Batista and Dillion, you like Bania have focused too much on the truth, excuse me, negativity. You like many others will now be the target of intimidation by Celebrate Marco... huh, why wasn't Christmas island style or how 'bout dancing with the stars in the two or three top stories of the year?

Perhaps the bigger story on Marco Island in 2006 is that democracy survived another year. The citizens elected the city council members who made representative decisions on our behalf. Their decision on the septic tank replacement program was made honestly and without any possible personal gain to any of them. Their vote was not overturned by a hostile minority.

The Florida Constitution safeguards the public's electoral decisions by specifying the conditions under which city council members can be recalled. In particular the constitution protects against the type of recall efforts attempted here last year. A city council member needs to be able to make a decision based on his or her knowledge and not because of vocal and aggressive pressure groups that threaten to recall them when they disagree with them. In order to recall a city council member there need to be misdeeds of integrity, not because of a disagreement on the decision itself. It would not make sense to be able to overturn a city council election with a minority vote, which is what this recall petition attempted to do.

As the article stated, the other events listed cascaded from the disagreement by some with the City Council’s vote on the septic tank replacement program. The rest of the issues were part of the campaign to overturn the decision of our duly elected city council. There was never really any health and safety threat from the asbestos pipe pieces; it was just another frenzied part of their campaign to discredit the city administration. Just ask Ed Foster who protested the most and yet stored pounds of the stuff in his garage.

They challenged the decision and on all counts they have failed. There is no reason to believe the appeal regarding the equity issue will fare any better.

The role of MITA in all this has not been mentioned, but it was always an integral part laying the attack and using its newsletter as a behind the scenes weapon to whip up the dissent. MITA has not been happy ever since Marco Island became a city. It refuses to acknowledge the good we have accomplished instead perpetuating campaigns to bring about its demise.

While we can celebrate the success of our democratic system to withstand the attack of some vehemently angry citizens, we are left feeling exhausted by it all. The level of public rancor was unprecedented in our small island community. There were public and private personal attacks launched against not only the councilmen subject to the recall but against their family members as well. The city manager, who is not a publicly elected official, was also maligned in personal attacks and subjected to a nasty petition drive aimed at eliminating him. Individuals who stood up on their behalf were personally vilified in the press in a vicious and ungentlemanly manner. We as observers have the mud spattered upon us as well. This was a poorly executed campaign without integrity or scruples.

We are indebted to the honorable men who stayed the course with us when they could have resigned and who would have blamed them. But they honored us by not caving into the bullying and hysteria. They listened to the support and encouragement of their fellow citizens and in spite of the abuse they endured. We are strengthened by their resolve.
And that is the biggest story of 2006 for Marco Island.

Mr Joey with the nuts......
Please remember that it was a Detective from our City Police that found buried asbestoes......so if it was planted it must have been by the police department. That is as absurd as saying someone else on the island planted it.

It was never cleaned up the first time. Hopefully some of the people on this island are sharper than that. If money is being wasted, it is the police trying to find who buried asbestoes when the police are the ones that found it to be buried! It is also a huge waste because it took three times to clean up by the same company.

As for no health threat being there, I hope that no one ever steps on any and causes the asbetoes to become free and cause the horrible cancer that I personally have seen. It is too bad people have so little concern for their fellow man.

Bob Brown
Marco Island

Sunalsorises: I hope that the Democracy you describe never becomes reality in our country. To claim that minorities have no rights and must depend upon the majority to look out for their concerns is not what we now enjoy. You have described a new form of government. I believe that you will be proven wrong in all counts when the next election hits Marco Island. It will be interesting to hear what kind of government you want us to have when the Council is stacked against the STRP.

bbyrone46 you have been proven wrong on ALL of your claims thus far. Re-read some of your over 500 blogs and you will find that you have been proven wrong everytime and the next election won't be any different.

MarcoFacts: You are guilty of counting your chicks before they hatch. In case you are unaware, there still remain two unresolved legal actions that can yet change the dynamics you speak of. I understand that POPs is considering a new petition, so you may have that referendum to look forward to in the next election also. More than 2,000 Marco Island citizens still feel they are not being paid attention to. Look at the numbers that it took to elect councilmembers in the last election. As it is unlikly that the people of Marco Island will be fooled by candidates like Popoff next time around, a candidate that can bring in 2,800 votes should be able to play. Expect these unhappy citizens to vote as a bloc for three candidates that will heal our island. There are too few real estate and business folks on this island to make any difference. We have learned our lessons about electing local attorneys, real estate and local business persons. Future candidates that have intimidated the electorate during the past year need not even consider running. So that wipes out any current or former members of CM. We remain confident that in the end we will prevail. Keep your eye on the ball MarcoFacts.

Dear Sunalsorises:

The asbestos in my garage was handled properly. It was always double-wrapped in plastic and watered thoroughly on the one occasion when it was exposed so I could take pictures to send to the MIPD. On the other hand, bone-dry broken asbestos-cement pipe was left in the open all along South Collier Boulevard and on Sites A and C of the Glon Property. It was hauled from South Collier to the Glon Property in open dump trucks and fragments were found all along NORTH Collier as it dribbled off the trucks as it was transported. Only God Almighty knows how much fell off the trucks as Quality Enterprises hauled it to the landfill. At this point, only God knows how much was illegally brought to the landfill in violation of NESHAP regulations. Only God knows how much was tracked into houses and hotel rooms on people's feet as they innocently walked down South Collier Boulevard during the construction. Only God knows how much remains in the carpets of those homes and rooms.

In your sublime ignorance you say that: "There was never really any health and safety threat from the asbestos pipe pieces ..." but the EPA begs to differ with you. So do the thousands of people who have suffered from asbestos-related illnesses over the years and the unknown number of our fellow residents and visitors who will suffer from the City's failure to admit and correct this problem in a timely manner.

On the other hand, there has never been any health and safety threat from Marco Island septic systems. Tests made on the water in Marco Island canals show a negligible fecal-coliform count (6.8 MPN compared to a state-established safe level of 200 MPN!) and most of that likely comes from wildlife. Dr. Shirley of Rookery Bay could find no scientific evidence whatsoever that linked contaminents in our canals with Marco Island septic systems. Over a 3-year period only 6 defective septic systems have been reported to the FDOH. That's an average of 2 per year. FDEP records indicate that we average more sewer spills on Marco each year than that!

These are well documented facts. Why don't you check the records before dismissing the potential damage of asbestos pollution and live in fear of properly operating septic systems?

Ed Foster

Is that the campaign you are going to run on?

The City Council is CARES and POPs greatest supporters. They can always be depended upon to make their citizens angry. Every Council Meeting brings in more citizens for the the anti-STEP crowd. Now with the snow birds attending, this will be even more evident.

Most of the snow birds live in condos, have sewers already, and will love the new road and improvements.

Did you know that about 28% of a human's genes are in common with a banana's? Get over yourself.

I find it sadly ironic that folks are now contemplating the next election as the vehicle to carry their messsage: "we don't want to pay for sewers".
It's never been an environmental issue for the petition signers. It's been a financial one. Many of the signers haven't a clue as to who these City councilmen are. They' ve been frightened into believing that by signing, STRP will stop and they won't lose their life savings. Pretty shameful.
I only wish that they had possessed the sense and decency to use the political process from the start rather than the jucicial one so that we could have all avoided the rancor, waste of taxpayer money and the villification of public servants who have individually given more to our community than all of
these self proclaimed 'saviors' combined.

Well said rjdictor. When reading posts it is always the same few bloggers claiming that they are victims when the fact is they are the antagonists to our wonderful city. The next election will only prove that they are the minority and that the Island will have a state of the art sewer system. They pick out and attack anyone that disagrees with them and that is shameful!

Well, Joey with the nuts has again shown her ignorance. How about getting your facts straight for once, but I realize that is impossible for you. Some people will never get it and are content with their ignorance.

To The Eagle: The interactive asbestos map never had a place on the web site. This issue is now history as Site C has been cleared. There was never any "Asbestos" found on any Site shown on your map. Only pieces of Concrete Pipe that contain Asbestos. Also, Mr. Ed Foster has admitted to having pieces of this pipe in his garage. I do not see his garage shown on your map. There are test results from the air and soil at City Hall that prove that no Asbestos was found on any Site that is shown on your map (obviously provided by others).
It is time to remove this map designed to create panic where panic is not warranted. That is NOT the function of a Community Paper. I tried to send this message through your web site Feedback process with no luck. Hopefully you read the blogs. Maybe I will suggest removal so that someone reads it and acts on it.
Ed Issler

Byron: You can always be counted on for something to talk about. I do not know if this post is too old an article for you to go back to and review, but the main issue that you need to keep in mind is that the STRP is a done deal. It doesn't matter what happens with the next City Council election. If the City Council stops the vote for the STRP, I guarantee you that FDEP will step in and mandate this program. Read all the comments from FDEP on this issue and you will see for yourself. Again, this is an environmental issue, not a political issue. And Ed and Butch, while they may have a lot of special interest based facts , they are not Environmentalists. FDEP wants the Septic Systems out, as they were not supposed to be here in the first place.
Ed Issler