Letter: Elect Trued and save us all some money
Elect Trued and save us all some money
Posted: October 18, 2014 - 11:40pm
By Harold Kimelberg
Elect Trued and save us all some money
Editor: The Record’s Oct. 15 editorial takes a whole column to explain that State Sen. John Thrasher will be on the ballot for the district 6 seat, but will shortly resign (99 percent probability) after his certain confirmation as president of FSU. There will then be a special election, (possibly) preceded by a primary to elect his replacement, at an approximate cost of $330,000 to St. Johns County and an unknown amount by the other counties in the district. So the total cost will be a little north of $1 million, ultimately, according to The Record, to be reimbursed by the state.
But we are all Floridians. The editorial concludes “We’re making the best of a bad situation” and therefore endorses this wasteful exercise. You’ll have to read the editorial to figure out why, and it’s not easy reading due to its length, clumsy sentence construction and convoluted reasoning. However, I can fully understand why Mr. Thrasher would want the presidency. The base salary is $430,000 per annum, plus other considerable short- and long-term benefits — both tangible and intangible.
In sharp contrast, the state senate pays senators $30,000 plus per diem.
I prefer The Record’s third potential alternative; vote for the Democrat Kathleen Trued. Minus the “d” her name is perfect for a legislator. Besides having an extra Democrat there will not change what this 65 percent Republican state senate does. It will provide a little diversity in the debates and will save over a $1 million. This is the simplest and most economical solution to this suspiciously odd situation: Unless, of course, you are a zealot about party affiliations.
St. Augustine
OPINIONS
Horace Rockwood 10/19/14 - 10:32 am 00Attractive Alternative!
Ms. Trued is a fine choice and might spark enough interest to get Thrasher to withdraw to save his dignity.
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