Sustainability, Equity, Development

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SUSTAINABILITY, EQUITY, DEVELOPMENT

SOMETHING ELSE: Survival Is Not An Option

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Dead Man Walking

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SOMETHING ELSE - The Beginning: Introduction
SOMETHING ELSE - Chapter Fourteen : Guardian Angel

DEAD MAN WALKING

An injured friend is the bitterest of foes.
Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

In the world to come, I shall not be asked, 'Why were you not Moses?' I shall be asked, 'Why were you not Zusya?'
Rabbi Zusya (?)

Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965)

Neither Vaughn nor I had access to the consequences TREO intended to produce by cutting SAIAT's funding so severely. The move devastated all relationships, burying the true sentiments of rage and resentment beneath politically correct smiles.

The frank discussion free of Solutus cementheads pondered whether we faced malevolence or ignorance. Neither scenario, and it was one or the other, painted a viable future. SAIAT would never look at TREO the same again. The language in the TREO contract offended everyone. The executive committee laughed out loud about language demanding a year end report disclosing the financial contributions SAIAT board members provided to the organization. I remember John laughing, "Well, that report will be easy to write."

I had no idea what it meant if the entire board resigned. The articles of incorporation and by laws did not address this scenario. Ethical dilemmas loomed everywhere as I considered the board, staff, myself, our customers, and the community. The right thing to do disappeared into fog. In the SAIAT board room, cementheads Beveridge and McKinney spewed venom against TREO. Then (we would learn) the same schmucks would sit in the TREO offices and spew venom about SAIAT.

After he resigned, I stormed into John Rix's office and looked him directly in the eye, "Why'd you quit?"
Our eyes locked. As usual, he didn't mess around, "You're dead."

Of course John was right. If I were just a board member, I'd have resigned at once on learning of the cut. Everyone wanted to leave except for the cementheads, who had other thoughts. We will get to that soon.

As the executive director, the resignation had more implications to consider. December of 2006 was agony. Would a better person resign? I updated the date on my letter of resignation to 12/31/06 and sat on it. I could announce an intention to resign with a longer notice, giving the board time to find a replacement, and as soon as they did, I would leave. But how would that really play out, and who would take my place? The issue of my replacement would play a major role in the actions I took.

Both elected officials and TREO told me SAIAT was valuable, doing the right work, and doing it well. They told me they supported SAIAT. TREO employees told me that they were my friends. Then they slit my throat and pretended like they hadn't. For reasons that remain a mystery, they just expected everyone to ignore the blood all over the ground.