Great column, Marc! I so appreciate "the easiest way to tell me you’re a racist — or at least willing to appeal to racists for votes — is by calling undocumented migrants, “invaders.”" I have been saying the same thing about Trump supporters for years - the easiest way to tell me you're a racist - or at least OK with racism - is to support having a racist President. I don't mean to hijack your great column into a futile and non-productive debate about Trump (No one is going to change their mind) - but I think the media, in general, is afraid to call out the common denominator among MAGA, and that common denominator is racism - not always blatant, it's more pronounced in the undercurrent of racism-related fear and fear mongering. Anyway, I too got the Dear David letter and went through the same process at considering whether to toss or open the envelope. Once I opened and saw what it was, like a lot of people, my mind immediately ran through options of how to send this garbage back to him on his own postage. High on the list involves the content of a doggie poop bag. And what to write on the form? What would the Real KVO do? There should be a contest and a prize given to the best response sent back to KVO in his postage paid "Process ASAP" envelope.
Everyone should write their thoughts out and attach them to Future Agenda Item public comment area for the next regular meeting on April 23, 2024. I no longer e-mail commissioners- I attach everything to the agenda. They aren't answering anyway (except Commissioner Kruse) but this allows the public and others to view.
The corruption in plain site that occurs in Manatee County government is breath-taking. And the ability of the politicians you mention to control the outcome of elections is equally impressive. Objective awareness of their behavior, as made possible by the legitimate professional media, clearly reveals the lies and corrupt behavior they continuously engage in. Yet the people consistently vote them into office.
I think that partisanship and loyalty to the “tribe” must skew thinking away from the truth and toward the stories the politicians tell. Republicans outnumber Democrats in Manatee County by almost 2 to 1. Because of the attention and bias habits that all humans cannot help but fall victim to, and the way media has changed so drastically since the advent of the Internet and social media, it is reasonable to suspect that the overwhelming majority of Republican voters are paying attention only to the stories told by the GOP tribe, through the sources on social media and the Internet they habitually subscribe to. It’s possible that most voters are aware only of the stories told by their tribe, and have no idea what is being reported by the legitimate professional journalists. They may be voting for what they sincerely believe is right, but their beliefs have been informed by a pack of lies, and they don’t know it. It’s a revolting development.
Thanks for giving voice to the truth as a professional journalist. Unfortunately, you professional journalists are outnumbered a million to one by all the corrupt propagandists on the Internet. Years ago, only well-funded news organizations put out a product that had credentials and presented an authoritative persona. Today, any mischievous teenager and sociopath with a computer can create something that people perceive as a reliable source. I do not know at this time how to correct this disordered situation. I wish I did.
Did I return the petition? Yes, I did! I did not give him my signature but instead I blacked out my personal information and those of my family members and wrote a special message to him on my petition and returned it, and without a stamp- so he can pay for the postage on my "Hell No KVO". Sending these mailings is a perk of having unlimited campaign funds. "You can spend $10K to get petitions without leaving your couch in order to save $6K in fees or actually have to talk to people." Unless Van Ostenbridge moved in with his campaign manager Anthony Pedicini in Tampa, he will no be checking his own mailbox every day. Don't believe any of the scams these two are coming up with. They should be put in jail for the scams they are trying to pull on the public.
The arrogance and gall of this little man pleading for signatures so he doesn't have to pay the fee to have his name on the ballot and donations to cover the cost of the mailing and probably future mailings. He has over $200,000 in his coffers. What is he going to do with this money? I was disgusted by the claims of the good things "he" spearheaded and accomplished. His keepers must be proud of him. I am not.
Great column, Marc! I so appreciate "the easiest way to tell me you’re a racist — or at least willing to appeal to racists for votes — is by calling undocumented migrants, “invaders.”" I have been saying the same thing about Trump supporters for years - the easiest way to tell me you're a racist - or at least OK with racism - is to support having a racist President. I don't mean to hijack your great column into a futile and non-productive debate about Trump (No one is going to change their mind) - but I think the media, in general, is afraid to call out the common denominator among MAGA, and that common denominator is racism - not always blatant, it's more pronounced in the undercurrent of racism-related fear and fear mongering. Anyway, I too got the Dear David letter and went through the same process at considering whether to toss or open the envelope. Once I opened and saw what it was, like a lot of people, my mind immediately ran through options of how to send this garbage back to him on his own postage. High on the list involves the content of a doggie poop bag. And what to write on the form? What would the Real KVO do? There should be a contest and a prize given to the best response sent back to KVO in his postage paid "Process ASAP" envelope.
Thanks, David.
Everyone should write their thoughts out and attach them to Future Agenda Item public comment area for the next regular meeting on April 23, 2024. I no longer e-mail commissioners- I attach everything to the agenda. They aren't answering anyway (except Commissioner Kruse) but this allows the public and others to view.
The corruption in plain site that occurs in Manatee County government is breath-taking. And the ability of the politicians you mention to control the outcome of elections is equally impressive. Objective awareness of their behavior, as made possible by the legitimate professional media, clearly reveals the lies and corrupt behavior they continuously engage in. Yet the people consistently vote them into office.
I think that partisanship and loyalty to the “tribe” must skew thinking away from the truth and toward the stories the politicians tell. Republicans outnumber Democrats in Manatee County by almost 2 to 1. Because of the attention and bias habits that all humans cannot help but fall victim to, and the way media has changed so drastically since the advent of the Internet and social media, it is reasonable to suspect that the overwhelming majority of Republican voters are paying attention only to the stories told by the GOP tribe, through the sources on social media and the Internet they habitually subscribe to. It’s possible that most voters are aware only of the stories told by their tribe, and have no idea what is being reported by the legitimate professional journalists. They may be voting for what they sincerely believe is right, but their beliefs have been informed by a pack of lies, and they don’t know it. It’s a revolting development.
Thanks for giving voice to the truth as a professional journalist. Unfortunately, you professional journalists are outnumbered a million to one by all the corrupt propagandists on the Internet. Years ago, only well-funded news organizations put out a product that had credentials and presented an authoritative persona. Today, any mischievous teenager and sociopath with a computer can create something that people perceive as a reliable source. I do not know at this time how to correct this disordered situation. I wish I did.
Did I return the petition? Yes, I did! I did not give him my signature but instead I blacked out my personal information and those of my family members and wrote a special message to him on my petition and returned it, and without a stamp- so he can pay for the postage on my "Hell No KVO". Sending these mailings is a perk of having unlimited campaign funds. "You can spend $10K to get petitions without leaving your couch in order to save $6K in fees or actually have to talk to people." Unless Van Ostenbridge moved in with his campaign manager Anthony Pedicini in Tampa, he will no be checking his own mailbox every day. Don't believe any of the scams these two are coming up with. They should be put in jail for the scams they are trying to pull on the public.
The arrogance and gall of this little man pleading for signatures so he doesn't have to pay the fee to have his name on the ballot and donations to cover the cost of the mailing and probably future mailings. He has over $200,000 in his coffers. What is he going to do with this money? I was disgusted by the claims of the good things "he" spearheaded and accomplished. His keepers must be proud of him. I am not.