The petition names Gerard and Commissioner Gay Gentry, along with Stanton, police Chief Lester Aradi, outgoing fire Chief Jeff Bullock, City Attorney Alan Zimmet, and director of human resources Susan Sinz. It also lists Gerard's husband, Eric, and former City Commissioner Pat Burke as individuals whose actions should be scrutinized.
Section 2.06 General Powers and Duties
(b) The mayor or a city commissioner shall report to the city commission all violations or neglect of duty or any misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office, or improper conduct on the part of any elected or appointed official that may come to his or her knowledge.
Holmes and his supporters believe "dressing as a woman on city time and conspiring with city employees to keep vital information from the commission." Stanson wanted to wait until his son before coming out. Someone leaked the story to The St. Petersburg Times. Stanton begged the newspaper to hold to story to no avail. He was concerned of how her son would be treated by classmates.
The Largo City Commission voted to start an investigation. Mayor Gerald casted the only dissenting vote. Gentry was extremely emotional during the vote. The Pinellas County Sheriff's office will head the inquiry.
Gentry then emotionally told other commissioners “if you all don’t like that then you don’t need me up here (on the dais.)”
Gentry voted for the investigation.
"I have nothing to hide. You all know it all already," Gentry said.
Curtis Holmes has a history with Mayor Gerald.
One speaker, Curtis Holmes, accused Mayor Pat Gerard of seeking financial gain from the issue. He angrily objected to allegedly being called a “bigot” by Gerard because he had called for Stanton to be fired.
“I said I don’t care if he changes species,” Holmes said. “I made it perfectly clear that I don’t care. I said he should be fired because he kept this a secret. The only issue is what he is doing and whether it is good for the city of Largo.”
Holmes claimed Gerard’s husband, Eric, who runs an advertising agency, was now handling Stanton’s public relations and “I’ve heard there are going to be book deals. There is a chance of profit here.”
Gerard and her husband emphatically denied that they are doing any work for Stanton.
“We don’t do public relations,” Eric Gerard said, pointing out his company handles advertising for large companies throughout the United States.
Things get more interesting. Holmes is the founder of the 527 group Friends of Largo. Pinch-A-Penny founder Fred Thomas gave $20,000 to FOL. Before Stanton announced he was transgender; Thomas tried to get Stanton fired in early 2006.
Pinch-A-Penny founder Fred Thomas pointed at Largo's city manager during a City Commission meeting last August and made a prediction: "You're not going to win."
The millionaire businessman was promoting a plan to relocate his pool supply headquarters to a site near the old Crossroads Mall. City staff was cool to the idea.
Grinning, he told City Manager Steve Stanton, "I'm still in the ring."
Thomas also has different addresses for him homestead exception and voter registration.
But longtime Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Kurt Browning said the scenario doesn't add up. Asked Browning: How can Thomas claim the homestead exemption and vote in Largo? "The fact remains you get your homestead on your homestead - where you live," said Browning, past president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. "Two and two are not equaling four here."
Thomas flew then Largo Mayor Bob Jackson to lobby on his companies behave. He contributed $27,500 to Jackson's campaign. Friends of Largo sent out campaign flyers for Jackson. The winner of the election was Pat Gerald. She opposed land use change deal to expand Thomas's Pinch-A-Penny facility.
What a tangled web we weave...
If I had been in the position of Steve/Susan Stanton I wouldn't have revealed this publically either, until I had all the preparation done, which is what she seemed to be doing when it hit the papers. When one is "transitioning" there is an accepted way to do it on-the-job, which consists of telling key personal who, when allowed, tell their employees, etc. Then they usually bring in a medical expert to educate the other affected employees. From what I have read that is exactly what she was doing. One thing that most people are missing here; and elsewhere is that transsexualism is listed in the DSM-IV-TR (whether it should be or not) as an official medically-recognized condition (Gender Identity Disorder). If I were Ms. Stanton I would retain the best attorney I could find and sue the Hell out of any and all of those who disclosed her condition in the first place. Those being accused now of "keeping this secret" should use the defense that they were afraid of being sued, or the city being sued, if they revealed her medical condition.
ReplyDeleteThis all is ridiculous. This has NOTHING to do with "protecting" the city of Largo. This whole thing has PLENTY to do with a couple of schoolyard bullies (Fred Thomas and his minion, Curtis Holmes) who didn't get their way and are willing to do ANYTHING to "fix" that and bring down those who beat them the first time. I can just imagine the glee they experienced when they found just the "weapon" they needed; Ms. Stanton's transsexuality.
I said he should be fired because he kept this a secret, and thats the main point behind all this problem. I probably wouldn't do it again, but you need more sources dear blogger.
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