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SRQ DAILY Nov 26, 2016

"Will renewed interest in our federal government, which will be led by a businessman who has rallied against special interests, who says he wants to strengthen the U.S. economy, bring positive change?"

- Tom Barwin, Sarasota City Manager
 

[Under The Hood]  Where The Votes Are: Get In Line
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

How did Republicans dominate elections in Florida this year? One word: Loyalty.

Even in the wake of a divisive Presidential primary and a campaign where Florida’s incumbent GOP senator avoided being seen with his party’s Presidential nominee, voters filling the bubble for one Republican candidate far more often did the same for down-ballot races as well.

An SRQ Where The Votes Are analysis of the statewide precinct totals shows that in all federal offices, partisan loyalty remained higher among Republicans than Democrats. The greatest demonstrator may be a comparison between US Sen. Marco Rubio, who pulled in more than 4.8 million votes, and President-elect Donald Trump, who in Florida earned a little more than 4.6 million. In total, a difference of 217,305 votes separate the Republicans running for the two offices atop every Florida ballot. Additionally, Republicans running for US House throughout Florida collectively won more than 4.7 million votes.

Compare that to Democrats seeking federal office. Hillary Clinton won a hair more than 4.5 million votes for President. But Patrick Murphy, the Democrat challenging Rubio, pulled in just over 4.1 million votes. And Democrats running for US House statewide earned just under 4 million votes. In total, the difference in House votes compared to votes for Hillary Clinton was 519,925 votes, more than double the difference between Rubio and Trump.

It’s tempting to say Rubio, despite clear tension with the man who denied him the GOP nomination for President, carried Trump over the top.  That’s probably oversimplifying matters though. Instead, Rubio, and clearly most of his supporters, simply proved a long-time proverb about partisan politics: Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line.

Politics, it has been said, is a team sport. While primaries expose can expose those intra-primary rifts—isolationists v. interventionists, labor-driven populists vs. environmentalists, etc.—general election contests ultimately come down to who can rally the rank-and-file members of the party to push an entire slate of candidates across the finish line. In this age when wave elections prove more common than not, this seems more true then ever.

Locally, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s particular popularity in Manatee led to him winning more than 8,500 votes more than Trump in that county, but the difference between Rubio and Trump there was less than 250 votes. Meanwhile, the difference between Murphy and Clinton was more than 4,500 votes. In Sarasota, less than 300 votes separated Trump and Rubio, while the gap between Clinton and Murphy was more than 5,000 votes. The difference between Republican votes for President and for US House in Sarasota County was about 5,400, compared to a chasm of nearly 9,400 for Democrats.

In total, Trump failed to carry just two precincts in Manatee County and five precincts in Sarasota County that Rubio won. That’s seven precincts out of 171 where voters didn’t largely vote the same way for President and for Senate.

Obviously Democrats in this region need to increase their own numbers to become more competitive for local office, but everyone already knew that. The revelation from the numbers should be that even if Democrats matched Republicans voter for voter, they likely would lose more often than win because they don’t vote party-line the same way their GOP counterparts reliably do. As long as Republicans hold a monopoly on loyalty, they will win, and as long as they also keep their registration numbers high, they will dominate.

Jacob Ogles is senior editor for SRQ Media Group. He will lead the Where The Votes Are precinct-by-precinct analysis of Nov. 8 general election results at SRQ Media Group's 331 S. Pineapple Ave. headquarters on Nov. 29. Doors open at 7:45am. 

[Higher Education]  Giving Thanks
Dr. Larry Thompson, lthompso@ringling.edu

Let me be a bit more personal in this column, during this period of Thanksgiving, and directly talk about what we at Ringling College of Art and Design are thankful for.

First, thank you to the Sarasota-Manatee community for appreciating and supporting the ideals we at Ringling College hold dear: art, design, culture, education and community. These values have become the pillars of our region and afford our residents unparalleled opportunities in a community of this size—art museums and galleries, performing arts venues, and education institutions of the highest caliber. These are the reasons our community stands out from all the other beach communities in the State of Florida.

Second, thank you to all of those in this area who care about and/or support Ringling College. You are the folks who attend our events, support our campus projects, provide scholarships for our students, and spread the good word about the College and why creativity and culture are values worth pursuing and supporting. You take ideas and work alongside us to put them into action. The proof of your support lies within two of our four current building projects: In 2017, we will be opening up the Alfred R. Goldstein Library, and in 2018 the Sarasota Museum of Art in the Historic Sarasota High School—two facilities that, for the first time in our history, were funded entirely by the generosity of our donors. These incredible additions to our institution are the realization of our combined vision, enthusiasm, and hard work.

Third, thank you to our devoted and creative faculty members and staff. We are a tight-knit collective, and all of us are at Ringling College because we believe deeply in the power of creativity to inspire change and progress. The faculty and staff work tirelessly to shape the upcoming generation of creative leaders: artists, designers, filmmakers, writers, animators, illustrators and scholars. Without them, we simply couldn’t exist.

And finally, thank you to our students and alumni. The students are the reason the College exists. It is and through their passion and curiosity that the institution is motivated to revisit, question, challenge, change, and grow. And students, once you graduate from Ringling, your successes become our successes. Thank you so very much for the energy and enthusiasm you bring to us

This enthusiasm was especially visible earlier this month. Over 400 students attended our “Ringling Gives Thanks” event to show, in only the way Ringling students can, their appreciation for the gifts our donors and community members have given to support their art and design education. I was touched by the number of excited students who came over their lunch break and stayed far longer, to actually write by hand thank you notes to the people who helped bring them to Ringling College.

Indeed, we have a lot to be thankful for. And I, for one, look forward to starting this holiday season on a note of gratitude and appreciation for all that you, the collective you, contribute. Because of you, we are among the top art and design schools in the country in one of the most creative and cultural cities in the region. We are on a fast trajectory to becoming THE preeminent art and design college globally and, thanks to you, I know that’s exactly what we will do.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson is President of Ringling College of Art and Design. 

[Government]  AIM High
Tom Barwin, Thomas.Barwin@sarasotagov.com

This year’s presidential election and its’ result appears to have renewed public interest in how our federal government and President will operate. Will renewed interest in our federal government, which will be led by a businessman who has rallied against special interests, who says he wants to strengthen the U.S. economy, bring positive change?

If there was a theme that could come out of this year’s fascinating and memorable election cycle one could argue the message was change, but change with a purpose. The change we need should provide tangible results, change that focuses on true problem solving and getting things done to strengthen our country and the potential for those on the lower rung of our socio-economic ladder who have been upended by the disruptive changes in our high-tech, global economy.

Modernizing America’s infrastructure and job training related to this task, should be the place our national political leaders can find common ground. I am hopeful that our city and region will benefit should a bold, much needed, national infrastructure investment program become reality. FDR’s WPA programs in the 1930s, and Eisenhower’s national highway system investments beginning in the 1950s were both major successes. We are long overdue for a major upgrade to America’s infrastructure.

In that regard, moving traffic in our country’s popular and heavily populated coastal communities will remain an ever increasing challenge due to constrained roads and lack of mass transit funding. In Sarasota, we have been looking into fast tracking a network of 11 roundabouts on U.S. 41 from University to Ringling to safely move an increasing volume of traffic while striving to become more pedestrian friendly. Completing this work in five or six years versus 15 or 20 could provide extremely helpful experience and data for other areas of the state and the country wrestling with similar challenges.

Like many other areas of the country, Sarasota needs to invest in replacing aging water transmission lines to provide safe, reliable and affordable drinking water to all. Here in Sarasota our major water transmission line is now over 50 years old and beginning to show its vulnerability.

Similar public works investments need to be made around the country upgrading sewerage systems to make progress cleaning up waterways and improving our fisheries.

A roads, transit, water-mains and sewerage system public works program would be a win-win-win in terms of adding safety, value and job growth to our economy while enhancing the quality of life to hometowns across America. Infrastructure programs could be especially helpful in so many of our charming but economically challenged rural communities.

Although the Thanksgiving holiday weekend provides a timely opportunity for Americans to exhale following this year’s contentious election cycle it’s also a good time to look ahead with an emphasis on hope and optimism.

I am hopeful by Thanksgiving time next year that Congress and the new Trump Administration will have designed and begun implementing the American Infrastructure Modernization (AIM) program and that we can be a part of it.

So to our friends and representatives in Washington, AIM high, or tell us why!

As always, I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s column. Forward any thoughts you may have on this or related subjects to: thomas.barwin@sarasotagov.com

Tom Barwin is Sarasota City Manager. 

[The Detail]  Gratitude in the SRQ
Cathy Antunes, cathycantunes@gmail.com

In this season of gratitude, it’s uplifting to celebrate community successes. This year, the Salvation Army’s Q Life by Choice program has placed 300 homeless people in permanent housing. Now that’s something to be thankful for.

The Salvation Army’s Q Life program is structured to give the homeless clients they assist choices (Q Life is shorthand for quality of life). Each person’s situation is different, each client’s goals for their lives are personal, their needs are individual. The Salvation Army has created a program which they describe as combining the findings of “behavioral science with evidence-based best practices of moving persons from homelessness to housing” and the Q Life framework “meets the person, not the population, serves the person, not the problem, and focuses on reducing the days of homelessness to reduce the years.”

The Salvation Army saw many of the perpetually homeless were paying nothing to a dollar for nightly shelter at the 10th Street facility, and homeless clients often continued with this practice for months. That approach wasn’t assisting clients with making choices that moved them toward permanent housing.

With the Q Life approach, homeless clients are given four free days of shelter, with the condition that they choose at the end of those four days if they want to work out a plan for permanent housing. If after the four days they want to find permanent housing with the assistance of the Q Life program, they are given an additional 21 days of free housing and are assigned a case manager. That case manager works with the client on creating a plan. The client meets with their case worker and takes classes on necessary life skills. The case worker may coordinate contact with other outside agencies for the client. An effective plan for housing take shape, one which may involve finding employment, education, getting health care needs met.

If the client declines to participate in the Q Life program, they can still stay at the Salvation Army’s shelter, but they are charged a fee.

An integral aspect of the program’s success is the client-caseworker relationship. There is someone who understands their situation. The caseworker is an expert who understands the client’s particular needs and also understands who to put the client in touch with in Sarasota. That expert networking and the personal relationship with the client is a potent combination. What a gift these caseworkers are to their clients, and to our community.

So thank you, Salvation Army leadership, for taking the time to study what works, and then creating an effective approach. Thank you to each Q Life caseworker. Thank you to all those who have donated to this program, especially Mr. and Mrs. Arnold J. Simonsen for providing $2.5 million for Q Life operations. Thank you to the Community Foundation’s for your role in making this happen. Q Life’s new goal is to assist 365 clients in the coming year. May they continue in their goals, success, and blessing our community.

Cathy Antunes serves on the board of Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government.  



[SCOOP ]  FST's Million Dollar Quartet Extended

Due to popular demand, Florida Studio Theatre has extended Million Dollar Quartet at the Gompertz Theatre. Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis continue to get audiences moving and grooving in their seats now through January 8. Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins shares his excitement for this early announcement less than one week after opening, “Million Dollar Quartet has struck a chord with her audience! This behind the scenes view of the birth of rock 'n' roll shows the southern roots of the music from blues to spirituals to African-American influences. It's an extraordinary journey into the heart of America. Sales are already breaking records.” See four shows for as little as $59. Single tickets range from $56-$59.  

Florida Studio Theatre

[SCOOP ]  Holiday Toy Shop Volunteers Needed

The Salvation Army in Bradenton is seeking volunteers to assist with the Holiday Toy Shop to assist with sorting and packaging toys that are prepared for each family in the Adopt-A-Family Program and passed out on the big distribution days later in December. Volunteers are a crucial part of making sure each and every child in enrolled in this program receives presents for Christmas day. Right now, there are still 70 volunteer slots open for the Holiday Toy Shop’s grand opening on December 5. For more information, please contact Melissa Fernandez at 941-757-5770 or melissa.fernandez@uss.salvationarmy.org.   

Salvation Army

[SCOOP ]  PMP Celebrates 13th Year on the Suncoast

The Perlman Music Program (PMP) returns to the Suncoast onDecember 22 through January 7 for a 17–day intensive Winter Residency led by founder Toby Perlman, acclaimed violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman and a world–renowned faculty. Presented by The Perlman Music Program Suncoast, the annual Winter Residency provides valuable mentoring and performance opportunities for young, international string musicians ages 12-22+ and provides a unique opportunity for audiences to experience the magic of musical mentoring. All 20 musical events are free for the public to attend.   

Perlman Music Program

[SCOOP ]  Adopt-A-Senior-Pet

In honor of Adopt–A–Senior–Pet Month, the Humane Society of Sarasota County has discounted adoption fees on all senior animals age seven and older. From now until November 30, take home a senior dog for $25 or a feline friend for $15. Adoption fee includes a comprehensive medical exam, vaccinations, spaying or neutering, deworming, a free 30-day pet insurance policy, micro chipping and a complimentary first exam at the brand new Animal Clinic of the Humane Society of Sarasota County.  

Humane Society of Sarasota County

[SCOOP ]  SMH's New "Destination" Cancer Center

Sarasota Memorial is moving ahead with plans to develop a comprehensive cancer center, a premier facility that will offer services across the entire continuum of cancer care, from prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment, to follow-up care, survivorship and support. The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board approved the first phase of facility planning in October, allocating up to $4 million to begin design of the full–service “destination” cancer center on its main Sarasota campus. When complete in three to four years, the cancer center will offer specialty programs for breast, GYN, GI/colorectal and lung cancers, as well as prostate/GU, neuro-oncology, melanoma and hematologic subspecialties. Multi-disciplinary services will include medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, imaging and diagnostics, physician clinics and patient support services.   

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare

[SCOOP ]  High School High Tech

For the second year, Goodwill Manasota has partnered with The Able Trust Foundation to expand the High School High Tech (HSHT) program, designed and implemented last year for students with disabilities. The program, which is geared toward students ages 14–22, provides an opportunity to learn about potential career paths in the swiftly growing fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program enables students with disabilities to earn their high school diplomas and apply for college, while finding employment opportunities for which they are best suited. While the HSHT program is focused on encouraging students with disabilities to pursue careers in STEM, it also offers the opportunity to pursue professional and artistic careers. Classes are held weekly at the Goodwill Job Connection office in Arcadia with a curriculum consisting of internships, job shadowing and employer and college site visits.  

Goodwill Manasota

[SCOOP ]  Christmas Cheer Champaign

The Libertore Fund for Children invite the children in the Sarasota community to be young philanthropists and help Santa spread Christmas Cheer to less fortunate youth this holiday season. From December 1–2 kids can drop off presents at Five Points Park, have their picture taken with Santa, and enjoy holiday carolers. Gifts are also being collected at the Kress Building from November 29 to December 2. Online donations will be used for gift cards for the older children at the participating agencies.  

Libertore Fund for Children

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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