Dark Money, / Alex Coe / Red Tide

SCAN is about planning methodology as practiced in Sarasota County. Part of that "practice" involves the enormous sums of money that flow into our campaigns - especially during County Commission races, as that Board has the final say over land use and rezone decisions.

Cathy Antunes

Listening to Cathy Antunes' exploration of PACs the other evening at Fruitville Library was like following trails of money into a labyrinth of PAC managers, campaign coordinators and creators of nasty mailers. 

The mystery PACs - which are supposed to be totally separate from the candidates - show funds coming in from other PACs, which got them from yet others. At some point, though we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars, the trail can simply vanish. Cathy's pertinacity in tracing the funds, the managers and the connections inside Florida and across state boundaries has yielded some astonishing results. One result I was unprepared for: certain candidates in our local elections are managing their own PACs, in direct contradiction to the lawful purpose of this funding method!

There are at least two recordings of her talk - one is on Facebook, done by Mark Warriner of WSLR - if you have a FB account, it's here, and starts around the 9-minute mark:

Dark Money at Fruitville - Cathy Antunes for SCAN

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Alex Coe

Meanwhile, there are two other items I wanted to share with you: The first, again, is Cathy - this time interviewing District 1 Candidate for the County Commission Alex Coe. Alex has a varied background and has served on the Charter Review Board, and has insights into what is going on with a fake voter guide, a closed District 1 primary, and local flooding among other things. Coe has experience with the planning process and is worth listening to on that as well, which you can do here:

Alex Coe talks with Cathy Antunes

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And last for now, a paper about Red Tide in our waters has been published that we should all be aware of. The research was done by local investigators including Dave Tomasko and Steve Suau, and it offers strong evidence that Red Tide at Siesta Key correlates with the flushing of highly nitrogenated water from Okeechobee, which the Army Corps releases periodically into the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Not only do these releases provide the nutrients to feed Red Tide -- they affect the duration if and when the Red Tide makes to the shoreline. In brief, the duration of our Red Tide events appears to correlate closely with deliberate releases from the lake. 

Recentl the Army Corps of Engineers, which organized the releases, reportedly stopped sending Okeechobee waters to the Atlantic Ocean. Releases to the Gulf are ongoing.

An evaluation of the relationships between the duration of red tide (Karenia brevis) blooms and watershed nitrogen loads in southwest Florida (USA)

As Steve Suau said to me, this biological link between Lake Okeechobee and Siesta key shows how interconnected are the ecosystems in which we live - far more than we imagined them to be. 

This is Nature, complex and co-involved - the plans of our developers never dream of thinking in this way. They do not seek knowledge or resilience in scraping and building on our land - the end game is to prosper.

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1000 Friends Recognized for Grassroots Initiatives

We are pleased to share that 1000 Friends will receive American Planning Association (APA) Florida’s Award of Excellence for Grassroots Initiatives. APA Florida will present this award at its annual statewide conference of professional planners on September 4 in Tampa.   “We are gratified to get this recognition from APA Florida,” said 1000 Friends President Paul Owens. “Educating Floridians to participate knowledgeably and effectively in the community planning process is our top goal.” Established in 1986 to support managing growth in one of the fastest growing states in the nation, 1000 Friends of Florida’s mission statement notes: Above all, we strive to give citizens a meaningful role in shaping the futures of their communities and state. We at 1000 Friends take this mission to heart. For more than two decades we have focused on supporting an informed cadre of “citizen planners” to provide meaningful input at the local, regional, and state levels. Through free webinars, landmark studies depicting the impacts of population growth and development on our lands and waters, legislative advocacy, special reports, a robust “clearinghouse” website, and more, 1000 Friends prioritizes empowering Florida’s citizens to engage in their planning process. Here are some of the highlights: Dr. John M. DeGrove Webinars – Since 2011, close to 45,000 attendees have participated in our more than 120 free Florida-specific webinars which feature recognized leaders sharing strategies to build better communities and save special places.  Legislative Advocacy – Each session we maintain a user-friendly webpage to track key legislation, conduct legislative preview, update, and wrap up webinars, and send regular email updates to close to 20,000 contacts with updates and calls to action when relevant. Visioning – In partnership with the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, our 2040/2070 studies depict the potential impact of millions of new residents and sea level rise on Florida’s natural and agricultural lands and waters and have served as the basis for ten county-specific workshops, with four more planned in coming months. Website – Our robust website serves as a clearinghouse for all things planning in Florida, including citizen-friendly information on conserving Florida’s lands and waters, supporting sustainable and resilient communities, fostering community engagement, and more.  Special Reports – We prepare concise planning reports on a host of topics, post them on our website, and share widely to make planning issues understandable to a larger audience.  Traditional and Social Media – We amplify our message through traditional and social media and, according to the media platform Meltwater, articles and information by or about 1000 Friends and our planning work had a reach of almost 1.8 billion over the last year.  In all we do, we attempt to crystallize the key issues, offer workable solutions, and provide step-by-step strategies to spur change.   We embrace innovative technologies and traditional grassroots tools to promote shared values such as quality of life, clean drinking water, and fiscal responsibility.  We believe that 1000 Friends’ multifaceted grassroots initiatives have, collectively, elevated awareness of the importance of sound planning, citizen engagement, and sustainability throughout Florida.  We thank the highly respected APA Florida for this recognition. We also are indebted to Florida friends like you who partner with us to bring about positive change in one of the fastest growing states in the nation. With appreciation for all you do, Vivian Young, AICP

Antunes: Following the Money for District 1 Teresa Mast

From Cathy Antunes' The Detail 

It used to be that candidates were prohibited from even coordinating their campaigns with PACs. No more! Now candidates are actually administering their own PACs, usually as the chairman. It’s a gross conflict of interest. Instead of being limited to the new lofty “limit” of a $1000 donation from any one person or corporate entity, now candidates for local office in Florida can set up their own PACs and get unlimited funds from donors. Can Florida’s campaign finance ethics get any worse?

Have a look at Friends of Teresa Mast. Mrs. Mast is running for Sarasota County Commission, District One, and she is chairing her namesake PAC:

On July 24, Cathy Antunes will present her latest research into Dark Money at 5:30 pm at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road - right next to the new Publix and the rising County Administration Building.

Meanwhile, read Cathy's full post on The Detail relating to candidate funding and the dangers to fair elections.

Countywide Clean Campaign Pledge gets first signers - YourSun

Countywide Clean Campaign Pledge

The following story appeared in YourSun:

VENICE — Venice Thrives has brought back the Clean Campaign Pledge it asked City Council candidates to sign last year, and now it’s the inspiration for a similar effort this year by a Sarasota County group.

Citizens for Sarasota County has sent essentially the same pledge to all candidates in contested county races, with plans to report responses online starting Friday.

About Venice Thrives:

“Venice Thrives is a nonpartisan citizens group that focuses on issues in Venice that contribute to economic prosperity, strong property values and our quality of life: preserving our historic downtown core, neighborhoods, homes and buildings; protecting the visionary John Nolen plan of our city to keep Venice a walkable, green, vibrant city; maintaining Venice’s strong sense of place as it grows.” — VeniceThrives.com

About Citizens for Sarasota County:

“Citizens for Sarasota County is a coalition to promote ethical, responsive government that preserves and enhances Sarasota’s unique natural environment and cultural heritage while building a sound local economy based on effective stewardship and innovation.” CitizensForSarasota

All three Council candidates have signed the pledge, according to a news release from Venice Thrives: Kevin Engelke and Pat Ouellette, who have filed to replace Helen Moore in Seat 3, and Jim Boldt, who’s unopposed so far in a bid for reelection to Seat 4.

The qualifying period for the two positions, which are nonpartisan, ends at noon, Friday, Aug. 23.

The pledge commits a candidate to “conduct my campaign accurately and honestly, keeping the focus on issues relevant to the voters of Venice, Florida”; “not engage in character defamation of other candidates or participate in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to campaign issues and to publicly repudiate any campaign material or advertisements of other groups who engage in such activities”; and “refuse both direct contributions and indirect support, e.g. in the form of advertising or mailers using my name or photo, from organizations that do not disclose the origins of their funding, such as dark money PACs.”

Venice Thrives initiated the pledge “to combat the dirty tricks politics that had begun to infect Venice races,” the release says. “The group believes that the focus of Venice elections should be on the local issues that Venice voters care about and that no candidate should be subject to personal attacks.”

As noted in the release, Joan Farrell and Ron Smith, who signed the pledge last year, won their races, defeating a two-term incumbent and a political newcomer who both declined to sign but said they were committed to running clean campaigns.

Having this year’s candidates on board with the pledge “will make it harder for out-of-town political and special interest groups to interfere in our local races,” the release stated.

“Venice Thrives is also gratified to see that Citizens for Sarasota County has just launched a countywide Clean Campaign Pledge modeled after the Venice pledge,” it continued.

The only difference between the two versions of the pledge is that the one put out by CSC substitutes “Sarasota County” for “Venice” as the focus of campaign issues.

It was sent to all the candidates in races for the County Commission, School Board, Hospital Board and Charter Review Board via email, or by U.S. mail and social media post if they didn’t provide an email address, as well as to their campaign managers, CSC’s blog states.

Shari Thornton, a nonparty affiliated candidate for County Commission Seat 3, said via email that she has signed the pledge, as has Charles Bear, a Republican candidate for tax collector, according to CSC’s Facebook page.

The cover letter included with CSC’s pledge says the group won’t be endorsing candidates “but instead will focus on the Clean Campaign Pledge as our contribution to local County elections.”

A 2024 Countywide Clean Campaign Pledge for Sarasota Candidates

                                                          Citizens for Sarasota County 

To the Press

For Immediate Release

July 11, 2024

Citizens Group Urges Candidates to Pledge Against Corruption

      Mystery money and vile attacks poison fair and honest elections, group says.

Sarasota, Florida: Citing a history of Dark Money PACs and personal attacks in Sarasota County political campaigns, the grassroots advocacy group Citizens for Sarasota County (CSC) has invited all candidates in this year’s contested county elections to sign a “Sarasota County Clean Campaign Pledge.”

“For more than a decade, we have witnessed Dark Money PACs and hired political operatives from outside Sarasota County turn our local elections into mud-slinging free-for-alls that ignore local issues,” said Tom Matrullo, one of the group’s founders. A similar Pledge used by Venice Thrives in the 2023 Venice City election led to two incumbents losing their seats after refusing to sign.

“Sarasota citizens feel we are not represented by our elected officials,” said Cathy Antunes, creator and founding member of CSC. “Thanks to the Citizens United decision of 2010, local campaigns are fueled by huge contributions from a handful of individuals and their affiliated companies. Local elections are also impacted by Dark Money PACs, which do their best to hide their donors from voters,” she added.

“When PACs use their deep pockets to boost their selected candidate by launching unsubstantiated negative and personal attacks against a rival, a political machine is shaping our lives, lands, roads, and ecology while residents wonder what happened to open, democratic representation,” said Matrullo.

“The Pledge will raise voters’ awareness of negative campaigning and focus discussion on issues of real concern to the voters of Sarasota County,” added Susan Schoettle, a member of the CSC Steering Committee.

CSC has monitored County issues since 2014 via the Citizens for Sarasota Blog, The Detail -- a local radio program, and a community group on Facebook with over 4,400 members.

CSC has invited 50 candidates across 17 countywide races to sign the Pledge. Results will be reported well ahead of the August Primaries. 

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The Pledge:

Sarasota County Clean Campaign Pledge - Election 2024

To do my part to ensure an honest, fair election that focuses on the

issues facing Sarasota County voters, I pledge to:

1. conduct my campaign accurately and honestly, keeping the focus

on issues relevant to the voters of Sarasota County, Florida.

2. not engage in character defamation of other candidates or

participate in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to campaign issues

and to publicly repudiate any campaign material, communications, or

advertisements of other groups who engage in such activities.

3. refuse both direct contributions and indirect support, e.g. in the

form of advertising, communications, or mailers using my name or photo,

from organizations that do not disclose the origins of their funding, such as

dark money PACs.

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Three Candidate Forums in July from the LWV

                                

HOSPITAL BOARD REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 - 5:30pm

JACARANDA LIBRARY

attend in person or watch virtually

more info view live on YouTube

 

SARASOTA SCHOOL BOARD FINAL ELECTION 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2024 - 5:30pm

JACARANDA LIBRARY

attend in person or watch virtually

more info view live on YouTube

COUNTY COMMISSION REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

(DISTRICTS 1 & 3)

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2024 - 5:30pm

VIRTUAL ONLY

more info  view live on YouTube

SUBMIT A QUESTION FOR THE CANDIDATE FORUMS

Submit Questions for the Forums

 

 

All candidates appearing on the August ballot for these contests have been invited. Of the eight candidates vying for four Hospital Board seats, six have accepted the League’s invitation to date. Of the five candidates running for the two available seats on the School Board, only three candidates, Thomas Babicz, Liz Barker and Tom Edwards have accepted at this time. 

According to the League’s website, lwvsrq.org, “All candidates are asked the same questions and asked to speak for themselves with no rebuttal.”

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CANDIDATE?
CHECK OUT OUR VOTER GUIDES!

Voting for Hospital Board Members

School Board Candidate Checklist

Vote 411

League of Women Voters SRQ

A Countywide Clean Campaign Pledge for 2024

This Clean Campaign Pledge was formulated during last year's Venice City Council election, and it led to the change of two seats.

This year, why not invite candidates for all electoral offices to sign it?

In fact, this is now underway. As of July 7, 2024, an invitation to sign a copy of the Countywide Clean Campaign Pledge has been shared with all candidates in contested elections countywide, including the County Commission, Hospital Board, School Board and Charter Review Board. If a candidate did not provide an email address, the invitation was sent to them via Facebook and to their homes via postal mail, as well as to their campaign managers. The invitation is below, with hyperlinks added.

=================

July 7, 2024 

Dear Candidate for Elected Office, 

Citizens for Sarasota County, a grassroots citizen group, is sponsoring a County-wide effort to  encourage election campaigns that focus on issues of concern to Sarasota County voters and to  discourage negative campaigning. This County effort is based on a successful program for City of  Venice City Council elections sponsored by Venice Thrives. The County Clean Campaign Pledge  is on the next page. 

Citizens for Sarasota County (“CSC”) is asking all candidates running in a contested election for a  County Commission, School Board, Hospital Board or Charter Review Board position in Sarasota  County to sign the attached Sarasota County Clean Campaign Pledge – Election 2024. By signing  this Pledge, you will help keep our local elections clean and focused on issues – not negative  attacks or false information. 

Citizens for Sarasota County will not endorse candidates but instead will focus on the Clean  Campaign Pledge as our contribution to local County elections. As you may know, voters in the  City of Venice made clear their support for the clean campaign pledge sponsored by Venice  Thrives in 2023. All 2024 candidates for the Venice City Council have signed the Venice Clean  Campaign Pledge. CSC believes that voters across the County will also support clean campaigns  that focus on County issues. 

Will you sign the Sarasota County Clean Campaign Pledge?  

You can sign the Pledge electronically on the next page (return email to CSC automatically sent)  or print, sign, scan and email it to PublicGoodSarasota@gmail.com 

We hope to hear from you by July 11th. Starting on July 12th, CSC will post and regularly update information indicating the candidates that have signed the Pledge online at Citizens for Sarasota County and Citizens for Sarasota County | Facebook.  

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at PublicGoodSarasota@gmail.com. We look forward to working with you and other candidates for clean elections in Sarasota County. 

Thank you, 

Citizens for Sarasota County Steering Committee

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City of Sarasota Commission Forum July 18

 Sarasota city commission candidate forum

Thursday, July 18 5:00-6:30 pm

Friendship Center (1888 Brother Geenan Way)

The event will be moderated by WSLR's Cathy Antunes. The format will be focused around voter questions about city issues.

All 7 candidates have been invited to join this conversation with the community.