It is always interesting to see a book come to life via a movie or stage version and it is even more interesting, though actually more sinister, to see a book come into an actual life version. We residents of Century Village in WPB do not have to go far for this. We have our own fan of Orwell's Newspeak right here in the Village. Yes, our own Dave Israel. With his own version of it, too.
Newspeak, of course, often uses the simple technique of the Big Lie, assuming that people are so stupid and cowed that they will believe anything said often enough and the more outrageous the better. So let's see.... Hmmmm....aha " the few malcontents". Actually, in reality, these are the many and the growing concerned citizens who are malcontented with the dysfunctional past few years and the present. And, by the way, that term also includes the principle of Newspeak which means the opposite of what is said is really the truth.
Another one. Our wifi system will be the best with the best contract and system. Really? We are down to one contractor, no real competitive bidding ( which is the heart of getting a good deal) and there are simply no other outfits around. Interesting because at yesterday's Convention Center conference and exhibition I found more companies just like that, without even really looking.
Or, the belief that residents don't really understand much, so if we overwhelm them with enough techie talk, they will believe anything we say. Well, people, you do not have to understand physics in order to know that an atom bomb is just a tad dangerous. Nor do we need to understand techie talk to know when we are in the midst of a Newspeak snow job.
More Newspeak? Not a problem. We did such a great job on the paving and drainage projects here in the Village and we even have our auditor saying that we have another 29 years to go before we have to do another job. So I guess we don't have to worry for that many years in the future. We can leave it to the residents then, right? WRONG! We will be lucky if this lasts for another 4 years. And, in fact, this whole misleading business with our finances is a prime example of Newspeak. Just lie or ignore, like what happened to the $336,000 that was not paid into our reserves from 2012? Oh... I see...if we don't talk about it, it doesn't really exist. Oh, that is a great financial system!
And here is one of my favorites. It takes a special skill and Dave seems to have that in spades. If one hears a good idea, or sees a great program or event scheduled, then simply adopt it as your idea, from your great omniscient mind. How many times have the programs of Phyllis Richland, who has been a lifesaver for so many of our residents, how many times have her programs been co-opted and listed under Dave's name and aegis as if the thought and organization were from him? And just the other day at a meeting, twice, I asked about the possibility about doing something, twice one of the members of the committee shot me down as if I were a babbling infant, (though the chairperson did take me seriously and courteously and for that I thank that person) and not more than five minutes later I heard the very same thoughts and ideas coming from Dave's mouth as if they were newly minted from his mind.
It is not the co opting of ideas nor his strange manner of waxing techie to shut people down nor his contempt of others nor the harm he has done to our Village solvency and on and on - none of these alone is the be all and end all, as bad as they each are. It is the combination of them all, the synergy formed from their addition one to the other that forms the Newspeak whole version in CVWPB and why we must turn Dave out of office and turn to a more positive and honest administration which has the respect for its residents and their capabilities that they deserve and which will speak plain English and leave the snowjob out of our Village for snow does not belong here in south Florida.
The only way to make this situation BETTER
VOTE ESTHER. TELL YOUR DELEGATES
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