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You owe it to all of us to get on with what you're good at

Bad company?

Bad company?

Why is it generally assumed that a “bad” influence is more powerful than a “good” one? Parents often resist having their children play wi...

The Ledger needs an intervention

The Ledger needs an intervention

I loved my career at The Ledger. I have friends remaining, trapped in what now seems to be a disaster movie skidding downhill into an ign...

The Amerikan nightmare

The Amerikan nightmare

E pluribus unum. Or … Divide and conquer. Can’t have it both ways. We cannot be America and Amerika at the same time. But that of course ...

It’s called public “service” for a reason

How completely silly. Lakeland city commissioners vote themselves a pay raise, effective immediately, and pretend it is about attracting w...

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E-mail the commissioners

But one at a time, please!

For the most part, when recipients open an email that includes others they are less inclined to take it personally. Make sure your message resonates by sending it to each commissioner separately.

Scott Franklin - Stephanie Madden - Sara McCarley - Chad Mcleod

Bill Mutz - Bill Read - Phillip Walker

Each of these noble citizens represents all the rest of us. The four geographic designations - Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast, etc. - apply only to the residency requirements for commissioners, not to their constituents. Bill Read, for instance, lives in the city's northeast quadrant and is likely to be more in tune with the businesses and neighborhoods in that area, but serves us all as our representative to the city management and staff.

It will always help to send your message to City Manager Shawn Sherouse because it's his job to implement whatever projects, resolutions, and ordinances the Commission proposes in response to our communication.

State legislators representing Lakeland

Representative Colleen Burton

Senator Kelli Stargell