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Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White, do the Right Thing, Resign Immediately.

Posted Aug 26, 2009 by Al Mccray

Updated Aug 27, 2009 at 08:26 AM

The verdict is in, guilty as charged. Your sentence, of up to $500,000,  is to be served and paid by the cash strapped Hillsborough county government and by its recession pressed citizens.

___

Mr. Kevin White
___

Mr. White I have three questions to ask you.
1. Have you lost the Moral Authority to Govern?
2. Have you lost the citizen’s confidence to Govern?
3. Do you plan on reimbursing the tax payers of Hillsborough County?

That amount, $ 1/2 mil, equals about 25 laid off entry level county employees? Or 5 senior level departments heads whose jobs are currently on the chopping blocks? Or it’s about 192,000 gallons of gasoline to fuel county vehicles?

It must be very uncomfortable for the other six commissions sitting with you on the commission. They have to figure out what do with that huge tab you have ran up at the tax payers expense. It must be very tough indeed for them. Will anyone of them feel safe to vote with you on any future matters that you might sponser or bring before the commission ???? Will your continued presence on the commission create a distraction and interfer with vital county commission business ???

The verdict last week in Federal Court, and all the associated news and drama in the press, has changed my thinking and outlook about Mr. Kevin White.

For years it seemed like all the articles I read in the media about Mr. White were negative. Article after article after article and scores of others articles were always featuring Mr. Kevin White in the worst possible lime light. I mean some of these stories had me wondering, how much more can Mr. White take? And for years I simply decided not to really take them seriously and to ignore them. I just assumed that the media just had false accusations and a jealous bias and mean streak against Kevin White.

Lately I have not seen in Florida Sentinel Bulletin, an African American newspaper, any stories concerning Mr. White. Like nada, nothing, not a word.

The citizens of District 3, deserves better representation on the Hillsborough County commission. They need someone they can trust and have faith in. The issues of the district are so dire and demanding that their commissioner should not be side tracked by personal matters.  How effective will Mr. White be in bringing home the bacon for his district? He would need a working relationship with at least three of the six remaining commissioners.

I am very doubtful of Mr. White’s ability to properly represent District 3.

I now feel that for the good of Hillsborough County and its citizens, Mr. Kevin White should immediately resign. Allow Governor Charlie Crist to appoint his replacement until his current term expires. A good replace could be Mr. Ken Anthony, a Republican, and his competitor in the 2006 election.

_____

Mr. Ken Anthony

Mr. Anthony is a local business man and is well respected in the community. Mr. Anthony, as of last week told me, he has no plans of seeking that seat in the future. So he would make an ideal person to carry out the duties of that seat of the commission temporarily.

I can’t write this article without reflecting on my own dismal experiences with Mr. White. For the past three years for a variety of reasons, as a private citizen of Hillsborough County, I have contacted his office over 27 times in hopes of seeing him. Mr. White has never called me back, or his staff was unable to grant me an appointment to see Mr. White personally. Over that same time period I ran into him in public twice and brought up the subject of a meeting with him. I would also mention the frustration of trying to see him and the problems of going through his staff. He would always say, “Just call my office and let my staff set up an appointment for you.” I would call and call and call and nothing would ever materialize.

I have abandoned all attempts of ever seeing Mr. White in his county commission office.

My difficulties in seeing Mr. White always left a very bad taste in my mind about the aloofness of Mr. White even as I was ignoring the negative articles in the local media.

I must contrast that experience to my attempts to see the other six Hillsborough County commissioners. When I try to see one of them about a variety of topics, either they would personally call me back in a timely manner or either their staff arranged for an appointment for me to meet the respective commissioner personally.

I was even able to see Mr. Jim Norman in his office. He even returns phone calls. There is no one on the County Commission that I have greater difference of opinions on a host of subjects than Mr. Jim Norman.

I think that when ever any elected or appointed person in government loses their moral authority to govern or lost the confidence of the citizenry, its time for them to leave that post and government service.

Kevin, it’s time to move on to other career opportunities. You are well educated and very well connected.  You would make the transition rather smoothly. You could make payment arrangements on paying that county tab.

To be honest here, even with all the issues facing Mr. White, including my call for his resignation, there is still no one in his district, or on the horizon, to defeat him next year. Well maybe Mr. Joe Redner??

Will “Teflon Kevin” survives this?

Got a comment?  almccray @ aol.com