Sailfish City - Stuart Florida Community Site

The Martin County

  Defender

The e-newsletter for aware citizens – No. 61

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Independence Day 2008

A Day of Celebration and Remembrance

As we enjoy the fireworks and picnics on this Fourth of July, let’s also remember that we enjoy the fruits of liberty because of the courage and determination of ordinary citizens 232 years ago.

July Fourth Celebration, Friday, 4:00 pm, Flagler Park, 201 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart. Various music, games, clowns and pony rides. Band concert 7:30 pm. FIREWORKS at 9:00 pm. Free. Information: 772-286-2848. In Indiantown, Timer Powers Park on Friday night.

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Snippets of comments about Issue No. 60

SAMPLING OF READER REACTIONS TO ROUND-UP OF COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATES

[ Editor's Favorite Reader Comment: Sent by classy commissioner candidate about whom I said, reluctantly, that I would not vote for him ]

“Although I do not agree with your conclusions, I feel that you were fair enough with the facts. Keep up the good work.”

 
“Your Defender e-mail No. 60 contained a host of good information.”

“Insightful analysis as always. Not too many surprises, other than your reluctant endorsement of Patrick Hayes. I thought you might be more expressively supportive of him in the primary.”

“I can’t thank you enough for this information. You nailed the questions that I was intending to ask.”

“I respect your recommendations but wholeheartedly disagree with your analysis of the candidates. You’re spot on with Fullman though.”

“My thanks for straightening me out on the primary situation. I am a registered Democrat, but I want Henry to win.”

“As always I appreciate your information.  I’m taking your suggestion and re-registering from “no affiliation” to “republican” for the primary.  NO MORE 2004!!!”

“The editor is excellent and consistent in his fair evaluation of the issues. This one seemed particularly meaningful at the present time.” 

“Even though I cannot vote I would like to contribute to your candidates.”

“I am voting for Doug Smith and Lee Weberman. Incumbency can be an asset and is not a valid reason not to vote for a candidate.”

“Thank you for all your most informative messages.  I printed out copies for my friends who do not have a computer in order for them to be more informed voters on Election Day.”

“Keep up the good work, I enjoy your newsletters (as egregiously dogmatizing as they are at times).”

“Thank you so much for all that info.  I appreciate your opinion.”

“I can not believe that I never thought about changing parties, so I could vote in the primaries and then just change back to an independent.”

“My sincere thanks for your insightful assessment of the commissioner candidates.  Martin County residents are in your debt for such fine work.”

[ Editor's Least Favorite Reader Comments ]

“Please remove my name from your list.”   “Unsubscribe me.”

[ Editor's Note: Done. I respect anyone's right to remain uninformed (;-) ]

Reminder for Democrats and Independents

TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY FOR THE TWO COMMISSION CANDIDATES MOST DEDICATED TO PRESERVING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE

 - REPUBLICANS COPELAND AND POLLACK -

YOU MUST SWITCH PARTIES (AT LEAST TEMPORARILY) BY JULY 28.

It’s easy. Just pick up a Voter Application Form at any library, government annex or Tax Collector office. Or go online to www.martinvotes.com, click on “Voter Info/Education” and “Update Your Registration.” Print out the form, fill it out noting party change, sign and mail before July 28 to: Supervisor of Elections, P.O. Box 1257, Stuart, Fl 34995. Any questions? The Supervisor of Elections Office at 772-288-5637 is always very nice and helpful.

Upcoming Candidate Forums

July 16, 2008 at 11:00 am. County commission candidates. Sandhill Cove, Palm City. Sponsored by Palm City Chamber of Commerce and Economic Council.

July 21, 2008 at 6:00 pm.  County commission candidates. Blake Library. Sponsored by Martin County Conservation Alliance.

July 22, 2008 at 6:00 pm.  County commission candidates. Hospice of the Treasure Coast,

1201 SE Indian St., Stuart, Fl.  Sponsored by Martin County Interagency Coalition.

July 23, 2008 at 600 pm. County commission candidates. Indian RiverSide Park, Jensen Beach. “So Why Vote?” theme focuses on young people. Sponsored by Future Group and Young Professionals.

August 11, 2008 at 6:00 pm. Candidates for two House of Representative districts. Blake Library. Sponsored by Martin County Conservation Alliance.

August 13, 2008 at 6:00 pm. County commission candidates. Blake Library. Sponsored by League of Women Voters.

August 14, 2008 at 6:00 pm. Superintendent of Schools and State Representative District 81 and 82 candidates. Blake Library. Sponsored by League of Women Voters.

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For a free subscription to The Martin County Defender, send request with “Subscribe” in the subject line to:

mc-defender@comcast.net

Comments and requests to unsubscribe may be sent to this same address.

Al

Al Forman, Editor                                  7/4/08

The Martin County Defender is published and Copyright 2008 by WordsmithAmerica, P.O. Box 1828, Palm City, FL 34991. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for public or private use, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. NOTICE:  All correspondence not bearing legal copyright notice which is sent to the Defender or its editor is subject to being edited and published.

• NO MORE 2004

–

  Al Forman

  mc_defender@fastmail.net

I mentioned last month about a volunteer-run organization that was looking for fishermen to tag dolphin, in the hope of finding out more about their migratory patterns, and helping towards conservation of the species. I wanted to share with you one of his typical news items, and the info to sign up for the program if you wish to participate.

Enjoy….

Marine Anglers;

Well it appears that we are into another typical year of dolphin fishing. That translates into a different dolphin seasonal occurrence and abundance pattern along the East Coast than observed in previous years. All of the six years studied have been different. Subsequently, I do not know what constitutes a “normal” dolphin season. But what I am happy to report is the number of fish tagged so far in 2008, while below last year, is well above the average number.  

One of the articles in this newsletter shares some of the information from my self-imposed study of ocean currents 101. Having recognized these energy transfer systems as the main conveyor of dolphinfish and other highly migratory fish throughout the North Atlantic and world, I knew I needed to know more about them. Information presented here is just a taste of information available at the Universities of Miami’s Web site. The other article deals with the numerous inquiries received each year from anglers wanting to tag fish too large to bring in the boat. A simple solution is offered that converts the hand-held tag applicator into a long tag stick for tagging fish in the water.

Anglers, please remember that I would like to receive your photographs of fish that you tag, unusual fish and your trophy fish. Please email high resolution files of your photos (1 MB to 5 MB) to me. Be sure to identify the people in the picture, where and when it was taken, and who took the photo. Keep in mind that I can not use photos with large amounts of blood on the fish.

Good fishing,

Don

Donald L. Hammond

Marine Fisheries Biologist

Cooperative Sciences Services, LLC

961 Anchor Rd.

Charleston, SC 29412-4902

(843) 795-7524

cssllc@bellsouth.net

www.dolphintagging.com

The Martin County

  Defender

The e-newsletter for aware citizens – No. 55

INSIDE STORY:  

The whole truth about how two Martin County Consensus entities came to be

In addition to editing this news and advocacy e-newsletter, I have been serving Martin County citizens with my non-advocacy Martin County Consensus. I have been focusing on the future with the intent of leaving the past behind. Unfortunately, some former associates have been spreading false information. So, reluctantly, I am pressed to break my silence by revealing the entire inside history so residents will be honestly informed.

PLANTING THE SEED: Late in 2006, Tom Fullman invited a number of slow-growth advocates to a series of informal meetings. The purpose was to organize an effort to control sprawl and to improve the quality of life in Martin County. We hacked out a list of 15 position summaries that included environmental protection, infrastructure concurrency, airport, and affordable housing, among others. A small leadership group emerged to implement these aims.

BIRTH OF “CONSENSUS” NAME: I conceived the name Martin County Consensus, and told others in the group that I planned to open a post office box and register the name to protect it.  On Jan. 12, 2007 I registered it with the Florida Department of State as a “fictitious name,” the legal terminology for such unincorporated businesses as, say, Acme Widgit Company.

THE CORPORATION IS FORMED: The group decided to incorporate as Martin County Consensus, Inc. The paperwork was completed on April 5, 2007, and I was designated in the Articles of Incorporation as the “Incorporator.”  The three-person initial Board of Directors included Bill Summers, Lynne Pine and me. Fullman was not included because it was presumed that he would be a District 1 commission candidate, and it would not look good. (Pine, a most principled person, later resigned because she saw the corporation functioning as an election vehicle for Fullman. For good reason, Fullman may not be a candidate.)

FIGHT OVER THE BYLAWS: The first hint of internal tensions came with the adoption of a set of bylaws, a set that would provide for a nine member board. I fought to have all directors elected by the members. Others in the group voted me down by insisting on a self-appointing, self-perpetuating board responsible only to themselves. I thought this elitist, a view not well received in the inner group.

The legally required certification of the bylaws was never completed, opening the current board to questioned legitimacy, but we plunged ahead. Currently, five of the earlier nine directors are no longer with Consensus, Inc. if we are to believe the filing with the state; or four are gone if we are to believe the website of Consensus, Inc.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: The final membership application form not only required applicants to pay a $25 fee, it also required them to answer if they “support all of the Position Summaries.”  On a case by case basis, those who did not affirm this loyalty oath type of inquiry could be rejected – and there was rejection. In 2007, there were only a few dozen members.

A STIFLING ATMOSPHERE EMERGES: By mid-2007, the original bonhomie and enthusiasm was waning. There was the imposition of a gag rule that was intended to prevent board members from repeating anything said or seen at a meeting, even if it had nothing to do with Consensus, Inc. or any individual. President Summers (Fullman was chairman, I was secretary) not only insisted that only he could talk to the press as official Consensus, Inc. representative – which was OK – but he said no one could talk to the press even unofficially. I was not about to give up my free speech rights. Also, I did not like the hateful comments flying around about political foes.

EXTERNAL ISSUES BREED DISCOMFORT. When, at a public meeting of the Martin County Commission, President Summers tore up an ad by Commissioner Valliere, advanced on the dais and threw the scraps down before her, some of us were concerned how that affected our image. Most of the Consensus, Inc. directors exhibited a feckless attitude about reaching out to support other allied groups, one of our key aims. For example, when a Jensen Beach group mounted a protest at the bridge and asked for Consensus, Inc. help, only one director appeared. Me.

INTERNAL IMPROPRIETIES: We were fighting hard against the Valliere Rural Cluster Amendment. After board member Dave Shore received a letter from Jim Valliere that his commissioner wife’s support of the WAAM airport position (Shore is president of WAAM) would be jeopardized, he kept quiet about clustering. Perhaps some will think that there is no problem there. Shore resigned from the board, but still kept sitting in on the board meetings as if there had been no resignation. He was able to do this because Summers and Fullman kept the resignation secret from the rest of the board! The three of them did not like it when I told them how outrageous  and improper that failure to inform was. How could they be trusted again?

COORDINATION SLOWLY VANISHING: Toward the end of 2007, another person, not a board member, and I arranged for Florida Hometown Democracy co-author Leslie Blackner to be the speaker at one of our forums. Summers said he would arrange a press conference, and did not need my help despite my extensive  experience with press conferences. Summers set it up. Nobody came. I did the newspaper ad, extensive online promotion, flyers, etc., and we packed in a full house at the Blake Library on Dec.3.

THE FINAL BLOW: Early in 2008, the proposed FAA agreement for Witham Field became a public issue. Independent of Consensus, Inc., I did a survey of Martin County residents to learn resident attitudes toward the agreement. When Shore found out about it, he insisted I not publish it. As a lifetime journalist, I believed that the public had a right to know the survey results, and refused to spike the piece.

Shore contacted Summers, who called for a special meeting at his house, not the attorney office we usually meet in. When I asked Summers what the purpose of the meeting was, he said he did not have to tell me. So within the week that I sent out survey questionnaires, and before anyone knew the results because they had not yet been compiled, Fullman, Summers and Shore rammed through my removal by a slim majority because I did not obey Shore’s demand to suppress the report. If they had wanted to concoct a barely credible excuse, they could have waited until the report was completed.

SINCE THAT DAY: In the half year since the successful Hometown Democracy forum, the only thing of note that Consensus, Inc. has done is a lunch at which a U.S. attorney said that if we have evidence of corruption, to give it to him. There is nothing there that illuminates Martin County’s daily concerns. Consensus, Inc. used to reach out to everyone, but the posted invitation stated that the lunch was being held “at an undisclosed location,” and that attendance was “by invitation only.”

LOOKING AHEAD: It is more in sadness than anger that I look back on the unfulfilled potential and decline of Consensus, Inc. Condemnation of their board is not all-inclusive. There have been some very competent and ethical people, like Paul Shidel and Jay Honan, with whom I have been proud to work.

There is a sense of relief though because it was stifling for me to have to contend regularly with the antics and petty tyranny of a political cell. I look forward to serving the people of Martin County with my Consensus, whose stated mission is “To promote the free exchange of ideas and opinions.”  Currently our efforts are directed toward impartial, non-lobbying surveys that reveal to all residents what our neighbors are thinking about important county related issues. No one else, certainly not Consensus, Inc., is doing that.

Separate and apart from the information Consensus will provide, the Martin County Defender will continue to deliver to several thousand of your computers the no-nonsense informed advocacy and news that have served readers for the past 54 issues.

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Mark your calendars

That indomitable organization that fights to preserve our environment, the Martin County Conservation Alliance, will be sponsoring two candidate debates at the Blake Library at 6:00 pm:

Monday, July 21, 2008 – Candidates for county commission, Districts 1, 3 and 5.

Monday, August 11, 2008 – Candidates for two House of Representative districts.

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For a free subscription to The Martin County Defender, send request with “Subscribe” in the subject line to:

mc-defender@comcast.net

Comments and requests to unsubscribe may be sent to this same address.

Al

Al Forman, Editor                                  5/19/08

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