Guest Author
I have read the [Fort Myers Beach Island] Sand Paper from its inception and have enjoyed reading the news and about current and upcoming events.
However, lately, the Sand Paper appears to be more of a promotional advertisement for a certain development on Fort Myers Beach, and an avenue to criticize a specific individual who chose to challenge a decision of the local government.
Every citizen in a free country has a right to challenge the actions of government; I wonder what the paper would do if the City Council banned all newspaper distribution on the Island?
In addition, the Sand Paper continually publishes references to the lawsuit as being “frivolous,” which both the Circuit and Appellant Courts have repudiated.
In both jurisdictions, the Court determined the action has merit and ordered the town to respond, if requested, I would be happy to send you copies of the orders. If it were a “frivolous” lawsuit, they would not have ordered the town to respond; rather, they would have simply dismissed the petition.
Your constant harassment of someone who has the courage to challenge the town (and a local business owner) is nothing short of “bullying” and should cease-and-desist.
This is exactly what we are trying to teach our children not to do.
Your suggestion that certain candidates should be defeated before the election process begins is also not news. Your motivation and intentions remain unclear, but I did notice that the certain business you refer to doesn’t appear to be advertising in your paper anymore.
Could that be the motive behind your insults? Has this new developer bought you out?
Have you ever stopped to consider where the money is coming from to fund this project? That may be a better story.
I realize you are a historian (and not a journalist). However, rampant disinformation, partisan news sources, and social media tsunami of fake news is no basis on which to inform Beach residents in 2020.
I have represented the owner of the business you refer to in your article; I am close friends with the owner and his family, as are many other people both on and off the Island.
He has done a lot more for the Beach than anyone else I can think of.
I have also represented the Town of Fort Myers Beach, several residents and Beach businesses in my almost 35 years of practicing law.
In my opinion, a newspaper should report the news to inform the public in hopes of bringing people together and not tear them apart.
I look forward to reading the news in the future and hope that you look forward to writing the news and stop the bullying.
___
Robert “Bob” Burandt, Esq. is an attorney with Burandt, Adamski, Feichthaler, & Sanchez, PLLC, in Cape Coral.
