Letters to the Editor

+ ‘Smear tactics’ unwelcome
Dear Editor:
It is sad to learn that smear tactics have been introduced into the Longboat Key Town Commission race.

In his comments to the Longboat Observer, Ray Rajewski draws a ludicrous syllogism that because David Brenner was on the board of a casino operator and that because completely unrelated interests are interested in promoting casino legislation in Tallahassee, therefore A plus B must equal Q.

In Mr. Rajewski’s bizarre thinking, casinos are around the corner in Longboat Key. “Don’t rule it out,” he says.

By this logic, because Rajewski had a career in the broadcasting/communications industry and because communications interests are hoping to build a cell tower in Longboat, then we should be suspect of Rajewski’s ultimate plans as well.

This is not the kind of discussion we should be having on Longboat Key and certainly not the manner of debate.

Unfortunately, Mr. Rajewski elected not to participate in a face-to-face candidates forum, choosing to distribute nonsense, such as the above, as well as misstatements about Mr. Brenner’s role in commission matters.

Mr. Brenner was and is a calm, valuable, compromising and wise participant in commission business as opposed to Mr. Rajewski’s characterization of him as a single-minded agenda driver.

How Mr. Rajewski would come to his conclusion is a mystery. If he was actually in attendance at the many, many public hearings in the Key Club matter, it must have been in a parallel universe to the ones the rest of us attended. Further, his attendance at commission meetings and workshops since announcing his candidacy can be measured in minutes.

Mr. Brenner has a record and a vision. Mr. Rajewski, as measured by his current and past communications, has complaints. It would be good to know if there is more to his candidacy than nay-saying, but if he will only hide behind distortions and untruths rather than discuss the issues in an open forum, we will just have to judge him on what we have seen and read.

You’re making it an easy choice, Mr. Rajewski.

(Note: I am a supporter of David Brenner and a member of the Longboat Key Public Interest Committee Board of Directors. I have recused myself from any PIC decisions on candidates.)
Terry Gans
Longboat Key