With TWDC's second largest funder, Neighborhood Progress, Inc., President/CEO topping the agenda for last night's (Aug. 18, 2011) regularly scheduled meeting, there was no quorum. Out of the fifteen elected Board members, only six showed up for this all important get-to-gather. Two ex-officios did attend as well.
Even though TWDC Board President Chris Alvarado could not call the meeting to order and no official business could be conducted, he did go forward and turn the floor over to NPI President/CEO Joel Ratner. Ratner took the lead by expressing his views, recommendations and suggestions on CDC Board system governance, policies and procedures.
During the discussions, one subject led to another and Ex-Officio Board member Georgiann Franko shared some of her experiences and conversations with other residents living in her neighborhood. She provided some insight as to why and how other area residents have negative feelings for TWDC. Georgiann brought up the issue of certain residents being referred to as "stupid hillbillys." I confirmed her statement since it was my knowledge that some TWDC board members have referred to people, including myself, as "stupid hillbillys."
I also took the opportunity of this "non-board" meeting to join in with comments and questions. Since they were discussing how to entice more residents in to participate in the organization's goin's-on, after raising my hand and being acknowledged by President Alvarado, I chimed in.
My examples covered the "silent" squeeze out of long-time residents as well as the poor and poverty stricken. I went further to explain how the board (currently made up of six lawyers and a judge) could be and was intimidating to many of the every-day lay-people. That most of the old-timers had spent their life working in the steel mills or factories and often got lost in trying to understand the "legal-ees" during discussions.
When the "non-meeting" adjourned, everyone made their way out onto the sidewalk and as so-longs were passing about, TWDC's Board President actually made my case for me. He gave me a royal dressing down about my gaul for speaking freely. Basically gave me a strapping for daring to say that "the board" was intimidating - even though other heads were nodding in agreement at the time.
About two seconds into this admonishment, it crossed my mind that somewhere in the Constitution of the United States it states that I and others were afforded the liberty of freedom of speech. What I found more astounding was that he had nothing to say about being nine (9) board members short on the evening that President/CEO Joel Ratner took the time to attend for this so-called all important meeting. One (1) additional board member did arrive more than an hour late and left in a huff before the "non-meeting" was over.
Board Member Tim Jenkins who was present during my brow-beating, later stated that TWDC does do good things for others but nobody hears about it since they (TWDC) doesn't brag.
That and two dollars might buy you a phone call.
My way of seeing it is that, if our Nation's leaders can go head-to-head, balk and play tug-o-war over our country's debt deficit, surely, American Citizens living in little-ole Tremont have the right to speak out. Typically, just another case of "if you don't go along to get along------you don't belong."