A PROGRAM? A PLATFORM? WHAT AND WHY?

    Many people have approached me over the past few weeks asking about my platform and program. Really, that confounded me as I believe only those who run for office have a "platform" and unless those gray cells have really done me dirty, I have not announced for office. However, when asked, I reply that is the same things that I have been espousing all along and here is what that is:

1.TRANSPARENCY - Any person that I will support must agree with the principle and the actions of transparency in government. That means that NOTHING will be done in secret - not contracts, not meetings, not proposal discussions,etc.

2. PROCEDURE - all actions and behaviors within UCO must have a set procedure to follow. That procedure must be documented and ALWAYS be followed, unless there is an emergency requiring a shortcut and even in that case, there must be a procedure, open to all, transparent and honest.

3. PROCESS - The set procedure leads inevitably to a process, a tried and true, honest and open manner of conducting the business of UCO and the Village. If there is no process, there is no truth and honesty, no transparency, and there can be no faith in UCO from the residents.

4. PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT - The administration of UCO must follow the tried and true principles of management. We are an $8 million dollar budgeted business and thus must follow the proper management. There are no shortcuts, no cutting corners. A business is a business and that part of UCO must follow business principles.

5. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND STABILITY - This follows naturally after the management principles. A business does not run on wishes and dreams without reality there behind it. One can hope for something, plan for a dream, but first make sure that stability and fiscal health is maintained. This requires prioritizing, careful planning and very strict guidelines on how and why money is expended, always knowing that the funds we expend belong to the residents of the Village and not to UCO whims and personal or private whims and projects.

6. DEMOCRACY - OPEN AND TRUE - This administration, while a business in one sense, is also an example, or should be an example, of democracy in action and can do so even as principles of business and management are followed. That means that all elements of the Village are not only asked to be part of UCO, but must follow that with actions, not just words. Chairs and committee members are to be chosen by interest and consensus, not by adherence to the President of UCO and his/her whims and desires.

7. ELECTIONS AND THEIR RESULTS -  Elections, their process and campaign and the counting of ballots, be they from the general election or at the delegate assembly, MUST be open, transparent and singularly honest and true. The present system is rife with built in gray and black areas and results are and can be manipulated for desired results. The Village arenas must be opened to all, with forums available, with WPRF realizing that they are not a dictator's ally, but rather must work for the Village as a whole and allow for the maintenance of all the freedoms guaranteed to and for ALL Americans.

8.PROMPT ATTENTION TO LEGAL NEEDS OF THE VILLAGE - We need to be prepared in many areas, be it a "simple" contract, to negotiating with the Levy's and WPRF, to writing new by laws. These procedures and activities MUST be open and must be handled by competent, superior attorneys of these fields, not by shills or incompetents. We must be proactive in our timing, something we are definitely not doing at present.

9. BUDGET - The whole process must be streamlined, thoroughly vetted, perhaps even forensically, and by a NEW CPA. It must be explained in terms that the layman understands. The numbers must be clear and there must be more town halls on this topic as there must be more for other topics of UCO as well.

10. OWNERS,RENTERS AND VOLUNTEERS - Owners have priority in the Village. That is the way it should be and the way it was set up. People voted in by the owners are to run UCO, not appointed non elected officials whose motives can be questionable and who seem to have loyalty not to the residents but to the one who appointed them. All volunteers are welcome, but renters have their place and that is nowhere near any personal information of the residents and heading no committees, wielding power and influence, doing jobs that ONLY owners are to do.

There is more to add, more to state and the exact delineation of what a new administration in UCO should, no, nay, MUST do when voted into office - hopefully by a new system of one unit one vote, but be that as it may, there is much to be done and booing people with whom you disagree when they speak at assemblies is not quite grown up behavior. Open up your minds, listen to what people are saying, open your eyes and see the travesty that we now have and then, only then, can we rebuild the right way, the positive way, and have a better future for all of us.