UPDATE: Who's funding your candidate?

Voters will make key decisions on August 18, when Republican voters in Sarasota cast ballots to decide which Republican candidate they want to run in the November 3 election for the County Commission seats in District 1 (northeast Sarasota) and District 5 (North Port/Englewood).

Among other factors in choosing, it's good to know who stands behind the candidate, who is funding him or her? No endorsements, but some facts:

DISTRICT 1

This information is very easy to find. Go to this page of the Supervisor of Elections site, click on a candidate's name, and you'll find the reports of each candidate on who gave them money. For example, here's a report from Mike Moran.

Moran's received over $47,000 so far for his 2020 campaign, and the developers have given a substantial share of that:

To compare, click on Mike Hutchinson's list of contributors. He has taken in $6,294.71 so far. He's loaned himself $30,000 to stay in the race.

DISTRICT 5

You can do the same in District 5.

Ron Cutsinger, a former board-appointee on the Planning Commission, has $55,000 so far. His list of contributors starts here. In addition to his own money, he's received backing from a number of builders and developers:

Recently Cutsinger has also received support from the Boone family, whose Venice law firm does a good deal of legal work for developers. Here's part of July 2020's list:

His Republican Primary opponent Christopher Hanks has $17,605. Along with land owners and Realtors show up the Benderson name also appears in his list. In August 2019, the West Villages and related developer contributors show up:

Randy Benderson

And in January 2020, the Benderson family came aboard the Hanks campaign with donations totaling $800:

Chris Hanks January 2020 donors - partial list

You can do the same research for the Democratic candidates, but they're not running in this Republican Primary for the BCC.

The winners of the Republican BCC Primary will face Democrats in the fall: Mark Pienkos in District 1, and Alice White in District 5.

Broader perspective

A broader look at developer influence over the last four years would include these contributors to our County Commissioners:

As well as these developer-donors to our School Board members:

One more thing about the upcoming elections . . .

The "Primary" for Sheriff and School Board is not in fact a Primary, but a final election. More about that here.

It's very important to vote on Aug. 18 - to do that, you need to register by July 20, which is coming right up. All the information you need to learn how to register, to change party affiliation, voting districts and more can be found at the nonpartisan Citizens for District Power site.

Are you in?

It might come as news that Sarasota County's August 18 "Primary" is not a Primary. For both Sheriff and School Board, it's the entire election. Voting is open to all registered voters. Learn why here.

To vote on Aug. 18, you must be registered with the Supervisor of Elections. If you've not already done so, the deadline is July 20. Where to begin? Citizens for District Power can help you register, apply to vote by mail, even change party affiliation. It clarifies which districts are where, who's running in each, and why candidates unburdened by piles of developer cash have for once a real chance. Do have a look.

On the other hand, for the Board of County Commissioners, August 18 is a real Primary, for Republican voters in districts 1 & 5 only. A bit of an update on who's backing whom in these races here.

Single member districts can be a game changer - if enough of us are in the game.

Citizens for District Power

Your petitions worked!

WITH JUST 4 DAYS TO GO, Mike Hutchinson MADE IT OVER THE TOP!  In fact, WELL over the top!   Now he and all the other NEWEST candidates for County Commission have qualified to be on the ballot in 2020.

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL Candidates!  And THANKS to all who signed their petitions!!

Now we can have some competition for a change!

Mike Hutchinson

Mike Hutchinson R - District 1 
   has qualified!

   Meet Mike

Mark Pienkos

        Mark Pienkos: D - District 1 
      has qualified!

• Meet Mark

Cory Hutchinson

Cory Hutchinson:  D - District 3 

     has qualified!

Meet Cory

Alice White

Alice White, D - District 5, 

has qualified! 

         Meet Alice 

Thank you!

Kindra Muntz
https://keepdemocracysafe.org (being updated)
https://singlememberdistricts.com (passed in 2018)

Now the School Board candidates must shift to raising money to qualify, because they realize it is IMPOSSIBLE to gather the rest of the 3,184 petitions needed by May 11 during the coronavirus shutdown of group meetings!  Why do they have such a large petition requirement?  Because their races are still AT-LARGE!  (School Board races should be single-member district as well!!)

So, CHIP IN if you will, to help them raise the $1,650 qualifying fee!!

School Board Candidates

Click here to print both School Board campaign petitions at once

School Board elections are non-partisan, and are still conducted at-large. That means any School Board candidate must submit over 3,000 verified petitions before May 11. 

Tom Edwards

Tom Edwards has stepped up to oppose Eric Robinson for a critical District 3 seat on the School Board. Find out more about him and download his petition, sign, send: electtomedwards@gmail.com or,

Electronically sign this Online petition for Tom Edwards—make sure your signature matches that on file with the Supervisor of Elections.

Printed, signed petitions can be mailed to Elect Tom Edwards, P.O. Box 1947, Nokomis, FL 34274.

David Graham

David Graham is gathering petitions to run in School Board District 2 against Karen Rose. 

Learn more about David, download,his petition here. Sign and send it to electdavidagraham@gmail.com, or, 

Electronically sign this Online petition for David Graham—make sure your signature matches that on file with the Supervisor of Elections

Printed and signed petitions can be mailed to Elect David A Graham, 5681 Bidwell Parkway, Unit 104, Sarasota, FL 34233.

Building Citizen Power

Advocate: Unanswered Questions on county's bungled redistricting effort

Source: ScGov.net

To the Sarasota County Commission:

Below is information copied from the Redistricting page on scgov.net. It includes an official acknowledgment of the public participation in the selection of an Alternative District map, and the timeline to complete your redistricting project.  

Since the first public Open House on 9/18, additional disturbing information has been disclosed which warrants shutting down this early redistricting exercise. Yet your timeline suggests that flawed population methodology and appearances of compromise will not halt your quest to dictate the future of county voters.

Please respond to the following requests:

·      The County acknowledges the contributions of 2000 residents in the input survey, but at your meeting on October 7^th, you essentially dismissed the map preference selected by 90% of the respondents. Please account for this inconsistency.  

“…From Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, Sarasota County Government held five redistricting open houses as well as circulated an online public input survey. We appreciate your feedback — more than 2,000 public input forms were submitted. Read all the input submitted below….”

·      What is the agenda for your “special meeting” on October 30, 2019?  There are no details in the list of Next Steps at the end of this message, although other dates in the redistricting timeline specifically indicate an action or purpose.  On October 30^th:

o   Which maps will you consider---those “citizen” maps enhanced by Kurt Spitzer which show two Commissioners living in the same District—noted by red dots (See link and attachment: Waechter/alias Smith, former Commissioner Mason, Miller and Thomas)? Or will you display even more map options similarly unviewable on screen at a public meeting? 

Please be specific, since there’s an impression that the “Smith” map (aka Bob Waechter) may  serve as the template for the final District map. 

o   Has Mr. Waechter ever participated in configuring District maps for the County Commission in the past, e.g., post-2010 Census?  

o   How will the public be involved in your process---as spectators or active, meaningful participants? You touted this process as interactive and fair.  When will that happen?

o   By October 30^th, will you have shared your District boundary preferences privately with the consultant for a second time? If so, will you divulge what you shared since you also promised to be transparent?  

o   Will you accept additional map boundary ideas from political operatives identified by name or alias?  If so, please expound.

o   Will you go on record and dismiss the flaws discovered and confirmed by subcontractor Richard Doty, a recognized population expert at BEBR, the organization which provided the methodology for your contractor’s population study?  

o   Will you explain how it’s acceptable to demean justifiably concerned citizens by referring to them as “white noise”, when they include the Herald Tribune, Venice Gondolier Sun, SRQ Daily, the League of Women Voters and various City Commissions in Sarasota County?  

Since the “special” meeting on 10/30 is still two weeks in the making, I look forward to receiving your responses in a timely manner. 

Or, better yet---Finally do what’s best for your constituents and tell everyone that you’re waiting until after the 2020 Census to draw new District boundaries.  Displaying this questionable endeavor in plain sight does not make it right, and does not serve the public interest. 

Pat Rounds, 

District 1

Redistricting

Next Steps

• Oct. 30  - BCC Special Meeting on Redistricting

o   Time: 1:30 p.m.

o   Location: Commission Chambers, 1st floor in Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

• Oct. 26 - Advertise Nov. 5, 2019, Notice of Public Hearing to adopt map.
• Nov. 5 - Board action to adopt district boundaries and associated map.
• Nov. 10 and 17 - Advertise district boundary map adopted on Nov. 5, 2019.
• Nov. 19 - Board action to approve minutes from Nov. 5, 2019, including adopted map and acknowledge proof of publication for inclusion in the Nov. 19, 2019, minutes.
• Dec. 10 - Board approval of minutes from Nov. 19, 2019, acknowledging proof of publication of adopted map.

Single Member Districts on the chopping block?

From a concerned resident:

People around Sarasota are receiving calls from those who fought Single Member Voting Districts:

An official campaign is already underway to undermine November election results. Sarasota County voters in all five Districts overwhelming endorsed Single-Member Districts (SMD) to ensure more direct representation and accountability from our County Commissioners.  Below is a message from a county resident about a slanted phone survey regarding how the County Commission should be configured.   

So, what’s the potential endgame here?  Thanks to the two misleading County Commission ordinances on the November ballot (Charter Review Board and Citizen Petition Amendments), our Commission now solely retains the right to hold off-cycle "special elections." So don't be surprised if SMD is on the chopping block before 2020. The County Commission should reject any request for a special election to undo SMD before it even has a chance to work. Stop this "Anti-SMD " effort in its tracks and tell our County Commissioners to respect the will of the people they're elected to represent.  

Please post any information you may receive about this Anti-SMD campaign (including the source/funding of this phone survey) on the Citizens for Sarasota County Facebook page.   

---------- Forwarded message ---------Date: Mon, Jan 28, 2019 at 5:57 PMSubject: Heads up - single member districts
Just a heads up. I just recd one of those survey calls for Sarasota.Someone has paid for them to survey whether we would be opposed or for one of the following:

1. create a new 5 district county board where 3 are elected at large and 2 by district. (or vice versa – can’t remember now)
2. create a 7 member board where 3 were elected at large and 4 by district. 

Based on the silly questions they are already tying to unwind the amendment we just passed on single member districts.  The questions are definitely worded to make these single member districts seem bad for the people.

Candidate statement: Lourdes Ramirez

Lourdes Ramirez

My name is Lourdes Ramirez and I'm running for Sarasota County Commission because I believe Sarasota can grow responsibly.

There are three costs of growth: financial, human and brand costs. The financial cost is the cost of government services and infrastructure growth requires. As a candidate for County Commissioner, I believe new development should pay its own way and not burden the existing Sarasota taxpayers.

The human cost is the quality of life we enjoy. I believe we should focus on addressing traffic issues and ensuring we don't cut government services for our current citizens. Until those concerns are addressed, proposals for increased density of new developments shouldn’t be approved.

Growth has an impact on Sarasota’s brand. Our community had a reputation for a high quality of life, but now we face constant traffic congestion, incompatible developments, and reduced green space. As a County Commissioner, I will protect neighborhoods, parks and green space. In contrast, my opponent voted to support the developer that proposed an industrial recycling dump next to the Celery Fields which would have destroyed our important tourist destination, hurt wildlife and damaged our brand. As a county commissioner, I will vote against any proposed industrial dump next to the Celery Fields.

The citizens should trust the elected County Commission to look out for them. That is why I'm running for Sarasota County Commission. I will be the voice of the citizens of Sarasota County. 

Let's get the message out to voters. If you can volunteer your time or donate to my campaign, I would greatly appreciate it. Contact me at:

vote4LourdesRamirez@outlook.com 

or mail your check to

Lourdes Ramirez Campaign

PO Box 35231

Sarasota, FL 34242

www.ElectLourdesRamirez.com

Note: Citizens for Sarasota County offers all candidates for County Commission space for a statement. Provision of editorial space is not an endorsement of candidate or party.

PAC Money, Dark Money in Sarasota FL

Astonishing half-hour talk by Cathy Antunes tracking the flow of large sums through interlinked PACs in Sarasota County, FL

Cathy Antunes on Dark Money in Sarasota Politics - anonymous PACs whose sole function is to funnel money into the campaigns of politicians who serve the interests of developers, builders, contractors. Antunes explores the relation of their interests to Charter Schools who spend 40% of their revenues on rent paid to real estate groups from whom they lease their school buildings.

At the center lies Eric Robinson, whose accounting firm channels money at the behest of big donors like Pat Neal, James Gabbert (waste plant at Celery Fields), Rex Jensen (Lakewood Ranch), Gary Kompothecras (Siesta Key), Benderson Development and Carlos Beruff. It also earns rather hefty fees for its "consulting" work, notes Antunes.

The money flows from these developers to PACs run by an elected official (Robinson is on the Sarasota County School Board) to Republican political campaigns. A former head of the Republican Party in Sarasota, Bob Waechter, is active in finding malleable candidates for the County Commission, School Board, Hospital Board, Charter Review Board and other races.

Dark Money - gets darker

The Detail:

When it comes to dark PAC money in Sarasota/Manatee, there are relatively few managers. Eric Robinson is by far the leader in managing local dark money. With 30-40 political committees under his management, Mr. Robinson manages millions in political committee donations. As he has explained in the local press, donors to political committees “don’t want to be identified”

By the way, remember that $50,000 donated by Robinson Hanks Accounting to Manatee Against Taxation on June 5, 2013?

On July 3, 2013, Manatee Against Taxation turned around and paid Robinson Hanks $50,000 for accounting services. It’s interesting that a political committee required accounting services valued at 43% of its total 115K in assets, and remarkable when a company can make a 50K political committee donation and then one month later charge the same political committee an exorbitant 50K accounting fee, recouping its original donation. Even more remarkable how the PACs treasurer, chair and registered agent are one and the same – Mr. Robinson. Now Sarasota has Mr. Robinson’s accounting prowess at the helm on the Sarasota School Board.

Eric "Dark Money" Robinson

Complete story at The Detail.

Slate filling out on CRB races

Five democrats filed to run for Sarasota County's Charter Review Board this week. Each district now has an actual race. Despite Bob Waechter's dim view of the Board as an elective body, it's still an active elective board:

Charter Review Board, Dist. 1	Arlene Sweeting (DEM)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 1	Anthony "Tony" Sawyer (REP)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 2	Karen Collins-Fleming (DEM)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 2	Donna Barcomb (REP)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 2	Vic J. Rohe (REP)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 3	Tom Patalano (DEM)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 3	Pat Wayman (REP)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 4	Ray Porter (DEM)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 4	Jody Hudgins (REP)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 5	Mike Shlasko (DEM)	Qualified
Charter Review Board, Dist. 5	David Samuel (REP)	Qualified

Also relevant to our local elections: This saturday, a BGA forum exploring reforms for our election structure:

JON THAXTON, Senior Vice President for Community Investment, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and former County Commissioner

CATHY ANTUNES, President, Citizens for Sarasota County and public interest activist

Moderator: FRANK ALCOCK, Professor of Political Science, New College of Florida

Where: Gulf Gate Public Library auditorium

7112 Curtis Ave., Sarasota

When: Saturday, June 25, 2016 

2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

The County Needs New Faces

From Dan Lobeck:

Here's your last-minute chance to make a big difference in Sarasota County government.

Concerned citizens who want to run for local office have until Friday at noon (June 24) to file and qualify.

To do so, you can call Cathy Fowler of the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office at 861-8605 and she will be glad to help.  She can email the paperwork to you or you can pick it up, or fill it out on the spot, at the Elections Office in downtown Sarasota or in Venice or North Port.  They are open 8am to 5pm, but again the deadline is Friday at noon.

Two offices to consider are County Commission and Charter Review Board.

For County Commission, so far incumbent Charles Hines (R) is unopposed in District 5 and Nancy Detert (R) is unopposed in District 3.  The filing fee is $4,939.86 to run as a party candidate or $3,291.24 to run as NPA (No Party Affiliation).  One of the required forms is a more thorough financial disclosure which may take some time and information to fill out.

A run for Charter Review Board is easier, with no filing fee and a simple financial disclosure listing of assets and sources of income with no dollar numbers​, which can be done at the Elections Office within a half hour.

Two Charter Review Board members who recently voted to advance a measure to take away the voters' right to elect our Charter Review Board are so far unopposed in their Republican primary.  They are Anthony Sawyer in District 1 and Jody Hudgins in District 4.  There is a full slate of Democratic candidates for all five seats up for election, but so far no challenger to these two incumbents in their Republican primary elections.

A candidate for County Commission or Charter Review Board must reside in the designated District, although the vote is county-wide, both in the August 30 primary and the November 8 general election.  Maps of the Districts may be found here: Map of County Districts.

It might also be noted that the deadline for voter registration or a change in a voter's party affiliation, for the August 30 primary elections (for instance to vote in the Republican primary contest between Frank DiCicco and Mike Moran for County Commission District 1), is August 1.

  -- Dan Lobeck 
Join Control Growth Now

Coming Events: A short list

Saturday, May 7, 9 am

The Conservation Committee will gather on the sidewalk by Whole Foods in downtown Sarasota. The plan is to carry signs and get petitions signed both at Whole Foods and at the nearby Farmers Market to protest the corporation's wish to locate a second store on top of a 4.5-acre wetland at Honore and University Parkway. Quite a bit more about the Whole Foods wetland fight here.

Monday, May 9, 7 pm - State Senate CONA Forum 

CONA Sarasota holds the second of its candidate forums, this one for State Senate. The format for questions -- short-answer hardballs, with follow-ups when worthwhile -- makes for a lively and revealing exchange. Dan Lobeck again will do the questioning, as he did for the State House Forum in April. Here's hoping all the candidates can appear. It's at the Sarasota Garden Club on Blvd. of the Arts.

Wednesday, May 11, 6 pm - Bob Waechter Proposal at CRB

The Sarasota County Charter Review Board meets at the County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., at 6 pm to hear Mr. Waechter's proposal that the Board commit a form of institutional hara-kiri. Mr. Waechter has stated that he believes it is in the citizenry's best interest to put the Review Board in Limbo until such time as someone (unclear who) sees fit to wheel it out. Citizens for Sarasota County and others question whether this is in the best interest of Sarasotans. We're asking that those who come out Wednesday to oppose this initiative wear white shirts. More background here.

Saturday, June 25, 2 pm - BGA Forum

Better Government Association Forum at the new Gulf Gate Library Auditorium/Conference Room from 2 to 3:30 pm. The topic is REFORMING OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS (County of Sarasota) with Jon Thaxton and Cathy Antunes, and moderated by Frank Alcott.

Also:

The final date to declare candidacy for Federal and Judicial offices is May 6.  The final date for state and local offices is June 24. A website about the candidates is underway - more soon.