Ron Johnson on Roz Berman: Then and Now

In the course of our lives, we often see and hear people, over a period of time, making contradictory statements about various people and issues. Most of the time this happens because circumstances have changed in a way that the relationship of the commentator to the subject or person he is speaking about has changed in some way. Former friends become antagonists. Former antagonists become friends. It can work on many different levels, as many of my readers can see by the changing relationships involving Board candidate Bob Frank and many of his former supporters.

Frequently, when such situations occur, we can gain a decent perspective on the legitimacy and accuracy of one's comments by comparing the different circumstances under which the commentator has taken contradictory positions. When the positions are articulated under circumstances where the commentator has no particular reason for a politically motivated bias, they usually have more credibility than positions taken when the commentator does have a political motive.

Such is the situation in considering blogger Ron Johnson's comments about Board President and reelection candidate Roz Berman. Mr. Johnson, instead of following the more civilized protocol of simply telling his readers (at this time) who he endorses in this year's Board election, has instead led off with a scathing article in which he vigorously advises his readers to not vote for candidates Roz Berman and Jack Troia.

Last year, when Johnson and Bob Frank were working hard to get John Briggs elected to the Board, a wayward e-mail reached me in which Briggs and Frank agreed that they should make sure to feed as much Briggs campaign information to Mr. Johnson as possible for his blog, because Johnson, they agreed, was "simpatico" with their cause.

Putting aside Johnson's long-ago preference for Briggs and Frank because of his support of their confrontational methods, one must still wonder which is the real Ron Johnson. Is it the one who steadily attacks Roz Berman because she doesn't dance to his tune, or could it be the one who wrote the following words on the occasion of her leaving the Finance Committee, at a time when it wouldn't have been possible for Johnson to perceive of her as the threat she later became to him?

Ron Johnson wrote:

Committee service, change in membership composition, and retirements are routine and go on without much notice. While the Finance Committee relies on the collective efforts of their members, who often possess highly specialized knowledge and relevant financial skills, occasionally one member may stand out for any number of reasons. One such member was Roz Berman. Roz’s contributions to the Committee were viewed by this outside observer as something quite special, very impressive, if not courageous, if that accolade is appropriate in a committee context.

In concluding that Roz’s contributions reflected an unusually high degree of personal dedication, I am relying on my personal observations and not on the view of others. Roz always managed to stand out as one who was exceptionally well prepared based on her passion for achieving greater understanding, her evident thorough analysis of Del Webb’s financial records, and her precision in addressing issues. Roz has a particularly engaging, very charming and unassuming way of making inquiries and eliciting answers on matters needing attention and on resolving financial uncertainties. Her dogged efforts in keeping members of the Committee better informed will be greatly missed by all who were privileged to be in her presence.

Can the leopard change its spots? Is the Roz Berman Mr. Johnson so aptly described above the same person she is today, or has she become the evil-doer who is out to commit fraud, keep deep secrets, and generally work to screw Sun City Anthem?

I guess you have to decide for yourselves, dear readers. But in weighing which way to go, I would ask you to respectfully consider the comments about Roz recently posted here from Joan Patrick and Linda Krivec, who have worked with Roz during her time on the Board. Though she is obviously my horse in the race, the Roz Berman I know is the same one Ron Johnson described several years ago. and the Roz Berman that Linda Krivec and Joan Patrick describe today: a very hard-working person, devoid of ego and respectful to others, who has stepped forward to serve the community we all love.

Comments

[Warren Weitzman]

David, I concur with your comments 100%. As Chairman of the Plans and Processes Committee it has been our pleasure to have Roz as our Board representative. She has contributed much to the committee. Where she gets her energy to work as hard as she does for this community is miraculous. Ron Johnson should take his head out of his posterior so he can see the good she has done.

[Ron Johnson]

Now, David, clearly Roz does not need a front person to speak for her. Her profound silence on the board's secrecy and deceit involving the Neighborhood reserves should speak volumes.Come on, let's face it, Finance Committee Roz, the one I originally recommended for the reasons I had stated, is not Board member Roz, who subsequently and decidedly turned her back on the legitimate interests of the Neighborhoods for self-serving purposes. Perhaps some day Roz will come forward with her complete role in that betrayal.

[David Berman]

There was no secrecy and deceit regarding the neighborhood reserves. Time and again you have proven that you don't know how to read a financial statement and you do not know how reserve accounts and general budgets work. The "analyses" you perform are almost beyond belief in their naivete and superficiality.

By the way, your corrected post on the 38 cents item is still lacking, as you apparently refuse to accept the fact that the ASSOCIATION never owned any golf courses or the clubhouse. If you think that was the case, I would ask you to prove it.