As a Hollywood resident and business person, I found Sean Rowe's article on the Hollywood mayoral race extremely slanted against Mayor Mara Giulianti ("Face Off," February 5). Aside from implying that the Johnson Street project was awarded due to bias, and a few other questionable statements, has he [Rowe] ever attended a number of city commissioners' meetings? Does he realize that John Coleman's agenda is to go against everything? I have seen him time and again at city hall, on television, say things and make claims that are simply not true.
When we came to this community three years ago, the central beach area was in total decline. The Canadian dollar was devalued, hurting the motels that relied on a Canadian customer. Young families had gone elsewhere for better accommodations. The small hotels had lost their mainstay market. This clientele was being replaced by transient people, prostitutes, and crack houses. Thank God, our mayor recognized that this area needed some help revitalizing itself. Over the past few years the beach and the downtown areas have come back to a vitality that will allow the property owners to invest, update, and maintain their buildings.
Like all communities, we need a firm foundation and a strong economy. I for one am going to vote for a mayor who has shown the courage to quit counting the potential votes and lead her city.
Name Witheld by Request
Hollywood
Giulianti: Hypocritical, Divisive, and Just Plain Icky
I cannot commend writer Sean Rowe enough for his marvelously insightful article about the Hollywood mayoral race. Rowe's writing style is the type of journalism we need in South Florida. The article's accuracy is unquestioned. It tells it like it is. Most revealing were Mara Giulianti's responses to Rowe's questions.
Nothing is more insightful to a person's character than their own words. It is there in black and white. Nothing is out of context. Nothing is more revealing. Giulianti's own words indict her for the true hypocrite she is. She always says she is going to run a positive campaign, but in the interview, she can't wait to rip John Coleman and cast aspersions. She then has the temerity to say she doesn't make "value judgments" on people. She should have one-zillionth the integrity Coleman has.
She is undoubtedly the most divisive, vile, and vicious individual to ever disgrace the City Commission dais in Hollywood's 73-year history. Only Giulianti could compare a sales clerk at Macy's with wired lobbyist Alan Koslow. Only she could bring up past popes and disparage the Catholic Church to justify taking campaign contributions from Koslow.
New Times should be ready for many complaints about the article from Chamber of Commerce members and Giulianti's lackeys. It is sad but true. Every Hollywood voter should be required to read the article before casting their ballots on March 10, in the city's most important election ever. Actually, they should read it many times because it gets better and better.
How any Hollywood voter who lives in a neighborhood could even think of voting for Giulianti is beyond comprehension. For twelve years she has completely turned her back on our neighborhoods.
I want to thank Sean Rowe again for his thought-provoking article. Let's have more of this type of quality journalism.
Mike Tamburro
Hollywood
Corrections
Two mistakes were printed in the New Times story about the upcoming mayoral race in the city of Hollywood ("Face Off," February 5). Due to reporter error, Fort Lauderdale businesswoman Kitty Ryan, owner of O'Hara's Pub and Sidewalk Cafe, was misidentified as Kitty Oliver. Due to editor error, the mayor's name was misspelled on the cover; it is correctly spelled Giulianti. We regret the errors.