The Breakfast Club meets three times a week at the Coffee Carousel on Main Street in Sarasota.

DAN DOWD Contributing Columnist Dowd@lbknews.com It has been some time since I last wrote a column for the Longboat Key News.  I really didn’t have much to say, primarily because the Longboat Commission didn’t do too much nor did they accomplish too much.  As a result I thought it would be a good time to […]

Fourteen years of diligent, responsible, loyal and excellent service means nothing to the recipients of that service. The work performed by Bruce St. Denis, the town manager of Longboat Key, has been washed down the drain by five commissioners who can’t appreciate what they already have, but who want to assume complete control of all facets of the government of Longboat Key

The commercial-minded Longboat Key Commission has now appointed a commissar of business and growth, which they choose to hide under the name of revitalization. At its head is ex-mayor George Spoll, a firm believer in the need for more failing restaurants and businesses on the key

I apologize for not having written the last few weeks. My reason is the total disenchantment with the existing Town Commission. What is wrong with them? Have they no regard for the community they serve? Apparently not! With that in mind, I will attempt to analyze the machinations of our town legislative body

Kudos to Mayor George Spoll and Commissioner Hal Lenobel for having the dignity and respect for their positions to cast the only two votes on the Town Commission for maintaining the custom of our legislators wearing jackets and ties at commission meetings. Dressing like a hobo diminishes the self-respect and stature of our five other commissioners for voting not to dress more like legislators. You never see congressmen dress without wearing jackets and ties. Why can’t our commissioners show the same respect for their position and their electorate?

I have given a great deal of thought to the efficacy of the trolley service on Longboat Key. I find there isn’t a necessity to have transit service on the key, especially if Longboat would have to contribute funds to have this deeply-in-the-red activity limp forward.

I am going to divert my attention from local politics to a subject more in the nature of national politics, if this can be considered politics at all—the proposed mosque near ground zero in New York City.

The voters of Longboat Key have elected six of the seven commissioners to serve the electorate. The seventh commissioner was appointed to the commission despite the fact that he lost the election, the loser to an elected candidate who didn’t even campaign.

This is a very quiet time in politics on Longboat Key. I have given some thought on what I would like the future to be on the key relative to politics. Here are some of my thoughts: