Will Robinson Jr. of Bradenton won’t be remembered for whatever good he might have done, but rather for his attack on Anna Maria Island and the rights of three cities to determine their destiny.
The state rep questioned the number of governments needed on the island at a January 2023 legislative delegation meeting and proposed a state study on the island’s governing structure for consideration at the 2024 Legislative Session.
The all-Republican delegation unanimously approved the motion.
But Robinson’s gambit produced an uproar among island political leaders and residents and caused the cities to invest time in answering the study probe.
All the while, Robinson refused to compromise and failed to answer calls from The Islander and others to discuss the matter.
The study, which will not be made public and may not conclude until summer, likely won’t play out in this early 2024 session.
But Robinson already has failed to serve his constituents, the voters of AMI.
For that, he stands out above the people who aimed to improve lives on the island.
Wow, the back-handed compliment, how awe inspiring. We could suppose that the good-ole boy system of three governments upon one tract of land, with the squabbles, copying of each other, uniting to mutual benefit when not professing to be completely totally different is beneficial, except that they themselves admit that it isn’t.
I would suppose that the “truth to power” groups should be appalled that government should actually admit to the waste of resources, that the million-dollar settlements out of court, the prosecution of their own committees, the firing and rehiring of dutiful employees, blame of those “evil” developers who build exactly that which the government allows to be built, the officials who renege upon the permissions given resulting in contested legal battles for decades, why those governments now freely admit less waste and greater service could be achieved with consolidation, yet limit that very achievement by the division they impose.
Yes, there is opportunity in the divisions within governance, the corridors of power being the access of decision makers outside of professional conduct, imagine how dull life on this barrier island with actual professionals managing, why the lawyers and suits would mostly evaporate, the politicians who tout their policy and thoughts serve could continue to debate that which divides, while the citizens would be served in a professional manner, it would never work.
Indeed, we have one of the few unifying moments in the history of Anna Maria Island, the unification of a common foe, and common sense be damned, division and politics shall triumph.
Citizen Of The Year, we congratulate you, once again the island leaders are unified in their determination that unification is impossible.