A candidate for public office should be held to account for his record.
A candidate who wishes to oversee our schools should be required to explain his complex management of Dark Money PACs designed to push far right agendas and to smear opponents.
A candidate who accepts huge contributions from developers should be challenged by the press to address why he relies on moronic mailers while refusing to speak to reporters, participate in online forums, or meet with citizens however possible.
Mike Moran ignored an entire community's wishes for the Celery Fields for the sake of a financial supporter's desire to build a dump next to a marvelous bird sanctuary. Have our journalists questioned Moran about this? He's running again now, and recently refused to speak with a Herald Tribune reporter. He's got big developers' money and wants our votes.
Eric Robinson, who rose to the School Board in 2016 without a single vote being cast, is running for re-election.
Evidence points to Robinson sitting at the center of a huge web of "Dark Money" that he "manages" -- shifting funds from anonymous PAC to faceless PAC to build influence behind candidates and far-right efforts to dominate public opinion.
Robinson was given editorial space in the Herald Tribune for a column that barely passes muster as a coherent statement. It addressed no questions that are on parents' minds, such as how to address Covid19 concerns as the school year begins. The editorial space grants him an aura of legitimacy yet appears to have been factually inaccurate.
Citizens like Cathy Antunes have looked into Robinson's web of strange and anonymous alliances. Among her many observations, she notes that a large sum of money Robinson has utilized is linked to PACs that promote Charter Schools.
Sarasota's corporate print, TV and Internet News Media seem to have no problem ignoring both Moran's abdication of a candidate's responsibility to publicly review his record, and Robinson's manipulation of millions of dollars to influence elections and amass power.
If our "Mainstream Media" cannot speak for us, then it is obvious they are either afraid of, or in cahoots with, the developers, builders, disinformation operators and secretive money channelers that infest our county, our Boards, and our schools. They define their idea and vision of who we are, but to a large extent we have no idea who they are.
If you would prefer a public realm that fosters transparency, dialog, diversity of views and dedicated stewardship of all that goes with the responsibility to protect and serve our citizens, then please sign this Petition.
Let Media know they have failed us in a time of crisis.
The republic that defined the free flow of information as the life blood of democracy, today ranks 45th among nations when it comes to press freedom. Wade Davis