Local Candidates on Twitter

Check out what these new candidates have to say. They're intelligent, energetic, passionate about issues, and they're challenging the entrenched incumbents who have done little or nothing for Sarasota or for Florida.

Each link takes you to the candidate's Twitter stream - you can tune in and see their concerns, and how they address them:

Ruta Maria Jouniari Sarasota County Commission Dist. 2

Wesley Ann Beggs Sarasota County Commission Dist.  4

David Shapiro US House Dist. 16

Olivia Babis Florida Senate District 23

Tracy Pratt Florida State Rep. House Dist. 71

Margaret Good Florida State Rep. House Dist. 72

Liv Coleman Florida State Rep. House Dist. 73

Tony Mowry  Florida House Dist. 74

l to r: David Shapiro, Shirley Brown, Wesley Ann Beggs, Ken Marsh, Ruta Jouniari, Tracy Pratt
(Shirley Brown has won her School Board Race, Mr. Marsh is president of the LBK Democratic Club)
Photo from LBK Observer

CONA Sarasota Forum Oct. 8: Commission Race and Single Member Districts

Update: Go here for video of the single member vote debate and condidate panels from CONA's October meeting.  Monday, October 8, 2018         -  general election forum  -  county commission races single member districts         All candidates competing on the general election ballot for our county commission districts have been invited to participate in the CONA forum on October 8, 2018 that also will address a ballot initiative of particular interest to county voters. The forum will be divided into two panels.                  The first panel will feature Jack Brill and Dan Lobeck in a discussion of an initiative on the ballot that voters will consider regarding a change of county government form, from at-large election to single-member-district election of commissioners.               The second panel will combine county commission candidates Ruta Maria Jouniari and Christian Ziegler of the district 2 race with Wesley Anne Beggs and Alan Maio of the district 4 race.        Written questions may be submitted in advance or at the meeting to be included, as time allows, following the questions posed by our moderator.           Candidates appearing on our ballots for any races are welcome to attend the social before the meeting in order to make contact with voters and to distribute literature and yard signs, even if not scheduled as a member of a panel for the forum. Information about initiatives appearing on the ballot also may be provided to inform voters.                   The meeting will open with brief neighborhood updates about their issues, including Chris Bales on Arbor Lake Preserve, Ben Cannon on Bath and Racquet Club, Sura Kochman on Siesta Promenade, and Tom Matrullo on the Celery Fields.                                                                             See www.conasarasota.org/meetings.html for more information.                 social 6:30 p.m. -  meeting 7:00 p.m.          neighbors helping neighborhoods since 1961                        anniversary party  -  honoring John McCarthy  -  November 5, 2018 make your reservation at the meeting ticket purchase information is on the 'contact us' page of our web site

CONA meetings are free and open to the public as well as members of the more than seventy associations the organization represents and its individual members. Unless otherwise noted, the meetings are held at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota, which is at the intersection of Tamiami Trail, south of the Municipal Auditorium. Parking and the entrance are reached from Van Wezel Way. Socials precede the meetings at 6:30 p.m., the meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.

in retrospect: Primary 2018

 From CONA: 

   The 2018 primary election that will conclude on August 28 will determine who will represent two political parties in the general election that will be held in November and it also will be the final election of many nonpartisan races. The primary may eliminate candidates you support unless they prevail, so this is a crucial election in which voters need to make their selections carefully and be sure that they exercise their opportunity wisely to participate in the selection among candidates. 

                                             

    Many are expressing concern about candidates who are shunning forums and failing to submit to dialogue with the voters. This marketing strategy has been used deliberately in the last two cycles now--by candidates who seek election without having to address issues raised in public dialogue. A one-way commercial marketing strategy may be fine for the sale of detergents, but it is not how our election process is intended to work. One readily may discard a detergent found to be undesirable and replace it rather quickly, it's not so easy with elected officials. Our election process is designed for candidates to submit to public dialogue and to address questions raised that might reveal the natures of the those competing for election.  

       

   Voters must resist efforts to corrupt that process and the surest way is to refuse to elect those adopting a strategy of avoiding the public process. The alternative is giving us public officials who then cater to those who enable the expensive one-way commercial marketing strategy that puts them into office for the benefit of their financiers initially, and eventually, to the personal financial rewards that await their selected officeholders down the road.

         

   It takes engaged voters to make informed decisions now that we do not live in small, close communities with lifetime exposure to the character of those seeking to be our leaders. Granted, the process available to us now, is not easy, but without that effort-look at what happens!

     

   We have posted links on our website to videos of our two primary forums featuring the county commission candidates who accepted our invitations and submitted to the public scrutiny our members expect. See the calendar on our meetings page. We represent the voters who live in all of the neighborhoods throughout the county, both municipal and unincorporated, and we are encouraged by our members to ask tough questions that provide insight into the character of the candidates seeking elected office. As noted by one of the candidates participating in our August forum, the voters recognize the disdain inherent in the behavior of candidates seeking election or reelection without having to engage in public dialogue--and they are angry. 

 

   Please review the videos and vote for those most likely to represent your interests on the county commission:

             

Wesley Anne Beggs, Mike Cosentino, and Lourdes Ramirez
showed up to submit to our questions on August 13 

 

Alexandra Coe and Ruta Maria Jouniari 
showed up to submit to our questions on July 9, 2018       

             

neighbors helping neighborhoods since 1961

                      

save the date  -  our anniversary party  -  November 5, 2018

NACA Candidates Forum July 2018

Several candidates from both parties responded to the invitation of the Nokomis Area Civic Association to answer questions at at forum held on July 24, 2018 in Nokomis.

Candidates for the Sarasota County Commission in attendance:

Wesley Beggs
Alex Coe
Mike Cosentino
Ruta Marie Jouniari
Lourdes Ramirez

Commission Candidates who did not attend:

Al Maio (incumbent)
Christian Ziegler

Candidates for U.S. House District 17 in attendance:

Bill Akins
Julio Gonzalez
Greg Steube

Follow-up: Strongly worded email from John Ask to Commissioner Maio: 7.30.18 

It’s a sorry state of affairs when you’ve become so toxic to your community that you aren’t comfortable showing your face in public. 

Meet the candidates at the CONA Forum

Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations—CONA 

meet candidates at 6:30 pm and attend forum at 

7:00 pm Monday, July 9, 2018

_____ candidate forum _____ 

county commission district two race

Alexandra Coe, Ruta Maria Jouniari, and Christian Zeigler have been invited to participate in the CONA forum at 7 pm on Monday, July 9, 2018. They are all of the candidates qualified to run in the district two race for the county commission in the August primary. Voters elect all county commissioners, who are supposed to represent the entire county. Candidates run in the race for the district in which they reside.

The forum is free and open to the public. Written questions may be submitted in advance or at the forum to be included, as time allows, following the questions posed by our moderator.

_______ plus ______ 

meet qualified candidates for all local primary races

Qualified candidates for any scheduled local race are welcome to attend the 6:30 social before the 7:00 CONA forum in order to make contact with voters and to distribute literature and yard signs, even if not scheduled as a member of the panel for the forum. Because so few forums are scheduled, we are providing this opportunity for all local race candidates.

CONA election forums will be held each month through October at the Sarasota Garden Club 1131 Boulevard of the Arts see www.conasarasota.org/meetings.html for calendar dates and directions

For a change

Dump developer Carlos Beruff sues resident concerned about developing homes on toxic area.

John Garcia’s mission was simple. He wanted to make it less likely that people in his neighborhood would suffer from the environmentally-caused cancers that had plagued so many of his friends . . . - Dennis Maley.

UPDATE: Beruff drops Million-dollar Lawsuit against Activist - Dennis Maley.

Letter to the Editor responds to peculiar Argus diatribe

To a former commissioner who holds the Celery Fields responsible for infringing on heavy industry.

Letters regarding a sweet, senseless deal

 A former Planning Commissioner asks why 100 acres of county land wasn't good enough for a new Sheriff's truck garage.

Feel a little dumped on? Tired of 50 years of toxic same-party, same-gene-pool rule? 

There are alternatives -- take a moment to get to know them:

Ruta Jouniari co-founded a free healthcare clinic and runs her own staffing agency.

Lourdes Ramirez needs only a few more signed petitions to qualify without having to spend $5,000 - the deadline is days away.

Wesley Beggs has stepped up for her first race

Alexandra Coe has just announced her candidacy for the Commission