Mayor Hammett thanks lawbreaking boater for referring to Fish & Wildlife cop as a "Nazi"
Just when you thought our bonehead mayor couldn't do anything dumber than he already has, he surprises you again
-- John Patten, 09/05/07
-- jpatten@veniceflorida.com

Got a comment? Make it here.

Anyone ever heard of Godwin's Law? Anyone?
The water Nazi controversy has raised its ugly head again, this time in a new set of emails to and from our beloved mayor that defy any sense of logic or decency. Out-of-state boater Brian Jacobs (California, according to a search for his email address on Google) wrote to Mayor Fred Hammett on August 25. Jacobs demanded that hizzoner do something to curb "water Nazi" Fish & Wildlife officer Tim Erickson.

Nevermind that the Sarasota Herald-Tribune published an article earlier this year praising Erickson explaining the laws that Erickson was enforcing in exhaustive detail. The Herald-Trib article also asserted that Erickson issues an inordinate amount of warnings before he ever gets around to actually writing a ticket.

Nevermind that lead counsel for Florida's Fish & Wildlife Commission had to write to Hammett earlier this year to remind Hammett that Canada was not part of the United States (this after Hammett had urged the law enforcement agency NOT to enforce the boating laws in and around Venice's waters).

Nevermind that Jacobs has never heard of Godwin's Law, and so refers to Erickson as a Nazi.

Nevermind that Hammett then thanks Jacobs for the kind words.

Nevermind that Hammett pulls stats out of his ass when he says that Erickson's cases all get kicked out of court (I called Captain Alan Richard, Assistant General Counsel to the Fish & Wildlife Commission just in case Hammett knew something nobody else did -- Richard couldn't validate Hammett's claim and he strongly supported Erickson's work).

Nevermind that this is a prime example of the Thatcherite thinking patterns that have run rampant through the the CQG and the halls of government -- that the wealthy should, by nature of their wealth, be given all of the breaks possible, that the law should treat them as special cases.

Nevermind all of that. You have to, because if you don't ignore all of that, you are left with one inescapable conclusion: Hammett has got to be the dumbest appointed official in the history of this county, possibly the entire state. Nothing he could have written would have infuriated law enforcement officers everywhere more than publicly agreeing with some lawless brigand that a cop is a Nazi for simply doing his job.

On the upside, Hammett can look for an endorsement from the American Nazi Party in the upcoming elections. They want to be mainstreamed -- the more times that the word Nazi is used and accepted in non-Genocidal terms within contemporary culture, the better.

Here's to you, Fred: "Zieg heil!"

As to Brian Jacobs: Obey the laws or go elsewhere. If you are unwilling to obey Florida boating laws, why not try Texas or Louisiana? You aren't even capable of obeying Godwin's Law which, when you think about it, is based (or should be) on common sense, a basic level of average intelligence, and what should be normal ingrained sensitivities. What normal person runs around yelling "Nazis! Nazis!" over a traffic ticket?

You threaten us with boycotts? What kind of a threat is that? The thought of lawbreaking boaters avoiding Venice because the laws are enforced here just breaks our hearts. Not!

From: Brian Jacobs <Jake2124@aol.com>
To: Mayor Fred Hammett
Date: 08/25/07, 2:27 PM
Subject: Boating in your town

My name is Brian Jacobs. I travel on my boat every year through your area. As I know you are painfully aware, most boaters with internet contact to boating groups avoid your city like the plague because of the overzelous water nazi that causes so much trouble for boaters in your area. I don't remember his name, but I KNOW you know who I mean. I would like to visit your town, but won't until I cn be assured that the "enforcer" is gone. There are more than 200 folks doing the loop that avoid Venis, and countless hundreds of others that belong to various trawler and specific brand boat clubs. I know the jerk doesn't report to you, but you must have some influence. Please let me know if it is safe to visit your town by boat. Please don't say to follow the rules and don't worry, most of the people have been harrased for hours for nothing done wrong, and been given citations for things the water nut thinks they might do. My understanding is that if the people go to court, the cases are dismissed. I am not willing to go through that. So, is he gone or not? Or, maybe you don''t want us boaters that spend an average of 1000 a week on boating on the loop. Let me know and I will disseminate the information.

Thanks
Brian Jacobs

-------------------

From: Fred Hammett <fhammett@ci.venice.fl.us>
To: Jake2124@aol.com
Date: Tuesday - August 28, 2007
Subject: Re: Boating in your town

Thank your for your email and concern. As far as I know the Fish&Wildlife Marine Officer is still on duty. I spent an inordinate amount of time on the issue several months ago including engaging a State Senator on the issue. I had meetings with his combating officers. I tried to emphasize the importance of good sense, to no avail. Unfortunately this officer is totally out of our jurisdiction. While it is important to follow the laws, he makes different assumptions, based on wrong information. That is probably why the courts dismiss the charges. The city would welcome your visit, but we have no influence on the Fish&Wildlife Officer.

Fred Hammett

John Patten is the head of Web Operations for Creative Pages, and has worked in broadcasting for over 12 years. He can also be incredibly rude at times.