Suwannee Democrat

The Rant & Rave is for those that want to vent about community issues and politics. Some of the comments will be published. Private individuals or businesses are excluded from comments and will not be published. You may email your comments to nf.editorial@gaflnews.com. Or, simply visit our website at www.suwanneedemocrat.com, click on the Rant & Rave tab on the left and submit your thoughts there. You can also call the Rant & Rave hotline at 386-208-8314. You don’t have to give your name. Phone submissions must be no more than one minute long, or exceed 200 words. The same word count holds true for written submissions, such as email messages. Anything over will be discarded. If the constraints are not enough, write a letter to the editor (guidelines for letters appear on this page).

****

Cudos to Randy Harris for having the courage and tenacity to do the right thing for Suwannee County. Ignore the naysayers, mostly former commissioners, they keep holding on to the past. We finally have a future for Suwannee County!

****

ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS should be required to have cameras recording any arrests they make. Period. How many times have cops’ dashcams saved honest officers’ careers while protecting the public they are sworn to serve from a few bad actors at the same time? It’s plain common sense and should be standard practice everywhere. Enough said! 

****

Live Oak could be a lovely little jewel if only we could clean up the litter that plagues almost every street in this town. Have the Town Fathers ever heard of the FDOT’s “Wild Flower program? I understand that Suwannee Valley Transit Authority has been able to procure a small grant to seed Voyles St., one of the most filthy & trash strewn streets in Live Oak, but the City ‘powers that be” are balking and prefer to reject this gift because it may involve a little effort on their part which is help convince CSX Railroad of the benefits to their part of the street right of way. If we can have a street beautification program here in Live Oak -AT NO COST TO THE CITY, why would not the city beat down the doors of SVTA to take advantage of this FREE program! Are we so low that we prefer to live on streets lined with garbage rather than look out at colorful wild flowers? Wake up City Leaders: this is a COST FREE opportunity to bring some beauty to our streets. 

****

Can the Suwannee Democrat advise its readers where it would place “public transportation” in its list of Editorial Objectives for 2014, OR do the members of the Democrat Editorial Board feel that ‘public transportation’ for Live Oak/Suwannee County is not a worthwhile objective for this community? Thank you.

We are focused mainly on growth and jobs for local unemployed right now. After that, we’ll talk. – Editor 

****

Between putting Cason back on the payroll & Mayor Sonny’s ridiculous stance on the liquor issue it adds up to the continued downward spiral of Live Oak.

****

We are thinking about MOVING TOO your county, can someone LIST on what roads are the chicken house on?

****

Hopefully the district that elected Mr. Wainwright will reconsider next time. It is a disater for everyone in the county.

****

I agree with the ‘Rant & Rave’ writer who understands that Suwannee Co is at a cross roads (Jan 17 edition Rant & Rave) One of the worst things that this county can do is to depend up or rely upon the North Central Florida Planning Council (NCFPC). The NCFPL single handedly destroys any efforts for public transportation in this area. The NCFPC should have been dissolved long ago. Go sit at one of their meetings. Doing so will make you sick. Our county can do much better without that pack of bozos! For the huge amount of money this county gives to that inept group of idiots just to hear their stupidity, is outrageous. We are a great county with great commissioners, like Commissioners Bashaw and Oxidine at the helm. So let bring that money back home and get out of the NCFPC. 

****

Every time I read an article about the County Commissioners it makes we wonder what is going on. I have never seen such a group completely ignore all constituent’s desires. We need a complete change. Two can be removed this year. I hate to have the other three until 2016 but their time is dwindling. A new motto for the City and County should be “Elect No Incumbents.” In with the new and out with the old. 

****

this is a rave to our county commission in Suwannee county for using our reserves from excessive taxation from previous commissioners to promote economic development and not put it under the mattress while trying to borrow 4 million from first federal and 3 million from Columbia county to fix a mess left by previous commissioners raising taxes and fire assessment twice in an effort to prepare for the future and fix messes left by former commissioners now working on our garbage assessment to protect the people from identity theft and expand the hours at collection sites not many people could fix all that was broken in 17 months ‘thank you commissioners for volunteering for such a thankless job’.

****

Yet another rejection letter from Suwannee County gov’t deciding to go with another candidate and like clockwork couple weeks later another ad in the paper for the same position I’ve been applying for 5 years that I’ve lived here. Me thinks y’all is focusing on the wrong candidates!

****

Does the County Commission have the backbone to avoid the politics and hire a successful Economic Director instead of a wanna be? We shall see.

****

Just exactly who has benefited from the by right language in the LDRs. Suwannee Democrat, look into it and let us know. It can’t be that difficult to find out, unless they changed the process to cover their tracks. We want to know if they did that too.

****

The commissioners, city councilmen, and chamber board members…..JUST DON’T GET IT. Helping residents to thrive and prosper can’t happen if you only care about your own pocket book.

****

If we truly want to provide opportunity for every one, you have to stop being so selfish. Please commissioners, quit thinking about yourself and start acting like you represent us. 

****

Our kids need a sound education. We are not educating them in our public schools. Just look at the school grades and take the time to learn what they really mean. Give parents options. Pass the Charter applications. What are you afraid of?

****

This is a RAVE for the men in the court house who keep order and all of us safe. Thank you!

****

My oh my, when are we ever going to wisen up? Those in elected positions are tearing up our budget and burying us in debt, giving away the farm to washed up cronies and foreign companies, and leveraging our kids future as they dumb them down even more, while pocketing a few good deals for them selfs. Come on people open your eyes. 

****

i want a deal like Cason got. Refuse to give up intel you obtained while accepting tax payer salary so you can demand to be reinstated to tell the powers that be what you should have told them as part of the job. Sweet deals getting sweeter for the chosen few in Suwannee County. People you better start attending the commission meetings. The agenda sucks, but you will learn a heck of a lot in the halls. 

****

This is a rave about Mr. Harris. He is the best thing to happen to Suwannee County in a long time. Thank you for making our community your home. We appreciate you.

****

We are mad as hell Commissioners, and we are not going to take it anymore.

****

Other than Mr. Gamble, this current group of county commissioners will no doubt go down in history as the worst in Suwannee County ever. I keep waiting for them to both build an office for Dennis Cason and construct a court house at the catalyst site. Oops, hope I didn’t give Mr. Wainwright an idea.

****

How come y’all say private individuals will be excluded and every week in the Rant & Rave I always see something about Wesley Wainwright in there. I’m getting tired of seeing it, if y’all go by what y’all say.

Wesley Wainwright the private citizen would be excluded. Wesley Wainwright the commissioner is not excluded. – Editor