What is Save Our Community, Inc. ?

I was digging around on Topix and found out that Save Our Community, Inc filed a Brown Act lawsuit regarding Montebello. Though I support the Brown Act, what is SOC doing filing a lawsuit in Montebello? Jim Flournoy was also listed as filing a suit, as was COPP, a group that Flournoy seems to be involved with.

Who is on the board of SOC now? I was under the impression that SOC was no longer active except for social meetings at Amber Rose, and this website.

I think either SOC Inc should be on this site, there needs to be a split, or they need to disincorporate.

I'd prefer the first option, perhaps with a statement that SOC Inc is not responsible for this content, or something.

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I did some searches on Google, and it looks like SOC Inc is Jim Flournoy, using SOC's name to make comments on different projects, and to file lawsuits. This really rubs me the wrong way. SOC was founded to fight Wal Mart in Rosemead. The original organization, which didn't have the name, was spearheaded by Larry Bevington and the group at Amber Wood. The name was invented by Estelle Holtz and accepted by the group collectively (I think there was a vote).

Jim Flournoy didn't get involved until later. (I think this website predated his participation.) Why is he using the name to file lawsuits and make comments? In comments to the RMC regarding the Discovery Center, he writes:

"Save Our Community members appreciate the opportunity to comment on this fine project. SOC strongly supports the Proposed Project."

What "members" is he talking about? Was there a discussion at a meeting?

SOC, as I know it, is a community group that I'm not in, but meets occasionally at Amber Rose to play cards and talk. It's also this website, which is mostly Todd's project.

If there is no meeting and decision-making process, having Jim out there using the name confuses the issue and misrepresents the existence of SOC.

For that matter, this website probably confuses the issue, because it's not necessarily SOC either. (I opposed the Discovery Center. I happened to support the football stadium, which COPP and Jim seem to oppose.)

If there is a meeting, then I stand corrected. The meetings should be posted to this site.

Here's an old post explaining the original groups. This was written well after the start of this website, which was started not long after the name was chosen.

About Save Our Community

Inc

SOC incorporated as a non-membership organization with an executive board of three, including Jim as Secretary. They had legal advice that this was the way to protect individuals from liability for their legal actions against Wal-Mart.

I thought the corporation SOC disincorporated, but, not being a member of the executive board, I don't know. If it has not disincorporated, I suppose Jim would be accurate to continue to say for identification purposes that he is secretary of the corporation, but I don't think it would be appropriate to speak of the "membership" supporting or opposing anything.

a new career for Jim?

It looks like Flournoy's new career is being a protege of Cory Briggs. Cory is an attorney who screws community organizations by filing law suits in their name against new big box developments . He then settles out of court for hundreds of thousands of dollars that go directly to his legal fees. http://www.topix.com/forum/city/glendora-ca/TMSB0H9U8PECF73OG I wonder who received the cash here.
http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvgov/2008/09/walmart-pays-out.html
I know for a fact that no one in the community group SOC received any of this cash. Maybe, someone in SOC Inc. knows where the money went.

Since Flourney was one of 3 in the incorporated SOC, he can still use the SOC name.

I would not treat a Tribune

I would not treat a Tribune article as truth--particularly if the person they're attacking has a history of suing businesses, politicians, or interest groups that advertise in their pages. You only have to look at the Tribune's coverage of the Industry football stadium and the Vernon controversy to see that advertising in the Tribune buys good coverage.

Let's kill the baby.

Maybe we should shut down this website and revive it with a different name. As it stands, it makes SOC look like a living organization.

If you do decide to rename

If you do decide to rename the site, I'd suggest holding on to the old domain and redirecting people to the new site, at least for a period of time.

yeah, we can redirect for a

yeah, we can redirect for a few years.

rebranding can even be an opportunity to roll out the site again. pretend it's new :)

Then maybe you can sell the

Then maybe you can sell the old domain and make a boatload of money!