Mandrake (aka Dave Israel)  The Magician “Now  You See and Now You Don’t”

Stew Richland

I have decided that this will be the last article about why Phyllis Richland decided to withdraw from the UCO election.  I am an ethical person with a conscience. If you choose to believe my version of this issue so be it. This is a story of a grave injustice and I am compelled to set the record straight.  As the scriptures tell us, ”The truth will set you free.”

Every great magician develops the skill of slight of hand. or in Dave Israel’s case is slight of  mouth depending on which side of his face he talks out of.  That is, he distracts the audience with one statement and distracts  with another comment.and viola the trick is finished and the crowd applauds his trickery.

Dave Israel is the Mandrake of UCO. 

Phyllis has worked under 5 administrations. Each administration had their own way of conducting business and her main concern  was to make the Village a great place to live.  The tradition here in the Village was that a UCO President would serve two terms and then step down, until Dave Israel became UCO President.  In fact, Dave wrote a very powerful argument for term limits in the UCO Reporter, sadly he did not take his own advice.

When Phyllis decided to run for the UCO Presidency she knew that it would be difficult campaign.  It was.  Many of the “old residents”  should remember the “meet and greet” candidates events that were held at the various pools around the Village.  Candidates expressed their views in an environment that was based on comradery and the goal was to make Century Village a better place to retire to.  Under the Israel Presidency this all ended.  When candidates resorted to posting signs advertising their candidacy, our President contacted Palm Beach County Code Enforcement to have them removed.  The Democratic electoral process at its worst.  In addition,  If a village resident wanted to challenge a posting on Dave’s blog they were denied access.  This allowed Dave to write what he wanted without  allowing any challenges.  Tell a lie or distort the truth often enough and people will begin to believe it.  Quite similar to the propagandists of the 1930s.

I never thought that I would be a victim of “CATFISHING.”  This a phrase that is common to anyone who uses social media.  Catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a post on their blog using a  false identity or in this case Dave did not feel it was necessary to assume a false identity  for nefarious purposes.His real intent was to impugn the character of Phyllis Richland.

The blog item was posted on Wednesday, the day before the meet the candidates forum.  What he categorically stated was that Phyllis was the author of the statement that bringing food in to the Village for our residents for the purposes of sharing lunch and conversation would turn this Village into a “SOUP KITCHEN.”  This was an out right lie. Dave was at that meeting when this issue was discussed and rejected and knows who the real author of the statement and,  it was certainly not Phyllis Richland.

One of the issues in this election that Dave and later Lanny Howe eluded to was the fact that there was a possibility of a husband and wife both with the title of UCO VP.  UCO legal counsel said that there was no legal prohibition on this.  However, one member of the Advisory Committee voiced her concerns.  She felt that it was unethical.  However, two other members of the same committee stated that they had no qualms about husband and wife serving UCO.  Both supported the view that when a highly qualified candidate wants to serve they should not be rejected for any reason.  And thus the issue was put to rest.  We thought!  Dave Israel picked up this thread and began to post comments about Phyllis’ candidacy with the objective to encourage delegates to vote against her since this was basically an ethical issue.

Wickedness is Wickedness  and never something else.  One cannot play with devious  unethical behavior with impunity.  And so when Dave Israel’s ambition becomes his weakness which controls his mind and that he loses true perspective it becomes a destructive situation in which Phyllis did not want to be associated with.  Ambition makes Israel arrogant  and this arrogance will be his undoing.  "A haughty spirit goeth before a fall," says the old proverb.  It’s just a matter of time and our Caesar will be gone.

After a great deal of soul searching, Phyllis decided that the best course of action was to withdraw from the race.  This decision was hers.  She felt that working in an environment so caustic, where the leader has no conscience could not be overlooked by her and so she pulled out of the race. Honor is avirtues. Is Dave an honorable man?  You make the call.

When Olga asked Dave what did you write on your blog that finally pushed Phyllis to quit the election, he replied be “more specific!”  “Can you identify the writing you are talking about?”  He further said, “What article are you writing about?” If this man who claims to have such a great memory cannot remember what he posted on his blog just the previous day, we are in big trouble.  Now we have the “piece de resistance“  Dave said that everything he wrote on the blog was fact and that it is in the record.”   THIS WAS THE LIE THAT I ALLUDED TO AT THE MEET AND GREET.

When I got home I opened Dave’s blog, and low and behold  the post in question had been removed. How convenient.  Is Dave a moral man? The fault, dear Dave, is not in our stars, But in YOU.

Phyllis has had a few day to reflect on her decision.  She has had no feeling of remorse or second thoughts

 Pride is among the virtues that may serve mankind. When it consists of a proper sense of personal dignity and worth  it clearly shows that Phyllis conducted  herself honorably towards evil ambition.

My own take on this isthe world is empty, when man no longer has a terror of the consequences of evil. If he can do wrong, and yet believe that he is exempt from the penalty, his inner life is dead.

Macbeth used his dagger to make his point. Dave uses his blog. Dave I hope you remember  how Macbeth ended up?

I know that my commentary is harsh and could leave my readers angry, so I would like to change the mood with the following story:

Four old guys are walking down a street just outside Century Village. They turn a corner and see  a signthat says, "Old Timers Bar - ALL drinks 10 cents."

            They look at each other and then go in, thinking this is too
            good to be true.

The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room,  "Come on in  and let me pour one for you! What'll it be, gentlemen?"

            There's a fully stocked bar, so each of the men orders a martini.

           In no time the bartender serves up four iced martinis shaken,   not stirred and says, "That's 10 cents each, please."

           The four guys stare at the bartender for a moment, then at each  other. They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish  their martinis, and order another round. Again, four excellent martinis are produced, with the bartender again saying, "That's 40 cents, please."

          They pay 40 cents, but their curiosity gets the better of them. They've each had two martinis and haven't even spent a dollar yet.

           Finally one of them says, "How can you afford to serve martinis  as good as these for a dime apiece?"

           "I'm a retired tailor from Phoenix," the bartender says, "and I  always wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the Lottery Jackpot for   $125 million and decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime.

          Wine, Liquor, beer it's all the same."

           "Wow! That's some story!" one of the men says. As the four of  them sip their martinis, they can't help noticing seven other people at  the end of the bar who don't have any drinks in front of them and haven't ordered anything the whole time they've been there.

           Nodding at the seven at the end of the bar, one of the men asks   the Bartender, "What's with them?"

           The bartender says, "They're retired people from  Century Village
           They're waiting for Happy Hour when drinks are half-price.