Who Does Mayor Seiler Really Stand For? (Clue: Check His Pockets)
Since Fort Lauderdale Mayor John "Jack" Seiler has been crowned as a prince of integrity and ethics by the Broward County School Board, I decided to see who has filled up his campaign coffers with cash.
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| Seiler, at right, With Eggelletion |
I found a veritable who's who of Seiler backers with interests not only in School Board business but with direct ties to the problems and/or the defense of School Board officials involved in the federal corruption investigation.
So let's take a look at who stands behind Seiler as he supposedly stands for us.
-- When Seiler ran for Fort Lauderdale Commission in 2008, Scott Rothstein and his law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt and Adler, bundled numerous contributions -- all of them at the Fort Lauderdale limit of $250 -- to his campaign. To see the list, look at the March 4 contributions on this form). As it happens, one of Rothstein's partners, Ken Padowitz, is representing Broward School Board Member Stephanie Kraft as she faces a federal investigation into conflicts of interests involving her husband, Mitch Kraft. I have also been told by a source that School Board Construction Chief Michael Garretson has gone to Rothstein's firm for
legal counsel.
-- Lobbyist Ron Book has been a strong supporter of Seiler through the years, handing Seiler some $5,000 total during Seiler's reign in the state Legislature and contributing another $1,000 during his commission run last year ($500 of that was illegal and had to be returned by Seiler). Book, of course, is the lobbyist who introduced Garretson to C&B Services after Hurricane Wilma and helped secure that company, which was unlicensed in Florida, a work order for a cool million dollars. Book also represents AshBritt, which took over C&B's invoices and now stands accused by School Board auditors of ripping off taxpayers to the tune of $765,000.
-- Prestige Homes ponied up $250 to Seiler in 2005. That's the same company that hired Stephanie Kraft's husband, Mitch, to help get it a half-million-dollar break on fees from the school district.
-- Vista Health gave Seiler some $1,300 during his time in the Legislature. Vista, in a controversial decision, was made the School Board's sole health insurance provider last year. Stephanie Kraft played a key role in getting Vista the $1.7 billion contract, voting the company overwhelmingly No. 1 while she sat on the insurance committee that chose Vista. The lobbyist at the School Board for Vista was Neil Sterling, who also had Kraft's husband, Mitch, on the payroll.
-- Lobbyist Bill Rubin is a longtime friend and financial contributor. He too lobbied for Vista at the School Board.
-- Defense attorney David Bogenschutz is another maximum contributor to Seiler's city campaign. Bogenschutz is now representing former School Board Member Beverly Gallagher, who is facing federal bribery charges, and the owner of Prestige Homes, Bruce Chait, along with Chait's son, Shawn.
-- Downtown lawyer and powerbroker Bill Scherer bundled contributions to Seiler last year as well. Scherer doesn't have much to do with the School Board, but his son's company, Gulf Building Corp., in which he is heavily involved, is embroiled in the federal corruption investigation. A former official with the company, Skip Aniekwu, has been charged by the feds in a bribery scheme involving Miramar city officials. Aniekwu is currently at large and believed to have fled the country. Scherer also had a history of corruption at the North Broward Hospital District that ultimately led to his ouster by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. Incredibly, he now serves on the county ethics commission as an appointee of longtime friend John Rodstrom.
-- School Board lobbyist Judy Stern.
-- School Board construction contractor Terry Stiles.
-- The legal and lobbyist firm Ruden & McCloskey has been a regular contributor. Ruden lawyer Dennis Mele represents three clients at the School Board.
47 comment(s) / Post a Comment
NO KIDDING!!!FAT CAT JACK IS THE WORST person, the least unconnected, least impartial arbiter that nottin notter could pick. again, pls go hit a 9 iron from his house on 37th drive to ed markos.even if you shank it, it will still end up in markos yard.by the way, when you talk about VISTA, look at lori Parrish, the lil geoffy cohen, and her campaign finance guy.and all the meatballs stuffed into hert chubby cheeks by buster browne.how can a judge, the likes of a wanna be hanging judge geoff cohen hand out his tough justice and take veal marsala for 4 for he and lori from a crook??????REALLY, think about it folks.and then think about their pensions for life, on OUR BACKS. shame on hypocrites like parrish and cohen
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 9:54AMSo much for Mr. Clean Bob Butterworth.
At the direction of Barbara Miller, his long time friend, Butterworth hosted a campaign fundraiser at his home three weeks ago for the re-election of Commissioner Diana Wasserman Rubin. Barbara Miller, the school board lobbyist and partner of Neil Sterling, who is under active investigation, set up the event. Miller is running Diana's re-election campaign along with one of her employees, Ann Gallagher, the daughter of indicted BCSB member Beverley Gallagher.
That's right, Barbara Miller is the employer of a school board member's daughter at the same time she is lobbying the Board members to award contracts to her clients but I don't remember ever seeing the required public disclosure. Who actually has been paying Ann Gallagher's salary? One of the many firms Miller/Sterling represents before the School Board?
Sounds like the same kind of deception we see in the Mitch Kraft revelations where he was being paid by Neil Sterling and neither he nor Kraft ever disclosed it as required by the School Board policy. I guess Barbara Miller learned from her partner Neil Stirling how simple it is influence a school board member's vote by hiring an immediate family member .
Rubin, of course, is a former school board member. I wonder how much Sterling and Miller raised for her when she was on the school board. This could have been pay back but Miller and Sterling also have clients who want county contracts.
Time to throw them all out and start over at the school board and the county commission.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 10:25AM
Pulp in all of these articles the readers should be reminded that this corruption has cost(and will continue to cost based on existing contracts and bond obligations) taxpayers millions and millions of dollars.
ps, Bogenshuz represents Judge Ana. Small world. Why don't you do a graph or tree sometime to see how all are connected?
i say it again, at the former judge hort soper's house, when lil slicked back haired johnny was an aspiring politician, he made it clear what he would do. ANYTHING!!!!!! BONDS, BONDS AND more BONDs!!!!!!!AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JAMES BOND, ITS ABOUT HONEST SERVICE FRAUD BONDS, FROM HIS YEARS OF SUCKING AT THE PUBLIC TIT.ALONG W/ GOLDI LOCKS.COME ON FOLKS, IS THIS BOSTON,THE NARROW BRIDGE?WE DO NOT NEED THESE DOUBLE DIPPING , THINK WE CAN'T MANAGE W/OUT THEM MENTALITY.THE RODSTROM'S HAVE HAD THEIR TIME, HAVE THEIR HOUSE{ OH YEA, THATS RIGHT, NEXT TO LOBBYIST GEORGE "I CAN'T HIT THE GOLF BALL OUT OF MY SHADOW, OR RODSTROM"S}IN n.c.PLATTS 21 OR 31 RULES OF A LOBBYIST WERE BROKEN A LONG TIME AGO.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 10:33AMBroward is such a rat's nest of political intermarriages, alliances and mutual back-scratching that we need people from out-of-state (hell, maybe even people from another planet) to come in and sort it out for us.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 12:02PMWrong about Barbara Miller, Ann Gallagher, Bob Butterworth. The host of the event was Marta Prado, Butterworth's wife, who is a leader in the Hispanic community and a long time friend of Wasserman-Rubin. Butterworth came home during the event, said hello to a few guests, and mostly kept to himself.
Ann Gallagher hasn't worked for Miller in nearly a year, long before her mother was suspended as a school board member. She's a talented, hard working young activist who has worked on many campaigns, including Mayor Judy Paul, and now Wasserman-Rubin.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 1:45PMBob
Any reason why you failed to mention that Seiler's firm sued your paper on behalf of someone who you slandered on here and your paper made you issue an apology because they were so afraid of being sued and would lose? No worries bob your objective in your reporting lol.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 1:50PMWhat are you talking about? The fact that we took down a few old references to Ron Bergeron more than two years ago that offended him and he didn't think it was fair because his grandkids saw them on Google? There was no lawsuit and we were just trying to be good civic citizens.
I forgot about that a long time ago and of course it has no bearing on my view of Seiler. In fact, I believe Seiler mentioned it to me during the race last year, so I guess his camp (you're obviously in his camp, no?) still thinks about it. But hey ... Ron Bergeron. There's another connection with Seiler. I hadn't thought of that. Bergeron hired Seiler's law firm. Hey, what's happening at the boondoggle of a school bus depot Bergeron is building on land he sold the Board at an elevated price?
Seiler is proven once again to be, as someone said, a mouthpiece for the machine, not the cure for it.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 2:00PMReading between the lines. So Seiler threatened to sue you and you took down the posts. I thought you were big bad take no crap from no one Bob Norman? Removed posts withouth even a lawsuit. WOW.
You say Jack mentioned this tidbit that the last time you tried to spread lies about him during the campaign. If I remember correctly didnt you also change/removve parts of that article after Jack spoke to you?
Looks to me like Jack sure knows how to scare big bad Bob Norman into changing the things he writes.
As mom said many years ago, all you have to do is stand up to a bully and he runs away. Good Job Jack.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 2:35PM
says:
The thing about Jack Seiler is that he has a few henchmen to do his dirty work on the internets. I don't change things, I correct them. And when I make a mistake, I admit it. For instance, if Jack called right now to dispute any of the facts in the post above and he was right and I was wrong, I would correct it. It's called maintaining credibility and I take it more seriously than anything else. You and Jack should try it some time instead of taking anonymous pot shots on the blog.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 2:50PMAnonymous, are you kidding? Seriously, does it really look to you like Bob Norman is afraid and scared? Is there someone else out there who is putting his reputation on the line day after day with a blog like this?
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 2:54PMSeems really simple, Jack Seiler as an attorney calls New Times and/or Norman and says that what is written could be the basis for legal action and its taken down or edited. Sounds like he got scared otherwise why would he take down posts or edit them. Civic responsibility, come on. His bosses dont want to get sued so they told him to edit and/or remove.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 2:58PMNew Times needling Seiler? I thought he was your pride and joy, championing "gay rights" for Ft. Lauderdale.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 3:01PMDear Bob Norman
Some of my client have contacted me today to inform me that you have accused me of being a henchman and doing dirty work for Mayor Seiler. Unlike the others you mentioned in your post I am merely a private citizen and not a public official. I do not appreciate your comments about me and would ask that they be removed unless you have proof of some wrong doing on my part. If you are the good civic citizen you claim to be then I would hope that such unfounded comments about general members of the community would not be tolerated and thus removed.
Thank You
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 3:34PMTo anonymous,
Are you kidding, or just a mouth piece for the machine? You can not seriously think that bob or the new times are scared of this non pubic servant. There is no way that he could be considered to be nonbiased when he is in the pockets of the same group he is supposed to "investigate". Broward county needs investigators from the general public who are in the construction industry.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 3:47PMLook, companies give to elected officials all the time. Most officials don't even know or remember who gives them what checks. At best, they get faster return phone calls. Nobody sells their ass for a $250 check.
As to lobbyists and others in the business community, of course they're concerned about the school board. It spends a billion dollars a year, Broward's largest employer, in this community. And yes, folks have a right in this cynical world and time to point to any public official and say they're suspect. That is unfortunate. But you still have an obligation to wait and see what they actually end up doing.
I think Jack Seiler is one of the good guys. I think he's cut from a very different cloth than the kind you assume he is. Jack has shown himself to be a man of integrity and principle, capable of working with others with honesty and effectiveness. He's made a reputation on being smart and independent. Give the man a chance to see what he can do.
Look, he was asked to serve on a committee at a time when many officials would have run from that offer, simply because they become subjects of redicule and innuendo from the newspapers. Jack didn't run. He accepted. Who has more to lose here than Jack and his reputation? Give him a chance.
If he disappoints us I will be the first to agree, but in the meantime let's let the guy perform before we crucify him, OK? My hope is he will do the right thing.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 3:49PMAll right Mr. Ahearn, I took the names down. I find it hard to believe that you would try to say you don't post comments anonymously about Seiler, but it's not an easy thing to prove and it's not something I care enough about to investigate ... so happy trails -- and keep posting!
And SOB, I'm afraid when it comes to politics in Broward County, all the milk is unclean. When Seiler had a chance to talk about cleaning up the school board, he attacked the press and downplayed the problems. That was all I needed to see. And what about Butterworth? Here we find out his wife held a fundraiser at his home for ethics-challenged Diana Wasserman-Rubin that was prodded by school board lobbyist Barbara Miller, the partner of Neil Sterling. And now he's shilling as a paid monkey for FPL too?
As far as I'm concerned, the "commission" should be disbanded right now. It's a bad joke on the public.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 4:06PMThere is not an honest politician in Broward. They need to be cleaned out and we need to vote them out!
I pray the FEDS stay here a very long time. The Broward Commission is a joke and I really don't appreciate the fact they appointed the Ethics Committee. I don't believe for one nano second the school board is going to be investigated by these 3 pumpkins.
This County is a joke. I thank you Bob for your reporting. Keep up the good work.
It appears the Jewish Avenger is not too happy that his name is being associated with this fiasco and in true THUG behavior is making his call to arms.
This pathetic behavior is disgusting and nothing but a cover up for the criminal element that is the only constant in this forsaken county.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 4:12PManon @ 1:50- you are a true dumbass. you take a shot at norman over a years old dispute /w bergeron and acutally end up drawing his attention to yet another apparent connection/reason why sieler shouldn't be assigned to this "commission." you should just keep your mouth shut. you are hurting your cause, not helping ....
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 4:36PMThe blog was down for an hour or two due to some technical difficulties. Comments got caught up in the transom, but I think they all survived. Sorry to anyone affected.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 5:04PMSeiler is just well connected good ole boy. He won't do anything to rock the boat.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 5:19PMHey anonymous, I don't know what you're selling, but nobody's buying it. It is too late for you and your Ilk. We the public see through you and your bullshit. The machinistas are so out of favor that it almost doesn't matter how dirty you are. You are all lumped in with the worst of the worst. There is a growing politcal movement to hold our electeds to a higher standard. Take money from lobbyist, you're out. Simple. I got something here for Ron Bergeron's grandkids, pop pop is crook who uses lobbyists to influence crooked politicians to sell their office. Also, if you are around 10 years old, you might think his cowboyed up hummer is cool and the rodeo costume he wears everyday seems normal, but when you grow up you will understand just how embarrassing he is. Read the story about the emperor who had no clothes to get an idea. White Trash with money is one of the ugliest things there is, and we got lots of it around here.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 5:20PMMr.Norman
Thank you. You saved yourself from a big waste of time trying to discover if I blog anonymously. The few times I have ever posted anywhere I do so in my own name as I have little respect for those who fail to do the same. While I do not agree with your views on Jack, this is your blog and as such home to your views.
Have a nice weekend.
Michael Ahearn
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 5:32PMI have to say one more thing about Jack Seiler. As a small-city mayor, he is not all that bad by Broward standards. He's never been involved in any corruption that I know about and compared to your Stacy Ritters and Stephanie Krafts he seems almost like a role model. He's not a villain -- until you put him in the wrong setting. He's in the wrong setting now with this commission. As a corruption fighter or ethics czar Seiler's an absolute joke, a walking farce, and should be removed immediately, along with the other two nyuckers.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 5:38PMlil jackie { thats right, the daughter of gene rimes, who lived in tally for 25 yrs go figure!!!!!!!.}he is going to investigate??are you serious?????the guy who plays tennis, golf, w/ rodstrom. skis w/ satz??has cocktails w/his wife in which house????wilton manors or the house near ed mArko"s??the guy he is investigating??????hey jack, how is your 9 iron???????remember, you have to sign your scorecard!!!!!!!and be attested!!!!!
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 6:39PMI love Jack Seiler. He's shown himself to be one of the good guys in local politics. Never a whiff of scandal. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt here and let's see what the committee actually does before we criticize.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 6:52PMAs long as we're talking about ethics, FAU has a public ethics academy. Did anyone think to ask them to join this panel?
Oh wait, this "blue ribbon panel" was created by the politically connected for the benefit of the politically connected. They are NOT going to find anything. We need an independent commission to look into this.
http://www.fau.edu/spa/pea/index.html
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 6:57PMCharlie i like your idea but Bob Parks has his tentacles wrapped up in the FAU culture as he was a professor their for many years. FAU, Nova, FIU, UM...are all connected in some manner. The world is small and the ties run deep. The only way to do anything with this panel is to discard them and try to find a way to make a good idea work. The school board is known for having cronies "investigate" trouble makers and then bringing trumped-up charges to those who dance out of step with the corrupt beat. This will not be fixed by an insider or the friends of insiders. This will only be fixed by truly objective and saavy investigators. Blue Ribbon Panel...Statewide Grand Jury...Federal Grand Jury...I thing the latter is the only way to make this work. Otherwise Charlie we agree.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 7:36PMwe'll see in 90 days lil richie boy.or mike.if jack is as cock sure as he has been proven wrong, w/ the laws he wrote, then good gosh almighty, what might the SMILER come up with.BUT THEN AGAIN, lil jackie always promises 100%. remember that jack??????
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 9:22PMPulp,
As a small-time blogger, you're not all that bad by Broward standards. Compared to According to deGroot and JAABlog you seem almost like a role model. You're not a villain -- until you put yourself in the wrong setting.
As a corruption fighter or ethics czar you're an absolute joke, a walking farce and a double nyucker.
Proof. Who needs proof? Just look up and print the names of contributors to an office holder's campaign, and, ZAM, there Must Be corruption and a quid pro quo in favor of those who contributed.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 30 2009 @ 11:38PMEthics..aint that a county in South East England ?
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 12:05AMPolitical contributions on their face are not a sign of corruption. But when big companies that do regular business with a government agency go out of their way to bundle large amounts of cash, well, that's another story. You tell us why they would do that. Again, not a sign of corruption by itself, but in the big picture it's not too hard to connect the dots.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 6:23AMIn my opinion Seiler seems like a good guy. I do not believe he is corrupt. However, his comments at the meeting where he said focus needs to be placed on what the SBBC has done right are alarming. He needs to realize he has not be tapped to create good press for the SBBC or to highlight all the things that are being done right. He has been asked to get involved due to serious systemic failures and illegal activities that must be corrected. This is not a pep rally. This is serious business and he needs to step up or step down....
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 9:40AMhe can charm you, but not me.unless you've seen him go against a judges direct order, and write a motion/order the judge directly told him was not what was ordered, then you 'll never know what a clever guy he thinks he is.but to put a child of wealth, private schools, to investigate the public school system is tragic.and illogical.what does jack know jack about public schools???? i hope he does a stand up job so teachers get a fair wage,kids get all they deserve but seiler is too beholding to the east ft laud establishment to get any real answers.come on jack, be 100% right on this one!!!!!!
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 10:14AMThank you B.I., your logic is devastating. You might just grow up to become a junior blogger yourself some day.
These politicians have been using B.I.'s argument that campaign contributions mean nothing for years. They accept thousands of dollars at fundraisers held by lobbyists (and Bob Butterworth's wife) and then say, "Oh that? Do you really think a few bucks would have any influence on ME?"
Keep buying it, B.I. The sleazy politicians in this town need more people in their corner right now. The tide seems like it might be turning against them, after all.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 10:42AMThe plan for this group is to do some PR work for the school board while helping to develop some trumped up charges against those who have had the audacity to stand up for what is right.
There are teachers, support employees and some administrators who have been, not only targeted as toxic, but have lost their jobs, reputations and ability to continue on in their chosen field due to the work of Notter and the board's internal henchmen.
Donnie Carter, Lynn Strong, Susan Cooper, Vicky Kaufman, Jack Cooper, Sly Davis, Joanne Harrison, Earlean Smiley, Ed Marko, Joe Melita etc....
People need to know that these mobsters screw with peoples' lives and all to keep the truth out of the headlines. People need to come out of the woodwork and expose these clowns for what they are. They do not care about the "children" they only care about the money machine and how to misuse funds intended for important programs.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 10:44AMHammerhead, and go on - Tom Lindner, Rick Ragland, and please continue?
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 10:56AMTo "kevink":
I am glad my dressing down of you on the AntiSemite Kiwanas Tamarac article, which word has it, made you cry uncontrollaby and reassess your existence, also made you think???!!! wow, I am glad you are finally admitting your 100 percent infatuation with me. In your second blog response on this article, you actually made sense??????!!!!!! only i could change you, you are my project.
your hero, the BEST DAMNED LOOKING POLITICO
etc.... says:
Hammerhead, and go on - Tom Lindner, Rick Ragland, and please continue?
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 10:56AM
etc....,
Actually, those two were omitted for a reason.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 11:53AMHammerhead,
Could the reason be that Lindner and Ragland are "DEEP THROATS"? Or, are they in this up to their eyeballs for "looking the other way"?
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 3:13PMself professed best damned looking douche bag- you are the one who said "good bye all- I am gone forever" after i kicked you around for weeks then came back after using other names. silly little drammaqueen. now you follow me around like a little cyberstalking troll. you live and breath sbbc news. that is all you have. sad loser. you already have a project- you- but you are not good at it... i may be the closest thing you have to a friend...
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 31 2009 @ 8:11PMto "kevink" (all in small letters):
kicked around???? chuckle, guffaw, side splitting hilarity... bobby bowden's wide right kickers have more of a chance kicking me around than you, midget of mentality..
listen, Project (your new name), you are lucky i am indulging precious time and energy into to trying to bring coherent thought into your very small limited world..get used to the following, yes, that's right, call me "Your Daddy", that is right...yes, Son, you can leave your room now, but only to get some of your favorite cereal, Fruit Loops (yes, Son, you are what you eat...)
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 1 2009 @ 11:36AMi remember when jack seiler was talking about bringing legislation to shut down the pain clinics , virtually legal heroin dealers.did he ever deliver?????the palm beach post 's sunday paper listed 30 plus "clinics"{DOPE HOLES} still operating.again i ask, DID SEILER EVER GET THE LAWS CHANGED RE PRESCRIPTION PILL REFORM AFTER ALL HIS GRANDSTANDING IN THE MEDIA AS HE WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR??????????I've seen some mention , but not w/ his name involved.UNtil you have seen people lose their lives while satz could care less, seiler granstand, and neither could care less, you won't fathom how ill it makes one.i sure hope jack seiler is more successful in cleaning up the school distrivt in 90 days than he was in stopping the proliferation of heroin to our kids.aturd or zaden, got someting to say, say it to my face, but be advised, don't ever post under my name again.you would be making a huge mistake.and neither of you are big or bad enough to back up your nonsense.
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 1 2009 @ 12:05PMjack, you told me several years ago you, nor your friends blog.that you refuse to engage.just like you promised 100% you knew certain laws that a judge said you were wrong about.laws tou bragged you wrote in tally.get your prissy boy henchmboys to stop carrying your water bucket.man up jackie, stop hiding behind your 2 lil guys.and pls protect the school kids of broward, make sure you care more about creating future enginers, doctors, scientist's teachers, but not be so concerned w/ fleecing taxpayers getting your already rich supporters richer.jack, you have been rich your whole life, why don't the kids that go to public school have all the activities you had at gibbons???why all the cuts??? why are teachers so going w/ out raises??spending their own money for supplies?????? so contractors can get more wealthy, { send thier kids to gibbons/ pine crest/ st thomas and burden taxpayers w/ the debt to build 13,000 unused school desks.pls jack, do a better job of cleaning up the fraud at the school system than you said so "heartfelt" about pain clinics selling heroin. PLEASE JACK, as nike says, JUST DO IT!!!!!!
Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 1 2009 @ 1:32PMwe all know that corporations, lobbyists, lawfirms, etc. bundle individual contributions to leverage their influence. the point is that in Broward County it seems no one is content with exploiting that technique and stopping there. They hire kids, friends and neighbors of the folks they are lobbying, use their office to do favors for folks they shouldn't, and just flat out ignore the disclosure laws all around. in most places folks are just corrupt within the rules, here they just don't care to be bothered with the rules that exist.
and Coolio: out of state? look where that got the out of state, unpolitically connected, highly qualified and ethical attorneys for Broward Health who gave them competent advice for the first time in it's sorry history. Thrown out in favor of local folks with ties to everyone and everything who get to milk the district for a fortune and let everyone on the Board go back to business as usual, backscratching all the way.
Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 3 2009 @ 10:57AMJack Seiler has an unblemished reputation as an elected official, but he's deemed to be corrupted by some of the campaign contributions he's received.
By this logic, we should suspect Norman of being a pimp, based on some of the advertising his paper accepts.
I know many of the commenters here don't get away from their computer very often, but the fact is almost every politicial would love to not have to raise money to get elected, but what is the alternative?
I'd say it's better to judge an elected officials on his or her actions, rather to engage in lazy lynch mob mentality and assume, a priori, they are all corrupted.
Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 3 2009 @ 11:00AM
