Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/211425
Sarasota News Leader November 15, 2013 OPINION Page 89 WRITER TAKES ISSUE WITH STANCE ON SUNSHINE LAWS To the Editor: Your recent editorial on Sunshine law issues in the City of Sarasota (Nov. 8) begs a response. I understand the rationale for unqualified support of "open government" by the news media. Certainly, Florida's Sunshine laws have done much to overcome some bad practices of bygone years; however, to suggest, as your editorial did, that the law is clear and unchanging is itself deceptive. The law has evolved with interpretive decisions over the years since its enactment and is still evolving today, so much so that the Legislature has found it necessary to enact numerous amendments to remedy absurd interpretations. Dedicated public officials are frequently caught in the grip of a new interpretation or, in the case of Sarasota County and its cities, by the ambitions of a single law firm that has found it profitable to raise Sunshine issues. That firm has created devices to ensure that it will always have a nominal client, which it controls. The latest challenge to the City of Sarasota is a classic example of such profit-motivated overreach involving an ambiguous situation. Many of these challenges are settled by the defendants simply to avoid the costs of litigation. Notwithstanding the motivation of those bringing the challenges, it is important to look at the merits of each purported violation to determine if there is evidence of any nefarious purpose or if any harm resulted. In virtually all of the recent controversies, the "violations" are vague or hair-splitting speculation from which no harm has resulted, and the only benefit of the challenge accrued to the pocketbook of the law firm raising the issue. You should be more discriminating before launching attacks on people and institutions laboring in good faith to do the public's business in such an uncertain and hostile environment. John Wesley White Sarasota LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Sarasota News Leader welcomes letters to the editor from its readers. Letters 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. Letters actually printed will be selected based on space available, subject matter and other factors. We reserve the right to edit any letters submitted for length, grammar, spelling, etc. All letters submitted become the property of The Sarasota News Leader.