I GOT YELLED AT BY AL MORIN

While trying to mow my yard on Saturday morning (Jun 10th), Al Morin yelled at me, “Why don’t you stop being such a coward and attend the board meetings.” He also said something about “hiding behind my computer”, but I couldn’t understand all of what he said. This display of emotion was choreographed with his wife loudly cackling in the background. I wonder who she was cackling at, me or her husband. I didn't say a word.

Well residents of Point Aquarius, I guess a bunch of us are all cowards according to Al Morin’s definition…none of us attend the POA board meetings. Why should we go? The leadership doesn’t tell us anything because of their penchant for secrecy. We have no rights to speak up when we feel an injustice is occurring. Past attendees tell me the Garden Club boos and hisses when a board member outside of the inner circle attempts to speak. That kind of behavior is just as unprofessional as shouting across the driveway calling me a “coward”.

There are also other libelous comments being posted to the blog by someone. An investigation is under way and those responsible had better be ready for a battle. I would suggest that the writer(s) post a retraction and apology quickly. Any body who knows who did it may become involved too.

As for Al Morin’s remark about “hiding behind my computer”, I say there is no place to hide. In every article I have written, I have encouraged feedback. He never provides any rebuttal of facts presented. Months ago he said I have a big mouth and now he called me a coward. Do you think he likes me? When is he going to explain or clarify the issues I am writing about? The facts I quote come from police reports or the text of their own clubhouse resolution for example. I am not making this stuff up. When are the residents going to get straightforward honest answers instead of secrecy and cover-ups?

I got a very well written email from a resident this morning. She said “It's better to find solution rather than blame.” In most cases I would agree with her, but in this instance I am convinced the only true solution is to completely replace the inner circle on the board. I have seen no sign that a compromise will work.

They wrote the clubhouse resolution to exclude residential input for a reason. Al Morin told me he did not want to update a 5 year old survey to allow new members an opportunity to speak up for what they wanted in the community. These people want to make all the decisions. I do not see them relinquishing their stranglehold and restoring our rights as residents. Any talk that they will is only hot air escaping. They just don’t understand, IT IS NOT THEIR MONEY.

I look forward to the day when more positive communication can be put on this blog. If we get control of our community back, we probably won’t need a blog to tell residents what’s going on. A good board will do that as part of their normal business.

Ralph Splawski

June 7, 2006 Letter to Roland Morgan

June 7, 2006

Roland Morgan
rolandemorgan@gmail.com

Re: May 26, 2006 Letter

Dear Mr. Morgan:

You just don’t get it and your May 26th attempt at communicating with the residents of Point Aquarius proves you don’t even understand the important issues dividing our community.

Much time could be spent on expounding about the validity of your election using a board member who is not even eligible to serve on the board. He was not a property owner when he was appointed and is still not a property owner as required in our by-laws. I guess this demonstrates your belief in selective enforcement of our by-laws. The legal questions about his eligibility will be decided by Judge K Michael Mayes soon. I always believed we are not free to pick which laws to obey. How do you select which ones apply to you? But, let’s focus on some of your other comments instead.

“I want to raise the level and frequency of communication between the POA board and the members of the association,” is what you said. Let me help you select a few topics that desperately need your succinct communication skills:

1. Please explain to all residents exactly what happened in 2003 and 2004 that resulted in the embezzlement of $70,000 of our money. The board has never clarified any part of the event and Al Morin who supposedly handled the investigation did not have the nerve to attend a meeting I requested to review all details about the embezzlement. Residents like me have tried to dig into the matter but have been blocked by the inner circle from getting all the facts. I followed all the rules and requested everything in writing, but I have been ignored. I have offered to pay reasonable fees for the data needed. Tell us all, Mr. Morgan, why you are doing this? What have you got to hide? Give us all the details, not just a selected few.

2. Kindly tell all residents why you and your inner circle friends passed a resolution about constructing a new clubhouse but you failed to include even token input from residents whose money is actually paying for the construction of the building. You obviously want to build what you want, not necessarily what the community needs. Sadly, you have ignored the most important fact of all. IT IS NOT YOUR MONEY. Maybe the community would rather lower the assessments instead of building a new clubhouse. You have blocked a vote on it. Tell us all why. Give everyone the specific reasons you don’t want the residents to speak out. Come on, Mr. Morgan, specifics please.

3. Inform everyone why the board has blocked property owners from auditing our books. What are you afraid of? What are you hiding? Al Morin says a resident in good standing has a right to examine our books, but yet the inner circle keeps blocking those efforts at every turn. Don’t give us that line about annual audits either. Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and others had auditors too.

4. Explain to all residents in detail why you and your buddies on the board have changed the by-laws to take away all rights from residents except voting in the annual election. The 100 + families who signed a petition about the assessment increase want to know what happened to their rights. How could this happen when you state, “I want to work to bring this community together?” The only thing you have accomplished by stealing our rights is to drive a stake in the heart of “trust” of the board.

In my opinion your May 26th letter is a joke like all other rhetoric coming from the dysfunctional inner circle on the board. The residents are past the stage of listening to hot air escaping. They want proof that you are actually working for the betterment of Point Aquarius. I think the best way for you to help the community is to resign immediately from the board and get out of the way. Take all your buddies with you.

A new train is pulling in the station full of people who want to restore our rights, allow access to our books, give us a voice in how OUR money is spent and tell us the truth without cover-ups. Why are you against the democratic process?

Your power is dwindling quickly Mr. Morgan. In the last election not including the disputed section one results, your people only got 14 votes out of 75…a mandate against the style of leadership of the inner circle. Why not just bow out of the POA now and go try to take over the Garden Club or some other group.

This document is posted to the blog at:

http://pointaquarius.blogspot.com/

If you choose to answer all of my questions, I will post your response unedited. Even if you just want to call me names, I will post that too as long as it meets decency standards. Anything you do write will always be subject to rebuttal by me or anyone else that agrees or disagrees with you. Come on Mr. Morgan let us all hear the answers to these questions. There are plenty more to follow, but I am trying to keep this as short as possible.

As I have said many times, a sound Democratic society always has room for more than one opinion. Speak up Mr. Morgan.

Ralph Splawski