Journalism fuels the JWC mission

Happy Friday! I had planned a long, grandpa story from my first job to illustrate today’s point. But the blog became a little lengthy as it is, so I decided to just dive right in.

People want to know why I have a grip on the 491 mess. They wonder why I keep pointing out details, while the powers-that-be say I’m making this far more significant than it really is. We’d be in great shakes with our friends and relationships, if not for that nasty blogger.

Why keep it going? What is my motivation?

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 It’s this: I’m a journalist. I’ve been a journalist for a very long time. Writing a blog hasn’t changed that.

Working for Gerry Mulligan taught me to trust, but verify. I learned to hone the skill. While I’ve tried to understand public records laws the best I can, it was always the open meetings part that caught me. Public business belongs in the public. I’ve been rather rabid about it. Ask any local politician in the last 35 years who’s gotten a phone call from me about a Sunshine issue how much fun those conversations are.

I say all that so you know what makes me tick. I’ve had the same approach for three decades. 

With that, I’m going to walk you through exactly how I stumbled upon the 491 mess. And why I could not look away, even if I wanted to.

I struggle every year trying to understand the state budget. Dawn Faherty knows. She’s a veteran legislative aide for Reps. Jimmie T. Smith, Ralph Massullo, and now JJ Grow. She’ll tell ya: Mike can’t figure out the budget. I can never find the Citrus County projects.

I was determined this year to get it right. The House and Senate budgets were released. I found them online and started on the Senate side using search words like “Citrus” and “Crystal River.”

All very innocent. Not looking for anything unusual. 

And then I saw it: $1.5 million in the Senate budget for design of C.R. 491 widening. A flag immediately went up. When did this happen? The board didn’t go for that.

I called a few people. Budget process people. Obviously, I missed something somewhere.

One person said he heard the Tuscany Ranch developer was behind the request. 

He said: “You might want to ask about that.”

(That’s it. That’s my big tip, if anyone wants to know. That’s my starting point.)

Developer requesting state money for a county road project? I had never heard of such a thing. Now I’m awake.

Budget request forms are on the Senate website. I found the one for 491 and went over it very, very carefully. Nothing about Tuscany or Metro Development Group. It looked normal, as if this came straight from the County Commission. 

And then, there it was. At the very bottom of the form. The name of the lobbyist: The Southern Group. Not the county’s lobbyist.

Immediate bells and whistles. Southern Group! Metro Development! Ruthie Schlabach! Her name wasn’t on the form, but she had just started that job, and boy, it sure seemed likely she was involved. At least worth asking the question.

I couldn’t believe it. And I definitely couldn’t unsee it.

I spoke with County Administrator Steve Howard and Chair Rebecca Bays. Both acknowledged they submitted the funding request at the suggestion of Metro’s lobbyist. The company has done this before in other counties, they said. Former Commissioner Schlabach was one of the lobbyists from Southern who spoke with the county.

And each had no answer when I asked — repeatedly — why they had kept all this from the public and even other commissioners. No one was told a thing.

(Anyone who read the prior two paragraphs and believes that’s OK behavior because we were getting money for the county’s biggest road need, I respect your opinion, but vehemently disagree.)

So. To those angry that all this has come out and blaming me for the fallout, I have to ask: What did you expect me to do with all that? How, exactly, was I to soft peddle it? Oh, we’re getting money for a major road project. About time someone rattled the cages. That’s it? That’s the selling point to going behind the public’s back?

It was after the initial report that we learned of the House attestation form that Howard had improperly signed. Then emails that showed the developer’s lobbyist waving dollar signs in the county’s faces as a carrot to go along with this ridiculous scheme.

Most of the community is appalled, as it should be.

And the only reason we’re aware of it today, frankly, is I chose journalism over relationships. This thing has put me in a bad light with certain people. My Cattle Dog calendar has opened up significantly.

I realize it’s not that cut-and-dried. Many chamber members have quietly told me to keep up the good fight. Others think I’ve sold out the county for Facebook clicks.

Look. I’ve been very clear where I am on this right from the start. And equally clear, I’m ready for it to conclude on Tuesday, regardless of what’s done or not done.

But, man, I don’t back down one iota from the truth. Remember, this is the place that warned you about Library Guy. Today, he's merely a gnat to the community. That’s because of Just Wright Citrus readers.

This blog helped to foster relationships that led to Sheriff Dave Vincent, the greatest election result of the last 40 years. Important discussions take place here.

And now this. I haven’t turned radical anti-Citrus County overnight. I’m bringing it up because it’s worthy of community discussion.

Look. The Just Wright Citrus mission is to tell you things you should know and wouldn’t know if I didn’t tell you. The 491 mess fits that mission to a T. Damaging relationships stinks, and it’s going to be uncomfortable occasionally, but I kept on mission.

The same mission that plugs the Chamber of Commerce because it is the true arm of change in this county — EVEN WHILE we disagree on something this significant. The same mission that links Chronicle stories because that’s my hometown paper — EVEN WHILE I question its loyalties. The same mission that dedicates each day to making Citrus County better than the day before. I guess my success depends on your perspective.

That’s a big reason for forming the Inner Circle group. Sure, it’s a hopeful money-maker. I won’t lie there. But I also want to use that closed platform to allow readers to tell ME whether to step on the gas or tap the brakes on any given issue.

The monthly chamber lunch is today and Chair Bays is the guest speaker. She always brings a great talk. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.

Just not from the front row.

Have an incredible weekend, friends.

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