KVO doesn't care what the public thinks of him. Voters need to remember that in August
Manatee County commissioner has a record of insulting his constituents. The worst of it is on video.
George Kruse and Kevin Van Ostenbridge have been together on the county commission for almost four years. In this year’s elections, they are running for the same job, commissioner for at-large District 7 seat after Van Ostenbridge ended his re-election bid for the District 3 seat and decided to challenge his fellow Republican.
Their incumbency means they have a lengthy and substantive record for Manatee County residents to consider before they vote in the Republican primary on Aug. 20.
Much of that record has been caught on video, most of it easily available for voters to review before they make their choice. Be forewarned, however, Kruse can talk A LOT, but that’s OK because on many issues, even when he’s standing alone against the rest of the commission, Kruse is often right, especially on substantive matters (impact fees, affordable housing, etc.) that go to how the county is governed.
But it is Van Ostenbridge who is responsible for the most revealing video of either candidate’s tenure. Recorded during a commission meeting last October, it shows Van Ostenbridge, preening as he delivered yet another victory for his paymasters in the development industry, unleashing a series of insults and false claims — complete with McCarthyite red-baiting about “communists” trying to sway the commission — at residents who had shown up to oppose a proposal to reduce legal protection of wetlands in the county.
Nothing required Van Ostenbridge or other commissioners to agree with the public. But Van Ostenbridge crossed the line with his unfounded attacks on his constituents, his real employers. That day, Van Ostenbridge, with his demonstrated disdain for anything the public had to say, disqualified himself of any serious consideration for re-election.
Watch the video here, and it’s clear why so many county residents are saying, “Hell no, KVO!”
This was not a one-off for Van Ostenbridge.
He hit a similar low on June 20 as the commission considered, and eventually approved despite two earlier denials, a proposal for 15 homes on a 17-acre parcel at the State Road 70 entrance to The Concession development in East Manatee.
“We have been advised by the county attorney’s office that we don’t have much of a legal path forward,” Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. “Our odds of winning this are slim to none.”
Dan Lobeck, attorney for the Foxwood at Panther Ridge Homeowners' Association, provided a packet of information for each commissioner that laid out an opposing argument to those odds. The moment the packet reached Van Ostenbridge’s hands, he stood up, walked over to the garbage can, threw the packet in and returned to his seat. (emphasis added)
Van Ostenbridge, who has inspired residents to post yard signs expressing their opposition to his re-election, relishes being a polarizing figure in local politics. It’s a brand he wears proudly, even if it means insulting the public that elected him
Next month, voters have a chance to show Van Ostenbrdige that his is not a brand for Manatee County.
Marc R. Masferrer, previously a newspaper and digital editor in Bradenton for more than 16 years and a journalist for more than 33 years, has received multiple awards for his writing, including a first place for commentary writing in the Florida Press Club’s 2022 Excellence in Journalism Competition and a second place prize in the 2023 contest for work published in The Bradenton Journal. You can reach him at Marc.R.Masferrer@gmail.com. You can also like The Bradenton Journal on Facebook.
Disrespectful little prick
Napoleon complex and a prick...VOTE HIM OUT...