 The pressure is overwhelming.
It’s keeping me up at night. I really want to do the right thing, you know? Regardless of my decision, someone will be disappointed. Three-plus years into Just Wright Citrus, and I’m pretty sure this is the most challenging situation yet.  Happy Thursday! Welcome to my Earth Day blog.
Yes, I realize the actual Earth Day was Tuesday. I was a little preoccupied that day, but didn’t want the week to end without a chat about water. Several weeks back, various environmental groups invited media types for a boat tour of King’s Bay. Their point was to show the degradation effects of higher sea levels and runoff on coastal islands, waterways, and seagrasses.  It’s Wednesday, so let’s talk about discipline.
Not the discipline I ignore in my intake of Cattle Dog frozen hot chocolates. No, the discipline that occurs at work. The discipline that many are calling for in wake of the 491 mess.  Time to take a look at the See-Eye-Pea.
You’ll recall (or won’t) me writing about the Capital Improvement Program, or CIP for short. It’s basically a five-year plan for budgeting big-ticket purchases, construction projects, and the like. The County Commission will discuss the CIP at its meeting today. They’ll vote on the final version with the budget in September. Here's the report.  Happy Easter Monday! Have a refreshing weekend? I did, and now we’re raring to go on our new favorite subject.
The 491 mess. That’s what I’m calling it from here on out: the 491 mess. It’s not really an issue, and I don’t think it’s reached scandal stage. Although we could get there if certain people keep pretending it never happened.  An Easter story:
It was shortly after the YMCA opened in Lecanto. Word got around that I couldn't swim. Gerry Mulligan, then the Chronicle Publisher, co-led the community effort to raise over $8 million to build the Y. He was a fervent supporter and always looking for ways to promote it.  Writing today’s blog on my phone Monday during some idle time at Crystal River Fast Lube:
— A business owner friend told me she's already seen a drop in customer traffic due to snowbirds leaving for the summer. Every spring I'm reminded of the northern Michigan sheriff who spent his winters in Polk County. I remember that because my Tampa Tribune job interview in 1987 was for the Polk County bureau.  Happy Monday, friends. This is a good week for me to count my blessings.
That word’s meaning has evolved for me over time. I used to think blessings meant good luck. God’s favor meant I’d be happy all the time, right? Well, we know that’s not the case.  “There ain’t no good guy, there ain’t no bad guy.
There’s only you and me and we just disagree.” — Dave Mason Heard from someone the other day who reminded me of an adage popular among the 12-step crowd: What other people think of me is none of my business.  And then there’s Ruthie.
That would be former Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach, the apparent mastermind behind an ill-fated attempt to get state money for the C.R. 491 widening at the behest of her employer’s client, an influential developer. We couldn’t let this chapter of the C.R. 491 caper end without the Ruthie angle. As a lobbyist, Ruthie used her relationships with former colleagues to wrest a ridiculous $3 million legislative request from Citrus County officials who now say they were misled. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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