Big Canoe POA / Smoke Signals.. Responding to the Responses

Timeline Summary of the June 2025 Big Canoe Response Wars.

The POA eblasted A Message from the POA Board of Directors titled “In Support of Scott Auer and Standing Together for Our Community Values.”  It was a response to a BCResidents article, “Big Canoe is being mismanaged” & an FOBC article, “Big Canoe GM “1-Star Scott” Auer” simply asking valid questions about Scott’s qualifications (which they have never answered by the way).  Then BCResidents.com responded to the POA Response with a Response, “In Support of truth & Transparency“.   The Smoke Signals then followed up with a Response to the email sent out Tuesday by “Residents Big Canoe” which they laughably titled “Smoke Signals is independent“.

Well, FOBC Newspaper is now jumping into the Response Wars!

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I’m going to begin with the Smoke Signals (“SS”) response, which is a laughable joke.  Couple of points:

1. SS claims to be independent, and in the article says they are not “not affiliated directly, nor indirectly, with the POA.”  OK… so both entities are non-profits, which means they have to file public IRS Form 990’s, that list Board of Directors.  In the past decade you have a history of POA Board Members leaving, and immediately obtaining a Board seat at SS.  Independent my ass. Further…
2. Show me the investigations, or any serious attempt at questioning the POA, on just about anything.  If SS was representing even the laziest, most pathetic version of a professional newspaper, dedicated to serving it’s citizenry… we’d be able to find at least ONE REAL news story every month that provided public examples of all the times the POA or Board has been asked tough questions; financial analysis of the POA presentations, or done actual journalism in regards to Lake Petit Dam or any of the various Project overruns.  So show us!
   Luckily, we have FOBC (BigCanoe.org), BCMatters.org, and now the newest BCResidents.com that are picking up your slack.  We’ve even got some exceptional, and well known property owners out on the new FB Group finding loads of things to question, investigate and report on.  Why can’t you??

So give me a break… you folks have been acting as the lapdog for the POA for over a decade, ever since SS ceased being operated by the Big Canoe HOA.  The HOA existed as a counterbalance to keep the POA in check.  It worked well until the HOA was tricked into disbandment along with the 2016 Land Deal debacle.  That left an ownership void which allowed POA Loyalists (that the old HOA had spent decades keeping in check) to take over.  Now all we have left is this disgrace of a hollow shell masquerading as a Newspaper – but that is basically little more than a marketing vehicle for Community Real Estate Sales as it is distributed across Wineries, Dahlonega and other North GA travel spots in the hopes of catching the eye of affluent Atlantans / Floridians.  That is the sole purpose of the Smoke Signals it seems.

So Part Two – Responding to the POA’s Response:

1. The Board did not address any of the issues raised, nor questions asked, by either the BCResidents site, nor the FOBC article.  Notably absent was any explanation for how a guy who’s only experience over the previous 10 years was running a 22 person crew of “Molly Maids” was deemed a qualification for the position of Big Canoe GM, or explaining exactly which qualifications jumped out to the selection committee and screamed, “Hey, this guy is perfect!”
2. Instead, the POA Response tried to twist a series of legitimate and rational questions into “unseemly online personal attacks”.  What?  Asking questions is now the same as attacking someone?  There was also the suggestion that property owners exercising free speech rights on Facebook or other forums was unacceptable?  Since when is exercising our 1st Amendement rights under the purvue of the Big Canoe POA?  I don’t recall any of us giving up our US Citizenship when we bought into Big Canoe.  And I don’t appreciate the bullying and shaming that the POA attempts as it does everything it can to avoid answering questions. They’ve historically done it to the publisher’s of BCMatters and FOBC, and now they are gunning hard to try and find the identity of those behind BCResidents – most likely so that they can launch aggressive smear campaigns.
3. Lastly, the entire Response seemed to rely on these vague assumptions that Scott Auer’s “results achieved during his tenure are evident”.  Yet not a single thing was listed as an example. 

I thought that was rather unfair of the POA.  Scott has indeed accomplished a lot of change in Big Canoe during his tenure, and so it only fair to list some of these things:

• Debt has almost tripled.
• Monthly dues are up 30%.
• We are looking at Millions of Dollars of unfunded Repairs to Lake Petit Dam.
• Substantial Project Over Runs.
• Amenity Profits are Down.  Amenity use is down.
• POA Top Management Salaries have Skyrocketed (including Scott’s).
• F&B Losses at record levels and holding.
• Water Rates… don’t even get me started.
• Property Sales are dropping.
• Litigation by POA Employees went up.
• Legal Expenses up.
• Botched Trademark Negotiations.
• Sources say the Board is discussing Monthly Increases, AND a Special Assesment.
• Project Bidding and Selection turned over to unaccountable Dept Heads.
• Watchdog Groups, and Property Owner Questions have increased.
• Transparency into POA Activities has decreased.

Hmmm… so this is Great!!  Right?  RIGHT?  Pheeew!

So in conclusion I say to the Smoke Signals, “Shutup and go learn to do journalism, and say THANK YOU to those that are picking up your slack!”, and to the POA Board and the rest of the Insiders that signed the Letter I say, “Stop focusing on Personal Attacks and attempting to create an Atmosphere of Hatred towards the newest BCResident Group – and instead start focusing on Answering Questions that they legitimately pose.”

Oh… AND you never answered any questions recently posed by Patricia Cross (BCMatters,org), or FOBC (BigCanoe.org)!  For example, Property Owners are still waiting for an explanation on WHY their POA Funds are being used to maintain and improve a Roundabout on Public Property, that the Developer contracted to maintain.  Bet you won’t do an eblast on that, will you? And I bet you won’t see the Smoke Signals diving into any journalistic inquiry on all the recent public questions asked lately either!

And that about covers the FOBC Response.  Have a nice day 🙂

(And we still need a Forensic Audit.)

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Peace,
– david / publisher / property owner
Focus on Big Canoe, GA
themtnsvoice@aol.com

* publications of The Mountains Voice