Commissioner will face first opponent in a while

Commissioner will face first opponent in a while

By Jeremy Wallace

Published: Monday, October 26, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, October 26, 2009 at 12:12 a.m.

Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson will not go unchallenged in her bid for a fourth term.

Republican Mark Smith, an architect from Siesta Key, announced he will challenge Patterson for the Republican nomination in 2010.

Smith calls Patterson a "career commissioner" who has been too restrictive toward growth. As an architect whose business is tied to the construction industry, Smith said he can offer voters a more business-oriented approach.

"The business community and construction industry are dissatisfied," Smith said. "It's time for a change."

Patterson, first elected in 1998, has not been challenged for re-election in either of her last two campaigns for the District 4 seat.

Patterson announced earlier this fall she would run for re-election to District 4, which includes all of Siesta Key, plus a stretch of Sarasota County between Bee Ridge and Clark Roads. Commissioners must reside within their district but are elected countywide.

Patterson said she will tout the county commission's response to the economic crisis, which has included reducing the property tax rate and increasing the county's reserves.

"Unlike many communities, Sarasota has been able to retain excellent services without raising tax rates and without reducing Sarasota's high quality

of life," Patterson said.

Golden kickoff

The Rev. James T. Golden, a Democrat, is ready to get his campaign for Congress rolling after a self-imposed three months of silence.

The former Bradenton City Council member said he has kept a low profile so far, refusing to talk to the media, because he felt he needed more time to get the nuts and bolts of his campaign set up.

"I will begin campaigning on Nov. 5," Golden said in an interview last week.

Golden said he plans a formal kickoff ceremony on Nov. 5 to get his campaign in gear.

Golden is challenging U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, in the 13th Congressional District, which includes all of Sarasota County and most of Manatee County.

Not a joke

Have you heard the one where the reverend, a rabbi and Sarasota City Commissioner Kelly Kirschner all go to Washington together?

No, it's not part of a joke. It was part of a public relations push last week by a group advocating for legislation to curb global climate change.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy wanted to use the "diverse group" to speak to members of Congress to show there is a broad range of concerns about global climate change.

Kirschner, a Democrat, was joined on the trip by the Rev. Warren Clark of Tampa, Rabbi David Weizman of Clearwater, and Wayne Gideons, president of the bioenergy company Yaroke USA.

Kirschner, whose one-day trip was paid for by the nonprofit group, said the group met with area members of the Florida delegation to stress how important the issue is for different reasons.

"This is critically important to coastal communities," Kirschner said in a telephone interview from Washington.

But Kirschner said the group also stressed their opposition to plans to include expanded oil drilling in the climate change legislation. Some members of the U.S. Senate are pushing to combine the issues to pick up votes for the climate bill.

"That is not a poison pill anyone is willing to swallow," Kirschner said.

The discussion takes a local turn this week when Susan Glickman, a consultant for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, comes to Sarasota to address local Democrats about national energy policy. Glickman speaks at noon at the Sarasota County Democratic Headquarters, 7358 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information, call 330-9400.

Area political events

Today. The League of Women Voters hosts a discussion on smart growth and urban planning at 11:30 a.m. at Colonial Oaks Park, Colonial Oaks Boulevard. Reservations are required and can be made by e-mailing lwvsc@verizon.net or calling 921-9778. The cost for the box lunch is $12. To learn more, visit www.lwv-sarasota-fl.org.

Tuesday. The Democratic Women's Club meets at 7 p.m. at the Sarasota Democratic Party Headquarters, 7358 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

• The Republican Club of South Sarasota meets at 7 p.m. to hear a debate about offshore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting will be at the Holiday House, 455 S. Tamiami Trail. The event is free but closed to Democrats.