When my snarky gets too personal

And then there was Tuesday.

If you expect a blog gloating about the sales tax vote or gearing for that conversation, think again.

Or, if readers expect a congratulations to Commissioner Jeff Kinnard for getting Pirates Cove across the finish line, not today.

---

I need to get personal first.

As readers of this blog, you hold a responsibility to keep me in check. Some readers are pretty good about it. Others only yell at me once in a while.

The reason for this arrangement is lack of structure. The good part about no editor is I can write what I want. The bad part about no editor is who’s gonna stop me from writing something dumb?

Like I did Tuesday.

Before we go too deep, I realize that very much like a politician, I have detractors who see conspiracies in my JWC decisions. Some believe I’m a puppet of the Chamber of Commerce. Others think I’m as anti-business as they come. I get it. Just Wright Citrus has become part of the social fabric of Citrus County, so we’re going to attract that stuff.

You need to know, though, the bottom line is the one I set. People influence me, of course! All sorts of people. But anyone who pays any attention to the blog should notice that I align with causes, not groups.

That’s kinda beside the point.

So, here’s what happened. Tuesday morning, prior to the board meeting, Commissioner Holly Davis provided the county a list of mostly business folks who donated $2,000 each for a study she proposed, to create a land trust to protect conservation/farmland from development. The commissioner’s request for the study was tied, at least loosely, with the sales tax, so this information grabbed my attention. (The list isn't a part of the agenda, so I can't link it.)

I'll tell you what I did, then I’ll tell you where I erred.

I posted some of the names. Nothing wrong there. Then I made a snarky remark that maybe some of these people were trying to curry favor with Commissioner Davis.

That crossed a line.

Those remarks were unnecessary and hurtful. I recognized that as soon as a reader pointed it out. Isn’t it funny how sometimes that’s exactly how it works? Most of those names are significant community business leaders. I just tossed them into a net and questioned their sincerity.

We’re going to be having some very significant conversations about taxes, growth, and politics around here these next 12 months. I need to do my best to make sure that conversation stays out of, well, where I took it. Getting personal helps no one.

I reached out to one of the people on Holly’s list. This is someone I’ve known for quite some time, a great man in the community who is way out in front helping others. He saw Holly’s idea as a way to protect farmland from development. That’s why he donated.

It’s a worthy cause, especially now that it’s separated from the sales tax. I’m grateful for my friend and so many others who are constantly trying to improve this place.

I do not relish removing posts. I think this is the second, maybe third time in four years. I’m good with the call.

— Real quick, the Inverness City Council on Tuesday agreed with City Manager Eric Williams’ suggestion for a Whispering Pines Park community workshop. They’re looking at some time in December. I wrote about Whispering Pines the other day, and I’ll have more in the coming weeks. 

That’s it for today. Have a pleasant one, friends.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Support the blog by subscribing to JWC Inner Circle for 99 cents/month.

Individual donations are appreciated through Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon.