Wake up Sun City – Do not let others decide your vote for you!
OOPS – before anyone could notice the self-appointed judges of Sun Views, which endorsed 3 candidates in the last Board of Directors election, stacked the ballet box so your vote did not matter.
They did so by forming an activist group at a gathering on July 14 in the Huntley Cosman Center, which pledged their advanced support to the group’s preselected candidates and fanatically mounted a marketing program with banners, flyers, and phone calls to guarantee their victory. Additional information concerning this gathering, its organizers, and intentions can be viewed in Dwight Esau’s July 28 Sun Day article.
They did not see a need to respect the community’s election committee nor the many volunteers who believed in enforcing a balanced playing field and a non-partisan election. It was blatantly obvious that while this group talks about the need for unconditional respect and absolute transparency, the same voices have ignored your ability to decide for yourself.
Sun Views did not offer, as any objective organization would, any rational pros and cons or any other litmus test for its endorsements, thereby slamming the door on any openness and transparency.
Don’t let these familiar tactics of intimidations and conspiracy theories steal your right of self determination again. Be informed, search for the facts – not rumors, and be involved in your neighborhood and community.
Al Drogosz
Neighborhood 32
Board Election Raises Electioneering Question
In many ways, the 2011 CAM Board election process was more eventful than during any of the previous elections. There were a number of “first-time happenings.”
CONSIDER: Seven candidates competed for three positions; more households voted than in past elections; a current Board member lost his re-election bid; a Board member who earlier in the year resigned his position was re-elected; a candidate, who ran unsuccessfully, ran a full-page newspaper ad to support his candidacy and … a homeowner with a personal conviction to support three candidates organized and personally paid for multiple promotions to advance that cause. The three named candidates did not solicit or participate in the campaign. It was a bold and “first-time happening” by an individual homeowner. It got everyone’s attention, including the Board’s.
A week after the promotional activities began, the Board met with the candidates being endorsed and requested that they
ask their advocate to cease and desist further promotional activities. The candidates agreed to the request and so did the advocate.
The candidates reported that the Board viewed the promotional activities as a violation of the Candidate Guidelines, Election Code of Ethics and that a “ticket ” was formed.
We will never know how many of the homeowners who voted agreed or disagreed with the perception of a “ticket.” The final vote total was 1804. The winning candidates received 1183, 944, and 881 votes respectively.
Next year, Sun City residents will participate in another annual election. Four board members will be elected at that time.
Between now and then, there is ample time for the Board, and hopefully public discussion, to consider the question this year’s election raised.
What can a homeowner[s], acting as an independent[s] without affiliation to any community organization, do or not do to promote a candidate[s]?
Reviewing the question will be just another “first-time happening” and time to revisit the language of the election guidelines including the electioneering process.
Jim Darow
Neighborhood 5
