GUEST COMMENTARY

“Would a person who is genuinely concerned with a competent government ask supporters to vote for ‘me, me, me and only me, me, me’?  Anyone who promotes a personal victory by the use of undervotes should be thrown off the ballot.”

ED TAYLOR

If you haven’t had a chance to see the September 3, 2013 Vero Beach City Council meeting, please make an effort to find it on the city webpage.  The public behavior of our Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll was deplorable . . . a shameful display of arrogance, rudeness, ignorance and intolerance.  It is all there, and more.  To cite each example would require much more space than I can give it in this brief commentary.  Please take the time to watch it and you will see that my brief analysis is an act of kindness.

Ms. Carroll sets a horrible example to folks who choose public service in an attempt to make our community a better place to live.  For her the public seems to consist of Tracy Carroll and her apparent sponsor, Florida Power and Light.  Since the meetings are streamed on the internet, this demonstration of impertinence is available for the world to witness.  How did a person with this visible absence of loyalty get elected?  The city’s ill fate is based upon demonstrated voter apathy during odd year elections where a relatively small base of voter support combined with the abundance of undervotes can equal an election victory with very few votes (based upon election records posted by the supervisor of elections).

Last year a political non-entity, Karen Kozdra, received 1013 votes and came in dead last in a seven person race.  In 2009, Brian Heady won his seat with 934 votes.  Last year the voter turnout was 77%.  In 2009, only 20% of the registered voters in the city bothered to vote.  It has been said that we get the government we deserve and when 80% of the electorate don’t care, we end up with the embarrassment of a city council we have now.  Tracy Carroll is the result when approximately 80% of the registered voters say “I don’t care”.

Now that I am newly retired, I have the time to actually watch the council meetings and keep waiting for the duck to fall from the ceiling announcing the secret word.  I have been following the city council to some degree since the mid-1970’s.  This is the first time I have witnessed a council member who clearly displays a preference for personal gain over the best interests of the city.

Candidates who are thinking only about winning the election to the detriment of the city (and have a feeling they are destined to lose) will encourage their supporters to not use their two votes and attempt to elect two qualified candidates but rather use one vote only to support their candidacy.  When a person has two votes to elect two candidates and only one is cast; it registers as an undervote.  Based upon supervisor of elections records, city elections have been rife with undervotes.  Would a person who is genuinely concerned with a competent government ask supporters to vote for “me, me, me and only me, me, me”?  Anyone who promotes a personal victory by the use of undervotes should be thrown off the ballot.

We are also known by the company we keep.  One of Ms. Carroll’s most vocal supporters is Charlie Wilson, who appears to take a great deal of personal pride in associating himself with baloney (I guess we all need something to be proud of).  He has also been caught cheating in two elections where he was the candidate.  He is the only person I am aware of that was involuntarily discharged from the council.  From the all too frequent appearances I have witnessed of his ramblings before the council, I would think an honest public servant would attempt to create a very noticeable distance from this “professor”.  Birds of a feather.  I don’t understand how anyone could take Mr. Wilson seriously or rely on anything that he says based upon his record.  Court jester?  No court.  Class clown?  No class.

The eligible voters of Vero Beach should be ashamed.  In 2003, the turnout was 12%.  Congratulations to the whopping 23% who voted in 2005 (the highest turnout recorded in an odd year city election over the past ten years).  The 78% who sat on their butts in 2011 and allowed Tracy Carroll to get elected should hang their heads in shame. Not only does she appear to be a  puppet for Florida Power and Light, she is symbolic, in my mind, of the the ultimate loss of our city to outside interests along with an absence of any semblance of the dignity deserving the office she holds.

There will not be early voting this year.  Those of you who will be too busy to vote on election day, please go online now at the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections webpage and request an absentee ballot. If you watch the September 3 meeting you will see the sense of urgency to restore a modicum of respect and honor to the city council; something the council will lack as long as Tracy Carroll is a member (although I was impressed that she was able to handily lift the bulky city code with one hand while openly insulting a former council member who does demonstrate the integrity Ms. Carroll so sadly lacks).  Many candidates take pride in running on their record.  The vice mayor gives the impression she is running away from hers.

I am a customer of city electric but live about 100 yards outside of the city limits so I will not be able to vote in this election.  It is safe to say that Ms. Carroll would not get my vote.  I do have numerous friends and family members who live within the city limits who come to me each election for voting advice.  Tracy will not get those votes. NOW is the time for the registered voters of Vero Beach to end their era of apathy toward odd year municipal elections!

Yes, I do hope to have some impact in this election because I want a city council that I can point to with pride rather than disgust.  On the other hand, I lack the unlimited resources of Florida Power and Light.

This is my hometown.  I am counting on YOU to save it.