LTE: The Truth Be Heard Regarding The Keep The Chief Movement

Just recently, the unelected & unappointed leader of the dysfunctional wing of the current city council lectured us in a guest editorial, about the meaning of the”Keep The Chief” movement. Diving way down into the political gutter as the writer of this garbage is accustomed to doing, he attacks a very fine man of faith, character & integrity, our police Chief. He attacks this man who is loved, respected & admired by our Marco Island community & his fine police officers.

He lists various issues & untruths & spins them against our Chief & our Police Department. He has done this numerous times before & at one time at a city council meeting where he was verbally destroyed by members of the public and fellow Councilors. Yet he can’t let it go. And what can’t he let go? It would be his political vendetta fueled by his troubled & false allegation that the Police Chief did not support him in the last election. Now you know the truth & the “other side of the story”. Ugly Marco politics & politicians attempting to rob us of the finest Police Chief any city could have & by sitting by while the “Temporary” city manager carries out this dastardly deed as payback for this Councilors political vendetta.

When I was on the City Council & took part in the interviews of then candidate Dave Harden, I asked Harden how he viewed his role as temporary manager should he be selected. He answered that his role was to bring senior level experience, stability & help Council in the selection of a permanent Manager. He stated he would never take the job permanently. Well look what happened once he got the job. After a few days on the job, and having never visited the police building, he moves to terminate our Chief. Now I ask, if that’s senior level experience, I must be missing something. Are you? No I don’t think so!

Now I will let you be the Judge here, but if you ask me, the whole thing stinks!

But now you know the truth!

Joe Batte

Marco Island