Can they really stop you from (or penalize you in any way for) reporting a crime?
Stop? No.
Penalize? Perhaps. But the Salty & Unreconstructed Old Bastard contingent on the Board of Elders would likely back me. The SUOBs are happy to keep things moving along, but get their dander up, and it's "Katie, bar the door."
Even if they
did roust me, they would have to find a replacement. I am not the working-est(1) guy on the BoT, but I do make things happen.
Penalize, Always. Violate the groupthink, no matter how heinous, and find yourself playing both pariah and scapegoat.
That's not quite how I'd describe the atmosphere on the BoT. Worst politics is usually between two or more women getting catty. (Hard to believe, I'm sure.) For my part, I don't care much HOW folk make things happen, just that what needs to get done,
gets done. To quote another member, "My way of doing it beats your way of not doing it."
As far as the yahoos parking in the fire lane, I have agitated a bit on the issue and we are to the point where we're going to contract with a towing service and post METAL(2) signs declaring "No Parking" with the towing service number. I also want to contact the fire dept and see if they can run a drill to/in our gym. I'd love to see something like this:
(1) One retired fellow who uses the church landscaping to try out his organic ideas makes the most happen, followed by the chairman. Then, me. Most others fill their chairs.
(2) Because the wonderful urban youths busted down the PLASTIC no parking signs and then ran over sprinkler heads.