Which Is It?

I am puzzled. Which is it?

At the February 5 delegates meeting, after person after person went up to the microphone and complained about the abuses of First Priority Restorations, finally Dan Gladstone got up to speak. For a long time he had been the Village's "insurance guru," and, as was obvious from the preceding complaints, had been VERY closely connected with First Priority in arranging for their appearance on the scene, often appearing with them.

When Dan spoke, he said HE TOOK THE BLAME AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. What had happened? What had those who had just gone to the mike complained about? Long delays; elderly people being pressured to sign forms; people incurring (as a consequence) extremely high charges; very suspiciously, "mold being found" all over the place, even in SEVERAL adjoining apartments; and these same elderly people being thrown out of their apartments, often with only a moment's notice.

Dan said he would answer all questions, not within the next few days, as one would hope for and expect, but on February 26, when to use his twice-used phrase, he "would take his pants down." Okay, we are still waiting.

But now he has come out with a letter to delegates, mine just received yesterday, blasting the writer of an anonymous letter about him, blaming the building department for withholding permits for weeks and months, and stating at the bottom in bold, capital letters: AND THIS MY FRIENDS IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE DELAYS. Suddenly he makes it sound as though he, Dan Gladstone, has NO blame in the matter.

IS the building department alone to blame for the delays? Perhaps we will find out. But even this, as bad as it is, isn't all that has gone on, nor all that the people complained about (as I have just explained), and what I assume Dan was responding to when he said he "took all the blame."

I don't doubt that Dan has done some helpful things over the years for people in the Village. I find it hard to understand, however, how someone who pronounces himself so blameworthy for such a huge thing at the delegates meeting would remain in the running for president of UCO. Perhaps Dan will yet see this, and see that under these circumstances the honest thing to do is to step down. I would certainly think the more of him for it.