LARGO -- George Feaster, a member of the Charte Review Committee, raised the question "how can we overcome apathy?"
Apathy is what plagues Largo. The citizenry does not get involved. That's the problem. The why of it undoubtedly has many reasons.
One possible way to overcome apathy in the city was touched on by the Charter Review Committee August 10, but the idea seemed to fizzle.
What was proposed was to have districts in the city from which members of the commission would be elected.
It's a good idea to spark interest in an otherwise moribund city.
Largo came into being as a trailer park city, adding to the core population of a couple thousand that were here in the first half of the 20th century.
Interstate highways, air conditioning, improved finances of older folks and cheap living sent people in droves to Florida and Largo was a mecca of mobile home sites.
The trouble is, lots of those Yankees never thought of here as home. Home was back up there. Because this was not home most of them never bothered to get involved.
The ones who did were civic minded or wanted to be power figures.
Put the city in an election scheme where commission (it should be called a council, actually, because it does not fit the definition of a commission) members run from districts and there is a good chance people might get interested.
With candidates out in their districts going door to door and showing up at local restaurants, churches, clubs, etc. they would bring government to the grassroots.
By the same token, people in the districts would know the elected official they could directly see to (presumably) get results with a problem.
It would make politics in Largo more exciting. Every portion of the city would be represented, not left out as now is the case. It would bring people back into politics.
The Charter Review Committee has a chance to make Largo a viable city. So far it has shown a membership sadly lacking in the knowledge of how government works, surprisingly low intelligence and a lot of posturing from those who do most of the talking.