February 25, 2010
You received a flyer in the mail today promoting a yes vote on Amendment #10 on March 9th.
Florida law requires a filing with the City Clerk identifying the people responsible and the sources of financing for political communications. Also, an individual can send political communications provided they identify themselves. The flyer you received was attributed to “Ten for Winter Park.” Per my phone calls today, neither the City of Winter Park nor the Orange County Elections office has any information on this organization. [Update: “Ten for Winter Park” registered with the City on March 3, 2010 under the name of Debera Sharpe, at least seven days after they were required to do so under Florida election law, making the February 25 mailer illegal. Members of the City Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission supporting Amendment #10 have associated their names with this person in a March 4, 2010 political advertisement in the Winter Park/Maitland Observer. Will the nonsense never end?]
Whoops!
Candidate Carolyn Cooper supports Amendment #10. In today’s mail Cooper promises to “respect our laws and apply them consistently.” Evidently there are people who support her who don’t have the same respect for the law. I don’t know if Cooper approves of this anonymous mail piece, but the message is eerily similar to hers: Anyone who disagrees with her, on this or any other issue, is a “special interest developer” who can’t be trusted to be “independent.”
If support for Amendment #10 is supposed to be in our best interest why did the people promoting it in this mail piece want to be anonymous? (UPDATE: …and why did they suddenly register with the City on March 3rd after city wide concern was expresses over the February 25th anonymous mailer?)
SEVEN Winter Park Mayors recommend a NO vote on Amendment #10. Are they “special interest developers” who can’t be trusted to be “independent?” Of course not.
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce recommends a NO vote on Amendment#10. Are they “special interest developers” who can’t be trusted to be “independent?” Of course not.
Hundreds of residents around town who understand the consequences put signs in their yard opposing Amendment #10. Are these people “special interest developers” who can’t be trusted to be “independent?” Of course not.
Could it be that the anonymous people financing this mailer have a “special interest” or two? Could it be killing our commuter rail agreement with Orange County? Could it be imposing an overreaching city master plan that has already exposed our city to lawsuits? Could it be manipulating public process to restrict changes to the city master plan they wrote?
Carolyn Cooper and the anonymous people who mailed the flyer today are trying to get your support by labeling anyone who opposes their views as “special interest developers” instead of factually addressing the consequences of our policy and priority choices. Matters affecting the character and quality of our city demand more than this.
- The fear mongering nonsense needs to stop with this election.
- The “special interest developer” nonsense needs to stop with this election.
- The righteous nonsense needs to stop with this election.
- The anonymous nonsense needs to stop with this election.
Talk to your friends. Talk to your neighbors. Get informed. Be sure to vote on March 9th.
I am voting FOR David Lamm, FOR Peter Gottfried, and NO on Referendum #10.
Pete Weldon
Do I doubt Carolyn’s work history and experience? No. But she is running on her resume from how many years ago at the Glen Martin Cos. (now Lockheed Martin)? We have no evidence or endorsements from any co-workers or clients. Again, I believe what she says about her work career. I have no reason to doubt her, but she has some nerve dissing David Lamm because he currently runs a successful (according to her, 9th largest developer in Central Florida) business? Her business success is O.K. but David’s isn’t? Her condescending attitude towards a guy who lays it on the line every day is hypocritical. David’s resume is on display around town. You can visit it and talk to the owners.
The Yes on Ten postcard by the Ten for Winter Park ECO is a little misleading. It states “certain issues” require a supermajority vote. This suggests we are being governed in some cases by SM. That’s not true. Supermajority voting is used for referendums such as bricking a street or creating a historic district. These are citizen supermajorities.
The commisison uses supermajorities in the event a project is denied by P and Z and the applicant decides to appeal directly to the city commission. The vote to overturn the P and Z decision must be a supermajority. I may be wrong, but I don’t think that has ever been accomplished.
This means we already have supermajority voting for the controversial projects. And what would be the point of having a P and Z board if the project is going to need a supermajority from the commission? Yes on 10 is a dumb idea.
I’m voting for Carolyn Cooper because SHE APPRECIATES WHAT MAKES WINTER PARK SPECIAL.
I’ll take the interests of Winter Park over the interest of a developer who’ll be interested in HIS OWN.
David Lamm is like the Barack Obama of Winter Park . . . . special interests rule the day, NOT THE DESIRES OF WINTER PARK RESIDENTS.
Dear Winter Park Gent,
You have swallowed the poisoned pill. The city has legitimate interests that need to be attended to if the residents (that’s us) are to improve and maintain the kind of parks, lakes, streets, sidewalks, bike paths, and tree lined streets we require.
You might be interested in a bit of factual history in the context of this poisoned misunderstanding: http://www.winterparkperspective.org/2010/02/11/stevens-folly/
The Cooper mantra about “special interests” is complete hogwash and we will pay dearly for that hogwash if she is elected. Cooper herself is a “special interest” wanting to kill our commuter rail stop and stop redevelopment. We are already on the verge of being sued because of her deeply flawed master plan for our city.
We are a divided and dysfunctional city because of the distortion and distrust fomented by Carolyn Cooper and Beth Dillaha. And you, my friend, are another victim of their poisoned pill.
On the contrary, Winter Park Gent, the demonization of developers is right out of the Democrat playbook and is a real economy killer. This garbage that all developers are greedy crooks and want nothing but to pave paradise and ruin Winter Park is hogwash and really damaging to our town. Do you wear the pants in your family or are you being led around by the nose by some emotive woman with zero business sense? The Winter Park Sorority sisters are going to shutter this town. But it will be quaint! Did it ever occur to any of you that Loring Chase and Chapman were developers? Those greedy SOBs.