Anyone who reads this newspaper on a regular basis knows that we don't focus much on County politics, except when County Commissioners are trying do something particularly stupid— like saying that they could take over the Mosquito Control District and run it cheaper by harnessing "unused administrative capacity". That's government-speak for "our managers don't have enough to do".
But we want to make an exception here in support of a gubernatorial appointment of former County Commissioner Mary Key Reich to fill the remainder of Commissioner Nora Williams' term.
Williams announced last Monday that she is resigning for health reasons.Governor Jeb Bush is expected to name a replacement for the remainder of her term. That replacement should logically be Mary Key Reich. Weeks ago, she announced that she would challenge Williams in the Republican primary this Fall. She has already qualified to run using the petition method.
When Reich was a County Commissioner, she was sometimes criticized for frequently standing alone to oppose actions that she felt were not in the best interests of Monroe County citizens. She has been vindicated as community after community has incorporated to escape from the governmental policies that Reich opposed. Returning her to the Commission would benefit the citizens of Monroe County through her experience and tenacity in striving for good government, a commodity all too rare in the Florida Keys.
If you agree, contact Governor Bush and tell him so: Phone- 850-488-4441; Fax- 850-487-0801; E-mail- fl_governor@myflorida.com.