Scandals - 11

SCANDALS – PART 11 

 More than just interesting, -- it’s shocking! When you conceal items involving money, in my opinion, it’s the same as stealing. Concealing things in Century Village seems to be commonplace among people who control the money, and the good guys continue to wear blindfolds, earplugs and duct tape over their mouths. To put it bluntly, nobody seems to give a fiddler’s f—k as to what is going one. Only when it becomes ridiculously expensive to live in CV, will the moaning and groaning start and then finger pointing.

 Let’s have a look at one particular issue … PAVING! To get a good idea of what I’m talking about, browse Eduardo’s Scandals articles, which can be found on MY VILLAGE BLOGGER. On 9-4-2017, Donald Foster, LCAM, the CV Property Manager, reported: “Paving – Federal Maintenance made repairs to walkways and bus stops at various sections. New job list was submitted to contractor for estimate. Walkway, bus stop, and roadway maintenance is an ongoing project.” Patching of walk ways, bus stops and roadways, has been going on secretly for a considerable period of time. Logically, one has to ask” “Why is that? All of the paving is only about 5 years old.” If the paving was done PROPERLY, it should last between 12 and 15 years under normal wear and tear. Obviously, it isn’t going to last because it is and has been cracking up, wash-boarding, the surfaces are prematurely deteriorating; it is coming up because of lack of bonding, improper heating of bituminous concrete, perhaps improper rolling, and lack of proper preparation of existing pavement.

 When Dorothy Tetro was the CV treasurer, she set up seven individual accounts relating to the budget. In the event there was an emergency, you couldn’t use any of the dedicated money unless you got the Delegate’s approval. Everything was above board and nothing was concealed. When Ed Black took over the treasury, sanctioned by David Israel, all of the monies were moved into a single “Reserve” account. Israel and Black could use the “Reserve” account money for anything they wanted without anyone’s approval. The goal was a concealment of the facts. 

 Get out the blindfolds, earplugs and duct tape over the mouths of the good guys who turn their backs. So, what does all of that mean? It means that when the walkways and roadways fell apart prematurely, Israel and Black took the money, whatever amount of money, and repaired these areas. Where are the competitive bids? Where are the bidding documents? Where are the invoices? Who explains why the work is necessary? No doubt, hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent on re-paving the new paving job and this should not have been necessary …. consult any architect or engineer and you’ll get the same response. Mr. Foster states that the “walkway, bus stop and roadway maintenance is an ongoing project.” He tries to wiggle out of a serious statement by using the word “maintenance.” Patch paving a 5 year old re-paving job is hardly maintenance; it’s a cover-up for a failed paving job that was improperly performed. Mr. Foster no doubt ordered patch paving to be done so that when the walkways and roadways are inspected by the defendant’s professionals, it can then be reported that nothing appears to be wrong with any of the “original” work. You don’t need a private detective to figure this one out. Right before your very eyes, the paving contractor will spread dirt free of pebbles and rocks on a large roadway patch so that it will not look new. The dirt swept around will make the new patch blend in with the existing roadway. There is a word for that … deception. Mr. Foster, with the approval of Israel, and Israel’s button pusher – Black, are spending your money. In reality, the paving contractor, M & M Paving Contractors, should be paying for all of this work from day one of walkway, bus stop and roadway failures to present date and beyond because they knew, or should have known, that failures were going to occur rapidly due to labor and material deficiencies. 

 Inasmuch as Israel and Black permitted a single page contract for a paving job costing over five million dollars and disregarding their fiduciary responsibilities, and their actions and non-actions creating an extremely poor paving job, then they should be responsible for the cost of all patch repairs past and future. Israel and Black need to be stopped cold in their tracks and be held fully responsible for concealing the facts and causing extreme monetary damage to the people of Century Village. By the time enough money is saved for a new paving job throughout the Village, the patch paving “ongoing project will probably exceed a half million dollars. Hey you! – with the blindfold, earplugs and duct tape over your mouth, -- who are you going to blame, Vivian Walsh or Kurt Weiss? A better question – when patching of the patching of the re-paving job comes about – who do you hold responsible – anyone that Israel and Black names. 

 I remember what an elderly woman at the Hastings pool once said – “I don’t care if they steal, as long as they don’t steal a lot.” God bless women over 90. 
 EDUARDO