Women take on local Corruption and get results

July 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Barefoot Bay, Fl.  –  Two women take on local corruption.  Florida is so prevalent that this ad recently ran: "Dishonest government officials aren't just wasting your tax dollars, They're betraying your trust. Report public corruption to the FBI."
Breaking through the walls of bureaucracy is no easy matter.  Just ask Sue Woodward and Carol Joseph.  “The first meeting we went to committee members had their backs to us and we could hardly hear them.  If we asked a question we were told we weren’t allowed input until the end.”  The system was controlled by a few, and few bothered to go to Board meetings because what was the point.  Woodward has a low tolerance for wasting time, as she is often hired to troubleshoot and has a keen mind to solve problems. Her “bull in a china shop” demeanor, as she spoke up for resident rights to ask questions, did not go over well with the few in power.  On the other hand, the Chairman of the Board, Tom Guinther, was one of her biggest supporters and encouraged her to move forward.
“As we saw things that were unfair, we spoke.  Then the two started The Summer Fun Club for kids; free tennis, cooking classes, swim lessons, Bocce Ball, Game Night, and more!  That is until they started digging too deep.  The employees were unhappy.  Management was controlling; they put a do not talk order or you’re fired.  The financials changed weekly.  Purchase orders and RFP’s were handled by the finance manager only.  She controlled everything.  And, she was proud to let you know that.  Simple, good business procedures were missing.  This woman was proud to tell Woodward that she had three Board members in her pocket.  Woodward, formerly of Newsweek Magazine, just listened and slowly the pieces of the puzzle came together, as her nose for news caught the scent of a good story.
One day a mutual friend brought Wilma Weglein, a past Board member and long-time resident to meet Woodward.  The two hit it off as they both have keen minds for solving problems, and quickly became the investigators.  Woodward eventually put up www.SayBarefootBay.com to update the residents about what was going on. .  As residents caught wind of the website and the controversies, the numbers on the website started climbing.  Today they had 416 hits and they just started counting!  Suddenly residents were able to read, see the research, be a part of the questions and concerns.  Susie White did the outreach and lent a keen eye to the report details.  They called the Governor’s office, Attorney General, State Attorney, filed a complaint with the FBI and wrote a daily barrage about just how wrong things were.    
In two weeks they finished a 60 page report of witness statements and problems that were addressed in question form.  Last Monday they presented it to the Board.  Three weeks from the time they started Nancy Higgs, Community Manager quit as the pressure mounted.  They have been asked to set up a committee that will be Watchers over the Bay, with a set of criteria and systems that insure this will never happen again.

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A few determined women take on local corruption and poor business practices It's a story of hope when others have given up. It's digging for facts and pushing the boundaries to see what gives. It's a great news story with good results.