The administrative employees of the City of St. Augustine are in a pickle. It has been shown that the City Attorney has been giving innacurate, contradictory and inconsistent legal counsel regarding the First Amendment Rights of visual artists. He has resigned after 15 years with no reason for his departure given to the people. No word on a replacement. The day to day operations are to be done by Asst. City Attorney Robin Upchurch ("Florida Coastal School of Law" alumnus) whose behaviour so far shows a lack of breeding. Courtesy and manners go a long way when working as a public servant. Her comment that our artist friend Suvo "smells of alcohol and is rude"(1) cannot be further from the truth. Perhaps a turpentine odor lingers in his clothes and his straightforward speech may be interpreted as rudeness (we do not know how) but he is polite to the point almost being Canadian.

"Toleration is not the opposite of intolerance but the counterfeit of it. Both are despotisms: the one assumes to itself the right of withholding liberty of conscience, the other of granting it." -- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man

Isn´t it time to have the visual artists ( original paintings, prints, sculpture and photographs) back on St. George Street? A bad "law" is no law at all.

1. Later,Scott Raimondo told us that the actual statement concerning Suvo was made by Deborah Gibson, the administrative assistant to the City Attorney. Scott misspoke.