Friday, May 22, 2009

Here's how to apply

Golden Rule in county

I just received a booklet sent to me by Roman Gastesi's office named "Ethics Training for Monroe County." This booklet was produced in Miami-Dade County and it would be my guess that they couldn't find anybody with any ethical background south of the Last Chance Saloon to compose a booklet on ethics so they reached out to Miami-Dade for some help. This group might be some of Roman's buddies running this show. That's a real ethical start.

From what I can see, there's only one relevant page in the entire booklet. The other 24 pages were standard garbage.

Page 4, #3 was the bomb: "Golden Rule. Are you treating others as you want to be treated? Are you treating others as you honestly think they want to be treated?"

If the county applies #3, AKA Golden Rule, then:

Take bids on sewering the Lower Keys. Don't let [County Commissioner George] Neugent's FKAA [Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority] rip them off.

Quit changing land regulations that take private property or make property worthless so the county and state can buy them for 10 cents on the dollar.

Reduce fees, i.e. "beneficial use application." They went from $1,300 to $4,500 overnight. Note: This increase was to keep folks of modest means from getting just compensation for their property made useless by confiscatory land use laws.

Stop Mark Rosch (Land Authority) from stealing people's property in administrative relief matters. Note: Mark bought two lots from a family that was going to build a home for their old father for $30,000 a piece and then wanted them to pay the sewer assessment fee on them, which was $10,000. If they didn't take the money they would have to wait another 15 years in the system to receive a building permit. The father was 82 years old. Do the math.

Quit screwing with those poor folks on No Name Key. Give them toilets and power.

Get an ethical ... mayor ...

Leave [County Commissioner] Mario [Di Gennaro] alone; he's the only one up there with brains and a heart. Fact: The entire county staff and most of the commissioners wouldn't know the word "ethics" if it hit them in the face.

Salvador Gutierrez Jr.

Key Largo

Meetings should allow public participation

This letter is about the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District (KLWTD) meeting on May 15 at the Lion's Club. KLWTD has had three such special meetings since the middle of March. Two of the three meetings I have attended, and each time a commissioner or two has requested no public input or comments at these meetings. Isn't KLWTD a public utility? Don't they use public monies, our tax dollars and state revolving funds? And aren't these items that are discussed at these special meetings going to come before the board for a vote at some time?

KLWTD meetings are public forums, open to everyone, unless they are closed to the public for exact and valid reasons. These meetings are public, and in fact are so in order to offer Key Largo citizens an opportunity to observe the commissioners' discussions and to create and express their opinions. Two of the five elected commissioners' action to silence the public and ask that public comments not to be allowed at these public-noticed special meetings is a clear infringement of the public's First and Fourteenth amendment rights. Again, two of the Key Largo's elected KLWTD commissioners' power to limit free expression in KLWTD meetings is subject to restriction of the First and Fourteenth amendments of the United States Constitution. Open expression may be rationally limited by rules that restrict time, place and manner of public expression.

Another commissioner at this same meeting brought up the fact the public should be allowed to speak and comment after the board had completed its business. The public did not behave in an unruly manner or otherwise hinder or avert the commissioners from finishing their debate, which was completed when the board asked for public comments.

My reasoning for expressing my viewpoints is taking advantage at a public forum to partake in an elected government.

Commissioners of KLWTD, the public is requesting you to recognize your accountability and answerability to the public. Please ensure the public -- especially those who particularly take an interest in the public's business and are well enough acquainted to take part in it and communicate their views, be they critical or praising regarding the commissioners' decisions -- be allowed.

Kay Thacker

Key Largo