Thomas has a point. Trustworthiness and integrity are important. And the City of Panama City Beach, which may enjoy greater name recognition among members of the state Ethics Commission than it does even among high school seniors in Dothan, has a lot of work to do in those areas. Sadly, there is no way to reconcile Thomas' performance of Oct. 14 with an effort to shore up the Beach's reputation and integrity. In the course of his tirade, Thomas both chastised Newberry for failing to contact him and, despite his unfamiliarity with Newberry, called him the most miserable man he had ever seen.
Respect begins at home.
Having done more damage to the Beach than Newberry ever will, Thomas has disqualified himself as someone who might be helpful to the city's cause. Beach Mayor Philip Griffitts and Councilman Junior Cook also deserve dishonorable mentions. Cook cautioned that Thomas might wish to withdraw his invitation so as to avoid possible trouble with the Humane Society. Once again, a Beach City Council meeting had assumed all of the decorum of a middle school locker room. Once again, we were reminded that it is past time to throw the boors out.