Sarasota's new candidates have a lot to say -- but will the public get the chance to hear them?

In our area right now, we are fortunate to have several candidates who are knowledgeable and articulate on a broad range of environmental issues.

Unfortunately, the current state of local media is such that it's likely very little broad public attention will be given to our area's local candidates or issues in the 2020 General Election. More on this below.

Here's a brief intro to five of these challengers, all of whom have made the environment a key plank in their respective platforms:

Andy Mele has a long and strong history of advocacy in both New York and Florida, where he's led Suncoast Waterkeeper as well as taking a lead role in opposing the huge gypsum mining firm Mosaic. Andy is running for Florida House District 71.

Mark Pienkos is running against incumbent Mike Moran in District 1, where large-scale developments are getting approved and moving eastward at an accelerated rate. Pienkos sees serious custodianship of the environment as integral to maintaining Sarasota's highly regarded quality of life.

Cory Hutchinson is running for the County Commission against Nancy Detert in District 3 - the Venice area. One key element of his platform is renewable energy. Hutchinson also wants to prioritize infrastructure repairs, to stop sewage spills into our water.

"Our environment is everything," says Alice White, "it's why we chose to live here." White, who's running for the District 5 County Commission seat, has been a longtime North Port voice for good planning and good planting -- In fact she's known as "The Tree Lady."          

Brian Kelly is a candidate for Venice City Council and a lifelong resident of Sarasota. A co-founder of Hands Along the Water, his focus is to preserve our lands from over-development, to protect our water quality and the environment as a whole, and to extend the reach of public health. "We must protect our natural resources," he says, adding, "our state's fragile environment is at risk from powerful interests. I am frustrated by developers' destruction for short-term gains. Our kids will pay the ultimate price if we don't act now."

There's a lot more about the County Commission districts, candidates and issues at Citizens for District Power.

From the sudden spate of super hotels planned for Siesta Key to the efforts of the Old Miakka Community in the most rural eastern portion of Northeast Sarasota, some of the most significant local issues have to do with the impacts of planning and intense development upon the environment.

Each candidate is following his or her individual conscience and commitment, but behind their concerns looms a larger common question, lurking in Red Tide, in storm surges, in ever-stronger hurricanes, in polluted aquifers, in the disappearance of rural life: Is our way of living reaching a breaking point? 

Where are the public debates?

None of these challengers is accepting developer handouts. All deserve to be better known. Voters deserve sustained, illuminating, in-depth discussion at this critical time.  

No public debates were organized by the corporate media in Sarasota during the August Primaries. The Herald Tribune is not staging any forums or debates for the General Election. And here's no word as of yet from WWSB-Ch 7, or the Observer, or any or our corporate media as to how they will cover the election.

Two local groups are holding online forums: - click the links to obtain their schedules: 

Tiger Bay and the League of Women Voters are organizing Zoom Forum events.

Are our media trying to socially distance themselves from these issues? Some residents think so. If you feel that candidates running without large funding from developers deserve more media attention, please sign this Petition:

Sarasota News Media: Engage our candidates!

One reason Carlos Beruff likes Mike Moran

 

Carlos Beruff (Medallion Homes) likes Mike Moran

Here's one reason why:

Several years ago when Mike Moran was on the Planning Commission, he helped developer Carlos Beruff get a commission recommendation to build homes on a site near an old county dump. Though residents said tests showed toxicity, this undoctored video shows how Moran turned that logic around. The Planning Commission (an appointed board) ultimately recommended approval for Beruff's proposal - which is now under construction at Foxfire on Proctor Road.

Questions for Tiger Bay: Sept. 3 Forum

On September 3, 2020, the candidates for District 1 -- incumbent Mike Moran and challenger Mark Pienkos -- are scheduled to participate at noon in an online forum presented by Tiger Bay. In advance of the forum, Kim Noyes emailed a request for any questions for the candidates. The three questions below precipitated from discussions among many citizens who care about the future of Sarasota County:

 

Mark Pienkos

Mike Moran

Proposed questions for the District 1 County Commission candidates: 

#1. Transfer of Wealth: Certain economists believe that in places where governments are lax in regulating growth - or that encourage rapid growth - evolve social economies that produce ill-conceived land use, excessive density, traffic, and shortage of services. They also see a transfer of property value and quality of life from existing (built-out) areas to the shiny new developments. Agree or disagree?

#2. Sustainable Development: (Follow up to #1) At some point developers run out of room. The inevitable result is they move to greener pastures, leaving behind communities to deal with the impacts from the new residents, roads, services, etc. Even more crucially, a county whose working people have a high dependence on active construction could find itself abandoned by its most crucial economic drivers. What concrete proposals do you bring that would diversify our economy so that when our big developers move on, Sarasota will be assured of a lively balance of well-paying jobs, instead of turning into a Florida version of Kenosha -- a dead town abandoned by its one large industry?

#3.  Keep the Country Country: Earlier this month, a 170-year-old community went through the proper channels set out by our Planning Dept. to amend the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. 

        Their goal at a Planning Commission hearing was to preserve “rural heritage” lands at the far eastern end of Sarasota County (Verna Road in NE County) from leapfrog intensification. 

        The Planning Commission didn’t simply vote to unanimously deny their proposed CPA (Comp Plan Amendment); it stepped beyond its advisory role to question whether a community even had a right to maintain its way of life. They voted - again unanimously - to write to the County Commission with an inquiry that could end citizens’ right to amend the Comp Plan.
       Without getting into the specifics of this proposal, please share your thoughts: 

    - Should Sarasota County communities be permitted to voice their concerns and aspirations for sustaining their way of life? 

   - Is a board of appointed industry insiders the appropriate entity to abrogate an established community’s right to sustain its existence? 

    - Or might this claim to protect Sarasota from “chaos” and property right litigation simply exemplify the development sector's overreaching pursuit of unregulated acquisition and development for private profit?

UPDATE: Planning Commission ignores facts, law, and courtesy, advocate says

Update: 8.25.20 from Becky Ayech:

I received a call from Michele Norton with Sarasota County Planning Department regarding what I thought I had heard at the August 20th meeting.  She said that three people had listened to it and they did not hear what I heard. Several of you also reviewed it and no one heard what I did, but there have been several different things people did hear.  Thank you for taking that upon yourselves.

I thanked her for pursuing this.  I was glad that I didn't hear what I thought I did.

With that said, I still reminded her that the public was not treated appropriately.  We had followed all the County's Rules and their manner, that they lectured us and that they were going to get that rule changed is not part of their charge.  She said they will continue to look at this matter.

(Editor's note: There is clearly at least one moment when a voice breaks through the presentation. A masculine voice at 2:47:16 can be heard first indistinctly, then quite distinctly saying "You are the most conservative right human being that I've ever known." It's unclear who was speaking and who was being addressed.) 

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Editor's note: The email below from Becky Ayech regards the Planning Commission hearing of 8.20.20 on the Publicly Initiated Amendment to the Comp Plan on behalf of Old Miakka. This 170-year-old community in East Sarasota County (Commissioner Moran's District 1) is seeking an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would preserve the rural character of the area. (Herald Tribune story).

The email was sent to the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners on Sunday, August 23, which happens to be the third anniversary of the County hearing regarding James Gabbert's Debris Demolition plant proposed at the Celery Fields.

As yet we have been unable to verify the alleged swear word some say they heard duing the PC hearing. 

                                          Video of the 8.20.20 PC Hearing

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

To: Michael Moran <mmoran@scgov.net>, ncdetert@scgov.net, "Charles D. Hines" <chines@scgov.net>, Alan Maio <amaio@scgov.net>, cziegler@scgov.net

Good day Commissioners,

This is taken from the County's website:

Purpose: The Planning Commission, as the LPA, is obligated to interpret and advise the County Commission on the adoption of and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, as well as land use applications filed, pursuant to state statute or existing county ordinances.

At the 8/20/20 meeting of the Planning Commission, the Commissioners DID NOT fulfill or even consider what their purpose is.

Rather, they lectured the participants on how egregious they were by following the process SET OUT BY SARASOTA'S  PLANNING DEPARTMENT AFTER CONSULTATION WITH SARASOTA' S LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

WHEN THE MIAKKA COMMUNITY CLUB FILED THE REQUEST FOR A PUBLIC INITIATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WE HAD A $5,000.00 CHECK IN HAND.

WE WERE TOLD THAT WE DID NOT NEED MONEY, BUT 20 SIGNATURES OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE COUNTY.  WE PROVIDED 75, 45 WERE VERIFIED.

WE DID NOT DIG UP THIS REGULATION YOUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT DID!  

THE ONLY THING WE ARE GUILTY OF IS FOLLOWING THE LAW.  I cannot say the Planning Commission is guilty of following "the Law" as articulated in their purpose.

At the "process request " hearing in front of the Planning Commission, Mr. Spaeth was asked how much money this would cost, and he told them very little.  This is a map change not a language change.  Never the less, the public had to be lectured on how much this cost the taxpayers.  This is an inaccurate and nonfactual statement.

At the process hearing, Mr Spaeth also pointed out that here are other counties that have the same regulations.

At one point in the hearing, a Commissioner's mic was NOT muted and it sounded like he called someone a "righteous bitch".  Please review the meeting to see if I heard correctly. If I did ,then he should be removed.

Every member of the public who spoke in support of CPA-2019-C was respectful.  The Planning Commission did not return this courtesy.  On your Speaker Card, that one fills out to speak, it talks of civility. The Planning Commissioners were not civil.  They were condescending. They lectured us. NEITHER OF THESE ARE INCLUDED IN THE "PURPOSE" OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

At the end of the meeting, a Commissioner said they were going to get rid of this regulation. THAT IS ALSO NOT THEIR "PURPOSE".

The Planning Commission DID NOT address the facts that were presented to them.  Rather, they took the stance of  the proverbial three monkeys, "hear no facts, see no facts, speak no facts".

I ask that you look into these statements. The Planning Commission is a reflection of you. This was an ugly reflection.

Please respond to my email. please make sure the "righteous bitch" statement was an error in my hearing.

Respectfully submitted,

Becky Ayech

President

Miakka Community Club

As a postscript.  I chair two of your committees/commission:  The Traffic Advisory Committee and the Historical Resources Committee. 

I WOULD NEVER TREAT ANYONE THE WAY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHO  EXCERSIZED THEIR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT, WERE TREATED AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.

==

See the 8.27.20 Sarasota News Leader story about the hearing: With concerns about rights of owners of the affected parcels, Planning Commission votes to recommend denial of Miakka Community Club initiative to reduce residential density east of I-75

See also: Irreplaceable impact of Old Miakka lifestyle by Carrie Seidman in the Herald Tribune.

Seeding our imaginations - ecological and political

We saw a remarkable example of the ecological imagination bear fruit in Sarasota. The brainchild of a few people who paid attention to need - an overflowing, failed drainage system - and to potential - digging water retention on a huge scale - and to inspiration - piling up the muck to create a large plateau.

That sort of attention made the Celery Fields a place of public safety (from flood), public health (340 acres to walk, exercise) and general well being (for birds, nesting areas; for people, birding areas).

At the moment the Celery Fields was maturing into a thriving natural asset, drawing people from overseas to its Audubon Nature Center, a developer nearly persuaded the Board, its planning department, and two of our five commissioners (Moran & Maio) to approve building a huge open-air dump next to the nesting areas of the Celery Fields.

It took a community to turn away that big money exploitation.

Ecological imagination won out thanks to the people who live here. It was a close call. The environment will lose out to the rampant growth pursued by Pat Neal, James Gabbert, Carlos Beruff, Gary Kompothecras, Rex Jensen and their myriad mechanical minions if we don't feed, seed, and cultivate the ecology of our political imagination.

Vote wisely.

#celeryfields #primary #vote #election #growth #developers #commissioners #politicalmachine

Corona Virus in Florida: The numbers

From Mike Lasche, 8.14.20:

    Today, August 14, Florida set more records and recorded more high numbers of Coronavirus.

Today’s reported fatalities were 228, the 5th highest daily total of the pandemic.   The record, of 276, was set on Tuesday, August 11.

Today’s reported new hospitalizations were 618, the second highest ever, just 3 shy of the record of 621, set on August 5.    Today was also the 4th day in a row that reported new hospitalizations topped 500.

The 7 Day Average of Hospitalizations is at an all-pandemic high of 489, which means that there have been 3,486 new reported hospitalizations over the last week.

The 14 Day Average of Hospitalizations is at an all-pandemic high of 473, which means that there have been 6,622 new reported hospitalizations over the last two weeks.

The closeness of of the 7 Day and 14 Day Average of Hospitalizations suggests a consistent trend.     

With the 7 Day Average being more than the 14 Day Average, this means that new reported hospitalizations are increasing.

The increasing number of hospitalizations suggest that the virus is having a more serious impact on Florida than in the past…………and that the high number of confirmed cases are indeed leading to serious illness.

More ominously, with there being a steady trend of roughly 1 fatality for every four hospitalizations throughout the pandemic, a rise in hospitalizations augurs a rise in fatalities.

Below, please find tables and data which support the conclusions above.

Mike Lasche

Florida Walks and Bikes

p.s.   Mike is not an epidemiologist but has significant experience in analysis of data in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors.    These conclusions and data are offered as a public service, to further the understanding of the coronavirus pandemic in Florida.   Comments, criticisms, and questions are welcome.

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

Below, please find a table which shows the daily reported fatalities from July 31 to August 14.  Note today’s total of 228 and the record of 276, set on August 11.   Notice how the 7 Day Average of Fatalities is increasing since August 7.

Below, please find a table which shows the daily reported Hospitalizations from July 31 to August 14.   Notice today’s total of 618 and the record of 621, set on August 5.    Also notice the record 7 Day Average, set today.

Below, please find two graphs, the 7 Day Average of Hospitalizations and the 14 Day Average of Hospitalizations, through the pandemic.   Note that both are at all-pandemic highs.   Note that the 7 Day Average ends on a higher number than the 14 Day Average, which means that the number of fatalities is increasing, week to week.

Finally, here is a graph which shows fatalities, as a percentage of all hospitalizations, remaining at a relatively steady rate for several months.   The rate has remained around 25% since early May.   Please note that this is not intended to be a measure of the effectiveness of hospitalization, as a good percentage of fatalities, perhaps 15-30% occur without prior hospitalizations.   But, it can serve as a rough guide to the number of fatalities to be expected, based on the number of people hospitalized.

Voting in the Dark

Early voting in Sarasota County begins August 8, and Vote By Mail ballots are already out in the community. Yet with important public offices to be decided on August 18, where are our local media?

Mike Moran l, Alan Maio, r.

District 1 incumbent Mike Moran is running against Mike Hutchinson in the Republican Primary.





Constituents might recall a few things:

Mr. Moran  

• Voted for the gerrymander ("redistricting") that moved black voters out of District 1 -- and white voters in;
• Voted to approve Benderson's super-sized Siesta Promenade;
• Voted to to allow hotels like the one Gary Kompothecras plans on Siesta Key;
• Voted in 2017 for James Gabbert's dump at the Celery Fields.

Moran also

• Claimed he didn't know about the rotting pipes that spilled a billion gallons of wastewater at the Bee Ridge Plant in District 1;
• Instigated and voted for the amendment that makes it virtually impossible for residents to amend the County Charter;
• Enjoys the backing of Carlos Beruff, Randy Benderson, Jim Gabbert, Pat Neal and other major developers.

If Moran prefers to avoid journalists who'd ask hard questions about his record, that's politics.

But wait - none of our media are asking those questions: No debates, forums, or Q & A's have been held or scheduled for the District 1 race. Is a sitting County Commissioner being excused from the public spotlight?

These are important races. We've seen Mike Moran in action. Not an endorsement, but where's the media on his primary opponent Mike Hutchinson?

In the absence of real journalism from the Herald Tribune, WWSB-Ch. 7, SRQ and the Observer Group, it's on us. Either we do our own research, or we're voting in the developer-sanctioned dark.

See the County Commission Candidates page on CDPSarasota.org

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.

Dark Money has no face

Citizens United meets Main Street Several years ago, Sarasota advocate Cathy Antunes began probing the sources and destinations of large sums of money coming into Sarasota and Manatee elections. Tracing so much money through faceless PACs has taken her some time. Now she's sharing this information in an easy-to-read Flipbook format. The text is clear and has plenty of illustrative diagrams. People bandy about the term "corruption." but Cathy knows how to spell it out. Citizens United meets Main Street Please read "Citizens United meets Main Street," share, and vote wisely. Thank you, Citizens for District Power ===

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