As a retired Student Affairs Vice President at a public university in the State, I applaud the position taken at UF to allow peaceful demonstrations, but to draw a FIRM line about threats to any individual or culture. I don't agree with the "Culture War" interpretation of it, but that's less important. Such statements should have been promulgated by universities across the country right after the Oct. 7 attack. If university administrators couldn't anticipate what has ultimately transpired on their campuses, they shouldn't be working there. If I had still been working on Oct. 7, I would have been in my president's office the next day promoting, and even writing, a strong statement condemning HAMAS, but clearly spelling out the limits of demonstrations and threats to anyone from either side, and the STRONG action the university would take against violators. Every university Judicial Code in the country contains a statement prohibiting any "threat to the health, welfare and safety" of anyone on the campus...including student groups. And universities shouldn't be hesitant to us it! It only takes quick action and the suspension of the first few violators to send a strong and clear message to others, but one has to have the courage to stand up and do it! And for those non-students who are always involved, a few quick arrests has a way of quieting them as well. Unfortunately, the 3 university presidents who testified before Congress were an embarrassment! They didn't know their Judicial Codes and certainly wouldn't take a strong stand. And look what they got...2 driven from their jobs (legitimately)...and nothing but criticism and shame for their campuses. University administrators across the country were slow and weak to respond and it's led to the current situation of on-line classes, cancelled speakers and commencements and not only disruption of the universities, but society as well. I lived through the campus uprisings of the 60's. There was a lot to be learned! As Andrew Jackson once said, "one-man-with-courage-makes-a-majority." Unfortunately, too few of them on our campuses.
Richard Correnti
Charter school approval is a long long process . Many get tuned down. The 3rd grade reading level of our District is terrible. Why would I not want a better education with my tax dollars on a choice of schools including charter schools. It's my money and our children should not be hostage by a poorly run school district
Lets not forget public comment profiling by the Manatee County Sheriff Officers. If your black you have the engagement of 2 MCSO flanking each side of you when you speak. Others not at all except for a Gadfly who got the same treatment on the same day.
All concerns on a local level just get ignored such as setback for wetlands, building more homes than the infrastructures can handle and the list goes on and on dictated by the developers that control the local BOCC.
The madness must stop.
We need more federal agencies to get involved at every level as even our own state government including the Governor is bought and sold by our developers. Look no farther than the SOE office with a developer hand picked Bozo over and experienced person recommended by the retiring SOE, speaks volumes to this Citizen, taxpayer, and Voter.
I would hope that a grand jury would look into this as well, but that office is also unresponsive to citizens’ concerns.
What we allow .. will continue
Twelve years or so ago, there was a proposed resort, Skyway Resort. Never got to the actual planning process but contacted the county with a conceptual development plan. Hotel, residential, commercial, bungalows over water. This was before it was proposed that the state would buy it. Could still happen if sold to a developer.
I would be happy to see Rick Scott go. He removed 85% of the environmental protections in this state. Then his buddies gave him an award for it. Environmental systems have been suffering ever since, not to mention the over development.
Van Ostenbridge expressed that it was not his intention to be “heavy-handed” . He asked the chiefs to consider the possible conservative value in mergers, including the “decrease of duplicity” and decrease in administrative costs. And yet this commission keeps adding cost to taxpayers for administrative overload.
There are lists of ways to make fertilizer without destroying anything. It frustrates me to no end that Mosaic is rips up the ground and then creates toxic waste for the future generations. They destroyed a lot next to my friends house and caused her pond to empty, repeatedly.
My feeling is that Van Ostenbrige and Ballard could have been more compassionate, rather than admonishing her for not knowing the existing services. Her son still died. And, how could those existing services have helped Breonte? Did they fail?
This man is the best governor of Florida in my lifetime. He went on to leadership in federal offices as well. What a role model! He cared about the citizens, he cared about the environment, he encouraged his family to follow his examples.
What a legacy Bob Graham has left to show that good leadership is possible.
I've asked the 865 people living in Florida and all of them (100%) want clean water – let's get a Florida Right To Clean Water on the 2026 ballot so the voters may establish that they have that right (and so corrupt politicians and polluters can take their investments elsewhere). More than one hundred thousand voters signed petitions in the first leg of the effort, more than one hundred thousand. Only The Bradenton Times and The Sarasota News Leader had the courage to write about the proposed nonpartisan amendment to the state constitution. Imagine how many voters would have signed the petition if their media had made them aware of the proposal. Instead they spend their time asking 865 of us about how well the most famous contemporary con artist is doing in efforts to get back into office so polluters can make even more money by poisoning us... sign the petition to get the question on the 2026 ballot if you want clean water —
Unconscionable. Developers are more valuable to the BOCC that their constituents, that much is obvious.
And when you take out all the plants and trees, what else is going to happen? I hate what is happening to my home state.
I recently subscribed monthly. Thank you for all you do to keep our community informed. I enjoyed your podcast this week, first time listener. Will continue to listen!
This exact same situation has occurred in Bradenton at the intersection of Cortez Rd and 75th St, causing havoc in the Coral Shores community. This building project has also caused a right lane closure on Cortez on both sides to accommodate this build. Additionally 75th St south of Cortez has closure of two lanes to accommodate this build. All this occurring during spring break traffic.. is anybody at home in the Commission? James Tierney
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