Letter to the Editor: Why vote?

In a recent letter in the Marco Eagle, Monte Lazarus took to task council candidate Larry Sacher for making comments at a City Council meeting to Council Chair Magel and Mr. Sacher’s announcement that he was filing an ethics complaint against Mr. Magel.

Mr. Sacher stated that Mr. Magel used his position as City Council Chair and Island Country Club president to spread blatant untruths about candidates Sacher, Petricca and Honecker. In my opinion, this action by Mr. Magel was a political ploy to convince voters of the urgency to support his candidates – Recker, Gibson and Honig.

Mr. Lazarus, speaking as a lawyer, could see no wrong in Mr. Magel’s constitutional right to speak his mind according to Florida law. I am not a lawyer. However, there is certainly a difference between the “spirit of the law” and the “letter of the law.” Mr. Magel as council chair should at least show some semblance of impartiality. He certainly has the right to support his chosen candidates, but not by making outright false accusations against the other candidates.

Mr. Recker and his co-candidates Gibson and Honig want us to remain positive and not listen to the naysayers – the opposition. Mr. Recker wants to run on his record. Of course, his record is sterling and anyone with a different opinion is negative.

Now we learn that an ethics complaint has been filed against Counselor Recker by Planning Board Member, Bob Brown. Although Mr. Recker denied asking the City to print his commentary on the city website, public record clearly indicates that Counselor Recker was advised On Oct. 9 at 9:23 a.m. by the City Director of IT, that the city manager approved Mr. Recker’s commentary and it was going to posted it on the city’s website.

This is reminiscent of imperial or totalitarian governments where the people in power are always right and those who are governed are wrong or do not know what is right.

Why vote? Vote because we have the right to express our opinions regarding the lies and mismanagement of our city government. Vote because wee have the right to disagree with “the record” without being labeled as negative and “naysayers.” If you have observed the way the incumbent city council members have acted and run our city the past four years and agree that they have been straightforward, truthful, transparent and competent, then vote for them and keep them in power. If however, you feel that you disagree in the way they act personally and the way they run city government and feel that there is a better way then – vote them out of office!

Dr. Gerald R. Swiacki | Marco Island