Alachua Voter Guide

I will be the People's Mayor!

The Tea Party movement is evidence that government has gotten so bad that it has inspired Independent voters to organize. It is easy to see how Washington has so terrified its citizens by answering its own out-of-control spending with yet more of the same. But now we are seeing the same hammer-headed arrogance from our local officials. Instead of confining themselves to their mission of public safety, roads and sensible codes enforcement, they try to make a name for themselves in Copenhagen by forcing their ideology on the rest of us.

• The biomass plant. Our city commission became enamored with saving the planet (from something that seems more illusory every day) and decided that it would be far better to burn trees than coal. They began with giving people the option of signing up to have their electricity generated through wood-burning means. The only city commissioner who signed up for it was Rick Bryant! None of the others, including Craig Lowe, made the planet-saving choice! They had the option and decided that it was too expensive! We will not have the option once they shut down the coal plant. By the way, trees do not burn “cleaner” than coal.
• Koppers. When it comes time to oppose environmental hazards that are NOT figments of their imagination, Craig Lowe and the other commissioners have failed to take action. The city does not have to wait for the EPA to stop the Koppers plant from operating because the city has a legal inherent interest in preventing the spreading of poisonous fugitive dust into the Stephen Foster neighborhood. Yet, the city can do no more than wring its hands before turning away to fight against a nemesis they fear even more: Wal-Mart.
• Wal-Mart. In spite of the fact that it enjoys widespread public support from its customers, Wal-Mart seems to be the sum of all fears for a city commission that does not recognize the limitations of its own mission. After demonizing the Wal-Mart Supercenter as a polluting sweatshop and overall blight on the land, they finally agreed to let them build it in East Gainesville, where they must think a polluting sweatshop is a nice fit with that community.
• Stupid spending leads to higher taxes. When the city insists on staying in a losing golf course business, inexplicably buys real estate of questionable value (Mom’s Kitchen), loses your money in avoidable lawsuits, and is a revolving door of high-priced consultants who tell them how to spend more and more of your money, it is no surprise that your electric bill gets higher and higher. After all, GRU is a revenue source for the city, and if you were paying reasonable rates, they would be even deeper in the hole than they already are.

I am asking you to elect me to be your next mayor.  And I am asking you to help me get as many people to the polls as possible this March 16th. Our typical 9-12% turnouts have led our officials to believe that no one is watching them! If we have a resounding victory (which would not take a Herculean effort), the 2 commissioners who face re-election next year will become more attuned to the public mood. And that’s not all. Another one is resigning this year to run for the county commission. There will likely be a special election this year to fill that seat with another reasonable person. And this is going to be a very good year for reasonable people.

Hi I am Walt Boyer and as the title states I am running for Alachua County Commissiner District 2. I need 1547 signed petitions from Alachua County registered voters to be on Novembers ballot. I am an Independent but have a more conservative view on issues. I also believe that as an Independent, I can better serve the residents of Alachua County without being a pawn to party politics. I would be able to concentrate on all the best ideas to work towards lowering our taxes, putting a stop to wasteful spending, improve our public safety, and enhancing our educational system. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the community and the County. You can Email me at wboyer64@yahoo.com to ask questions or express your concerns about where we are currently heading. I believe its time we put common sense to work for us.

It appears that I will need a co-administrator to take over the mundane tasks at Alachua Voter Guide so that I can run for Mayor of Gainesville. Yes, I did say that I would not run back in October, but I have felt more and more compelled to do so. I plan on using this site as much as I have encouraged EVERY candidate to use this site. No opponent will be shut out of AVG. I have never denied any candidate his or her space here, and have never censored them. (I have occasionally fixed an email link for someone who did not know how to make one.)

If you have a problem with my imitation of Bret Favre, my dithering between running and not running, just remember that it’s the worst thing you can say about him this year. And if that’s the worst thing you can say about me, then I can live with that.

Web site coming soon!

Don Marsh

As I wrote in these pages on December 2nd, getting action on Koppers “will require a very organized citizenry (from the adjacent neighbors right up to a city-wide effort, given the potential harm to our entire community).”

The good news is that is exactly what is happening. Neighbors across the city (with leadership from neighbors most closely located to the Koppers site) are banding together to spread the word about Koppers–and to demand action from all involved. All the time involved in the organizing is volunteer but definitely skilled.

And so far, in a relatively short time, it has been effective.

If you would like to have a citizen presentation on Koppers at YOUR neighborhood association, your fellow citizens at Gainesville United Neighbors will come to you! Please contact me at conexos@gmail.com or 335-8874 for more information. I will happily connect you with the valiant neighbors who are putting this issue on the front burner.

I hope the first thing you will do then is thank them.

Randy Wells, Candidate for City Commission District 4

In today’s G’ville Sun there was an interesting article about our current cold temperatures. Essentially it said that we’re breaking records that were set back in ‘99 for cold. It is also interesting to note that global temperature increases began to level off in ‘98 and have decended since then. Which, of course, is why the Al Gore disciples (and ALL members of our City Commission) dropped the phrase global warming and embraced the term climate change. But………we’re still going to get a tree burning power plan in G’ville.

I read with interest the ideas in the G’ville Sun For a better community in 2010 and will bet the ‘ideas’ have either been written by an elected official or by a writer at the G’ville Sun who has probably been at that ‘job’ for life. Let’s take a look at the ideas and, while we’re at it, I’ll add a few:
G’ville Sun – Reduce the district’s unacceptably low dropout rate: Will require the School Board to form better working partnerships with the city, county, and community nonprofit organizations.
Me – Would be nice but it is doubtful this strategy will work. What must happen (and will not, I might add) is that one must create disincentives for teenagers having children and babies born out of wedlock. In years past our parents and the society provided the ‘disincentives’ for out of wedlock births by, at the very least, disapproving of this behavior. Unfortunately and sadly, some now applaud this behavior. If elected officials don’t have the guts to do this (and they don’t), at least don’t offer incentives for out of wedlock births. Remember what Pavlov taught us. You do that and you’ll decrease the dropout rate. If you don’t do that, you will be spinning your wheels as you have been for 4 decades.

G’ville Sun - Renewed emphasis on early childhood development-education: The entire community should rally around the United Way’s “Success by Six” initiative.
Me: See #1.

G’ville Sun - Make progress on homeless services: Build the long-promised “One-Stop” service center.
Me: “Build it and they will come.” Absurd idea. Let them live with the Commissioners who are pushing this idea (Jack Donovan, Rodney Long, and Craig Lowe).

Gville Sun - Unify vital public services: Separate city-county police and fire departments are wasteful, inefficient and unnecessary.
Me: Another bad idea. Cities are responsible for police and fire protection and for protecting their citizens; not counties. Besides, all you’re really advocating is absorption of GPD with ASO. You really think Waldo, High Springs, or Alachua are remotely interested in giving up protecting their residents. Get real.

G’ville Sun - Improve transit: Advance a bus rapid transit initiative for west Gainesville. Get legislative approval for RTS transit fee for Santa Fe College students.
Me: Not a bad idea but be careful about dedicating rapid transit lanes because the city, by ordinance, cannot expand a road beyond 4 lanes, therefore, if you dedicate a lane to bus rapid transit on a 4 lane facility, you’re going to have one less lane for cars. Be careful what you ask for.

G’ville Sun - Insist on a meaningful clean-up of Koppers Superfund site: The remediation plan recommended by the EPA is totally inadequate.
Me: Totally agree for many reasons but mostly because it threatens out city’s water supply.  I thought Senator Nelson was going to help on this but he was clearly just blowing hot air several years ago.

G’ville Sun - County charter reform: We urge vigorous citizen participation in this once-in-a-decade opportunity to make county government more accountable to the taxpayers.
Me: Yes but that’s like barking up a tree. History is the best predictor of the future so I’d suggest looking at our history. Additionally, I’d suggest having the G’ville Sun release the figures, once again, on reader responses to this question and compare it to the recommendations of the Charter group when published.

G’ville Sun - Strengthen the town-gown partnership: Collaborate on the future of the old Shands at AGH site. Support development of the eastside UF campus.
Me: I’ve been suggesting that for years and, in fact, it is happening.

G’ville Sun - Protect our water: Clean-up southeast Alachua County’s impaired water bodies and Gainesville’s stressed urban creeks.
Me: Duh. Goodness, that suggestion took a great deal of thought.

G’ville Sun - Economic development: Time to write a new strategic plan for sustainable job creation.
Me: No, no, and no! If the writer had a clue about the psyche of an entrepreneur they would know that government does NOT have to write a strategic ‘plan’ to help business. That is, unless the ‘plan’ is to reduce government influence in economic development. The word is REDUCE not EXPAND government’s role. Please, please, please understand that people who either own their own businesses or want to start their own business have a fire burning in their belly to do just that. In other words, the desire is ALREADY there! By far the best thing government can do is create an environment in which the fire can be stoked. There is very, very little government does, plans, or enacts that does that. In fact, what government typically does is throw a large bucket of water on the fire.
As an entrepreneur who has started two successful businesses and a former City Commissioner, I promise you, I know what I’m talking about. I have even offered, as a Commissioner, solutions to this endemic problem but they have been ignore which, I suppose is not surprising since none of them have any experience in the private sector. Look at it this way, if you want to know about starting, sustaining, or building a business, you’re probably going to be more successful if you talk to someone who has actually done it.  Have any of your local elected officials done that?  The answer is a resounding, NO! It would be the high of insanity to ask these folks.

Here are a few of my suggestions for improving the community in 2010:

1. STOP THE TREE BURNING POWER PLANT IMMEDIATELY. It is WAY to expensive and will result in continued massive increases in utility rates.

2. Offer (the operative word here is ‘offer’ not mandate) solar electric power generation for ALL residences and office buildings in Alachua County right now. If the owner agrees, attach cost of units to the property. This way if the property sells the remaining cost of the PV Array will transfer to the new owner.

3. Cut GRU’s transfer to the city by $5 million dollars and reduce the electric rates to all city residents by a commensurate amount. At least have the discussion.  Offer the same to residents living outside the city IF they wish to annex into the city.

4. Change the City Charter and return to 5 Commissioners instead of 7. We can’t afford 7 for many reasons.

5. Cut the pay for Commissioners in half. No retirement and no healthcare (I can hear the squeals already).

6. Move the City elections to November. No elections in the Spring. This will save money as well as increase the paltry turnout (10.78% of registered voters in the last Mayoral election).

7. Eliminate the $500,000.00 dollar per year City Communications office…it didn’t exist when I was on the City Commission. I can think of a few more but this is likely too long already.

I’d say that would be a good start for 2010 and I didn’t have to go to 10.   I guarentee you my 7 will provide more improvement in our community than the Sun’s 10.  Somehow, someway, we’ve got to stop this nonsense.

I am excerpting the questions and answers that took place between Commissioner Poe and I just yesterday. I will withhold my comments at this time.

1. Is there some legal barrier to a local governmental body that keeps them from shutting it down?

Answer: In essence yes, there is a legal barrier.  That barrier has to do with body of evidence necessary to declare the site a “public nuisance” and have it shut down.  In order to do this, we must have evidence that the current operations of the facility cause a public nuisance.  Such evidence might include codes violations from noise, or air, water or soil pollution caused from current operations.  We have asked for all citations, complaints or findings of evidence from the county health of environmental departments that would give us an opportunity to proceed in a court of law.  We have been provided with almost nothing that would help us make this case.  You may be able to help with this via your blog.  Encourage residents to call in noise violations and report all complaints to the proper authority.

In the future, if the county or state health department or environmental protection departments are able to show that the current operations are causing a nuisance we will move forward with shutting them down with all deliberate speed.  I have attached a memo from the city attorney describing some of what I have just relayed to you.

2.  Is there a statute of limitations for when that could be done?

Answer: Not really. Since the evidence must be related to current operations, the case would have to be tied to what is happening now, not what happened in the past.  Past activities and the resulting pollution are covered by the Superfund law and governed by the EPA.  This law was severely weekend under the previous administration, but has been injected with a renewed purpose under the current president.  I am hopeful that this will move the process along much more effectively.

3. Who has oversight of the problem?

The main person in charge of this process is Scott Miller of the Atlanta branch of the EPA.  His contact information is (404) 562-9120, miller.scott@epa.gov.

4.  Who is monitoring the spread of the pollution?

There are several entities involved.  GRU has been primarily responsible for monitoring the migration of the pollutants through groundwater system, mainly keeping an eye on migration towards our well field.  The Department of Health is investigating the surface soil migration and is continuing to determine the ultimate spread of contaminants.  The Water Management District issues their storm water permit and has asked Koppers to provide additional information to their most recent application before reissuing their permit.  I believe that the site has a grossly inadequate storm water infrastructure in place and it is my hope that the water management district shares this view.

They did not come to protest anything, but to build an organization. That was the purpose of the Gainesville Tea Party, namesake of the nationwide movement of previously unaffiliated Americans who are revolting against our unprecedented deficits and policies that are perceived as wrong-headed and irresponsible. According to my head count, there were 87 people present, and the organizers told me that a lot of people who came to the first meeting were not here this time. And this meeting was twice as big.

The meeting was called to order by Karianne Wilkins, whose first order of business was to lay the framework of an orderly meeting, loosely based on Roberts Rules. Next was a reading of the mission statement: “To educate, organize and mobilize our fellow citizens so we can elect future representatives who will support and defend the US Constitution and secure public policy consistent with our core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government, and Free Markets.” Next, she presented a flow chart that described how this would be accomplished through community service, education, and events. The first special event is called “Kickoff to Judgment Day 2010″. This will take place on Saturday, February 6, and will be hosted by Gainesville Target Range. There will be more details as that time draws near. In the meantime, there is a Facebook page for the event, as well as for the Gainesville Tea party group, as well as a web site.

There was also a guest speaker, Tom Hayes-Morrison, who presented a preview of some material that would help arm people with information to share with friends and neighbors about the Health Care Plan in Congress and about Cap and Trade. At the end there was an initial installment of a DVD series to be used as part of a study group, but this followed some lively discussion that was both diverse and orderly.

There were Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents at the meeting, and although there was some disagreement about the role of third parties, everyone seemed to just want to work together to accomplish the goals in the mission statement.

I had the opportunity to participate, and I did get to speak, but I was not the first person to urge this group to get involved in our local elections. Indeed, these people are pretty hot to do something, so if you are already a candidate for an upcoming election, want to be a candidate, or want to help a candidate, you should plan on being a part of this group. If you are in favor of Cap and Trade, the Health Care Plan, and bigger government and more spending, there are probably better uses of your time.

The next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 30th, at the Tower Road Library from 10am to noon. Since the meeting room was overflowing, a larger site is being sought, so stay tuned to their website or this one for further information.

Candidates, feel free to leave your responses in the comments section after you have logged in, and then I will not have to approve it!

I understand that the Koppers site on NW 23rd Ave. has been designated as toxic since the Reagan Administration. Why has this still not been dealt with after a quarter century while we are fairly certain that it is a danger to our drinking water? In light of the fact that this county and city government has been pretty much dominated by Democrat majorities whose members have long records as champions of the environment, how has this buck gotten passed for so long? And what will you do about it?

Randy Wells, Candidate for City Commission District 4

I am THE candidate for neighborhood revitalization, with 20 years experience working to make great city neighborhoods–6 years here in Gainesville & 14+ years prior to that in Washington DC. Here in Gainesville, I have zeroed in on the special issues that make city neighborhoods great places to raise a family–the parks, schools, local business, events & activities–in part because we are raising our own kids here, but mostly because a great neighborhood for kids is a great neighborhood for everyone. I will bring that vision, passion & focus to the city commission. Please join me, and share your own ideas, time & talent to help make Gainesville an even better place to live!

Join Team Randy now, or contact me with your question or suggestion. — Randy

Randy Wells, Candidate for City Commission District 4
telephone: 335-8874 home / 328-2997 cell
e-mail: conexos@gmail.com
Facebook: Randy Wells for City Commission District 4