Venice on the web
A semi-regular column

An entertaining evening, an ugly sales pitch
Myers and Hunt somehow miraculously avoid being pelted with vegetables in their attempt to raise $10 million
-- John Patten, 09/20/03
-- jpatten@veniceflorida.com

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Related:
City's $10 million bond publicity brochure
-- City of Venice official government web site (Adobe PDF file)

The peasants revolt
Venice Taxpayers League treasurer Roy Stout stood up and said that the FAA could deed the beach property to the city for free if it was to be used for a park, something that the city has yet to ask the FAA about. Stout maintained that that it was within the FAA's purview to give the land away under such circumstances and that he had talked extensively with an FAA official in Washington about such a possibility.

Now a side story to this is that a lot of the city's recent FAA problems stem directly from Stout and the VTL. It was the VTL that had gone to the FAA originally with complaints about the city's handling of the property, complaints that eventually led to the FAA investigating the city for diversion of revenue. Stout has never revealed the names of officials he has spoken with about the investigation.

Hunt stood up and took the microphone from Myers. Smiling smugly, Hunt asked if Stout was willing to publicly state the name of the FAA official that Stout claimed he had spoken to about the proposed land giveaway. Stout, sensing the trap, declined. "It's no surprise that you won't tell us the name because that conversation never happened. The fact that you won't give out the name shows that you made it up," Hunt stated, smiling gleefully as though he had just won a poker hand.

The crowd responded with a loud chorus of boos. Several people left their seats and walked out. Someone hollered out, "Are you calling him a liar?"

Oblivious to the sudden hostility that he had engendered, Hunt gave the microphone back to Myers and sat back down: arms crossed, a satisfied grin on his face. His foot was bouncing again.

Amused by the sudden upturn in entertainment value, I spoke out as a follow-up to Stout. "In going along with what Mr. Stout just stated, there was a meeting at council a few months back where Jeff Boone had stated that the county had money designated for park purchases as well, and yet we have not approached them as Boone has suggested, but that's not my question. Now you folks have stated that once the city has the $10 million, they can only use it for the four projects listed, am I correct?"

"Yes," Myers responded.

"And for some of these projects, the city has already set aside some funding, a million here, a million there so to speak, am I correct?"

"Yes," Myers responded again, this time with a bit of low anger creeping into his voice.

"So what would prevent you from gutting the underlying existing funds and spending it elsewhere once you get your hands on the $10 million?"

Myers exploded in anger as though I had just pushed a dynamite plunger. "Because we have given an oral promise not to do that. This is the third time someone has asked that question, once in council and once at the previous bond meeting, and I'm sick and tired of answering the question. We said we won't do that so we won't do that."

A few more boos.

"Well, it's the first time I have asked the question, the first time I have heard the issue raised publicly, and the first time I am hearing the answer. You offered to answer questions and I wanted an answer to that question. I could have lived without the attitude."

Venice Taxpayers League president Herb Levine then raised his hand. Myers took one look at Levine and threw the microphone down onto the table, angrily muttering, "I can't talk to that man."

I about doubled over in laughter. I looked over at Levine and he too was chuckling. Over his shoulder I could see Councilman John Moore sitting much farther back in the audience, shaking his head in apparent disbelief. Levine picked up where I had left off and stated that Myers hadn't really answered the question. Hunt picked up the microphone and started to respond. I have no idea what Hunt stated as I was still trying to recover from the unexpected entertainment that Myers had just provided. Whatever it was that Hunt said, Levine didn't like it as he stood up and said to Hunt, "If I say anymore, you'll call me a liar and then I'll have to have you arrested," a reference to Levine's arrest at a city council meeting last year for calling Hunt a liar. Levine then walked out of the meeting and plopped himself in a chair in the lobby.

I then left the meeting to go have a smoke and high-fived Levine as I walked out of the building.

After the meeting ended, I was finally introduced to council candidate Gary Anderson, the only candidate that had attended the meeting. His one word comment about the events that had just happened: "Unbelievable." Anderson has since spoken publicly that he is against the bond referendum, having taken on John Lewis' borrowed mantra of 'Just say no.'

I then stopped John Moore and asked him what he thought of the evening's events. He immediately smiled at me in a genuine smile that used the eyes as well as the mouth, and in that fatherly way he has of disarming opponents while stating his disapproval, he stated "You know, you give back just as good as you get."

I had to laugh. It's not an unfair criticism. I don't know how Moore does that: he can nail you with a good zinger and walk away, and you still feel good about him. Absolutely amazing.

While this was supposed to be the last public meeting to pitch the bond referendum, city hall is reportedly considering scheduling another town meeting to try to save face.

This ought to be good.

Note to self: buy a head of lettuce.