In life, there are always multiple perspectives to consider. The purpose of this blog is to share my views on Sarasota County politics and the effects of politics on land use decisions and other government actions. While I will express my personal thoughts, I also plan to invite my friends to contribute to this website.
My blog will represent my perspective as a registered Republican dealing with the Sarasota County government and the local Party. There are Republican values that I hold dear: a smaller, limited government, lower taxes, and individual rights. It's disheartening to see politicians and Party leaders willing to compromise Republican values, to support well-connected operatives or their developer friends.
In Sarasota's political scene, there is one focus - the carefully crafted developer's narrative. To get a land use proposal approved or to get their hands on taxpayer funds, the developers wrap their story in an American Flag with the seal of the local Republican Party. And those who may speak contrary to that story must be shut down. Unfortunately for them, people like me just can't stop talking about what is happening in Sarasota.
The history...
Twelve years ago, I realized that to be a voice in the county's land use decisions, I had to get involved in the political process. The developers invest money in candidates they know will vote to support their projects no matter how detrimental it will be to the community. After the election, most of the county commissioners just did what their investors expected of them, approving any developer projects that came their way. It was important to me, through my advocacy, to provide the other side of the story so the public was aware of the scheme.
The developers did not just rely on their 'investments' but also counted on local party leaders and party activists to carry their message to the masses. I've witnessed local political activists switch allegiance from a strong grassroots conservative to a developer puppet after speaking with a local developer. The local Republican Party depends on contributions to influence elections, and when those donations come from developers, what do you think the message will be?
I got involved locally to be the voice of Republican reason. If I wanted Sarasota’s politicians to be 'for the people', I had to speak up
And so it begins...
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