Yesterday, I attended the Key West Business Guild monthly luncheon. Initially, a gay-founded-and-run organization, it now is more diversified. For example, among others at my table sat Vicki Gordon, our reigning Fantasy Fest Queen, Mayor Craig Cates and his wife Cheryl, Todd German, and State Attorney Dennis Ward and his better half, Mirna.
The guest speaker, Craig got a very warm reception from an audience that interrupted him several times with enthusiastic applause. As I left the luncheon, I told him privately that he seems to have the affection of his constituents, which will come in handy when he has to twist some arms.
After Craig’s “speech,” he opened the floor to questions.
Rev. Joe McMurray said at the Business Guild candidate forum last year, he had asked all of the candidates if they were in favor of mandatory recycling, and all of the candidates had said they were in favor. What was Craig’s position on mandatory recycling now?
Craig said Waste Management’s contract has five years left on it, but there is a 180 day cancellation clause and they are looking at maybe finding another company to handle Key West’s wastes. This brought loud applause. I wished Craig had said he is going to try to get the city recycling ordinance amended to require mandatory separation of wastes across the board (businesses, agencies, private citizens), with stiff penalties for not separating. If we the people don’t separate our waste, it doesn’t matter who our waste handler is.
Someone else asked about making Duval Street a walking all after a certain time of day. Craig seemed to knod of wander around that one. I hope he tries to bring it off. I lived in Boulder, Colorado and saw what a huge success its Pearl Street became for businesses, Boulder residents and its many tourists after it was turned into a walking mall.
Someone else lamented that vagrants are taking over Duval Street, panhandling and harassing passerby and so forth, and what is the city going to do about it? Craig said they are looking into it and trying to allocate the police better.
I raised my hand and got a nod from Craig.
I said the county had the same problem at Higgs Beach, which was resolved by putting a deputy on the ground out there. A lot of young, not so nice looking or behaving young people make their way down to Key West during the cold months, to add to the local problem on Duval Street, which is the center of Key West, its main attraction. If the city puts a police officer on foot on lower Duval Street, the 800 block down to Front Street, walking down one side, up the other, that will take care of the problem. The city has enough police officers to do this, I said.
I sat next to Dennis Ward, who told me of a new state law that requires driver license applicants to present two valid forms of identification. Dennis said this will make it nearly impossible for homeless people to get a driver’s license. He did not seem happy about it. Nor am I. Nor was Father Stephen Braddock, who heads up Florida Outreach Coalition in Key West, in email correspondence Dennis forwarded to me yesterday afternoon.
A lot of attention is being devoted to homelessness nationwide; a lot of money is being spent studying it, trying to figure out the causes and cures. If a homeless person doesn’t have a driver’s license, it’s really hard to get off the homeless rolls.
Before the luncheon, I had called Dennis about an article in yesterday’s Key West Citizen, which reported differences between him and County Commissioner George Neugent over the amount of money gifts county employees should be required to report. Currently, under state law they have to report gifts (in money or other ways, say lunches or dinners) of $100 or more. Dennis wants gifts of $50 or more to be reported. I told him to stick to his guns.
It is true, as the Citizen article reported George Neugent saying, Dennis has no authority to amend state law. It also is true that the County Commission can pass the ordinance Dennis wants it to pass, which is more restrictive than state law. Dennis campaigned on stopping corruption in government. His suggestion is an extension of that campaign.
I see no valid reason for George’s opposition to a lower amount being reported, and I give kudos to County Commissioner Kim Wigington for saying, according to the Citizen article, that she will sponsor the ordinance Dennis has suggested. I hope the other commissioners will back her. Otherwise, I’m going to think they know something they don’t want the rest of us to know. I am going to think they are getting bought a lot of lunches and dinners in fancy places by people whose names and associations they don’t want us to know.
Sloan Bashinsky