The ugliest race


[PDF]The ugliest race - Rackcdn.comeebb6db963a37f521b63-c534da5dedbb2456b8986ac8a9d46873.r83.cf2.rackcdn.co...

4 downloads 187 Views 2MB Size

8A

SARASOTA OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

Observer opinion | our view SARASOTA

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek

The ugliest race

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

OBSERVER RECOMMENDATIONS

Editor & CEO / Matt Walsh [email protected] Publisher / Lisa Walsh [email protected] Chief Digital Officer / Emily Walsh [email protected]

U.S. House

District 16 — Vern Buchanan

Florida

Executive Editor / Kat Hughes [email protected] Deputy Executive Editor / Jessica Luck [email protected]

Governor — Rick Scott Attorney General — Pam Bondi Chief Financial Officer — Jeff Atwater Agriculture Commissioner — Adam Putnam Amendment 1 — No Amendment 2 — No Amendment 3 — No

News Editor / David Conway [email protected] Staff Writers / Amanda Morales, [email protected] Jessica Salmond, [email protected]

District Court of Appeal

Digital Editor / Alex Mahadevan [email protected] Managing Editor/Diversions-Season / Stephanie Hannum, [email protected] Black Tie Editor / Heather Merriman [email protected] Arts & Entertainment Editor / Nick Reichert [email protected] Managing Editor/Design / Nancy Schwartz [email protected] Design Editor / Nicole Thompson [email protected] Editorial Designer / Qing Tian [email protected] Director of Sales & Marketing / Jill Raleigh [email protected] East County Advertising Manager / Lori Ruth [email protected] Sales Manager / Penny DiGregorio [email protected] Director of Digital Sales / Kathleen O’Hara [email protected] Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter [email protected] Advertising Executives / Robyn Didelot, [email protected] Austin Holmes, [email protected] Beth Jacobson, [email protected] Robert Lewis, [email protected] Suzanne Munroe, [email protected] Richeal Parisi, [email protected] Toni Perren, [email protected] Brand Marketing Manager / Leslie Gnaegy [email protected] Sales Coordinator/Account Managers / Lori Downey, [email protected] Susan Leedom, [email protected] Rachel Livingston, [email protected] Classified Advertising Sales Executives/ Maureen Hird, [email protected] Deedie Parker, [email protected] Director of Creative Services and Information Technology / Kathy Payne, [email protected] Creative Services Assistant Manager / Brooke Schultheis, [email protected] Advertising Graphic Designers / John Day, [email protected] Monica DiMattei, [email protected] Jennifer Hogg, [email protected] Marjorie Holloway, [email protected] Shawna Polana Luis Trujillo, [email protected] Chief Financial Officer / Laura Keisacker [email protected] Controller / Lisa Schwenk [email protected] Office Coordinator / Donna Condon [email protected]

(Shall Judge Judge Judge

The union bosses are solid behind Ken Marsh.

these judges be retained?) Chris W. Altenbernd — Yes Morris Silberman — Yes Daniel Sleet — Yes

Sarasota County

It goes without saying, unfortunately: If When you read through the dozens of you enter politics, be prepared. It’s dirty, emails, you see Sarasota County School nasty, ugly and personal — even in nonDistrict employees using school district partisan races. time to send political emails. The district’s Indeed, of all the local and regional races chief spokesman, Gary Leatherman, was for the Nov. 4 general election, the nastithe most egregious, helping write and edit est and dirtiest is the contest for Sarasota letters for candidate Ken Marsh. These are County School Board District 1 between violations of state law. appointed incumbent Bridget Ziegler, 32, All Leatherman received was a “stop it.” and longtime school district planner Ken But every abuser should be punished — Marsh. otherwise it will persist. It’s remarkable how presumably decent Where is the school board on this? Here’s people descend into indecency. where: Board members Shirley Brown Both sides have miscues. Gov. and Caroline Zucker used their emails Rick Scott triggered the war when to endorse and support Marsh. A he appointed Ziegler to an open majority of board members are GENERAL board seat. It clearly had the ELECTION 2014 on the same side as the teacher’s appearance of patronage. Scott union. rocked the local education estabIf you were Ziegler, what would lishment status quo — including the you do? comfortable school board and, espeIt’s politics. Ziegler notified the press cially, the teachers union. And then, when to bring attention to the email abuses. Ziegler declared herself to be a fiscal conMarsh complained last week that Ziegler servative and in support of school vouchhas engaged third-party political groups to ers, well, the Sarasota Classified Teachers attack him with “robocalls, Internet blogs, Association decided: This is war. Boots on mailers and newsletters.” the ground. Yes, outside political groups have A weapon of choice: the school district’s swooped in with media spending against email system, which the union negotiated Marsh. Asked whether Ziegler herself to use in its contract with the school board. brought in the outsiders, her husband, It’s legal, but it’s also lethal and has been Christian, said: “No. We can’t control what abused. Lethal in the sense union leadthey do.” ers and members (e.g. teachers) have sent All of this nastiness takes away from dozens and dozens and dozens of emails what really matters: Which candidate to their members denigrating Ziegler. would be the better representative for One: “She has no college degree … Has taxpayers, parents and students on the business experience selling Gucci handSarasota County School Board? bags … Has parenting experience of 11 In the primary, we were undecided and months.” Another referred to her as a supported Marsh and Ziegler. “junior leaguer.” They have referred to her Marsh convincingly has better credenwith disdain as a Tea Party member. tials and experience, having served 35 Long chains of emails went to union years in public education and serving the members with Ziegler’s list of contributors, Sarasota County School District as the a public record. Several Sarasota businesshead of long-range planning. We previouses called Ziegler’s campaign office to say ly said no one knows more about the inner they have received phone calls threatening and outside workings of the school district. boycotts of their businesses if they continMarsh would serve taxpayers well. ued to donate or display Ziegler signs. Said But so would Ziegler. Here’s the difone teacher’s email: “We will definitely not ference: Marsh represents old Sarasota be supporting Gecko’s in the future.” public-school status quo. If he is elected

Florida House District 72 — Ray Pilon County Commission District 2 — Paul Caragiulo County Commission District 4 — Alan Maio School Board District 1 — Bridget Ziegler Charter Review Board District 1 — Steven Fields Charter Review Board District 2 — Richard Dorfman Charter Review Board District 3 — Joe Justice Charter Review Board District 4 — James Gabbert Charter Review Board District 5 — Bruce Dillon Sarasota Soil & Water Conservation District Group 3 — Todd Underhill

the board will consist of four like-minded establishmentarians and Frank Kovach. Ziegler represents the next generation and an outlier among the old hands. She will question authority and the status quo and bring a new perspective to the board. Yes, she is young. But she can serve as a much-needed pathbreaker for a new generation of leaders in Sarasota. It’s time for the next generation of leaders to begin emerging in Sarasota. Give her credit for stepping up. What’s more, what harm can she do? If she’s too unconventional, she’ll always be out-voted. In the end, what bubbles under the surface of this race are the actions of the teachers union. It’s no surprise, it has put its full force into defeating Ziegler. As Pat Gardner, president of the union, told one of her members in an email: “My job is to protect your income.” But the fact the union so forcefully favors Marsh may be enough to sway voters to say: It’s not healthy to have a majority of board members regarded as friends and supporters of the union. Tough choice: Marsh is qualified; the union taints him. Ziegler helps the district look to the future. Recommendation: Ziegler

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD; BE THE BIGGER MAN Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned

Publishers of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Pelican Press, Plant City Times & Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, Business Observer, West Orange Times & Observer and Season Magazine Chairman / David Beliles Editor and CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh

1970 Main St. Sarasota, Fla. 34236 941/366-3468

YourObserver.com ©Copyright The Observer Media Group Inc. 2014 All Rights Reserved

At the risk of being eclipsed by their comments about the infamous fan at Tuesday’s final gubernatorial debate between Florida Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist, we have some advice for the two candidates: Always take the high road. Neither of them did last week at the Leadership Florida-Florida Press Association debate in Broward County. They were shameful. An embarrassment to Florida. Their staffs were even worse. One of the organizers of the debate, who witnessed the arguments off stage over Crist’s fan, called the representatives of both camps “kindergartners.” Crist broke the rules; but Scott ended up the fool.

This brings to mind the wisdom former President George W. Bush dispensed to a dozen high-school scholarship winners earlier this year in a private meeting in Sarasota. “Unexpected, bad things are going to happen to you,” he told them. That’s life. “The important thing,” he said, “is how you respond.” Here’s how Crist should have responded before Tuesday’s debate: “About our last debate, I want to apologize to all Floridians and Gov. Scott. The rules said no electronic devices; we should not have placed that fan without Gov. Scott’s permission. “I’ll admit: I perspire. It’s one of my many faults. That’s why I like fans. “But there’s no excuse. I am

sorry for my behavior and my staff’s behavior. I am better than that; and my staff is better than that. We’ll do better, you deserve better.” Then Gov. Scott should have said: “I, too, want to apologize to my fellow Floridians and apologize for me and my staff making an issue of Gov. Crist’s fan. “It’s a fan … Florida’s concerns are far, far greater than a fan. My staff and I should — and will — stay focused on what’s important to you. “I take responsibility. The buck stops with me. You deserve better, and I pledge, once again, you will always get my very best. I hope you forgive me.” Take the High Road. Be the Bigger Man. — MW