By Neil Taylor, owner capmel.com
My efforts have not stopped. I have hit the wall again and again. I’m at 53 emails to the governor since January 2019. The response has been dreadful. Exploring new avenues, the Clearwater mayors race caught my eye. Occasionally you see a candidate that strikes you. I researched it. I studied it. If I help her get there, this woman would be an asset. An ally My plans are to see her elected then set her up with Scott Moore. I’ll still be on the ready to go back into action but I want to see work done by someone who has been a guide for more than 55 years. I want to see a mayor pushing. I want to see results. No question, if I fail yet again and Liz doesn’t get elected, the odds of me selling out and leaving Florida go up. I’m simply tired of watching it be done wrong. As human beings we are beating on this planet. It doesn’t have to be the case. Florida is behind other states. Resource protection just isn’t happening here. Lack of enforcement. Lack of proper decision making. The whole system busted, it is time for someone to step in and make it better. I’ve made myself available to help. No one has taken me up on it.
Vote: March 17, get Liz Drayer in office. Then watch her go. The other candidates, none are eye-catching. Liz is the best option by far. Get to the polls. Cast your vote for Liz. A vote for Liz is a vote for Florida’s future. It is a vote for me. Do it and be glad that you were part of a solution. The voters step up, elect someone like this, maybe things finally get addressed? It is certainly worth a try.
We haven’t had time to talk it all over yet but I will give her my thoughts on the beach projects, which, in my opinion defy nature and wreck our ecosystem. They are failures on top of that.
Her contact info is at the bottom. Everything that follows is from her web site. Read it and be impressed like I was. Most importantly: Vote for her. Nature’s Voice in City Government. If it was up to me, I’d have her as governor instead of mayor.
After baseball, so many people wanted me to go into politics. I refused, became a fishing guide and never looked back. I didn’t want that particular job. But the way things go and the only way to get certain things done, I’ll dabble a little. If I can have this ally, I might finally get things done that I have been trying to get done for years.
THE SEA TURTLE PROMISE
To
speak
for nature.
To make
ethical decisions
free of self-dealing.
To
never waste
taxpayer funds.
Who is Elizabeth “Sea Turtle” Drayer?
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from George Washington University. For the last 22 years she has lived in Clearwater, raising two daughters with her husband Michael. Her legal experience includes work for government, industry and nonprofits. Elizabeth has served on city boards and chaired nonprofit committees, volunteered in schools and for many charities. A lifelong musician, she’s entertained at nursing homes, community and education events.
Why is Elizabeth running for mayor?
Decades of advocacy convinced her that current laws can’t halt the planet’s decline. Red tide and algae pollute the water and harm our health. Pesticides turn up in breast milk and the cereal we feed our kids. Whales wash up dead and bloated with plastic, bird and butterfly numbers are plummeting. Still we keep paving the beaches and cutting down trees, driving out wildlife that call these places home. The planet’s in crisis but government sticks its head in the sand. A mayor who represents nature will make a powerful statement that Clearwater wants to turn things around.
What is Elizabeth’s plan for Clearwater?
A voice for the voiceless, Elizabeth will speak for nature: the air, water, plants and wildlife that sustain us. This means fewer plastics, pesticides, concrete on the beach. It means more green business, native plants and trees, and renewable energy. It’s always cheaper to prevent pollution than to clean it up! Elizabeth’s goal is to designate one council seat for a guardian of ecosystems, ensuring nature has a permanent voice in city decisions. Other plans include an impact fee on new development to fund the purchase of land to be turned back to nature, protected bike lanes, and more power for the Environmental Advisory Board. When council decisions don’t impact nature, Elizabeth will use her legal knowledge and good judgment to ensure fair and frugal solutions.
How can I help Elizabeth?
She doesn’t take money, but loves volunteers. Please give her a call to see how you can help. She’s also glad to speak to groups about her plans for the city, and to listen to residents’ thoughts about how to improve the community.
ELIZABETH ON THE ISSUES
I’m running to represent nature – nature that we’ve ignored for too long. But other issues affect residents and I have positions on all of them.
NEIGHBORHOODS
They’re the backbone of our city and we must provide robust services to all. The council must consider citizens’ views before making decisions. Residents must be informed about plans for development BEFORE they’re a done deal and we’re stuck with them.
SAFETY
Police and firefighters deserve our utmost support – they risk their lives for the community. The pension increases they sacrificed during the financial downturn should be restored.
JOBS
Bring green businesses that make the city cleaner and healthier. Reduce red tape and license fees that hamstring small business growth. Look beyond downtown to corridors like Drew Street and US 19 to grow new business. Invest in opportunity zones and establish a Community Redevelopment Area in North Greenwood. Connect businesses with city programs that can help them thrive.
HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness downtown persists and is spreading. Current services aren’t helping those fighting addiction and mental illness. Investigate funding a shelter and staffing it with professionals that can connect residents with needed services.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
We’ve built some, but we need more. Too many who work in the city can’t afford to live here. To make it happen — establish trust funds, reserve a portion of apartment buildings for workforce housing, give tax credits to employers who provide housing assistance to workers.
FIXING DOWNTOWN
Expand Coachman Park and lease the perimeter for retail, restaurants and residences. This can rev up businesses and give residents a place to go. Say NO to multimillion dollar add-ons that voters never approved, like the oversized amphitheater that will operate in the red. Charge vacancy fees when storefronts remain empty too long.
FIXING THE BEACH
End coastal construction and restore natural buffers to sea level rise. Increasing beach density was a huge mistake that ignored science — now citizens will have to pay.
ENDORSED BY:
Sierra
Club
(Suncoast Chapter)
National Organization for Women – Florida PAC
State and Local Environmental Leaders
edrayer@tampabay.rr.com seaturtleformayor
- The Neil Blog… - July 26, 2023
- The Catfish - July 26, 2023
- update - July 22, 2023
