To : The elected officials across Florida who are now fleeing public office
From : The Sarasota Herald-Tribune Editorial Board
Re : Your decision to quit your positions to avoid transparency regarding your personal finances
This memo is intended to express our disappointment and shock that an increasing number of you in communities across our great state – including the fine locales of Longboat Key and Bradenton Beach – have decided to immediately resign from your positions.
And what’s the reason you’re sprinting out of government offices everywhere?
Why are you suddenly turning your backs on public service?
Well, it’s because you don’t want to comply with a new Florida law that requires elected officials in municipalities to file financial disclosures that give citizens more extensive information about how and where you make your money.
More: Ex-sheriff supports new law requiring city officials to tell all
We are disappointed because when given a choice between being more transparent with the residents in your communities – you know, the taxpaying folks who elected and entrusted you to serve in offices you willingly sought – and deciding not to do so, you concluded that abruptly abandoning your responsibilities was the more honorable option.