Is there hope?
To the editor:
Can there be hope that Cape Coral voters/residents are beginning to come out of their malaise of apathy? A 12 percent turnout in the recent primary election is nearly a 60 percent increase over 2013 and the highest turnout since 14 percent in 2007, but it is still shameful.
Cape Coral has become a “Company” town, and the “Company” is the city administration. With about 1700 employees, the “Company” controls as much as 6 or 7 percent of the vote, and they get them all out! Unless the residents/voters can get out 15 or 20 percent in the primary and 20 or 25 percent or more in the general election, it’s going to stay in the hands of the “Company.”
Why is this important?
The city’s spending and taxing is going out of control again, much as it did in the 2002 to 2007 era with general fund spending rising about three times faster than population and cost of living. They may be doing a bit better now because they are paving some streets and, it seems, maintaining vehicles better, etc., but they’re still squandering money on wants well beyond needs, and there seems to be little, if any, concern about finding ways to do things more efficiently and economically.
They’ve told us that they cut taxes for FY 2016 by reducing the millage rate by 0.75 to compensate for the fire service assessment and public service tax, but over 0.4 of that cut was due to increases in assessed valuation so in reality you’ve wound up with an overall tax increase of almost 6-1/4 percent instead.
The question in each race is, “Do you want to be represented by the candidate who will look out for the best interests of the city and the majority of the residents or the “Company” candidate who will cater to the wishes of the City employees?
Before looking at each race, I’d like to make a few points. There has been talk about trying to elevate city worker’s pay scale to an average in the 75 percentile of similar employees. Municipal workers used to accept more modest pay than the private sector in exchange for the super benefits they received (far better than the private sector) and job security. They’ve bargained for higher pay (now at about 60-65 percentile) while also improving benefits that are now at an even greater margin above the private sector than before, and while still enjoying greater job security. Why should a community made up of workers in the private sector who are lucky if they’re in the 50 percentile of their professions pay taxes to support city workers at the 75 percentile (or even 65) with far better benefits than they have AND great job security?
There is also a lot of talk about the city taking over electric distribution when the franchise agreement with LCEC expires in October 2016. If you think the city can provide that service more efficiently and economically than LCEC (or even as well), then I have this bridge in New York for sale that I’d like to talk to you about. What’s the city’s motive? I think there are two. First, it will be another “cash cow” for the city like the Water and Sewer Utility. In the accounting for that utility, there are still many years in which there is a sometimes quite large entry for money “transferred out” for which no adequate explanations have been provided. Second, it will substantially grow the number of city employees thus providing a larger bloc of voters to support the “Company.”
In District 2, the “Company” candidate is the incumbent, John Carioscia. He proudly campaigns on his “record.” He says he supported a pension reform that will save the city $180M over the next 25 years. Such an estimate must be based on a lot of assumptions that are not defined, but any really large savings would not be realized until most of the current city employees have retired and been replaced by new hires under the new contribution plan and then they begin to retire. What’s really needed is a basic change from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan that many municipalities are adopting. He also claims a hand in “directing” the city manager to refinance portions of the city’s debt at lower interest rates. If a city manager passed up such an opportunity, he should be replaced! He also had claimed that his backing of moving forward with the Utility Expansion Program in SW 6/7 had brought reductions to the utility rates. Last time he enumerated these things, he left that one out? He’s also been a supporter of looking at the “facts” re taking over LCEC’s role. If you or he, for that matter believe a $40K study of this issue will produce impartial, unbiased “facts,” I’m reminded of my New York bridge for sale. Kirk LaGrasta is a new face in the picture, but I sincerely believe he will work for the best interests of the residents as a whole rather than the special interests of the “Company.”
District 3 is a bit of an anomaly. It seemed to me that Jerry Doviak was the “Company” candidate and Marilyn Stout was a favorite of some of the women’s clubs. It’s clear from the results of the primary that Marilyn got a lot of the “Company” support. Then I learned that she had boasted that at her interviews with Police and Fire she had garnered some of their support. I have no idea what she told them, but whatever it was it must have convinced many of them that she would cater to their wants and wishes. How do you ladies feel about that? She also supports the study to produce the “facts” of the LCEC issue, but says she wants a referendum to decide. I wonder what she thinks about the motives I suggested as basis for the possible takeover of the LCEC role? Chris Cammarota is an energetic, common-sense, hard-working young man who I am confident will do a great job of representing the interests of the residents of Cape Coral.
In District 7, Jessica Cosden is clearly the “Company” candidate. She has expressed support for the “tax-and-spend” trend and has indicated possible support for the city to take over the LCEC role. Tim Barrier has excellent credentials including a CPA. I’m sure he’ll do a great job representing all the residents of Cape Coral.
Only about half the number of people voted in the primary compared to those who had requested mail in (they used to be called absentee) ballots. More than a week ago, there were about the same number requested for the general election with more to come, I’m sure. Please vote, and I hope you will vote for LaGrasta, Cammarota, and Barrier, the candidates who will work to provide the needs of the city and all the residents including the city employees (most of them are residents, too), but not support all the wants and wishes of city employees if they are not in the best interest of all. If election day arrives and you haven’t voted, please go to the polls. If you had a mail in ballot, take it with you to surrender or you’ll have to do a provisional ballot.
Pete Brandt
Cape Coral