county politics
Victories show Democrats' progress
Three landslide victories in Venice show how far once-weak party has come
By JEREMY WALLACE
Democrats continue to chalk up surprising victories in Sarasota County, further eroding the area's reputation as a Republican stronghold.
On Tuesday, the Democratic tide rolled into the most unlikely of places: Venice.
While the nonpartisan race hinged heavily on the direction of growth and development, both parties say it was still significant that the winning candidates were all Democrats.
"The Democrats have a reason to crow," Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Eric Robinson said. "They won. The county is becoming more liberal."
Joan Fischer runs on her reputation
A reputation for past results is helping Democrat Joan Fischer.
By ANNA SCOTT / anna.scott@heraldtribune.com
CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Joan Fischer, a 73-year-old redhead from New York, always wears a hat when campaigning.
She's not exactly showy -- her favorite is a straw thatch with a snug brim -- but, when you're a Democrat running for Charlotte County Commission, you do what you can to get noticed.
The last time a non-Republican was elected to the county's most influential board was more than a dozen years ago, in 1992. The last time registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans here was 1978.
Charlotte voters get a choice, thanks to a Democrat
Eric Ernst
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
9/26/2006
excerpt:
...Wait a minute, folks. Loftus still has another election to win. And his opponent, Fischer, is the real thing.
She's a former nurse and teacher with a master's in business administration. At age 73, she's not ready to rest.
Someone asked whether the campaign is wearing her out. "Not at all," she said. "It's invigorating."
Not all taxes are necessarily bad ones
Eric Ernst
Sarasota Herald Tribune
9/22/2006
No one likes taxes. But if there were ever a good tax, it's on the ballot in Charlotte County in November.
It would amount to $32 a year for the owner of a $185,000 home (with homestead exemption), and the money would be used to buy environmentally sensitive land.
The county did not want to compile a list of prospective properties for fear that owners would jack up prices or speculators would swoop in to grab the land.
