One-percenters and BOLESIANS desperately want someone to run against reform Mayor Nancy Shaver, even trolling, trawling and pub-crawling -- using STEVEN COTTRELL, manipulable ex-California city councilman, writing unintentionally hilariously supercilious column to be printed in January 25, 2016 (Monday's) Record).
Angry ex-Mayors JOE BOLES and LEN WEEKS, beneficiaries of no-bid lease for 81 St. George Street, can't find a candidate.
Extensive polling confirms there is no one to take on Mayor Shaver who can win.
Their answer: run two more more candidates, just as Nancy Shaver and Ken Bryan did in defeating mendacious Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR.
Their copycatting the successful Shaver-Bryan one-two punch is hypocrisy, or "the compliment that vice pays to virtue."
Enter the St. Augustine Record's columnist, an ex-California bartender and small town councilman, who's desperately trying to troll, trawl and pub-crawl for someone to run against Mayor Shaver.
It's funny to watch, like LBJ said about a "duck trying to [make love with] a football."
Bring it on!
Here's his column from the Monday, January 25, 2016 St. Augustine Record:
Steve Cottrell: 54 slots, 54 shots at elected service
Posted: January 24, 2016 - 3:57pm
By STEVE COTTRELL
Sycophantic
In the years following the Civil War, (or the War for Southern Independence, if you prefer), a political movement gained considerable strength in communities both North and South. It was called Associationalism — something that began in Europe but found popularity in the United States.
It was a time when several fraternal orders and social organizations formed and began to influence local political policies. In addition, small towns established boards of trade to work on behalf of businesses and lobby local government for better streets, better water, better sewage.
Associationalism allowed ordinary citizens (mainly men at that time, of course) to be members of an organization that held regular meetings, self-governed according to a set of bylaws and got involved in community life in ways that had previously been reserved only for a chosen few.
The Fraternal Order of Elks, for example, was established in 1868. Later, the Loyal Order of Moose came into existence. Dozens of other fraternal orders and social organizations were also established.
Soon, ordinary citizens began running for — and winning — local public office. No longer were city and county government bodies controlled by the elite.
So what does that have to do with current events?
A few months ago I mentioned that the 2016 elections were coming at us like a runaway freight train and that the Aug. 30 primary would be here before we knew it.
I also mentioned that several county, city and special district seats would be up for grabs for people wanting to take a stab at holding public office at the local level.
Little did I know exactly how many seats would be available, but have since learned that a whopping 54 county, city and special district offices will appear on August ballot. Although, thankfully, not on all ballots in all precincts.
In St. Augustine, for example, there will be three city commission seats to decide, including the mayorship.
Considering the animated input I often hear from some citizens at commission meetings, you would think that each seat will draw several challengers. Maybe. Bt (sic) I’ll be surprised if there are more than three candidates for each seat. And maybe only two.
A lot of folks have a lot to say on a lot of important local issues, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to a lot of candidates.
The mayor will likely face a challenge, and one or more of those challengers might be a member of the current commission. Now that would be interesting. Let’s face it, this is not an especially tight-knit commission. So the meetings could become even livelier than normal if tow (sic) or three seated members are running for mayor in August.
Some folks are probably getting ready in St. Augustine Beach as well. Two seats open there, along with two seats open on the Hastings town commission.
For sure, the price is right in Hastings. If you live there, an $8.40 filing fee and a few weekends knocking on doors might result in you taking office.
As for the county, there will be eleven offices on the ballot for anyone willing to file papers, pay the fees and campaign.
And since there are three county commission seats open, it’s possible that the next city and county commissions reflect a very different philosophical majority. But will it happen? That’s up to you.
Unless you gather sufficient in-lieu signatures, it can cost $242.68 in fees to become a candidate for mayor of St. Augustine, and a few thousand to file for county commissioner.
If running for a high-profile local office doesn’t appeal to you, keep in mind that nearly 40 special district and community development district seats will need to be filled in St. Johns County this year.
Interested in running for a special district board? A $25 filing fee will get your name on the ballot.
Some special districts and community boards may not seem especially important to you, but they are, because decision-makers at all levels can affect your life.
As mentioned earlier, running for local office is a natural extension of 19th century Associationalism, where ordinary citizens can become elected public officials.
So maybe I’ll see your name on the Aug. 30 ballot?
Steve can be contacted at cottrell.sf@gmail.com
Figures The Record would give Cottrell regular space. He really has nothing to say. I believe he is there only to push the Boles agenda into the public semi-consciousness.
ReplyDeleteThis comment from his column above: "...a political movement gained considerable strength in communities both North and South. It was called Associationalism..." is RIGHT ON.
The first group I thought of was the Ku Klux Klan! Yay for Steve Cottrell, finally able to link A with B.