William (Coty) Keller
September 9, 2026
Disclosures: I am (1) not
compensated for this article and (2) not a member of a political party. When in
the Navy, I took my oath to the constitution and did not feel it appropriate to
obligate to a party or individual. In my
second career as a college professor, it seemed fitting that my students could
trust me to be politically neutral. Now in my third, non-paying career as an
ecologist, I have discovered that we need bipartisan solutions for a livable
world. This means working with both parties.
I am urging Non-Party
Affiliated (NPA) citizens to join me and turn out to vote for Matt Montavon.
Here’s why:
The economy is killing us and the incumbent won’t help us
United Way data tell us that
too many people in Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota County are in grave financial
circumstances. Their ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report
explains that nearly half of households cannot afford the basic cost of
living. Even the rest of us, above the ALICE threshold but below the top
1%, are at a disadvantage. Corporations and the rich are taking it all.
Greg Steube doesn’t care
about us regular people. The
incumbent isn’t concerned about us grass roots folks because he doesn't need
(or want) us. Anybody who has ever reached out to our congressman knows he is
not accessible to regular people. Stuebe’s support comes from outside the district.
Open Secrets tells us that Steube’s financial campaign support comes primarily
from corporations (sugar, agriculture), political action committees (PACs) with
corporate interests, and wealthy individual donors (many with corporate
interests).
Steube is on the take from Corporations, and Corporations
are hurting us. Because the supreme court has decided that corporations
have the same constitutional rights as people, we regular people are screwed. The
economy does not work in our favor. The healthcare and food systems support
corporate profits over individual needs. Our world is becoming unlivable
because political decisions are more influenced by corporations and the
wealthy. If you have not heard of this
concept of “Corporate Personhood,” please take 4 ½ minutes to watch the Peter
Coyoty video, Why we need the We the People Amendment .
He explains the problem, and the solution.
Matt Montavon has pledged to
support the We the People Amendment.
Matthew is on
the record: “I support amending the
U.S. Constitution to make clear that corporations and other artificial entities
do not have Constitutional rights and that money is not speech and campaign
spending should be limited through regulation. I will use my office to support
the Movement to Amend Coalition by passing resolutions, proposing legislation,
and publicly speaking out about the need for this Amendment.
I will refuse corporate PAC money for my campaign and will work to get
corporate and big money out of politics. Our political offices should represent
the will of the people, and not the will of corporations or large donors.”
The incumbent doesn’t care
about Veterans, Montavon has been among us.
Steube, a veteran of sorts
(he was an Army lawyer), has not even given the courtesy of a response to
numerous requests to speak to Florida Veterans for Common Sense (FLVCS). He voted against the PACT Act which helps
veterans suffering from serious health effects of Burn Pit exposure. He brags
about being a veteran, but I have seen no evidence of his support for us.
I met Montavon at a FLVCS
meeting. and we have become
friends. Matt knows what it is like to
serve overseas from his time in the peace corps. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa
Rica from 1979 to 1981, supporting rural agricultural communities, which formed
the foundation of a long career in public administration and international food
security.
Matt honors his parents, who
met while serving in the Navy during WWII. They both were very proud of their
service and are buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida.
Matthew knows that veterans
sacrificed to serve their country, and he believes that we should return to
civilian life with all the support we need: access to education, help finding a
job, affordable housing, and good healthcare. Matt emphasizes that this is no
time to cut services for veterans or for military families, as Steube supported
budget proposals do. Florida’s 17th District has a high percentage of residents
who are veterans (8%), and they will have Montavon’s full support in Congress.
NPA’s can send Montavon to
congress
Steube will likely have the
votes of most Republicans, which make up 39% to 41% of FL – 17
-which encompasses all of Charlotte County as well as portions of Sarasota and
Lee counties, including parts of Fort Myers. If NPAs/others (29% to 32%) join
Democrats (29% to 31%) we have a possible 58% - 63% majority. Think
of what a victory that would be: a win over big money, corporations, and
special interest. A win for regular
people and veterans. We will have a congressman who cares for us.
William “Coty” Keller is
in his third (non-paying) career as an ecologist working to conserve and restore
the natural relationships among living things and the
environment. Coty’s served 21 years in the US Navy where he
commanded two ships and taught National Security Affairs & Management at
the Naval War College. He was an associate professor of graduate Management at
St. Joseph’s College. Coty lives and
works in Port Charlotte, Florida and Freeport, NY. https://www.ecopapak.org/.