Update: Kissimmee commissioners vote against changing city's logo

Last night, Kissimmee, Florida, commissioners voted against adding the words "In God We Trust" to the city's logo. An excerpt from today's The Orlando Sentinel:

The suggestion to revamp the logo caused an uproar last week after City Commissioner Art Otero, who proposed it, was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel calling the Obama administration "socialist" and knocking homosexuality, abortion and legalized marijuana.

At Tuesday night's commission meeting, Mayor Jim Swan read a statement criticizing Otero's comments as "irresponsible" and said they had brought Kissimmee "criticism, ridicule and sensationalism." The mayor tonight said he answered 60 citizen e-mails, half complaining that the proposal would violate the separation of church and state and the other half from people "incensed by the bigoted remarks."

Commissioners voted 4-1 to nix the logo change. Otero was in the minority.

Commissioner Cheryl Grieb tonight said she was concerned that people had threatened to boycott the city because they were offended by Otero's remarks. She also said the good of residents should come before commissioners' personal feelings.

"The city of Kissimmee doesn't want to be seen as anti-anything," Grieb said. "We're such a melting pot."

Otero, who said that his comments were taken out of context by the Orlando Sentinel reporter who first reported on his proposal, refused to talk to the paper saying that he didn't trust the media. He also offered prayers for the reporter.

It's good to know that common sense prevailed.

Previously:

• Kissimmee commissioner thinks changing the city's logo will do away with the gay (July 28, 2009)