Leslie Campione Sean Parks
Lake County is Open for Business
Yesterday’s election in Lake County was a dramatic victory for every hard working man and woman in the county, and it will mark a time in which common sense came back to Tavares. The election of Leslie Campione, Sean Parks, Jim Miller, and either Todd Howard or Jo Ann Jones will completely change the governing dynamics of the county, and it can best be said this way – Lake County is open for business!
Rejection
The victory of Campione and Parks is even stunning by the absolute rejection of Commissioners Elaine Renick and Linda Stewart’s liberal no-growth/anti-business agenda. Most political observers believed the only way these liberal, environmental zealots could be re-elected is if they split the votes with minor candidates. Although that did happen, the negativity against them was too overwhelming. Over 66% of those who voted cast their ballots against Elaine Renick, and a whopping 72% voted against Linda Stewart. If that’s not a total repudiation of the no-growth/anti-business agenda, then someone is blind to the truth.
The other amazing number is the Republican turnout for an off year, off season election. 32,454, or 37.8%, of those registered to vote cast their ballots in Lake County. That shows working people can be engaged, and will vote, and that this county isn’t driven by the liberal, anti-growth movement. We said it earlier this year, when it comes to jobs and environmental issues – It’s Jobs Stupid! People need work!
Do You Hear the People?
Tuesday’s election sent a lot of messages to our local leaders, and they’d better listen to them:
- The loss by Commissioners Linda Stewart and Elaine Renick is a complete rejection of the anti-growth/anti-business governing position of Lake County. The people want leaders to be fighting for jobs and opportunities in every sector, including housing.
- The Comprehensive Plan, Rural Protection Area, and Elaine Renick’s South Lake Strategic Land Plan were items that Stewart and Renick manipulated through the entire process. Commissioners Stewart and Renick believed common folks wouldn’t understand; on the contrary, they did and they didn’t like it.
- Commissioners Cadwell, Hill, and Conner, you’d better put the brakes on the Comprehensive Plan and allow the new Commission to craft a fair plan. The people are hypersensitive about the property rights of landowners and farmers in the county, and most are sick and tired with government at all levels taking away the rights of the people. In our view, the Comprehensive Plan is the reason why Renick lost the election in South Lake County.
- With 70% of the people rejecting Commissioners Stewart and Renick, the other commissioners need to understand this is a repudiation of all the odious ordinances that have been forced through the last four years. Between now and the new commission taking office, don’t try to cram down any more bright ideas of Stewart and Renick. This is now a very lame duck commission.
- The new commission in November should review and repeal every anti-business ordinance adopted over the last four years. They should start with the Lobbying Ordinance, which requires all lobbyists to register when conducting business with County officials and only serves to deter businesses from talking to Lake County. Open the door for business people and their representatives to come and talk with Lake County on confidential matters.
- The adoption of the budget, which includes tapping $11 million from emergency funds, was bad policy. Each time Commissioner Stewart proudly said she was in favor of tapping those reserves, you could hear the people groan. Cut the darn budget and live within your means like everyone else. The people are tired of reckless spending at all levels. Don’t spend the $11 million.
- Most people now realize that Lake County must embrace business. The county needs an economic plan that works and not just a “green” economic plan. Commissioner Stewart’s campaign was based on this failed plan that she adopted – explain that one.
- The Orlando Sentinel and Lauren Ritchie are on the wrong side and both have worn out their welcome. The truth is that Ritchie tries to be liberally provocative in a very conservative county. Like Howard Stern, for some it’s entertaining until it gets to serious topics. Only a lunatic would advocate and push an agenda of no-growth and anti-business in Lake County during economic times like these. The 72% of voters who rejected Commissioner Stewart is probably the same number that rejects Lauren Ritchie and The Orlando Sentinel. It appears their endorsements actually hurt those candidates. They’re a bankrupt newspaper with outdated, bankrupt ideas.
- Lake County citizens are tired of the spending and corruption at Lake County Schools, and common sense will finally enter the board room in November. We suspect that over the next year the new school board will expose a boatload of “OMGs” when they start digging into the last four years.
- Lake County is a Republican county, and the voters expect Republicans to act as such. RINOs are becoming extinct. If you’re a Republican, you’d better think long and hard before you assign liberal Democrats to key committee leadership positions. The people want honesty – if you’re a Democrat, be loud and proud; don’t masquerade as a conservative Republican.
Whether you like it or not, Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C., through our newsletter and our website, is speaking with and listening to the people and exposing the truth about Lake County. People are craving a different, honest perspective.
No One Controls Us
Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C. doesn’t work for any campaign, nor does any campaign control us. We work for the working people of Lake County. The names of the players don’t matter to us, as long as they’re doing what’s best for the folks who are working hard everyday.
Understand one thing: Leslie Campione and Sean Parks won’t be rubber stamps for our group or business. Both of these candidates have environmental credentials that will have them taking principled stands which are opposite of ours. All we seek from Campione, Parks, and all of the other politicians is a fair shake for working people. There will be times when our group will be crossways with these two, but unlike Commissioners Stewart and Renick they appear that they will listen. We are very hopeful that Parks and Campione will be able to do something which should have been done four years ago – bridge the competing forces in this county together. Local companies, including those in the construction industry, have far more common ground with those who seek to maintain a good quality of life; there’s room for compromise.
The Results
Click Here for Full Election Results
Sean Parks is the next Commissioner for South Lake County. In November, Leslie Campione must defeat NPA candidate Wolfgang Halbig and Democrat Egor Emery to win her seat. Halbig, a former Lake County Safety Officer, was counting on Stewart’s default win because he believed he would win in a one on one campaign. Emery, a bicycle mechanic and liberal no-growth Democrat, can now see the total rejection of his friends, Stewart and Renick. Halbig and Emery must make a decision as to how much money they are willing to invest in a losing campaign, because raising money will be very difficult and Campione is much stronger than anyone expected – she knows how to run a campaign.
Finally
Some have asked us what we’re going to talk about now that Commissioners Renick and Stewart have been ousted. Well, there’s a litany of items that people have been begging us to get involved in, including political shakedowns of vendors for campaign donations, improper relationships, overspending, and abuse of power. Until we get Lake County moving again, our task remains daunting; but, with your help, we will ultimately be successful.
The Right Side of the Lake is a publication by Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C., and subscribing to it is free and you’re welcome to pass it along to everyone on your mailing list.
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I rest my case, Lake County is going to hell…thank GOD I MOVED!
I am SOOO glad that Rennick is gone. She was a Republican in name only..I am a large landowner in her district and would like to do something with my property some day…. Under her it was almost useless, i hope thats going to change!
Mr. Halbig, I must say I’m glad that the mental problem was not available to me. As best I can decipher from your comments, you stand for protecting government jobs and social programs at current or higher levels. I feel these areas need reducing in close proportion to what is available to fund them (taxpayer’s incomes). That is why I’m against lifelong public service employees holding the positions once again. I’m not out to insult you and I would like to discuss our differences in views if you wish to reply with a number or e-mail address.
TO;
NAME TAXED;
You must have a very serious mental problem that could have been available for you if Campione did not shut down the LifeStream proposal when they were trying to open a Mental Health Facility in Umatilla. It would have created over 125 jobs, would have had a 3.7 operating budget and a payroll of 6.3 million dollars. Let me see a lawyer who charges by the hour what is it $200.00 per hour or more and lawyers know how to get out of paying taxes. Let me see public servant and I don’t pay taxes, you get taxed even if you retire. I am willing to donate have of the commissioners salary so one employee from the county offices can be rehired. Maybe if the other four would to the same we now have four more jobs saved. You are absoultely right the Land Developers need big time business and if I recall those Land Devlopers who designed those fancy Community Developement District and ran with the profits leaving the homewoners and board of directors holding the loans. What was it six huge developements are in serious trouble and you are telling me that I don’t understand business. You need mental health and if you are going to attack my 38 years of public service please have the courage to use your name instead of hiding behind NAMED TAXED. This is why Lake County is in trouble.
OMG! Please don’t gloat over the elections too much. As you could tell, you don’t speak for
everyone. I suspect that the old Sour Orange contributes most of the noise for your web site.
Sure sounds like him anyway. And to think that he is still making money supplying material
to all the building that continues in The Villages. As for jobs in Lake, it’s the Economy stupid.
WHOOOOOOO GO EGORE EMERY!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! – Conservative Republican
Mr. Halbig, excuse me for being someone who believes we need commissioners who were not on the taxpayer’s payroll for 38 years regardless of how well they performed. You are not a taxpayer and therefore cannot identify with those who are. When you pay taxes it is merely a reinvestment into the fund that provides your income to begin with. Your job performance could only be evaluated by yourself and peers rather than by competition in the marketplace. We need someone who understands what Lake County businesses need in order to compete in the marketplace. We don’t need someone who worked 38 years for a system built by cronyism and then came out on the short end of the stick from it. Try doing some of your hard work in the private sector while waiving your pension for the next four years and then get back with us about being a commissioner.
I have an idea……why don’t you tell all of us who “we” are and who is behind this website and the Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C., ….since you are so concerned with people being honest!
Your blog is correct we the people need a change. I also thing that it is great that Larry Metz won the District 25 Seat for the Republican party as he we spread the word of the people in Lake,Seminole and Volusia Counties
As usual, you make a lot of assumptions.
What are you going to do now that you won’t have Renick or Stewart to kick around or blame things on any longer?
Excuse me for being someone who believes that 38 years of public service should count for something.
38 years working to help parents and children through public schools.
Being asked by the school superintendent of Lake County to train every school administrator and school staff when a boy was shot and killed at Tavares Middle School causing panic and major confusion should mean ssomething to every paent and student by designing their Emergency Management Plan.
I was not the Lake County School Board Safety Officer, I was hired as the Lake County School Boards Risk Manager in July of 2005 and by June 30, 2009 when I was fired by Susan Moxley for saving this School DIstrict over $20,000,000 million tax payer dollars you must be right I have done absolutely nothing to qualify me to run for County Commissioner,
Cronysim and the old buddy system took a toll on the day we saved those dollars.
Why does someone spent over $110,000 thousnad dollars just to win the primary, is it because she knows that she will be protected by you and your RSOTL information?
An attorney who represent Land Developers with big dollars will represent the affluent not the ordinary citizen that has to pay there bills every month. I did not see those who have children on free and reduced lunch donating at a five hundred dollar clip.
What is she going to do to save tax payer dollars? what is her game plan instead of just saying I am for growth, need jobs, support businesses. protect the enviornment etc. Give us the meat of your campaign. I have NO political consultant at $10,000 dollars a clip to tell them what to say.
I do it from hard work.
Get your facts straight. I have started my campaign and I am hear to win.
Take that to the bank.
wolfgang