My tussle with a candidate for the Sarasota City Commission.

My community, the Glen Oaks Ridge Condominium Association sponsored a forum this morning to listen to the candidates for two open seats on the Sarasota City Commission.  The City election is slated for March 14th. It's a hotly contested election.

Seven of the eight declared candidates were present.

It was a mostly good tempered occasion.

I did not learn much about the candidates' stances

(They are all in favour of God, mother, and apple pie [phew!], but I was pleased to see them in person, and especially to observe body language).

One of the candidates, Martin Hyde, made what I thought were miserable and mean comments about another, one Susan Chapman (she is a current Commissioner who is running for re-election).

I told him so after the meeting, and he responded with a certain amount of hostility.  When I told him that he had lost my vote he said "I don't need your vote" 

I also had a brief conversation with Ms. Chapman.  I told her that I would be unlikely to vote for her, but that I had "called out" Mr. Hyde for his intemperate remarks.

She responded that her chief feeling (at the moment) was not that I would be unlikely to vote for her, but that she was very pleased that someone had stood up to him in the cause of decent civic conversation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is so much anger, hostility, lies and dissension in our American Civic life at the moment that the plea for decency must start somewhere.  That's why I took this stance at the most local level, in the case the election for the Sarasota City Commission.  jmp

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later in the day I wrote to Mr. Hyde:

Dear Mr Hyde

I met and listened to you this morning (11th Feb) at the Glen Oaks Ridge Forum.

As I told you after the meeting I very much disliked your attacks, veiled, sarcastic  and direct, on Commissioner Chapman

I have no brief for Ms. Chapman, and I will not be voting for her.

But I need to remind you that you are running FOR US, the voting Citizens of the City of Sarasota.

Unfortunately you seem to be running AGAINST  Ms. Chapman.  That does not serve we citizens well

You did not speak as a gentleman this morning.

When I told you that I would not be voting for you, your response was "I don't want your vote".   I remind you that every vote counts.

Yours Faithfully,

J. Michael Povey

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is his reply


Dear Mr.Povey,
                          Thank you for your email. I hear you ,I respect your opinion, and your forthrightness !
I am not running against Chapman but I resent her blatant lies about the Sunshine lawsuit and I think people have a right to know the truth. She has no chance to win in my opinion so from a tactical perspective she's probably not worth my attention.
I am running for everyone hence my promise to donate my salary . I'm  the only candidate endorsed by the police, firefighters, EMS, Realtors , and other groups.
I accept that today might not have been my finest hour in terms of being irritated by Chapmans lies and for that if I offended you I apologize .
I'm grateful for your civic engagement and wish you all the best.

Yours Sincerely 

Martin Hyde