It has been stated before in this column that the only reason the representative government takes place is that the schoolhouse or church got too small for the community meetings. The attitude that the FTBOA board has, was never more present than at the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ meeting at the Ocala Hilton on Tuesday, March 27. The message that “we know what is good for you, just sit there and be quiet” rang clear.
It is a sad situation when members who asked questions were bullied for their interest in what is taking place within their organization. Those who attended that night came into the room with high enthusiasm for what they thought would be an announcement of changes. What they got was “business as usual”.
All of the positive energy that came from the first meeting in which CEO Lonny Powell was introduced to the membership dissipated like smoke on a breezy March morning. All of the talk of working together, pulling in the same direction, and unification of all the factions in the thoroughbred industry became…just words. All of the naysayers were once again right and nobody walked away with a good feeling or renewed energy.
The FTBOA membership has asked that the playing field be made level when it comes to the election of officers, a revamp that could take less than thirty minutes of a board meeting, but it seems the board and president Phil Matthews do not seem to get it when it comes to this basic tenet of democracy, the election process.
Imagine how everything would have gone if president Matthews and CEO Lonny Powell had opened the evening with “we are happy to tell you and all of the FTBOA members that we have revamped the election procedure and made it a truly democratic process.”
They would have been carried out on the shoulders of the attendees. What are the FTBOA board members afraid of? If some new blood were injected into the board, what harm could they do? If what we have now is the fruit of racing experience, how could it get more screwed up?
With president Matthews, it almost seems that former president Fred Brei (whose term ran out) said, “Don’t screw it up, I’ll be back”. Praising Brei, Matthews on the other hand appears frustrated and waiting for his term to end, as “I’m not getting paid for this” reared its head again at the meeting. When people serve on a volunteer board, they know the deal before they accept the position.
The job he is doing cannot be an easy one, but why make it harder than it is? Nothing is more bothersome than hearing a board member in any organization say, “I don’t have the time” or ”I’m not getting paid”. ADW and the Gretna situation provided convenient excuses for how busy the board is and that doesn’t get it either. It appears that every thoroughbred organization was asleep at the wheel when Gretna made their move and the ADW situation will not get resolved on Airport Road. All that members are asking is to fix the things that can be fixed.
The dragging of feet on the election reform seems to say it all as it exudes arrogance by the board and truly smacks of a board that is not in touch with its members. Instead of serving the members, the board keeps a death grip on control. How questions were not answered and some of those who asked questions were treated, was not only out of line, but gave a clue to what goes on behind the walls at the brick building.
What could have been an evening with a resounding “win–win” outcome was fumbled badly by Matthews and Powell.
The lack of communication is another train wreck. For an organization with so many publications and a website you would think it could get the word out to the members.
