If you live in one of these communities, you need to be an active member of the HOA. If you don’t actively participate, the kooks will take over.
Unfortunately the anti-HOA's on this thread are the people who show up at the meetings and bitch then in the same breath tell the hardworking board members that they are "too busy" to get involved.
They always mention they have a job and a family as if every board member doesn't have those things too.