The New Normal

By Stew Richland

A “new normal” and what it means to us in Century Village.

The phrase “New Normal” as commonly used by radio and television commentators refers to newly accepted norms in our culture, politics and society. It comes into being when a dramatic change has transpired.  The new normal replaces the expected, usual, or typical state after an event has occurred.  The new normal forces us to accept the current situation rather than lamenting on what could have been.

Over the past six years of the current administration we have witnessed changes in the way business was being conducted and watched with disdain and revulsion how UCO implemented  a “new normal”  philosophy for running its day to day operation.

In the past 6 years UCO has swung its sledgehammer at one of our most revered institutions, the election process. We are supposed to be a Village where government is “of the people,  by the people, and for the people.”  Every action by this administration dramatically shows their relish to do things that are against the will of the people.  It is an administration that has as it goal,  to stay in control of UCO.

The nomination committee will meet December 18.  They must approve and print the biography forms that all candidates must complete.  Those who toss their “hats in the ring” will be able to file their applications early. We also have a process in which candidates are nominated from the floor of the Delegates Assembly.  Historically, this method has encouraged quite a large number of Villagers to run for office.  These contenders are also required to fill out the biography form. 

All the forms have to be vetted for accuracy of content.  In addition, each candidate is encouraged to have their picture taken to accompany their Biography.  When all this is done, it is forwarded to the UCO Reporter to be published, hopefully in the January edition.  The Reporter is distributed and, I write this tongue and cheek, the residents and  delegates will read the Biographies and then, after consultation with their association residents, select those candidates they feel are most qualified to be elected.  Basic logic tells us that this method does not promote the principles of democracy.  It clearly illustrates that UCO and the nominations committee have no respect for reality.

Let me point out the basic flaw in this plan.  I ask you, “would you buy a car without test driving it first?”  Would you go to an expensive restaurant with out checking a dining review?  Would you purchase a book without reading a review or at least the inside cover description.  Would you go to any medical professional without checking their credentials first?  Well then, using the same logic , why would you consider voting for a candidate when you have so little information to work with. 

Some candidates have name recognition and may have held some elective office in the past.  Based on some of the results of our national, state and local elections,  this is not always the best criteria to follow when casting your vote.  How about the fact that our Village demographics have changed over the last six years.  Many of our new residents most likely would not know most or all of the 2016 slate of candidates. If your intuition tells you that there is something wrong with this process you are correct.  We have been taught that Democracy is having elections, and it isn’t. Elections are most horrendous when votes are cast for candidates that are mostly an unknown quantity. This election process presents a stark choice.  We can go down the road of this “new norm”  and gets what we get or we turn the basic principles  established by our “founding fathers”  of  providing the electorate with the information about the candidates so that delegates can make intelligent choices compared to the Ouija Board method that is currently in force now.

There are simple solutions to remedy these glaring inadequacies.  We must open all the avenues of communication with the electorate. This translates to opening the Club House for numerous meet and greet forums and allow some electioneering at the pools.  Unfortunately, the “new normal” engineered by UCO and WPRF is in force, thus denying candidates the most reasonable method of presenting themselves to the voters.  At the last nomination committee meeting this solution was hidden under the carpet. Chanel 63 is not a viable alternative since most residents do not tune in to this venue.

Representatives from the UCO Reporter, proudly hailed the fact that all the Biographies will be printed in advance for voters to digest and thus can make an informative decision. This is an arrogant assumption on  their part.   Do they really believe that all the people in the Village read the Reporter.  Even if they did, do you actually think these residents will read at least 40  Biographies carefully with an open mind.  I doubt it.  To most of the readers its akin to watching a continuous stream of medical commercials.    Lets assume that voting delegates do read the Reporter with some enthusiasm and grind through all of the biographies.  Will the delegates  discuss the candidates with their unit owners and then make a choice that every ones is OK with. After a period of time all the names, faces and details will soon gel into an unidentifiable mix of unconnected data which soon evaporate from their “grey cells”  when they socialize with their friends. (or have a few drinks).

What is a good solution to this “news normal?”  I was told that posting informative handouts on association bulletin boards was an effective tool to use.  Good advice?  Yes, if the obstacles to this method were eliminated. For example.  Many bulletin boards are very small and are completely covered with all types of notifications.  Some boards are covered in glass and cannot be used.  Other boards have notices that state that only Condo business will be allowed to posted.  I respect this request.  Lastly, when you do post a notice, its shelf life is very limited.  Some residents do not like a candidate and tear the poster off the board.  I have found many of my posters in the recycle bin the next day.  There are other people who owe their UCO positions to the current administration and so they demonstrate their misplaced loyalty by tearing off the poster. Finally there are some who fear the competition for their jobs so strongly that they rip the posters off their bulletin boards in a true spirit of competition.

So the “new normal” along with illogical and ineffectual solutions that emanate from the nomination committee is a scandal that must be addressed.  Hopefully, in spite of the issues I have addressed,  the Democratic process will prevail.  Yes, I do believe in miracles.

 As Heraclitus observed, “you cannot step into the same river twice.”  Lets hope that this happens in 2016.