The Gang of Three is defined by its actions

[Monroe County Planning] Commissioner [John] Marston [must] be kidding with the citizens of Monroe County with this [guest column] in the Key West Citizen.

The English Thesaurus defines "gang" as a bunch of criminals, mob, bunch of hooligans, or band. Could you go to the dictionary and find [Commissioner Mario] Di Gennaro's, [Commis-sioner Dixie] Spehar's and [Mayor Sonny] McCoy's pictures under the word? If it walks like a duck. ...

Is the "Gang of Three" evil in itself, or is it what evil this "Gang of Three" does? Let's take a look at what the gang has done.

This gang has raped, looted, and pillaged Monroe County's land development regulations and the 2010 comprehensive plan with the help of hired outside attorney Jerry Coleman, at the cost of over $400,000 to the taxpayers of Monroe County. The gang has spent our pots of gold (taxes) like drunken sailors on a Hickory House restaurant for $3.2 million; sinking of a ship called the Vandenberg for the cost of $2 million; cost overruns of the McCoy airport terminal in Key West [at] close to $30 million; [and] $20 million on government centers in Key West and Key Largo.

Our [county] staff has, and is, being cut to the bone while some of our new captains of departments are making $100,000-plus during these lean times. Our islands are surrounded by water, but the gang made the captain of Marine Resources walk the plank. The gang plundered and raided the citizens who fought to keep their homes, yet to no avail, and abducted their piece of the island so the spoils of war could be rezoned for their fellow pirates. Why did Captain Spehar unexpectedly come to the conclusion that Skipper [Tom] Willi was not the best chief? Would it have to do with Captain Spehar running for re-election? ...

The gang tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the South Florida Regional Planning Council, (working waterfronts proposed ordinance) but SFRPC has recommended to the Department of Community Affairs to send it back to Monroe County for the second time. The Gang of Three altered the ordinance on Feb. 4 in favor of private developers on Stock Island, so their developer pals would have more booty in their coffers, not thinking or caring for what is best for the whole of the community.

[Marston's column] sounds as if it were right out of the political campaign handbook; [is he] trying to dismiss or dispel why citizens are appalled with the Gang of Three? The Gang of Three is just the visible part of the gang. The other members are the select few who benefit from the Gang of Three's back-room actions.

Come August, ... Monroe County will take the controls of this vessel, do some maneuvering and change direction, so law and order can again reign.

Kay Thacker,

Key Largo