March 1, 2011
City management noted material falsehoods (see below) in the Fleet Peeples Park mailer sent under Herb Weiss’s name. Herb Weiss acknowledges that the the mailer was paid for by people who wish to remain anonymous.
The most sensational points about “environmental devastation” in this mailer are totally bogus, fabricated, a manipulation to support an intentionally inflammatory conclusion designed to influence your vote on March 8.
Don’t fall for it. Our city deserves better. We as voters need to see through the curtain of fear and elect people who are motivated to serve our city, not their personal agendas.
Vote for character and quality for city commission seat #2.
Vote for the experienced, long term resident you can trust to fairly represent all the people of Winter Park.
Vote for Sarah Sprinkel.
Vote on March 8.
Attachment – Fleet Peeples Park Bacterial Summary
Yes, you were too nice to Mr. Weiss. “Hyperbole” is a polite word for BS
So, one can be a member of a volunteer board for the city, print and mail blatantly false information, and there be no repercussions? The sad reality is that the flyer will be read by far more citizens than the truth.
John, now you know why I have been so vocal. Questionable characters have used Winter Park controversies to promote their personal agendas, rather than listen to the citizens and serve the city. We need to encourage the most experienced, thoughtful, and talented in our city to serve on city boards and on the commission. Unfortunately, the righteous fire breathing saviors have chased many good people away. We need to reverse this.
This particular board seems to be on a major quest for power and revenge (or something). By continually stoking fires, it is not serving the citizens, but just some narrow personal agenda. The city commission appoints/advocates for certain city board members, correct?
The city commission approves the Mayor’s recommendations for board appointments by majority vote. The commission may also remove a board member by majority vote.
Herb Weiss’s Park Manifesto is so outlandish that he needs to be removed from any and all boards. The quote that the city hauls off 65tons of waste from the park is also an example. If a pile weighs 11oz. That is a big pile it would take more than 7,000 dogs per week to create that amount of waste. If the city is paying that much someone needs to investigate that wasteful spending.
Thank You, Pete for your timely response to the Herb Weiss fallacious mailer. It is remarkable that an appointed member of the Parks Board has such a blatant disregard for the people of Winter Park that he is in service to. I think his behavior unethical and unbecoming of a board member. The people need, as you’ve said, strong leadership and that includes board members.
Winter Park politics. It’s a blast.
Why are the masses of ducks sitting on the lake never cited for their contribution to lake pollution? Surely these ducks have no one picking up after them!
Thank you for your email. It is unfortunate that one can not easily get the complete facts with any given issue. One must read everything from all sides and try to discern what to believe. Many years ago my mother told me to believe only half of what I hear, see or read. There is always more than one perspective and those who feel one way will deliver the facts and obscure others to support their side. I have always felt that Winter Park needs a dog park. I have not been against it being at Fleet Peeples Park but have wondered if it is the best place and whether it is fair that the dogs have full run of the beach. When I had a dog, I ran from my home to the park and let my dog romp in the cool water. I must say I would have enjoyed the same had I felt that the water quality was acceptable. Like many other lakes in the Orlando/Winter Park area, water quality is an issue due to animals, birds, boats, fertilizer run off and other substances. I row on both Lake Fairview and Lake Maitland and have often wondered why Lake Fairview has water quality advisories and Lake Maitland does not. Perhaps it has to do with the size of the body of water allowing a better water to waste ratio. While I assumed that their was a hidden agenda when I read the flyer, I did garner information that I had not previously been aware of and consequently considered points I had not previously considered. The flyer has not swayed me one way or the other but has presented issues that I feel are worth considering. Hopefully all who address the issues, weigh the pros and cons and come to the best solution for the residents of Winter Park. Please note that I said the residents of Winter Park since we indeed are the ones who should be influencing and making the decisions about our city and the way parks, lakes and public spaces are used.
Jamieson,
Thank-you for your very thoughtful comment. My original reaction to the mailer can be found here and it thanks Herb Weiss for his willingness to express his views.
My concern here is not policy toward Fleet Peeples Park as that will take care of itself through a thoughtful process encouraged by citizens such as yourself.
My concern is that anonymous people spent an estimated $12,000 to disseminate information they knew or should have known was false to 18,000 registered Winter Park voters. This behavior diminishes our local political process and makes it more difficult to agree upon responsible and wise solutions for our community.
After careful review of the so-called “environmental disaster in Winter Park” flyer, it is clear that his irresponsible and politically motivated fictional propaganda piece does not even rise to the level of well crafted sophistry. Mr. Wiess should at least muster the decency to remove himself from service in any official (or unofficial) capacity.
It”s “moving day” Herb.
Mr. Weiss’s brochure is just another example of the dirty politics that the “One Winter Park” cabal so readily stoops to in every election. Last year, David Lamm was the victim of a last minute mailer that featured a supposed quote from the Orlando Sentinel, which implied that Mr. Lamm was in the pocket of any unscrupulous developer who wanted to use him. As it turned out, the quote was from a story about a development in east Orlando and had NOTHING whatsoever to do with Lamm. In fact, the Sentinel had endorsed Lamm for the Commission spot.
So, it should be no surprise that another fine example of politically motivated crap turns up in our mailboxes just before the election. This inaccurate diatribe, the work of “concerned citizen” Herb Weiss and those anonymous folks behind him, is undoubtedly designed to hurt Sarah Sprinkel and diffuse some of the well deserved anger that many dog owners feel toward Bonnie Jackson. Weiss, who isn’t running for anything, obviously hopes to be seen as the “real” culprit behind the Fleet Peeples Park fiasco, recapturing a few votes for Jackson. Unfortunately, in Winter Park, it only takes a few misguided votes to win.
This Saturday and Monday will undoubtedly see at least one more example of dirty political advertising targeted at Sarah Sprinkel and/or Steve Leary. Don’t fall for it.