Brightly colored mailers and TV blurbs are urging us to vote against Single Member Districts by voting "yes." Instead, please Vote NO -- here's why:
That ad campaign is run and paid for in the same manner as County Commission races. Behind the bright ads is a faceless Tallahassee PAC that calls itself the "Sun Coast Alliance." (PACs conveniently help conceal money spent to influence elections.)
Cathy Antunes of Sarasota has been investigating the source of $100,000 that moved into the Sun Coast Alliance PAC right before the ad campaign began. Let's just say the probability is high that the source was none other than Pat Neal, who placed $750,000 into another Tallhassee PAC which, via a series of twisty transfers, now could be trying to buy your vote.
Mr. Neal's investment shows he's determined to make it impossible for a candidate who represents the will of the people of Sarasota to stand a chance.
Candidates like Mike Hutchinson in rural east Sarasota, whose area supported him in 2020. Mike spent about $53K and lost by 196 votes to the developers' far better funded candidate, Mike Moran.
That was too close for the construction syndicate. Wasting no time, they chose their next Commissioner last September, anointing a chiropractor from Venice who currently has a warchest of $106,000 for mailers and TV ads. Voting by Single Member Districts represents our best chance to elect candidates who listen to voters, not to the syndicate. The March 8 election will decide whether Sarasota County chooses Democracy or Plutocracy. For more information, see the Citizens for District Power Blog. In any case: Vote NO. Tom Matrullo
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