The Iron Lady

Margaret Thatcher earned a nickname during the cold war. Her nickname was The Iron Lady. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she was a tough willed woman who knew what it took to govern.

Here in Alachua County, we have our own Iron Lady. She is one of the most respectful people that I know. She cares about doing her city’s business in an orderly fashion, and about respecting the rights of the citizens in the face of those that would disrupt and create chaos.

That lady is Alachua’s Mayor, Jean Calderwood.

At the Monday, June 19th meeting of the Alachua City Commission, Charlie Grapski inappropriately called for a parliamentary inquiry and then a point of order. It was inappropriate because Charlie Grapski is not a member of the commission. The time for citizen comment is during the citizen comment time. The City of Alachua has two of those. One near the front of the commission meeting and one at the end.

No, the rules don’t apply to Charlie Grapski. Other citizens wait – Mr. Grapski stands up and shouts. In fact, he was shouting so loud that he never heard the Mayor ask the Chief of Police to dis-invite him from the meeting. On blog postings during the last two days, Mr. Grapski insisted that the Mayor never asked to have him arrested or removed from the meeting. The video tells a different story. They Mayor didn’t ask to have him arrested, but she certainly asked for him to leave the meeting.

Once again, Mr. Grapski only proves that he believes that he knows what is best, and that his ends, justify his means as he shows his utter contempt for the rights of others.

The video of this embarrassing scene is available at http://www.alachuatoday.com.



Posted by SJ

What Did I Miss Along the Way?

The following letter has been sent by Clovis Watson to the editors of the various local newspapers and was submitted to us.

----------------------------

What Did I Miss Along the Way?

Growing up in the housing projects in Alachua (Merrillwood), where shoes and three meals a day were not guaranteed. Mother worked cleaning houses and hotels; Father worked two full-time jobs. At the earliest possible opportunity, we moved from dependence to self-sufficiency.

For more than 30 years, I have continued to improve my life with hard work, drive and desire.

Now I am portrayed as a lackey and a fraud because of success and always doing the right thing.

What did I miss?

Spend more than 20 years in service to the City of Alachua, always with progressively more responsible duties, collecting awards and citations instead of complaints and charges.

But in four years, branded as a toady, an election thief and one who lines his pockets at the expense of the public.

What did I miss?

Guided the City during those four years from uncertainty, strife and fiscal chaos to our present efficient and fiscally sound position, with major corporations willing to shoulder an increasing percentage of the taxes.

But now I learn that this was only for my benefit, and done only because of my lifelong desire to ruin the City and the environment for the fun of it.

What did I miss?

Yes, my office is decorated with numerous awards and plaques of appreciation for the ceaseless work I have done on behalf of others, and I am justifiably proud.

But, now I learn from the press, the internet and the loose lips of my detractors that I am actually illiterate, can’t speak, live to step and fetch for the Man, and take 100% credit for the work of others while contributing zero.

What did I miss?

For every positive step I take, there are dozens of feet willing to trip me—the ALA, the Green Party, NUBA, the lunatic fringe of what was once a great party, individuals willing to prostitute the truth and their principles for political and monetary gain.

I spent my life achieving on my own efforts, not at the expense of others, as these people are doing.

What did I miss?

The answer to my own questions is: I missed NOTHING.

Those who are incapable of advancing their ideas through popular acceptance have taken the low and sinister road.

Those who will not recognize their rejection by the majority must necessarily find an excuse for their failure—anything other than themselves or their ideas must be at fault.

Character assassination, blatant lies, sly and damaging innuendo, volume over substance—these are all the tools of the ineffectual loser, and you can see it on display in many venues.

--“Unbiased” news stories presenting one side of the news with as much distortion and conjecture as hard facts.

--Anonymous posters and bloggers, lashing out in puerile anger from the fetid, dark dens they favor over
the light of day.

--Self-serving, megalomaniacal political candidates who stake their future on the wanton destruction of
everything positive, for they have scant offerings themselves.

--Activists who arrogate to themselves the mantle of truth and infallibility, while slipping a stiletto between the
ribs of the groups they profess to champion.

So many more that the mind numbs with exhaustion in an attempt to discern a logic to their actions where there is none.

Not a shred of decency or compassion can be seen in their words and their deeds. Because the self-anointed “saviors” have such “purity” in their vision, they have decreed that the mundane strictures of law, civility and ethics must not apply to them, lest it fetter them in their holy quest.

Preposterous!

In their actions;

In their words;

In their assumptions;

In the very way they treat us, the normal people.

Preposterous!

We, who do not share their lofty, elitist plane, will, as always, rely on the common sense of the majority and the force of the law.

Both of which will be coming into play much sooner than they want or expect.

No, I don’t think I missed a thing.

Submitted by Clovis Watson

To Be Unburdened

To be unburdened of ethics and honesty must be a very empowering thing when debating your adversaries. In his quest to lead the ALA against supposed corruption, Mr. Grapski has, indeed, completely freed himself from the bounds of decency and honesty. In Mr. Grapski’s theoretical world, he knows what is best, and, therefore, the ends justify the means.

Let’s look at a couple of specific examples:

The first one is just classic! Mr. Grapski claims that the Republican Executive Committee is out to get “compromising information” on him. Last week, on the www.howardempowered.com blog, Charlie wrote:

The other night I was informed that the Republican Executive Committee was "out to get me" - and indeed a friend came to me to tell me he had been approached by an REC member - seeking for him to assist getting "compromising information" on me.

I am sure that making statements like that does wonders for Mr. Grapski’s persecution complex, but it simply isn’t true. Actually, we will leave the goon-squad tactics to Mr. Grapski. Witness his attempting to intimidate Republican volunteers by posting pictures and profiles of them and their family members on his far-left, liberal website.

By the way, that is a good picture, Mildred. Isn’t that you and Rusty at the Governor’s Christmas Party?

Another great example of Grapski’s leave of absence from the truth is his claim that the Republican Executive Committee claimed to be coordinating some event with the NAACP. Nothing we sent out claimed any such thing, but that didn’t matter to Mr. Grapski. The Republican Party had nothing to do with coordinating that event. It is being coordinated by others, but we intended to be there to show our support for Mayor Jean Calderwood and Clovis Watson and the economic development, job-creation policies taking hold in Alachua. Fortunately, for us, Mr. Grapski posted our email right next to his interpretation of it, and they weren’t even remotely similar. The people who were fooled by Mr. Grapski, have now been un-fooled.

It is our understanding that the event has been postponed, again, in an effort to coordinate several groups. We will keep our ears open, and when they do have it, the Republicans will be there to show our support for the job and economic opportunity creating policies that the ALA and their current leader, Charlie Grapski, despise so much.

But, what is this really all about for Charlie Grapski and the ALA. Is it really about corruption? Their words to their local audience say, “yes”, but their words to their out-of-town, liberal audience says something completely different. In an “article” (really a one-sided manifesto) at the liberal Raw Story opinion-journalism site, Charlie Grapski had this to say.

There is another dimension to what’s happening in Alachua County. The County of Alachua is one of the two Democratic voting areas in Florida; the rest of the state has gone Republican. The Republican Party has taken over the City of Alachua and basically opened it up for drive-through development. There are all kinds of land deals where these city officials and cronies are benefiting by development of land, including Rod Smith. We’re talking a Wal-Mart distribution center, a Wal-Mart super-center and a Home Depot…They can’t get these developed in Alachua County so they absolutely have control over some of these small towns. They are just opening doors for unrestrained growth and development – multi-millions of dollars changing hands.

So now we see another example of how Charlie Grapski has unburdened himself from the truth. He is telling his local audience one thing, all the while getting support for his anti-job policies by telling his liberal friends across the country something else.

I really like the part about the Republican Party having taken over the City of Alachua. Hasn’t somebody told Charlie that there are four Democrats and one Republican on the Alachua City Commission? Has somebody neglected to tell Charlie Grapski and the ALA that there are more registered Democrats in the City of Alachua than registered Republicans?

Maybe the Democrats just aren’t Charlie Grapski’s kind of Democrats.

Maybe Charlie Grapski is becoming the standard model of the Alachua County Democrat.

From the amount of email that we are receiving from Democrats (and Republicans) supporting what we are doing here, and the number of people that keep standing up at Alachua City Commission meetings supporting the Commission and Clovis Watson, I would suggest that a lot of other people think so, too.


Posted by SJ

Grapski / ALA Intimidate Republican Volunteer - Make Personal Information Available

Charlie Grapski has adopted a tactic of intimidation. He has, personally, placed on his website a profile of a Republican volunteer, including her contact information simply because she was helping to arrange volunteers to support Alachua's Republican Mayor.

Mr. Grapski, do the honest and ethical thing and stop this intimidating tactic and remove the volunteer's personal information from your site.

Stafford Jones

More ALA / Grapski Lies

At both the ALA and Alachua Project sites, new lies have been put out that the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee is conspiring to bring the Democratic Black Caucus and the NAACP.

Let's be very clear. The Republican Executive Committee, in no way, has anything to do with that group coming here. We did not arrange it, did not coordinate it and have had no contact with anybody from the other group, but we have made the decision to be there, at the same time, to support the pro-job policies of Mayor Calderwood and the City of Alachua.

Economic opportunity and job creation are the basis of our Rescue Alachua County Program, and we, as Republicans, will continue to push these ideals at every opportunity.

Mr. Grapski continues to be an unethical and dishonest participant in the political processes in Alachua County Florida.

Posted by SJ

Dismissed (and Dissed) - The ALA Lawsuit

For two and a half years, the ALA dragged the City of Alachua through a lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice. The excuse being used today by ALA supporters is that lawsuit was never heard on its merits, but was dismissed by the judge because of a technical error by a sick attorney.

The dismissal documents and that the suit was dismissed with prejudice suggests otherwise. In his dismissal documents, Judge Roundtree took the plantiffs and their attorney to task for baseless and willful delay. In the summary of his decision (item 17), the judge said:

17. Throughout this litigation, Plaintiffs and their counsel have shown no regard for the rules of civil procedure, orders of this court or the impact their actions have on the litigants or the judicial administration of this case and the other cases this court is required to administer. Plaintiffs have engaged in a pattern of delay, obstruction, and disregard for orders of the court. This case has already exceeded the Supreme Court time guidelines and there is not yet a good complaint filed. This court is convinced that if Defendants had not filed their joint motion to dismiss because Plaintiffs failed to timely file a fourth amended complaint, Plaintiffs would not have filed it in an effort to further delay this litigation.

The ALA then appealed the case. The appeals court upheld Judge Roundtree's decision.

The entire PDF dismissal document can be found by clicking here. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view it.


Posted by SJ

Charles Grapski, Attorney At Large

Charles Grapski is a proud man. You could say that he is an elitist because he wants to be a modern day Emile Zola. For those who don’t know, Zola was a French novelist who brought down the corrupt French government ( a redundant statement) back in 1898. He wrote an article entitled “J’Accuse”, where he spelled out in detail the corruption in the French government. Both Zola and Grapski claim to be for the little man battling a corrupt government except that Mr. Grapski hasn’t spelled out any corruption, just accusations without proof. Mr. Grapski wants to defend democracy and citizens rights in their dealings with city hall. I support that and I will get back to that in a minute.

Mr. Grapski plans to go to law school. He puts that on his web page of accomplishments, www.homepage.mac.com/cgrapski/, right next to his PhD candidacies at the University College London, England and U of Fl. As best as I can tell from his web page, at the age of 40, he hasn’t managed to finish either of these.

Mr. Grapski has decided that he will reform Alachua city government single handedly (along with Michael Canney, Co-Chairman of the Alachua Green Party and the ALA). Toward that goal he helped Eileen McCoy file a lawsuit against the Canvassing Board and the individuals on that Board that has yet to be served on the named parties. Unfortunately he filed it three days too late and he paid the filing fees with a NSF check Not a good start for his legal battles against corruption in Alachua. If this were a horse race we would say that he stumbled coming out of the gate.

He immediately followed that by getting arrested for secretly recording private conversations in private offices in city hall, a third degree felony. He has repeatedly stated that he knows the law and he hasn’t violated it. He even said that he would continue to record people he considers public officials and the video shown on the High Springs Herald web site shows that he kept his word. Will more arrests be coming? Seems so. In baseball we call that “strike two”.

Next he DEMANDED that he was privy to sensitive information concerning absentee ballots as described by Florida Statues because he was a candidate in another election , “As I am a candidate in a contested election-I am entitled to this document under Chapter 102 as well as 119”. An opinion from the Florida Department of State disagreed saying, “this person would not be allowed to review the confidential information that the City gathered pursuant to statue 101.62(3)”. In baseball this would be “strike three”.

Finally a good attorney fights for his clients, in this case the ALA. Mr. Grapski claims that City Manager Clovis Watson illegally holds two or more jobs and is unqualified to hold any of them,

” Frankly, and let's be honest, Clovis Watson is UNQUALIFIED for the job (actually many jobs) he currently occupies. He certainly ought not to be a police officer - let alone the City's TOP police officer. But putting aside that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for him to occupy that office AS WELL as another (City Manager) - he has NO QUALIFICATIONS whatsoever to be City Manager. And yet he is probably the HIGHEST PAID City Manager in the state of Florida. QUESTION: HOW CAN THAT BE?”

What he fails to understand is that Mr. Watson is an innocent victim, one of those Mr. Grapski claims to defend. Why is Mr. Watson a victim? Because he isn’t the party that caused this supposed illegality. Who gave him the job that Grapski feels he isn’t qualified to hold? That party has to be the commission when it gave him the titles, if you are to follow Mr. Grapski’s logic. It was Commissioner Robbins who made the motion and Commissioner Rothseiden who seconded the motion to accept Watson’s contract and make him Police Commissioner. They were proud to have him as their City Manager. They were falling all over themselves praising him and his qualifications. We will report on their comments soon. Remember these are the same “clients” that Grapski “represents”, so to speak, the ALA. So where does the real corruption lie. Who is working behind the scenes, out of the Sunshine, usurping the democratic process and thwarting the will of the citizens. This is where I support Grapski’s efforts as I was one of those who was asking these commissioners for a proper city manager search for new candidates. One with those same qualities that Mr. Grapski says are lacking. My and the other citizen’s requests fell on deaf ears. Why?

Mr. Grapski says he has proof of corruption in city hall but has not produced any to date. I want to give him some to place in his file. I hope he goes after these individuals as aggressively as he has my wife and myself. But then he wouldn’t be a very good attorney by turning in his own clients.

Let the record show my “proof” of corruption in city hall. Let the public record show who really was thwarting the citizens for their own political gains. To wit:

“I was referred to in another post as "miss perfect", never make a mistake. Yes I did make one big mistake while a commissioner. That was stooping to the GOB's way of governing while appointing Mr. Watson to the postion of city manager, especially the agenda removing the title of "interim" from his title. He campaigned relentlessly for that position. He showed up on my door step with candidate Kosman and her husband (editor’s note- Paul Rothseiden) to assure me that he could do the job that Jarboe could not. He was at my house numerous times during his "campaign". He was after his positon for some time. It was no surprise when Watson was appointed to the interim postion, that myself and 2 other commissioners knew it was going to happen all along. This was a real example of GOB back room dealings, and prearranged voting. What a disgusting way to do the public business. When the public stated that things were being rushed, they were right. When the public requested another professional study be done, at no cost: They were right. Watson promised things would be different, and he supported doing the right thing. I have regretted that action many times, and still do. For that, I owe the public an appology. Steam-rolling issues for "secret" interests is a slimey way to operate. I truely hope that the dirt will someday wear away from my hands. It felt wrong when it was happening, and it always will be”. Ex-Commissioner Tamara Robbins

Mr. Grapski sees himself as Emile Zola and a first rate attorney. I see him as Don Quixote, the comic character tilting at windmills.


Posted by Bud Calderwood

Model City?

Part of Charlie Grapski's pitch while asking for people to support his legal defense fund is that I said that Alachua is a "model city."

That is, simply, not true. I am not sure what city is a model city. Every city has its problems, but Alachua has the potential to be a model in our county for policies that drive job creation and good wages. That is what was said. If Mr. Grapski had spent some time listening instead of arguing, he would have gotten that message.

For the Republican Executive Committee, this debate is about job creation, wages and diversifying the tax base.

Once again, it all boils down to the same debate about what kind and how much economic development we are going to have.

Unfortunately, the debate has shifted from discrediting policies, to using accusations of corruption to discredit people as an end-around on the policies, themselves.

In the debate about dual office holding, Mr. Grapski has laid out his case for why more than one title could be a problem for the city manager, but he continues to hold it up as an example of corruption and to completely ignore the approval of then Commissioners Robbins and Rothseiden when that arrangement was approved by the Alachua City Commission. In fact, current and then Commissioner Lewis opposed the hiring, at the time, but he is being associated with the supposed corruption reflected in the city manager's contract.

This isn't about corruption. It is about discrediting people as an end-around to their policies.


Posted by SJ

An Open Challenge To Charles Grapski

Charles Grapski has openingly called my wife and myself corrupt and profiting from our service to our community. He says that we will be arrested. He offers no proof of these allegations. If we lived two hundred years ago I would challenge him to a duel at twenty paces for this slander to settle this outrageous insult to our characters. Since we are more civilized now I will challenge him to a duel of FACTS. He claims to have proof positive to back his talk. To that I say, bring it on. Prove that either one of us has taken even one penny from anyone or any business associated with the City.

Mr. Grapski is an outsider to our community and obviously has been given bad information. He challenges me to prove a negative. I will give him a positive to refute. He claims that I was James Lewis’ campaign manager. This is false. I was his Treasurer for which I received no compensation. On the other hand, his opponent Lewis Irby did have a paid campaign consultant.

I make my living as a veterinarian. I do not now nor have I ever owned any stock in any company that does any business with the City or business in the city. My wife earns her living as a state employee and Mayor of our beautiful city. My wife does not now nor has she ever owned any stock. We own one rental unit which we bought from my wife’s son.

The citizens of our Good Life Community know of our voluntary services. We have both been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for our services to many organizations like NUBA in their fund raising efforts, The Military Support Group of Alachua County, the Recreation Department, LDR and Comprehensive Plan Committees, Clean Up Days, Planning and Zoning Committee, Police Pension Board, Past President of the Alachua Women’s Club, Past Presidents of the Chamber, Chamber Sportsfest Committee, Chairs of the local Christmas Parade, Citizens Advisory Task Force, Greater Alachua Transportation Task Force, Countywide Visioning Committee, Mebane SAC, Drug Prevention Council, NCF Regional Economic Development Council, fund raising efforts for the youth sports programs to name but a few organizations. We have also donated money and hundreds of volunteer hours to a multitude of community projects.

Let the citizens be alert to these false allegations of corruption and profiteering. They should consider the character of someone who bares false witness against good citizens for their own agenda. Mr. Grapski, stop lying about our character. If you have any proof positive then present it publicly for all to see.


Posted by Bud Calderwood

More on Grapski's Goof

Mr. Grapski continues to distort the state constitution for the purpose of building his own grand conspiracy, but he does so by publishing only selected fact. For instance, he did not publish the half of the consitutional provison that clearly does not define an "officer" as a hired employee.

"(b) Each state and county officer, before entering upon the duties of the office, shall give bond as required by law, and shall swear or affirm:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the state; and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of (title of office) on which I am now about to enter. So help me God.", and thereafter shall devote personal attention to the duties of the office, and continue in office until a successor qualifies. "

"(c) The powers, duties, compensation and method of payment of state and county officers shall be fixed by law."

In addition, in the Attorney General's opinion, he recognized that government employees, especially in small towns, often hold more than one job. In fact, the Attorney General listed specific exceptions, including sworn police officers also made state attorney investigators because they weren't being paid (Vinales v. State).

Mr. Grapski goes on to incorrectly state:

"It is also clear from the City's Charter that there are specific duties, sharing in the sovereign power, allocated to each of the offices of "Police Commissioner" and "City Manager".

This is factually incorrect. The city charter (link here) does not define any specific duties for a police commissioner, nor does it mention the position or the police department, at all. It is nothing more than a made up title granted, without pay, and approved by commissioners that were also affiliated with the ALA.

That brings us back to the most important point of the whole issue. Mr. Grapski holds this up as an example of corruption in the City of Alachua. Especially given the two commissioners that motioned and seconded the approval of the contract. If they are wrong, then they are wrong, but there is no evidence that this is an example of corruption.

Posted by SJ

Grapski's Goof

One of the threads in the fabric of the Great Alachua Conspriacy Theory (a.k.a. Da Alachua Code) is that the city is in violation of the state constitution because the city manager holds more than one title. In fact, this has been the basis of one of Charlie Grapski's recent attacks. On his own blog, he had this to say about it.

"For those who are wondering about "dual office holding" - as in the case of Clovis Watson (occupying the following FOUR offices: City Manager, City Clerk, City Police Commissioner and Sworn Officer) - in which holding of both the City Manager and the Police Commissioner positions, simultaneously, are CLEARLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL - see the Florida Constitution:"

"SECTION 5. Public officers.-- (a) No person holding any office of emolument under any foreign government, or civil office of emolument under the United States or any other state, shall hold any office of honor or of emolument under the government of this state. No person shall hold at the same time more than one office under the government of the state and the counties and municipalities therein, except that a notary public or military officer may hold another office, and any officer may be a member of a constitution revision commission, taxation and budget reform commission, constitutional convention, or statutory body having only advisory powers. "

"Clovis Watson clearly holds his positions IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA'S CONSTITUTION. (See the recent decision of the City of Castelberry to make their Police Chief the INTERIM City Commissioner. They had to reverse that decision - on the basis that it is unconstitutional to hold both positions)."

Grapski's goof is that in his example, both positions referenced are constitutional positions.

In the City of Alachua, however, the City Manager is designated in the charter as the City Clerk. so that isn't an issue. Grapski's real complaint, however, is with the dual role of City Manager / Police Commissioner. This was also addressed in the dismissed suit filed against the city by the ALA.

The current city manager holds only one constitional position and gets paid only one salary for that position. That position is City Manager. In fact, Police Commissioner is not a constitutional position. It was a title made up by the city commission, at the time of Watson's hiring to allow him to keep the retirement benefits that he had accrued over the 20 years that he was a police officer. In fact, the motion to accept the contract was made by a commissioner that is affiliated of the ALA and seconded by another commissioner, also affiliated with the ALA.

An August, 2002 Alachua Post article reported:

"At the August 19, 2002 Alachua City Commission meeting, Manager Clovis Watson, Jr. received a unanimous vote of approval for a contract with the City of Alachua, securing a 5 year agreement. In the negotiated contract Watson will receive an annual salary of $80,000, moving expenses not to exceed $5,000, a one year severance clause was included and he will have language inserted into the contract that will allow him to retain retirement benefits accumulated over the past twenty years as a police officer. A provision was also included in the contract to compensate Watson for accrued sick leave and vacation at either the end or the termination of the contract. Commissioner Robbins asked to have language in the contract changed to connect salary increases to a job performance evaluation. . .The motion to accept the contract was made by Commissioner Robbins with a second by Commissioner Dianna Kosman-Rothseiden. The vote was 5/0 to approve the contract. "

Interesting that ALA affiliated commissioners approved the contract, but after they were voted out of office by the citizens of Alachua, the ALA sued over this. That suit was dismissed with prejudice.

In a future post, we will make the judge's complete ruling, dismissing the ALA lawsuit available.

Posted by SJ

Charlie Grapski’s Line in the Sand

Charles Grapski makes some very disingenuous statements on his blog(link here) trying to convince Republicans in Alachua County that he has their best interest in mind. He says ,” Apologies to the many registered Republicans who do not share the Alachua County Republican Party's and the Republican Executive Committee's enthusiasm and support for Mr. Calderwood's approach and tactics and the actual conduct of government business and politics in the City of Alachua”. Reading that you would believe(sic) that Mr. Grapski was the epitome of graciousness and sympathy. Nothing could be further from the truth. He throws up a classic case of smoke and mirrors to his true agenda.

Let us look at the time line for this war of words between Grapski, Commissioner Byerly, the ALA and the rest of the world including the Republican Party. On May 6, 2006 Mr. Grapski had this to say when he is talking to his Far Left colleagues :

“Folks, I am not exaggerating when I say that this was a stolen election in Florida. And this has national significance - and particularly for the Democrats and their presidential aspirations.We all know how Florida's election was, well, manipulated in 2000. But it has not stopped - and Florida, above all, needs to be reformed.Florida is one of the key electoral college states - being one of the largest. And Alachua County is one of the two remaining Democratic strong-holds in the state. However - the Republicans (and locally the developers - who are often Democrats nationally but vote Republican locally) are engaged in a very strategic effort to try and find a way to take over Alachua County for themselves.And the City of Alachua has a key strategic element in this. They are in control of that city. Literally in control - there is no semblance of legitimacy or democracy - it is run by a cabal of individuals and they use it effectively as their private plantation (indeed one of their new housing developments - and they have a large number that have now been "approved" is called "Plantation Oaks" - aptly named)”.

Now I, as a Republican, was both amused and dismayed by these comments. His spread of this quote to all the Far Left blogs like MoveOn.org and his appeal for $10,000 for his legal fund should have the average Democrat asking if he isn’t really a Green Party candidate since he has aligned himself with Michael Canney, Co-Chairman of the Alachua Green Party. All Republicans in the county should take notice of Mr. Grapski’s ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth. He has declared war on the city of Alachua and all Republicans.

Don’t be fooled by his ability to breeze into town, talk loud to gather a crowd and try to sell his snake oil to the masses. Like the snake oil salesmen of the past you only get a product that stinks and leaves a bitter after taste.

Posted by Bud Calderwood

Mike's Mistake

Mke Byerly recently wrote a letter to the editor of the High Springs Herald claiming that the minutes of the canvassing board (for the recent Alachua city elections) had not been made available to the general public.

In his letter, Mr. Byerly says:

"The recorded minutes of the meeting at which the votes were counted have been approved, apparently unseen, by the Alachua City Commission, yet remarkably remain unavailable to the citizens of Alachua."

"Why all the secrecy?"

"Mayor Calderwood, please obey both the letter and the spirit of the law. Respect your own citizens, even the ones you don’t happen to like or agree with. Release the public records."

This is simply one more weak thread in the grand conspiracy theories being weaved together by those associated with the ALA.

Mr. Byerly seems unaware that the minutes to the canvassing board were made available on the City's website, at the public library and in commission packets distributed at Alachua City Hall several days prior to the meeting at which the minutes were approved. They were certainly available for anyone that went to city hall and asked, but instead of contacting Mayor Calderwood and asking if the minutes were available, Mr. Byerly simply attacked the Mayor.

Just in case Mr. Byerly still needs it, following is the link to canvassing board minutes for the Spring, 2006 elections in the City of Alachua.

http://alachua.govoffice2.com/vertical/Sites/{18876D5B-08E9-47AC-B418-696C11E6B6CE}/uploads/{1C98268A-A8BB-4BDD-BDF2-A4014BDBF479}.PDF


Posted by SJ