It is my hope the voters of Winter Park will fully understand what they are voting for when they mark their ballots in the March 9th election. This election is about: THREATS TO COMMUTER RAIL. THE FLAWED INCOMPETENT CITY MASTER PLAN. ERODING GOVERNANCE FOR WINTER PARK. Click the links above to learn more about these issues. Given the realities we face (see: Winter Park Realities – No Need to Fear) and the candidates, I see the consequences of this election as follows: A vote for Carolyn Cooper, Tom McMacken, and Charter Amendment #10 will: Kill our commuter rail stop. Chase…
Category: Elections
The Flawed Incompetent City Master Plan
Winter Park needs a master plan that DEFINES and ENCOURAGES redevelopment consistent with Winter Park’s character. Instead, Cooper has written and McMacken has pledged allegiance to a flawed city master plan that chases redevelopment away, and now they want you to agree this plan should not be changed. UPDATE: The Winter Park City Attorney on February 8, 2010 confirmed that Cooper’s Comprehensive Plan has down zoned a substantial number of properties and that at least one property owner has a valid and substantial claim against the city for a regulatory taking under Florida law. Click here to listen. In short,…
Stevens’ Folly
February 12, 2010 John Stevens, past member of the Winter Park Planning and Zoning Commission, sent a letter around town recently that further demonstrates the hypocrisy and lies promoted by certain candidates and their supporters. Those momentarily impressed by Mr. Stevens’ vitriolic critique of David Lamm’s participation in the P&Z votes that increased allowable floor area and approved the infamous “Carlisle,” should note that Mr. Stevens also voted FOR these changes. See the meeting minutes below. Mr. Stevens’ willingness to engage in this hypocrisy to achieve political ends cements my commitment to vote for David Lamm, for Peter Gottfried, and…
Super – Super Majority – the 80% Disaster
A majority vote of our City Commission is 3 of 5, or 60%. Charter Amendment #10 would require 4 of 5 to approve changes to our city master plan, or an 80% vote. This would be a Super – Super Majority. Carolyn Cooper and Tom McMacken want you to give control of our city master plan to a minority of the City Commission through Charter Amendment #10. If Amendment #10 passes two City Commissioners will be able to veto any change to our city master plan. This measure was put on our March 9, 2010 ballot by a 3 to…
Threats to Commuter Rail
Carolyn Cooper and Beth Dillaha have worked to kill commuter rail for years. Cooper walked door to door to get signatures to put commuter rail on the ballot in 2007 with the hope of killing Winter Park’s participation. When she lost that vote she claimed the voters were not asked the right questions (questions she helped to write). Cooper helped Beth Dillaha get elected in 2008. Dillaha faked support for commuter rail with the voters, and then immediately went to work trying to kill it after she was elected. Dillaha tried to kill the commuter rail agreement with Orange County…
Winter Park Realities – No Need to Fear
January 18, 2010 The following details what I believe are important realities we must face in setting reasoned policies and priorities for Winter Park. I encourage comments as we all seek to improve our knowledge and understanding. We are essentially a no growth community. No growth does not mean no change. We cannot control growth around us. We cannot control traffic. Housing bubble is burst. Revenues are contrained. Expenses are ever increasing. Central park is not threatened. Central park is our commercial core. Commuter rail is an opportunity, not a threat. No Growth: We have essentially been a “no growth”…
Phil Folds
January 2, 2010 I have worked with City Commissioner Phil Anderson over the past two years to try to rid our local politics of the extreme political dogma now embedded in our policies and priorities. Phil “beat me” to win his seat on the City Commission and I have always respected his thoughtfulness and concern. Phil seems to be guided by influences other than his own convictions. After considering the wisdom of asking the voters to approve super majority voting requirements by the City Commission to change the current Comprehensive Plan, Phil told me he had decided a super majority…
What to do? What to do?
The fighting in Winter Park over commercial redevelopment, “McMansions,” the commuter rail stop, and all things obstructionist and isolationist continues to take its toll on our willingness to face reality. While our tax base withers and our revenues fall Beth Dillaha, Margie Bridges, and Phil Anderson sit on our City Commission and spend all their time discussing conservation districts, historical districts, killing the commuter rail agreement with Orange County, the “Hometown Democracy” referendum, imposing super majority voting requirements, and applauding themselves for stopping everything in their path. A few months ago Bill Donegan, Orange County Property Appraiser, made a presentation…
Citizen Letters on Ethics
The City of Winter Park posted all the written correspondence received by the Ethics Board in response to its call for public input. Read the letters here. (Be patient, it takes some time to show up.) There are some interesting points made. The biggest issue with many is what are being generally called “LLC” contributions that are presumed to have a”bad” influence on elections under the presumption that such contributions constitute efforts to purchase influence for financial gain. How do you define “bad” contributions and separate them from “good” contributions? How can you ban “LLC” contributions and still permit contributions…
Better Ethics, or Unethical Power Play?
There are important State laws in place concerning conflicts of interest, campaign contribution limits, and campaign financial reporting. The recently established Winter Park Ethics Board was formed at the behest of a small group of citizens more concerned with limiting the voice of interests with whom they disagree than in doing the work required to compete for votes in the marketplace of ideas. The purpose of the Ethics Board in the eyes of those demanding its formation is to rubber stamp campaign finance restrictions more stringent than State requirements under the righteous banner of improving “ethics” in Winter Park. The…