|
|
|
Ken Welch decries behavior and "misstatements" by Tea Party activists at Pinellas Commission meeting
Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 2:02 PM
And he thinks it would be beneficial to all if they wouldn't act disrespectfully while attending a Board of County Commission meeting, which is what he says is exactly what happened Tuesday evening while discussing their proposed 2012 budget.
The St. Pete Times David DeCamp provides a concise report about the meeting - or if you have a few hours to spare, you can go on the county's website to view it yourself.
It wasn't just Welch, but Commission Chair Susan Latvala who had to set the Tea Party activists straight when several of their members incorrectly stated that $15 million set aside for affordable housing was going to the religious activist group FAST, despite repeated comments from the public that it was.
Welch pointed out to the activists, led by Dr. David McKalip (who announced over the weekend that he will be a candidate for St. Pete City Council in 2013), that the County had listed the various projects that would be eligible for funding from the renewal of the Penny for Pinellas tax in 2007, including affordable housing. But the activists before the meeting and during it insisted not only was that not the case, but what the board was doing was illegal. Welch says that was part of the pattern of "lies and misstatements" that he referred to during the discussion on Tuesday night.
And the Commissioner was not very impressed by the behavior of some of the two dozen or so Tea Party activists who spoke out from the audience during the evening, including those that drowned out the last comments made by longtime local government critic Mark Klutho, who the crowd turned on when he had the audacity to be critical of them.
Welch, the lone Democrat on the board, said when he started pointing out the falsehoods, McKalip and others began yelling out from the audience, with one woman walking up directly to him to hand him a piece of paper. "They were out of control," he told CL on Wednesday, lamenting how everyone was quiet when the Tea Party activists addressed the board, yet those same activists didn't appear to be interested in hearing from the other side of the debate.
The Pinellas Democrat said that one of those Tea Party members, Hamilton Hanson, actually left the meeting before its conclusion in disgust, and wrote him an email Wednesday morning essentially apologizing for the rough behavior from the crowd.
"Several people said no to affordable housing, no to social or human services money...you heard some extreme opinions last night and that's really the first time that they have come down to a County meeting," Welch said. "We've seen it in Tallahassee and Washington, but not in Pinellas."
"They throw out all these accusations, they want to state their opinion, but they're afraid of true debate where the other side was heard, and that was the most disappointing and surprising," he said, adding that one of the main guys doing the yelling was McKalip.
Welch's proposal to move $5 million of the $15 million in affordable housing funds into this year's budget failed on a 4-3 vote, though he did secure the support of Republicans Karen Seel and John Morroni.
"I certainly don't deny them their right to be in a debate, " Welch continued, speaking of the Tea Party activists, who held a rally outside the meeting in Clearwater before the meeting began. "But that has to be a debate and not a monologue," he said.
Comments (5)
Commissioner Welch is paid to listen to his constituents and paid well at around $90K a year so he needs to put on his listening ears instead of trying to debate those who are apparently dissatisfied with the job he's doing.
like
dislikeActually County Administrator Latsala was allowed to say things that the county Documents showed to be untrue. Latsala in not a member of the commission and speaks out often! So if he can do it so can the citizens. The Council hears public comment then slams the comment and says people are lying then refuses to allow them to counter. There is no debate. What the "Tea Party" activist said was that FAST was pushing this movement of the funding! Which is true and the Board admitted at the meeting.
The other fact is that a majority of the member churches in Fast are in Welches District who is up for re-election. When this article says Welch is the only Democrat they are playing word games. There are 4 Sold Progressives and two Conservatives on this board then one who goes with the wind!
Hey, Matt, you are entitled to your opinion, but not your own facts. Either you agree to reality, or you make up your own world. The Tea Party, fed misinformation from the right, is in their own world and it isn't pretty.
How's this 'reality' from the County Budget Summary, pg 23, "The County uses this sales tax revenue for capital projects in the areas of transportation, public safety, parks, environmental protection, storm water management, and government facilities." You see any affordable housing in there, csbrudy?
Or how about in the Florida Statute Section212.055(2) that reads: "4. Used by the charter county for the planning, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of roads and bridges in the county; for the planning, development, expansion, operation, and maintenance of bus and fixed guideway systems; and for the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued for the construction of fixed guideway rapid transit systems, bus systems, roads, or bridges; and such proceeds may be pledged by the governing body of the county for bonds issued to refinance existing bonds or new bonds issued for the construction of such fixed guideway rapid transit systems, bus systems, roads, or bridges. Pursuant to an interlocal agreement entered into pursuant to chapter 163, the governing body of the charter county may distribute proceeds from the tax to a municipality, or an expressway or transportation authority created by law to be expended for the purpose authorized by this paragraph."
Commissioners Welch, Morroni & Seel don't get their own set of facts either. They are trying to play fast and loose with the Penny 4 Pinellas which was sold to the pubic as for roads, bridges and infrastructure. Adding affordable housing to the Penny budget reduces the amount available for roads & bridges which have already been cut, while increasing the budget for social programs by inserting this housing project into a part of the budget that the voters only approved for roads and bridges... Either put the affordable housing project where it belongs and use the Penny for what the voters approved or just drop that project.
Mr. Welch has inaccurately indicated that I (David McKalip) was shouting the most. In fact, I called out once to complain that County Administrator Lasala was misrepresenting the facts and offering no chance for rebuttal.
I did no yelling, booing, or other noises. However Mr. Welch misrepresented numerous facts - like equating a Newspaper editorial as a County Commission report.
David McKalip
Showing 1-5 of 5