[SteveFromNY]

Kahuna,
Thanks for bringing this really serious topic up, and shedding quite a bit of light on it.
I mentioned earlier I was depressed as a result, and that's all related to a small HOA I belonged to a long time ago when I lived in a condo here in NY. As far as the pettiness, it is amazing. As a for instance, the condo did not allow any outside changes to the building, including the addition of awnings. One person at a meeting was requesting an exception as the sun shone in her window strongly, and she wanted to cool the house some with the awning. All well and good, until someone else started complainig it wasn't fair, as the sun NEVER SHONE IN HER WINDOW!!! As if the board had the power to move either her house or the sun! So I know what to expect in a situation where the inmates rule, and it depresses me that TV, which I view as a paradise for the most part, will be subject to the same kind of self-appointed morons trying to run the show.

However, one potentially HUGE difference with TV: the potential talent pool for a resident run board should be very deep, given the sheer amount of candidates, and the likelihood that there are some reasonably smart, highly experienced people to help out. Of course, I'd imagine some of the retired talent wants to stay retired, and that will weaken the choices. And of course the morons hungry for some kind of power will rise to the occasion and campaign for these spots, bringing along all of the usual political baggage (like enough friends to sway an election). One can only hope for talented choices, large voter turnout, and for enough folks to have the wisdom to recognize the real talent.

I suppose though the microcosm of TV really reflects the outside world where the actions of a very, very few affect the entire population.

Anyway, as usual, your posts are unbiased, unemotional, informative, fact based and educational. Thanks.