Hawaiian Shores -- The Road to Truth

WATCHDOG © 2011

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying: "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. "

It is to truth and discovering it - that this post is created. 

Recently, a series of comments have been made, personal observations really, but presented as 'truth' or 'facks' -- as the individual opined elsewhere -- relative to statements made by the Watchdog here. Since this is the appropriate place to address the Watchdog it seems reasonable questions asked, statements made and conclusions reached would see rebuttal here. Following will be a point by point response; sometimes rebuttal, sometimes personal reflection all the time 'truth' as Watchdog knows it and of course inevitable opinion. 

WATCHDOG © 2011

Now to the task.

Q: How did Da ROC. get a list of candidates before anybody?

A: "Da ROC" is a grassroots group of members who realized  when July and August came and went with no election committee established; and when they received their individual copies of the President's Report, which served as an introductory campaign piece, the members better do the job the election committee had always been tasked with doing --soliciting members who might be interested in running for Director. It required no effort whatsoever. The President's Report and actions taken by the Board or by individuals on the Board created sufficient impetus to step up.

Q: How did Da ROC know the collective experience before anybody else?

A: True. Many of the members who are currently supporting Da ROC and those who are seeking election are long time residents of this community and they are known by many in their individual neighborhoods and beyond. 

Q: Does Watchdog have a special interest in getting 3 of the 7 on the BOD and not the other 3

A: One can only wonder what is meant by this statement. There are only 3 seats available to fill. Only 3 people can be elected. The Watchdog endorses no one person over another. The Watchdog has never designated any 3 candidates. If the statement above alludes to the Watchdog endorsing the seven candidates listed on this site over the 3 listed in the President's Report, it is a false premise and faulty reasoning. The Watchdog listed the candidates known to the Watchdog as having submitted their nominations through Da ROC. The Watchdog listed their community service and ties in this post.

Q: Why did the 7 nominees use  HSCA "NAME" to endorse their candidates?

A: Seriously? Again, the election committee was not formed in July/August as it had traditionally been to facilitate the election process through candidate solicitation. Again, without the election committee there was no 'procedure' put into place to deal with 'how' candidates could be nominated. The By Laws are specific as to who qualifies and when the filing deadline is but is silent on how that happens. Previous Boards have worked with the Office to facilitate that process. In 2008 due to an alleged discrepancy on a ballot that Board decided to initiate an election committee and task them with securing candidates from a solicitation process to the nomination process and then later to work through the actual election process at the time of the annual meeting. For the years of the July/August Election Committees EVERY effort was made to create a desire and awareness in the community of the deadline. The Marquee was used, announcements were made at meetings, on the blogs, and letters sent  out to those members who had attended meetings through the year and who offered their thoughts at the meetings. One year the Board approved sending out as many as 25 letters. The election committee aggressively campaigned JUST to get people interested in serving on the Board. What happened this year? NADA! Zip! The deadline came and it went. BUT, though the deadline was not mentioned, the 3 candidates mentioned in the President's Report managed to gain an unfair advantage which is still in effect. They announced their candidacy 10 weeks ago! Yep! Where was your outrage that the President knew the candidates and their qualifications? Yeah, don't worry. That was a rhetorical question. Where was your outrage that she/or the Board used REAL HSCA letterhead AND YOUR MONEY to begin their campaigns? Yeah, don't worry. That was a rhetorical question too. 


Because there was NO guidance in place and because HSCA does endorse the NOMINATION process via the BL the designation of Hawaiian Shores Community Association as the 'corporation' for which the nominees were being submitted for election was appropriate. What is not appropriate is letting the deadline date slip by quietly in hopes there would be no competition for the 3 seats. What is not appropriate is the Board not providing the Office with the Board's policy in how to handle the nominations. What is not appropriate is the time that is still elapsing without the Membership being privy to the 'whole' list of candidates nor the 7 candidates not having an open forum to campaign because the Board has not made their nominations known. Yet, for some 10 weeks the ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP has known the President, the Secretary and a family member of the President's neighbor are candidates. Where is your outrage? That's okay. Also a rhetorical question. The Watchdog understands how 'confusing' this all may be.

Q: The olny reason I can think of is that Da R O C is going to do a mailing to the lot owner on the mainland so it look like HSCA has indorse these 7 candidate and not the other 3 candidate knowing that most of the lot owner don't pay attention or don't care what is going on hopping they will get there vote because HSCA has indorse them and not the other 3. How else will the mainlander know about there indorsemen if they don't tell them. VERY SNEAKIE.-- verbatim hypothesis

A: This is an interesting conspiracy being promoted on the global internet. It is a red herring statement. It has no basis in fact, history or truth!  Question: If you are a member reading this when was the last time you personally received in the mail an actual copy of the nomination paper submitted by a candidate to the office? Did you receive copies of the actual individual nomination paperwork last year? The year before? Before that? Again, rhetorical because EVERY Member would have to say NEVER to that question. That paperwork is merely submitted to the Office and the IF the Board wants to see it they do. Otherwise, it is kept on file in the office, period! If anyone wanted to question HSCA endorsement of candidates they might want to question the President's intent in her August Report sent to ALL MEMBERS, including the 'mainlander' as is referenced in 'red' above. [Back page last paragraph.]

Q: Will HSCA membership like being played a fool?

A: Too late! Last year's campaign was all about finances and reducing the costs of running the Association. While there were cuts made to 'someone's finances', it wasn't to HSCA's and it is not reflected in the Assessment set for 2012! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! When the dust settles in the next couple of months the MEMBERSHIP will have a picture to look at they did not expect relative to their votes cast last year.

In conclusion, there is no need for the big deal being made about the 7 candidates who have yet to be acknowledged by the Office or the Board. TICK! TOCK! Question, if you will, is all of this obstruction developing quite the grounds for election tampering. Could any or all of the 7 candidates allege unfair advantage with this deplorable lapse in time? The filing deadline was Sept. 30th. The October Board meeting should have designated the historic and customary November 'Meet the Candidates' Forum.  Tick! Tock! All 7 Candidates were verified as MEMBERS and in IN GOOD STANDING by the Senior Office employee to the President on Sept 30th. What else is necessary by our BL to get the race for the seats moving forward? The President, the Secretary and one other candidate were announced to ALL MEMBERSHIP effective August 19, 2011 via the President's Report! Paid for by EVERY Member and on HSCA OFFICIAL letterhead! The road to Truth is being forged with each passing day and the continuing unfair advantage being realized as possible election tampering!

The bottom line? No matter which side anyone falls on -- or no side at all -- the Membership is being dealt a disservice by not having an honest, open, fair, unencumbered democratic election process with the current undo advantage being given by and to 3 to the disadvantage of the 7. It should be 10 candidates and lets get the campaign going!