Dear City of Sarasota,

I write today and offer up this short list of my heart’s most pressing burdens and worries, my fears for your future—a future mirrored in the past.

You have not now, nor have you ever had a plan for protection of our historic structures and properties. We have lost to the wrecking ball too much that is precious—not one, but two train stations, the Ringling Towers, the Bickel House, the Hover Arcade, the Lido Casino, the Mira Mar and on and on, and in the next year without a plan, we will lose the DeMarcy, Cigar Factory and very likely the Bell Haven.  

The Burns Court area, south of Pineapple to Mound, is your most intact, overlooked, untouched, coalesced example of old Sarasota and must be protected at all costs.  But again, there is as yet no plan, nor will, nor leadership to develop or enforce one. The same holds true for Laurel Park. The ironclad, outmoded land development regulation (RSM9) defines upwards of 80 percent of the neighborhood’s National Historic Registry properties as “non-conforming.” Without a plan, not even the 1924 perfecto plantilla, for multi-family housing, the 24-unit Spanish Oaks Apartments could either be saved from demolition or replicated in Laurel Park today.

We lack sufficient units of housing of all types, not only for the well off but also for everyday working stiffs and fixed income retirees. You need a plan.  And for those so-called leaders who refuse to consider a “come as you are shelter” but instead insist the answer to homelessness is “housing first,” well then you better get to building that quick quick!  But again, without a plan and the courage to stand up to the fears of those who decry any progressive initiative toward change as an act of aggression against them personally, it’s not going to happen.

And finally, the distain and indifference you have demonstrated toward our police officers has been and continues to be shameful—unforgivable really. We demand they protect us, our lives, our property and your civic image, but you offer them little to no protection in return. You’ve consistently excluded them from participation in devastating decisions made unilaterally, impacting the financial and physical health and future of on-the-job disabled and retirees, as well as officers who currently serve, and then wonder why morale is so low. And yet they do their jobs and we are safe despite ourselves.

There is so much more to say—about your step child, the North Trail, about parkland at risk, about potential loss of momentum in developing a form based code, about your pitiful cracked sidewalks and potholed streets and your just awful teeth-grindingly dysfunctional government structure—but I’m tired for now of thinking about you, talking about you, worrying about you. 

Perhaps it’s true the people get the government they deserve, but Sarasota, the place, deserves so much better—it deserves the best. It’s time for you to make a plan.

Sincerely, Diana Hamilton 

SRQ Daily Columnist Diana Hamilton, after living 35 years in Sarasota, labels herself a pragmatic optimist with radical humorist tendencies and a new found resistance to ice cream.

The Republican co-chair of the Florida delegation is Congressman Vern Buchanan, representing District 16. Buchanan’s campaign website states: “Washington’s irresponsible pattern of borrowing and spending has put our country on a road to bankruptcy.  Unbelievably, America borrows $188 million every hour.  This is simply unacceptable.”

In a Dec. 6 email to constituents, Buchanan wrote, “The national debt this week surpassed $18 trillion for the first time in our nation’s history. Since President Obama took office six years ago, the debt has ballooned by nearly $7.5 trillion. Washington’s addiction to spending is putting our nation on the path to bankruptcy.”

In a Dec. 7 InstaPoll, Buchanan asked constituents: “What action do you think Congress should take to reduce the federal debt, which surpassed $18 trillion this week?” Sixty-nine percent of those responding answered “reduce spending.“

Buchanan wants a balanced budget amendment to reign in Congress, but in October 2013, Buchanan voted to raise the debt ceiling and now has given President Obama a victory. The victory is passing a bill that busts the budget, continues to fund pork projects, Obamnesty, Obamacare and will increase the national debt.

The Conservative Review gives Buchanan an “F” rating on fiscal responsibility with a score of 53 percent. 

Did Congressman Buchanan read the bill or did he vote for it first to see what was in it? Buchanan sits on the House Ways and Means Committee. Does he not understand what he did by voting for this omnibus spending bill? Is Buchanan exhibiting the very “irresponsible pattern of borrowing and spending” that he campaigned against?

Buchanan’s campaign website states, “As a businessman for 30 years, and past Chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, I know what it means to balance a budget, meet a payroll, and exercise the fiscal discipline necessary to keep a business moving forward.” But Buchanan is no longer a businessman. He is a member of Congress. The only payroll he is now meeting is that of the federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., at the taxpayers expense.

Buchanan has not exercised “fiscal discipline”. The only thing he is moving forward is President Obama’s agenda. Is that why those in his district re-elected him? Is Buchanan “Gruber-ing” those who elected him?

Buchanan’s campaign website rightly states, “Government does not create jobs, small businesses like the thousands located in Southwest Florida create the jobs.” Buchanan has a jobs plan, but it does not help small businesses. Rather it is to provide jobs to even more Washington bureaucrats and Congressional staffers while his constituents pay higher taxes. Small businesses are harmed by Obamacare’s healthcare mandate, which kicks in in 2015. Florida continues to suffer because of omnibus spending bills like the one Buchanan and many of his fellow Republicans helped passed.

Perhaps it is time to hold the Vern Buchanan’s responsible for their irresponsibility! Buchanan ends emails to constituents with “tell me what you think.” Perhaps those who voted for him should? 

Rich Swier, Sr. runs the political blog DrRichSwier.com

DrRichSwier.com

O Baby! “Where do little fishies come from?” If you ask a fish, get ready for awkward silence. If you ask a marine scientist, get ready for amazing answers. People of all ages can learn how ocean life renews itself during the limited-time, marine-science exhibit “Oh Baby! Life Cycles of the Seas,” starting on Valentine’s Day, February 14 at Mote Aquarium in Sarasota. This family-friendly, educational exhibit will invite visitors to discover ocean animal “romance” and reproduction, babies of many species and the survival challenges facing new generations of marine life. These topics are central to marine research around the globe, including the world-class science of Mote Marine Laboratory. 

Mote Aquarium

The Ringling Museum of Art will present a major museum exhibition highlighting contemporary artists who incorporate cast-off or disposed materials in their creation of new works.  Featuring the work of 10 artists—including established artists such as El Anatsui and Nick Cave, in addition to emerging and mid-career artists such as Jill Sigman and Mac Premo—“Re:Purposed” will explore several of the distinct trends among artists who consistently “repurpose” garbage or detritus in their respective practices. Evolving from Marcel Duchamp’s early 20th century development of the “readymade” and continuing the tradition of assemblage, these artists reinvent non-traditional materials to create artworks, encouraging new thinking about the objects and materials that surround us.  Organized by Matthew McLendon, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Ringling, the exhibition will be on view from February. 13 through May 17. Showcasing approximately 20 works of art, “Re:Purposed” will bring these inventive artists together for the first time and will present their work across three themes: “Identity,” “Index,” and “Environment.”   

The Ringling

No event can happen without volunteers, who take on the dual role of providing the invaluable support services needed to pull an event off as well as serve as ambassadors for the community.  In thinking about volunteer needs and how to combine this with a give back to the community, Sarasota Music Half Marathon (SMHM) local organizers, John Korff, Molly Jackson and Tony Driscoll, approached dozens of local non-profits and fundraising organizations, offering them donations to their cause in exchange for volunteer support. As a show of appreciation, 22 local non-profit and fundraising partners will receive a total of $25,000 from the Sarasota Music Half Marathon. From the course route through local neighborhoods and the first-ever run through Selby Gardens, to the 16 local bands and 26 entertainment stations to the event support partners, no dollar is venturing further than Sarasota and Manatee County borders. The “13.1 Mile Moving Party” is planned to have more bands, entertainment and along-the-route fun than any other half marathon in the country. Billed as a Sarasota Signature Event, the race and course will start/finish at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and is designed to involve the community, residents and support local non-profits by showcasing the talent, beauty and history of the city and its neighborhoods. 

Sarasota Music Half Marathon

Caldwell Trust Company moved into its new headquarters at 1400 Center Road, Venice, just before the holidays and will start the new year in its new building—but one thing is not new and will never change. That’s the company’s commitment to its core values, said R. G. “Kelly” Caldwell, Jr., CEO and president. “We will always be personal, traditional and independent, and we will remain faithful to ‘What We Believe,’ our founding principles. We have a plaque with these principles inside our grand foyer, where we see them every day,” he said. The  Italianate-styled, one-story building is set on four acres of a ten-acre, park-like setting with a 55x25-foot garden courtyard and two parking lots. Designed as a multifunction facility, the $3 million building’s classic look belies the sophisticated, high-technology equipment within. Chartered on November 1, 1993, Caldwell Trust Company acquired its first client the next day and established headquarters in a now-outgrown space in Venice. It opened its first Sarasota office in 1998 and replaced it in 2009 with a larger space at 1561 Main Street, Sarasota, which remains in operation. “We were managing $400 million at the time. Now we’ve passed $800 million,” Caldwell said. “With this new building, our roots have grown even deeper in Venice. We are grateful to our clients, whose faith in us has made this move both necessary and possible.” 

Caldwell Trust Company

Forty Carrots Family Center recently appointed Norman Olshansky as its new Director of Philanthropy. In his new role, Olshansky will provide direction for staff and leadership in all aspects of fundraising and development. Olshansky has spent the past 30 years in executive and leadership positions helping not-for-profit organizations and companies throughout Florida, and the nation, plan and manage fundraising, major gifts and capital campaigns. Before joining Forty Carrots, he served as president and CEO of NFP Consulting Resources, a Sarasota company he founded in 1999.  Previously, he served as president and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation and executive director for the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation. A frequent lecturer at universities, Olshansky’s book, “You and Your Nonprofit” has been used extensively within the nonprofit sector.  He has also published a syndicated column and his articles on nonprofit fundraising and management have frequently been published on Charity Channel.  He is an active volunteer in several civic, religious and professional organizations. 

Forty Carrots Family Center

The Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) is a non-profit group that holds over 75 lectures every January to March in Sarasota. SILL speakers, particularly in the international lecture series, are the leading experts in their field, evidenced by their influence and ties to government leaders. In 2015 SILL will present a season of excellence and dedication to lifetime leaning for those interested in contemporary global policy issues and music. There are six Global Issues Series and two Music Series scheduled to run during the SILL season in Sarasota, Venice and Lakewood Ranch. Don’t miss an enlightening lecture or a stimulating series at SILL, one of Sarasota's cultural treasures. 

The Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning