Proof. No Honor. No Future.

Words fail. The CHCA Board of Directors, apparently trying to thwart motions by community opponents who'd called for the resignations of President Tolis Vardakis and VP of Operations Dina Hitchcock, went into Executive Session last Thursday night, after promising not to. Board opponents were fearful that a vote to fire Local editor Pete Mazzaccaro would somehow be pushed through, despite Board assurances to the contrary.

This came after more than 75 angry members of the community refused to leave the Board meeting room at the CH Library, effectively ending the public portion of the proceedings. In "compensation," the Board returned from its Executive Session to listen to community complaints.

But Ms. Hitchcock left the building, therefore insuring that no procedural actions could be taken . A short time later, two policemen arrived, announcing that they were responding to a complaint of "trouble at the Library."

This is what the board has become: a mockery of democracy. After promising not to vote. After asking the community respect the board's integrity. After swearing they wouldn't cheat. There is no honor. Only shame.

CHCA board: Do you really believe anyone trusts you now? Do you think that anyone will take you at your word? Do you understand what each and every one of you represents? Probably not. But this video lets the world know what you are. They'll hear it when the board's betrayal is exposed at the 3:33 mark of the video.

Granted, a number of board members came back and sat through a "community meeting" which they moderated. But that was too little, too late. This sop to the community does not make up for what the board did.

This board has no mandate to continue leading the organization. Its only recourse now is to resign as a group. Nothing less would serve as a start in the rehabilitation process for the community. The board members who foisted this lie on the community, however, need to understand forgiveness is earned and not automatically granted. It will be a long time coming for the community to offer that forgiveness to these people. For some board members, it may never come. Their spots will not wash out.

Post script: We've been this route before. See this three-year-old post and consider how much worse things have gotten with what is loosely called "the current leadership." We should have seen this coming.

PPS: Hardly going viral (more like a paramecium), the video has popped up at PLEBO.