By Dr. Glen A. Gaboury, October 18, 2021
One phrase that I hear oft-repeated by those who are voting Yes for the “Carte Blanche” assessment increase is that we need to forgive the transgressions of previous boards and administrations, let go of the past, and move forward to giving this new board full backing by allowing them to raise our assessments with little or no accountability. After all, we must “forgive and forget” for the good of the Village. What’s wrong with these statements is that they conflate forgiveness which is free with trust that must be earned (or in this case rebuilt). A person may forgive, but to forget they would need a full frontal lobotomy! Restoration takes time. Trust is broken quickly but takes time to restore. To restore trust, one must go back with a repentant heart and a plan of action as to how one is going to change the untrustworthy behavior.
Let’s take a look at that last statement for a moment. The keyword is “repentance” which has fallen out of vogue in some Christian circles and is even less popular with the general public, but it is still paramount. For example, when John the Baptist addressed the Pharisees (religious leaders of the day) coming to be baptized presumably because it was the “thing to do” he said to them, “You brood of vipers!…..Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV). In other words, repentance is more than just “I’m sorry”. It is a genuine change of heart and mind which leads to a genuine change of behavior. Without that change, trust cannot be rebuilt because the person(s) feel that they were justified in their past behavior and they have no real intention of changing it.
Trust can never be restored by slick propaganda campaigns, or by threats (as was the case with one BOD member). It cannot be coerced by promises to “do better” while ignoring the root cause of the problems. Trust can only be restored over time when there is genuine and heartfelt change. Propaganda, coercion, and threats only cause more distrust and division as all of us have seen. And it further shows that there is no intention of changing the behavior that causes the lack of trust in the first place!
The POA/BOD had a real choice to humble themselves and show they were willing to rebuild the trust of their constituency by choosing an option presented to them (such as the Special Assessment option) which would provide needed accountability while addressing current infrastructure needs. To do so would have shown that they really value the trust of the people in HSV and want to gain it back. But instead, they chose an option that provides little accountability. Then, they decided to coerce voters with a publicity campaign paid for by everyone including those who are against it. The sad fact is they are not repentant. In fact, some look at the less wealthy and less influential people in the Village as disposable people who should “move out” if they can’t afford ever-increasing assessments. I have seen the comments myself!
To conclude, this has absolutely nothing to do with forgiveness. It is the same as the wife who cheats on her husband, and expects him to trust her immediately so she can go back out to the same bar where she met her lover, promising “it won’t happen again”. Or the husband who gambles away his family’s entire savings account expecting that he should be trusted to go back to the Casino where he gambled away the money. Trust is a precious thing. The POA/BOD should remember that the actions they are involved with today may erode trust in their leadership for years and years to come. In my opinion, a “Yes” vote will only allow the POA/BOD to believe that they can buy trust with fear-mongering, threats, and guilt manipulation. Unfortunately, we cannot make them repentant. That is a heart change that is out of our control. But, we must hold our leaders accountable especially when they are unwilling to hold themselves accountable! Vote “No” for the Carte Blanche assessment increase! There are other and better options!
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Jama Lopez
10/18/2021 — 8:09 pm
Very well said and so true.
Thank you.
Mark Oliver
10/18/2021 — 8:45 pm
Amen. Eloquent and on the mark. I assume you’ll be threatened next.
Marcy G. Mermel, CCIM, CAC
10/18/2021 — 10:27 pm
Dr. Gaboury –
Thank you for taking the time to express so eloquently what many of us are thinking.
It is not the “Sins of the Fathers” from which this board suffers, but a look in the mirror might shed some light – truth hurts sometimes.
If only it were the veteran members, but the rest of the new directors cannot in good conscience just look the other way.
I appreciate so much your words, intentions, and integrity.
Lloyd Sherman
10/19/2021 — 8:56 am
Dr.,
What a well written and insightful article. Thank you.
There are those out there and on staff who are trying to “DO THE RIGHT THING”, but unfortunately are living with the Sins of the Father. That of course being the actions of past administrations and boards. The rollout of this increase has been a prime example of why the trust issue remains. And it isn’t fair to those who are trying to do the right thing and my heart goes out to them.
In management, you are only as good as your weakest link, and those who can individually be trusted are being discounted due to the overall actions of others. It is sad, but true.
Lorri Street
10/19/2021 — 11:38 am
Could not have been more succinctly put. As Stephen Covey said, “Progress moves at the speed of trust.”
Chad Schaefer
10/19/2021 — 4:57 pm
This is well written and thought out. I would love to see a rebuttal to this from the yes voters, but I doubt they have an answer that wouldn’t embarrass even them. Their usual modus operani is to bully their way forward without answers to opposing views. they can never lose a debate if they never get in one
Linda Anderson
10/19/2021 — 5:40 pm
Dr. Gaboury, thanks for including Christian Thought in your understanding of trust. It’s all about truth and what is right and wrong. This is a serious matter because this is about spending property owners’ money. The Board’s financial responsibility is to make sure our money is spent correctly. and wisely. It’s the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than maintaining and protecting our wonderful Village. Yes, the Board could have been the 1st in history to stand by the property owners to dedicate needed funds for Infrastructure. Instead, they felt they did not have to be held accountable. A decision that makes trust impossible in the near future.