Letters: Competent leadership needed for St. Augustine

Letters: Competent leadership needed for St. Augustine
Publication Date: 08/06/06

Editor: After 111 years, Florida East Coast Industries is moving its corporate headquarters out of St. Augustine.

What has our city government done to persuade FECI to stay, to keep good-paying jobs (and other local jobs that depend on them)?

Whenever employers plan to move headquarters or close plants, motivated local governments mobilize, taking action. As a result, both Ring Power and Tree of Life stayed in our county. Likewise, when New York Stock Exchange and other employers contemplated leaving NYC, mayors persuaded them to stay.

To paraphrase H. Ross Perot, "that gigantic sucking sound you hear" is good jobs leaving this beautiful town. Loss of FEC is devastating to our economy, another symptom of a rudderless government.

Some misguided Commissioners seek to revoke your legal right to vote for mayor -- come speak August 14 to protect your right to elect your mayor.

Commissioners took possible Sunshine violation trips to NYC in 2005 and 2002 (under criminal investigation by FDLE). Commissioners haven't explained why managers dumped the contents of our old illegal city landfill into the Old City Reservoir (under criminal investigation by FDEP).

Our historic area is now threatened with chain t-shirt shops.

All current commissioner were elected as "reformers." They've reformed nothing.

Illegal dumping and FECI leaving town show them to be unjust stewards.

We need competent leaders who care about our city, people and future.

www.cleanupcityof staugustine.blogspot.com

I'm supporting Peter Romano for City Commissioner (vs. Commissioner Gardner) and for mayor (vs. Commissioner Boles).

Lincolnville community leader Peter Romano is a former CFO and a forensic accountant, an expert in detecting fraud. No current commissioner has expertise in finance/accounting (and it shows). Peter Romano champions "new urbanism" planning to restore the beauty, peace and tranquility of the Nation's Oldest City.

Ed Slavin

St. Augustine


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