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Hernando Today

Act II For Housing Authority Road To Nowhere?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

The Brooksville Housing Authority Board on Tuesday evening accomplished what Mayor David Pugh had set them out to do.

Amidst profuse declarations of what a fine person Executive Director Ronnie McLean was and how hard he had worked to remedy the horrendous mess he had inherited when he was given the helm at the authority a scant year ago, blatant racism and greed provided a 3-2 vote to terminate Mr. McLean.

Much has been said about the failure of leadership in the case of the racial abuse of county utility workers, but unfortunately there are still those who want to recreate the Brooksville they lived in half a century ago. For those folks, no amount of skill, initiative, industry and competence can overcome their perceptions of race.

Much has been written about the clever maneuverings of the two other members of Mayor Pugh's BHA Board. Many of us will remember the excellent reporting in these pages on their "Road to Nowhere" project where block grant money intended to improve the community of South Brooksville was cleverly siphoned away to develop their properties along Interstate 75 in Ridge Manor.

In their effort to remove someone whom officials at HUD tell me has done a "miraculous" job of rescuing the BHA, are we seeing the beginnings of another maneuver to effect a land grab that will once again divert public money to their personal gain?

Should that happen, Mayor Pugh and the members of the Brooksville City Council will be answerable to the voters of Brooksville.

Steven J. Zeledon

Ridge Manor

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