Doug - Gyrocopter Man - Reports to Prison

Doug Hughes' cake celebrates America.

Remember Doug Hughes from just north of Manatee County in Ruskin, Florida?  He landed a gyrocopter on the West Front of the Capitol in an attempt to deliver mail to each member of Congress.  The letters demanded that our Congressional representatives refuse to take large contributions from big donors and corporations, because this corrupts the democratic process.  As Doug wrote -

"That much money is a megaphone which drowns out the voices of 'We the People.'"

Most of the media attention on Hughes focused on the illegal landing of his gyrocopter and the lack of security that allowed it.  Hughes was sentenced to jail-time for his action.  After months of house arrest and losing his job with the postal service, Doug has just started serving his prison sentence. Manasota Move To Amend activist, Rhana Bazzini, spent time with Hughes just prior to the commencement of his prison sentence. He even had a cake specially made for the occasion. Brenna Williams from CNN reported on his last hours of freedom.  Most remarkably, Doug Hughes spent his last couple of hours of freedom lobbying Tim Cannova to get big money out of politics.

Public Comment with the Manatee County Commissioners

Manasota Move To Amend pressed forward with the Manatee Board of County Commissioners during the Public Comment period of their June 7 meeting.  Jaime Canfield, William Dennison, Mary Sheppard, and Frank Dellert took to the podium to catalog some of the problems associated with corporate power from a local perspective. This was their second attempt to speak.  On May 24, a group of Move To Amend supporters did not get a chance to speak due to a large group that monopolized the microphone. They persevered and returned two weeks later.