A Case Study

SOMETHING NEW Jobs in a haystack 

A satire, kind of

The “Partnership Approach to Enhance the Political Potential of the San Fernando Daily Development in the Bayside Area (Chapter II)” started officially last September. According to the Institute of Redeemed Souls (IRS), the lead convenor of the said project, Chapter II was a bit delayed for at least a couple of months, owing to the request of “The Family”, the principal technical consultant of the project, to study further and process the details involved for the downloading of its financial requirements. Nevertheless, Chapter II started with the plan of conducting an Infiltration Workshop for its partners, with the purpose of rehashing the items discussed in Chapter I, and to set realistic targets and objectives for Chapter II, particularly in capacitating the San Fernando Daily Development (SFDAD) as its eventual political service provider in the area.

SFDAD, primarily a foundation, with its main office in the Bayside Area, and with satellite offices in the SoCal District, was an active partner of the project since day one. IRS chose this particular foundation because it has the capacity to ensure the potentials of improving the political aspect of the area. With an estimated 200 million dollars worth of assets and a political portfolio of at least 157 million, SFDAD is more than capable of leading the political dynamic in the area. The only thing lacking in their desire to engage in advanced politics is the technical know-how of going into the parameters of producing quality leadership in an area constantly beset with power outages and power politics.

So it is only fitting that they were able to attend to that Infiltration Workshop, along with their Vice President for External Penetrations, Ping Asshoe and SFDAD’s then Media and Social Consultant, Tonio Savato. Although it would have been great if the company president, Fried Mercury, had attended the gathering (along with the rest of the Committee) for him to able to grasp fully the plans of IRS along with other partners such as the Department of Investigations (DI) and the Fight Don’t Ache Agency (FDAA) in capacitating the foundation as its eventual political service provider in the sunny Bayside.

And so immediately after the Infiltration Workshop, the Committee (SFDAD) had a special meeting in Sta. Monica (they had a gathering in there, attending the festivities of the Foundation Month), and one of the agendas of the said meeting was the foundation’s involvement in that political project. Ping Asshoe, the one who attended the workshop, I heard, was given a privilege talk about what really transpired in that gathering, and somehow used that talk as the basis for them to issue a document, a resolution, to continue on with the project, and designated a point person (yours truly) in place of Tonio Savato, who, even before Chapter II started, had already expressed his desire to “move on” at the end of the year. And, as far as I know, there is still no hard copy yet of this meeting’s draft that would signify SFDAD’s desire to continue on with the project.

In my opinion though, it was a meeting that was marred with a lot of discomfort. In a sense it was like they had discussed it merely to accommodate a project they could easily disregard in the end (if need be), discussing it for compliance’s sake. I really don’t know what happened about this sudden “change of heart” that SFDAD was undergoing at that time. But I could recall that immediately after that meeting in Sta. Monica when I had a chance to talk to Fried Mercury (something that was rare in those days) in the office one day, he complained about this “blood money” which was supposed to be, according to him, given to the foundation to be used for this political development. “What's the matter with this political project,? Always having meetings but without results. And where's the blood-letting sacrifices so far?” he even said to me once. It was as if something was amiss with regards to his understanding about the whole project, perhaps since Chapter I, and so I went back to Mr. Savato and talked to him about certain details when this project was first introduced to SFDAD.

What Tonio Savato said to me was quite revealing. He was not even around when this project was first introduced to the foundation through Mr. Mercury himself. Savato said that it (the project) was only handed to him haphazardly by Mr. Mercury, and with an equally revealing remark to him, “Tonio, look at this, see if we could make some money out of it.” Perhaps Mr. Mercury was so caught up with its end results without thinking too much about its prerequisites. He was probably thinking about The Family as a potential avenue for some "borrowings” (financial, of course), something that the foundation needed in order to cover (up) a multitude of expenses that is dragging the operation at times. But despite the haphazardness of Mr. Mercury’s treatment of it from the very start, Tonio went on with the project, even though what he had was just a promise of a sure profit out of this new politics and a “gentleman’s agreement” between him and Mr. Mercury.

On my part though, I thought that comment (see if we could make some money out of it) was just a part of his unusual gait of taking a shot at a particular issue, negative or otherwise, especially when it concerns the foundation, until the arrival of the Chinese Imperial and Communal Act (CHICA). The act was supposed to be an add-on activity in relation to the concerns of Chapter II. It aims to enhance the operation and personality, more or less, of those partners, including SFDAD, engaging in the business of politics. Sponsored by The Family and in coordination with the The Family Locale, the project’s intention is to improve further the operational aspect of those handling the political scene in the Bayside Area by visiting other Chinese political foundations and eventually comparing notes and experiences. It would have been a noble thing to be included in that project, until an ignoble comment prevented me as a point person, and SFDAD as well, as a point partner from attending even its initial meetings. Regardless of the invitation letter sent by The Family (until now I am still puzzled as to why the foundation has the habit of disregarding the letters sent by either The Family or IRS), I, almost to the point of begging, tried to convince him to send a representative in that meeting since IRS will cover my travel expenses, Mr. Mercury just gave me a text message over the phone, "I have not read a communication and we don't have money right now.” But I was able to attend at least one meeting though, after an intense negotiation between him and Miss Ulam, but like I said, it was more of a “compliance” than a commitment on their part. Luckily for SFDAD, CHICA was called off. It would have been fatal to the foundation if it was approved.

And that probably did the Streamers Workshop somehow. I tried to negotiate with him after our staff meeting once so I could secure my pass to attend to this said workshop, which could prove vital as far as capacitating the foundation as a local political consolidator is concerned, but he didn’t even look at my pass and was quite evasive every time I reach out about anything that concerns politics and Chapter II---still arguing about that “blood money” as if SFDAD is in need of one so badly. The foundation may have been in need of some money to some degree, but SFDAD at that time, and probably until now, wasn’t exactly on the brink of some bankruptcy or foreclosure or anything close to that, the “money-trail”, nonetheless, kept them from seeing the opportunities that they could generate if and when they go full blast about this project. And so they left me with no choice at all. I wrote a letter to IRS, explaining why the foundation was a no-show at the workshop.

Even the meetings I had with IRS were construed as a job away from my job. I was thankful though that I had a meeting with them (IRS, DI and FDAA) at Queens Resort in Golden State where we discussed about the modalities of the Streamers Workshop because it would be quite impossible to be there, given the situation, on a daytime, now that they, or rather him (Mercury) has considered my liaison with IRS in competition with my job as a Development Officer to the foundation. This was when Mr. Mercury (again) said to me that I am not performing my job the way they expected me to, that is, to promote and generate ideas for the foundation. Again, to me, that statement was a bit strange, born either out of sheer ignorance or just another pretext to cover up his coldness about the project. I already had an agreement with Councilor Elmer Gantry of Death Valley Political Pioneers Association (DVPPA) that I would conduct a Development Drive Seminar (DDS) to the impresarios and dissidents of Death Valley, as part of the continuing drive of SFDAD for political correctness, but somehow this plan was thwarted out of the unwillingness perhaps of the foundation itself, as represented by their president, to take some risks at the expense of playing safe. My supposed DDS for Death Valley would have been a precursor in terms of generating ideas for the foundation, but, as “SFDAD-PRES.” suggested, I was not doing what I needed to do for the improvement of the foundation’s ideational concerns.   

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I was beginning to feel at bit desperate about my situation in SFDAD. I really don’t know the plans of the foundation for me, at least from the perspective of this political project. I felt ashamed even about attending some of our gatherings because apart from the “separation anxiety” that SFDAD displayed during the months of November and December for this project, most of the time also I would go to these gatherings, seminars, workshops, all by myself. I was expecting really that I would be provided with a partner or two from the foundation as soon as Chapter II is launched to accompany me as part of these continuing capacity-building efforts that the foundation needed for this project, not just one person attending these activities all by his lonesome.

Strange though, I was able to attend to that Political Trading Forum (PTF) at Pasadena Training Center. But it was a participation I would rather have with the rest of SFDAD. I even negotiated, along with Miss Ulam, to Mr. Mercury to attend the said forum for him to have an idea on the comings-and-goings of the political trade in the area. And as expected, he was too busy for the gathering. VP Asshoe called me that morning, informing me that he can’t attend the forum due to a previous commitment he had in his county, being a county officer himself. The forum would have been THE venue for SFDAD to get in touch with its principal players in the political trade, an event of which the foundation could probably establish a sense of rapport to its prospective partners in the future. 

So when the Sensitivity Seminar was postponed due to Hurricane Radiohead, the situation suddenly became a little hopeful, at least I still have the time to convince further the management to send some participants, aside from myself, for the Sensitivity Seminar, since it is an indispensable requirement for SFDAD if they are indeed serious with the project. I thought that 2 weeks would be enough for me to prepare, even plot my conversation to them just so to push through with Chapter II. I even went to the extent of convincing our County Officer for Organizational Politics, Virginia Wolf, to resume our community visitation, which was put on hold owing to the fussiness of SFDAD’s commitment as a local political consolidator, in that every time I will have my field work, the rumours circulating in the office would be, “Is that politics again?”

At the back of my mind though, I had my doubts. It was not the project I’m worried about, but the foundation’s. It hasn’t been a foundation since. It was as if someone is imposing an omerta (culture of silence) on this project following that promising committee meeting in Sta. Monica several months ago. I was so pissed off that nobody even bothered to consult me about the many letters IRS and The Family had sent online, a clear indication that even those in the rank-and-file were either not doing their jobs of giving feedback to the parties concerned or afraid that the end result would still spell some disapproval from the President himself, either way it has made the project a kind of a pariah, something that they’re afraid to confront knowing the unpredictability and the “unacceptability” of the one who is truly running the show inside.

December 24. We had a staff meeting around 5 that afternoon. The agenda of the said meeting was to discuss the findings of our Oversight Committee for the year 2012. The findings, nonetheless, were decent, but somehow certain items were a bit problematic. And in turn, the foundation wasn’t able to achieve a kind of success as far as its objectives are concerned, which could be an indicator that there is indeed a little bit of progress compared to the previous year. At that point, I thought, being part of the top management, and not necessarily privy to the day-to-day transactions of the foundation, which was the basis of those findings assessed by our oversight pundits, that we (meaning our partnership with the political project) will continue on as planned. Until the management, as expressed by President Mercury, has decided to cut ties with its “erring” employees since the foundation as a whole wasn’t able to meet its desired representation for the year. This was confirmed even by our Recycled Officer, Miss P., when we had a short talk immediately after that meeting.   

I then immediately sought to inform Nowhere Mann, being the interim Lead Associate at that point; that from now on he will take care of the concerns of the Political Project, along with 2 other special projects for the foundation I’m handling, after I told him that my representation wasn’t able to make an impression as per advice by President Mercury to the Recycled Officer. I took my things off my desk after that, especially those documents pertaining to the political project, so I could draft a comprehensive letter to IRS about what transpired in that fateful December meeting, when the foundation has decided not to engage in this political project anymore by firing (smoothly) their point person to the project. 

And so after getting my last pay, I went home not knowing what to do. It took me two days before I was able to draft a letter, informing IRS that I am no longer part of the foundation, and basically telling them to coordinate with their new Lead Associate of the Office (Nowhere Mann) about anything political, all the while thinking about the impending Sensitivity Seminar which was scheduled on the first week of January. Perhaps I was hoping against hope at that time that they will reconsider me as part of the management again, but even that was hoping out of mere wishful thinking. It was then that I recalled just two weeks before that meeting when I had a short conversation with Mr. Mercury in the office when he remarked, “Undangon na lang siguro nato na, pareha ra man na sa Meteor Garden sa una, walay klaro.” Somehow that statement served as a premonition for that meeting on December 24, when he did cut ties with IRS and the rest of its partners in a smooth and uncanny way only a politician could probably handle.

When I received a call from IRS on January 3 (the day of the Sensitivity Seminar), telling me that there is a spot for me in the club, I immediately grabbed the horse’s bridle, so to speak. I can’t afford to wait, as what the foundation told me the moment they did not extend my representation. I have some bills to attend to (I’m sure anybody can understand that). When I did report to the Sensitivity Seminar that afternoon, it was a bittersweet moment for me. I suddenly became an outsider looking in. I don’t have any idea about the reception of SFDAD at this time as far as the seminar goes, particularly on who they will send on the second day of the training, but one thing I do know that they will continue to attend to this project in the same way as did their president, “Attend-atteni ra gud na,” he said to me once on my way to that political forum.

When Miss P. showed up the following day, I could sense that she was taken aback, surprised even, probably because she did not expect to see me there in so short a span after our December meeting. It was an awkward moment. But I was quite circumspect about her situation, like me then, she was just “following orders” from the President himself, that it would be unfair to lash her with expletives because she was, after all, executing what her superior was probably asking her to do. That’s protocol, I guess. But I don’t know if they have the heart for this project anymore because up to that point, SFDAD is still looking for ways to dissociate themselves from the project. Miss P. even told me right in the middle of our coffee break that the foundation is still looking at that document, that representation between IRS and SFDAD pertaining to this project, before they could decide on whether to go with Chapter II or not. But why now? It all sounds so suspicious. Whatever happened to that committee meeting in Sta. Monica, I don’t know. Somehow, as far as I’m concerned, the entire committee of SFDAD was not even consulted on this matter, from the discontinuation of my representation to the eventual dissolution of the entire political project.

For what it’s worth, the project somehow started good until SFDAD felt (or was it their President only) that they were not treated right, which I thought was a bit immature and unfounded. It was me that was not treated right instead. The fact that they did not dignify most of the communications of the project in a way they have dignified other activities of the foundation that was nothing short of a waste of time and expenses, like going through their grammatically anemic constitution, Facts Against Constitutional Tyranny (FACT), in some populated island resort for just one day. I mean what could they possibly do going through those pages of that document which was a bit intricate and technical in form and in some crowded resort for just one day? That’s not work, in the first place, that’s a CONVENIENCE store. So it was all Mercury from now on with SFDAD. I even heard before IRS reported this unfortunate matter to The Family, that they (SFDAD) are serious about cutting their ties with IRS and the rest of its partners. And I doubt, again, if that was, and is probably, the sentiment of the whole Committee when they have decided to push through with this project a few months ago.   

(photo, sulekha.com)