Local Gerrymandering?
Gerrymander: (verb) to divide or arrange (an area) into political units to give special advantages to one group. In the Herald Tribune, Nancy Detert assures the public that the Sarasota County Commission is not working […]
Budget
The Prince of Dark Money, II
Follow the Money! This bit of wisdom tells us to take a close look at how money moves through our political system. Understand the money flow and who is involved and you gain clarity around […]
The Bendersonville Initiative
The Fruitville Initiative began when Sarasota County approached five landowners about working together to plan high value, walkable development at the Fruitiville-Interstate-75 interchange. Rather than standard big box retail, gas stations, fast food or strip […]
The Growth Machine: Sarasota’s USB, 2050 and Portland, Revisited
Sarasota 2050: Disciplined growth through an Urban Service Boundary creates community prosperity and healthy municipal budgets Originally version published May 25, 2013 in SRQ Daily Revised on August 18th, 2014 In the annals […]
Ron Saba on 2050: Putting New Development Costs on the Blood Sweat and Tears of Taxpayers is Unfair
Ron Saba says a lot in five minutes. Mr. Saba is the President of the DeSoto Acres Neighborhood Association. He says neighborhoods need a voice in the 2050 process, and we don’t need unbridled growth […]
Real Republicans vs. Machine Republicans
The arrest of Bob Waechter for felony identity theft of fellow Republican Lourdes Ramirez laid bare a political machine in Sarasota dedicated to advancing its own interests within the Republican party. Voters often believe casting […]
The Proven Wisdom of Fiscal Neutrality
Take any outstanding city or town and it’s clear: among the most important responsibilities of local government is creating beauty, efficiency and prosperity in the built environment. Local government must set the table with smart […]
2050 Changes: Free Market or Free Ride?
The Sarasota 2050 plan offers generous development options in exchange for taxpayer and community protections. But what began as a compromise is being finagled into a free ride. Sarasota County established an Urban Service […]
The SANCA Business Plan and two Calvins
I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin was an irresistible, imaginative boy. Like many six year-olds, he constantly looked for shortcuts around things he didn’t like to do. Avoiding homework, chores or eating his vegetables, Calvin’s […]
SANCA Agreement – disappointing
Today’s post is Sarasota resident Marilynne Martin’s e-mail to the Sarasota County Commission regarding last week’s vote on the SANCA agreement. Dear Commissioners, It was disappointing to see you rubber stamp the agreement and […]