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Something for those who deserve nothing

By ANDREW SKERRITT
Published December 23, 2007

It's a few days before Christmas and expectations run high both for the naughty and nice. Folks never get too old or cynical for presents. But unfortunately, some deserve rebuke rather than reward. It's time for my second annual Empty Stocking awards.

Their gifts under the tree might be all stacked,

Grace and generosity their performance has lacked,

Their actions deserve chastisement not charity

Hence their stocking should remain empty.

Of course, this list isn't exhaustive. If there are other folks you think deserve Empty Stockings, please send me an e-mail.

Dade City Commissioner Camille Hernandez was really impressive when she ran for office in 2006. But after a year in office, the honeymoon was long over. Hernandez earns her Empty Stocking for being one of the most divisive forces in city politics in recent years.

Remember the ill-advised letter to Gov. Charlie Crist calling for an investigation of Dade City Mayor Hutch Brock and former City Manager Harold Sample?

Things got so bad that some of her former supporters even tried to mount a recall campaign to get her tossed. That failed, thankfully, so Hernandez still has time to fulfill some of those promises that made her such an attractive candidate.

John Russell, a former Democratic nominee for the Fifth Congressional district seat, earns an Empty Stocking for his boorish behavior at the state Democratic convention in Orlando this fall. Russell, in case you haven't met him, is the sort of candidate who isn't satisfied until everyone in the room hates him. He succeeds in making the incumbent, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, seem downright lovable.

After a confrontation with party officials in Orlando, the Dade City resident was banned from ever returning to any Disney-owned properties. His response: "I hate Disney."

He would look good in the T-shirt.

Veteran Hernando County School Board member Jim Malcolm has a well-deserved reputation of caring for students and pushing for excellence. He's not typically a panderer. However, Malcolm earns a Empty Stocking award for his Grinch-like vote against salary increases for teachers after earlier seeming to support the deal. It's the eve of an election year, so there was no surprise when board member Sandy Nicholson voted no, but Malcolm?

The final Empty Stocking award is reserved for recently departed Hernando County administrator Gary Kuhl and the Government Gone Wild posse whom he let chase him out of town.

An experienced administrator, Kuhl was hired to steady the reins at a time of budget tightening and falling revenue. But after just 18 months, he quit in the face of mounting public negativity, much of it generated in seminars run by the citizens group that wanted the county to trim taxes and cut spending.

Who's afraid of a bunch of loudmouths?

Andrew Skerritt can be reached at askerritt@sptimes.com 813 909-4602 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4602.

[Last modified December 22, 2007, 20:22:29]