Friday, June 7, 2019

A mistake

Candidates...

The Blog Host made a mistake in posting candidate names with information about them. My intention was for more candidate information so that members could make a more informed decision on who they vote for as a trustee.  It ended up being mostly a mud slinging contest with personal insults. I guess you win some and lose some.

In the past, the Surfside web site contained a complete posting of all the candidate information.  This was useful for the voting members.  This gave the members the opportunity for more information about the candidates than the brief statement that is included in the vote mailing. For some reason, the past practice has not been done this year. 

I will be posting on this blog site, a repeat of the "official" candidate statements when available. You will be able to do some comparing and make comments. 

My apologies for my failed attempt to provide candidate information and discussion. I especially give apologies to the readers who had to read the mostly trash comments.  Also my apology to the candidates.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe the new GM can help? I'm sure they'd listen.

Anonymous said...

If you let people make comments on this blog, especially anonymous comments, don't post my candidacy information on this blog.

Steve Cox said...

You had good intentions George, so thanks for trying to help. It was apparent that none of the other candidates were willing to offer their info, and that as Blog commenters who identify ourselves, Mr. Riley and myself become a target.

There was even a comment that my Lacey home looks unkempt. What I realized was that Mrs. deLeest had been handling the candidate applications, and is on the Tree Comm., so making such a comment served her preferred dialogue, and she had access to my Lacey address.

But whoever made the Blog comment, has access to the homeowner's personal information, which is NOT public. So a Trustee used my personal information to look up our address on Google map. I went to Google map, and saw a non-descript photo of a corner of our cedar fenced yard from about 10 feet away, and a bush is hanging over the fence. Neither our house or our yard are actually visible, as it was taken of the side of our corner lot. It is also a photo that is at least 6 or 7 years old, as trees are visible that no longer exist.

This points to the petty lengths these folks will go to in trying to control the dialogue and political control in Surfside. The comment said that our place "looks like a jungle", when in fact, the photo shows nothing significant to bear remarking about.

Anonymous said...

Your funny Mike

Anonymous said...

Actually Steve, your address is easy to find if you use the tax sifters for Pacific or Thurston County. I did both and know where you live also, but I did't post that comment.

Anonymous said...

https://www.co.pacific.wa.us/assessor/TaxSifter.htm

https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/assessor/process-Aplus.html

You can look up anyone who lives in these counties

Anonymous said...

So the bullies win again. This Association needs to be terminated.

Steve Cox said...

11:19.... I had forgotten about that option. You pretend to be doing me a favor by mentioning this, yet it's still a pretty weird thing to do. I find it also weird that you are just sharing information but refuse to identify yourself. I think it is still likely that the Blog comment came from the Boardroom, as my address was available without requiring effort. Whatever.... petty people do petty things, like interpreting an obscure photo that shows nothing specific, as something derogatory to an HOA candidate.

We have Peg Olds or someone else on the Tree Committee calling me a 'piece of sh*t" for criticizing the Tree Comm. and Policy, and demanding over and over that I state what I have done for the community. There are at least 4000 owners in Surfside who could be volunteering for the HOA, Yet only 15% vote, let alone run for the BOT.

I volunteered my time in my Lacey community over a 5 year period, serving on our Board, doing community projects and maintenance chores. I am now running for the S.S. Board. At 67 years of age, I owe nothing to Peg Olds or anyone else in this community, to be entitled to make critical remarks about the HOA. I can ignore such demands and efforts to demean me with a clear conscience. Vote for me or don't would be my suggestion.

Anonymous said...

George
I don't want others to incorrectly interpret my previous statement.
If you allow people to make comments on a future BOT candidates page, especially anonymous comments, I do not authorize you to post my candidacy information on that page or any other page of this blog.

Anonymous said...

Steve - There are only ~2200 owners in Surfside

george said...

It has been, and always will be my policy to publish anything I want that is public. For you and others who want to tell me how to manage the blog, my advice is that if you don't like it, don't read it. You can always start your own blog and run it any way you like. Another saying I like is..."If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" Your candidate statement as included in the voting packet will be published, along with the other six. It is public information and subject to comments from the blog viewers. I spend a lot of time on here gathering and publishing information. I did you a service by getting your selected information out there, and this is the thanks I get?

Anonymous said...

Good on you George!

That's the kind of guy Riley is, can you imagine him on the board? Then add the Cox?

Anonymous said...

Yes it is George. Go ahead and allow people to act like juveniles and attack me without me having the ability to know who's attacking me.
Good for you.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Riley, you should know where this goes. George is the blog host and makes the rules. They apply to you as well as everyone out here.

Anonymous said...

1pm, you do know that Mr Riley doesn't like the rules, unless they are his rules. I think that's why he is running for the board so he can change them to fit his needs. Come to think of it, what are REALLY his needs? He doesn't own a home here, yet? Maybe that's why he is running, so he can change a rule or two to fit his future home building needs?

Anonymous said...

So Steve, what have you done for the SS community lately, or is this your first endeavor into doing something for the community?

Anonymous said...

Yes, why wouldn't the "new" general manager be ahead of the game and do this? What is he doing anyway? Haven't seen any impact from his employment so far. If this continues it seems like a waste of our money.

Steve Cox said...

12:35.... How dense are you ? I would guarantee you that nearly every member household has 2 owners on the title, as are my wife and I. We are BOTH members, and as such can run for the Board or serve on Committees. My comment has nothing to do with how many votes each household gets ONE (1). 2050 households times 2 is 4,100.

So 1:13....Read much ? Understand what you read ?

Anonymous said...

Ah yes George. This is really constructive adult, respectful, and profession dialogue. Sarcasm.
I guess more people than I "can't stand the heat in the kichen".

Anonymous said...

Mike and Steve, you are spending a lot of your time and energy responding to what is probably one or two attackers. You are wasting your time trying to out complain them as they will always try to turn around whatever you say. I suggest you take a positive stand on what you stand for. It would play better with most folks. Then the childish critics will have nothing to criticize. Funny you should mention an existing Board member, the tactic used in the last election was that several Board members canvassed the neighborhood and collected proxy’s, thus the high vote count for Olds. They are doing it again this year, and you can bet not for either of you. They are being assisted by current Board members, you can bet they have J Place in their pocket and because so few members know what is going on and the number needed for a quorum is so small, it doesn’t, take a lot to win the election. You can’’t waste your time arguing with these folks whose sole intent is sucker you into meaningless arguments that detract from your vision. You need to reach out in a positive light to all members, full and part time. The election is rigged and it will take a large effort on your part to have a chance.

Anonymous said...

Well said 4:17.

Anonymous said...

I noticed 4:17 that you conveniently left out the fact that as a Trustee Patrick did as much if not more canvassing of the community getting people to sign over their proxy to him along with handing out mock ballots for who he wanted people to vote for. Along with that providing some of the same J place hate you put out.

But, that's different right?

Anonymous said...

It was different in the fact he tried to right this ship. Now, we just need to stick a torpedo in it and be done.

All this because of one a**hole.

Anonymous said...

Well, well, well. It appears Mr. Cox is in full victim mode. Since you keep repeating your inaccurate statements I must again point out the truth.

Again, I'm not on the Tree Committee. Again, I was responding to your attacks on volunteers in general, saying they are responsible for a policy. Again, I didn't reference your stance on the tree covenants. Again, on the other topic tread I made this quite clear and explained it more than I should have needed to.

I also didn't "demand" anything. I asked a simple question that you still are avoiding. That in my opinion it is inappropriate to needlessly attack people who actually volunteer their time for our community while you haven't done squat when it comes to volunteering except your opinions.

To the POS comment. AGAIN, it was in response to YOU telling me to "stick it" when I had kept my comments civil. Do you expect anyone here to believe that if I had told you first to stick it with any comment you made you would not have responded in kind? Please, given your conduct on this tread and others you know darn well you would have. So again, if you wouldn't have said it, I wouldn't have either. Get it??

Now to your other outrage. As someone has pointed out it is easy to get info off of tax sifter. As anyone who has read this blog for more than a year can tell you, this has happened many times. Just one example. When Mr. Romaggi (sp?) got elected to the board people did the same to him since he lived on J. They even posted what he paid for his house, saying he over paid for his property and because of that how could he deal with the budget as a Trustee. Did he come on here crying? No. He manned up and just did his job. Ultimately he got the last laugh when his housed sold quick and at a profit.

Finally, I find it troubling how you accused people by name of something you have not one bit of evidence of them doing, specially someone you may serve with on the board. While from your previous comments I always felt you were a bit of a hot head you never struck me as one of those conspiracy types. Well, I'm going to do something that you are obviously incapable of. I admit I was wrong.




6:15 said...

Forgot, to George:

While I don't always agree with you I do want to thank you for posting the candidate info. Unfortunately I can't make it to the upcoming meeting to hear from them directly this year (a first for me) so I do appreciate it.

For what it's worth, Thanks

Anonymous said...

Also 11:03 I assume from your comments that you approved of all nasty (and wastefully expensive) actions the Board took to discredit him.

Anonymous said...

6:15.... You are just one big bundle of denial. All major expenditures made by the BOT are to be signed by the President of the Board and the Secretary of the Board. The EPA was onsite in Surfside sometime about July, and the community was cited with numerous regulatory violations relating to improper handling of Asbestos, and failing to follow Federally mandated protocol in disposal, protection of workers, safety seminars, and worksite procedures.

The HOA was also cited for violations relating to building in a Wetland without proper permits. The HOA wrote checks out for Asbestos Abatement cleanup - $45,000. Fines were also paid in late Summer early Fall for $27,000.

Meanwhile, a Federal Criminal Investigation of all employees and Trustees had begun, all but one Trustee lawyered-up, and the Surfside attorney was racking up billable hours at $500/hr. The investigation is yet to be concluded, and member funds continue to be spent on issues the BOT has been unwilling to discuss or admit to publicly.

In late November Gary Williams wrote on the front page of the Surf-In-Sider, his "state of the community" statement, saying " we continue to work to REMAIN in compliance with State regulations regarding our Water System".
He knew full well that the community was not only non-compliant, but embroiled in a Federal Criminal Investigation, and our Water Plant and Equipment warehouse, worth about $800,000 in member investments, in jeopardy of having to be relocated.

When confronted over the false statements made in the Surf-In-Sider, Williams claimed he had written the "State of the Community" statement in May. Right..... he wrote the end of the year assessment 7 months prior. How may lies do you count ?

george said...

Correct 12:25, and it has only continued to get worse. All the while, the current Board has allowed Williams to freely spend and make decision on his own, without Board approval. Clancy, as nothing more than a committee member, acting on his own, "fired" the firm that was doing the wet lands delineation report as required. This waste of thousands of dollars will now have to be done over. There is now fear of a lawsuit by the fired firm. Was there a breach of contract by the firm, or Surfside?

This current Board should be entirely removed for dereliction of duty. The Feds or State are not going to magically step in and save us from ourselves. A quote comes to mind. A statement made by Bob Haskin about our water system mess, but also applies to all of Surfside. "You guys are going to wake up one day and say, What the hell happened?"

Steve Cox said...

4:17.... I wanted to acknowledge your comments as well-intended and supportive. It would be nice if the electorate actually had any interest in a "vision" for what could be with a few alterations. The J Place stumping is a clear indication of what the Board seeks to do every year, which is to get a rubber stamp on their positions, and policies will remain unchanged.

None of these folks are concerned that the Board is not transparent in their actions, or policies are designed only to benefit ridgetop owners and create fear of the power of the HOA. They aren't concerned that the HOA is in serious legal trouble with the State and Federal governments. They just want it confirmed that they're still the top of the heap, and calling the shots, even if it does kill all of the trees.

We really have no means of reaching most owners with a message asking for their help in our elections, by participating and bringing new blood to the HOA Board. We need new ideas and positive goals for the entire membership, not just service to a phony elite.

Anonymous said...

615 -do you stay up at night dreaming this stuff up?

THIS Board is basically operating outside their charter, a law to themselves, yet you support them. I think your self interests are simply showing with a diatribe that is much too long.

Once again, you fool no one, you self serving clown.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the current and past employees will buy out the hoa with their settlement money from asbestos exposure.

Anonymous said...

6:15.... No need to be so harsh and threatening in tone. Yes, it gets tiresome when people refuse to listen or process our views and comments.

Anonymous said...

Especially the bats**t crazy ones.