I stepped into it now!

I had something planned entirely different for today. I was going to jump back into the sales tax conversation since the agenda item popped up for the public hearing in 2 or so weeks.

But I saw something this morning that stopped me in my tracks and I just shook my head. So I decided to deviate a bit and have that conversation.

First, I will admit what I am doing is hard. It is not easy to call out actions of people that you respect in the community. But change does not happen by doing the easy things.

I know that a lot of people are not happy with me. I know I am ruffling feathers. I know I am likely losing business and people may not choose to hire me for photography because I called out one of their friends or whatever.. doesn't really make sense to me, but their choice.

I have had a number of close friends ask me "Is this going to be worth what this may cost you?".. The answer is a resounding "yes"

So.. the main question... Why am I doing this? I addressed it a few months ago here , but will address it again briefly here.

Prior to my decision to run, I was not really involved in politics, but I paid attention, mostly to national stuff. For a few months before I decided to run, I dove into the local stuff... watched countless hours of BOCC meetings, read minutes, read articles, read budgets.... all the fun stuff. But I never went to meetings, spoke at the podium or none of that.

After I lost (yes, I am a loser), I had conversations with several people on what I should do next. The election fired me up about local stuff. I love doing the research and background information. People asked me to stay involved because I brought up valid points. So I came up with this.

I was going to focus on local issues as those have a greater impact to our daily lives than national stuff that gets the headlines. But then I remembered things I had heard during the election... how many people in this county are involved in back door politics... how its a good ole boy system... and so on.

Then 491 happened. I started to look into that and found the text messages and all of that. That opened my eyes. There really are things happening behind the scenes and now I have proof in the form of text messages. Oh man.. what else is there?

Being very good at research and loving to dive into court cases and all of that, I decided that I would start to out those things based on research I could do.... and away we go.

But I had one rule. I need to protect myself from slander/libel/defamation, so I would only put out something if I had proof of it. No throwing out accusations just to get clicks. This is not TMZ. If I throw out an accusation/story/whatever, there is something to go along with it... text message, email, phone record, etc. Something will be there with it to show I am not just making it up and that I have the proof.

Now, that certainly does not make me the most popular person in the world, especially among those who are becoming the focus. But one thing I have learned in all my time of watching politics from afar is that as soon as someone starts to get close to exposing something, there is a discrediting campaign that begins. People start asking questions or making comments to try to discredit the story or person telling the story. I have seen it with me several times over the last few months, particularly after the diving into the 491 issues.

Well it started again yesterday after I went to the city council meeting and started covering the potential firing of City Manager Audra Curts.

Here are two examples.

You know what this tells me... I am shaking the right trees. This makes me want to dig more and see what else is there. If no one said anything, maybe I get bored and go away. But come out and start to question me and what I am doing... ok game on. I can be that squeaky wheel.

I do not need to do this, but I figured this could lead to a great discussion, so let's talk about this.

The easy one first.

No, I do not live in Crystal River. My office is not in Crystal River city limits, but it is close. So that person is not wrong.

I admitted that to the council at the meeting on Monday. I said that is why I did not feel I had the "right" to say that she should be fired or keep her job. I did not weigh in on that. However, I thought it was fair to point out flaws in the government process to maybe help them fix those things, if they agreed they were issues.

What I brought to their attention is that there is no process for employees to report issues about the city manager that they may be having. Most government entities have a HR policy that covers complaints about the top bosses, whether its commissioners, council members or administrators/managers and so on. Crystal River does not have that policy in place, so who are they to report issues to? Apparently in this issue, they went straight to the mayor and a couple of council members.

Am I overreaching by pointing that out? I do not think so. There have been issues similar in the past and will be issues similar in the future unless it is addressed. Just pointing it out. Listen or don't listen.. that is their choice to make.

As for public records, Florida has very broad public records laws. Anyone can ask for any public record document they want, for whatever reason they want. They do not need to be a resident of the state, county, city in which they are seeking documents. They do not even need to use their name. It can be 100% anonymous. This is government in the sunshine.

So disagree that I do not have the right to public records if I do not live there.

To the 2nd point... This one honestly shocked me. This was from a person whom I spent over 1200 miles in a rental car over 48 hours as we visited a few different states for their child's senior portraits. We had great conversations in that car and I made very clear where I stand on many issues. It was a great trip... But to each their own I guess.

Now, to address this... not that I need to explain, but I can turn this into a positive discussion.

I have been a registered republican my entire adult life.

The stuff I redacted is probably part of the public record, but why make it easy 😄

I have NEVER once changed my party affiliation. I have voted republican in every single election EXCEPT the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. I have been very open and honest as to why. But this does not mean that if you voted for Trump that I dislike you or anything like that. Everyone has their reasons for their vote. Mine was largely on the "we need better candidates" issue. I have friends that are very pro-Trump and others that aren't. All good for me. Be a good person and you can like whoever you want. I have no issues with that at all... and certainly wouldn't avoid their businesses because of those beliefs. That is just silly... but I digress.

Now, with that said, all the other elections on those ballots were republican votes. I am 100% a republican... it just might not look the same as someone else who is also a republican...

Why is that a problem and why is that being questioned? If I do not check every single box as someone else, that means I am not as republican as them? Or that makes me a democrat?

Help me make sense of that.

I said this multiple times during the election and will tell it to everyone when someone questions something...

There is no political candidate on this planet in which you will agree with them on 100% of the issues. If for some reason you find that one person, you are the ONLY person that agrees with them on 100% of the issues.

I also had this question come up a few times during the election as well. "Wait, I thought you were a democrat, why are you running as a republican?"

What could I have done to make people question that? I must have done something for them to think that right?

Debates/Discussions.

You see, I love a good debate... assuming that it stays respectful. I feel that I am very good at it. Give me a topic and give me a side, I can debate it... whether I agree with it or not. If you know me, you know that I tend to do that A LOT on social media, particularly on political issues. So I can certainly see why people would make those assumptions.

But let me explain the why behind it.

If I were to pick a political hero, it would be George Washington. Not just because he was the first, but because of how he navigated the issues and brought people together to shape this country.

He had Thomas Jefferson as his Secretary of State. He had Alexander Hamilton as his Secretary of the Treasury. At the time they were selected, both men didn't really know each other well, but that started to change in the early 1790's and both men started to despise one another. Both had completely different views of how government should work.

Due to this, Washington had a challenge in making government work. For a modern example of what this would look like...

Someone like Joe Manchin is president and has Obama and Trump in his cabinet. And those are the perfect examples. Obama is largely quiet and reserved, like Jefferson was. Trump is aggressive and confrontational, like Hamilton.

Can you imagine trying to navigate that? But Washington did it. He valued both of their opinions and wanted their input. Sometimes he sided with Jefferson. Sometimes it was Hamilton. Sometimes it was neither. But he valued them nonetheless and made it work.

Just because there are differences of opinion, does not mean the country has to be ripped apart. Washington understood that and he despised political factions/parties for that reason. I try to understand that today.

That is why I chime into conversations. Around here, it is largely the republican viewpoint, which again, I am one. I get it. However, that does not mean democrats do not have valid points, but with most social media "discussions", those points are lost and/or ignored.

Often, I will chime in to challenge the popular viewpoint... not because I disagree with it, but because I want people to fully consider the other side. This country needs compromise. If one party runs the show and ignores the other completely, bad things happen. Then when parties switch power, as they will at some point, it flips back... and bad things happen.

That is not growth. Our country was founded by a bunch of different people who had different ideas. They came together as one to form this country. No one got 100% of what they wanted back then. It was impossible. But they realized they can work together to create the greatest country on earth and did just that. They realized there was something bigger at play than their individual opinions.

What happened to that? Media, social media, etc have changed culture to put one side vs the other. I don't blame them. It creates views and views drive revenue. We are hooked to it and they know it. We have become so loyal to party platforms that there is no middle ground to compromise.

Take the government shutdown for instance. The democrats blame the republicans. The republicans blame the democrats. The reality is that they are both equally at fault. Both have dug in their heels and refuse to negotiate with the other. Both sides are so entrenched that their side must prevail that they are willing to hurt the lives of millions of people to make that point.

Help me make sense of that.

That is why I chime in on debates/discussions and present the opposing viewpoint many times. I want to see people at least consider what the other position is. It does not mean they need to agree with it, but at least consider their opinions.

It does not mean that I believe in the argument that I am presenting... I am just providing valid points for discussion... because often times the middle ground is the best ground... as we have seen throughout the history of this country.

One of my unique abilities is that I can argue both sides of any point and do it pretty well. I would have thrived in debate classes if they were a thing in high school (maybe they were and I missed it). I suppose I am now living out that missed past life :)

I am trying to play the George Washington role. I am obviously not him nor do I pretend to be him, but I want to use his approach.

But I do understand how that can create confusion for those that do not understand... but that raises another question... Don't assume things you see.. If you have questions, ask.

That goes for me as well.. Want to know how I really feel about something? Simply ask and I will answer it. But I can 100% understand why someone will think I have that opinion. But I feel it does not help our country or county to simply say the other party is "evil" and simply ignore their thoughts and opinions as if they do not matter.

Remember, our country was founded on overcoming differences. We need to remember that today more than ever.

As for the 2nd part of that comment. Yes, I am now showing up to meetings. Why? Because now I am involved, where I was not before. I have already made positive changes.... text message ordinances... Administrative regulation changes... and so on. I will continue to help make changes.

So yes, it was sudden because the fire was lit during my unsuccessful election campaign just a year ago. But I am there now and not going away. Better get used to it!