Sep 26·edited Sep 26Liked by Sari Lindroos-Valimaki
Commissioner Kruse did more than just being the only vote for increasing impact fees, he fought hard for raising them to the maximum level. More importantly, he studied the issue and educated the public so we knew we were being screwed by the other board members. It used to be that puppet politicians could justify their corruption by claiming impact fees are passed along to home buyers. Kruse’s efforts to educate - from the dais, at his monthly town halls, on the campaign trail, and by writing multiple detailed substack articles, stopped that bogus lie before it got off the ground.
Yes, the BoCC (with help from the County Attorney) voted not to take advantage of the “extraordinary circumstances” option in setting a fair impact fee rate. But would most of us even know there was such an option without Kruse not only bringing it up, but spelling out the specific statutory requirements to make it happen? He made a persuasive common sense case that, although the rubber stamps were already wet, made it crystal clear to voters that the other commissioners are bought and paid for puppets.
Back in April when Sari first announced, I thought this was just some naive newcomer. But I was really impressed by her answers to the “6 questions for Sari” piece in Marc’s Masferrer’s Bradenton Journal. And I continue to be impressed. Sari showed up at the rallies against developer influence (At the downtown rally, she brought that hilarious image of the guy sneaking away while bear-hugging a potted plant. All the artwork she uses is smart, including in this article) She takes the time to write these thoughtful pieces on substack. She weighs in thoughtfully on social media. She takes the time to get out and talk to the community. A few weeks ago, she reached out to me by phone, genuinely concerned about our County shelter. She asked intelligent, solution-seeking questions. She adores her beautiful rescue mutts - which range from a small chihuahua-type mix to a large, 3-leg shepherd mix. I know from speaking to her that she cares deeply about improving the health and well being of the animals, staff and volunteers at Animal Services.
However, IMO Sari is running against one of the best Commissioners we’ve had in my 38 years as a Manatee County resident. Yes, Kruse made many bad votes in his first two years that I’m sure he’d like back. Kruse voted to fire Cheri Coryea - the mistake that continues to deteriorate our County administration. But even in those first two years, for those of us that watched the meetings, Kruse stood out by making well reasoned arguments. Off the top of his head, he can cite cost per square foot of commercial space, the monthly payment of a 10 year lease at 6.5% interest, annual debt service on a 15 year bond….And since the day he broke with Beruff and Pedicini on the need for housing for teachers, police, healthcare workers etc over two years ago, he has consistently used that talent to lay out the common sense way forward in the public’s best interest.
I admire Sari for making the sacrifice to run for local office. I love that she is making the case that charging a small storm utility fee, allowing the County to receive potentially $millions in federal funding, is the smart way to lower the cost to taxpayers who must pay for repairs and upgrades to aging infrastructure. I especially respect Sari for working so hard as a campaigner - that means a lot. But in this specific race, I think Commissioner Kruse deserves to be re-elected. In the R primary, he set the bar for working hard in a campaign. I know Sari will earn our support in the near future. In just two years we need to replace the other 3 commissioners - we'd be lucky to have a Commissioner like Sari Lindroos-Valimaki.
Thank you so much for your kind words. While I respect Kruse as a worthy opponent, I have to disagree on one critical point. Kruse voted 6-0 to allow county employees to carry guns at work, which I believe is a dangerous decision for our county. This proposal, initially brought up by former Commissioner Satcher, should have been left in the past. Allowing staff to bring guns to the workplace creates a significant liability. We cannot predict whether someone might have an emotional breakdown, and if they are carrying a gun—sanctioned by the commissioners—the county, and ultimately the taxpayers, will be held accountable.
I want to be clear: I’m not against gun ownership. I grew up with guns, and both my husband and daughter have licenses to carry. But in this case, it’s deeply irresponsible for the commissioners to endorse staff carrying guns at work. It’s simply not a common-sense decision.
Commissioner Kruse did more than just being the only vote for increasing impact fees, he fought hard for raising them to the maximum level. More importantly, he studied the issue and educated the public so we knew we were being screwed by the other board members. It used to be that puppet politicians could justify their corruption by claiming impact fees are passed along to home buyers. Kruse’s efforts to educate - from the dais, at his monthly town halls, on the campaign trail, and by writing multiple detailed substack articles, stopped that bogus lie before it got off the ground.
Yes, the BoCC (with help from the County Attorney) voted not to take advantage of the “extraordinary circumstances” option in setting a fair impact fee rate. But would most of us even know there was such an option without Kruse not only bringing it up, but spelling out the specific statutory requirements to make it happen? He made a persuasive common sense case that, although the rubber stamps were already wet, made it crystal clear to voters that the other commissioners are bought and paid for puppets.
Back in April when Sari first announced, I thought this was just some naive newcomer. But I was really impressed by her answers to the “6 questions for Sari” piece in Marc’s Masferrer’s Bradenton Journal. And I continue to be impressed. Sari showed up at the rallies against developer influence (At the downtown rally, she brought that hilarious image of the guy sneaking away while bear-hugging a potted plant. All the artwork she uses is smart, including in this article) She takes the time to write these thoughtful pieces on substack. She weighs in thoughtfully on social media. She takes the time to get out and talk to the community. A few weeks ago, she reached out to me by phone, genuinely concerned about our County shelter. She asked intelligent, solution-seeking questions. She adores her beautiful rescue mutts - which range from a small chihuahua-type mix to a large, 3-leg shepherd mix. I know from speaking to her that she cares deeply about improving the health and well being of the animals, staff and volunteers at Animal Services.
However, IMO Sari is running against one of the best Commissioners we’ve had in my 38 years as a Manatee County resident. Yes, Kruse made many bad votes in his first two years that I’m sure he’d like back. Kruse voted to fire Cheri Coryea - the mistake that continues to deteriorate our County administration. But even in those first two years, for those of us that watched the meetings, Kruse stood out by making well reasoned arguments. Off the top of his head, he can cite cost per square foot of commercial space, the monthly payment of a 10 year lease at 6.5% interest, annual debt service on a 15 year bond….And since the day he broke with Beruff and Pedicini on the need for housing for teachers, police, healthcare workers etc over two years ago, he has consistently used that talent to lay out the common sense way forward in the public’s best interest.
I admire Sari for making the sacrifice to run for local office. I love that she is making the case that charging a small storm utility fee, allowing the County to receive potentially $millions in federal funding, is the smart way to lower the cost to taxpayers who must pay for repairs and upgrades to aging infrastructure. I especially respect Sari for working so hard as a campaigner - that means a lot. But in this specific race, I think Commissioner Kruse deserves to be re-elected. In the R primary, he set the bar for working hard in a campaign. I know Sari will earn our support in the near future. In just two years we need to replace the other 3 commissioners - we'd be lucky to have a Commissioner like Sari Lindroos-Valimaki.
Thank you so much for your kind words. While I respect Kruse as a worthy opponent, I have to disagree on one critical point. Kruse voted 6-0 to allow county employees to carry guns at work, which I believe is a dangerous decision for our county. This proposal, initially brought up by former Commissioner Satcher, should have been left in the past. Allowing staff to bring guns to the workplace creates a significant liability. We cannot predict whether someone might have an emotional breakdown, and if they are carrying a gun—sanctioned by the commissioners—the county, and ultimately the taxpayers, will be held accountable.
I want to be clear: I’m not against gun ownership. I grew up with guns, and both my husband and daughter have licenses to carry. But in this case, it’s deeply irresponsible for the commissioners to endorse staff carrying guns at work. It’s simply not a common-sense decision.