YOU HAVE THE CONCH SHELL: Buyer Beware: This Election Comes With No Lemon Law
Greg Lloyd urges Key West voters to ignore the hard sell, look under the hood and inspect the candidates’ records before taking City Hall’s political machinery for another four-year ride.
Editor’s note: This letter represents the views and opinions of its author and not those of Above the Fold. To submit a letter to the editor, click here.
As my father always said, “Never trust a used-car salesman.” Jack Niles is now trying to hard-sell the voters of Key West on a false bill of goods. This election isn’t about Conchs versus non-Conchs. It’s about the privileged and well-connected versus everyday residents who deserve an equal voice in how their city is run. Rather than buying the sales pitch, I think voters would be better served by checking under the hood, kicking the tires and looking at the candidates and their records for themselves.
For instance, if you live in District 2 and have no issue voting for a former city commissioner heartily endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce—one who settled a federal wage lawsuit brought by his former employees for $1.2 million and supported widening and deepening our channels to accommodate ever-larger cruise ships—then Rossi is your guy. If not, you might want to strongly consider the aboveboard Bobi Lore, a candidate I believe is running to serve the community as a whole rather than its well-entrenched special interests.
I, for one, am displeased with the ever-rising cost of Waste Management garbage collection, as well as being limited to one green garbage can per household. I, therefore, would not vote for Chamber of Commerce board member and darling Greg Sullivan in District 5. Instead, I would cast my vote for Chris Massicotte, an independent fiscal hawk who has made lowering taxes and curbing wasteful city spending priorities. He’ll fight to ensure the city receives fair market value for rents on its nearly $1 billion in property assets and put an end to the sweetheart deals our city passes out like Halloween candy. He also championed residential zoning over commercial rezoning and continues to oppose the unwelcome 3.3-acre Casa Marina project—exactly the kind of attention to our neighborhoods and property values I want from a commissioner in District 5.
In District 4, and not to demean the other candidates, Sarah Compton would be my favorite by a wide margin. She is young, engaged and very well-informed. More importantly, she isn’t merely campaigning for the job; she’s already doing the work. Sarah provides residents with in-depth explanations of agenda items before City Commission meetings, including how they may affect residents, and then follows up after the meetings to explain what actually happened. That kind of preparation, transparency and communication is exactly what I would want from my commissioner.
Finally, if you want a continuation of a bloated, inefficient City Hall, then Dee-Dee Henriquez may be your candidate for mayor. She is not mine. Henriquez has repeatedly refused to fully address the Corradino Report, resisted implementing the grand jury’s recommendations and continually supported efforts that I believe limit meaningful resident participation in city government. After the criminal indictments and grand jury findings we have witnessed, this is precisely the time when Key West needs greater transparency, accountability and public participation—not less. For me, there is no question that Sam Kaufman is the man best suited to deliver the real, meaningful structural change our city government needs.
Elections should be about more than sales pitches. Look at the candidates, look at their records and decide for yourself what’s really under the hood.
Greg Lloyd
Retired trial attorney
Former seven-year Planning Board member
Co-founder, Protect Our Residential Neighborhoods