One more quick topic!

Heard a brief talk re the statewide MLS that isn't, and isn't even called that anymore. Being run by the large mergor for the small mergee (actually the state association rag tag assortment of small contracts). The old application has a new name, but is still not fully finished--after two years of development.

Here's the point I want to make. Where is the 4.5 million dollars (and all the hidden costs in terms of volunteer time and staff time that doesn't show in the 4.5)? There is now optimistic talk of the great job the mergor staff is doing running things at the new merged entity and the tacit admission that the committee/staff of the state association didn't really have the ability or inclination to accomplish the original goal--do ya think??? So the money is gone, the time is gone, the competitors for MLS technology leadership marched on as the money and time left--two f them are rolling out Flex based MLS applications in beta already.

What are the consequences of this episode at the state association? Apparently none. It's being treated as an oops! Were there lessons learned? There weren't any learned when they dropped over a million dollars into the stillborn intelligent agent money pit not so many years ago. This may be no different. Teflon coating for everyone?

Accountability is in short supply among the Kool Aid Krowd. Too busy climbing ladders and kissing anatomical metaphors. After all, it's only member dues money and the cost per member isn't much--hey, it's our organization so we're just stuck when things go sideways. Bad stuff happens---but why does it happen again and again? Could it be that the core leadership and staff stay in place for decades? Same people doing the same stuff generally leads to the same results. There is no effective way to change that with the present political system in place. It takes a long time to enter the ranks of leadership and only those who chug the Kool Aid ever last that long--once approaching leadership levels, those power-inebriated aspirants would never jeopardize their ascent by suggesting things weren't perfect the way they are. Great system, except the real world operates in a different arena----AS DOES THE PUBLIC, whom we represent.