The Truth Behind the Fabel...

Once upon a time, there was a man named, Jim, who lived in Arizona, N.Y., N.J., Mass., Calif., and many other places, but who decided he really wanted to live on a beautiful island. So off to the island he traveled, to find a home.

But the homes on this small island were very expensive. So expensive that families who lived there for many generations couldn’t afford to repair them. A small band of concerned islanders formed a Land Trust organization so these historic families could afford to live out their lives in their modest homes.

Along came Jim, saying I want to be one of these families too. So Jim bought a house, but not the land - the Land Trust bought the land, but not the house. It was a good deal for Jim.

Jim then went on to become the Land Trust’s Treasurer, then President. This story might have a happy ending for Jim, except that he had trouble being good Treasurer.

People started asking questions about what was happening with this Land Trust’s money. The people were upset, because it was their money that funded this organization, and the very land upon which Jim’s house sat.

The organization started to run out of money. It sent the people a bill for $102,000, and the people said, OK, and paid it. They sent the people another bill, for another $102,000, and the people, in good faith, paid that bill as well. Yet that wasn’t enough.

Still the organization couldn’t maintain its homes, and the good people began to wonder: "Where is all our money going?"

The people complained louder and louder that their money was being taken and the homes still looked shabby.

"Enough!" - the people said, and insisted the houses be fixed. Since the organization didn’t have the money, they complained they were being harassed. The peoples’ leaders said "We don’t permit harassment" and began looking into what was happening.

The leader was looking into the complaint when he discovered the Land Trust had billed the people twice for the same $102,000.

Then came the Big Bad City Commissioner huffing and puffing at President Jim’s door.

"What say you about the extra $102,000?" the Commissioner asked.

"If you were hurting for money, why did you give the boss’ boyfriend a $26,000 bonus?" "What say you." the Commissioner asked.

"You didn’t have money to fix your homes, but you paid your Director $91,000 a year. When she said that wasn’t enough, you gave her a $25,000 cash advance. Still... the houses didn’t get fixed.

"What say you?" the Big Bad City Commissioner asked.

"Stop picking on us," President Jim whined. "You’re attacking us... I feel threatened... Leave us alone... Go away!"

"No," the good people said. "We want answers." They demanded to know where their money had gone, but the organization stalled.

"It is but us poor few minions to meet your needs, and we can not," the Land Trust said.

The good People were not deterred.

"Not one more nickel from the People, until this is resolved," bellowed the Big Bad City Commissioner.

"What ever shall we do?" pondered President Jim. "Ah Ha!," he shouted. "I have it!"

"I will depose the Big Bad City Commissioner," President Jim declared. "No longer will he be able to huff and puff and threaten to blow our house down."

"No one will dare challenge us then, for I will become the Big Bad City Commissioner," he said.

"I will be the Land Trust’s friend on the City Commission, and all will be well again in our land of broken down homes, double billings, conflicts of interest, cash transactions, huge bonuses and pay advances."

"I will do all the huffing and puffing, and scare away anyone who dares ask questions of us," President/Treasurer Jim said.

With that... Jim shed his President/Treasurer’s cloak and began to roam the land.

From house to house now-Candidate Jim went, crying to anyone who would listen, that he was a victim and so too his Land Trust.

The Big Bad Commissioner was an evil person. So too was the Big Bad Mayor... and the Big Bad City Attorney... and the Big Bad Consultant. Everyone was bad but him.

The Big Bad Commissioner extended Candidate Jim an olive branch. Candidate Jim snatched the olive branch and used it to thrash and whip the Big Bad Commissioner.

"They threatened me!" Candidate Jim cried, as he ran to tell the High Sheriff.

Leaving the Sheriff’s office, he ran immediately to the town crier proclaiming, "Take heed, take heed! I’ve been threatened, I’ve been threatened!"

"Not so," said the High Sherrif, as he dismissed the charge.

"Ahh... the High Sherrif must be in on it too," whispered Candidate Jim to any who would listen.

While slithering about the market one day, Candidate Jim spied the Big Bad Commissioner’s once-betrothed from two decades ago.

"Dear Lady, share with me the dirt that caused your nuptials to sever," Candidate Jim pried, as the venomous salivate dripped steadily from his carnivores chops.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Sir, but there was no dirt to share. To this day, all is well," the Dear Lady replied.

With that... Candidate Jim flew into a rage. "She too, must be in on it," he growled while storming away.

To this day, Candidate Jim walks the land, whispering one thing on one side of the village, whispering a different song on the other.

To all whom may listen, beware the siren’s song from this wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing.

Shortly, a scroll will be placed before you. Consider wisely, then place your mark aside the name of Clayton Lopez; the not so big... not so bad... City Commissioner.

Credits...

The part of Big Bad City Commissioner was played by current City Commissioner Clayton Lopez.

The part of Treasurer/President Jim was played by Lopez’s opponent James Marquardt.

The part of the Land Trust was played by the Bahama Conch Community Land Trust - a nonprofit organization.

Written, Directed & Produced solely by Scott Fraser as a "Paid Political Advertisement paid for by Scott Fraser, PO Box 4215, Key West, Florida 33041 independently of any candidate. This advertisement was not approved by any candidate."