People are wondering -
Because Largo has come to the aid of the Belleair Police Department which has been reduced by some firings and resignations, observers are exploring the logic that Largo has more officers than it needs.
If two line officers are posted to the neighboring town, does that mean that said personnel are redundant in Largo?
Or does it mean that Largo's administration is willing to short-change its own citizens in terms of police vigilance and protection and financially?
Belleair is not being charged for this gratuitous deed by Largo, but Largo taxpayers in effect are paying in part ipso facto for Bellair's police service.
And - there is a coterie of citizens who wonders if this move shouldn't have passed muster with the Largo City Commission; like get an okay, a green light, a ratification of an unusual move that could prove very controversial.
People are asking -
Does the Largo commission have a policy in regard to citizens comments, a part of the meeting that offers citizens a chance to address the commission on public matters?
According to the new mayor, Pat Gerard, who gagged a citizen in her first full outing in her new job, there was a policy in place. A group representative had to have significant numbers of the group present to claim a 10 minute talk time, she said.
The citizen who came forward disputed this.
On March 29 the e-mail wires were red hot with Largo elected officials scrambling with ideas in order to formulate a citizens comment policy.
Around Here won't take the space here to quote the very interesting words and ideas contained in the messages, but the bottom line is that they all say one thing - there was, in fact, no policy in existence when the mayor enunciated that there was.
You'll be hearing more on this.
(Question: Are e-mail exchanges like that some sort of violation of the Sunshine Law? Sure it's public record but it is done out of sight. . . . Just wondering.)
One aggrieved party is seeking resolution as a matter of ex debito justitia. And he just may get it. Stay tuned.
People are amused -
Once again, "Florida's Best Newspaper" (har har dee har har) has come up totally wrong on an issue and then in the boldest terms harrumphs that it is correct, in a tone that demands that it will not be contradicted, facts to the contrary notwithstanding.
For example, on the action of the completely inept Florida Ethics Commission to find that there was probable cause in the accusation of a conflict of interest regarding then Commissioner Pat Gerard of Largo but that no action would be taken, the Big Paper had a headline that said the miscreant was "cleared."
Totally wrong.
But the once prestigious paper insisted that it never got anything wrong.
Then the BP groaned and gave forth with an editorial in its Largo version on March 29 that was wrong in every aspect of the lengthy screed. Totally wrong from top to bottom. Every single point way off base, terribly wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
(By the way, there is word that said editorial is what set off the hen house on the commission scrambling to come up with those citizen comment ideas.)
The ink stained wretches of the BP, working supposedly under the blessing of the grandees of the Pointy-Headed Institute, have their agendas and will go to any length to promote, propagate, pander and push same. Pity.
Lots of stuff here on Largo, yes. Much happening there, much that brings sadness and a turn to the stomach. As the Bard said, all will out.