We are on a Slippery Slope

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Century Village and all our residents around the globe.

By Stew Richland

Sliding down the razor blade of life  in Century Village?  Yes, residents we are headed down a slippery slope.  The present UCO administration is subtly greasing a slippery slope here in the Village which is designed to reduce, restrict,  and eliminate almost casually,  all sorts of free speech forums that has provides us with the transparency that is necessary to make informed decisions.  According to the dictionary, the term slippery slope means:

an idea or course of action which will lead to something unacceptable, wrong, or disastrous.

Yes, we are sliding into a swamp. This descent is being orchestrated by UCO, the editorial policy of the UCO Reporter and WPRF.

Bobbi Levin, in her column, “UCO Elections 2016” states, that the 2016 Century Village election is important to all residents because our “daily lives are impacted by the decisions made by UCO officers.”  Fine.   However, here is where we begin to slide down the slippery slope.  She tells us that “homeowners should communicate their preferences for election to our delegates.”  Good idea right?  The problem is so obvious.  On what basis is a preference being made. using a  Crystal Ball,  a fortune teller,  or perhaps the “close your eye and where your finger sticks, becomes your choice.”  How can any thinking delegate accept this process.  If the selection process is so vital to our lives here in the Village, why is there not some forum (and more than one) to provide for substantive discourse between the candidates and the electorate?  Mz. Levin suggests that during the annual condo association meetings would be a “perfect  opportunity to discuss these matters.” 

Lets examine how Bobbi Levin suggests this can be accomplished.  Candidates can be invited to association meetings and have a meet and greet. Most associations hold their annual meetings in early January,  before most candidates have announced their candidacy.  Next she suggests that the candidates speak to club groups.  I don’t know if Mz. Levin is aware that WPRF, with UCO’s approval prohibit any club from inviting candidates to speak on threat of losing their club room for privileges.  She also suggests that candidates use the US mail system. Who will pay the postage for 7,854 apartments.  The problem is getting the names and addresses of each association.  She also suggests using the internet to  communicate that candidates wish to speak to their respective groups.  Where do you obtain the internet addresses of all the associations.  I doubt that our current president would share this information with a potential rival.

Now it is suggested that we use the UCO Reporter. The Reporter will only print a short biography of each candidate.  The problem is that it is a one-sided form of communication.  The candidate provides the information as to why they should be elected and it stops there.  No question and answer period is provided.  But Mz. Levin says that a candidates forum will be scheduled for the club house. 

Is this not a contradiction to the existing WPRF/UCO policy in place.  If they can bend the rules for a one time event, why not bend it a little bit further and allow electioneering in the club house and extend this policy for the pool areas also.  I speculate that there will be at least three to four announced candidates for UCO President.  Rumor has it that there will many candidates for VP and the Executive Board.  With at least twenty plus candidates running for office, how much time will be allotted to each candidate to make their pitch?  How much time will be allowed for question and answer along with candidate challenges?  Based on this scenario, we need many forum to produce a level playing field.  Lastly, how will the election committee communicate to the delegates and other interested  residents that a forum will be held?  Channel 63 is not watched by many residents.  The newspaper is printed once a month and there is no guarantee that many people will read that a forum is scheduled.

At the end of her column we are reminded that under regulation #19 no campaigning will be allowed on WPRF property with written consent.  We have been told over and over again that WPRF/UCO will not give their consent.  #21 and #22 says no advertising or handouts  will be distributed  except by WPRF/UCO consent at the club house and pools.

Since Century Village is an over 55 community, it seems quite logical to assume that most of our residents have participated  in local, state and national elections.  Coincidently, both the Democratic and Republican parties are in a heated campaign leading to each parties respective primaries.  Yes, the national campaign is vital to Americans, but our own community is planning  to hold an election in March 2016, that is vital to the welfare of our community.  We are being told this by the UCO Reporter and the current administration.  If this election is so important, why are we coming up with a second-rate plan for this event?  The optics of this election process clearly shows the lack of real and timely planning by UCO. At the preliminary meetings those in charge seem tone deaf to making the changes that will mitigate the problems that I have underscored.

In the current culture we are living in, if you see something, say something. Well I am,  but UCO and WPRF is not listening!

This is why I have chosen the headline that Century Village is going down a slippery slope and thinking people are trying to prevent the Village from going over a cliff.