Seems lately some people think it is ok to win at all costs.  But that’s not all of it, because when they lose around here it’s worse.

Take for example the recent personal attacks on the interwebs and in city commission public comments on attorney Stephanie Toothaker after she was successful on a recent Ft Lauderdale vote. The pot stirring and innuendo is so over the top by a few professional “activists” that The Count – yes, that Count – defended her recently in an email to the press and community leaders. I mean, really?

Now this is not a #metoo missive. Toothaker is a tough cookie. A Veteran of Washington and Tallahassee politics, she knows how to throw an elbow and land a fair punch. She also has integrity, something that can’t be said for all Florida land use attorneys. In fact, it’s quite rare. According to Google she is also born and raised in Ft Lauderdale. How many can say that around here?

If it seems she represents all the complicated projects in eastern Broward, it’s probably because she does. We don’t always like what she brings forward, but she always stands up with facts and a solid argument. Often, she is aggressive, and that seems to offend some of the men around here. Too bad.

So let’s get to the point. She spearheaded something new in our city this summer, a developer agreement for Pier 66. I’ve read it. I’ve torn it apart. All it seems to do is allow for better planning by letting the developer link the two sites and take responsibility for maintaining public land, reduce the amount of mixed use flex units the owner can even ask for by 30%, and voluntarily designates the Pier 66 tower historic.

There is no poison pill. There is no special treatment. There are no shortcuts to any actual development. Nothing is approved until they full entitlement process.

That’s it.

And that’s why the recent personal attacks on her by anonymous twitterers and self-proclaimed do-gooders are so rude.

It seems they are just mad because she is good at what she does. She understands the process better. And she is honest. That’s more than can be said about the handful of people – yes, it’s a handful – that keep trying to stop progress around here screaming “conspiracy!” using half truths and paranoid theories insinuating every development is now Bahia Mar, every developer is Jimmy Tate, and every lobbyist is Robert Lochrie.

It’s not true. That project, and those characters, really did play us for fools. But they are unique. They are aberrations. And they are nothing like the rest of us.

Enough of the attacks on smart, reasonable women like Toothaker, and her fellow attorney Courtney Crush, who care just as much about this community as the most self-righteous activists out there.

It’s especially distasteful coming from people who talk about everyone having a voice.  Apparently that’s only the case if you agree with the vocal few, or a couple of anonymous wankers who won’t even put their name on their tweets.

Get a grip.

 

 

 

 

 

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