Mayor’s record not enough for PIC
Do they want us to make judgments based on political promises or newspaper ads? Is whoever is glibbest at answering questions — trick or otherwise — the best choice to make the critical decisions facing this community today?
JIM BROWN
Contributing Columnist
brown@lbknews.com
The Longboat Key Public Interest Committee, better known as PIC, has come out against the re-election of commissioner and former Mayor Hal Lenobel.
Why? He refused to appear before its board, the PIC explained, and the only way they had to “judge” him was “on his record.”
Pardon me, but aren’t you supposed to judge elected public officials on their record?
The PIC has a long and distinguished record of service as a leading voice for residential forces in the Longboat community. At one time it was arguably the most powerful political organization ever formed on this Key.
But on this issue?
Do they want us to make judgments based on political promises or newspaper ads? Is whoever is glibbest at answering questions — trick or otherwise — the best choice to make the critical decisions facing this community today?
Hal Lenobel served three two-year terms as a town commissioner, laid out for a few years because of term limits, then came back two years ago to be returned to office. Three times his fellow commissioners elected him mayor — only two people in the history of Longboat Key have served longer in that position.
He decided that, in these years of the Great Recession, people have too many worthy places for their money than to give to a political candidate. Therefore, he is asking nothing from his friends, will spend nothing himself. He is simply — as the PIC now decries — running on his record.
He’s been around long enough, he felt. People know Hal Lenobel.
How will he vote on the pension snarl, the Key Club proposal, beach renourishment, providing town services, particularly in the public safety area? As his conscience dictates — that’s what his “record” tells us.
Most of all, they know the kind of man he is. They have eight years of “record,” so, he felt, let them vote on that basis.
They say times change, and people and organizations must change with them — that certainly is true of the PIC. Never in my political experience have I seen an organization shift its basic orientation so radically.
Two decades ago it forbade anyone who belonged to the Chamber of Commerce from serving on its executive board. It was anti-business and development, led the fight to down-zone and is responsible for most of the commercial development and zoning curbs that have shaped Longboat.
Today it generally winds up supporting the same issues and same candidates as chamber members. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but it certainly is a change!
Jim Brown served four terms as mayor of Longboat Key, and is a former newspaper editor and publisher. Contact him at zulasboy@juno.com. This column originally appeared in the Sarasota Herald Tribune and is reprinted with permission of Jim Brown.
