Civics' response to the mayor

DATE: July 24, 2005
TO: Mayor Eric Feichthaler
CC: City Council, Terry Stewart City Manager
FROM: Cape Coral Civic Association
SUBJECT:City Council Meeting July 18, 2005
The July 18, 2005 meeting of the Cape Coral City Council contained personal attacks, misstatements, gross exaggerations and absolute falsehoods from the dais, which aired on Cape TV, as it relates to the Cape Coral Civic Association. While there is concern with the content on the city web page, there apparently is little regard for what is allowed to air on public television.
Council members were allowed to vilify and discredit Civics’ reputation with false and misleading statements. Council members are abusing their positions and using the tax payer funded Cape TV as a bully pulpit for the purpose of venting personal grievances against Civic. Here are but a few examples:
a) Mr. Day stated Civic publications have “portrayed public officials behind bars.” That is absolutely untrue. I request that you have Mr. Day produce evidence to support the statement that he made to the public and that was aired on Cape TV.
b) Mr. Boyd once again brought up the subject of a “Wanted Dead or Alive Po ster.” A wanted poster did appear in the Oct. 2002 Civic Chatline. However, nowhere does the poster reference the words “dead or alive.” This is not the first time Mr. Boyd has brought up the same identical complaint. He made the same false accusation previously during city council meetings in Feb. 2004 (see previous response attached) when he, Mr. Day and Mr. Asfour orchestrated a “Civic bashing” that aired on Cape TV. Mr. Boyd has now done so again, under your watch on Cape TV.
I have also attached the poster and more importantly the related story from the Oct. 2002 Chatline. Where are the words “dead or alive?” Where is there any depiction of “public officials behind bars?” Mr. Boyd and Mr. Day’s claims are totally false, however once again, false information from your council dais was allowed to air on Cape TV.
c) Both Mr. Boyd and Mr. Day made statements as to the affairs and operation of the Coral Civic Association. Neither of them are members of Civic. Neither of them have first hand knowledge of Civic affairs. As such, their statements as to the affairs and policies of Civic are hearsay, innuendo and totally devoid of fact. Yet, their reckless and inaccurate statements were allowed to air on TV, without any substantive basis.
The Cape Coral Civic Association is comprised of citizens of this city. Citizens have the right to individual thought and expression. Public officials, especially from the dais, should and must be held accountable to higher standards than the public in this expression.
Mayor, during your election campaign it was your opinion that it is the mayor who is responsible for the conduct of city council meetings. I totally agree with you on this point. Blatantly false statements and personal attacks by members of your council are also reflective of improper conduct that is now occurring on your watch. It reflects badly on you, since you are allowing this to happen.
If what was said about Civic can not be substantiated by the individuals cited in the examples above, Civic requests that you, as Mayor and chair, publicly apologize for the gross misstatements, distortions and falsehoods that were aired on Cape TV during the council meeting on July, 18. We sincerely hope and trust that you, as Mayor, will not permit this to happen again.
Respectfully submitted,
Ralph LePera, President