‘Dissenters’ are neighbors, voters
To the editor:
Recently, Councilmember Brandt held a “Town Hall Meeting.” He read from a prepared agenda outlining his accomplishments, drifted off topic, rambled on about his childhood days growing up in California and finally lamented that he would like the Cape to be more like his memories of happier times.
Although there are no “official” rules or formats regulating “Town Hall” meetings, traditionally these meetings have been an opportunity for neighbors and local voters to “talk”, informally, one on one with their elected public official. Brandt’s handlers determined that this time there would be no “talk” questions, but rather all questions would be written on 3 by 5 cards. However, it became obvious as the councilman shuffled through the cards that he was going to answer only the questions he wanted to answer. A gentleman, who apparently knew the councilman, put Brandt on the spot when he said that it was wrong not to allow people to speak. Brandt, over an hour later, seemed to agree and finally fielded questions from the audience.
The question was asked, I am paraphrasing here, when several votes came up before Council, you (Mr. Brandt) asked former Mayor Burch to abstain from voting on the U.E.P. because Mayor Burch had a company that did work for the city and it might be a conflict of interest. However Mr. Brandt, when your friend, Mayor Sullivan voted for his friend and campaign contributor, Mr. King, over other qualified applicants for city manager, you did not ask the Mayor Sullivan to abstain because of a possible conflict of interest. Is that hypocrisy? Mr. Brandt basically dismissed the question, saying this was different, but it did not sit well with the crowd.
Things got worse. The next questioner wanted to know if Mr. Brandt understood that the “numerical ranking” used by the Human Resources Department did not rank applicants for city manager as good, better or best, but rather the number ranking system was meant to reflect how well the applicant had fared on the “Application Process?” This information is public record. It would be up to Council to evaluate and choose the most capable person and it was not a function the HR Department’s ranking system. Mr. Brandt either did not understand the question or just would not answer it. When the questioner pressed the councilman on this issue, Mr. Brandt’s security forces swooped down on the person asking the question, and said he must not ask that question. So much for free speech!
Mr. Brandt answered another question from the audience as to why he chose Mr. Kuehn, his and Mayor Sullivan’s friend and political contributor, for Mr. Grill’s vacant Council seat. His response was unbelievable! He choose his friend, Erick, because he was RETIRED, and could “pull his weight” unlike the other three council members who worked.
Then, the self-proclaimed community activist stood up and in her booming, signature voice and declared, “Excuse me, I have the floor!!” She was not recognized by Brandt to speak and never asked a question but rather lectured the crowd about how fortunate they were that she and her political friends had taken over Council, were about to invade the city administration and would eventually “rewrite” the city charter in their image. Maybe she will run again?
Finally, Brandt tried to justify his vote for Mr. King, Mayor Sullivan’s personal friend, to be city manager. Remember, several weeks ago Mr. Brandt stated publicly he wanted a city manager who did not have a degree in Public Administration and one who did not have any experience as a city manager. (How fortunate he was to find such a “unique” applicant right here in the Cape!) Whether you like Mr. Brandt or not, his reasons for making these public decisions are illogical at best and downright wrong for a person who has a moral and ethical responsibility to serve all his constituents.
Mr. Brandt surrounds himself with people who have his view of the world and simply ignores any and all other viewpoints. The reasonable exchange of town folk with their elected official was limited at his meeting. Mr. Brandt and friends continue to cram their agenda down our throats. Brandt’s logic is convoluted and his decision making skills dysfunctional. We are not Brandt’s enemy because we do not agree with him. We are NEIGHBORS and VOTERS and have a right to question. This tactic on the part of the Road Ahead Gang (R.A.G.) to accuse everyone else of “evil”, to anoint themselves as the only voice of “truth” in this town and to blatantly “rewrite” the City Charter will have negative consequences. (Wait till the Mayor “appoints” his friend Police Chief!)
Please stand up and demand fair representation from the five council members who have signed the Road Ahead Manifesto. They need to hear from their friends and neighbors.
F.C.Perry
Cape Coral