Northpinellas: Outspoken Oldsmar official in spotlight

Oldsmar took its first stab at foreign relations when Caruso got former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello to visit the city and Pinellas County last month.

But the trip also generated political heat from critics questioning whether it was appropriate to host Collor, who had faced corruption charges and was impeached.

Caruso also created a stir when he called the Reform Party "a bunch of Nazis" at a recent public meeting, after criticism from a party official. Earlier this month, in a letter to the St. Petersburg Times, Caruso also suggested another critic was a communist.

"That's the type of thing that leads to one-term council members," said Darryl Paulson, a University of South Florida political science professor. "It's pretty apparent that the public believes that citizens have the right to raise issues at public forums. They certainly don't expect their elected officials to accuse them of being communists or Nazis or a member of any other extreme group."

Caruso said his comments were made in the heat of the moment and expressed some regret for his remarks. But he adds that he was mostly just defending himself.

"I was not elected to be bashed on, especially when I'm trying to do something good," Caruso said.

Caruso said he hopes people will stop "nit-picking the small details" and focus on how he is trying to help the county and the city.

"I think that's why I'm so controversial because I'm not the type of guy to sit back and relax," Caruso said. "I have a lot of energy, and I want to use my energy for good. I'm involved in a lot of stuff the average council member is not involved with."

Even Caruso's political allies agree that the political newcomer should have more restraint.

"That's my advice," said Oldsmar Mayor Jerry Beverland, himself known for having made an ill-advised remark or two during his political tenure. "Bite your tongue and think before you say something. I'm the expert on this because if anybody has made those mistakes before, it's been me."

Usually, newcomers on the council tend to avoid the spotlight during the first few months in office. That doesn't seem to be the case with Caruso.

Caruso "certainly hasn't been timid," said former Mayor Jeff Sandler. "Most people when they get elected, for the first few months, they tend to move slowly because they are concerned with appearance. It's interesting to watch him because you never know what he's going to say or do next."

Certainly, Caruso surprised his council colleagues, city officials and about a dozen audience members on Tuesday when he called the Reform Party "a bunch of Nazis." The remark came during a council meeting and followed a Reform Party official's objections to Caruso's efforts to increase trade with Brazil. The party official was not present.

After he said it, Caruso said he needed to get his feelings off his chest. The mayor looked at him and advised: "Don't do it in front of a microphone."

After the meeting, Caruso said he took the comments from the Reform Party official to be anti-immigrant.

Reform Party of Pinellas County chairwoman Janice Miller said she was merely trying to explain her belief that free-trade agreements hurt the American worker.

"I was purely talking about trade," Miller said.

Caruso said he regrets making the Nazi comment.

"I wish I didn't say that word," Caruso said. "But I just felt that she had no clue as to what she was saying."

Caruso has a right to express his opinions, said former Mayor Jerry Provenzano, but elected officials need to be "more judicious" with their words.

"He can say whatever he chooses," Provenzano said. "However, as an elected official, he is fair game for scrutiny and criticism for what he says. I thought his comments were out of line, and he does have a tendency to call people names."

Earlier this month, Caruso exercised that tendency in a letter to the Times.

After Collor's visit in June, the Times published several critical letters from residents. In response, Caruso wrote a letter, published July 5, in support of Collor and criticizing one of the letter writers.

"Therefore be aware that we have in our midst a Communist," Caruso wrote, naming a specific individual. The Times deleted that part of the letter.

Caruso said Thursday that he has never met the person he was accusing and assumed the person is a communist because of what was written in a letter published June 29.

The writer wrote of leaving Brazil after campaigning against Collor years ago. Collor's opponent in 1989 was socialist candidate Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, a member of a Marxist-oriented party.

When told of Caruso's remark last week, the writer was aghast.

"How can he accuse someone like that? That's unbelievable." Later, the writer added: "I am not a communist, and I don't want anyone thinking that." Born in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Caruso has lived in the United States for about 12 years. Caruso, who owns Caruso On Site Auto Care and Towing, has said that his parents are well-known movie and television stars in Brazil.

He hopes to use use his family's connections in Brazil to help spur economic opportunities in Pinellas County and Oldsmar. For example, Caruso says he is working with a Brazilian airline company to create more direct flights to Tampa, bringing more Brazilian tourists to the area, he said.

But any accomplishment may be overshadowed by his statements.

Voters tend to look unfavorably on politicians who display a lack of respect to citizens, said Paulson, the USF professor.

"One can make a good argument that (Caruso's statements) probably do some harm for the city of Oldsmar," Paulson said. "He is certainly a spokesman for the city and he is essentially making character assassinations on residents. There is just no reason for it."

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