SUN CITY – Whoever thought that a single, benign word such as “group” could ultimately spark so much controversy in Sun City and possibly affect the outcome of the entire 2012 board elections?
But that’s exactly what happened when Sun City resident Eileen Prus challenged the word, which is used in the SCCAH Campaign Guidelines/Code of Ethics, and its meaning after initially being told by an SCCAH Campaign Committee official that the word “group” means two or more people.
It was initially understood by Prus that if two or more people, such as a husband and wife, openly or publicly promoted a candidate for the board, said candidate would be disqualified.
Prus sent a letter to the board, requiring clarification of “group’s” meaning. It was decided by the board that there was no definition listed in the campaign guidelines and therefore an independent resident or a husband and wife, say, could openly promote a candidate of his/her/their choosing.
Her First Amendment remaining intact, Prus set out to promote the three candidates she found most suitable for election to the 2012 board. They were Linda Davis, Bonnie Bayser, and Jerry Kirschner.
All the signs said so … literally.
Prus purchased numerous promotional materials such as signage, delivered door-to-door flyers, and prerecorded telephone calls (the latter two made and sent to every home in Sun City) in the weeks leading up to the elections.
And then her promotional efforts stopped.
Following these efforts, the board requested that the promoted candidates (Davis, Bayser, Kirschner) issue Prus cease-and-desist orders for any promotional activity and disavow themselves from any of Prus’ promotional efforts, which Prus insisted they (the candidates) had nothing to do with in the first place, as she was operating independently as a resident simply promoted whom she felt were the best candidates and worked with other residents with the same concerns and interests she had to campaign for their shared choice of candidates.
“I am not in any organized group here [in Sun City]. I am simply a person who became consciously aware of what I think was going down the wrong path, especially since we’re about to take over from Pulte 100% of the management of [Sun City]. We have to have the right people here, have the right board members,” said Prus.
In contrast to the board’s actions over her promotional efforts, Prus points out that a recorded interview (conducted by Orion Samuelson) with current board president Bill Ziletti for his campaign was posted on www.sccah.com, which seems to portray that SCAHH sponsored or supported Bill Ziletti as a candidate when the other candidates were not offered the same opportunity. Ultimately, the video interview was briefly removed then reposted with edits.
It’s also argued by some that between Prus’s promotional efforts and the information found on the anonymously run www.sunviews.info, a “ticket” was formed.
Prus insists that she took an analytical approach to deciding who she believed would be the best board members, and as a resident, she believes she was and is entitled to her opinion, hence the voting process. She simply set precedence.
“There [were] three openings. I can only pick three people for three spots,” Prus said. “It was then time to … analyze the seven candidates that came forward with an interest to run for the election of three open spots [on the governing board]. Out of seven, there were three that were clearly the right people [to] do the right thing for the residents of this community.”
Attempts to contact officials opposing Prus’ promotional actions or who could supply further clarification to guideline wording were made by the Sun Day, but said parties were unavailable or unreachable for comment.
