COMMENTARY
LYNNE LARKIN
Senator Ted Cruz is proud he was able to shut down the U.S. government. He says he’ll do it again because the goals of his constituents are more important to him than the well-being of the rest of the country. After all, the Tea Party has [sadly] come to mean “our way or no way.”
Ted Cruz = Tea Party
Putting controls, and exercising controls, over government action is part of having a democracy. It is not meant to be rule by terrorism of the minority, however. When you aren’t in total control, there is no right given to anyone to blow up the country’s economy, it’s trust, it’s future. But if you get people to believe all government is evil, they’ll support you in doing all manner of destructive things, right up to their own destruction, it seems.
The remainder of the Republican Party, thank goodness, knows better. After 16 days and $24 billion of taxpayer money, they agreed to go back to working like a government.
Tea Party = Glenn Heran
In our small city, the “Tea “Party” is run by a real estate speculator named Heran. He is also the rabidly loyal spokesperson for Florida Power and Light. Just like the Ted Cruz, FPL and Heran will go to any lengths to get what they want.
One example of how FPL gets what it wants is illustrative of the Ted Cruz school of self-interest. The name Mark Hicks may not ring any bells for most people, but Mr. Hicks, a former employee of FPL at our neighboring St. Lucie nuclear power plant, tried to ring alarm bells about a safety breach. According to a complaint filed by Hicks, FPL harassed him to change is mind about keeping the public safe by not powering up the nuclear plant when he saw a malfunctioning valve. They pressed him to power up anyway, since not doing so would cost them a reported $6 million. It turned out that not just one valve was installed improperly but actually three were faulty. Remember Three-Mile Island? That was a faulty valve, too.
This Cruz method is not about the general welfare.
Glenn Heran = Tracy Carroll, Pilar Turner and Craig Fletcher [Troika]
When Heran talks, the Troika listen. He controls the power, the media, and the generous campaign war chest. It’s about the only time they listen, quite frankly.
Troika = Incivility, destruction of dissenters, and wasting tax dollars
Carroll has done it all. Chose to fight for her own purposes in renting houses by the day in residential areas rather than care about what the majority want for their own city and neighborhoods. Do it using taxpayer money. Slam anyone who disagrees.
Chose to shut down speech by any group that doesn’t share her religious beliefs. Do it in public and with scathing disrespect. Never apologize, slam the dissenters.
Chose to have the city residents pay and pay for legal assistance without monitoring billing statements, even if more experienced attorneys offer to work for half the price. Use up taxpayer dollars in the millions, and slam the penny-pinchers.
The goals of a few outweigh the needs of the many.
This should not be how we govern ourselves. The government is the people, and we deserve better. We are better, and now we can do better, too. We can vote for people who decry the incivility, who bemoan the wasted tax dollars, who seek inclusiveness over selfishness.
Amelia Graves & Richard Winger = Civility
Richard Winger & Amelia Graves = Conservative spending
GRAVES & WINGER = Real Government of, by and for the People
Indian River Guardian 
Lynn Larkin’s remarks are an excellent contribution to the current debate about the next City of Vero Beach Council.
Couple things Lynne:
Our country has not had an approved budget in over 5 years. Yes, one person did shut down our government but it wasn’t Ted Cruz. Paying government employees to block access to a Veteran Memorial was not done by Ted Cruz and that is just scratching the surface. Yes, our Government is back to work but it still does not have a budget. Just exactly where does the buck stop now?
Let’s also look at that poor “religious group” that got “silenced”: It is a Humanist group chapter headed up by Joe Beck. In the search box simply type Joe Beck Humanist Philip Katrovitz Jesus Saves Tires and see what you come up with. Seems like religion and free speech should be a two way street?
As far as I know it has never been against the law to rent houses by the day in Vero, Codes cited were: 60.11, 61.02 and 65.06. Vero does not have a law against short term rentals. Doesn’t mean you have to like it though.
Do we want FPL Power? That is the question we need to be asking ourselves, forget about the white noise.
Bobby73 is confused. The government did not pay anyone to block access to the WWII monument. The government employees were there to protect against vandalism after the Republican’s voted to shutdown most of the Federal government.
The white noise is coming from those who foolishly believe that the November 2013 has anything to do with FP&L power. The current “leaders” of COVB have aready signed the contract. So it is basically a done deal that will not be impacted by any furture composition of the Vero Beach City Council.
if that was the case then why did dc call in the national guard since that is what we do? or the law which would deter illegal acts. the florida army national guard has been called up for the dnc and other things beside hurricanes.yes I did see the pics of the law enforcement persons there but no national guard members there. all it takes is for the mayor to call it a state of emergency and dc does have its own guard.
Bobby73 obviously watches and believes Fox News. Please turn them off and read the numerous Florida newspapers to see why one TV station fabricates what their viewers want to hear. We need more open minds to be educated, not indoctrinated by a single source.
The national guard is to be used domestically for emergency situations only. When the Republicans shut down the government, this did not meet the threshold of an emergency situation.
so cops shouldn’t be at the rnc, and dnc where there are protests? its a law issue. government employees don’t have arresting authority. that makes the point of your moot. when you have hundreds of people protesting legally. it can go south. that is why the guard is there and cops if need be. presence of the law doesn’t make it go south but helps prevent the illegal activity. we have been on alert for the martin-Zimmerman case.
that said.i agree with larkin on the local issue not on the national level. I quote a democrat” we have to pass it to see whats in it” isn’t it the same statements made by the local council with the fpl sale?
I see your point on the electric sale Odessa. Perhaps the only way to get FMPA to release us from our current commitments is to show them how serious we are about selling, by actually selling. It still does not sit well with me not knowing the cost of egress from the FMPA obligations. That could possibly be the undoing of this “done deal”, especially if it ends up requiring another referendum and council vote. A recent ruling by the FERC did find the sale is in the public interest, so maybe those in favor of the sale actually know what they are doing? I suppose the final outcome will reveal.
Just curious, Bobby73. Are you a city resident?
According to Jim O’Connor, he does not foresee any changes in the agreement that would alter the numbers for the City. If the City is to deal with FPL in good faith, changes in the agreement that do not cost the City simply must be approved by this or any future Council. Should the City should fail to deal in good faith, then the contract gives FPL the right to go to court to require specific performance. If you envision another referendum, then you must know something Jim O’Connor doesn’t know.
Bobby 73 has a false interpretation of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision. FERC does not make assessments on the “public interest.” Their approval merely is an acknowledgement that the sale does not violate any Federal regulations.
Your comment reflects a common misunderstanding of zoning laws. Zoning regulations do not enumerate all uses of property one CANNOT employ. Rather, these laws specify what a property owner CAN do with a given property. For example, reading the city’s zoning codes for commercial districts, you will find so-called short-term/transient rentals listed as a permitted use. Not so with the city’s residential zoning. Short-tern/transient rentals are not listed as a conforming use within the city’s residential districts.
There is the legal concept of exclusion, which basically means the mention of one thing implies the exclusion of the other. In this case, these so-called short-term/transient rentals are specifically permitted in commercial districts, and are not listed as a permitted use in residential districts. Transient rentals reasonably, then, should be considered a non-conforming use within residential areas.
Finally, though Vero Beach 32963 reporter Lisa Zahner recently attributed authorship of the city’s zoning laws to Charlie Vitunac, the zoning regulations in question date back to the early 1970s, at least 10 years before Vitunac was employed with the City.