.
Have a great day. Be proactive.
Thursday, July 30,2009
This morning’s Glob and the stories, ads and information in it are so beyond the fantasy any reasonable human being could come up with I just had to respond to a number of the components and the editorial style as well.
Let’s start with the front page: FRIENDS OF THE VILLAGE TO MEET AUG. 5. Well, we certainly wouldn’t want to show any bias toward or against any groups, now, would we. This is the group that won’t take questions from the floor because they don’t want controversy and they have formed “TRUTH SQUADS” to ferret out the truth. Sounds like the mind control squads of Orwell’s 1984. So, let’s follow that story inside on page 3. Don’t forget, it was important enough to put on the FRONT PAGE.
The THREE TREASURERS, Vogel, Freshley and Miller are going to give breakdowns on how fees are spent. I can hardly wait to hear this especially since Vogel said on live TV during the United Board Meeting that he NEITHER SEES BILLS NOR PAYS THEM AND LETS PCM TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT. Bob Miller spends most of his report time during GRF Board Meetings spreading falsehoods about people and events and reading from statements he himself has not prepared. Freshley simply looks to Janet Price before answering any question or making any decision and so falls right in line with those who manage her. Pathetic.
We get to hear from Lynee Dvoark, VP of “Friends” and…….A REALTOR who is going to give us a run down on comparable assessments. Well, while she’s at it I hope she can provide information on other HOA INCENTIVE and BONUS plans and MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS not to mention all the little variables that might go into determining fees and dues and assessments. Perhaps she can shed a great deal of light on how the accounting is done so that it can be understood by each and every person living in LWV so they can also make a real judgment about how the dues/assessments/fees stack up. I somehow don’t have great faith that it will be a very complete report. I do hope the results are published so everybody can get the benefit of them. I mean published someplace where the WHOLE of LWV can read them and have it distributed to them. Maybe PCM could ask GRF to forego one week of propaganda laden paid advertisement and have the PR team put this information in the Glob instead. After all, we pay those people to do PR whether they actually accomplish anything or not. May as well give them a project.
As a final comment on “friends” note that “Admission is free” but membership is $15 for a single or $20 for a household. No wonder they don’t “get” $5.4 million (that we KNOW of) being paid out of OUR pockets! $15 isn’t nothing. It’s $15 and would probably buy a couple of the drinks Milt buys at Starbucks.
Let’s head over to page 5 and Maxine McIntosh’s “Director’s Corner”. Remember, this is the director on United who told Mike Curtis during a televised United Board meeting that Cris Trapp IS NOT A LAWYER! (Cris Trapp is a lawyer licensed to practice in the State of California and I’m sure that news came as a great shock to her. Her title with PCM is “Legal Affairs Director” even though she doesn’t seem to be able personally to make any kind of legal decision without calling corporate lawyers. Perhaps that is why she didn’t seem to be in private practice very long and came to work for an organization like PCM. McIntosh has missed the point of the recall completely. Maxine has called United the landlord to the “tenants” who are the members. She talks about everything but the point of the recall. She throws up her arms and bats her eyelashes and pouts and stamps her foot over everything but the POINT of the recall. BOARDS HAVE IGNORED THEIR LEGAL DUTY and have TURNED A BLIND EYE TO such little things as PCM making SECRET payouts to the tune of $5.4million (and that amount is what we now KNOW about but not necessarily what all was actually used.) The four people chosen for recall were chosen to stand as representative sampling of the board members who are shirking their duty and should be held responsible for their inaction or action. Maxine! Get a grip! Shut up and listen for a change. Maybe Gail McNulty can put down her magazine and LISTEN. Her drama is a disgrace. Maybe Arlene Miller can LISTEN and form an opinion that isn’t given to her. Maybe Marv Rosenhaft can find out simple things like the management agreement is NOT a confidential document. Maybe Vogel can act like a real treasurer and actually demand to see the bills! Maybe the big whoop fireman Foster can assume some responsibility as president of the board as he must have had to do when he was a fire fighter rather than just present to the public that which he is given to read. Maybe Linda Wilson can accept some personal responsibility. The POINT, Maxine, is the continuing dereliction of duty. The four are just examples. Maybe Third should start a recall next. At the rate the boards are going there won’t BE boards.
On Page 7 you will note that the PCM/GRF public relations department is hard at work and keeping busy by writing little lovelies for GRF to insert as a PAID ADVERTISEMENT on a now weekly basis in the Glob. YOU are paying for these “advertisements”. These full page ads cost plenty. Yes, Virginia, your assessments pay for these ads. I do hope all those who are living here in Paradise are enjoying them. They are created just for you! Does it occur to anybody that we not only pay for the ads but we are paying salaries for these people not to mention benefits and BONUSES.
Some of the letters to the editor are hysterical. Richard Moos, for instance, is backpedalling so fast about his involvement in the bonus and incentive plan it’s hard to see his feet. He has now had three completely different stories about when or if he knew about the incentive plan. One moment he knew nothing and all of a sudden he knew it all along. Moos is the man who was the treasurer of Third and seldom called a finance committee meeting. Boy! Talk about operating behind closed doors as often as possible……
There is a long article in tribute to Cheryl Walker on page 3. I wonder how many people will remember that Myra Neben who is quoted extensively is the editor who retired and was gifted with a pair of DIAMOND EARRINGS from Tiffany and Co. from our friends PCM/GRF. Hmm, a little more pricey than the usual IRS allowance of $75 for a gift.
On page 4 “UNITED MUTUAL COUNSEL” makes a statement about recall calls. They are talking about what is traditionally called an EXIT POLL; that is people are asked how they voted after they have cast their votes. Exit polls are PERFECTLY LEGAL and are conducted at every election at every level from local to national every time there is any kind of vote. The VOTER is under no obligation to disclose how they voted. The ballot remains secret. It is entirely up to the discretion of the voter to answer or decline to answer. All the whoop de doo over the exit poll is just one more attempt by the powers that be to frighten and bully people and “spin” events so that absolutely legal and legally conducted polls are made to look like something sinister. Hart King and Coldren is the “counsel” of record for United Mutual. Bill Hart, the first named partner, is the lawyer who recently wrote to Mike Curtis telling Mr. Curtis that all communication would have to go through Curtis’ lawyer. Why, then, Mr. Hart, are YOU WRITING DIRECTLY TO MR. CURTIS? Is there one rule for you and the rest of the United Board and another rule for Mr. Curtis? Interesting.
I will discuss the information on Page 2 under City, Village Updates in my next issue. Read it. It’s very interesting and very telling.
In the meantime I have a couple of thoughts. Just how critical IS PCM? No, we won’t fall off the face of the earth and the sky won’t fall. We could just fire the corporation and the top level people involved. That would mean Milt Johns, Janet Price, Judy Zoerhoff, Jerry Storage, Kurt Rahn, Russ Ridgeway, Cris Trapp, and any of their immediate underlings who feel they cannot or will not work FOR the residents of LWV. They can be replaced instantly by one of the three companies I happen to know of personally who will be willing to come in and take over OR we could do a search and find a city manager. Fluffy’s owner will never even feel a ripple. Paradise will remain intact. Any employee under that level of management will be able to work for the residents of LWV providing they understand who they work for and to whom they answer. Individual cases can be considered as they arise. It’s the same deal if they decide to invoke their 90 day clause and tell us they’re out of here.
Second, let’s get rid of GRF. They are supposed to be trustees. The trust is being bled of all its assets and it is as easy as hiring a professional trustee to take over the position. If they bleed off the assets quickly enough WE DON’T NEED A TRUSTEE at all because there won’t be a trust. Remember when the walls were part of the trust? Or how about the globe?
Just a couple of things to think about. We’ll talk more.
Have a great day. Be proactive.
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