Fort Myers FL
by Ed Ryan
About 10 years ago I had an infatuation with the Soviet Union. I needed to study how that country evolved, why its people were so poor and could it really be true that millions were "collected" and discarded. I must have read 30 books on the Bolsheviks, Trotsky, the Communists and all the leaders of that country. I thought it was cool to be able to name all the Soviet President's from Lenin to Gorbachev.
My desire to know everything Roosky had nothing to do with wanting to be a Red or look like an East German woman. It had everything to do with trying to understand how generations of people living in fear could survive. That question answered itself. Obviously, they cannot. Recently I noticed that some in Russia are recalling the good old days of Stalin and that was on display yesterday. Perhaps that is what our little leader was reflecting upon when he browbeat a member of his own Politburo this past Thursday night.
If you give him enough time, Gateway Services District Chairman Bob Nielson will show his true colors in public, which resembles an iron-fisted dictator who loses his cool when someone disagrees with his position (sound like anyone?). Earlier in the GSD meeting it was pointed out, and confirmed by our management company, that Gateway will end up with a budget shortfall of between $50,000 and $200,000. A minor detail like that will never get in the way of Nielson's ability to spend more than we have budgeted for.
Nielson's reaction during his latest temper-tantrum was directed at Supervisor Gary Neubauer for questioning an item we are all paying for that was never budget for. Nielson said "shame on you...I'm getting extremely frustrated with this counting paper clips kind of stuff". Thank God for the rest of us that Neubauer and Supervisor Ed Sichel are counting paper clips.
At issue is a "training" seminar that Operations Manager Bill Knight will be going to on our dime. There is no money in the budget for the trip. It costs $1,500 just to register for the seminar. Throw in gas, lodging, food receipts and who knows how much you'll be paying for this one. By the way, nobody could answer the question of whether or not the residents will be paying for the food, lodging and gas. The last answer I got from the district was "probably".
Alliances have been created on this board. Nielson currently has an edge with Fineberg and Stanley in his back pocket (until November). Sichel and Neubauer have emerged as Supervisors in favor of saving money and cutting expenses. Bravo! This entire episode started with Fineberg who recommended the seminar to Knight. Knight knowing it was not in the budget went around Sichel and Neubauer and called Nielson for approval without coming before the full board. Nielson gave the OK. Not only was this item not in the budget, Nielson back-doored the OK.
What bugs me, and I know you are all waiting for this part, is that Knight is supposed to be our Operations Manager. He knows this is not in the budget, he put the budget together. He knows this seminar will come up every year, put it in next years budget. He knows we live in tough economic times. Yet, he has the nerve to ask the residents to pay for all of this. And, Nielson, Fineberg and Stanley all see this issue the same way. Let the residents pay for it, after all when you break it out, it's only .03 per resident.
Folks, Bill Knight makes over $80,000 per year. Bill Knight gets a company vehicle provided to him by the residents. Bill Knight has health insurance for his family, thanks to us, not Obama. Hey Bob, why not ask Bill to pay for this one himself? Or better yet, why don't you pay for this one our of your own pocket? Why don't you, Bill, Fineberg and Stanley split the cost 4 ways? I bet if you looked at it that way you'd have a different perspective. When it's our money you are spending it's so much easier to sign on the dotted line. In the same meeting that he gets the residents to pay for his little trip Knight tells Supervisor Neubauer "it's not in my job description" to prepare a report on the Employee Benefit Package for the board to review.
Hey Bob every paper clip counts. Hopefully this November you'll have a lot more time to count your own!
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