Cape Informer

A group of veterans, citizens and city officials gathered today to honor veterans with the lighting of the new John C. Hinks Memorial Sign. This Dedication ceremony included a presentation of colors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8463 and speeches from Mayor Feichthaler and outgoing Council person Alex LePera. Other speakers included Master of Ceremonies Steve Pohlman the director of Parks and Recreation for the City, and Barbara Dugan of PFC Paul E. Ison Marine Corp League Auxiliary.

Here are some photos from the very touching event:

Mayor Feichthaler was instrumental in the final discussions that allowed this sign to move forward after nearly two years of delays. The sign itself prominently displays each branch of service on both the screen and the badges just below the screen. It reads “Field of Honor” at the top and “Welcome Home” surrounded by the iconic yellow ribbon symbols at the bottom.

There are plans for an additional facility here, a 40 foot by 60 foot pavillion, near where the visitors were sitting today. This new pavillion will allow for instruction and memorial gatherings at this important memorial.

The signs are up, the wavers are out in full force. Today is the day. Get out and vote. 5 of 8 council seats and several ballot initiatives are awaiting your vote.

The debates have raged, the candidates have spoken.

Now it is your turn. Get out and vote.

Have a wonderful day.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke today in front of a packed room at the Three Oaks Banquet Center in Estero. Approximately 700 supporters and curious information seekers attended.

“Anyone who can clean up New York City can help the country” said Christina Warren, one of Rudy’s supporters. Another attendee, Bob Harrold said “I am curious, I am looking for the right candidate.”

Mayor Jim Humphrey of Fort Myers introduced Florida State Attorney General Bill McCollum, who then Introduced Rudy Giuliani.

Rudy spoke of his record of results and successes in New York City. He pointed out than none of the three democratic candidates had any experience in an executive office. “I don’t think that the Chief Executive Officer of the United States should be trained with on the job experience.” He quipped.

He touted his successes further by explaining that New York City had the highest crime rate in the nation when he took office. As he left office it was named the safest large city in America. His welfare record showed that 1.1 million citizens of the city were on welfare when he took office. There was a reduction of approximately 640,000 welfare recipients after his term.

On fiscal matters, he reminded the crowd that he had cut taxes 23 times, provided balanced annual budgets, and generated higher revenues from 24% lower taxes. He stated “We actually accomplished what people thought was impossible.”

Rudy’s primary focus remains on the war on Terror. “We have to be safe, and we have to win.” He said. He called the reactions of democratic leaders and some members of the press “strategically irresponsible.”

“Have you ever heard of an army being asked to provide their timetable of retreat?” He asked the audience.

On Iran, he stated that if he were elected, his message to Iran is very clear: “I will not allow them to become a nuclear power.”

His second issue of importance was the economy. He referenced President Sarkozy of France, whose recently published book shows an interest in using American principles and placing them as policy in France. He said “There is a wisdom in these quintessential American principles.”

He continued, stating “I mostly look for homegrown principles as a practical matter.” and “Americans solve problems, not the government.”

When discussion turned to Hillary Clinton’s recent “$5,000.00 per child” program, he stated “We don’t have to give kids the impression that money comes from heaven, or from Hillary. It comes from going to school and working hard.”

Next, he received questions from the audience. On immigration, he stated “We must stop immigration at the border first.” He wants to increase the amount of border patrol agents and use fences that are “both physical and technological”.

For legal immigration, he added “We need a tamper proof single ID. If you have one, you are allowed in, you are allowed to work, and you have to pay taxes.”

“After we channel the economic parts through legal channels, we need to make a strong requirement that immigrants read, write and speak English.” this was met with loud applause.

Next he was asked how he stays optimistic in the face of media bias. “It’s fun.” He responded. He explained that he prefers direct communication, and that while he was mayor he held 96 official town hall meetings.

He was asked to explain his position on energy independence. He promoted “energy diversification” as a method. Biofuels, nuclear, clean coal, hydro power, solar power and wind power were all listed. He also stated that higher levels of conservation would help. “There is not one magic solution,” he said.

He also touched briefly on the importance of Florida in the upcoming election, and jokingly encouraged Democrats to boycott the general election for the State as well.

“I like him even better than I did before.” Stated Rochelle Kay of Fort Myers Beach. John Smith of Lehigh Acres asked him a question about gun control after the official session was over, and received an answer. “He supports the second amendment.” John said.

The happenings on the News-Press forum surrounding Frank D’Allesandro’s disappearance should be condemned to the highest possible degree. The behavior on that forum surrounding this event was like a feeding frenzy.

We saw rumor, innuendo, speculation and outright character assassination of a person who so far has only been found guilty of having a successful business and a strong community spirit. Now unfortunately, FD cannot defend himself against any of the allegations that were charged there. Upon his death, his name was besmirched by classless pseudonymous forum rats with no knowledge of the events and no ability to control themselves.

I emailed David Plazas on Sunday, asking him about his actions in the forum. I asked if it marked a change in direction for the News-Press. He stated that he acted on his own volition to comment on the posters who were attacking.

Today, I can only commend his courage for doing so. I hope he recalls the same when next he is faced with someone’s character being attacked on that forum.

For Frank’s family, I can only offer my sincerest condolences. He was a valued member of our community. He worked hard, and gave back to the entire community through his volunteer efforts. May he rest in peace.

Fred Thompson’s scheduled visit to Cape Coral today brought well over 500 visitors to Jaycee’s park. Two large touring buses pulled up to a cheering and sign waving crowd. Mayor Eric Feichthaler introduced Fred by speaking of his strong stance on reducing taxes and controlling illegal immigration.

Fred addressed the crowd, stating “Americans are ready for a serious conversation, about serious issues.” He expressed concern for his own young children, 4 years old and 10 months old. He asked “What kind of world will his kids grow up in?”

Fred’s message was positive and upbeat. He spoke of protecting the 2nd amendment. He spoke of less regulation and a respect for property rights. He said that “Americans are capable of doing miraculous things, when given the opportunity.”

As he moved on to the issues of the War on Terror, he does not want America to be seen as weak and divisive to our enemies. “20 year olds serving in Iraq know more about National Security than 20 year representatives in Congress” he quipped.

Then he reminded the crowd that “America has shed more blood for the liberty of other nations than any other nation on earth.” This was met with chanting of his name from the crowd. He answered “I hear you.”

On healthcare, he promised to “blow the whistle on irresponsibility” and keep healthcare decisions with individuals. “We can’t afford to add entitlements on top of a broken entitlement system” he said.

On the fair tax, he stated that he would give it “serious consideration” and he stated that he is evaluating a number of different tax distributions to find the best options. He stated that our current tax system is completely broken.

On illegal immigration he stated that there is a “total disconnect between the American people and Congress.” He stated that there was no need to talk about anything else in immigration until we have secured our borders against illegal immigration.

CapeInformer provided two questions to the campaign, both courtesy of the LeeCountyChat forum. When we receive answers, we will post them here. It was a long, hot afternoon, but we received a lot of good information on this candidate and his stances on important issues. If you would like more information on the campaign, you can visit the official website.

The historic Cape Coral City Council Race of 22 Candidates has now dropped to a field of ten after yesterday’s primary. The unofficial results are available at the Lee County Supervisor of Elections.

The election results show an incredibly low turnout of only 14% or 9,225 of the 64,915 registered voters in the city.

Jim Burch will take on Tom Hair for District 1. Peter Brandt and Walter Fluegel are up for District 2. Bill Deille and Lynn Rosko will comprise District 3’s race. District 5 will be Eric Grill and Gloria Baron, and Chris Berardi and Derrick Donnell in District 7.

Today is your chance to select the candidates who will run in the general election in November. Please go out and vote today. If you are still undecided on your choices, 12 of the candidates have responded here with information about their vision and goals for Cape Coral. Do your research and decide which candidate is best for you, but do it today!

District: Five
Name: Eric Grill
Occupation: Construction Business Owner
Website: www.grillforcape.com
Email: Eric@GrillForCape.com
Phone: 841-0042

1. My vision- A city that is the regional leader in economic development with the full faith and confidence of its citizens behind the city council. A city that is guided by a realistic and comprehensive strategic plan, created by a committee composed of residents, business owners and city administration. A city where people live, work, and play, a city that has a diverse economic climate that can withstand a downturn in construction and/or real estate. After my first term- There will be an expanded commercial tax base, a long range comprehensive plan for future development that spells out the CAC’s and the Zemel property. CRA projects completed and the downtown area starting to thrive.. A budget and a budgeting process that are in control of the council. You will also see a council that is in control of this city; not the city administration
2. The largest challenges facing this city- Maintaining levels of service while reducing spending, economic development, and restoring the trust of the citizens. Maintaining levels of service will require each department to become more efficient. Cross training of employees, eliminating non required perks, obtaining more bids on purchases, and establishing goals to which all staff members are held accountable. Economic Development has to include bringing corporations here that will pay a livable wage. We have to offer them the right incentives. Waiving impact and permit fees to increase our tax base and having jobs created that pay livable wages is worth the fees waived. We also have to expedite the whole development process so that the businesses can be operational within 12-18 months. Restoring Trust will come over time as we (the council) prove ourselves to be good stewards of the money paid in taxes by the citizens of Cape Coral. Additionally, the public has to be engaged in the process of governing. Creating additional opportunities for citizen participation and decision making in the process will help to restore the trust.
3. Controlling costs of government services- This starts with the council taking control of the city administration and holding them accountable. There is too much of the “tail wagging the dog”. Before we just arbitrarily adjust fees, we have to know where all the money was spent of previously collected monies. If you don’t have a handle on where you went wrong, then you will never correct the situation. Fully investigating all options before proceeding with projects and acquiring a guaranteed maximum contract from subs will be a good start. Does everyone need a vehicle? Can we move positions between departments as needed? Are all of our departments providing a level of service commensurate with their level of funding? These are the questions I will demand be answered.
4. To improve the economic situation- We begin with establishing the guidelines for corporations to receive fee waivers in exchange for job creation and expanding our tax base. With guidelines in place and an expedited development process, Cape Coral will begin to project a “business friendly” image. This will attract more businesses to our city. For the general appeal of our city- We need to establish Architectural guidelines / parameters for all zoning districts. Making sure developments are compatible with surrounding neighborhoods is crucial. This is one reason I will be sponsoring an ordinance after being elected, to increase the notification area to 500 feet for land use and zoning code changes. Enforcement of our existing codes and the new architectural regulations will contribute to enhancing the overall appeal. A city initiated beautification plan that includes private enterprises will help to keep the costs down of making our city visually appealing.
5. Plans for using new communication and business tools- I will be available via email and cell phone obviously. Beyond that I am working on setting my website up to be used as a tool for interaction with the citizens. I will utilize it to update everyone about the ongoing issues and to address specific concerns of any citizen that needs assistance. When a capital project is moving forward, I will use the website to get input. If there is a way to improve city services I will discuss it on the website. This is not a new tool, but I plan on holding meetings with just me and the citizens to get their input on a regular basis.

District: One
Name: Thomas W. Hair
Occupation: Mathematics Professor
Website: www.tomhair2007.com
Email: thair@capecoral.net
Phone: 292-9612

What is your vision for the City of Cape Coral? What will the city look like after your first full term in office?

The next five years will be a critical time for Cape Coral. We will pass 200,000 in population making us one of the 100 largest cities in the nation. The decisions we make now will have an effect on our quality of life for decades to come. Specifically, I think we will see several major projects emerge within the CRA that will bring about the creation of a real downtown, the filling in of the Pine Island Road corridor…possibly with a regional mall, and the completion of most of the utility expansion work. I would also like to see if we can lure FGCU to the Academic Village site. The combination of a young, fast growing city and a major branch of a young, fast growing university would be a unbeatable. The bottom line is that we have to set the stage now for what is to come. That is why it is so important to elect leaders with a long range vision for what the Cape can become.

What do you see as the largest challenges facing the city? What are your plans for addressing these challenges?

Growth and construction of the infrastructure needed to meet it. Meeting this challenge is our number one priority. We are the fourth fastest growing city in America, soon to break into the top 100 cities in the nation in population. So, how do we accomplish this?

First, we continue planning and implementing transportation upgrades to meet expected growth. The North Del Prado and Burnt Store initiatives come to mind. Look at what the Mid-Point Bridge did for us when it was completed 10 years ago. Remember the political struggle for that structure and realize that anything we attempt to do in the future to affect positive change for Cape Coral needs to be framed in the context of looking at the long view. Our build-out population is predicted to be approximately 450,000…a number like that demands that we think with our heads and not with our hearts.

Second, we continue without delay the construction of the central water and sewer system. It is environmentally unacceptable to have several hundred thousand people on septic systems on 10,000sqft lots…after 1972 the EPA made it illegal for any home site less than 22,000 sq ft to have a septic system.

We already have the largest residential re-use system in the country and also one of the largest desalination plants. When the north Cape reverse osmosis plant is complete we will have the largest such system in the world. We also need to transfer our fire hydrants to the potable system to give us better control over the use of irrigation water and work with the South Florida Water Management District to educate them on this issue and to allow us to set our own lawn watering times to increase system pressure.

What are your plans for controlling the costs of government services, assessments, taxes and fees to our citizens and businesses?

We need to get a handle on taxes and spending. The city’s general fund budget, where your property taxes go, has increased 60% over the past two years while the combined rate of inflation and population growth during that same period was only 20%. Unfortunately, the ad valorem millage rate did not decrease at a rate commensurate with the increase in property values. Instead we got token decreases in the millage rate that allowed our tax bills to rise three times faster than they otherwise would have.

Gov. Crist has mandated all state agencies cut 4% from their next budget and I propose we follow his lead. This past Thursday I, and the majority of my fellow councilmembers, nearly achieved that target in preliminary budgets negotiations. In the coming weeks I intend to make sure that these cuts become permanent by sponsoring the ordinance that enacts them.

In November, when a new council is seated, I plan to bring back two very important pieces of legislation that would have put spending limits on city government. One caps the rate of growth in the general fund, where your property taxes go, to be no more than the sum of the rate of inflation and population growth, while the other states that the city will not maintain a reserve fund that is greater than 10% of the current budget…meaning any surplus must be returned to the taxpayers. I supported both of these measures, but was unfortunately in the minority…hopefully a new council will change that.

What are your plans for improving the economic situation and general appeal of our city for current and future residents and businesses?

Raising the percentage of our property tax revenue generated by commercial property should be our number priority under the rubric of economic development. We need a road map to go from 8% commercial to the 15% necessary to alleviate the current residential tax burden.

This can be accomplished most effectively by rezoning land to commercial along major thoroughfares to create commercial activity centers like the very successful one at the corner of Veteran’s and Santa Barbara that contains the Publix, Target, and numerous other businesses. Beyond that, the proper use of the 2500 acre Zemel annexation abutting US41 in northeast Cape and the new mixed-use preserve land use designation associated with it should be leverage to the maximum extent possible to bring more needed business activity. Finally, the fast-tracking of major projects within the CRA such as the now-approved 12-story Cape Villagio should be a priority as well.

What are your plans for using new communication and business tools provided over the Internet for residents and businesses to contact you, or for you to share your ongoing work with residents?

The current city email system is the most effective way for a citizen to contact his or her council member. It provides an electronic record of the communication, hard copy for the council member to act upon (versus a phone call), and allows for it to be easily forwarded, if necessary, on to the appropriate person or department for action.

I would also like to see space made available on the city website for each council member to have a comprehensive web page where they can express their core beliefs and political philosophy, discuss issues of current concern, and reflect upon actions taken by council.

Candidate Information:
District: 2
Name: Walter G. Fluegel
Occupation: Urban Planning/Director of Planning for Heidt & Associates, Fort Myers
Website: http://www.myspace.com/walterfluegel
Email: wfluegel@comcast.net
Phone: 542-3396

What is your vision for the City of Cape Coral? What will the city look like after your first full term in office?

Following is a brief overview of my Vision for the City, the complete vision can be found on my campaign website: http://www.myspace.com/walterfluegel

Some campaigns are focused on what’s wrong with the City and offer little to no solutions for the future. I have intentionally focused my platform on a renewed sense of hope for the City that is based on a Comprehensive Vision for the future. Within the lifetime of our children or our grandchildren this City will grow to reach a population of 500,000. This election is as much about today as it is about tomorrow. All of the candidates are out campaigning hard and we are all dealing with the reality of today’s economy, as we talk about the budgetary issues of the day, it is easy to lose sight of tomorrow and the implications of how we arrived at the budgetary problems of today. The simple fact is, today’s budgetary issues are rooted in yesterday, it is partially, a result of the failure to plan in the past. Will future generations look back at us and agonize over our failure to plan, I hope not. Given the current downtrend in the market, we have the opportunity to do more planning for the future of the City. We need to develop a meaningful long-term Comprehensive Vision, including quality growth that brings jobs and long term stability to the tax base. Improving citizen perceptions of the City is a moral imperative; a government without the confidence of its people cannot effectively serve the people. The National Citizen Survey correctly identified a disconnect (the distrust factor) between the citizens and the City, we do not have a good perception of our City. This is what I will refer to as the identity crisis; the fact is we have begun the transition from a “Small Town” to a major urban center. At this crossroads we do not a have a good handle on our self-identity as we go through this transition; it is tantamount to the analogy of the typical teenager’s struggle to transition from childhood to adulthood.

Where do we go from here, it is obvious that our self-esteem as a community is in need of some major home improvements. Based upon the thoughts expressed in the National Citizen Survey and my 19 years of experience as a professional urban planner, I have developed the following core values to create a Comprehensive Vision for the City and a new sense of self-identity. It is my belief that these core values will lay the foundation for a City that is an attractive place for corporations to locate, as well as a great place to live.

The six main pillars of the Comprehensive Vision are as follows (Details on each topic can be found on my website: http://www.myspace.com/walterfluegel

1. 1. Growth Management, 2. Economic Development, 3. Redevelopment, 4. Citywide Beautification, 5. Public Safety and 6. Fiscal Responsibility.

The solutions that I am proposing are based in a long term vision for the City, I don’t expect all of the results to be in place after one term. However, I would expect after one term that the citizens would begin to feel a renewed sense of civic pride. Also, I would expect to see the beginnings of tree canopy along our major roadways. Also, I would expect that we will have seen recovery in the real estate market, which hopefully will translate to progress in the CRA. Most important to me, I want to see a return of citizen confidence in the City, citizens must feel like their opinions are valued at City Hall.

What do you see as the largest challenges facing the city? What are your plans for addressing these challenges?

Right now, in large part, we are the victim of a bad real estate market and since development is our main industry, we will need to focus on finding solutions that do not further exacerbate current market conditions. Also, as I mention in my Comprehensive Vision, we need to start looking beyond today and find solutions for tomorrow. We must build a long term stable tax base.

What are your plans for controlling the costs of government services, assessments, taxes and fees to our citizens and businesses?

During economic downturns, sound financial management is imperative. The City budget needs to reflect current fiscal realities facing the residents of the City. The budget should be value engineered to ensure that the residents get the most value for their tax dollar, without compromising the level of service they expect. Beyond the current fiscal crisis, we must focus on creating a long term sustainable tax base, by bringing corporations to Cape Coral, otherwise we will be caught in a perpetual cycle of fiscal crisis with every downturn in the residential real estate market.

What are your plans for improving the economic situation and general appeal of our city for current and future residents and businesses?

Provide sufficient economic incentives (such as substantial property tax abatement/rebates, expedited permitting, permit fee waivers, impact fee waiver fund, equipment reimbursement and/or cash incentives for livable wage job creation) to attract major employment generators, jobs that pay a meaningful livable wage, not a teenager’s part-time salary, i.e. jobs that don’t further exacerbate affordable housing shortages.

Creating long term stable tax base is the best method of preventing current budget issues from becoming an ongoing annual problem. It cannot be stressed enough how important the balance of the core values, identified herein, are to creating a successful economic development atmosphere, which also includes a successful Charter School System and Parks and Recreation System. The simple fact is, Corporations look at many factors when deciding where to locate and of utmost importance is whether or not the community, as a whole, is an attractive place for employees to live.

What are your plans for using new communication and business tools provided over the Internet for residents and businesses to contact you, or for you to share your ongoing work with residents?

Having recently read Wikinomics, I’m still learning about the potential for this new medium of communication and how it can be integrated with existing mediums of communications for citizens to provide meaningful input in the public decision making process. I will give some consideration to maintaining a blog for citizen input on the MySpace account that I’ve created for my campaign, but I have a lot to learn about this medium.

Political message approved by Walter G. Fluegel for Cape Coral City Council District 2