Say What?
Folks Are Having Their Say
I’ve received significant feedback from folks responding to today’s in which I gave my overview of the Board candidates.
Some of the feedback is positive and appreciative.
Some offers different personal perspectives on specific candidates.
A small amount is highly critical of my observations.
That’s what it’s all about, folks. This time around I have not suggested whom I think you should vote for. Throughout the election period, my goal has been to provide you with as much information as possible so that you can make your own informed decisions, and I believe I’ve done that more effectively than others have, especially with the video conversations. If you want to talk with me personally, I’d be inclined to go beyond that, but I’m grateful that six of the seven candidates have trusted me to treat them fairly.
The one area in which I have a disagreement regarding one’s personal feelings about candidates is this: You should be choosing and voting for your candidates because of who they are, rather than because of who they are not.
“I’m voting for Joe Schmo because I don’t like Mary Moe” may be a good reason for you to not vote for Mary Moe, but it is not a good reason to vote for Joe Schmo if you don’t know enough about that candidate.
If you can’t find three candidates you believe would be worthy SCA Board members, then don’t vote for more than the one or two you in whom you do have confidence.
Editor's Note: Dick Arendt, who is away from SCA at the moment, has asked me to post this comment on his behalf:
From Dick Arendt:
I for one, fully support Barry Rubinson for reelection to the Sun City Anthem Board.
Three years ago, I had the opportunity of discussing many things with various Board members with regard to what I believed needed an upgrade in Sun City Anthem in order to maintain its competitive posture in a valley where 55+ communities were in increasing numbers.
I knew we had no additional land on which to build, and our record with restaurants was hardly what anyone would consider as successful.
In my mind, that meant we had to “build a better mouse trap” with what we already had.
There is no doubt that our community is kept in a pristine condition, but it is now 26 years old and in Las Vegas terms, as compared to where many of us previously lived, is considered ancient.
It was about that time that previous president Steve Anderson sent out a community bulletin stating that an approximate expenditure of $100,000 was going to be made on new lighting in Freedom Hall.
I mentioned to Steve that our problem wasn’t the lighting as much as it was the horrible acoustics that existed in what I believed to be a beautiful theater that had originally been used for Board meetings when many people actually did attend, and was now being used to provide some community entertainment, as well as some professional entertainment.
That is where the concept of building a better mouse trap began. Rather than spend money on lighting, let’s re-do the theater and make it the best of all homeowners associations in the entire Las Vegas Valley.
And that’s where Barry Rubinson and former Board member Richard Pope took the bull by the horns and decided to make that “better mouse trap” after all.
Yes, money was spent, but unlike funds spent on a restaurant which failed over and over again, this was an investment in the community that would reap its rewards initially and in the future.
About that same time, I had the privilege of working with our former COO, Sandy Seddon, who supported this concept fully.
Along the same lines, I offered to create the Sun City Anthem Entertainment, Task Force to bring quality entertainment that would be provided in an environment where they would welcome their opportunities to perform.
In addition, due to the wonderful relationship that I had with Dennis Bono, arising out of his shows at the South Point Hotel, I offered to assist with the booking of professional entertainment, for I would receive no compensation, and use the funds normally paid to booking agents to increase the incomes of the entertainers and therefore create an incentive for them to choose Freedom Hall.
Prior to that, the acoustics and lighting were so bad that it became was difficult for any quality entertainment to sign contracts for performances.
Well, it’s now been over three years and I believe that goal has been more than achieved.
I believe the best compliment I ever received was at a Christmas show in Freedom Hall starring Bucky Heard, the partner of Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers.
At the conclusion of that show, Bill Medley, who was in attendance to support Bucky Heard, came up to me and asked if I was the one responsible for creating a lighting and sound system that was comparable to the best he’d ever performed at over his entire 40-year career.
I said “No, Mr. Medley,” which he jumped right on and said, “Please call me Bill,” I continued: “I’m just the guy who’s trying to book to bring in the best entertainment possible and build a reputation for our community where quality entertainers would welcome opportunities to perform for our Sun City Anthem residents.”
That was due to the tireless efforts of Barry Rubinson and former Board President Richard Pope.
Three years have now passed, and our objective to provide quality entertainment to the Number One senior community in the Las Vegas has been accomplished. Phones ring constantly in the Activities Department with calls from residents wanting to purchase tickets as well as entertainers seeking to perform.
So thank you, Barry Rubinson, for having the insight to look at one of the most effective expenditures ever made in the Sun City Anthem community, and I urge all residents to reelect him because he is a man of the future.
I respectfully suggest that residents “consider the source” before making your selection using Google, ChatGPT, and the WayBack Machine. Including but not limited to all “endorsers”, candidates, and all content on social media. Including my own post. 😊