Opinion
By Faith Ross, 1-12-24
I want to thank Mr. Nicklas for sharing Commissioner Sturges’ comments concerning the latest ethics violation complaint. Sturges’ statement, “It’s silly to think that a sitting commissioner’s spouse would file a complaint” is an insult to women. He may want to check with the City Attorney, as she is fully aware that I am capable of researching statutes. Upon occasion, I have corrected the City Attorney. If anyone who knows me read the complaint, they would know that no one else was involved. And for the record, I voted for Commissioner Sturges. I guess my vote was also to be considered ”silly”?
However, with the use of my womanly silliness, let’s correct some misinformation. The evidence I presented in the ethics case was taken from the NewsLeader newspaper and backed up with public records. Commissioner Sturges should have read the complaint’s exhibits or the numerous citations that were almost solely from the NewsLeader. The complaint contained no information from Mr. Lednovich. The investigator’s report also made no mention of utilizing any evidence or information from Mr. Lednovich. Placing the blame of writing a complaint on other individuals without any supporting factual basis is “silly”. It is also the worst kind of unethical politics.
The Ethics Commission decided that the jointly owned property housing the offices of Mr. Ericksen and Commissioner Sturges did not constitute a business relationship (a key element). Scrutiny occurred when it became known that Mr. Ericksen also works part-time at Brett’s Waterway Café, the subject of some Commission votes. In a previously adjudicated case, a judge had decided that a commissioner and an acquaintance owning a house boat together did not constitute a business relationship. Since the Ethics Commission decides the merits of a complaint as a legal proceeding, not moral determinations, they based their decision on this prior case. If evidence of a more viable business connection had been presented, the findings may have turned out differently.
In the future, if you are a woman or wife who files a complaint, please be aware that you may encounter Commissioner Sturges’ “silly” wife phenomenon throughout the process. When an ethics investigator opens your interview with the comment that you are the “wife”, and this is also reiterated in the report, it is assumed that you have no independent thoughts on any matters, you have no capable skills, and that no possible violation could have occurred because a wife reported one. However, I hope this handicap or “silliness” in the system does not deter women from filing ethics complaints in the future. Overwhelmingly, psychological research and political surveys show that women care more about ethical behavior than men.
Hopefully, certain factions of the community can wake up to the fact that women have independent thoughts, wives can read, they can even write complaints, and they care enough to be involved in their communities.
Editor’s notes: Ms. Ross was referring to materials such as these:
Steve’s Marketplace: Sturges Prevails in Unjustified Ethics Case
Local Politician, “Journalist” Get Deserved Public Beat Downs
Faith Ross is the wife of FB Commissioner Chip Ross. She is the plaintiff of the referenced ethics complaint and is also on the City Board of Adjustment.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida
