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Tag: Anna Maria Island election

New weather reality threatens local waters

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors.

Reel Time was conceived as a fishing column, a way to spread information on a passion that you and I as anglers and environmentalists share. I include environmentalists because with time, you begin to understand that protecting the resource is protecting the quality of the fishing we love. We all take up rod and reel in the hopes of catching fish, but for most anglers, just being “out there” is a big part of the experience. That experience has evolved for me, as reflected in this column’s emphasis on advocacy.

Now another threat has arrived in the form of huge sewage and wastewater releases occasioned by storms that bring rainfall amounts that easily overwhelm the failing infrastructure. While these have been referred to as 100-year storm events, the reality is they are increasing all over the world as temperatures rise. Case in point, the two “unprecedented” rain events that occurred in the last month. Then-Tropical Storm Debby alone resulted in 25 million gallons of wastewater and sewage being released into the Manatee River.

New weather reality threatens local waters
Raw sewage bubbles from a manhole on its way to the Manatee River during the passing of then-Tropical Storm Debby. – Submitted | Alex Conyers

Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna was right on target when she made the following statement, “Florida’s wastewater technology is alarmingly unprepared for the increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The recent tropical storm with torrential rainfall is not an isolated incident; we’ve seen the devastating aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Idalia, which led to massive amounts of sewage entering our surface waters. The pressing question is: how are state and local governments preparing wastewater infrastructure for the next extreme weather event? The state should collaborate with local governments to elevate infrastructure, create additional storage, ensure adequate backup power at lift stations, innovate filtration technology and reduce inflow and infiltration. Regrettably, these necessary actions are not being taken. Instead, the state is drafting rules that will place this outdated industry in charge of our drinking water supply. For more details, refer to the FDEP rulemaking site here and our comment letter here.

“Florida’s history of prohibiting references to climate change has set us back decades. We remain unprepared and will continue to be until we have leaders who prioritize resiliency on the Suncoast and throughout Florida. How many more storms must we endure before meaningful action is taken? We need leaders who have the vision to comprehend what needs to be done to protect our waters and can marshal the forces to make the changes.”

Tyrna is right on target and this need for leaders with vision circles right back to you and me, the voters. Unless and until we vet our candidates, and demand action and accountability, we’ll see the continued loss of the resources that enrich our lives and are the foundation of our economy. Vote water.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – The access code to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections’ tabulation and ballot storage room will be changed to prevent Interim Supervisor James Satcher from entering that room because he is a candidate in the primary election.

The access removal occurred during the Aug. 6 Manatee County canvassing board meeting at the request of congressional candidate Eddie Speir and other meeting attendees. During the meeting, the canvassing board determined the Clear Ballot auditing system Satcher recently purchased will not be used in the primary election, which concludes on Aug. 20 with early voting and mail voting already underway.

ACCESS REMOVED

Speir is running against Vern Buchanan in the 16th congressional district Republican primary. Speir attended the Tuesday morning canvassing board meeting and recapped the meeting in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. In his Facebook reel, Speir expressed concerns about Satcher’s connections to political consultant Anthony Pedicini and a political action committee chaired by Pedicini.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
Congressional candidate Eddie Speir requested Satcher’s ballot room access be removed. – EddieSpeirForCongress.com | Submitted

“James Satcher is connected and receiving money from Anthony Pedicini and the developers. Because of that, I’m immediately concerned about access to ballots. James Satcher has already broken rules and protocols that are put in place to ensure the integrity of the election. The tabulation and the ballot storage room are critically important. Nobody’s allowed in there alone, but Satcher said he is allowed to do this.”

While addressing the canvassing board, Speir said, “I request that James Satcher have his access removed from the room. I think that would go a long way to building voter confidence – the same way Mike Bennett did.”

After a brief discussion, Satcher agreed to abide by the same non-access protocols former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett practiced when he was seeking reelection.

“They’re changing the code so he does not have access to the tabulation room and the ballot storage room and vote by mail. This is huge, thank you very much,” Speir told the board.

CLEAR BALLOT DELAYED

Bennett retired on March 1 with nine months remaining in his four-year term. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher – a sitting county commissioner with no experience supervising an election – to serve the remainder of Bennett’s term. DeSantis chose Satcher over Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Scott Farrington.

Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment but had already launched his election campaign to serve as Bennett’s elected successor. Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary that will determine who serves as Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.

On July 25, Satcher issued a press release announcing the purchase of the Clear Ballot audit system.

According to the press release, “A third-party, independent audit of 100% of our election results is going to help secure our elections and increase voter confidence and trust in the election process. The system utilizes high-speed scanners to rescan and tabulate ballots for a comprehensive verification of results, completely independent of the primary voting system.”

The system cost $179,615, plus an additional $25,000 for software.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
The Supervisor of Elections office purchased the Clear Ballot audit system in July. – Manatee County | Submitted

The canvassing board consists of County Court Judge Melissa Gould, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office General Counsel Eric Werbeck and Bradenton City Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore. According to the public notice issued in advance of the meeting, the board was to conduct a logic and accuracy test of the tabulating equipment and reporting software to be used during the election, including early voting. Speir videotaped the board meeting and shared some of his footage in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. Speir’s footage included public input given by Farrington.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
Former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington stressed the need to follow established election regulations and protocols. – VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted

When addressing the board, Farrington said he hadn’t heard them reference administrative rule 1S-5.026. The rule includes the procedures manual for a post-election certification voting systems audit. It also establishes the requirements and procedures that canvassing board members are to ensure are followed and gives the board the responsibility and authority to decide whether the Clear Ballot system is used.

“I have not heard a motion on whether or not you’d be using this audit system,” Farrington said.

Farrington expressed concerns about the meeting notice not referencing the Clear Ballot system.

“The rule requires the canvassing board to conduct a test of the automated system. I’m unaware that the canvassing board has done so,” Farrington said.

He also said, “I am concerned about the security procedures and whether or not they’ve been updated to accommodate early voting ballots. My understanding is that early voting ballots will be processed on an ongoing process before the end of the election. I believe the security procedures must be changed to accommodate the security of those ballots as they are coming back and the seals are broken and they are processed through the system,” Farrington said.

Speir’s video footage didn’t include the board’s actual vote. When contacted later in the week, Farrington confirmed the board voted 3-0 to not use the Clear Ballot system for the primary election because the public notice for the board meeting didn’t reference it.

“They didn’t look at any of the other things that I mentioned because the notice wasn’t proper for the audit system,” Farrington said.

He also noted the Supervisor of Elections is required to maintain security measures that include the security of early voting ballots as they’re transported, tabulated and stored.

“I could not see where those had been adjusted to accommodate the movement of the ballots that was going to be required for the audit,” Farrington said. “What normally happens is they seal the early voting ballot at the early voting site, transport it back to the elections office and then they’re stored. For the audit, they’re going to have to break that seal, process them through the audit equipment, reseal them and store them. Those are extra steps. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do, I’m just saying the security procedures are supposed to be written so everybody knows what security measures are in place.”

He said he later obtained a copy of the security procedures that had not been adjusted accordingly.

Farrington expects the Clear Ballot system to be used for the general election in November.

“There’s plenty of time for them to do everything properly and use it in the general election. I was not objecting to the use of the Clear Ballot. I was just asking the canvassing board to make sure all the requirements had been met if they were going to use it,” Farrington said.

Related coverage: Elections office implementing Clear Ballot audit system

Guest Column: Vote to end destruction of nature

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

My name is Brice Claypoole. I’m 16 years old. I have a deep love for our nature and a passion for protecting it. I’ve been following Manatee County politics – and their impact on our community and environment – for several years. I get involved where I think I can make a difference, like advocating for mangroves and wetland buffers. It’s been a frustrating experience, with a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that consistently serves special interests at the expense of their own constituents. If you follow local politics, you probably know the routine – lots of people speak out against a detrimental project only to have their comments fall on deaf ears. How did our BCC come to abandon fair representation?

It began in 2020, when Commissioner Vanessa Baugh introduced a major sponsor of local political campaigns, developer Carlos Beruff, to political consultant Anthony Pedicini. Beruff has long been involved in Manatee politics where he is frequently accused of using campaign donations to effectively “bribe” commissioners to make decisions friendly to his development business.

Beruff and Pedicini formed a plan to take control of the county commission, Beruff funding several candidates while Pedicini acted as their consultant. They funneled tens of thousands of dollars into misleading attack ads smearing opponents. Their strategy paid off when Baugh was elected, along with developer-funded candidates George Kruse, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and James Satcher.

The new board majority hit the ground running. Likely under the direction of Beruff, they immediately fired our highly qualified county administrator and began the unprecedented move of completely reshaping county government. This new BCC’s goals were to consolidate power and eliminate all barriers to development, which became even easier when developers took the entire board in 2022.

The takeover was marred by scandals, mismanagement and corruption. Commissioners were investigated for theft, ethics violations and Sunshine Law violations. Baugh admitted to corruptly abusing her power to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and resigned shortly after to be replaced by former developer lobbyist Raymond Turner.

A FORK IN THE ROAD

The most prominent developer-controlled commissioner is Kevin Van Ostenbridge (aka KVO) who won a seat in 2020 and soon became board chair. Van Ostenbridge has unwaveringly served special interests who bankroll his campaigns. He has faced ethics complaints and potential Sunshine Law violations. In 2023, he served 90 days probation for theft of a bougainvillea plant. One of his biggest controversies is his attack on home rule in Holmes Beach and threats to build a parking garage against the community’s will.

Van Ostenbridge continuously shows contempt for those who oppose his actions, such as during the 2022 scandal where he called former Commissioner Besty Benac an obscene name. He provoked outrage again in a 2023 hearing when he called me a “political pawn” of “communists” due to my support of wetland protections. It was a stunning moment for me to realize that Van Ostenbridge did not care about his constituents, apparently viewing children as an obstacle to his agenda.

Another commissioner elected in 2020 was George Kruse. Then a political ally of Van Ostenbridge, Kruse often voted with the pro-developer block. He faced several high-profile controversies culminating in a car crash and accusations of driving under the influence in April 2022. Kruse denied the allegations and was never charged with DUI.

Since the incident, Kruse’s votes began to diverge from the board majority. “I heard the perception of me,” Kruse wrote in a recent Substack. “I saw the outrage against me. I spoke with people in our community and outside of it who were impacted by drunk driving. I took these to heart. I reevaluated my life with sincerity. I made a renewed vow to focus on doing the right things for the right reasons… I know I’m a substantially better person today as a result of April 2022. I can’t change the past. But I’ve made every effort to change the future.” Kruse has shown intelligence, humility and a willingness to learn. Despite mistakes, he has grown as a commissioner and become the voice of the public on an otherwise unhearing board.

Now Van Ostenbridge and Kruse are up for reelection, facing off in an unprecedented race between incumbent commissioners. Van Ostenbridge and Commissioner Raymond Turner are joined by Beruff and Pedicini’s two other candidates, Steven Metallo and April Culbreath, in running expensive developer-funded campaigns. Rather than engaging with the community ahead of the election, these candidates are relying on their unlimited funding and mass attack ads against their opponents.

Kruse joins Republican challengers Talha Siddique, Robert McCann and Carol Felts in contending against the status quo. Instead of taking developer money and churning out negative mailers, these candidates are running grassroots campaigns, talking with community members and promising a return to representation and responsible policy making.

THE TIPPING POINT

The impacts of bad governance are real and tragic. We have suffered from increasing traffic, irreversible loss of green space and degrading water quality. I have seen the collapse of seagrass meadows and the destruction of mangrove forests. Lyngbya algae choke waterways each spring, and red tides kill wildlife. One of the most awful things I’ve ever seen is dead sea turtles lying on the beach during red tide. It astounds and saddens me that our commissioners continue to let this happen.

If Van Ostenbridge and allies win this election, it will show that local politicians have to sell their souls to developers and turn a blind eye to the community’s suffering. Developers will maintain control of the BCC, and the public will continue to have little say in policymaking. The impacts on our community – the failing infrastructure, the traffic, water pollution and lost resources – will be irreversible. What will be left when my generation assumes responsibility for this land?

If, on the other hand, people wake up to the influence of developers and look past Pedicini’s misleading mailers, then we can turn things around. If Kruse and other community advocates win, it will prove that you can successfully run a clean, grassroots campaign. We can elect the candidates who promise to rebuild Manatee County’s government, restore integrity, and immediately work to save our county’s natural wonders.

I don’t have a vote, but as someone who will inherit the legacy of today’s decisions, I feel a responsibility to speak out. Now, it’s up to you to take back Manatee County from developers. How can you help? First, share this article. Everyone has to be informed about the state of Manatee politics if we are to turn things around. And make sure you vote on Aug. 20!

Here are the candidates I recommend.

DISTRICT 1: CAROL FELTS

Carol Felts is an eighth-generation Floridian who promises to fight over-development and conservatively steward tax dollars. Felts has been active in local politics for years, often speaking at commission hearings and advocating for community-friendly policies.

DISTRICT 3: TAHLA “TAL” SIDDIQUE

Tal Siddique served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and has a record as a Republican community leader. He brings a focus on accountability, public safety and environmental protection.

DISTRICT 5: ROBERT “BOB” MCCANN

Dr. Bob McCann is a physician and veteran of the U.S. Navy. The most important issues for him are protecting our environment and improving the quality of life for residents. He is focused on protecting parkland, reducing overdevelopment and traffic and supporting local veterans.

DISTRICT 7: GEORGE KRUSE

Commissioner Kruse is the only incumbent commissioner with a history of fighting for the community rather than pandering to developer interests. He has successfully raised impact fees, supported veteran housing projects, and worked to rein in reckless development. Kruse’s record shows a responsible public servant deserving of a second term.

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: SCOTT FARRINGTON

Along with BCC races, the Supervisor of Elections is an essential race this year. Developer-controlled incumbent James Satcher has showed that he’s dangerously anti-democratic, making it imperative to vote for highly qualified challenger Scott Farrington. Farrington has over two decades of experience running elections. As a Certified Elections Administrator and Master Florida Certified Election Professional, he promises to bring integrity and security to the office.

– Bryce Claypool

Culbreath issues campaign letter

Culbreath issues campaign letter

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – April Culbreath, the District 3 Manatee County Commission Republican primary candidate, did not respond to multiple interview requests made by The Sun, but on July 30, many Manatee County voters received an “open letter” from Culbreath regarding her campaign.

The three-page letter briefly mentions the lengthy disciplinary record she accumulated during her former career as a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Culbreath’s disciplinary record dates back to 2000, when her last name was Dugan, and includes multiple incidents that resulted in her being reprimanded and/or suspended without pay.

According to her 12-page Manatee County Sheriff’s Office professional standards resume and supporting MCSO administrative report documents, she was suspended without pay at various times for failing to respond and conduct an investigation as ordered by her supervisor, having sex while on duty, attending a wedding reception and being observed dancing in a suggestive manner while in uniform, using profane language while being disrespectful to a supervisor, failing to respond to a missing child call and allegedly punching a cosmetic surgery center employee while trying to obtain her personal medical records.

Her numerous written reprimands pertain to failing to secure and losing her service weapon near a picnic area in Bradenton Beach occupied by children and adults, driving a Sheriff’s Office vehicle to her out-of-county home without permission, failing to preserve evidence and misusing the Driver And Vehicle Information Database used by MCSO staff.

CAMPAIGN LETTER

The two copies of the letter provided to The Sun addressed each voter by the first name associated with their voter registration.

“My name is April Culbreath and as you are most certainly reading about my work as a deputy, I wanted to tell you my side of the story.

“First, I believe we have all sinned and fallen short in the eyes of our creator. I know I most certainly have. I have prayed for forgiveness for my shortcomings, and I know they only made me stronger.

“Second, I want to tell you about my experience working to keep you and your family safe as a Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy. Unless you have a first responder in your family, or have a best friend that is one, you probably don’t know the stress it puts on the entire family. My husband and children are no exception to the worry that comes from placing that badge on my chest and gun on my hip, leaving them behind, knowing every day could be my last.

“Well, one day, back in January of 2021, while on duty, a criminal fleeing from police ran me down. I was simply trying to arrest her and she tried to take my life. Ignoring verbal commands, the criminal fled the scene, accelerated at full speed and threw me across the hood of another patrol car and underneath an oncoming vehicle. I was rushed to the emergency room, neck broken, and am writing this letter knowing I am lucky to be alive today. I thank God each day for this small miracle.

“My husband, Duane, is a member of a longtime Manatee County family. He’s a fourth generation and our children will be the fifth generation of Culbreaths living here. Our people settled near Perico Bay, moved to Cortez and established the Cortez fishing village in the 1920s. Our family wants to make this community better. We have generations of Culbreaths to prove it.

“Personally, I have dedicated my life to serving our community. I took the oath to protect and defend our way of life. This is not an oath I take lightly and know, as a deputy, that promise could one day take my life. Now I am seeking to become a Manatee County commissioner, for the exact same reasons I became a deputy. I want to defend our home.

“I’m also no stranger to campaigns, having led our local Republican party and having been the founder of the Manatee County Trump Train.

“I wasn’t surprised when my opponent, fresh from Washington D.C., started attacking me with information that’s decades old, trying to impugn my service as deputy sheriff and detective.

“I also want you to know you can call me anytime with questions you have and I will be happy to answer them directly.

“My family and I are grateful to live in a place where neighbors still take care of neighbors and we pull together when times are tough. That’s the Manatee County I love and am fighting for. I hope you will join me in that fight,” the letter says.

Culbreath’s letter did not include a phone number, nor did it directly address any of her numerous work-related suspensions.

MEDIA RELATIONS

On July 24, Culbreath addressed her media interactions, or lack thereof, in a comment she posted at former Bradenton City Council member Gene Gallo’s Facebook page in response to Gallo’s support for opponent Tal Siddique.

“I have certainly tried to defend myself from the liberal media, however they refuse to publish my words,” she wrote.

On June 6, The Sun emailed Culbreath’s campaign address seeking her input for a District 3 campaign story. She never responded. The Sun emailed her campaign address again on July 29 and left a voicemail at her campaign phone number, again, with no response. Two other local journalists, Dawn Kitterman and Marc Masferrer, experienced similar non-responses with Culbreath and noted so on Facebook.

Siddique discusses county commission campaign

Siddique discusses county commission campaign

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Tal Siddique is running against April Culbreath in the District 3 Manatee County Commission Republican primary race that will determine who faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

District 3 includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez and portions of Longboat Key and Bradenton.

Siddique moved to Bradenton three and a half years ago from the Virginia/Washington D.C. area. He seeks the commission seat currently held by Kevin Van Ostenbridge, who is now running for the at-large District 7 seat instead. Siddique recently stopped by The Sun office to discuss his campaign.

THE INTERVIEW

Why do you want to be the District 3 commissioner?

“I want to bring some fresh perspectives to the commission. I’ve been involved in many local issues. I got involved in county politics and saw there were a lot of decisions made by our District 3 commissioner that I disagreed with. I realized I wasn’t going to have an impact unless I ran for office,” Siddique said.

“I’m running on ethics, preserving our small-town feel and empowering people over special interests. I hope people are paying attention to how we conduct our campaigns. My opponent has conducted hers very negatively and she has very little to offer. There’s a lot of special interest money at play and they have no value. They only care about ensuring that they make a profit at everyone else’s expense.

“I bring the right skills, experience and temperament. I’m 30 years old but I’ve led a career for the Air Force building software and leading software teams. I’ve also managed complex budgets for a number of organizations and right now for the private sector I do the same thing, leading multiple software and product teams.”

Would you like to comment on April Culbreath’s disciplinary record with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office?

“She has a 30-year record of misconduct. A record like that is shameful. Committing those violations was unbecoming of a deputy and is unbecoming of someone seeking a position of power. I don’t think that kind of record reflects the values of our community.”

Do you support the county constructing a parking garage at Manatee Beach against the will of residents and city officials, but with the support of state legislators?

“I do not. I have not since day one and I’ve been at a number of parking garage protests. Parking at the public beach might fill up but you can find plenty of other parking spots the city of Holmes Beach provides, and they have a map and a website that shows where those spaces are. I don’t think parking is the main concern. The main concern is traffic. Building a parking garage is going to be very expensive, at $50 million minimum. I’d rather put that money toward other solutions.”

What are your thoughts on the Island-wide consolidation study requested by state legislators Jim Boyd, Will Robinson Jr. and others?

“I don’t believe the consolidation issue was approached appropriately. There has been a significant breakdown in the relationship between the city of Holmes Beach and the county and I think that’s primarily due to our current District 3 commissioner. I would like to normalize that relationship and the relationship with our state Legislature as well, and I think I can. I have good relationships with all three Island mayors and particularly with Mayor (Judy) Titsworth and Chief (Bill) Tokajer, who both endorsed me.

“The Island city millage rates are significantly lower than Manatee County, which is 6.23 mills. The county also has the least restrictive and most poorly written land development codes and the most poorly written comprehensive plan within our region.

“I do not believe consolidating the three cities into one city is going to provide any benefits. I also don’t believe consolidating the Island cities into Manatee County is the right solution. The Island people elected their city governments and they deserve to have them. As a conservative, I don’t believe in big government eating little government.

“Forcing Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach to get rid of their police departments would put more strain on our Sheriff’s Office. It’s going to be very costly as well. As far as consolidating city services, that’s a decision the residents and city officials should make.”

What should the county commission and school district do to lower property taxes?

“We are a strong Republican county and all these county officials claim to be fiscally responsible conservatives but they gladly spend the taxpayers’ money. From fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023, we saw a $44 million increase in county property tax revenues without raising the millage. As property values increase, the county collects more revenues but doesn’t lower the millage rate. I would like to see us lower the millage rate by at least half, or by as much as we can, and I hope the school board can lower their taxes too.”

Do you feel there’s any excessive or unnecessary spending taking place at the county level?

“Absolutely. With respect to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), in my district, the 59th Street West expansion project is completely unwarranted and unnecessary. To spend $86 million to widen a road in that location is not a need, especially when there are other streets that need attention.

“Spending at least $50 million for the Holmes Beach parking garage is unnecessary. The county also plans to build new parking garages in downtown Bradenton, at the Premier Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch and at the convention center in Palmetto. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars on parking garages. There’s a lack of focus with what’s happening with our Capital Improvement Plan. The county is also bonded $700 million in debt and it’s costing $40 million a year to pay that off.”

Siddique discusses county commission campaign
In 2023, Tal Siddique, center, participated in a Holmes Beach parking garage protest outside the county administration building. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Manatee County doesn’t regulate short-term vacation rentals. Should the county regulate vacation rentals?

“The Island cities have reasonable vacation rental regulations and occupancy limits and Governor (Ron) DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have prevented them from implementing and enforcing local policies. No one likes vacation rentals in their neighborhood except for the investors and large corporations that own them. Commissioner (Kevin) Van Ostenbridge said he has no solution and doesn’t plan to pursue vacation rental regulations. I’d like to see the county adopt something sensible that protects property rights for residents. At least look at what the city of Bradenton has done, which is a phone line residents can use to register complaints.”

What are your thoughts on the Gulf Island Ferry service?

“Having a larger, faster boat that can handle more inclement weather conditions will help, and I support that. I think there’s a desire for a ferry stop in Holmes Beach. The challenge is where? I think the Kingfish Boat Ramp probably makes the most sense. You can walk to the beach from there. And we need to make the ferries more practical for the Island workforce.”

Do you consider yourself to be more moderate than some current commissioners and candidates?

“I consider myself conservative. There tends to be this arms race to prove who’s the loudest and craziest and you see that playing out on the county board, which is why they talk about issues they have no impact on. I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and I support Donald Trump. Those are things I stand for and believe in, but I also recognize that if a county commission gets too caught up in trying to be on TV you won’t get anything done locally. I ran because our commissioners are distracted and they’re not getting things done. I think you’re seeing that with my opponent, who has no policy positions on her website and can’t articulate her positions without help from her special interest backers.”

If elected, do you think you can successfully govern with your fellow commissioners?

“I think so. Fundamentally, most of us believe in the same values but there’s far too much special interest and developer money that swings elections and affects commission decisions. There’s no way they’d approve certain projects if it weren’t for the special interests and developer money. I plan to take a different approach than some of our current commissioners, which is to attack one another on the dais. Personal attacks and being combative with each other shouldn’t happen in board meetings. The negativity in politics has gotten worse and people don’t care for it.”

Editorial: All’s fair in politics and party affiliation

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Interim Manatee County Supervisor of Elections James Satcher thinks voters who switch their party affili ation to participate in closed primary races are engaging in “election interference.”

Satcher, a hyper-partisan, far-right conservative, made these remarks during a recent Supervisor of Elections debate with moderate Republican candidate and former elections office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington.

Satcher complained about “left-wing journalists” reminding non-Republicans that they, too, can participate in the closed Republican primaries simply by switching their party affiliation to Republican.

In addition to determining who wins the Supervisor of Elections race, the Aug. 20 primary will determine which Republican countywide District 7 county commission candidate, George Kruse or Kevin Van Ostenbridge, faces Democrat Sari Lindroos Valimaki in the general election; and which Republican District 3 county commission candidate, Tal Siddique or April Culbreath, faces Democrat Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

“They want liberals to vote in my election to skew my election the other way. They’re encouraging election interference, telling Democrats to swap parties,” Satcher bemoaned. But he offered no criticism of Thomas Dell, the bogus write-in candidate who closed the supervisor’s race to Republicans only. Had Dell not “interfered,” all Manatee County voters could vote in the supervisor’s race.

Farrington said elections belong to all voters regardless of party affiliation and every voter should have a say in who serves as elections supervisor. Farrington comes off as a man of principle and experience who believes partisan elections should be conducted in the most non-partisan way possible. Satcher comes off as a divisive, party-first buffoon who wants to be the fox guarding the henhouse while collecting a hefty paycheck from county taxpayers.

Satcher and company can whine about “election interference,” but the ability to change party affiliation is a long-standing, perfectly legal political practice that provides concerned citizens the ability to combat the political trickery used to close primary races to one party only – a tactic Democrats also use when given the rare opportunity.

The party affiliation listed on a voter registration card doesn’t define the cardholder or their political beliefs. It’s simply a ticket into races that would otherwise be closed. Party affiliation doesn’t matter in the general election but it can be easily reversed before then.

Voters have until July 22 to switch party affiliation at registertovoteflorida.gov, where they’ll be asked to provide their driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number and their current address for verification purposes. Voters should check their sample ballots to determine if changing party affiliation affects their ability to vote in other races they’re currently eligible to vote in.

Gov. Ron DeSantis erred in appointing Satcher to serve as interim Supervisor of Elections. Manatee County voters, including those who switch their party affiliation, can now right that wrong. Primary elections have consequences and there’s a lot at stake in Manatee County in 2024. Choose wisely.