An Election Viewpoint

 

By the 22 February closing date for registration as a candidate for the Board, we anticipate there will be many well qualified candidates to choose from. Today we have eight. The more people willing to run, the better off Sun City residents will be in deciding who they would like to see on the Board. As we had recently written, by the registration deadline we had hoped to see the name of one person whose name has yet to appear among those who have already declared their intentions. [For information on those who had declared, see: Candidates.]

 

In this instance, our preference for one of those six Board positions is dictated by a number of factors. They include demonstrated leadership qualities, proven good works, quality efforts in our behalf, and foremost, a person who will bring to the Board a certain passion for working together for the community’s betterment as we move from a Developer controlled Board to a resident controlled Board. We deserve no less and most if not all of our candidates, no doubt, will exhibit those qualities.

 

But in our view, there is a problem, hopefully not an insurmountable one. While members of our existing candidate pool may very well meet our so called election factors to a tee, there is one person out there who has been conspicuous by his silence about his intentions to run. His silence would not appear to emanate from a proclivity to be indecisive, nor does our prospective candidate exude a shy or reticent disposition. On the contrary! He is most often bullish, even decisive to a fault. He can be abrasive and sometimes even irascible. If asked, though, he would tell you he has mellowed, but that might be hard for certain persons to discern. 

 

Perhaps our silent prospect for the Board has other, more significant plans awaiting him beyond Sun City. Or, perhaps he is weary of his struggle and needs a well deserved rest away from the turmoil. On the other hand, he may be waiting for the strategic moment to throw his hat into the ring, while lining up key supporters to recommend his candidacy. 

 

Whatever the reason for this person's silence, we believe there is no better candidate for the Board than someone who will help to make our transition especially smooth and hopefully effortless. Accordingly, we recommend as a prospective candidate for the Board of Directors, Favil West, who, as a creative and positive force in our community, Sun City should not be without at this critical time in our history. We hope he agrees.

 

Many will view this choice on our part to be out of place, seemingly inconsistent with what we have written in the past. That judgment would be wrong. While it’s true we have been critical and found fault with this or that decision and have raised questions on certain issues of importance to the community, the dialogue was never intended to be directed against an individual, although some may have concluded that, but was directed against a particular policy, practice or decision being advocated by someone. Our purpose was always intended to elicit information, prompt a response, or to modify behavior. That we may have been tenacious in our efforts to plead our case was a testament less to our purpose than to the equally determined obstacles we faced and sought to overcome. Some residents may have misconstrued our intentions and we apologize if we were not more clear. 

 

Regrettably, our efforts have led some to mistakenly conclude that we have some kind of hidden agenda, when that is simply not the case. In point of fact, we share with Favil and others a commitment and a desire to achieve a better community for us all. Having supported Mr. West’s election to the Board in 2003, I see no reason not to do so again, in the event he should decide to run in 2005.

 

Ron Johnson

13 February 2005