Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/92622
Sarasota News Leader OPINION November 9, 2012 amendment a proposal to end a long-standing protection for taxpayers — the requirement for charter officials and the finance director to be personally bonded. Given that the current city auditor and clerk has been deemed un- fit by insurance underwriters for such a bond since taking office more than two years ago, the amendment was an attempt to circumvent an historical protection to perpetuate what es- sentially is an ongoing criminal conspiracy. As if to counter that situation, Commissioner Terry Turner and his allies sought to sever the Office of City Auditor and Clerk, creating a new city auditor as a charter official and rel- egating the clerk to a subordinate role under the city manager. Never mind that Turner has done nothing to challenge the current city auditor and clerk's inability to comply with the city charter. And one could speculate that Turner had a candidate in mind for this new city auditor, someone who might then be be- holden to him for his patronage. Fortunately, the voters of the City of Saraso- ta saw through this tangled wreckage of leg- islative ineptitude and soundly rejected both amendments. Perhaps the voters realize that their real task is to seek out two qualified, engaged citi- zens who will stand for election in the City Commission race next spring, and commit to working in concert to actually do something effectual for the betterment of the city. We can only hope that one of the three remaining commissioners has the integrity and intestinal fortitude to work with these as yet unidenti- Page 62 fied new commissioners to assure the three votes needed to get the city off dead center. Sadly, thanks to shameless gerrymandering, the effects of which were only too apparent in the outcome of legislative races on Election Day, Florida voters have little hope of soon ending the reckless ways of an errant Legisla- ture. We can only hope that, perhaps as early as 2014, even Republicans will recoil at the dysfunctional abyss in Tallahassee that mas- querades as our legislative body and join with Democrats and Independents to restore sanity and good government to the Legislature. If they continue to endure the abnegation — and perfidy — of local and state elected offi- cials, the voters surely will abdicate any right they have to a voice in their own governance. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Sarasota News Lead- er welcomes letters to the editor from its readers. Let- ters should be no more than 300 words in length, and include the name, street address and telephone number of the writer. Letters should be emailed to Letters@SarasotaNewsLeader.com, with "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line. Let- ters actually printed will be selected based on space available, subject matter and oth- er factors. We reserve the right to edit any letters submitted for length, grammar, spell- ing, etc. All letters submitted become the property of The Sarasota News Leader.