JUST WRIGHT CITRUS
  • Home
  • Just Blogs
  • About

haters can't handle corny citrus

1/11/2022

 
Picture
As loyal Just Wright Citrus readers know, I view county commission email on a regular basis, often picking one commissioner for a week’s worth. 

I was perusing Commissioner Jeff Kinnard’s email from last week and came across the usual assortment of criticisms and praise that commissioners are likely to receive from constituents.

​

It can get a little over the top in the days just before and the day after a contentious issue is heard at a county commission meeting. Last week was the library display deal, which ended when three commissioners – Holly Davis, Ruthie Davis Schlabach and Jeff Kinnard – voted to keep things as they are and not give in to the haters.

So you’d expect those on the losing side to give ‘em the old, “I voted for you but never will again!” speech. There was some of that.

Others went to places I’m not used to seeing.

My God…it’s embarrassing as a Citrus Countian to know residents of this community would write such personal attacks to their elected officials.

How bad? I’m not going to repeat it. Their criticisms of the three commissioners went far beyond a library display. It was deeply personal and attacking. 

Let me put it this way: I never would have allowed anyone to post that about a commissioner on the Just Wright Citrus page. (Better yet, I know you never would have posted it.)

That bad.

Hey, disagree with the vote but let’s bring a little civility here, OK? These commissioners are our neighbors as well as politicians.

It’s as if these people don’t know the county at all.

Aha. And there lies the problem. The haters think this is who we are.

I make it a habit to not read haters’ blogs and newsletters. What they write has nothing to do with me. But people send me stuff and boy it all falls into the same theme: People saying ugly things and demanding action based on some outcry from the community that doesn’t actually exist in real life.

And, from speaking with numerous people, this appears to be somewhat organized. It may resemble clowns in a tiny car on the outside, but apparently this disruption is widespread.

There are people in Citrus County, such as our esteemed email writers, whose apparent focus in life is to create hell for the local government. I don’t mean in a fun way, the way we’ve always given government hell. I mean giving the government HELL at every turn.

Hell to the school board. Hell to the county government. Hell to the supervisor of elections. Hell to everyone who doesn’t support their views on how Citrus County should be run.

You know what they don’t talk about? Bringing groups together. Solving problems. Success. Loving our neighbors. I know that’s corny, but that’s how Citrus County raised me. Isn’t that part of our charm? We embrace corny! 

The haters embrace turmoil. They’re scrambling at the moment with a tactic they believe is working. I highly question that. Maybe in their small but loud circles. The rest of us are going through our days, doing the best we can.

One more thing then I’m done.

County commissioners are big boys and girls who don’t need me coming to their defense. But I know someone who should: Chairman Ron Kitchen Jr.

Kitchen can’t stand this stuff when it’s directed at him. One thing that drove Kitchen crazy during the New York Times debacle occurred when The Washington Post picked up on the story. Suddenly places like Des Moines, Iowa were sending emails to Citrus County commissioners telling them they're backward idiots.

Kitchen isn’t getting the hate email in the library issue because he voted on their side. But he’s the chairman and de facto spokesman for the county commission. Kitchen should stand up on the board’s behalf against this name-calling nonsense, because it has no place in the conversation.

Hey Citrus County: We need to raise the bar of civil discourse. We need to raise it now.
​


Join the discussion on our Facebook page.



Comments are closed.

    Author

    Mike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years.

    Picture
    Mike Bays State Farm Ad - Click to visit!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Kovach Law Ad - Click to visit!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Kinnard Chiropractic Ad - Click to visit!
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021

Home

Today's Blog

About

Just Wright Citrus Logo
 Copyright © 2022
Created by Joshua Brunk and Noah Breder
  • Home
  • Just Blogs
  • About