Regarding Republicans treating party affiliation as a more important qualification than knowledge, skill, or experience, here is fresh news from NW Florida (A.K.A. “Lower Alabama”):
Coastal entity Santa Rosa County has an all-volunteer Marine Advisory Committee, for which the owner of a local aquaculture company offered her services. Alth…
Regarding Republicans treating party affiliation as a more important qualification than knowledge, skill, or experience, here is fresh news from NW Florida (A.K.A. “Lower Alabama”):
Coastal entity Santa Rosa County has an all-volunteer Marine Advisory Committee, for which the owner of a local aquaculture company offered her services. Although the county is overwhelmingly Republican, the County Commission is officially non-partisan. Nonetheless, Commissioner James Calkins proclaimed that he would not vote for the volunteer unless she changed her political affiliation to Republican from Democrat.
Per local television station WEAR Calkins labeled Florida Democrats an “Evil Party”, and asserted, "The majority of the citizens expect us to put political appointees that are republican in positions…. That's what they expect us to do and I'm speaking for them."
Encouragingly, two other Commissioners and several citizens have spoken critically of the comments, one stating, “You are a dangerous person Mr. Calkins.”
Regarding Republicans treating party affiliation as a more important qualification than knowledge, skill, or experience, here is fresh news from NW Florida (A.K.A. “Lower Alabama”):
Coastal entity Santa Rosa County has an all-volunteer Marine Advisory Committee, for which the owner of a local aquaculture company offered her services. Although the county is overwhelmingly Republican, the County Commission is officially non-partisan. Nonetheless, Commissioner James Calkins proclaimed that he would not vote for the volunteer unless she changed her political affiliation to Republican from Democrat.
Per local television station WEAR Calkins labeled Florida Democrats an “Evil Party”, and asserted, "The majority of the citizens expect us to put political appointees that are republican in positions…. That's what they expect us to do and I'm speaking for them."
Encouragingly, two other Commissioners and several citizens have spoken critically of the comments, one stating, “You are a dangerous person Mr. Calkins.”