Commission Candidate Jono Miller's Post-Primary Event in Venice Deemed a Success

In the wake of Tuesday’s primary that clarified his opposition, Democrat Jono Miller held a “green rally” in Venice Wednesday evening that attracted a crowd estimated at fifty to Sharky’s on the Pier. Miller’s remarks consisted of thanking the Sierra Club for a major campaign endorsement, and Miller’s thoughts on the previous night’s primary election results that finally fixed the names that will be on November’s ballot. Following the event, part of the group took a sunset beach walk to enjoy one of Sarasota County’s best beaches.

Sierra Political Chair, Lynn Nilssen, announced the endorsement from the country’s leading grassroots environmental organization, a nod that was not unexpected since Miller has been a well-known local environmental leader for three decades. Known for his common sense and reasonable approach,  Miller has made an effort to reach out to other major constituencies and has received significant, but not unanimous, support from local development and business interests, raising some eyebrows among some green supporters. 

Miller reflected upon not only the special importance of the Sierra Club endorsement, but also the history behind the fact that enabled the Club to make endorsements. During a bitter fight to save the Grand Canyon from a dam project, the Sierra Club lost its tax exempt status in the 60’s -- a politically-motivated move by the IRS that backfired and ultimately enabled the Sierra Club to be involved in lobbying and politics in ways most environmental organizations are prohibited from doing.  He also took time to thank the Sierra Club for all the training the Club had provided him over the past thirty years, stating that the skills learned had provided the basis for his run for the Commission.

Miller did not comment on his choice of shirts for the evening, a white guayabera with an embroidered Leadership Florida logo. Leadership Florida is the Florida Chamber of Commerce's statewide leadership training program. Miller is a graduate of Class XX. 

Miller went on to comment on Carolyn Mason’s success, wondering aloud why her long string of endorsements and prior record as an elected official had not resulted in a far wider margin of victory in the primary. He noted that more than two out of five primary voters preferred a candidate with no history of elective service and far fewer endorsements.

Acknowledging that he was ahead by many measures of campaigning, Miller pointed out that it was not success in fundraising or number of blog entries that determined who would be the next commissioner, but votes. He urged those present to get the word out about his candidacy.

Following his comments, a portion of the group went on a beach walk that featured some of the best naturalists in the county, among them noted botanist John Beckner, Ed Freeman, Wilma Katz, and Julie Morris. Florida House District 70 candidate Sam Rosenfeld and his wife Sacha went along as well. The group discovered several rare beach plants that might otherwise have been overlooked, commented on invasive exotic plants, discussed new techniques for protecting sea turtle nests, and speculated about beach dynamics in the area. Sam and Jono lost the outdoor thread for a while, brainstorming instead about the economic potential of additional photovoltaic investment in Sarasota County.

The event put Miller over the 750 contributor mark, raising $1,375 from roughly half the supporters present. Miller took time in his comments to recognize the importance of smaller contributions; stating that while he has many of the crucial $200 maximum contributions that fuel the campaign, he was especially proud of having the lowest average contribution in the District One contest, a fact he attributed to broader support from the entire community.

The event was organized by Ed Freeman, Jennifer Randolph, Gerry Swormstedt, Kelsey Hitchingham, and Julie K. Morris (not Jono's wife Julie K. Morris, the other Julie K. Morris). Special thanks are due the non-profit Wildlands Conservation team  and the staff of Sharkys.

Jono Miller Announces Green Rally in Venice this Wednesday

Sarasota County Commission Candidate Jono Miller has announced he will be holding a "green rally" starting at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday (August 27th) at Sharky's On The Pier in Venice. Miller will comment on the results of Tuesday’s primary that will determine his Republican opponent, announce a major campaign endorsement, and, weather permitting, take a beach walk with the group.

Billed as a "Green Rally Fundraiser" focused on mid-county voters and environmental supporters, Miller said all supporters are welcome. 

"The focus of this event is to get like-minded people together, talk some about the campaign, and explore and enjoy the north end of one of Sarasota County's greatest beaches. Unlike some fundraising events, there is no minimum suggested donation amount, but people should bring their checkbooks."

Miller chose the date to follow the Tuesday primary elections and kick off the final 70 days of a campaign that started in January. Following the beach walk, supporters have the option of staying for dinner at Sharkys, one of the most popular beach dining locales in the County. It is not known yet if diners will be able to watch the Democratic Convention coverage at Sharkys, but the televised coverage does not start until 8:00 p.m. so there is no conflict for those who want to attend the rally and beach walk.

Supporters will also be able to pick up the distinctive "blue diamond" campaign yard signs at the event. For directions to Sharky's click on this link. For more information about the event call 366-9596.

Redding and Mason: Who will win?

I've enjoyed getting to know my two Republican opponents, Richard Redding and Carolyn Mason.  I don't detect any of the tension I sense in some other contests and I think all three of us (and John Mullarkey) accept the sincerity of each other's candidacy. 

I need to be careful here, not too glowing, because any over-the-top praise about them could come back to haunt me in the general election. I probably should avoid endorsing an opponent.

Of course, I'm remembering back in January when current District One Commissioner Paul Mercier told me privately and then repeated for the press his assessment that "Jono's a good man and would be a good commissioner." That's about as close to endorsement one is likely to get from an opponent, and I took it as a good omen.  For details about that statement and the full context of the quote please see an earlier blog entry.

But I don't think I'm giving anything away by stating they both Richard and Carolyn have a history of service. Having "served" with them on the campaign circuit, I can make a case that either one will prevail on Tuesday. 

Consequently I'm adding a poll to see what my blog readers think. Check it out in the upper right of the screen and then let me know who you think I will be facing Wednesday morning.

Hurricane Prep

10:30 a.m. Sunday August 17th My wife started a list: charge all the batteries, test the generator, fill water bottles, fill vehicles with gas, prune branches away from the house, finish putting up the translucent shutters, pull together important papers, etc. I added a few items: put water in the canoes so they don't blow away, back up the computers, and we'll have to do something with hundreds of campaign yard signs which (if Fay is capricious) could end up instead in yards in Manatee or DeSoto Counties. 

So the campaign goes on the back burner, replaced in urgency and significance by a connect the dots line that this morning shows something that looks a lot like a hurricane running up the Myakka River to Brandon.

That means this can't be a long rambling blog, just a break to let some sweat evaporate and observe that the most sobering reality of becoming a County Commissioner is not the economy (which I believe we can approach with resolve and creativity and make some headway), but the possibility and responsibility of a Charley-like hurricane scrambling Sarasota -- buffeting already suffering neighborhoods with natural forces that would be seen to be conspiring with the recent downturn, burying our landfill in debris, and ironically jump-starting the economy with millions spent just to get back to where we were.  

Sarasota and the State in general are well prepared for Fay, but I know from talking with citizens (particularly South County citizens) that hurricane strategies are a major concern. The Englewood Interstate Connector (AKA River Road) is years from being built, but even if it existed today what direction would one turn at I-75?

Left (northbound) to head roughly along the projected storm track? Or right (east or south) traveling against the traffic flow from counties to the South? If there is an obvious answer, I don't yet know what it is.  This is something we'll need to learn more about.

(The eleven o'clock update shows it replicating Charley in terms of where it might make landfall- the intensity should be much much less than Charley.)

In the meantime, stop reading blogs, back up your computer, and get yourself ready for Fay. If all goes well the net result will be improved capacity to respond appropriately in the future, from households to regions.

Helpful info can be found here at the County's Storm Center.

Jono Truth Squad #3: Gnawing Doubts

Earlier this week I told a group that I had lived in three of the five commission districts. But that statement (which suggests I have broader geographic experience in the County than my opponents) gnawed at me and I wanted to make sure that was the case. Upon further research, I concluded that wasn't true --that the total was only two.

The First District stretches from the shore of Sarasota Bay out east to Manatee County, and many say it is generally north of Fruitville Road and Palmer Boulevard.  I still think of that portion of Fruitville west of the railroad tracks as Third Street. 

When I stopped by the Supervisor of Elections Office today I took time to look at the more detailed maps and realized the First/Second District boundary is far more intricate than usually portrayed. 

During college I lived for awhile in what was known as "the Main Street house" -- probably the last residence on Main, just east of what was Saprito Brothers, a citrus stand, which is now a Michael Saunders office at the corner of Main and Osprey. So, invoking the Fruitville Road rule of thumb I (incorrectly) presumed that the Main Street House was in the Second District, since it was south of Fruitville. 

The map at the Supervisor's office showed that was not so. That indicated I had lied when I told the Civic League I had lived in three of the five commission districts and sent me here to the keyboard to clarify matters and atone.

Then things got more complicated. The First/Second District boundary starts at the Bayfront at 10th Street, heads east on 10th, then drops south down 41 to 4th, heads across 4th to Orange, then south on Orange to Main, and then heads east on Main to the railroad tracks where it jogs back up to Fruitville. 

That means that west of Orange, the boundary is not Third Street but Fourth St. 

After college I lived in two different homes on the north side of Third, homes I had previously assumed were in the First District. 

So my further investigation revealed that the two former residences that I thought were in District One were actually in Two and the Main Street house I thought was in Two was really in One.

So technically, I have lived in three out of five commission districts , due to minor wiggles in the district boundaries. 

The real significance is not so much the numbers game, but the fact that I have lived downtown in our densest (if not most populous) city, in suburban portions of the City of Sarasota (where we are now) and twelve years in the unincorporated county (District 4 near Riverview High School). 

And I do believe that represents broad experience in a variety of settings within the county -- experience that improves my qualifications to be a commissioner. 

Of course, I should have checked the detailed map before running my mouth. Assumptions can be dangerous. 

Here's to gnawing doubts. 

New Reasons to Vote Against Sarasota's Two Charter Amendments?

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE BLOG AS FACTS PRESENTED IN THE INITIAL ENTRY HAVE BEEN SUPERSEDED BY SUBSEQUENT GOVERNMENT ACTION.

The two Sarasota charter amendments have become a hot topic in recent days, with many entities advocating a no vote. 

People have been asking me about my position and, wanting to be responsible about a response, I went looking for the actual ordinance language that will be implemented if the ballot measures pass. It is the ordinance language that will determine how it is implemented, not the brief capsule summary that will appear on the ballot. 

It is not on the sample ballot that I got in the mail. (That's the short ballot summary.)

It is not in the 30 page Primary Elections Voter's Guide produced by the League of Women Voters and funded by the Supervisor of Elections. Curiously, the Voter's Guide does not even acknowledge the existence of the two charter amendments, much less print the ballot summaries.

As of 10:00 a.m. on August 12th, the wording was not available on the Supervisor of Elections website. Based on my phone call inquiry they may add it. THEY DID. 

I don't think the ordinance language has appeared in the newspapers.

And if it was available on the County website I was unable to find it easily. While it is probably available through Board minutes, I think it should be easier to locate. MUCH BETTER NOW, see below.

 

So, here we are less than two weeks from the election that will decide this matter and all that most of us have to go on is two very brief ballot summaries, government FAQs, and advocacy opinion pieces-- there is no easy way for voters to access the actual ordinance language to make their own informed decision. 

So, for now at least, regardless of the actual merits of the amendments, I'm suggesting these two measures should be defeated on procedural grounds alone. 

I believe that in this day and age voters should have access to all relevant materials well in advance of an election. That doesn't appear to be the case in this situation, especially since early voting has already started. 

And we can't attribute the lack of information to great haste -- the ordinance language was adopted on June 11th and became law on June 27th.

Makes you wonder how many of the people who have already voted read the ordinances they would be voting on. Hat's off to those of you who did.

We can wring our hands and decry how uninformed and out of touch the electorate seems to be at times, but unless government is providing all the information to voters, the complaints seem hollow. We can do better. 

POSTSCRIPT  AUGUST 13th

I suppose pointing out a procedural error  and wagging a finger could be considered a form of leadership, but I don't think it is particularly admirable or helpful.

In addition to posting the above blog, I let both the Supervisor of Elections and the County Administrator's office know about the lack of easy access to the ordinance language.

Now, roughly a day later, the supervisor's website does provide easy access to the ordinance, while the county has moved a prominent link to the Charter FAQ page to the county's home page. And (wait, there's more) they have also created links to board discussion of the amendments -- very nice. 

So local government can be responsive and will do better next time.

As for the merits of the ordinance, I think the goals of reducing election expenses and having some understanding of financial implications are valid. 

But, in my opinion, the ballot measures have been unduly burdened with other add-on provisions, such as petition signature expiration changes and judicial review.

I feel the petition expiration shortening is not warranted. Citizens need time to gather signatures.

I'm not optimistic that preemptive judicial review is likely to be forthcoming or reliable. I'm not an attorney but it seems fairly common that our judicial system declines to take up matters until someone has been injured. I do think it would be prudent to solicit educated opinions regarding legality before ballot language is finalized, but I think it will be hard to arrive at a single definitive opinion in advance of adoption.

As for telling the electorate what the financial implications will be, I suspect reasonable people could disagree and that disagreement could be a significant aspect of the debate prior to the vote. 

For these reasons, I  would continue to advocate a "no" vote on these measures.

Change We Can Believe In and Change We're Having Trouble Adjusting To

The Democratic Party is embracing a platform of change and I get that. 

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN (particularly at the national level) works for me. 

But in many ways I think Sarasotans may have had quite enough change in recent years. Change in economic fortunes, in gas prices, property taxes, insurance. We've had to change our old assumptions about what to do when a hurricane approaches [Nobody is saying anymore: "I have a friend I can stay with in Arcadia."] We are changing our assumptions about whether our beaches are uncontaminated. Changing our understanding of what restaurants remain open. Changing perceptions about how fast our school age population is growing or if it is growing at all. Changing our belief that sea level isn't rising. Changing our minds to accept that North Port is bigger (geographically and population-wise) than the City of Sarasota.* Lots of changes.

And the recent Ringling Bridge name flap underscores what may be a local reality: that tinkering with what may seem to some like minor issues actually has big effects on Sarasotans. [I think 3,875 online petition signatures in less than a week is evidence enough that citizens do feel affected.] 

Some are tempted to dismiss the bridge name issue as a tempest in a teapot -- much ado about nearly nothing.

I don't see it that way. I think our local landscape has been so dynamic, so subject to change that ostensibly insignificant changes can end up being very distressing to people.

In this setting of seemingly constant change, landmarks and history and vacant lots that don't change end up being reassuring touchstones in our lives - anchors of permanence that help keep us oriented and connected to where we live. 

And I think part of the reason people fight so hard to thwart developments, or protect trees or save old buildings is not because they can't accept the idea of new neighbors or that the tree provides crucial habitat or the building is part of a unique architectural legacy (which may be true); but simply because the loss of such landmarks can be profoundly disturbing when one already feels overwhelmed by change, when every other landmark is gone and people are down to one familiar, reliable thing that persists and it is about to be flattened. 

I'm not a no change guy. I think people and neighborhoods and communities need to change or they will stagnate. But I believe it is healthy and helpful to hang on to what we feel is unique or special about the places we frequent. 

We can't save everything and I don't think we should try. But I think we should work hard to identify what makes our places special and work hard to retain what we can of those, even if it is only a representative sample. 

I'll skip the final crescendo that ties this line of argument into my campaign and what I've been doing the last 30 years and just leave it at my realization that seemingly little things do matter, perhaps disproportionately, to people. That doesn't make people unreasonable, it makes them observant and caring and connected to where they live. That's a good thing.

So one change I believe in is changing to acknowledge people's legitimate attachment to place and rather than dismissing it, finding ways to allow needed change while resisting unnecessary change. Like changing a bridge, but not its name.

*The City of Sarasota still has a 450 edge over North Port in registered voters. It will be interesting to see if North Port can narrow or close that gap by Nov. 4th.