To the editor:

There are apparently some who think that a “recall election” is a do over “for people who don’t like the results of the last regular election” and state “The public safety unions are angry about reductions in pay and benefits and about a bonus awarded to the city manager.”

While I personally do not favor a recall election, I do not agree that a recall is seeded only within the public safety unions. On the contrary, I believe that the court of public opinion is upset with the council majority and this city manager in general who have constantly painted our city, our employees, past councils, and administrations in a negative image. With all of the unfounded negativity and accusations from some of the current leaders, we should ask ourselves what this is doing to our city when it comes to desirability as a place where one would want to come and live or open a business?

The thinking goes: “The mayor and his allies sought office on a clear agenda, calling for reducing the size and cost of city government in the face of shrinking revenues. The people who opposed that agenda lost.” These people must have amnesia since in the last election there were four candidates who ran for office who were tied to Mr. King’s Road Ahead Gang. Two of them (Sullivan and Leetz) won and two (Martin and Cataldi) lost. The other two candidates who won in that election where McClain and McGrail, who ran independently, not on the Road Ahead agenda. It sounds like the people broke even and did not lose that election. Voters clearly did not support all the Road Ahead candidates and their agenda.

Clearly a balance of power on city council was upset not as a result of the last election, but rather as a result of Eric Grill’s removal. Mr. Kuehn, who contributed to Sullivan’s election, tipped the balance after his appointment by Road Ahead Gang members on council. Without Grill’s exit and Kuehn’s appointment, the Road Ahead agenda would have been a dead end road.

Wally ILczyszyn

President IUPAT / Local 2301

General Employees

Cape Coral