Gerrymandering?

Local Morning Radio Entertainment Host Andrew Tallman Mckay still doesn't know what Gerrymandering actually is...........Neither does Steve Stroberger, Mike Kohler, and/or their sycophantics...

Based upon Thursday's ridiculous spectacle of a meeting engineered by Mike Kohler's office secretary Steve Stroberger---a new "attack" they are attempting to level at me is that I have "Gerrymandered" my district.

He (Stroberger) is actually unhappy that the rushed 2021 process resulted in him being districted out of District 2.  

But that's the way it shook out, that's what happened.  It wasn't Gerrymandering though.

That fiction was disabused the last time it rearead it's ugly head on local radio fraud Andrew "Tallman" McKay's garbage morning show.  Read all about that here.

But here are the cliff's notes.  And, the context is important, too, Tallman, Stroberger, Kohler, and Conrad.  Pay close attention.

I wanted to wait, I did NOT want to rush redistricting in 2021, that is on the record and it is clear. Rather --I wanted to wait until 2023 in order to attempt to undertake the process without rushing and to do it right.  Doug Underhill demanded it be rushed and done in 2021.  He received support in that from the rest of the board--- so I reluctantly got to work and was able to pull it all together and work to get D1's part done..(Counties are statutorily prohibited from undertaking redistricting in even numbered years)

But make no mistake:  I voiced early and often, publicly, privately, on the radio, at workshops and BCC meetings-----that  I wanted to take back Perdido Key in the process (the 2001 boundaries) and  also I'd have to GIVE away precincts I had won in every election.   In doing so, I'd be taking  on precincts that Doug Underhill won.  That's not Gerrymandering, geniuses Steve and Tallman.  Do some basic research before you open your mouths with that garbage.

Gerrymandering = artificially manipulating a district for maximum political advantage.

NOT Gerrymandering = giving away precincts I had won in the previous 5 elections...

From my 2021 post on this topic--for your further edification:

"Apparently, at least one radio host locally is really unhappy with the D1 elected officials'  (Me, Kevin Adams, and Vicki Campbell) proposed re-districted map.  I've discussed this proposed map with each of them--my peer D1 elected officials--- on multiple occasions, and they are supportive of the draft map we completed on 10-5-2021.

In fact, in the week since the meeting I haven't received any negative constituent communications on the proposed new D1 map.  I've received positive feedback from several.  Most seem generally agreeable to the draft map.

But at least one lone radio host is not, though.

Andrew "Tallman" McKay, who has increasingly displayed a weird sort of soft-spot for Commissioner Doug Underhill, is apparently now attempting to gin up opposition (that does not currently exist) to the draft district map generated at the first joint meeting between the BCC and School Board early last week.  He, McKay, apparently doesn't like the maps. all the precincts we are giving back to D2 in our proposed map (61, 99, and 75) are precincts I carried by large margins in each of my last contested elections.  Look it up.  In addition to that, I'm taking a precinct where Doug won a slim majority in his last election and where I am not popular due to the fact I supported opening Beach Access #4.

If it was "Gerrymandering" (which it isn't, by the way) I would be looking to offload precincts where I lost or where I did not do well and looking to pick up where my enemies did poorly.  Think.

I'm not doing that.

So before anyone insinuates I'm "Gerrymandering" McKay, (or Tallman, or whatever his name is), the office intern, the secretary, the water shouldering Underhill sycophants, anyone---they  should look it up and figure out what it means before lapping-up and swallowing ridiculous insinuations not based in fact..."

Adding the Missing Pieces to the Puzzle for Context

Here's the context and the missing puzzle pieces to Thursday's  political stunt that turned what should have been a congenial, Christmas themed final BCC meeting of the year  into one of the worst spectacles any of us have seen in decades on a public dais.

Since the absolutely cringeworthy disaster of a BCC meeting last Thursday "happened"--I have been inundated with well wishes and curious questions from friends, supporters, and family alike--the jist of which has been "What the heck was that all about."  

The public is genuinely puzzled by that embarrasing, unprofessional, rustic, inartful, and utterly bush-league display at public forum and subsequently at the commissioner's forum at the follow-on regular meeting.  In answering an intelligent, reasoned comment to an earlier blog post--I felt it might be instructive to put a stand-alone post up with my answer to that poster's comment and request for the basis for that attack----in order to add some real, factual context that today's front-page hit piece conveniently left out.  

And to add the missing pieces to the puzzle.

Thursday's meeting spectacle was a calculated, coordinated hit on me by one commissioner, his secretary (who's currently running a shadow campaign for my seat), and one citizen (who himself is a rabid acolyte of disgraced formercounty commissioner Doug Underhill and ally of Stroberger and Kohler). 

Three people.  

Out of 340,000 citizens in Escambia County.  

Ho hum. 

Meanwhile the D2 commissioner, Mike Kohler, is very well aware (as is most of the 4th floor) that County Employee Steve Stroberger is running for my seat,  because Steve Stroberger himself (Kohler's Secretary) has widely made it known he intends to run against me for the D1 commission seat; he's been making the rounds on the fourth floor, he's asked attorneys in the County Attorney's office if he "really has to resign to sign up to run against Jeff Bergosh", to which he was told, "Yes."  I'm also told Stroberger has made inquiries of local campaign check writers downtown about their level of potential support for his candidacy, to which I'm told he received a tepid, flaccid response.  

I've heard anecdotally Stroberger had a lunch in the IPC with Clerk of the Court Pam Childers who was encouraging Steve to run against me.  "You can do it, Steve!" was the flavor I'm told.  Good for him!  He should immediately sign up and run against me.  I welcome that!

So yes, he's currently making feeble attempts at running a shadow campaign for D1 commissioner--Encouraged, condoned, and with complete support from his boss "Pious" Mike Kohler.  Perhaps Kohler should demand an investigation of that?? Last time I checked---- you must register at the SOE's office to start fundraising and campaigning for office?  I wonder if the new "paragon of virtue," "Pious" Mike Kohler will be so discriminating, demanding, and hypercritical about what's happening in his own office currently?  Probably not.  

Meanwhile, "Pious" Mike speaks for himself only, not for the board, with his outrageous, embarrassing spectacle of a "demand" for an investigation.  

One administrative employee said to me, after that spectacle, that he was personally embarrassed for the county and had never seen such a disgusting stunt pulled in a public meeting by a sitting board member or a board employee in decades.  Decades.   Others have expressed the same disgust. 

So here are the FACTS that are the missing "puzzle pieces":  

First off:  D2 Secretary Steve Stroberger speaks for himself only, not for the county and not for the Republican Executive Committee or the Republican Party--when for his personal political expediency only he blabbers and stammers at the podium with outlandish allegations which are baseless followed by calls for my removal from office.  It's all an attempt at a political hit, designed to gin up a hatchet piece in the PNJ which they knew would follow, to potentially score a right cross to my face politically, metaphorically speaking, in the court of public opinion.  (Interesting only PNJ did a piece on this, no WEAR story as of today, no NorthEscambia story,  and No Rick's Blog story.  It seems to me these other, legitimate local news sources--- by their not covering this mess--- are telling the PNJ, overtly, "Quiet, the adults are talking")

So it's an orchestrated attack by Kohler, Stroberger, one citizen and the PNJ.  Nothing more.   

That's what this is, was, and will probably be up until August 20th.  So be it.  

Meanwhile, I continue to find it fascinating that suddenly "pious" Mike Kohler (Has a ring to it, "Pious"

One Way Communications are NOT a Meeting Out of the Sunshine

Lots of ignorance on display at last night's meeting to foment ill-will on the board and to create chaos on the fourth floor.

At the center of the circus was District 2 commissioner Mike Kohler and his secretary Steve Stoberger--who both utilized their position(s) to make ominous pronouncements, bloviate on ridiculous conspiracy theories, and level baseless allegations against me to score points politically.

The ultimate goal for them is to see the D2 secretary, Strohberger, elected to D1--where he will have to run against me to make that happen.  

Reminds me of the type of garbage the former D2 Commissioner and his secretary tried to do.  LOL.

Similar to these previous attacks and machinations against me from the former commissioner and the last D2 secretary---- these new ones by the new guys will not be successful either--because at the end of it all I have done nothing illegal--never have and never will.

One citizen, Glen Conrad ( a loyal acolyte of disgraced former commissioner Doug Underhill), also made some salacious, unfounded, and ignorant allegations that were baseless.

At the heart of the targed attack last night was their (Conrad, Kohler, Stroberger) pious "feeling" that an investigation into what they believe to be a sunshine law violation "needs be initiated. " They set aside the fact that all information related to this matter has already been provided to law enforcement as a part of at least two currently ongoing investigations and now two court proceedings, one of which focuses on  the much more serious criminal allegations that protected records were stolen in violation of  Fl Stat. 817.5685.  And news articles and other information was out last week--so folks are aware of what was put in the PNJ article, and the important officials that would investigate any allegations of sunshine law violations already know about what's happening-----Mike, Glen and Steve.

But what Mike, Glen, and Steve need to read is this:  One way communications do not constitute a violation of sunshine or a meeting out of the sunshine.  As I stated at last night's meeting--I've been at this work a while now, and have a plenary understanding of these laws and requirements, unlike Commissioner Kohler who is new and continuously displays this.  

A number of years back I hired a powerhouse Tallahassee firm to provide an opinion on just this topic--one way communications between board members and potentially using an internet website as an intermediary--with controls.  It is legal as long as responses are not solicited back to the sender prior to an in the sunshine meeting and as long as a record of what is sent is maintained as a public record.  From the  opinion I independently solicited, paid for,  and received:

In the case of the PNJ hatchet job that apparently triggered the trio of individuals last night to call for an investigation----the PNJ article itself demonstrates there was no chance the sunshine law was implicated.  They should re-read it S-L-O-W-L-Y. 

There was an admonition NOT to solicit a response, and the record of what was given was maintained.   Moreover--under oath the citizen to whom I was speaking about my redistricting plan said he has not delivered messages between commissioners, and there is no evidence he did so in this case.  Finally,  no response ever came back, no polling was done of board members, and an alternate plan was adopted at the regular, advertised meeting that followed a few days later.

Be upset about what you want, but be careful about making baseless, unfounded, and frankly ignorant accusations about me.  

As I said in the meeting, Mike is a nurse, I am sure he is much more adept than I at inserting catheters, cleaning bed pans, giving patients shots, changing linen, inserting IV's and performing spongebaths.  He's probably very adept at doing these things at doctors' direction. Good, I'm glad that is his specialty (I say this in no way to denigrate him or his profession-----my own daughter is a nurse!) 

However, with respect to local board politics and board dynamics with his action, recent votes, comments, and antics last night----------it appears Mike is tone-deaf and has much to learn about getting consensus on the BCC.  Even last night he ranted over something chastising the board and encouraging us to vote NO!--Then we turned around and without a single word of debate voted to approve the item which was wholly appropriate and necessary.

Mike just doesn't know how to read a room.  He's starting to rack up a lot of these 4-1 and 3-2 losses.

Luckily he and his secretary have a few more years left to learn.  Hopefully they'll get it sorted.

In the meantime, some may not like my responses to this one citizens last night, Kohler, and his secretary Stroberger----so be it.  When someone is trying to stick my head in a political gullotine with pious ignorance, ad hominems, and dubious, unsubstatiated claims--never be surprised if I defend myself aggressively.

In fact, you can count on it.  😃