Respect the citizens and voting results in Tarpon Springs
Letters to the EditorPublished March 13, 2005
Re: Tarpon Springs victor toyed with public trust, editorial, March 10.
Congratulations to Robin Saenger. Your editorial is a pathetic attempt to tarnish her and the citizens of Tarpon Springs who turned out and voted for a local woman who decided to run for this City Commission seat when she learned that Frank DiDonato was running unopposed. This is the underdog, beating the favorite at the wire by a nose. It's Rocky.
What's your problem? You endorsed DiDonato, and the citizens of Tarpon Springs did not. Now it seems that you are upset that your candidate lost. Sour grapes from the editorial board? What are you going to do next? Take your newspaper and go home?
Better yet, print this letter. Support the election results of this small Florida city and the citizens who are working tirelessly to preserve the only town in Pinellas with a river running through it. Cancel my subscription; I need the money to fight Wal-Mart, and I can read Times staff writer Nora Koch on the Internet. What is your relationship with the Ceridian/Wal-Mart property? Care to comment?
-- Bob Mardis, Tarpon Springs
The right person won in Tarpon Springs
Re: Tarpon Springs victor toyed with public trust, editorial, March 10.
I was very surprised to read the editorial, which accuses candidate Robin Saenger of toying with public trust. In reality, the opposite is true: The voters recognized and supported an honest, fresh candidate in Tuesday's election.
How can the St. Petersburg Times be surprised about the nature of politics? Is mailing out last-minute fliers to which her opponent, Frank DiDonato, could not respond toying with the public? Is the editor insinuating that the voters are not intelligent enough to find out which are and which are not facts in Robin's statements?
Campaigns are all about trying to win and outsmart the opponents. Saenger showed that she is intelligent and alert, and that she could beat a candidate with a lot of official backing. The voters were smart to recognize Saenger's genuineness and strong conviction on certain very timely and important issues.
Saenger believes in smart growth. Smart growth does not mean making the town like every other town in America. Smart growth requires originality, and Saenger is an original. Congratulations! I am sure the right person won.
-- Evelien Still, Tarpon Springs
Election results are disappointing
Re: Tarpon Springs victor toyed with public trust, editorial, March 10.
Thank you for your editorial. It is heartwarming to see that the Times recognizes an injustice. You certainly hit the nail on the head when you stated, "Saenger's narrow victory can hardly be called a mandate, and she may soon find that a public official who doesn't have the public's trust has no foundation on which to govern." Please allow me to share my feelings and views about this election as well.
1. I am appalled at the poor voter turnout for this election. A mere 3,000 people cast their ballots in a city with more than 14,000 registered voters. To those who neglected to exercise their constitutional right to vote: Do not complain about the way things will be handled in the city. If you didn't vote, you have no right to complain.
2. The victory for Robin Saenger is not a mandate regarding the Wal-Mart issue. What happened to the 11,000 registered voters who failed to vote? If this were about Wal-Mart, Commissioner David Archie might have lost to challenger Matt King.
3. Frank DiDonato was an excellent commissioner and mayor. I had the honor and privilege to serve with him as a commissioner for many years. He brought professionalism to the position of mayor and represented our city with dignity and honor. He was highly respected in the county and state. He accomplished numerous outstanding achievements for our city during his time in office. How dare Saenger slander his respected name!
Saenger's misleading campaign advertising should be a warning to the residents of Tarpon Springs. If she can intentionally mislead the public during a campaign, what antics will she try during her stint in office? Will I be able to trust her? I doubt it.
-- Cindy Sanner, Tarpon Springs