Robert Mounts
Active Citizen
I have over 45 years of public service to my state and country and have spent much of the years back home since 2014 in Gainesville heavily engaged in public policy as an "active citizen". I will continue to stay engaged, both as a former neighborhood association leader, current President of the Matheson History Museum, Inc., and until the Gainesville Sun cancelled its opinion section in November, 2022, as a monthly contributor to the Gainesville Sun. Visit the "News" section to see a collection of my monthly opinion pieces published in the Sun. Visit the "Issues" section to see other writings.
News
Supporting the Matheson History Museum on the Ilene Silverman Show
The Matheson History Museum's Executive Director, Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney, and I, as Board President, had the distinct pleasure of appearing on the Ilene Silverman Show the past two weekends, including WUFT-TV, to promote the good work of the museum. A short video without commercials of the show appears here: https://youtu.be/YfdeflOFFNE.
Past time to end capital punishment in America
This is likely my last opinion piece in The Gainesville Sun. Opinion Page Editor, Nathan Crabbe, has just informed me that this is his last week at the paper and that the paper will not accept any opinion pieces after his departure. Mark today, November 1, 2022, as the end of reasoned dialogue in the local paper; it is a sad day for local journalism and debate.
Still, I am glad to get this one on the public record. It is past time to end capital punishment in America.
High time for a moratorium on development
This piece suggests changes to the 2017 Gainesville Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code that are necessary to restore a real voice for the public in major development decisions. It was published in the Gainesville Sun on Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Don't believe the "Big Lie". Local elections show the process should be trusted
This is Op-Ed was posted online at gainesville.com today, Monday, August 30, 2022, and will be published this coming Sunday, September 4, 2022 in the Issues Section of the Gainesville Sun. It chronicles my recent experience as an observer of the Alachua County Canvassing Board.
Draft Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan
This column published online at gainesville.com August 2, 2022 addresses the draft Downtown Gainesville Strategic Plan, set for approval by the City Commission on August 4, 2022. It will appear in Sunday's Issues Section on August 7, 2022. The main idea is that in order to implement the many worthwhile ideas in the plan, the downtown area must be made "clean and safe", 24/7, 24 hours a day.
