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Comment:
I just hope with this power for the board re: tax abatement, that they have a program in place for recouping the money lost if the entity leaves after the abatement period. This has happened so often in many places I've lived, leaving a big box eyesore and affecting neighborhoods adversely. I believe if a company wants to do business it would be based on demographics/forecasting/product need.....shouldn't have to be tax incentives. Dear Board, please make sure you know what you are doing when you appoint these individual benefits and don't be swayed by lobbying, only by what's good for our county. |
| Posted by Dona Turgeon on June 19, 2013 at 10:10 am |
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LOL! Don't know what else you expected from Michael Bennett!! Secure the ballots!! Haha. |
| Posted by Kathy Morrison on June 18, 2013 at 11:23 am |
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Comment:
I voted AGAINST the sales tax proposal for the reasons stated in the following video that I created:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzGpFrhQGts |
| Posted by Garin C. Hoover on June 18, 2013 at 7:14 am |
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Comment:
One of the many colorful postcards we received had a photo of a happy family standing in front of their house, waving. Problem was, the house behind them was obviously a model since instead of a garage door, it had a regular door to get in to the builder's office. (These get replaced with garage doors once the model is sold.) Gee, I wonder who sponsored that ad? |
| Posted by Christina Amato on June 17, 2013 at 10:22 am |
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The trouble with the tax abatement referendum is that you can not trust our present county commissioners to apply it fairly to all businesses based on the merits of their ability to create good jobs & not just to their special interest campaign cash cows. Most of the commissioners pay more attention to the wealthy special interests than to the voters who elected them. If you voted for them you deserve what you get! |
| Posted by William E.Moore on June 16, 2013 at 6:45 pm |
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Comment:
Our commissioners continue to punish us the voters. Six new red light cameras masquerading as "safety devices" when in reality they are revenue generators come on line on Tuesday. Coincidence or bad timing? The county wants one thing. Revenue. Stated by all on the commission at a board work shop May 14 "we don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem". We are not people with ideas or plans we are piggy banks that they need to plunder. This was the best idea ever, make the public feel good that they are the ones giving up the locks to the piggy bank. |
| Posted by Linda Neely on June 16, 2013 at 12:12 pm |
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Comment:
Dennis, it warms my heart to know that at least your child got the best of both parents and will benefit from that as he grows. However, in so many cases, more than any of us can possibly imagine, there are father's not getting their kids but a few hours a week and every other weekend as if they are something less than deserving of more. There are children suffering through being purposefully alienated from the father at the hand of their mothers and the corrupt family law system. It would be so nice to hear more stories such as this one if someone in our governing authority would have signed into law some new equal parenting laws, but he chose to instead follow the corruption and the money, leaving many kids and fathers to suffer. Let me be clear, this is not being made a gender issue; there are many moms, such as myself who HAD to raise their kids alone ... but, this is in response to a FATHER'S Day article so I would challenge all the feministic ideologists to leave their nasty comments off at least for today. Come on, for one day, give it a rest and think about how you'd feel if you were a father being stripped of his child. |
| Posted by Tina Viera on June 16, 2013 at 11:01 am |
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Comment:
It is ironic that the salary level that solidifies the tax exemtion ($41,000.00) would qualify the employee (with a family of 4) for indigent care under the Healthy Manatee indigent care guidelines. How is that good for those of us who pay taxes in this county? |
| Posted by James Catalani on June 16, 2013 at 9:12 am |
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Comment:
Dear Dennis,
Dennis, I am so happy that you are one of the Fathers that came virtually unscathed by divorce. Unfortunately this is not the case in so many Family court cases. As a court watcher and Fathers advocate the injustices to single parents, particularly Dad's is still very apparent. I have witnessed many cases where the shared parenting law is not upheld, why MONEY. Case in point, my article posted by the Bradenton Herald this week.
http://www.bradenton.com/2013/06/15/4568427/too-many-children-denied-access.html
Where have all the fathers gone?
http://www.bradenton.com/2013/05/06/4510886/society-family-courts-must-empower.html
Or my Congressional Statement to Congress
http://youtu.be/2ytNK_jYf3Y
As Always.....FOLLOW THE MONEY
Family Court needs to be dismantled. |
| Posted by Glen Gibellina on June 16, 2013 at 9:08 am |
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It's true: The cost of the election is stupid. So is the proposed tax. The opposition's circulars and other material, which seem to be produced by teapartarians and Obama-haters in Venice who want to interfere in Manatee County politics, are slightly nastier than the pro-tax material, but I will vote against the tax anyway -- and go on harassing our Tea Party legislature and governor to increase Medicaid and allow Romneycare in Florida even though Satan wants to see poor people sitting on the curb outside the hospital, untreated, until they die.
What we really need to do in the long run is break the Satanist/Republican hold on Florida and get decent people in office who care about their neighbors instead of trying to wring every cent they can out of us. But we don't have a vote on that until next year -- when, once again, we'll see whether the Devil and Dollars can overcome decency and goodness. |
| Posted by Robin Miller on June 16, 2013 at 7:49 am |
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Déjà vu - patriots on liberty -
"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty."
Ronald Reagan
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin |
| Posted by Charles Ivarch on June 16, 2013 at 7:43 am |
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Spot on! Why didn't the County want a thorough debate in the public forum on the entire Health Care Plan? Why the deception, and even flat out lies?
As you said "Good policy doesn't need to be cloaked in disinformation and false promises; Trojan horses do." |
| Posted by Steve Vernon on June 16, 2013 at 6:36 am |
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Comment:
Visit www.litterpreventionprogram.com - a info-packed website dedicated to litter and littering with the goal of changing littering behaviors and lowering the overall rate of littering. This Week in 'Litterland' is our free weekly newsletter. Details on the site. |
| Posted by Sheila White on June 15, 2013 at 7:58 am |
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It's a stacked deck in favor of the developers on our county commission.Pay to play is alive & well in Manatee County.So don't be surprised if the developers get all they want.Those voters who voted for this bunch deserve what they get. |
| Posted by William E.Moore on June 14, 2013 at 4:28 pm |
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I am very concerned about the size and scope of this project. It leaves so little natural shoreline line and bespeaks of no public use access, as in public boat ramps, park areas, etc. It is all "for profit" - commercial. Doesn't seem to benefit the community at large. Is our County Commission all "Developer" bought and paid for? |
| Posted by Sandra J. Gander on June 13, 2013 at 1:01 pm |
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I suggest that the Bradenton Times conduct a poll of its readers as to whether or not they support the proposed zoning change at Long Bar Pointe. |
| Posted by Bill Burggraf on June 13, 2013 at 9:52 am |
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Every time I read reports like this, I am ashamed to be a Floridian and appalled at the lack of compassion of the Republican Party, who've obviously wed themselves to the idea that some Americans are worthy of health care, and those in low-wage jobs are not. And compared to where I come from ALL the jobs in Florida are low-wage. |
| Posted by Angela Hart on June 13, 2013 at 9:37 am |
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Comment:
Long Bar Pointe is one of the worst environmental destructive developments in the history of Manatee County and the wrong place, in the middle of a beautiful residential area.
It is the wrong place to start commercial development.
The vote on this development will define the ethical and moral character of our commissioners who owe their elections to Beruff especially Betsy Benac.
The developer, Carlos Beruff, not only donated huge sums to Com. Benac's campaign he funded with tens of thousands of dollars to the Political Action Committee that ran attack ads against McClash whom she defeated.
Also, Beruff's lawyer, Ed Vogler partnered with Com. Benac on the Robinson Farms rezone. Remember they were caught on security cameras lobbying Com Gwen Brown to change her vote.
Com. Betsy Benac is quoted as saying that in her heart she is an environmentalist. It's time for Com. Benac to come out of the closet. |
| Posted by Dick McNulty on June 13, 2013 at 7:11 am |
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A vote yes will mean that those that actually fund the county will have to pick up the tabs for those businesses. We have a county commission that sold our county owned hospital, a $20 Million note that was forgave to the corporation by another board, promised gave their word in county commission chambers that the principal would not be spent and then spent it. Who could trust a board that gives you their word and then eh didn't mean it? Vote no to both referendums. |
| Posted by Linda Neely on June 11, 2013 at 8:03 am |
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This is not going to be a Race Trac. It is going to be a Circle K. Race Trak got shot down 2-3 years ago. |
| Posted by Sandy Tudor on June 10, 2013 at 7:32 pm |
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Politicians will always find ways to pat themselves on the back & crow what a great job they are doing for the economy be it federal,state or local.They will find a way to make any news look good even if it's not.It may be great for the wealthy but for ordinary middle class workers the news is not so rosy,stagnant wages seem to rule the day.The economy will not be productive till all Americans can say their way of life has improved.Wall street is not main street. |
| Posted by William E.Moore on June 9, 2013 at 4:06 pm |
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Comment:
For a real Florida flavor without all the "trophies", try Woody's River Roo or Hickory Hollow, both on 301 just off Exit 224 of I-75, in Elllenton.
If you're willing to venture farther afield, I recommend Cortez Kitchen, just off Cortez Road West in Cortez, or Snook Haven on River Road, just off I-75 at the River Road Exit. |
| Posted by Sally Wood McDonald on June 9, 2013 at 11:27 am |
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Comment:
Thanks, John, for the information. It appears that the citizens want preservation and the BOCC has its own agenda with that of the citizens being ignored....people should remember that when election time comes...who represents the citizens? |
| Posted by Norma Killebrew on June 8, 2013 at 6:27 pm |
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Comment:
1. Audio-Visual Tech 1.0 47,773
2. Clerical Assistant 1.0 32,303
3. Clerical Unassigned 1.0 50,182 who held this position? nepotism?
4. Clerical Unassigned 1.0 27,653 |
| Posted by Linda Neely on June 8, 2013 at 11:01 am |
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Comment:
The Board is responsible first, then the Superintendent, then his direct assistants and the department managers. They all kept quiet. The District received the OPOGA Award annually for best in finance http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/finance/; and this is still posted to the web page. EH? Dear Board Members and Superintendent please remove any back patting material which has proven to be totally false. I was a SAC (School Advisory Council) member at Braden River Middle School, School Principal Randy Petrilla would tell us repeatedly that his teaching staff was sour and were not willing to bend (if anyone would like the videos of those meetings to try and prove me wrong, I have them). Remember these are the teachers that interact and guide your children daily. Sour. Advisory councils are to prepare the school improvement plan and plan the budget of that school; they never do. Just the principal and the staff while the law states that these councils should be 51% non-distract staff. The district shuts the councils out of participation. The board has been advised of this, the superintendent has been in the past advised of this and they could care less. What it means to the community is your schools are on lockdown for no outside input as provided for by law. This has not changed. Mr. Mills as an outsider was absolutely necessary or you would not have read about the scathing reports anywhere. The cat litter would have just kept piling up. My concerns with Mr. Mills lie in his exposure to Mr. Bennett who came from Chicago School System (they are an abject failure)who is now the head of the Florida Department of Education who is totally committed to common core. This is a power grab of our local schools which our State Constitution and DOE law gives the citizen local control of their school. Common Core takes that ability away, a denial of Constitutional right and give the power solely to the Federal Government to enforce.
So yes our Board of the School District of Manatee has been squarely to blame for allowing the rampage of Tim McGonagle, the architect of the culture, the lack of accountability and the use of fear or just complete ineptness which the board rubber stamped. |
| Posted by Linda Neely on June 8, 2013 at 10:43 am |
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To those who are/were against the giant gas station going in at Pearl Ave...welcome to my world. This commission votes against most everything the people are for, and for most everything the people are against. They don't work for the citizens of Manatee County. They work for the monied of Anywhere USA. |
| Posted by Kathy Morrison on June 7, 2013 at 10:59 am |
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I have had chickens in my backyard, in a coop for over 30 years. I live in town and most neighbors don't even know I have them. So I really got a good laugh over some of the reasons not to have them. Harray for the chickens! Alice Kaddatz June 6, 2013 |
| Posted by Alice Kaddatz on June 6, 2013 at 10:23 pm |
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The tax abatement issue will only breed more corruption & favoritism toward special interests if passed. Just another pay to play scheme under the guise of creating jobs. |
| Posted by William E.Moore on June 6, 2013 at 12:43 pm |
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Our commissioners are showing their lack of moral integrity. They are willing to let the untruths stand as facts to the public. The law states that committees created to advocate for an issue must be telling the truth. Instead it's the wild west and anything they promote is given a passing nod from the employee's of the county who should also have an eithics code in the game; along with the BOCC in full. Thank you so much for another attempt at advising the public who will start casting their votes this Saturday in early polling, that they have not had the entire facts presented to them in a coherent objective conversation. As the referendums stand the only logical vote is NO |
| Posted by Linda Neely on June 6, 2013 at 11:50 am |
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Good for the health of humans...myGrandfather built his coops in NW Indiana 90 yrs ago...his 10 children always had fresh eggs, milk from cows, etc. Circle of life. Back in Pasadena, CA 4 yrs ago my Mother who lives w/me in LWR was told by PropMgr of our expensive apartment complex that her 2 'EarthBox'Cherry TomatoPlants displayed on 2nd floor inner courtyard wasn't allowed - altho previous yr was acceptable. We moved them onto our two 4'x6'balconies.I didn't contact newspaper-she's 90 & shared tomatoes w/the residents.Then, Mrs.Obama became a proponent for SchoolGardens...Good4Her!...watch next decade 4superb changes |
| Posted by Leticia Louise on June 6, 2013 at 10:07 am |
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One of the primary goals of The Bradenton Times is to be a voice for the community of Bradenton and Manatee County. 
