Folks I run into on the street and readers of this blog keep asking me why I haven’t weighed in on the raucous ranting and raving going on all over town about the question of having a so-called Boss Mayor.
I haven’t weighed in because, frankly, I’m a bit under-whelmed with the brouhaha.
I mean, c’mon. Don’t we have bigger fish to fry right now?
I’m amazed at the endless lines of printed word (paper and online) being given over to this subject at a time when our community is collapsing around us. I’d be a helluva lot more interested, not to mention, inspired, if our community was having this boxing match over something a little more critical to our current times — um, like feeding our hungry, keeping people in their homes, or finding jobs — any jobs — for the thousands out of work.
What would impress me, would be if this community cared a little less about having a mayor in a time of crisis down the road, and cared a little bit more about dealing with the crises — multiple that they are — that we’re facing immediately and dangerously, right here, right now, in real time.
I could give a rat’s rear end about the mayor situation during a time like this, when people are giving up their homes and living — sleeping — in their offices, taking showers at the Y, dumping their family pets on the roadsides, going without breakfast, putting their kids to bed without dinner, losing their homes, losing their cars.
Geez. If as much hot wind as is being expectorated by so many on the subject of a weak or strong mayor, was channeled into meaningful energy about pulling our less fortunate citizens up by our collective bootstraps, then that might be something to get all excited about.
Whatever happens with the mayoral vote, our community is dying by degrees. How about editorials about the real state of crisis we’re confronting? How about email campaigns about what to do for the woman I heard about yesterday who has had her car repossessed and is trying to figure out how she can get to her job thirteen miles from her house and not a bus stop in sight for about half of them? How about cute little signage peppering our streets every other house encouraging us to turn around, drive to a store or shelter and buy a meal for someone hungry? How about an engaged debate about what to do with all the empty, atrophying homes and yards and the people leaving our city in droves?
Sarasota has a habit of focusing on little things that don’t matter that much in the here and now, and ignoring the big things that will make or break the lives of its citizens and the viability of its city for years to come.
Strong mayor, weak mayor … yada, yada, yada … it’s not going to matter much if there’s nothing — and no one — left in this city to be mayor over.