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Hernando Today

Activist's Web Site Criticizes Officials

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: October 17, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Government activist Blaise Ingoglia is hitting the airwaves in his fight to unseat incumbent Democratic county commissioners Diane Rowden and Chris Kingsley.
Ingoglia said he has spent $28,000 of his own money to launch an advertisement blitz on major cable news channels, including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Bay News 9, to promote a 23-minute online video called "Take Hernando Back."

The ads will appear in prime time and during the day beginning Oct. 20, he said.
Ingoglia would not include incumbent Republican Jeff Stabins in his campaign.

"I'm staying away from that race for now, but not because Jeff is a Republican," he said. "I have my reasons, and it is for the betterment of the county."

Ingoglia's action prompted a sharp rebuke from Kingsley, who called the activist a "narcissistic egomaniac" with a Republican partisan agenda.

Kingsley went one step further and cast aspersions on Ingoglia's character by spreading rumors.

That brought an angry denial from Ingoglia, who said Kingsley "should be ashamed of himself for trying to divert the message and spread lies."

"This is just more proof that he (Kingsley) will do or say anything to keep the best paying job of his life," Ingoglia said.
Ingoglia is not stopping at television advertising to promote his Web site video at www.takehernandoback.com.
Ingoglia said he has mailed 10,000 postcards to people who purchased a home in Hernando County from 2005 through 2008 - "the people getting killed with real estate taxes."

Ingoglia, chief executive officer of Hartland Homes, said his mobile advertising truck will run 18 hours a day for 15 consecutive days with ads driving people to the Web site.

He plans to disseminate 10,000 flyers and erect hundreds of yard signs throughout the county.
Ingoglia said he has also purchased commercial air time on WWJB-AM.

"I am speaking on behalf of the residents of this county who are fed up with poor leadership, wasteful spending and bloated budgets," Ingoglia said. "I promise you when you see this video (you) would have to be awfully partisan or uninformed to vote for Kingsley or Rowden."
Ingoglia rose to prominence in Hernando County during last year's budget process after he organized a series of Government Gone Wild seminars, designed to increase residents' awareness of overspending and waste by local government.

In his video, Ingoglia said government worker salaries are out of line with the private sector. The average wage for a worker in Hernando County in 2007 was $27,650, compared to $37,297 for a government worker, Ingoglia said. And that doesn't include benefits, he added.
Ingoglia believes his online message will reach more people.

The video includes clips from last year's budget hearing and other county commission meetings that attempt to support Ingoglia's contention that Rowden and Kingsley are responsible for many of the government budget problems.
Ingoglia said the two Democratic candidates running for re-election are "not bad people, just bad leaders."
Ingoglia said he is supporting Republican John Druzbick, Rowden's challenger in the District 3 commission race. He is also supporting Republican James Adkins over Democrat Kingsley in the District 5 race.

Kingsley said he is not worried that Ingoglia's full-court advertising blitz will negatively affect him in the 18 days left until election.

"Most people have relegated him to basically inconsequential status," Kingsley said. "Most people see through him. Most people know this is all about Blaise and partisan politics."

Kingsley said his record of fiscal responsibility - which includes voting for six county tax rate millage reductions in seven years - speaks for itself.

"We have a very intelligent electorate in Hernando County and I believe they will completely discount anything this guy has to say," Kingsley said. "There is not a single commissioner in the history of Hernando County that has provided more tax relief than I have, and he can't argue that."

Statistics from the county budget office show that, while the millage has decreased, property tax revenues have increased from $46.6 million in 2004-05 to $62 million in 2007-08.

Rowden agreed Ingoglia's video is about partisan politics and people are tired of hearing negativity in campaigns, locally and nationally.

"I've been contributing to this county for almost a quarter century - giving to the community and caring," she said. "I can ask what Blaise Ingoglia has done to better Hernando County. All he's done is try and tear things down."

Rowden also defended the "hard working government workers who are giving their blood sweat and tears to making this community a better place to live."

"Blaise Ingoglia is part of the problem, not part of the solution," she said.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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