Comments by conchsoup

Written on VIDEO UPDATE: Citizens’ movement for Marco high school picks up momentum:

Let's look at the players to discern the motives.
Faye hates the founders of the solar panel project. They have been adversaries throughout the sewer debate and have been arm wrestling for power on the Island for years. Before that she was fighting against some of the old guard who wanted to incorporate Marco Island. Now she will do anything in her power to sow dissent against anything they propose even a solar panel project.

This is not about the merits of the solar idea. It is a power struggle pure and simple being played out on track K. Faye is up to her old tricks of trying to divide the Islanders again, this time by teaming up with "Professor" Mario who teaches Microsoft office skills http://147.70.30.31/spring2009/course... in Miami-Dade.

Mario home teaches his daughter and this ploy to start a high school on Marco is following a failed attempt to start a Christian high school here.

If Faye Biles really wants to help the local kids she would do well to bring FGCU to Lely High School which could really benefit from the input. I speak as a parent now: Lely offers incredible opportunities to Marco's children. Hundreds have gone on to excellent universities and military academies often with wonderful scholarships. The advanced placement program there has truly served our local pupils well. The extracurricular activities like the marching band and sports and the debate team could not be matched in a small satellite high school.

Faye's politics of division and her never-ending struggle for power and influence and relevance are alive and well. But her motives are suspect.

The solar panel plan should be weighed on its merits, not by the distractions of a screwy team of odd bedfellows stirring up controversy.

Written on Marco man who contributed to countless charities is now in need :

It is very difficult to read about people who are so good and beloved abandoned to the charity of others. Those who read these NDN posts often know that I frequently try to rally support for universal healthcare. I hope Disco Dave will excuse me for taking up space from his many admirers who will leave their kind words here, but there is a very powerful message that his experience should convey.

We are a nation of people who care about each other and so we cannot leave the availability of health care access in the hands of those whose only motive is profit i.e. private insurance companies. This is not about the free market and how competition is good for business. Competition is good when the goals are maximizing the best health care practices and covering the most people, but in the free market world, competition ends up being how can we maximize profit by cutting people who have pre-existing conditions, and those who might have expensive needs, and how can we skimp on providing services etc. And yet, premiums continue to rise at a pace many times the increase in wages.

Consider an alternative: All income receiving adults (except retirees) pay, on a sliding scale, into a nationalized system that is in effect the bridge between Medicare and Medicaid. The premiums would be less per person than the current costs because as a non-profit, there are no advertising expenses, no corporate jets, no huge lobbying expenses, no golden parachutes, no incentive fees to middlemen and so on.

We need to have a universal healthcare program so people like Disco Dave and many of our other friends and their children will not be left without healthcare insurance.

I wish you a speedy and complete recovery.

Written on Are failing seawalls a threat to Marco?:

fossil not withstanding- I'm ready to bet that more than 50% of the property owners with seawalls would vote for a seawall insurance program.

Written on Letter to the editor: Add value:

Let it go Russ. The battle is over. Your war has been lost. Throwing eggs now reflects more about your poor character in the face of defeat than anything else.

Time for bygones to be bygones.

Written on Satisfaction, disappointment — and ultimately — hope abound in days after Marco election:

The election results show overwhelmingly that more than anything Marco Islanders reject the contentious behavior of those who were constantly bringing lawsuits against our City and who could not disengage from vicious personal attacks on our City Council members and City management with whom they disagreed.

It is apparent that some of them such as Mr. Colombo have only contempt for those who disagree with him. It is disappointing that Dr. Biles continues to foment dissent by refusing to acquiesce with a decisive majority decision.

It will be interesting to watch their behavior in future council meetings. It will be interesting to see whether or not the anti-STRP and MITA folks will get the message from the voters that their obnoxious behavior is what distanced them from the majority as well as a clear understanding that the STRP is desirable.

Written on Elections complaint lodged against Celebrate Marco:

Hawk-it is a fantasy that you and others who are facing having sewers but refuse to accept responsibility for paying for them actually think the rest of island is going to subsidize you. The slate of anti-sewer candidates are one issue candidates and the vast majority of the island is already on sewers. People on sewers already are supportive of the STRP and see the desparate measures you and the angry few are still trying to foist upon the rest of us. You are the one who will lose yet again in your already long string of loses.

We are looking to put the likes of you and the negative candidates in our past!

PS
I accept responibility for paying for the STRP in my neighborhood.

Written on Marco councilman vows to fight charges:

Most islanders see the outrageous antics of the anti-STRP crowd as disruptive and counterproductive. They are REALLY tired of your constant haranguing. They have known the councilmen and women for many years and have worked with them on countless civic organizations. They voted for them already and know them to be honest and hardworking and trust their judgment. In fact most citizens are benefiting from the changes not only from the beautification of the island but also for the environmentally sound decision to complete the sewer project. They have respect for the decisions made by the council and have noted that the upgrades increase the value of their property.

What they hear and see of you is annoying, incessant whining and crankiness. You are berating them for their election decisions and your criticisms fly in the face of what they see before them. The Island has never looked more beautiful. They see you ran off a well respected city manager who was grabbed up by a neighboring city. Naples would never have hired Mr. Moss if he were guilty of half the awful things you accuse of him of. You have no longevity here. You have no history here. You are Johnny-come-latelys (except for poor Mrs. Biles who most of us know and just shake our heads about).

You have always threatened that the next battle you will win, but you have always lost. Every single time you have lost. You lost repeatedly on appeals and even when you went to the Florida Supreme Court. You always say the next battle is your big one and you will take over control. But you lose every time. You lost the recall battle. You lost all the lawsuits you brought against the city for how they made the decision on the STRP.

Some people are just slow to grasp reality and like a stubborn child having a particularly long tantrum think they are actually going to convince the adults to respond differently.

Written on Marco councilman vows to fight charges:

"Environmental supporters of CARES"? Who are you kidding bb? The CARES contingent was about refusing to have to pay for the sewers not about any high minded environmental sentiment. The swales were designed to collect rain runoff and before there were conduits the rain water filtered through the ground and migrated back to the canals through the area where septic tanks are located. There is nothing environmentally sound about this system.

As the tides raise the level of water in the canals the level of water is also raised in the ground water under our homes around the septic systems. Septic systems’ contents leech into the surrounding ground and are under water when the tides are high. This is not environmentally appropriate. While the action of tides carries the contents out to sea the evidence left behind in the nutrient rich canals clouds our water in algae. While it is suggested that fertilizer runoff contributes to this problem too, that does not discount the effects of tides on the underground septic tanks.

An attempt to recall the councilors supporting the septic tank replacement program was purely brought about by residents not wanting to pay for the sewer system. They could have had an argument that the price was too steep but the council went to great lengths to provide alternative payment methods including one that avoids payment at all until the property is sold. The cost is high. I know, I have to pay it too. But the democratically elected council made the decision in the best interests of the whole island.

To support the single issue candidates you suggest based solely on their promises to overturn the septic tank replacement program is detrimental to the financial well being of the island. It is detrimental to the environmental well being of the island and it is detrimental to the long term governing of the island since we have other concerns than just this issue. Finally I suggest voting for anyone but those candidates because they have shown how angry and mean spirited they are when in front of the council. They are argumentative and belligerent and generally very unpleasant to watch. I do not want to have a city run by these candidates.

Written on The war at home:

Liam-You did a brilliant story of this man and his life. I hope you keep writing. You deserve an award and to be encouraged. You are the best story teller at the NDN.

Written on Fired superintendent makes good on promise to sue school district:

Piano~I think a case can be made about the collusion of the three board members out of the sunshine by the actions of Thompson and by the actions of the board there and the event chronology in Rockford as reported in the press there. Additionally, to date, to my knowledge, the board members have not had to respond under oath. There are severe penalties for perjuring oneself.

We are about to write a new chapter in the history of Sunshine Law violations and what the spirit of the law is if it turns out that Mr. Abbott and Mrs. McShea orchestrated the Thompson take-over. We will also learn a lot more about the character strengths and flaws of those board members involved.

It was quite a show to watch Mr. Abbott coaching his wife Linda as she vacillated about her vote. On TV in front of everyone transfixed to the school board meeting July 31, we saw him at the microphone laying out the structure of his point of view about why his wife needed to vote to fire Baker. He sat in the front row and it appeared he was positioning himself there as a force to leverage her vote.

Linda Abbott lost any credibility she may have had. It became painfully apparent that she was doing his bidding. It will not be surprising to those of us who watched that demonstration to hear that ultimately Charlie Abbott was an architect along with Mrs. McShea in coordinating this coup.

Mr. Baker was railroaded out of his office. He has the right to have a full and fair hearing of the events that lead up to his firing. The public has an equal interest. If he wants to return to his job that should be his option if it is found that he was wrongly fired.

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