 Let’s talk some today about the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
Not the sheriff. We’ve talked about him enough during the last week. No, I’m referring to the men and women who work for the sheriff. Those in uniform, and those in street clothes. Ones with titles or ranks, others work a 9-to-5 day.  Geez, I almost let the week pass without talking about the Beverly Hills Civic Association forum.
Nearly every local candidate was there. Turnout, not so great. It was a Saturday event on Memorial Day weekend, which may have tempered the crowd size some. More of a meet-the-candidate event than speech-making, it was the first time many of these candidates were in the same room with so many colleagues.  First off, I realize there are other things going on in Citrus County than the political race for sheriff.
And I’ll be getting to those other things real soon. Just not today. I loved how today’s blog started. I just didn’t like the rest of it, and at 8 p.m. it was rewrite time.  Some blogs just write themselves.
This one was inspired over an extraordinary three days last week when Sheriff Mike Prendergast’s re-election chances spiraled into the stratosphere. It wasn’t the County Commission doing him in. Though he does it poorly, Prendergast can handle politics.  It is during graduation week that I often think of my good friend Pat Deutschman.
Pat served on the Citrus County School Board for 16 years, retiring in 2014. She and husband Fred moved from Inverness to Colorado a few years back, and I still miss them. Pat is the only reason I have even the slightest clue how the school district operates.  Now, for some good news.
The three challengers running to replace Sheriff Mike Prendergast — Calvin Adams Jr., Doug Alexander, and Dave Vincent — are locked in. About 100 people attended the Citrus Trump Club 47 town hall Tuesday night to hear from the sheriff’s candidates.  Here’s a fun Wednesday topic: campaign signs.
We tend to have a love/hate relationship with campaign signs. On one hand, they’re essentially litter. On the other hand, I’ve known only one candidate in 30 years to win election to a major office without a slew of campaign signs. There are two basic rules for campaign sign placement that I feel rather strongly about: 1) Keep them off public property; 2) Repeat No. 1.  First thing you need to know is Monday did not go at all as planned.
See, I had the day figured out. Meet with friends first thing, then a Cattle Dog candidate chat in Homosassa, followed by a full afternoon of blogging delight. A phone call interrupted those plans. The Cattle Dog chat was moved to the afternoon. Around 3:30, I realized that my perfectly planned day was kaput and I needed a Plan B.  Here’s what to know about Rep. Ralph Massullo:
My politics and his do not align. That’s not surprising. Massullo totes the GOP company line from the governor on down, he embraces former President Donald Trump, and I cringe every time Ralph mentions “woke” in a speech.  This is what leadership looks like.
Leadership is a man in green uniform standing at the microphone, fumbling over the simplest of questions, and instead finding it easier to simply lash out. Leadership is throwing even your most ardent supporters under the bus to make a point. And that point is: I’m right, you’re wrong. End of discussion. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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