Elected officials are employees of citizens, who deserve respect

I watched a repeat playing of the Oct. 6 Land Use meeting concerning a Neal Hawthorne Park development. This development has been controversial with many legal decisions over many years.

Joe McClash spoke during the citizen comment period, explaining the long, contentious history of this project. He ended his remarks with a generalized definition of corruption in politics. He did not direct his remarks to any particular commissioner.

Yet Commissioner Vanessa Baugh took this definition personally, interrupted Joe McClash and had him escorted from the meeting. She then lectured the remaining citizens in the audience about civility and respect.

Unfortunately, many of the Manatee County commissioners have it backwards! Civility and respect are to be accorded to the citizens of Manatee County by the commissioners who seem to have forgotten that they are the employees of the citizens! Now is an opportune time to replace any commissioner running for reelection who does not follow this precept.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Elected officials are employees of citizens, who deserve respect."