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Anita Buchanan sends the following
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Opponents of Amendment to End Term
Limits say:
“Delegates Can’t Be Trusted”
Since the petition
to end term limits for all UCO officers was defeated in February, many people asked
us to try again because there was so much chaos around the vote. A second
petition with over 100 signatures is headed to the Executive Board on Monday,
June 3. If approved, it will be published in the July issue of the UCO Reporter
before it goes to the Delegates Meeting in August for a vote.
The purpose
of the amendment remains clear cut: We don’t have enough people willing to run
for office in the Village. We need to remove term limits to give proven
officers a chance to run for election, win or lose, beyond the current terms
stipulated by UCO by-laws.
Opponents of
lifting limits for all officers say that we should instead impose term limits on all officers. How in the world would that
solve our problem? Instead of giving proven officers a chance to extend their
service, they want to shut down every officer’s chance to serve again. We don’t
have enough interested candidates, so let’s limit the pool even further?
Opponents
also say we have to shut out incumbents because delegates are afraid to vote
for someone new. I personally hope all delegates are insulted. How destructive
to think that the delegates we elect to speak for us should be controlled
because they can’t be trusted to make good choices and “we” know best. A good
candidate will be heard and understood. A weak candidate will lose. Disrespecting
the delegates will backfire. This is our democracy and we should spend time
informing our delegates, not disparaging them.
There are
all kinds of arguments against ending term limits, but they all miss the point.
We need the best talent available for these responsible but thankless jobs that
bring boatloads of criticism and grief. How lucky we are to have intelligent, proven
officers willing to absorb the abuse and keep on fighting for us – and willing
to run for reelection knowing full well how ugly and stressful campaigns in the
Village can get, and that they may well lose.
And at the
risk of repetition: If we don’t want officers to continue serving us, we won’t vote for them. End of story.
What are the
opponents of this proposal afraid of? And why do they continue to distrust our
delegates?
-Anita
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I totally agree with Anita. I was recently elected to the Executive Board and we had only 12 people running for the 10 open positions! My only concern is that when it is voted on in August most or many of the delegates won't be here. I wish these important votes weren't held in the off season. I wish you luck.
ReplyDeleteDom't prevent a top-notch president such as Dave Israel from running again...vote or don't vote from him, but let him run if he so chooses.
ReplyDeleteCapable, helpful, good-natured Barbara Cornish was one of those insulted by the previous vote to keep term limits, and now we could lose Dave israel as well next March if term limits isn't voted down.
ReplyDeleteLosing Dave would be a monumental loss. It's amazing the extent to which he has streamlined things. And just when I think we must have come near the end of things innovative, Dave thinks of more! See Dave's "President's Report" on page 3 of the June UCO Reporter about (among other things) improving Channel 63.
And while you're at it, turn to John Gluszak's VP column on page 6 and read his tribute to Dave after having worked with him for only a short time: "I will tell you our President David Israel is one of the most dedicated people I have known."
Voting to retain term limits would be like shooting ourselves in the foot.
VOTE "YES" TO END TERM LIMITS.
Ever since David became President
ReplyDeleteI have always stated that Dave is
the best President CV has ever
elected. I definitely want get rid
of term limits. David spends at
least 80% of his day working to
make CV the best place to live.
You people out there write your
comments and tell me why you do not
want David to continue to be our
President. Do you know how much
money Dave has saved CV with all the created methods that he has
implemented. Write me and let me
know what David is doing incorrectly that is making people
want to boot him out of office.
Speak up and answer my comment
and let me know WHY YOU DO NOT
WANT DAVID TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM
or are you too chicken to voice
your opinion.
The Nutmegger
Right on Anita!!!! When we asked owners to sign the latest petition, it was amazing how many thanked us and explained that, when the original motion was presented, confusion reigned. Your article is quite clear and, hopefully, those who vote will take heed and say YES to passing the motion. What a terrible situation would occur if we had to vote for people who were not qualified to be in office but who want to run just for the fun of it. We must vote for those who know how to run our CENTURY VILLAGE. It takes a great deal of knowledge to take charge of our needs. WE MUST KEEP THOSE IN OFFICE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF RUNNING THIS VAST COMMUNITY.
ReplyDeleteI have only 1 comment WHY DON'T YOU WAIT UNTIL ALL THE SNOW BIRDS GET BACK DOWN THERE. All the snow birds I know want term limits eliminated. Snow birds are a great part of the popoulation in CV, give them a chance to vote.
ReplyDeleteHi Maboo
ReplyDeleteJune 2, 2013 at 7:49 AM,
Anita sends the following response:
.......................
I understand your point completely, but if we restricted voting to the three months snowbirds are here, we’d paralyze the Village for nine months of the year and overload the agenda when they are here.
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I wish the timing could have been better on this, but it doesn’t always work out that way, especially now when petitions have been signed and the approval process is in full sway. Hope you understand.
I can see your point, Anita. Our association's earliest snowbird arrives in November, but most of them do not arrive till very late in December, after the holidays. That essentially leaves only January and February as "campaign" months, because the election would be the first Friday of March. It would be too much to expect to resolve the term limits question during the same period of time---not to mention be unfair to the candidates, some of whom wouldn't know if they were even viable candidates!
ReplyDeleteI do understand but a lot of us including me are in CV from Oct. 1st to May 15th
ReplyDeleteIt just seems anything of importance is done during summer months. Sorry it can't be helped but our vote means a lot and should be taken into consideration in the future.
No one has mentioned the fact
ReplyDeletethat currently we have "DOUBLE STANDARDS" in place, in which all
8 Officer's are NOT SUBJECTED TO
THE SAME SET OF RULES. Only the
President, 4 VP's are TERM LIMITED!
The Treasurer & both Secretary's
are NOT...( I am aware of when
the last 3 positions mentioned were
given the right to cast their votes
while in days of old, had no vote)
It's either TERM Limits for ALL
or NONE..As a Delegate, I insist
on a ROLL CALL VOTE, upon presentation and do SUPPORT "
TERM LIMITS BE ABOLISHED"
A thought for all snowbirds. You can appoint someone to be your delegate for the association who has not gone north for the summer. I am sure that you can find someone to represent you. Someone that can poll those not here to see their feelings on the vote and trust them to vote for you the way you want. It is important also that all associations talk with their delegates and be sure they are voting for what the majority of the building is wanting. I have seen so many times that the delegates are saying one thing and the people from the association have no idea how the delegate voted.
ReplyDeleteGood points, Anitra.
ReplyDeleteThank you Anita. I never thought of that. All tho most of the assoc that is left are quite elderly but if I give it a college try I am sure I can get someone to represent us the Board of Directors and the rest of the assoc. to vote they way we have all discussed, and that is to eliminate term limits. Thanks
ReplyDeleteEach Association has or should have an ALTERNATE DELEGATE....
ReplyDelete(so mandated on the annual form
filed w/UCO following elections)
however, that still does not assure
the delegate's vote reflecting the
Association's wishes,for most issues are called,after presentation,then & there,which does not permit consultation. One
must trust their Delegate,to act
in a manner befitting their Assoc. In other words, choose carefully!
As a snowbird, I fail to understand how CV would be "paralyzed" if campaigning and voting was done December through early April. Although I am a part time resident, I pay full-time fees and therefore should be allowed to fully participate in person and not through a surrogate who may or may not submit my vote.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why is this an all or nothing issue. Why can't we extend term years and/or increase number of times elected?
Jantor, should not the vote be your condos' wishes and not yours. Why should it matter if your alternate votes if she or he is following your associations' wishes and not yours.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the good dialogue.
ReplyDeleteYou do of course have the right to vote, but no one can be physically present for every vote (trips, visits home, vacations, illness, etc.), so we have the option of Alternates.
If all votes happened in snowbird season, our delegates would face overloaded agendas while here, and business would stop for the remainder of the year.
Also, If we were to extend term years, we would lose our option to remove the rare people who don't perform within two years. Ironically, it takes officers a long time to develop their skills fully, but we can tell very quickly when someone bit off more than they could chew--waiting 4 years, for example, to vote out a non-performer is too long.
Increasing the number of times officers can be elected is what we are trying to do. Now officers have to quit after 2 terms and we are faced with our original problem: we don't have enough qualified people willing to run for their seats, and we can't afford to lose the ones who are willing to keep serving us--if they can win another election.
Maybe a careful discussion is in order about increasing the opportunities for snowbirds to have more input, but we should not interrupt the processes that are underway for petitions signed and moving through the approval processes.
The proposal seems to be to eliminate term limits. I still would propose that the number of times one could be re-elected be changed. This would continue to allow good people to be re-elected, but offer the option of voting out someone whose ideas may not reflect changing needs. The total elimination of term limits might, not will, but might lead to someone who is not meeting the needs of an ever changing world or who may see themselves as indispensable to be removed without legal recourse.
ReplyDelete