December  2008 ISSUE

We do not make jokes, we simply watch the LA Times, the Orange County Register and CID/HOA board of directors and report the facts!

 

Survey Says....?  CZ Master Association Approves Bailout Plan for Estates, Villages, Golf Club, Equestrian Center and others...

No CZ Gate access for global disruptive political climate

 

Posted by: CotoBlogzz | 11/23/2008 04:25 PM

While Motor City executives flew in, in private jets, to ask  Congress for a bailout, and none other than Nancy Pelosi, sent the executives back home with the mandate of show me the plan to profitability before we show you the money, the CZ board approved, what is in essence a bailout for the Estates, Villages, Golf Course and the Equestrian Center and other CZ welfare recipients.  In this case however, recipients of the CZ master association board of directors's largesse did not even have to ask for the bailout.

Together, it is estimated these groups consume over 30% of the community resources,  yet contribute nothing in return to the association.

Former CZ Master association director Joseph Morabito observed that: 

The CZ Board just does not have the guts or the will to tackle the issue of subsidies once and for all.   To be fair, the CZ Boards I served on would not do it either even though I pushed for it.  For the life of me, I don’t understand why past or current CZ Boards simply refuse to charge the richest among us their fair share through higher transponder fees or other user fees.  Maybe we need Barack Obama on our Board since he seems very comfortable redistributing the wealth to the poorest among us, which in Coto probably just means three cars instead of five.   If the current CZ Board will let me I can show them the money that would make a dues increase completely unnecessary

 

The CZ master association choreographed said bailout using a series of at best, questionable surveys. Not that there is anything wrong with surveys – in fact, customer-centric organizations regularly use surveys to assure customers are getting the service they want.  Even the Orange County Sheriff Department (OCSD) under the direction of Sheriff Michael S. Carona, conducted what the department  calls a Community Survey - apparently the community approved of everything Sheriff Carona was doing - interestingly enough. the survey is no longer available through the OCSD’s website. 

Further, Mr. Morabito, one of various critics of the CZ master subsidies, previously recommended the CZ board undertake a survey and even volunteered his services, gratis.  We understand the CZ board never took Mr. Morabito up on his offer, instead resorted to online surveys, with questionable professionalism.  We in fact predicted the outcome of the surveys, before these were implemented – an increase in CZ monthly dues.

 

Our view of the surveys was recently confirmed by Mr. Morabito, in his discussion of the so-called recreation surveys:  

The survey related to Recreation within Coto was one of the most poorly designed survey instruments I have ever seen.  I hope we didn’t pay someone to do this.  Most of the questions are not applicable to any Member without children in Coto.  CZ Board Members obviously do not understand that the demographic within Coto is changing.   We are older, grayer, balder and fatter than might have been the case ten years ago; yet this survey assumes a high population of members with young children which is just not the case.  That is the reason less than 50% of the kids playing in league Sports on our Sports fields are actually CZ Members.  This particular survey is worthless since many of us could not answer most of the questions because they were not applicable.  This survey was designed to skew a result.  Survey administration is a science and an art.  Who ever put this survey together obviously did not have the experience to make it worthwhile.  What a waste of time, effort and probably money!!! 

P.S.  I have done many, many, many complex computer, cross referenced surveys in my working life.  We do surveys as part of our business.  I offered to help with CZ surveys; but again no takers.  I can’t imagine why any CZ Board would turn down free expertise unless there is an ulterior motive.  

 

The landscape renovation survey does not fair that much better- Again, in the words of Mr. Morabito:

I did not answer one of the questions related to landscaping renovation because it was a poorly constructed question.  The question asked if we support Landscaping Renovation which I would of course respond YES; but then it went on to add and an additional assessment to pay for it to which I would answer a resounding NO until the Board deals with all the subsidies going to non-members.  I do not support any dues increase at all until the subsidies are dealt with first.  That particular question was intentionally designed to skew a response.  This really should have been two separate questions.  And, by the way, when are we going to see the cumulative responses to all these surveys?  This should be public information.  Keep in mind, less than a 30% response rate will not provide reliable information to draw any conclusions.  You must have 30% or more in order to have statistical validity.

So, at a time we have characterized as worldwide disruptive political environment, when General Motors common stock is a good candidate for a Penny Stock Index; when Detroit executives are sent home without a bailout they felt entitled to, the CZ master association approves a bailout, without having the courage to deal with the subsidies issue again.

Apparently the global disruptive political climate does not have gate access! 

 

Comments

Hello All:  If the CZ Board votes for another dues increase before first dealing with all the subsidies,  I see it as a violation of their fiduciary responsibility to protect the interests of our members.   And, anyone trying to use the last two flawed surveys and or survey information based on less than a 30% return as justification for any decision is smoking oak leaves.  As someone knowledgeable about survey administration, it is very clear that who ever constructed those surveys was an amateur.   I hope we did not pay any one to develop those surveys.   If the Board did so, they wasted CZ money.   Finally flawed or not, why haven’t we received the results?   The pay back for responding to any survey is published results.  J. Morabito, former member, CZ Master association board of directors.

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