CapeBlog - News & Views from Cape Coral, Florida

Give It A Rest

2005-04-20T06:04:00.000-05:00

When are some on the "other side" going to get it, that former candidate, Leelo Bush, was NOT - I repeat NOT a Civic Association "puppet"?

As Leelo's husband, I can tell you she has never been and will never be ANYBODY'S puppet. She won't even be MY puppet and I am her husband. (laughing here) When Leelo filed to become a district 1 candidate for council back in July of 2004, she had never met with, conversed, joined or otherwise alligned herself with the Civic Association. Nor was she willing to be a puppet of special interests in Cape Coral. She was truly an independent candidate, only seeking what she felt was best for this city - a fair and just government that truly represented the citizens of Cape Coral.

At the numerous council candidate forums (including the two hosted by the Civic Association), many attendees came to realize the views Leelo espoused for common sense and fairness in government, were similar to theirs and became her supporters. During the course of the campaign, leaders from citizen's groups (Civic included) and the "other side", came to realize the viability of Leelo's platform, candidacy and that she was down-to-earth and honest.

After the primary, when some citizens began more thoroughly checking into candidate backgrounds and records, they found her opponent lacked the integrity they wanted in a city leader.

This led even some hard-line Jeffers supporters (in Civic included) to ultimately jump onto the Bush bandwagon. Could it be, that these people SIMPLY wanted someone without a ciminal record to serve them on council? What a novel idea!

I for one, would have been happy to see her serve on city council, but I am also happy to have my wife back. I am glad that our lives have returned to some form of normalcy. Leelo and I will remain involved in the community. After the election, we came upon a wonderful business opportunity that I may share more about in the future.

For now, I will say congratulations to those who won and kudos to those who devoted the time and resources to run for office. It's never easy to put your life on hold and run for election, but many lives were touched in the process and many new friendships were established.

Now, let's give the campaign rhetoric a rest and commit to stay informed and aware of city matters. We must make our voices heard and we must hold those elected, accountable to the citizens. Too much is at stake to drop the ball now.
Bear

Smoke and Mirrors of Religious Attacks

2005-04-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

During this campaign season, religious attacks of all sorts have come into play with the selection of new city council members.

Councilman Day, running for re-election in district 6, has repeatedly blasted his opponent, Tom Clark for being an atheist. Clark and his supporters maintain that criticisms of religious beliefs have no place in city politics. Mr. Clark has been a dedicated community volunteer and has shown great kindness to residents, without concern for their beliefs.

Lame duck councilman Paul Asfour has berated district 1 candidate Leelo-Dianne Bush for her religious education and of latest, for having the courage to take a stand on character issues and good judgement. Asfour claims that Bush is acting in an un-Christian-like way by pointing out that good character and good judgement are the essence of good leadership.

These attacks arose after candidate Jim Jeffers' November 1st arrest was revealed. When Jeffers was charged recently by the Florida State Attorney's office for a second degree misdemeanor in falsifying an indigence claim, Asfour upped the attacks, accepting a position as Jeffers attorney so that he could further attack Leelo Bush and her campaign with false accusations, which he has continued to levy against her in newspapers and on a Fox-TV news report. This same report depicted a scowling, angry candidate Jeffers trying to escape and hide from TV cameras, while muttering his declaration of innocence. STRANGE behavior for someone who claims to be innocent of charges.

Christians are not called to be doormats to the abusive rhetoric of political tyrany. I am proud of Leelo Bush, for calmly standing on her principles. The bible calls on Christians to stand up for truth and their faith, and that is exactly what Leelo is doing.

"If anyone is looking for me to cover up the wrong-doing of others, they've got the wrong person for that," Leelo Bush said. "I hope the voters see who truly will stand for truth, justice and fairness."

For reference, Jesus, during his "Sermon on the Mount" said "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great..." Matthew 5:10-12, NASB.

It is clear to me Leelo Bush is holding her own in this campaign and that angers desperate Jeffers' supporters. It is also clear by who is standing up for Jeffers, that he is ALREADY beholden to special interests.
Bear

Post Your Election Predictions!

2005-03-30T18:07:00.000-05:00

On this eve before early voting begins through April 5th, I am offering an opportunity for everyone to post their predictions on how the April 5th elections will turn out. You have been out in the community and have heard what your friends, neighbors and relatives are saying. I invite you now, to give your views on who will win their respective races.

Candidates for Mayor: Eric Feichthaler, Incumbent Arnold Kempe
Candidates for District 1: Leelo-Dianne Bush, Jim Jeffers (no incumbent)
Candidates for District 4: Dolores Bertolini, Louis DeJoy (no incumbent)
Candidates for District 6: Tom Clark, Incumbent Tim Day

Jut click on the "COMMENTS" link below the post in this section and tell everyone what you think.
Bear

Stay the Course, Or Change Leadership?

2005-03-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

I sit at city council meetings nearly every Monday night and watch people come up at to tell how dissatisfied they are with the way the city is run.

Some council members don't even listen to the people. Some laugh at them. And some scratch their mikes when they are not pleased with what they hear. One member went as far as to tell the people, "Rule #1 - we make all the rules; Rule #2 - refer to rule number 1."

When we listen to some city council members, everything is great and we should continue with business as usual. If you agree, then keep them. But if you are unhappy with the way things are, then the only solution is to elect new people who can make changes for the better.

But as for me, I don't think things are ok in Cape Coral. A few big spenders on council have increased the city budget at every turn.

These same big spenders support Jim Jeffers and have attacked Leelo Bush with the aid of "certain" media. Not ONE attack on Leelo Bush was legitimate. Even the media, which printed these attacks, finally came forward with the truth.

In my opinion Mr. Jeffers' apology for his disorderly intoxication arrest on November 1st lacked sincerity, especially after originally denying his drunkenness. In the first newspaper report, Jeffers said he was justified in his actions, and now that the heat is on, he is sorry. Exactly what is he sorry for? Committing the offenses he denied... or for getting caught?
Bear

Unethical Use Of Council Position

2005-03-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

I was informed recently by a long-time resident that some years ago when former Mayor Butler tried to endorse candidates, he was stopped and informed it was unethical to use his office as a platform for trying to influence the outcome of elections. In Butler's case, a big deal was made out of this although it was only an endorsement. In Asfour's case, he is not only publicly on the record as endorsing Jeffers, but also has gone on a mud-slinging attack against Jeffers' opponent. Should not Mr. Asfour be held to the same standards as his predecessors in Cape Coral city council?
Feel free to post your thoughts by clicking the comments link below.
Bear

Search For Integrity

2005-03-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

It has been stated innumerable times that the purpose of background checks is to validate academic records and report on criminal backgrounds, not finances.
It is becoming abundantly clear that neither Asfour or Day are staying with the program here.
Asfour in today's letter to the editor to the Breeze, is putting up smoke and mirrors about Jeffers arrest. Day, who works in law enforcement, went on the attack when Jeffers criminal activity was alluded to in a recent debate. Based on their actions it is clear that when it comes to politics, they will support even a criminal, if a criminal is likely to vote in favor of their policies or programs.
(In my book criminal offenses include assaulting a police officer, and disorderly intoxication, regardless of the final disposition of the case, or any leniency shown by a judge. Using profanity and being uncooperative with police, further reinforces the grounds for the arrest.)
Yet Asfour believes it is appropriate to dig up erroneous financial information in a futile attempt to taint his candidate's opponent.
Let's get it straight here. This is all about politics and has nothing to do with integrity.
Your comments as always, are welcome.
Bear

Mayoral Race - General Election

2005-03-13T18:47:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments about mayoral candidates and/or issues in this race. Just click the comments link below in this section, to leave your comment.
Bear

Council Races - General Election

2005-03-13T18:41:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments about any of the council candidates in districts 1, 4 and 6 and/or issues in these races. Just click the comments link below in this section, to leave your comment.
Bear

Is Ignoring Criminal Activity of Candidate Condoning Such Behavior?

2005-03-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

The question I pose to readers today is: When a newspaper does not print an article about the verifiable criminal background of a candidate, should we perceive this as condoning the behavior?
Recent disclosure in the News Press stated, based on police reports, that Jim Jeffers had assaulted a Fort Myers police officer and had been charged with disorderly intoxication, a second degree misdemeanor. Mr. Jeffers replied to this charge, that he had responded "accordingly".
As a former military police officer, I am disturbed and offended that Mr. Jeffers feels that assaulting a police officer is justifiable under ANY circumstances.
Not reporting such an offense, seems an obvious attempt to ignore or hide these actions from the public, because Jeffers remains their candidate of choice.
I was raised to believe that not telling the whole truth, is the same as telling a lie.
The Breeze should report fairly about all candidates, even when such reporting is unflattering to their endorsed candidate, and let the readers decide.
The voters should decide this election, not the newspapers.
Bear

Jeffers Should Withdraw From Race

2005-03-11T06:50:00.000-05:00

Today's News Press gave us a startling revelation about Jim Jeffers, candidate for the District 1 city council race, who was arrested on November 1st (just a little over 4 months ago), for Disorderly Intoxication.
See the News Press story at http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050311/NEWS0101/503110469/1003
Jeffers should have done his own background check, prior to entering the District 1 council race. This candidate, who hails his extensive experience in public service, certainly should know better than to presume there was no arrest record, merely because he pled "no contest". Had he been found not guilty, that would have given his statement some veracity.
Jim Jeffers knew of the arrest, should have been forthcoming with it and evaluated whether or not to run based on the advice of close advisors. No doubt, his supporters and financial contributors now feel deceived and embarrassed for endorsing his candidacy.
And he certainly was not too smart with his replies to the News Press reporter, when he stated that he "knew" he wasn't drunk. Had he admitted he was intoxicated, that would have shown his sincerity in seeking forgiveness. But Jeffers statement that he knew he wasn't drunk, made him sound arrogant and his actions completely inexcusable.
Jim also accused the officers of being agressive and said he responded accordingly. Accordingly? Isn't a law-abiding citizen supposed to cooperate with the police? If we were to follow this line of thinking, then any time someone does not act the way we want, we would have a right to respond in kind! Imagine for a moment, that an angry citizen comes before council with a complaint and Jim, responding "accordingly", flails angry complaints back at the citizen! Based on Jeffers rationale, it would be appropriate.
According the the story, a concerned citizen had tried to keep Jeffers from endangering his own life and the lives of others by driving in his condition, which angered Jeffers and started the confrontation. When the police arrived, Jeffers rebuffed their help by striking one officer and continuing a barrage of profanity.
The story to me, read like an oddball episode from the "Cops" tv show.
Is this the kind of person who should be elected to lead the city? Can Jeffers be trusted to remain calm in stressful situations, that will no doubt arise as issues are hotly debated?
Mr. Jeffers response in the paper, that he intended to stay in the race, is typical in this stage of discovery. But I truly hope that he will come to his senses and realize continuing in the race will only lead to more personal embarassment and disillusion voters.
It is unfortunate that the incident happened. I think the best course for Jim is to withdraw from the race, so that the rest of the campaign season can focus on issues affecting the city of Cape Coral.
Bear

Affordable Housing & Common Sense

2005-03-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

Below is a letter from Leelo-Dianne Bush, who is running for Cape Coral City Council, District 1. Bear

"It surprises me how many are moaning and groaning over the price of homes in Cape Coral. It was not that long ago... a couple years maybe, that residents were thrilled to see the value of their homes increase. The increase in values along with low interest rates, allowed many to refinance, pull equity from their homes and reinvest in other ways. It allowed our residents to make improvements to their existing homes, lower their payments or move up to a bigger, nicer home that better met their needs.
Now suddenly, many are longing for years gone by, where you could purchase a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath pool home for under $100 thousand. Back then, the "good 'ole days" were not really so good.
When I bought my current home, about 10 years ago, it concerned me that if I ever needed to sell it, would I be able to find a buyer... and worse yet, would I have to take a loss in the sale after paying associated seller costs?
Obviously, with higher values, come higher taxes. That is unavoidable, but city council can help substantially, by lowering the millage rate. Although some on council brag they have consistently lowered the millage rate, these have been token decreases and were made possible, not because of more responsible spending practices, but rather by retirement of old city debt. Then, city council decided to take on an additional $100 million of new debt and once again put residents in a strangle-hold with more debt ($11 million of which is for one new municipal charter school).
But let's look at who is really to blame for higher home prices. It is not the city government. It is the real estate market... and bottom line... it is the home buyers. If they were not willing to pay these high prices, the prices would not go up. It all relates to supply and demand. And as our city grows, we need more services and infrastructure for our residents, which can be accomodated by closer monitoring of impact fees.
And it is not the place of city government to mandate developers build more lower cost housing. That would be interfering with our nation's free enterprise system, might be unconstitutional and may create an unfavorable business climate.
In today's Daily Breeze, one of my quotes was taken out of context when I discussed the difference between impact fees in Cape Coral vs. other Southwest Florida communities. I did not mean to infer that we should raise ours because others were higher. Certainly we should only have fees that are a true representation of the financial requirements for our municipal services. But at the same time, council should not be timid about raising impact fees for fear that we would lose new residents to other communities, thus making it more difficult for Cape Coral builders to sell their homes. We can have the best of both worlds.
I believe we need to use wisdom and common sense when determining our fees. We can still keep them lower than other communities, but we can raise them to adequately cover our costs, so that we don't have huge increases in our utility fees for expansion, like council just approved.
I do have a solution to what the city can do, to help make housing more affordable, and it has nothing to do with the actual cost of homes. The city can ensure that their employees are paid adequately for the work they perform. The city can also do more to encourage businesses to bring better paying jobs to Cape Coral.
We need to take a common sense approach to affordable housing. While we can't control the price of land and homes, we can make a tangible difference in wages paid in our area.
Another thing we can do is what many other cities do. The city can enforce rent control for apartments. I would have to study this more, to determine whether I would support rent control, but I just mention it as an option.
It's time we stop talking about what we can't do. We can't turn back the clock and we can't control the price of homes. But we can raise wages and we can bring in better paying jobs. And we need to be patient with the process.
Survival is about re-creating yourself to meet the changing times. And the one thing that will never change, is that things will always change.
Leelo-Dianne Bush
Candidate for Cape Coral City Council
District 1

Primary Election Results

2005-03-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

The voters have spoken and results are in. Below are the top two vote-getters in each primary race, in decending order of votes received. Congratulations to the winners, who will now move on to the general election.

Mayor
Eric Feichthaler
Arnold Kempe

District 1
Jim Jeffers
Leelo-Dianne Bush

District 6
Tim Day
Tom Clark

Please post your comments and tell us your thoughts. Did the results offer you any surprises?
Bear

Exit Poll Results - Post Yours Here!

2005-02-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

If you have taken, are taking or will take an exit poll, please post your results here. Please tell the location of the polling place where you asked exiting voters their choices, and the date and time you took your poll. We want to report your "unofficial" findings as soon as they are available on who is leading in any of the primary races.
Bear

43-Hour Countdown to Primary

2005-02-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

Have you voted yet? I did, at around noon Saturday, thanks to the opportunity to vote early.
Although over 1000 Cape residents have already cast their ballots, this primary is far from over.

There are about 43 hours left until the official opening of the 40-some polling places throughout Cape Coral, for the March 1st primary elections.

A variety of organizations have held candidate forums, handed out donuts and coffee at the Lee County Government Complex and advertised the election. Judging by the signs posted, can anyone possibly have missed this campaign season????

But what have been the most notable sparks? Well, first there was the candidacy of proclaimed atheist, Tom Clark, for the District 6 council seat. Then there was the controversial attempt by one local paper to discredit a legitimate candidate on their front page... and most recently the breaking news story of one mayoral candidate's second mortgage to help finance his own campaign?

Are we to believe that this election should be decided based on who does not believe, who does believe and chooses to educate themself, and who risks their own money to help change our city? Is it really necessary for the news media to CREATE controversy and CREATE issues?

Let's talk about the REAL issues... what factors will decide your vote?
Bear

Let's get the news out - fast

2005-02-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

You may recall that during last fall's presidential campaigns, bloggers were breaking stories before they reached tv, newspaper (traditional media). We found out that syndicated media no longer had a strangle-hold on which news we became informed about. Enter the newly legitimized media outlets - internet blogs!

Blogs are not only tools for us to react to news, but they are the best, fastest way to broadcast news to the public. And this is proof the blog concept works not only on the national level, but right here in Cape Coral.

So check back often for information on local politics and issues. You may well read it here first.
Bear

Ignore It And It Will Go Away - Boycott

2005-02-21T20:18:00.000-05:00

First I would like to thank those of you who have submitted your comments.

This post is a call to boycott Capevine. I think the best way to deal with the vine is to leave it to itself. Capevine is nothing more than poison ivy. Like any vine it can't stand alone and must attach itself to something to rise and stand. If it finds nothing to attach to, it must crawl along in the dirt.
So if we don't read it and we don't talk or write about it, the vine will fall back in the dirt from where it came.
This will be my farewell post on the vine, never to bring it up again. From here forward, I encourage everyone to boycott reading and commenting on Capevine so eventually it will cease to exist.
QUESTION FOR READERS: Should we delete anonymous/unsigned negative postings on Capeblog?

Endorsements - can they be trusted?

2005-02-21T06:54:00.000-05:00

Those among us who stopped paying attention to politics in the 1980s won't care about endorsements, but any who read this blog, no doubt will be informed about the important mayoral and council seats at stake.

Can these endorsements be trusted? And should we allow local newspapers to help us decide? It is critical for all of us to read the candidate views on issues. What are their views on managing growth? Are any merely spokespersons for special interest groups?

We need fresh blood in city council, not more of the same government rhetoric and buzz words. We need people who can go out and make a difference. We need diplomacy and civility among council members. If you take a close look at the fighting in forums, you will know what we can expect in the future.

To comment on your own personal endorsements, just click on the Comments button below and tell us and our readers what you think.
Bear

The Truth Shall Set You Free

2005-02-21T06:41:00.000-05:00

Well, finally... the Daily Breeze printed the truth about council candidate Leelo Bush! After a deliberate political smearing on the front page of the February 12th issue, responses printed in the Letters To The Editor on February 19th .... tell as one noted comentator would say "...the rest of the story."

Not one person wrote to approve of the original story; instead several wrote in defense of Bush, including Leelo Bush, herself. What irks me is that power of the pen, whereby a newspaper can print such a biased story on the front page and relegate the truth to page 5A. Well, that's one local paper's view of fairness.

Below you will find three letters that appeared on February 19th.

Bush to be admired (Daily Breeze, 2/19/05)
I was shocked to see the Daily Breeze pandering political views on the front page of its Feb. 12 issue.
Whenever Christians run for public office, it seems they get scrutinized more than any other candidate and every attempt is made to discredit them. That said, I admire Leelo-Dianne Bush for her candidacy because it takes inner strength and undying convictions to sumit yourself and family to the likelihood of this type of attack.
Usually these attacks come from opponents; in this case, Valarie Harring, the executive editor of the Daily Breeze, should know better than to write and print an article of this nature.
If anyone should be ashamed, it should be this paper, for trying to humiliate Leelo-Dianne Bush, candidate for city council, on the front page, no less, for her religious education and beliefs.
Leelo has been in Cape Coral for a long time and she has worked hard to make our community better. We need to support her because she understands our issues, knows the answers and is willing to act on her convictions.
I am voting for Leelo-Dianne Bush, and pray that all those who support our right to faith, support her.
Elaine Kearns
Cape Coral

Candidate responds to story (Daily Breeze 2/19/05)
I am writing to clarify the details set forth in the article about me that appeared in the February 12 Daily Breeze. In all fairness, it is important that the good and decent people of Cape Coral are able to put this information into perspective.
It is essential for your readers to know that my post-graduate degrees and certification were no more than a by-product of my education, not the purpose of it. There are times when formal education is required for a profession. In this case it wasn’t. Many, if not most life coaches and Christian Counselors work from life experience and biblical knowledge. I just happened to go an extra mile, because I wanted more tools to help others.
Based on the article, should we believe that not having this certification and religious education was better than having it? If I didn’t have it, there would have been no story. But I would also be less equipped to help others.
Some years ago, Breeze executive editor Valarie Harring and publisher Jack Glarrow thought enough of me, my integrity and skills to hire me as a staff reporter for one of the Breeze publications. I left the Breeze voluntarily to pursue a different career path and later returned to publishing and became a competitor. I believe both Valarie and Jack know me better than to cast doubt on my credibility or character. So one might ask: were they having a slow news day?
I feel the headline of the story was misleading, because I am not promoting, nor have I ever mentioned my religious degrees publicly within the context of my candidacy until now, when I feel I must set the record straight.
I did not list the degrees because the entire purpose of my religious education is for my personal spiritual growth and to help others, not for any credentials. I am very grateful to the schools, because now I can make more of an impact on the lives of those who seek my assistance. I don’t understand why anyone would take issue with my desire to learn more to help others.
Due to cost and logistics issues with attending traditional institutions, non-traditional or internet learning has become a viable alternative. Hundreds if not thousands of options exist for students to get their education/degrees in this fashion.
My certification as a Total Life Coach, is offered at $2999 plus travel to Maui, Hawaii if the student opts to take the course on location. Online it was available for under $100. I chose to take this excellent program online.
The degrees from both Urban Harvest and Saint Luke are legitimate because they represent satisfactory completion of a course of studies. I have never claimed these degrees were comparable to any offered at secularly accredited institutions or any other. They are religious degrees and are honored in certain religious circles where I participate.
I cannot speak to Saint Luke’s degree criteria, because I have no control over their policies or any changes. I will say the work I did towards my PhD was far more in-depth and voluminous than what you see required on their website.
I was able to complete my masters in Christian Counseling (Summa Cum Laude) with Urban Harvest in record time, because I worked hard and dedicated all my time and energy to it.
The bible teaches us that as the Lord freely gave, we should also freely give. This is the philosophy of both of these religious schools. It is my philosophy also, as most of the work I do is pro bono or for a small donation.
These schools offer low cost education as a ministry, rather than for financial gain.
Although some have suggested the article appears to be a veiled attempt at Christian bashing, I sincerely want to believe they are wrong. My clarifications within this letter should put this matter to rest, unless the motives of others are less than honorable.
Fortunately the article has solidified my support and rallied my volunteers – and for that I am grateful.
If you have further questions, you may visit my website at http://www.bushforcouncil.com/ or phone me directly
at 239-540-4660.
Leelo-Dianne Bush
Candidate for Cape Coral City Council, District 1

Article was inappropriate (Daily Breeze 2/19/05)
Your Feb. 12 page one article regarding the credentials of Leelo Bush, candidate for city council, would have been more appropriate in the editorial or opinion section of your publication. It was obviously a political smearing of a candidate under the guise of news reporting.
Ms. Bush, to the best of my knowledge, lists only her BA degree from Ohio State University in her campaign literature and website. Her religious affiliations and awards are not on the agenda, nor should they be in this land that rightfully separates the state from the church. There is no attempt to deliberately mislead or deceive the electorate ala Mickey Rosado.
Degrees or certifications of accomplishment offered through the Internet by religious institutions are not unique in today's world. Many accredited colleges, including Edison and FGCU, do the same. Time frame for successful completion can vary, depending upon subject, course materials and designated projects assigned.
Obviously one would not wish to be a patient of an Internet only trained doctor, but what is the criteria for a layman offering reaffirming religious counseling. Please, in the future, respect your readership's intelligence and keep any similar opinionated articles on the op-ed pages!
Dick Schumann
Cape Coral

Early voting begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday this week. The primary results will be made public on the evening of election day, March 1st.

Now it is your turn to decide. Will you let one maverick journalist determine the future leadership of this city, or will the citizens be fairly and wisely represented?
The choice is yours!
Bear

District 6 Council Race

2005-02-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments!

District 4 Council Race

2005-02-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments!

District 1 Council Race

2005-02-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments!

2005 Mayor's Race

2005-02-18T09:27:00.000-05:00

Please post your comments!

Blogging In Your Own Defense

2005-02-18T07:16:00.000-05:00

I have lived in Cape Coral for about two years now and just recently became involved in local politics, reluctantly at first, but none-the-less engangled, inextricably perhaps in making a difference in our community.
What inspired this blog is that my wife is running for city council, and while she is well known in Cape Coral for her work as a publisher, one local newspaper, chose to print an article on the front page, creating a firestorm of controversy over her religious beliefs and education.
Mind you, other media (including our BIG paper) has known of this for months, talked to her and decided it was of absolutely no relevance, consequence or importance.
Further another Cape-based blog, without any personal knowledge about her, slammed her, calling this non-issue "degree-gate". Give me a break! And who the heck is Paco anyway? Obviously someone who does not have the courage to make his identity known. He only touts his own slanderous opinions - as if anyone cares.
There is no degree gate. She merely wanted to gain more knowledge for personal growth and skills to to help others. For her work, she received the acknowledgements of completion. Big deal - and so what?
Since when are someone's religious beliefs and faith-based training relevant to serving in public office? Understandably, if she were out of the mainstream, it may be worth looking at, but we are simply non-denominational, bible-believing Christians.
Despite what critics claim, this attention has done nothing but good for her work and her campaign... so now I say... BRING IT ON!
Nothing has been hidden. It's all there for anyone to see and come to their own conclusions.
While I am happy she is getting all sorts of free press, I am disturbed by the lack of integrity of others.
I am creating CapeBlog, so that the truth may be known. That was my inspiration, but the purpose is much greater and will live on long after the elections are over and campaign signs are removed.
I want to give other candidates, their followers and the public an opportunity to have their views known.
Mind you, I reserve the right to delete any defamatory posts, or those lacking veracity, but my goal is to shed light in the darkness and reveal truth to readers.
So I ask that everyone plays nicely, refrains from vulgarity, and makes good use of this forum.
Bear