As I stated in an e-mail to Marty Clark, it seems the Board does not realize the difficult economic times that people are having.

Nothing wrong with sending emails to Marty, but Marty doesn't have a vote. I suggest in the future you also send such emails to the Board of Directors at directors@oceanpines.org.

Somewhere along the line, Ocean Pines like any other business should balance the budget.

OPA does have a balanced budget.

These are tough economic times. While some may find any relief important, I suspect the vast majority of association members aren't going to be impacted much by a $45 increase or a $0 increase.

From a purely philosophical standpoint, should OPA budget and spend money based on what the poorest association member can pay? My answer is No. The answer, as with most such questions, is somewhere in the middle, between the poorest and the richest. The point of the middle ground is what these budget/spending debates are all about.

How can the board determine the proper middle ground point?

And thanks for posting your views.