Sarasota is a tight little world of big money flowing from developers who are transforming our environment, our open lands, our air, waters and beaches -- into hard cash in their own pockets. Some of that cash flows to candidates they groom to vote for their many projects.
What track is Mike Moran on?
Moran . . .
- voted for Benderson.
- voted for Pat Neal.
- persuaded the Planning Commission to approve Carlos Beruff's houses near a possibly toxic dump.
- voted for Gabbert's giant open air debris demolition plant next to the Celery Fields.
Moran even voted against protecting a small rural area in East County that wanted to "Keep the Country . . . Country."
His "Florida Country" PAC keeps growing - it's now at $185,000.
Is this the track we want Sarasota County to be on?
When the 170-year-old East Sarasota rural area called Old Miakka came up with that slogan, Moran's backers created a new Political Action Committee - a slush fund they call "Florida Country."
The aim is to confuse voters. Mike Hutchinson, a Republican from Old Miakka, ran against Moran because he actually wants to keep the Country . . . Country. Hutchinson lost the primary by a few hundred votes.
The Florida Country PAC's treasurer is Eric Robinson. Robinson is called "PAC-MAN" because he manages scores of PACs that move hefty bushels of anonymous money into the campaigns of those candidates developers desperately want to win.
Eric Robinson
Just a few of the developers dumping money into Robinson's PACs:
PACs are supposed to remain at arm's length from candidates and their campaigns.
However, while managing the Florida Country PAC, Robinson happens also to be the treasurer of gun-loving Mike Moran's campaign for re-election to the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners.
Robinson also manages the campaign for another Commissioner running for re-election, Nancy Detert:
Detert has several developers and PACs to thank as well:
Here are the PACs listed in Commissioner Detert's campaign finance report:
Ludicrously wealthy Sarasota seems to have only one available accountant . . . making for a cosy little world of developers, candidates, pitch men, ad buyers, power brokers and the voters they target.
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