OLM leaders sink Power Drunkenness?

By Augustus Toomey

Mr. Clarence Yaskey, who recently emerged as "Board Chairman" after a coup d'état, is now stifling dissenting opinions on the OLM Board, while turning himself into a ruthless dictator. Many observers believe that the board is fast becoming a "So- say-one-so-say-all" environment.

Worse, any one who exercises his/her independence and expresses dissenting opinion is targeted for punishment, if not isolation.

Recently, during the vetting of candidates for executive director post, Mr. Henry Kesselly, a board member, voiced his dissenting opinion on the integrity of the hiring process. Instead of addressing his concern, the board leadership, prodded by Mr. Yaskey, demanded that he retracts his statement or be suspended. Mr. Kesselly has since refused to allow himself to be intimidated, saying, "I am not prepared to be bullied into retracting any public statement".

"This behavior on the part of Mr. Yaskey and his allies on the board is simply wrong, and amounts to chronic power-drunkenness. Yes, I now realized that ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ ", another board member, who prefers anonymity, told the PeopletoPeople News Network.

The independence of individual members of institutions, such as board of directors, is the strength that makes decision more legitimate and prudent. To temper with that independence, which is reflected in the diversity of opinions, is to undermine the very purpose for which the board exists. No single member of the board works for the Chairman. Rather, each and every member serves the community, period.

Additionally, no provision in the OLM board’s code of conduct, let alone the organizaiton’s constitution, empowers the Chairman to suspend a board member because he or she disagrees with a policy or approach.

This is an absolute insanity and must be stopped in its tracks, to save the community another round of tension and conflict. Yes, we can say with certainty that what is happening now in OLM surpasses madness! Even in the great US Supreme Court, there are dissenting opinions.

This emerging crisis brings many questions to mind, amongst which are: which non-profit guideline (Minnesota statute or board governance rules) allows for such reckless display of power? Does Mr. Kesselly not have a right to express his freedom of speech? Is it criminal or illegal to question the transparency of a process? Is this not what Democracy is all about? Why all this power drunkenness?

Remember, the issue of the illegal seizure of the chairmanship of the Board from Mr. John Tarley is still lingering. But here Mr. Yaskey’s board comes, provoking another anarchy. What Mr. Yaskey really wants? This is the same Yaskey, who after he suffered a crushing defeat, manipulated the rest of his colleagues to remove, Mr. Tarley, the man who defeated him. Does Mr. Yaskey have a problem living with Democracy, especially freedom of speech?

Now is the time for the community to act.