Commission needs to listen — to all comments
Dear Editor:
When the people speak, you need to listen. That’s the lesson our local leaders need to learn.
That’s the lesson our local leaders need to learn. Since moving back to Osceola in 2008 when I got out of the Army, I have never seen more citizens involved in the political process than today. That’s not necessarily an endorsement of the good work our local elected leaders are performing. In fact, it’s an indictment.
You never know what is going to drive the public’s passion, but once you realize you’ve struck a nerve, good leadership notices, takes stock of the situation, and adjusts fire (to use a military term). That’s what commissioners should have done when they realized they messed up by spending nearly $100,000 on a logo the vast majority of the county hates.
But they didn’t. Instead the Commission Chairman doubled down, called his own citizens “Un-Christian,” “appalling,” said he “hoped you don’t behave this way at church or at your Christmas dinner with your family,” and that he was “sad at the hate in this community.”
Those are quotes.
But the logo and the Chairman’s reprehensible reaction to the citizen’s concerns isn’t the biggest issue facing taxpayers and residents of Osceola. The fact is, under the murkiness of the pandemic, the Commission chose to remove the ability to speak, and address the board, in public for issues not on agenda. For example, if one wanted to discuss the contracts Arrington’s family has received from the county, or the citizens’ feelings about the logo they paid for, or even the fact Arrington has the nerve to call his constituents un-Christian because they don’t like his logo, they can’t.
That’s not leadership. It’s tyranny. In fact, our county has a lot in common with the corrupt, tyrannical oligarchies common in Latin America.
How so? They do what they want without involving people, then feign self-righteous outrage when no one wants what they’ve done, and finally when the community revolts against them, they shed crocodile tear-filled mea culpas—kind of like Arrington’s apology for shaming a Puerto Rican man for speaking Spanish and lying about the national language.
I’m not just about shaming bad politicians, I’m about good ideas and solutions. Recently a song named “Let’s go Brandon” has taken the country by storm. Although that song is referencing national politics, how lucky are we to have our very own Brandon here?
I know what I’ll be doing at the next County Commission meeting, I’m going to be at that meeting holding a big sign that says “Let’s go Brandon!” on one side and “Vamos Brandon!” on the other, considering he’s not a fan of Spanish.
Just like Brandon hijacked our logo and hijacked our ability to speak at the meetings, we can hijack this song and use it to remind him that the people of Osceola are the boss.
Jon Arguello
Kissimmee
Note:: Mr. Arguello is the School Board district 3 member.
New logo lacks heritage, soul
Dear Editor:
Osceola County has a rich and colorful history. The new County Logo perpetrated upon the residents of this County reflects none of that!
I say perpetrated because almost none of us were given any input into its selection. It was just sprung upon us at the State of the County Address earlier this month.
We, as residents, should have been given a proper and ample opportunity to review several design selections and to cast our votes for the most appropriate design.
I understand and appreciate the efforts to promote our promising future in commerce and technology. But to have nothing depicting our history is an offense to the many long-time residents proudly living and working here; many of whom have family roots going back generations here. There should have been a design reflective of both our technological future while maintaining things reflecting our past. That’s not too difficult to do.
This colorful new logo only looks like the technology used to create it: a computer. And like that computer, it has no soul.
Phillip Jackson
Kissimmee
Dairy industry, not Halloween, is scary
Dear Editor:
Little scares me about Halloween or trick-or-treating. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons and witches have nothing on all the milk ingredients in candy and the frightening truth about the dairy industry.
This is the industry that has spent billions convincing humans that drinking the milk of another species is okay. This is the industry that feeds millions of dairy cows in favor of feeding starving humans.
This is the industry that creates pastures for dairy cows which accounts for a substantial reduction of forestland and other wildlife habitats. Add to this that the digestive system of cows discharges large amounts of methane, and their waste discharges nitrous oxide, both contributors to global warming.
This is the industry that perpetually impregnates cows in order to keep them lactating to produce milk meant for their offspring and then kills them off after they are “spent.”
The dairy industry is more frightening than any Halloween nightmare.
But, we’re lucky. Our local supermarkets offer a selection of plant-based milks, cheeses, and ice creams, as well as a colorful display of fresh fruits and veggies. And the dairy industry reporting slumping sales is just the treat we need this holiday season.
Earl Prake
Kissimmee
