Help Make FKMCD Great Again
by Ralph De Palma……
The recent endorsements by the Keynoter for Florida Keys Mosquito Control District are amazing contortions. First they endorse the opponent of Steve K Murray-Smith because Steve is a FKMCD Board Member and the Board is responsible for the current fiscal mess. Then they quickly twist into a pretzel and endorse Commissioner “I’ll Say Anything To Get Re-elected” Jill Cranney-Gage because of her “fiscal experience” and she is on the same Board that created the fiscal mess and voted for everyone of the disastrous budgets that have blown most of the $8m in reserves over the last 4 years – that BTW Steve voted against. I know its hard to follow – because its completely without logic or fact, but that is the Keynoter rationale’. I now understand why the media is held in such low opinion by some.
Former Florida Keys Mosquito Control Director Ed Fussell, who ran mosquito control for the US Navy for 30 years, headed the State of Florida mosquito control program, past President of the Florida Mosquito Control Association and past President of the nationwide American Mosquito Control Association has endorsed Steve Smith for Commissioner District 3, FKMCD. He went on to say: “The trouble makers, invariably, are the commissioners that never attend any of the state or national mosquito control association meetings. If you want make the tax payers really happy try controlling the mosquitoes and stop worrying about saving the tax payer a few dollars.”
Ed Fussell went on to say, “There’s a direct correlation between mosquito control commissioners who think their sole responsibility is to cut the budget and those who never attend any of the state or national mosquito control association meetings. It’s as though it never occurred to them that the primary purpose of having a mosquito control program is to provide for the health and well being of the citizens and visitors of the Florida keys. When they don’t avail themselves of the opportunities to associate with commissioners and staff of other comparable mosquito control programs they have no way to compare operations to other locations.”
Commissioner “I’ll Do Anything To Get Re-elected” Jill Cranney-Gage, has never attended any mosquito control meetings or functions other than monthly Board Meetings and has never participated in annual mosquito control training courses. Her first two years on the Board were punctuated only by motions to Approve the Minutes, or Adjourn. Check the record that’s a fact. She vocally supported the GMO mosquito program until about 6 months ago and criticized the Keys Environmental Coalition saying in an April, 2015 meeting, “They come they scream and they leave.” She supported the new construction of the Lower Keys facility until two months ago then dramatically flip-flopped. Commissioner Bill Shaw asked her on the record in the July Budget Meeting if “you changed your vote to help get re-elected?”. She has flip-flopped on several important issues and has continually rubber stamped the Goodman agenda, if re-elected she will probably flip flop again.
Chairman Phil Goodman, Commissioner Tom McDonald and Commissioner Jill Cranney-Gage voted in lock step FOR 4 YEARS. They have consistently voted budgets that have reduced the $8m in FKMCD reserves to $2m. Jill Cranney-Gage has said many times “We’re not a bank – why should we keep all this money.” They had enough in reserves to build 2 buildings. They have now successfully kicked the can down the road until after this election with a 22% tax increase for at least the next two years.
Jill Cranney-Gage posted on her FB Re-election page the night of the budget vote “Great news for the taxpayers…”
We’ve had a 4th case of Zika, Dengue Fever transmission is still a threat. They’ve grudgingly increased staff and aerial spraying, their $150k over budget this year for chemicals. Thank heaven we haven’t had a hurricane on this shoestring budget. Tourist season is around the corner. Now you just voted to move the entire operation into a trailer. If that’s the great news – I don’t want to hear the bad news.
Jill went on to un-inspire more confidence “This will help ensure our residents/visitors health and safety is our primary goal and focus!” How is that possible? It is more than obvious that FKMCD Commissioner Jill Cranney-Gage’s primary goal and focus is getting re-elected.
Vote to Re-elect Steve K Murray-Smith and vote to elect Kathryn Watkins Norris and Janet Woods to regain a solid 3/2 voting majority that will make FKMCD great again.
What’s wrong with this picture:
“shoe string budget”
“reduced the $8m in FKMCD reserves to $2m”
“22% tax increase for at least the next two years.”
“$150k over budget this year for chemicals”
“voted to move the entire operation into a trailer”
“Chairman Phil Goodman, Commissioner Tom McDonald and Commissioner Jill Cranney-Gage voted in lock step FOR 4 YEARS” (gang of 3?)
“try controlling the mosquitoes and stop worrying about saving the tax payer a few dollars.”
???
There are contradictions in the above, but what is very clear is that the current Mosquito Control District Board is doing one piss-poor job of managing on their immense (and dramatically increasing) budget.
Based on my own observations and interactions over several years, Jill has never demonstrated anything but arrogant attitude and incompetence in either of the positions of responsibility she gets paid for with public money. Her sole qualification appears to be “connected Conch”. We need a lot fewer of those in positions of authority. Goodman has always seemed to me to be either without good sense or corrupt. Maybe both. It figures that they would vote the same.
Time for a change of the faces that have gotten us a huge tax increase, inferior infrastructure, lost reserves even without a storm, and various commitments to proceed with a risky GMO experiment in a supposedly protected environment with unwilling human participants.