sign her up !

I wasnt sure it was Margie spewing forth her own special brand of venom until tonight. Now I am sure. C'mon Margie, if you are going to poison this site with your senseless invective, at least have the guts to sign your name! I do. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

DERM shows up

DERM finally showed up tonight and verified that there are 27 sites identified at this point being remediated or monitored at this point. They also said that 9 of those sites have State funds available if cleanup should be needed. Stuff NOT mentioned was HOW MUCH state monies might be available for those cleanups. The State is hurting for money too. Will there be enough money to do an adequate cleanup? If not, will the County chip in to make up the difference? DERM says they are the ones to enforce the pollution laws but didnt say what might happen if 30 years of defunct companies are traced back but NONE have a desire, or the funds, to actually do a cleanup? When I called DERM they said they would need an addrees and site before they could give an opinion on any potential pollution sites. I will try again tomorrow, but until I have an agreement in writing that the County or State will be responsible for any cleanups needed in the proposed areas to be annexed I cannot be sure its a good deal for us, and would have a hard time agreeing to this annexation proposal. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

Municipal Money Magically Disappears

All I know for sure is that an experienced local contractor can build the bathrooms for 140k and that includes a fat 25% profit for him. The City paid an ADDITIONAL 280k for the very same bathrooms! We KNOW it costs 140k to build- where did that additional money go? IF the City Manager had a rational response he would have offered it LONG AGO. He doesnt. The City Manager should be embarrassed and ashamed to have thrown away our hard-earned tax monies like that! If he's embarrassed, as he SHOULD be, then its only because he has done it to himself with that shameful exhibit of municipal malfeasance, if not worse. I am just the observer who points out that the Emperor has... been exposed. The Mayor and Council should also be embarrassed and ashamed for approving those expenditures without any discussion or rational debate. Rubber Stamp R Us could be their slogan. Pitiful. Pathetic. Problematic. Preposterously exPensive. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

I have NO IDEA why the City would pay 280k more than it cost to build those bathrooms. I only know that the money disappeared! Poof! Gone with the wind! 280k of OUR tax dollars disappeared! And another 350k+ disappeared on the CC project! Where did THAT money go? The City Manager was in charge of BOTH projects and he has NO rational explanation. NONE. ZERO. We KNOW what the actual costs were- 140k. Where did that additional 280k go? We are not talking nickels and dimes here. We are talking about at least $630,000+ in our hard-earned tax dollars going POOF! GONE. Disappearing. We NEED that money now, as we look into a potential 1.3 million dollar deficit next year! WHERE did it go? Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

If you dont believe my GC friend, ask any Fla insurance company what the usual and customary charges are for new construction in S Fla are. My insurance company says $125 a square foot. Can it be that the past-middle-age chunky real estate female is back and spewing her senseless and shameless venom again on this site? To suggest that I am writing the baseless, tasteless, and fictitious comments about myself is absurd, of course, and would be amusing if it wasnt so pathetically presented and pursued. It pleases me to know that people like that are NOT associated with MY campaign. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

the choices are clear

Between Suco and Lob I dont believe you could get a dozen Council meetings attended over the past TWO YEARS. Lob wants whatever Billy tells him to want. Suco apparently thinks Gym is doing a fine job and should continue in that capacity for the next couple years until he retires. I disagree with both of them, as I believe that this new costly gym is a mistake in this economic environment and the City Managers performance has been horrible for the past couple years, especially on the city comstruction projects. So there are clear differences in our beliefs for the voters to contemplate and decide. Suco doesnt believe that pollution is an issue for the annexation properties- I disagree. When, or IF, the county puts it into writing that THEY will be responsible for any further cleanups, then I would be okay with that part of annexation. The choices are clear- Lob if you want a Billy clone; Suco if you want to allow the City Manager to continue as he has been doing; and me, who disagrees strongly with both of them on multiple points. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

the truth shall set you free

I will be glad to talk to anybody about our tax base, and anything else they want to talk about. The PEOPLE stated VERY clearly they didnt want any highrises over 3 stories, not me. End of that story. I do not believe I have made any untrue statements. Those who believe I have, need to give their numbers and rationale behind them. All I hear is broad accusations with NO numbers or rationale by ANONYMOUS posters! At least they should sign their names, like I do, or risk being thought of as one of the cojone-less cowards they accuse others of being! Dr. Mel P. Johnson