Our View

What is it that compels normally decent people to devolve into duels of incessant nastiness?

A lot of blame can be spread around — the candidates, their handlers, the media and, to be sure, the special interests who stand to win or lose their share of the taxpayer spoils.

It’s an ugly, exhausting time — these political campaign seasons. But it’s also important. For the first time since Goldwater have we witnessed a national movement where voters are saying they want less, not more from their government. We’ll see.

Meantime, if you haven’t voted, here is a summary of our recommendations:

FEDERAL
U.S. Senate — Marco Rubio
U.S. House, District 13 — Vern Buchanan

STATE
Governor — Rick Scott
Attorney General — Pam Bondi
Chief Financial Officer — Jeff Atwater
Commissioner of Agriculture — Adam Putnam

SUPREME COURT
Retain — Charles T. Canady, Ricky L. Polston
Do not retain — Jorge Labarga, James E.C. Perry

COURT OF APPEAL
Retain — Marva Crenshaw, Patricia Kelly, Nelly N. Khousam, Robert Morris, Stevan Northcutt, Craig Villanti, Douglas Wallace

LEGISLATIVE
State House District 67 — Greg Steube
State House District 68 — Jim Boyd
State House District 69 — Ray Pilon
State House District 70 — Doug Holder

FLORIDA AMENDMENTS
Amendment 1 — Repeal of public campaign financing requirement — Yes
Amendment 2 — Homestead ad valorem tax credit for deployed military personnel — Yes
Amendment 4 — Referenda required for adoption and amendment of local government comprehensive land-use plans — No
Amendment 5 — Standards for Legislature to follow in legislative redistricting — No
Amendment 6 — Standards for Legislature to follow in congressional redistricting — No
Amendment 8 — Revision of the class size requirements for public schools — Yes
Nonbinding referendum — A nonbinding vote calling for an amendment ot the U.S. Constitution to balance the federal budget — Yes

COUNTY
MANATEE
Manatee County Commission — Carol Whitmore
Manatee County School Board 
District 3 — Julie Aranibar
School Board Referendum — Authority to levy 0.25 mills for critical operating needs by super majority vote — No

SARASOTA
Sarasota County Commission
District 2 — Joe Barbetta
District 4 — Nora Patterson
Sarasota County Charter Review Board
District 2 — Steven R. Fields
District 5 — Kevin T. Connelly
Sarasota Hospital Board
Northern Seat 2 —Robert K. Strasser
Southern Seat 1 — Darryl W. Henry

Kudos Korner
+ SSA+S milestone
What started as an idea at the dining table of Larry Eger and Susan Burns 13 years ago blossomed over the past 13 years.

The Sarasota School of Arts + Sciences, one of Sarasota’s first charter schools, broke ground Wednesday on a new three-story school building on Central Avenue.

Congratulations go to the visionary founders — Eger, Burns, William Hartman, Julie Jeffrey, Lauren Johnson, Devin Rutkowski and George Sweitzer — and all of the parents, faculty and students who have toiled and contributed to SSA+S’ growth.

SSA+S, which started with 50 students, is expected to have a new building and 750 students next year.