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Sunday, October 30, 2016

What Really Caused the Sun City Anthem Reserves to Require a Dues Increase

Just Where Does the Buck Stop ?
An Anthem Opinions Editorial

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No one should be surprised that Anthem Opinions has questioned many decisions made by the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors. 

For years we have tried desperately to find, recommend, and elect QUALIFIED individuals to become members of our Board, yet year after year, the "same old...same old" group of political HACKS seem to get elected.

As to why, that remains a mystery, but we know that most people couldn't give a hoot about community politics until one day they suffer the worst pain they can imagine..

...in their pocketbooks !

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Well now...it appears that the "Piper" has finally got to be paid.

The question is "why"...

And "who"....

...is the scapegoat ???

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The easiest target ?

The former management company !
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"They didn't fund the reserves properly", shouts the Board.

"It's their fault, not ours" whimper the gurus, who now say we need more...

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Time out for a good LOL folks !
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This one is more ludicrous than believing Benedict Arnold's place in history should be more properly looked at as a British hero !

After this latest tale, in our opinion,  if any of you really believe it, you deserve the...

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In our estimation, here are the real reasons we need more dough in the association coffers !

First, we elected people whose knowledge of finance is so limited, they couldn't see we were being "had"!

Here's one for the community to stomach and finally accept !

Good management knows how to police the store !

Did any of them even know WHAT TO QUESTION?

Just look at the general make-up of "the chosen ones" over the years!

BUREAUCRATS....almost all of them...whose success in life has often been defined as "time in grade" rather than WHAT THE REAL WORLD refers to as TRACKRECORD OF RELEVANT SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE !

...while the few who haven't fit the BEAURCRAT moniker...and...have made valiant qualified attempts to "right the wrongs" ...

...have been sadly OSTRICIZED by 'the spoils system" to which an "incestuous" "good old boy"  Committee network of "like minded " referrals has generated the largest percentage of them....

...most of their members refusing to admit ERRORS IN JUDGMENT, blaming anything other than...

THEMSELVES !

Oh...before some control freak blogger and his minions make a claim that we "hate" committee members...

 (as history would seem to dictate when incapable of facing PROBLEM ISSUES CREATED BY THOSE HE ENDORSED)...

Let us EMPHATICALLY STATE...and....MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR...

...WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE... there are a number of GOOD, CARING, AND QUALIFIED COMMITTEE MEMBERS out there...

...but how often are those guys and gals "in white hats" looked down upon when their positive recommendations are all to often considered...

"Rocking the Oars of the Crony Express"  !!!!  

Just ask those who made an honest attempt to "contribute", but after a short time, realized that having to deal with a certain "element" was so impossible, they left with a feeling of...

 "Why did I Ever Do This?"

or even worse....

...were rejected from consideration because their expertise far exceeded those in control....and were considered...

 "Too Independent Minded"

Second, believing and voting for people who have read specific biased community blogs who endorse such CRONIES again and again.

Examples of such victorious "distinguished" directors that included...

... a MEMBER OF CHANNEL 13 HOA HALL OF SHAME....

...a five year Treasurer (not even CPA qualified)  whose ego and inability to LISTEN to competent and qualified individuals,  helped create a financial IRS nightmare costing "only" $100,000 plus legal and accounting fees when filing a proper income tax form could have avoided the entire affair....

...individuals who met illegally behind closed doors in discussing association financial matters  to evade discussions with fellow board members....

...an individual who authorized the use of association funds...without the approval of fellow directors... to pay for buses during a presidential primary visit for some who didn't even reside in Sun City Anthem...

...a woman who wasn't smart enough to listen to others who said....

GET THE LIBERTY CENTER PROFESSIONALLY EXAMINED BEFORE ACCEPTING IT.

(The booboo that is now estimated to cost unit owners
$1,800,000)

...one blog whose criterion for rejecting a qualified candidate was based on a ridiculous claim that the individual "hated women".... an act of PETTY childish REVENGE...

(after which the club the individual established with 400+ members... dwindled to less than 100 subscribers...following his resignation...and being taken over by the principals of the respective blog that made the damning and false claim).

...another blogger who made a request to Anthem Opinions and a board candidate to reprint his "Mr. Fix-It" articles, yet would not endorse him, instead finding a librarian better suited for a directorship position....

...in light of the many construction defects in which his expertise would have proved invaluable....

...and 2 past presidents along with the current one who, with a recently reelected Treasurer...

...ALL were and are PARTS of PAST and CURRENT regimes,  approving LOANS to a private entity that eventually defaulted, costing association members $40,000 IN ADDITION TO WASTING ADDITIONAL SUMS ON RESTAURANT SUBSIDIES and PRIVATE PARTIES, spending more money than a gambler who believes he's smarter than the system that built all the big buildings that we see in the distance.

Third, the belief that going self-management will save us money !

OK...the jury is still out on that one, but the score card to date reads:

10% hike in dues in 2017
 and
 another 10% likelihood in 2018

On top of that, the Sun City Anthem Board just voted to grant our new General Manager a $20,000 BONUS in addition to her current $250,000 salary and benefit package.

When we inquired as to what constituted the criterion for the bonus?

The answer...nothing concrete...all subjective reasoning without any clear cut defined requirements as to having had to accomplish
" X.. Y.. Z" in order to obtain it !

That's your community, my dear readers....

...Liberty Center STILL NOT OPEN.

...more talk of the probable NEXT FAILING COSTLY RESTAURANT.

...a dues increase with more on the way. 

...a self-managed community that is in financial "limbo" to date.

So...you decide. 

When your wallet is $120 lighter in 2017 and losing even more weight in the following year, are you really going to swallow the "excuse"...

"It's the former management company's fault"

or

Is it really...

"The Wrong People Have Been Chosen to Watch the Store"

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Our belief ??? 

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That is the....

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Remember...

WE TOLD YA SO

But our question to you is the most important of them all ?

Will you re-elect them if they choose to run in the next Board election?


Will you be smart enough to PAY ATTENTION to the FACTS and choose those who are qualified to handle the job...or...are you going to take the traditional path of asking your neighbors or reading some biased publication ... or worst of all...not exercising your opportunity to vote at all ?



...you know...the path that has brought us to where we are today !



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Anthem Opinions Administration
  1. It's nice to know how generous the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors has been when it comes to the General Manager's bonus of $20,000 for 2016. 

    That represents an 8.00% increase in compensation.

    Let's put this in proper perspective.

    Social Security just announced that the 2017 COLA increase will be .03%.

    This board should be reminded that more than a third of retirees (35%) receive 90% or more of their income as a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration.

    While those receiving Social Security retirement income receive a mere .03% increase in their benefits, many seniors will suffer as a result of a 10% increase in dues, while a General Manager receives an 8.00% increase as a bonus alone.

    All this...in an economy where the average individual looking for a job continues to experience hardship in obtaining one that can feed a family.

    How easy it is to spend others funds when so many of the "others" continue to struggle.

    When you add the bonus to the basic compensation, it amounts to EACH UNIT OWNER having to pay $37.79 this year...JUST TO COMPENSATE THE G.M.
    1. The voters of Sun City Anthem have, as was noted earlier, simply gotten the governance they deserve. When they elected the fools what else would they expect? The one person who could really direct the transition correctly has been marginalized and prevented from keeping things on track. 

      I understand they have put in a $2,381,000 “Allowance” for Masonry Walls as a means of filling the coffers. Masonry walls generally have an expected useful life of 100 years. So why add all that money? Perhaps they intend to repurpose the funding later to subsidize a restaurant. Wouldn't surprise me.

      Ah well, back to watching political commercials. 
      1. From Barbara Sidary...to...Anthem Opinions

        Who do you ask about the fact that we had such a surplus they were going to build a miniature golf course and now we have to raise our dues. Is it because of Liberty Center?

        Where has all the money gone and why is Sandy getting a $20,000 bonus when she hasn't even been here a year?

        I don't even know who to ask these questions to.

        Please help.

      2. Barbara,

        Your questions are EXCELLENT. I will post this under the article but I suggest you ask these questions to EACH board member for an answer.

        Be aware...RARELY DO THEY EVER RESPOND to such questions.

        If you receive a response, please forward it to us. We will post it for all to read.

        I wish I could be more helpful, but like you, I'm just a resident who asks as many questions are you do.

        Just remember to tell all your friends who responded and who didn't as well as their answers if any of them choose to run for reelection.

        I wish I could be more helpful, but am as baffled as you.
        1. From Robert N...to...Anthem Opinions

          ........and let's not forget the 10's of $1,000 spent to hire our new Manager (dinners and meetings at the "M" Casino, etc., etc. Seems that the same modus operandi is still in place: after spending $1,000,000+ to repair Liberty Center, the Cretins plan to spend even more money at a gala celebration re-opening the place. This attitude is exactly like the previous "...costing "only" $100,000 plus legal and accounting fees..."

          ​Here's two pieces of advice for our esteemed Board members (AND to the residents that voted for them):

          1. a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting the outcome to be different.

          2. if you watch the pennies, the dollars watch themselves.

5 comments:

  1. It's nice to know how generous the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors has been when it comes to the General Manager's bonus of $20,000 for 2016.

    That represents an 8.00% increase in compensation.

    Let's put this in proper perspective.

    Social Security just announced that the 2017 COLA increase will be .03%.

    This board should be reminded that more than a third of retirees (35 %) receive 90% or more of their income as a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration.

    While those receiving Social Security retirement income receive a mere .03% increase in their benefits, many seniors will suffer as a result of a 10% increase in dues, while a General Manager receives an 8.00% increase as a bonus alone.

    All this...in an economy where the average individual looking for a job continues to experience hardship in obtaining one that can feed a family.

    How easy it is to spend others funds when so many of the "others" continue to struggle.

    When you add the bonus to the basic compensation, it amounts to EACH UNIT OWNER having to pay $37.79 this year...JUST TO COMPENSATE THE G.M.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The voters of Sun City Anthem have, as was noted earlier, simply gotten the governance they deserve. When they elected the fools what else would they expect? The one person who could really direct the transition correctly has been marginalized and prevented from keeping things on track.

    I understand they have put in a $2,381,000 “Allowance” for Masonry Walls as a means of filling the coffers. Masonry walls generally have an expected useful life of 100 years. So why add all that money? Perhaps they intend to repurpose the funding later to subsidize a restaurant. Wouldn't surprise me.

    Ah well, back to watching political commercials.

    ReplyDelete
  3. From Barbara Sidary...to...Anthem Opinions

    Who do you ask about the fact that we had such a surplus they were going to build a miniature golf course and now we have to raise our dues. Is it because of Liberty Center?

    Where has all the money gone and why is Sandy getting a $20,000 bonus when she hasn't even been here a year?

    I don't even know who to ask these questions to.

    Please help.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barbara,

    Your questions are EXCELLENT. I will post this under the article but I suggest you ask these questions to EACH board member for an answer.

    Be aware...RARELY DO THEY EVER RESPOND to such questions.

    If you receive a response, please forward it to us. We will post it for all to read.

    I wish I could be more helpful, but like you, I'm just a resident who asks as many questions are you do.

    Just remember to tell all your friends who responded and who didn't as well as their answers if any of them choose to run for reelection.

    I wish I could be more helpful, but am as baffled as you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. From Robert N...to...Anthem Opinions

    ........and let's not forget the 10's of $1,000 spent to hire our new Manager (dinners and meetings at the "M" Casino, etc., etc. Seems that the same modus operandi is still in place: after spending $1,000,000+ to repair Liberty Center, the Cretins plan to spend even more money at a gala celebration re-opening the place. This attitude is exactly like the previous "...costing "only" $100,000 plus legal and accounting fees..."

    ​Here's two pieces of advice for our esteemed Board members (AND to the residents that voted for them):

    1. a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting the outcome to be different.

    2. if you watch the pennies, the dollars watch themselves.

    ReplyDelete