Hypocrisy

Hatred for Fiscal Conservatives…..that's what the PNJ Letter to the Editor Hit Piece today is all about......

Ron Melton’s letter to the editor is nothing but a venomous, dishonest ad hominem personal attack.

It’s NOT about hypocrisy.  Melton attempts to demonize me because I’m fiscally conservative and I challenge the status quo.

Here’s the background behind this person's rant:

I’ve tried for years to withhold my portion (1/5) of exorbitantly priced taxpayer funded FSBA “dues”.  FSBA spends too much money on things that are of minimal value, and I am tired of paying their ridiculously high-priced association fees.  So I've been trying for quite awhile to at least have my portion pulled out to save taxpayer dollaars.

Last year I lost, 4-1.

$21,766 was remitted to FSBA from Escambia’s taxpayers for FSBA.  Thank you very much and your're welcome!

Many fiscally conservative school board members like me dislike FSBA’s high prices and remain outraged that FSBA joined liberal unions and interest groups---using taxpayer money---suing the state over school choice scholarships that benefit primarily poor, minority Floridians around the state!

So we played by the rules and built a coalition of School Board Members, Conservatives, Legislators, and others and we went to work to fix this problem.

I've worked diligently over the last 16 months  to change state law so individually elected, conservative board members could “opt-out” of paying FSBA’s “dues”.

Lawmakers just passed HB7029----containing this “opt-out” language. 

So this year I didn’t send my entire portion to FSBA --or any other group— as melton alleges.  I actually directed a sizable portion right back into ECSD’s coffers—saving taxpayer dollars!

And yes, the Florida Coalition of School Board Members, a 501c3 organization I proudly co-founded, exists.  We’re a frugal, tech-savvy resource for Florida’s conservative board members.

FSBA’s taxpayer subsidized monopoly is over.

These facts, and nothing else,  inspired Mr. Melton’s ugly, false, and juvenile diatribe directed against me.