Opinion: Buby for Pinellas commissioner

The Pinellas County Commission District 6 race is a repeat of the contest in 2000. John Morroni beat Dave Buby for the newly created seat two years ago, but Buby is back for a rematch. Of the four incumbent commissioners whose terms are up this year, only Morroni drew a credible challenger.

During his two years on the job, Morroni, 47, has been inconsistent, too often taking politically expedient positions rather than making tough choices. He was the only commissioner who voted against this year's county budget, which raised the tax rate on property in the unincorporated area. Morroni claimed to support the budget's goals, including providing more services for county residents and being more fair to city residents, but when it was his turn to vote, he said no.

His explanation was vintage Morroni. He told the Times Editorial Board that when it was his turn to vote, the budget had already gotten support from a majority of commissioners, so he could vote no without preventing the budget from passing. In other words, because his colleagues took the tough but responsible position, it freed him from having to do so. Morroni was also the only commissioner to oppose buying the touch-screen voting machines the county now uses, saying he favored another vendor. As it turned out, the county's machines from Sequoia Voting Systems proved to be the most reliable during the 2002 primary.

There will be other difficult choices ahead for Pinellas County, such as how it can help provide basic medical care for the working poor and relieve the county's hospitals and emergency rooms of the burden. Recently, officials with BayCare Health System made an impassioned plea to the commission to do more for the uninsured. Pinellas spends only $14 per person for that purpose, while Hillsborough spends $88. On that issue, Buby is particularly strong.

A retired doctor, Buby, 64, has not only given the matter much thought, he has also done something about it. As a volunteer, Buby has served on a number of local boards, including the Health and Human Service Board, the Mental Health Coalition of Pinellas County and the County Commission's Social Action Funding Advisory Board. As a commissioner, Buby would be a strong advocate for the medically needy.

We wish Buby had used the past two years to more clearly define a broad platform, but he certainly has shown his community spirit thorough tireless volunteer work. The choice for voters could come down to this: If they want a commissioner who is likely to tackle the tough issues facing the county and spend less time worrying about his political image, their best choice is Buby.

The Times recommends Dave Buby for the Pinellas County Commission District 6 seat.

Latvala on ballot unopposed

Voters might be confused when they see Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala's name on the Nov. 5 ballot. She has no named opponent, only the alternate choice "Write-in." That is because John Skolte, a Dunedin real estate broker, planned to oppose Latvala but failed to qualify. So he chose to be a write-in candidate, which means anyone who wanted to vote for him would have to mechanically write his name on the ballot.

Latvala has been a responsive and responsible commissioner. She works hard and brings compassion to the job. Latvala, who was first elected in 2000, has easily earned another term. The Times recommends that voters choose Susan Latvala for County Commissioner District 4.

Opportunity to reply

The Times offers candidates not recommended by its Editorial Board an opportunity to reply. Candidates should send in their replies no later than 5 p.m. Monday to: Philip Gailey, editor of editorials, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. By e-mail: letters@sptimes.com (no attachments, please). By fax: (727) 893-8675; Replies are limited to 250 words.

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