Diane,
I want to thank you so much for all of the hard work you do for this community regardless of the disdain shown by some members of the DPOA Board. The idea that anyone serving on the "board" has the ability to give you permission to report what they say is enormously laughable. The only thing anyone serving on the "board" can do at a public meeting if they do not wish their conversation to be recorded, reported or repeated is to shutup and not say a word or voice an opinion. This is nothing more than complete and total arrogance and ignorance. I guess that we should sit in the corner like good little boys and girls and not question what mommy and daddy tell us to do. The only problem this board has never quite grasped is that the little boys and girls are the ones paying all the bills and we as a community have been sick and tired of that "smarter than you" attitude for a long time.
Let's talk about a dues increase. Explain to me in a way that I might be able to believe or agree to a dues increase within the next millennium. Is it because the "board" has shown us how not to lose money on the golf course? Is it because the "board" is turning a true profit at the 19th hole? Is it because our roads, ALL OF THEM, are maintained so well? Maybe it is because all of our resident boaters and fishermen have a new ramp to launch their boats. Should I pay more because we obviously don't have the money to clean the gutters at the POA office? Maybe we should raise dues so our children can have diving boards at the pool instead of caution cones and yellow danger tape. Please tell me so that I and all of the residents can understand why we we should agree to pay one more penny when we are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars on a golf course that only a handful of people are members and the rest of us cough up the money for their game. I guess that we should roll over and open our wallets because our "board" doesn't want to tell their friends that they will have1to pay more or not play.
Since this is an opinion page, let's ask ourselves a few questions. What are we as a community going to do when the residents finally revolt and say "no more"? If the residents collectively refuse to pay dues we are broke. It is my opinion that the "board" is helpless and can do nothing. Can they really put a lien on your home when they haven't on others. They have openly admitted to turning vacant lots back to the State of Arkansas because the POA decided we don't want the property. In my opinion you have helped drive my property values down. The people of this community may collectively decide to make you care about something more than the precious golf course. You can't use the excuse that if we don't have a golf course our property and home values will plummet. THEY ALREADY HAVE! Please don't try to use the old excuse "you knew there was a golf course here when you moved here". I also knew there was a Country Club overlooking a beatifull lake that is now gone. We were given the excuse then that we could no longer afford it and we had to accept it. How many could accept that we could no longer afford a golf course but we will make you a nice Putt Putt course?
The real bottom line is this. At the rate that we are losing money on a golf course that is killing us, we can't raise dues high enough. We won't let our General Manager alone long enough to let him do his job. I actually watched a "board member" bark orders to an employee at the 19th hole as if they were his boss. NO YOU ARE NOT!!!!!!! The General Manager is the boss of our employees. Our "board" is elected to a position that pays nothing! The "boards" job is to make sure we get what we do pay for and that is a General Manager. Get out of his way. And let him do his job!
Here is another bottom line question. Do I agree to a dues increase or extra addendum? You must be out of your ever loving mind. I learned not to pour water into a leaky vessel a long time ago.
Alan Thornton
