Hammett reality check -- he engineered what?
In his latest ad, Hizzoner is taking credit for supporting a number of causes that he is on record as staunchly opposing -- but since this is election time, he doesn't want you to know that
-- John Patten, 10/23/07
-- jpatten@veniceflorida.com

Got a comment? Make it here.

My jaw doth droppeth
A recent post card mailing from the campaign of Fred Hammett (see graphic on this page) contained some interesting bits of information that can be described as exaggeration or outright fiction -- depending on how kind you want to be.

CLAIM: "A proven track record of successes in office -- including engineering an historic joint planning agreement with Sarasota County"

FACT: Hammett vehemently opposed the slow growth amendment prior to it appearing on the ballot last March, even to the point of ordering City Attorney Bob Anderson to find a legal way of preventing the referendum's appearance on the ballot. Hammett urged voters to vote against the amendment.

The amendment did pass into law (in Venice, it passed with a whopping 2-1 ratio of voters in favor of the amendment). The amendment required the existence of Joint Planning Agreement between the city and the county. Hammett begrudgingly voted for the JPA when it came before council.

The county immediately invoked the mediation process in the JPA over the Bella Citta development in North Venice. Hammett's on-the-record response at a city council meeting was to ignore the county's stated objections and plow ahead with approving the development project in spite of the previously agreed-to stipulations of the JPA. Hammett voiced his contempt for the county and for the JPA at the July 24, 2007 city council meeting with four simple words aimed at the county: "Let them sue us" (video of that statement can be found here). Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Hammett was forced to back off from his militant anti-JPA stance in the Bella Citta matter.

The Joint Planning Agreement is nothing short of Hammett's worst nightmare realized. No longer can he and council give developers anything they want by annexing land and ramping up the allowed density in zoning. Now the city and the county have to agree or the zoning upgrade doesn't take place. So for Hammett to take credit for "engineering" the agreement when he has totally failed to understand why the agreement was ever deemed necessary by the voters is laughable at best, an outright deception and fabrication at worst.

CLAIM: Hammett is for "Preserving Venice's grace and charm"

FACT: While on the city's Planning Commission, Hammett voted in favor of Mike Miller's Waterfront Towers, those three mini-skyscrapers that are parked next to the city's north bridge. Just a few weeks ago, he voted in favor of six stories at Tra Ponti, which would be located right next to the three towers. Maybe all of that that fits with your definition of small town grace and charm, and then again maybe it doesn't.

CLAIM: Hammett "Supports tax reform and affordable housing"

FACT: As recently as last week, Hammett sat silently at a HUD housing meeting at Grove Terrace, offering no comment or advice as the HUD housing complex announced that it was months away from possibly closing down due to lack of funds. Hammett sat in the back, next to council candidate Ernie Zavodnyik, where Hammett fell asleep during the meeting. Upon waking, he scurried out of the meeting to attend a campaign fundraiser. Hammett never said a word to voice any concern for the residents of the housing complex.

In spite of holding the office of Mayor during the last year and a half, he has uttered very few words about the rapidly deteriorating financial conditions at the HUD housing complex, perhaps because he'd rather see the whole place torn down and replaced with more Mike Miller condos.

As to tax reform, coming this November is a tax shuffle. While Hammett is taking claim for a modest reduction in the city's millage rate that didn't lower anyone's taxes anyway, he has totally avoided the topic of a new itemized charge for funding the fire department that he has been asked to vote in favor of by the fire department's union, this in exchange for the fire union's endorsement.

It's the same deal that the fire union offered to Sue Lang. Lang stated that the fire union was somewhat less than thrilled when she told them that she would be interested in hearing from the public on the issue first.

 So no new taxes, but watch your utility bill skyrocket in a few months to replace moneys that should be included in your tax bill, this if the CQG crowd gets back in. Want proof? Look for the fire union on the streets on election day. They'll be highly visible in bright t-shirts and waving signs -- wanna take a guess at whose campaign signs that they'll be waving?

CLAIM: Hammett "Supports public parks and recreation areas; Supports the environment, renewable energy and our unique natural habitats"

FACT: I'm gonna be ill. This is probably Hammett's biggest outright bogus claim.

Hammett's campaign is being staunchly supported by factions within the city that are in favor of building a South Venice Beach Marriott at the airport, and Hammett has been actively courting the Marriott investors support. Hammett is no friend of the endangered scrub jay, as evidenced by an argument Hizzoner had with County commissioner Joe Barbetta earlier this year. As background, Barbetta won his county commission seat on a strong pro-environment platform in a hard and bloody fight against a well-funded pro-development PAC. In the argument, which took place just before a county commission meeting, Hammett told Barbetta in no uncertain terms that there are no scrub jays at the Venice airport and that when it comes to Venice's stance on the environment and scrub jays, Barbetta should stay out of Venice's business.

Hammett ignored a request from VTL president Herb Levine to make inquiries into using some vacant airport land for generating solar power for the city government's own energy requirements.

Hammett was part of the VABI organization that pushed for the Waterway Park, which is a good thing, but talk to Venice resident Earl Quandt about the rest of Hammett's track record with city parks and things begin to get weird. When asked by Quandt about some lapses in the city's follow-up to promised city park developments, Hammett was quoted as saying to Quandt, "What are you trying to stick up my ass this time?" Hammett did not deny making the statement when asked by this web site, instead he gave a non-denial denial statement of not remembering if he said that to Quandt.

As to global warming, one classic Hammett quote that found its way to me was "Global warming is a romantic myth." It's one quote that I haven't been able to fully confirm yet, but I tend to believe that Hammett did say it -- it neatly fits both his belief system and his penchant for using mangled descriptive phrasing. It leads me to wonder if Hammett possibly rented The Day After Tomorrow but the DVD box had a When Harry Met Sally disc inside by mistake -- it is quite possible that he could have watched the light, romantic comedy all the way through and never noticed the difference.

hn 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.