Following The Money
Tom Tukey was quoted in the Citizen of January 22, 2007 as denying that TAMPOA had spent $170,000 in legal fees so far in the Southard Street dispute. "We have not spent $750,000, but we have spent a massive amount of money," Tukey said. What does his denial mean? That TAMPOA has spent more than that, less than that, or not exactly that?
Annex residents continue to get monetary double-speak from the TAMPOA Board while their assessments keep going up and up. It's high time for some clear answers and the truth. While Tukey continually claims that one cannot believe what Annex residents read in the Citizen, he fails to provide clear answers when asked simple questions like: What is the amount of the Andersen Firm's current bill? What amount is currently owed to the Andersen Firm? What is the total amount spent on the Southard Street litigation? Has TAMPOA spent $170,000 in legal fees on the Southard Street litigation? If not how much has been spent? How much will the new round of depositions cost? How hard can it be for the TAMPOA Board and its President to level with TAMPOA members on the answers to those questions?
Either the Board knows the answers and won't tell or it doesn't know the answers. If the Board knows the answers and won't tell, then it should just say, "We're not telling," and take the consequences of that behavior. If the Board and its President do not know the answers, then who has been minding the legal cash register for the last several years? And when asked by the media, how much has been spent on the litigation, why provide an answer to the media that everyone knows is either false or misleading when the goal is (we hope) to have TAMPOA members continue to support the Board's Southard Street policies?
And don't tell us that the answers are going to be provided by some Power Point "show" contemplated to entertain at the Annual Meeting. Just tell us the truth. Also, if money will be discussed at the Annual Meeting -- as almost surely it will -- have Attorney Bill Andersen there so he can (from the horse's mouth so to speak) explain his billings.
What Annex residents hate most of all are surprises like the recent Citizen story. For a time, we thought that Tukey and the Board had learned that they had to communicate with TAMPOA members more regularly than the occasional pablum newsletter that is infrequently updated on the TAMPOA website when the dues statements go out. Obviously we were wrong, and this TAMPOA Board still doesn't get the old adage that all politics is local. The Board's uncaring attitude about communicating with its constituents convinces us that it is time for entirely new leadership on the Board. Thankfully, Paula Ryals will be gone from the Board. Phil Wilson is also leaving the Board. Except for Jim Hall, who appears lately to be the only one on the Board exhibiting some common sense, the rest of the officers should step down and allow some new leadership to govern. Perhaps then the Board and Truman Annex will no longer be judged so harshly in the community.
Annex residents continue to get monetary double-speak from the TAMPOA Board while their assessments keep going up and up. It's high time for some clear answers and the truth. While Tukey continually claims that one cannot believe what Annex residents read in the Citizen, he fails to provide clear answers when asked simple questions like: What is the amount of the Andersen Firm's current bill? What amount is currently owed to the Andersen Firm? What is the total amount spent on the Southard Street litigation? Has TAMPOA spent $170,000 in legal fees on the Southard Street litigation? If not how much has been spent? How much will the new round of depositions cost? How hard can it be for the TAMPOA Board and its President to level with TAMPOA members on the answers to those questions?
Either the Board knows the answers and won't tell or it doesn't know the answers. If the Board knows the answers and won't tell, then it should just say, "We're not telling," and take the consequences of that behavior. If the Board and its President do not know the answers, then who has been minding the legal cash register for the last several years? And when asked by the media, how much has been spent on the litigation, why provide an answer to the media that everyone knows is either false or misleading when the goal is (we hope) to have TAMPOA members continue to support the Board's Southard Street policies?
And don't tell us that the answers are going to be provided by some Power Point "show" contemplated to entertain at the Annual Meeting. Just tell us the truth. Also, if money will be discussed at the Annual Meeting -- as almost surely it will -- have Attorney Bill Andersen there so he can (from the horse's mouth so to speak) explain his billings.
What Annex residents hate most of all are surprises like the recent Citizen story. For a time, we thought that Tukey and the Board had learned that they had to communicate with TAMPOA members more regularly than the occasional pablum newsletter that is infrequently updated on the TAMPOA website when the dues statements go out. Obviously we were wrong, and this TAMPOA Board still doesn't get the old adage that all politics is local. The Board's uncaring attitude about communicating with its constituents convinces us that it is time for entirely new leadership on the Board. Thankfully, Paula Ryals will be gone from the Board. Phil Wilson is also leaving the Board. Except for Jim Hall, who appears lately to be the only one on the Board exhibiting some common sense, the rest of the officers should step down and allow some new leadership to govern. Perhaps then the Board and Truman Annex will no longer be judged so harshly in the community.
posted by Conchette at 7:52 AM
7 Comments:
You're very willing to disparage board directors by name for doing a volunteer job which take significant time and effort few are willing to do and suffer the mean spirited attacks you make so glibbly. You still refuse to identify yourself. You, my dear, are a coward and hide behind your nom de plume to attack the character of those individuals who have put their names on the line.
SHAME ON YOU.
I've read you for a while now but I'm going to stop. You're just very illogical to the point that you may actually be unbalanced mentally. You don't know any of the facts and yet you assume the worst. You'd rather make judgments in advance without waiting to hear the facts. I will wait myself and I will then listen and think about what I've heard. I'll wait until Monday. I think you are so filled with anger that you will not even be able to listen clearly. You only present one option; that everything has been done wrong. You don't even consider the possibility that it has been done correctly and effectively. It is possible that all of the legal money has been spent correctly and wisely and that we will all be happy in the long run that it was. I truly think you might need some professional help or some medical attention. Your recnet writings are very angry and irrational.
How common it is when someone can't invent any logical argument, he resorts to saying the person he disagrees with is mentally ill. What a crock! When you have nothing to say, you name call. Sorry, Anonymous, your name-calling patonizing technique won't work. If everyone who doesn't agree with your narrow view of things is crazy, then we feel sorry for you. We know you'll be back, because you enjoy being a pain in the derriere. For now though, as mom used to say, "if you can't stand the heat (as obviously you can't) . . . get the hell out of the kitchen." Sayonara.
Your response does not answer the charges of hiding behind a nom de plume and attacking others. What happened to your professed "guts"? The apparent answer is that you don't have any. Too bad.
I agree with the assessment that the Tampoa Board and attorneys have been illogically spending Tampoa money. I have never been in favor of suing the City of Key West and have sent numerous e-mails about my opinion.
Evidently, my opinion does not count.
Linda Russin
Ms Russin,
As you are well aware, there are other issues which have influenced your opinions.
Your opinion is counted Linda. It is just not the majority opinion. That was made extremely clear at the annual meeting. If you had attended, you would have seen that there is only very small group of people out of 250 plus households who share your view. A small minority, no matter how vocal and no matter how long winded at the annual meeting, does not get to set the direction for the majority. Surely you can comprehend that very basic reality.
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