Letters to the Editor: Dirty politics soils city election

An open letter to Steve Leary

Dear Mr. Leary:

I have attended four of the forums/debates featuring you and Cynthia Mackinnon.

Several times I have heard you being asked how you feel about the Paseo [Apartment tower adjacent to Winter Park Village] and its appearance. Each time you give a canned response that you are just not sure what you think of it yet, that you are not sure if you do or do not like it. You keep saying you want to wait for it to be "built out".

This strikes me as incredibly disingenuous. Why? Because except for interior finishes it is entirely built out. It is a gargantuan structure covering a huge amount of land. Everything is in place in terms of structure- including the garage etc.

How is it honest with voters for you to hedge on giving an answer? This is the kind of thing that informs my opinion that you are not playing it straight. If one were to give credence to your answer one must assume there is even more of Paseo yet to be built. Is that right??? I was there again today and it is huge.

I don't see any part of it yet to be built. Are there even more buildings or stories coming? (I don't think so.) I do see where it is possible that some shrubs could be planted, but little else. Some spindly trees are in place but they were sad looking.

This tells me you believe voters in WP are that gullible and that many have not seen it for themselves. Please tell me what buildings or structures remain to be built at Paseo that caused you to give this answer at the debates in front of so many voters, including me. If it is going to get even larger, I am more appalled than I have been to date. I would like to know when the Paseo will actually be "built out".

Sincerely,

Beth Hall, Winter Park

Mudslinging clouds mayoral election

Like many other citizens of our city, I am outraged at Steve Leary's conduct and his personal attack on his opponent – calling her a racist and taking out of context her use of the historically correct term "Negro Town." I cannot sit back and say nothing about the way Leary's campaign has turned this mayoral race into a disgrace.

It is one thing to have different views on what is right for the city of Winter Park – rampant development vs. careful managed growth; transparency in government vs. keeping residents out of the "know." The list of differences goes on.

Leary is spreading his vitriol using all available means. Peter Weldon has become little more than a mouthpiece for Leary. The Republican Party propaganda machine has poured in thousands of dollars into funding Leary's mailers and ads. Leary's attempt to debase his opponent's character with unfounded lies cannot and should not be tolerated in silence. I am not the only citizen of this town who is personally outraged by the Leary campaign.

Randy Noles, editor of Winter Park magazine, wrote, "Ms. Mackinnon's use of this phrase, in the context of a historical discussion, is accurate. Any effort to make more out of this is just willfully misleading and an insult to Ms. Mackinnon and to the intelligence of Winter Park voters."

Dr. Gary Barker wrote, "Steve Leary needs to address this now or lose any credibility he has. It's one thing to argue about trees, traffic or Trader Joe's, but to wrongly attack someone's personal honor and values is unacceptable in this or any election. Do what's right, Steve Leary, and publicly withdraw your accusations and apologize to Cynthia Mackinnon.”

How can any decent citizen ever offer their candidacy for city office knowing they are likely to be personally attacked for offering you, the voter, a choice?

If this is the kind of person who could be our next mayor, how shameful for the city of Winter Park. Consider carefully when you choose on March 10.

Sally Flynn

Winter Park