... I stayed home today to convalesce, and found your site. We have probably never met. I gained a bit of questionable notoriety a couple of years ago by stepping off the new Ringling Bridge's center span... no, I did not want to commit suicide, just tested my personal limits, and performed a minor dare-devil act (and contrary to all public reports, I did not get arrested.)
I have met Mike McNees, not through business, but through a YMCA basketball league. Did you know he use to run a near world-class time in the 400 meters? He impresses me as a 'hang-in-there' type of guy. I've spoken to at least two lower level city employees about him. One said "He doesn't care about us." I also spoke to a street guy, Larry The Painter, who said "McNees enjoys the support of just about all the merchants on Palm Avenue..." It seems to me, that when he first came aboard, he had to deal with the Van Wezel controversy. In the past year, he has faced ample negative publicity... sewer spill on Hudson Bayou, access to city emails, zoning and the acquistion of property in Burns Square, a surprise vote by the city commission on whether to retain him, and editorials about him by Tom Lyons and the Herald-Tribune editorial staff. Why would a man in public service, who didn't grow up in the area, doesn't have a wife or children here, continue to work in such a hostile environment? I don't get it. He must need some type of closure before he transitions.
As to Rod Thomson, I have never met him, but I have corresponded with him. This independent contractor-reporter/minister comes off to me as a real yahoo... I mean he glorified and grossly oversimplified America's intervention into Iraq, portraying President Bush as a hero and liberator, and the Iraqi people as free. He lacks credibility. I wouldn't want to buy a used car from him.
Anyway, I love downtown Sarasota, and I hope your blog becomes a useful means of acquiring and disseminating local information. Maybe some day we can meet.
general feedback
... I stayed home today to convalesce, and found your site. We have probably never met. I gained a bit of questionable notoriety a couple of years ago by stepping off the new Ringling Bridge's center span... no, I did not want to commit suicide, just tested my personal limits, and performed a minor dare-devil act (and contrary to all public reports, I did not get arrested.)
I have met Mike McNees, not through business, but through a YMCA basketball league. Did you know he use to run a near world-class time in the 400 meters? He impresses me as a 'hang-in-there' type of guy. I've spoken to at least two lower level city employees about him. One said "He doesn't care about us." I also spoke to a street guy, Larry The Painter, who said "McNees enjoys the support of just about all the merchants on Palm Avenue..." It seems to me, that when he first came aboard, he had to deal with the Van Wezel controversy. In the past year, he has faced ample negative publicity... sewer spill on Hudson Bayou, access to city emails, zoning and the acquistion of property in Burns Square, a surprise vote by the city commission on whether to retain him, and editorials about him by Tom Lyons and the Herald-Tribune editorial staff. Why would a man in public service, who didn't grow up in the area, doesn't have a wife or children here, continue to work in such a hostile environment? I don't get it. He must need some type of closure before he transitions.
As to Rod Thomson, I have never met him, but I have corresponded with him. This independent contractor-reporter/minister comes off to me as a real yahoo... I mean he glorified and grossly oversimplified America's intervention into Iraq, portraying President Bush as a hero and liberator, and the Iraqi people as free. He lacks credibility. I wouldn't want to buy a used car from him.
Anyway, I love downtown Sarasota, and I hope your blog becomes a useful means of acquiring and disseminating local information. Maybe some day we can meet.
Dave Fraser