Editor,
I have followed Midway politics for many years — and I have written a column for more than four years — as a concerned citizen. The article in Sunday’s Coastal Courier regarding Councilman Stanley Brown Sr. by Tiffany King (“Midway councilman claims speeding ticket is retaliation”) caught my attention.

Brown stated that he was given a speeding ticket in retaliation for speaking up about what he perceived were problems with the Midway Police Department. The last that I knew, police radar devices don’t have a retaliation button on them. They just read numbers based on the speed of a vehicle. Since Brown pleaded guilty, I guess the radar worked properly.

It seemed to me that Councilman Brown was accusing the police of corruption by showing favoritism to others — favoritism that he seems to have wanted when he stated, “… they would not have given me the ticket.” That sounds to me that he expected to be given special consideration since he was a councilman. Corruption is defined as dishonest behavior by powerful people. Brown has never presented proof of any favoritism by the police.

He stated, “… it’s retaliation, I guess to embarrass me.” I think getting a speeding ticket is embarrassing, especially since he is a Midway councilman and should know the speed laws in the city.

His arrogance jumped out at me, as he stated, “I feel that I can do a better job than anyone else that is up there (City Council).” Considering the way that he treats the Midway police, it’s pretty bad if he is better than the other council members.
Councilman Brown has some delusional concept that there are problems with the police department. I have seen none in all the years that I have known Chief Kelli Morningstar and the other officers.

Brown came before the City Council during a meeting and claimed there were complaints about the police, yet when Councilwoman Melice Gerace asked if he had any written complaints or accusations, he couldn’t produce one.  
He also didn’t want the Midway police to respond to “assist” calls from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, although it is required by state law. Sheriff Steve Sikes set him straight. Brown also didn’t want the Midway police to cover Liberty County schools because the schools belong to the county. He must have forgotten that Midway children attend those schools.

You get what you vote for, and Midway voted for the untested and inexperienced Stanley Brown Sr. I strongly suggest that Councilman Brown resign so that the city can select someone who is not so disruptive of the city. Brown is making the police department’s job more difficult because of his unfounded and unverifiable accusations.

Just because he is a councilman, Brown got a special judge, special prosecutor and a special court hearing, which was not made public. By the way, who paid for the special court personnel and the overtime for the police officers — Brown or the city? Do ordinary citizens get such attention or media coverage?

Len Calderone
Midway