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Pinellas official says he regrets confusion about remarks
By LISA GREENE, Times Staff Writer It was an awkward question, but Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch had to know. He called his colleague, John Morroni, at home on New Year's Day and asked him: "John, did you say the things that were reported?" "He said, 'Absolutely not,' " Welch said. So Welch, a black Democrat, said Wednesday he supports Morroni, a white Republican. The support was echoed by other political leaders who declined to criticize, or even publicly discuss, racial remarks that Morroni is accused of making to a photographer for the St. Petersburg Times. The photographer, Carrie Pratt, said Morroni advised her against buying a house in St. Petersburg because blacks live throughout the city and crime is higher there. Only a few leaders were willing to question Morroni's actions. County Commissioner Karen Seel suggested that he apologize. And Tal Rutledge, a Clearwater community leader, said Morroni's explanation didn't really satisfy him. Morroni released a statement Wednesday repeating earlier comments that he had not made any racial remarks and offering his "sincerest apologies to Ms. Pratt for any possible misunderstanding." But Morroni remained angry at the Times for writing about the Dec. 19 conversation. "I understand the Times has a responsibility to report the news, but that doesn't mean they have to make it, and that's what I feel you guys are doing on this," he said. Pratt was riding in Morroni's car on Dec. 19 while working on a news story when the two began chatting about her interest in buying a home. Morroni, who also is a Realtor, gave her his realty card and advised her to live in Clearwater rather than St. Petersburg. Morroni told her that because blacks live all over St. Petersburg, crime is high, while in Clearwater, all the blacks live in Greenwood, so she would know where not to live, Pratt said. Pratt told Times editors about the remarks on Friday. Such remarks would violate state and federal fair housing laws. Morroni said he made no reference to race in the conversation, telling Pratt only that crime rates are higher in St. Petersburg. A few weeks ago, Welch publicly supported St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker's decision to fire police Chief Mack Vines after Vines described a black suspect's actions as those of an orangutan. But Welch said this incident is different. "It's one person's word against another's," he said. "It's not that I'm calling her a liar, but I'm giving John the benefit of the doubt. . . . There are some folks where I would say, 'That doesn't surprise me.' But it just doesn't fit John." The opinions of Welch and Calvin Harris, outgoing commission chairman, carry a lot of weight with St. Petersburg NAACP president Darryl Rouson. "We've got one person who may have misunderstood or misconstrued, so it's inappropriate for us to condemn a man, absent any pattern or practice," Rouson said. "I want to be careful about fanning the flame of racial tensions." Rouson said he would like Morroni's fellow commissioners to find out more about what Morroni said and let the public know. Meanwhile, Rutledge, a North Greenwood community activist and member of the Clearwater chapter of the NAACP, said the report about criticism of Greenwood left him feeling "somewhat slighted." "If he said that, I would not like to see him on our County Commission," Rutledge said. "He is not a true representative of the people. A lot of his decisions will be biased. . . . A lot of people, whether they say anything, will remember that at election time." Baker and Terry Brett, chairman of the board of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, declined to discuss Morroni's remarks. Clearwater City Manager Bill Horne also declined to comment, except to say that Clearwater crime isn't concentrated in Greenwood. Baker said St. Petersburg's crime rate is lower than those of other large Florida cities. Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst said the reported comments just don't sound like Morroni's. "I don't think if that was said it was meant the way it came out," he said. "He's never been anything but a guy for the people and by the people." Seel also said she has never heard Morroni say anything racially insensitive. But, she said, she doesn't think Pratt would lie, and she thinks the Times is careful about its facts. "I'm trying to understand the whole scenario or picture here," Seel said. "I think it would behoove him to explain and apologize." County Republican Party Chairman Paul Bedinghaus said he believes Morroni. Democrat Dave Buby, who ran against Morroni last year and plans to run against him again this fall, said he doesn't know what to believe. But he doesn't plan to make an issue of the conversation in the coming campaign. "John and I ran a real clean campaign last time, and I hope to do that again this time," he said. "People will sort it out and decide what they want to do about it." -- Times staff writer Deborah O'Neil contributed to this report.
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