So we have liars and evil doers in Manatee County galore. Note which candidates are in the Robber Baron developers’ pockets. Don’t be a sucker. One evil doer lies about dogs and it’s paid for by the robber baron developers. Another with the color glossy postcards telling you what you want to hear also paid for by the robber baron developers. One evil doer doesn’t even seem to know which BOCC rolled back the wetlands or why they’re still rolled back. And I guess the developers are also still funding lawsuits against certain commissioners who tried to restore our wetland protections, but not against all commissioners.
If this wasn’t Florida politics, it would be illegal racketeering with such coordinated precision. It stinks all the way to the State House or else there would be prosecutions.
Thank you for your continued efforts to inform and help local voters suss out which candidates are the best choices for our county. I only wish you had more coverage of the gubernatorial race. I'll be listening to your podcast of the three candidates who participated today. This is the first time in my eleven years as a Florida resident that I don't know who to vote for days away from the primary election. :(
This podcast - especially the last 20 minutes, should be required listening for Manatee voters. Mitch and Dawn dive deep into how Mike Rahn, the Ballard's, Jon Mast, the Baugh's, Charlie Bishop, KVO, Kruse, and Scott Hopes are all connected. How a single vote by Kruse that terminated Cheri Coryea led to a domino-like collapse of good governing in Manatee county that continues to this day. They correctly draw attention to the absurdity of Commissioner Kruse now asking voters to trust his endorsements as being in our best interests - despite the obvious pro-developer record of Rahn and Ballard. While I'm confident that Commissioner Kruse's endorsement carries far less weight than it once did - I am disappointed, nonetheless, that his recent substacks are just the latest example of actions that have not been in Manatee county's best long-term interest. We still have no accountability, or acknowledgement, that the Bishop kennel project has been a fiasco. A new BoCC should demand an investigation into the Animal Arts coverup. When we just move on, without holding people accountable, we enable future unethical behavior. By refusing to hold Charlie Bishop accountable for violating public records law, the board enabled the fraud that claimed gutting wetlands was a "county-initiated" idea. Actions should have consequences - especially when bad acts are done by the leader.
I'm sure Ms. Jefferson is a highly qualified educator, long experienced, respected in her field. I do NOT, however, feel that qualifes her for a School Board seat. School Board is an administrative body, responsible for bugeting, employment, and overall business administration. Decisions about ciriculum, methodology, student achievement, other classroom-based standards and goals are the responsibility of the Superintendant, teachers, and staff....NOT the School Board. I believe Ms. Spray's experience in the private sector, and on the Board more than qualify her for re-election. I support Cindy Spray.
Thank you Dawn for educating the voters on all the political corruption going on in Manatee County. It's very apparent that the developers are desperate & scared of Liz and the power of her supporters. Now more than ever get to the polls & VOTE FOR LIZ ARNOLD DISTRICT 1 FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER!
On the surface allowing needed employees to continue to work while their accrued retirement fund is frozen and gets a 4% annual bump doesn't seem unreasonable. What really needs to be reviewed is the retirement accrual. Where does the money come from and how does it compare to the private sector. I am not saying the system is wrong, however I have heard rumors that extraordinary amount are accrued compared to the private sector and full disclosure of the system would help to understand what is true and reasonable.
I'd like to recommend Tales of Old Florida published by Castle. Another is by J. K. Small, From Eden to Sahara, Florida's Tragedy. Both are about how Florida was viewed in the last decades of the 1800's.
we watched all the hogs from up north run in here with their joe biden covid money and jack up home prices to escape the trash dump states they moved from and the developers built their cookie cutter army barracks houses during the last 10 years. the commissioners gave every builder free reign to do whatever they wanted. now you're stuck with a never ending mess of overdevelopment of garbage strip malls and traffic just like where you came from. you ruined our homes. BALLARD, RAHN, KRUSE are the commissioners that helped along with CAROL WHITMORE THE ***** AND THE RETARDS BEFORE THE CURRENT CROOKS. wake up before you end up back in new jersey or worse michigan.
It's a simple question.
Is the quality of your life improved in the last 4 years or not?
Has traffic, taxes and building stayed affordable.
After knocking on over 2500 doors the answer is no it hasn't, in fact it has gotten worst was 99% of the answers I received.
Vote for change
https://electglengibellina.com/
scumbags KRUSE BALLARD AND RAHN are all low rent lying bribe taking trash and need to be replaced quickly. all 3 of them are equally scummy lying self interested dirtbags
I opposed Amendment #3 for the following reasons:
1. It provides tax breaks unfairly for property owners only.not all Floridians.
2.. And, it unseriously undercuts needed tax funding for public infra-structure.
Renters get nothing! So don't vote against your own besr interest on this on... it really deserves a big fat NO !
All renters are left out of this tax break largress. Already they can't earn enough to buy home to be taxed on !
Also, the poorer Floridians will see public services they need and depend on cut back for lack of tax funding !
Opposed! It provides tax breaks that undoes seriously needed funding for public infra-structure. The tax breaks only help the propertied classes, and do nothing for Floridians who are not property owners, The poor renters get nothing! Poorer Floridians are left out of this tax break largress, as they can't earn enough to buy home of their own to be taxed on! No break for them! They will see public services they need and depend on cut back for lack of public tax funding!
I support Fauci on this. Rand Paul is a petty two-bit politician out to ruin a man's reputation. If he has problems with someone taking the 5th amendment, he should look no further than Donald Trump and others of his own party!
So Kruse is telling us what we want to hear again. I don’t buy it. I call BS. Just like Kruse said he will vote to establish 100 foot wetland buffers when SB180 sunsets, or that he will deny any rezoning that doesn’t have pre October 2023 wetland buffers. Instead, he voted to destroy over 14 acres of wetlands in just the past 6 months.
Rahn’s and Ballard’s re-election campaigns can’t risk them voting to approve this developer friendly, harmful and poorly rewritten Comprehensive Plan and Future Road Map. Don’t be surprised if these come back on the BoCC Agenda in late August or September after the primary election. There is still plenty of time to transmit and adopt before the new commissioners are seated in November.
Thanks for stating this as it is what many Republicans are thinking. The Manatee Republican Party as it’s being led by hooligans is an embarrassment. Hopefully, this election will demonstrate the need for change.
For too long, local voters have watched incumbent leadership prioritize unchecked high-density expansion over the fundamental needs of everyday residents. Re-electing incumbents means rubber-stamping a status quo that has strained infrastructure, compromised long-standing environmental safeguards, and sidelined grassroots community voices.The primary argument for voting out incumbents is the growing disconnect between rapid growth and local infrastructure capacity. Across the county, roadways face severe congestion, emergency services are stretched thin, and public utilities face increasing pressure. Yet, incumbent majorities continue approving high-density rezonings without enforcing strict concurrency—failing to ensure roads, schools, and stormwater systems are fully constructed and funded before shovel meets dirt.Equally concerning is the systematic rollback of key safeguards and civic oversight. From voting to cut local wetland buffer protections to attempting top-down restructurings of citizen advisory boards, current leadership has consistently favored deregulation over community preservation. When residents attend public hearings to voice legitimate concerns regarding localized flooding, traffic safety, and neighborhood character, their testimony is frequently dismissed in favor of special interest influence.Fiscal oversight demands immediate reform. Taxpayer dollars must be focused on core municipal responsibilities—such as infrastructure maintenance, attainable workforce housing solutions, and veteran assistance programs—rather than discretionary funds, costly studies, and developer-centric projects. Replacing incumbent leadership is about restoring public trust, reinstating common-sense growth controls, and returning direct accountability to the citizens. Manatee County deserves commissioners who listen to residents, protect the environment, and put taxpayers first. The upcoming August 18 primary offers the clear choice to make that necessary change.
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