FLORIDA DIGEST August 28, 2007

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Ft. Lauderdale

CALL TO ACTION! - TODAY (TUESDAY)
TIME IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE!

Everyone is aware of the ongoing hate and bigoted rhetoric the Mayor hasbeen preaching the past few months. The fact that his continued andunapologetic attacks on not only the GLBT community with slanderous untruthsand false allegations, but on many of the hard working, tax paying citizensof South Florida is starting to have an effect that reaches beyond this onesmall man and our community. People outside of our friendly communities arewriting, calling and asking is it safe to visit the area? Will they bewelcome or will they find some hotbed of moral decay? An increase in hatetype crimes is already starting to edge its way up, what is it going to taketo stop this before it is too late for everyone.

We know that Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding communities are safe,friendly and inviting to all, but the Mayor seems intent on inflicting asmuch harm as possible to both the communities and the economics of our areabefore he is done.

During the next meeting pf the Broward County Commissioners tomorrow ,Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 11am, there are to motions in front of theCommissioners.

1) A motion to discuss Mayor Naugle and his position on the TourismDevelopment Board
2) A Motion to vote whether or not to remove Mayor Naugle from his seat fromthis board.

Please contact all of the County Commissioners and let them know how youfeel and to really drive the message home, be at the meeting tomorrow tosupport this action on behalf of Broward County, Greater Fort Lauderdale andthe whole of South Florida.

The County Commissioners meet at 11 a.m. todayin the Governmental Center Room 430,115 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33301

The two motions concerning the Mayormost likely will not reach the agenda untilafter 2:00 PM tomorrow.

Contact information for Broward County Commissioners:

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OFFICE 954-357-7000
FAX 954-357-7295

District No. 1 Commissioner Ilene Lieberman:
Phone: 954-357-7001
Email: ilieberman@broward.org

District No. 2 Commissioner Kristin Jacobs:
Phone: 954-357-7002
Email: kjacobs@broward.org

District No. 3 Commissioner Stacy Ritter:
Phone: 954-357-7003
Email: sritter@broward.org

District No. 4 Commissioner Ken Keechl:
Phone: 954-357-7004
Email: kkeechl@broward.org

District No. 5 Commissioner Lois Wexler
Phone: 954-357-1005
Email: lwexler@broard.org

District No. 6 Commissioner Sue Gunzburger:
Phone: 954-357-7006
Email: sgunzburger@broward.org

District No. 7 Commissioner John Rodstrom:
Phone: 954-357-7007
Email: jrodstrom@broward.org

District No. 8 Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin:
Phone: 954-357-7008
Email: dwassermanrubin@broward.org

District No. 9 Mayor Josephus Eggelletion, Jr.
Phone: 954-357-7009
Email: jeggelletion@broward.org

Write, fax or call all of the commissioners and make sure to bring out asmany people as possible tomorrow. We all need to work together to supportthis and make it happen!



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Aug 27, 2007

Contact: Waymon Hudson
Fight OUT Loud
Email: waymon@fightoutloud.org
944-240-7966

BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION TO REMOVE NAUGLE FROM TOURISM BOARD OVER BIGOTEDCOMMENTS

What: The Broward County Commission will be voting Tuesday, August 28th, toremove Mayor Jim Naugle from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Tourism DevelopmentCouncil due to his hate-filled crusade against the gay community.

From: Waymon Hudson, Community Activist and President of Fight OUT Loud, anon-profit organization dedicated to helping GLBT individuals fightdiscrimination and hate.

Why: Fight OUT Loud is pleased to support Commissioner Stacey Ritter'splan to remove Naugle from the Broward County Tourism Development Council.This motion will be on the agenda for vote on Tuesday, August 28th. Themove comes in response to Naugle's continued attacks on the gay community.Commissioner Stacy Ritter said Naugle's comments have been counter to theboard's mission and are cause to remove him before his term ends nextspring.

Members of the Tourism Development Council and Ft. LauderdaleConvention & Visitors Bureau have publicly stated that Naugle's continued"mischaracterizations" and "hurtful, mean-spirited rhetoric" regarding thegay community have severely damaged the city and surrounding areas. Travelindustry leaders have told the board that groups have begun putting theirtravel plans to Fort Lauderdale on hold. Board members said that each timethe mayor speaks they receive hundreds of E-mails from potential visitors toFt Lauderdale, saying they plan to take their money elsewhere. Visitors,both gay and straight, have begun to worry that the Greater Fort Lauderdalearea is no longer a welcoming or safe place to travel. In fact, the BayAreas Reporter, one of the nation's most influential LGBT publications,published an editorial calling for a boycott of Fort Lauderdale .

Fight OUT Loud applauds Ritter and the County Commission fortaking steps to remove Naugle from the Tourism Board, thereby giving him oneless platform from which to spew dangerous misinformation and hate. Naugleis on a personal mission to demonize a large segment of the community herepresents. By continuing his spread of lies and bigotry for his ownpersonal satisfaction and agenda, Naugle has put the entire region at riskeconomically as well threatened the safety of LGBT citizens and visitors.He is putting the public at great risk by spreading misinformation aboutHIV/AIDS and other health issues. The mayor is also endangering the entirecommunity by painting everyday citizens as depraved criminals and"abominations", in the process encouraging hate and violence against them.

Fort Lauderdale and its surrounding communities have beendamaged in the eyes of the public. Travelers and residents are beginning tofeel that it is no longer a safe, modern, accepting place. He is hurtingevery member of the community by continuing these attacks and must bestopped.

Fight OUT Loud is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping GLBTindividuals fight discrimination and hate. www.fightOUTloud.org



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The Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/217128.html

Posted on Tue, Aug. 28, 2007
DNC overreaches on primary issue

Memo to the Democratic National Committee: The horse left the barn longbefore you closed the door.

The DNC is in a swivet because Florida's GOP-led Legislature approvedholding the state's presidential primary on Jan. 29, before the DNC-approveddate of Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. The reasoning was to bring Florida's issuesinto the presidential campaign early on, forcing presidential candidates topay attention to state interests.

Preventing `chaos'?

But a Jan. 29 primary runs afoul of the national parties' rules. So the DNCvoted Saturday to refuse to seat Florida's Democratic delegates at the 2008national convention if the primary isn't moved back. Likewise, theRepublican Party could decide not to seat half of Florida's GOP delegates.

In taking a hard line toward Florida, the DNC hopes to stop other statesfrom holding even earlier primaries in January, to prevent what one DNCofficial called ''chaos.'' Guess what? The presidential primary process isin chaos already, with states as far apart as California and Michiganconsidering primaries in early January. New Hampshire, in return, might thenmove its primary into December of this year.

This is madness. The process of selecting presidential nominees has no basisin common sense now. An overhaul is overdue. At this rate, the presidentialnominees could be decided as early as in six months.

The DNC wants Florida Democrats to push their primary to after Feb. 5 bycalling a caucus, the cost of which would be paid by Democrats. But thiswould shut out the growing number of absentee voters.



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Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bk-allen082707,0,2460532.story?coll=orl-opin-letters-headlines

Controversial comments by state Rep. Allen in sex case thrown out
Laurin Sellers
Sentinel Staff Writer
4:34 PM EDT, August 27, 2007

TITUSVILLE

The controversial comments state Rep. Bob Allen made to police following hisarrest on charges of soliciting prostitution in July won't be used becausepolice didn't read him his rights, state prosecutors agreed today.

But Brevard County Judge Oscar Hotusing refused to toss the charge againstthe Allen, saying a jury should decide whether he agreed to pay $20 toperform a sex act on an undercover officer in a Titusville public restroomon July 11.

Allen told police he was just playing along because he was intimidated bythe officer, whom he described as a "stocky black guy" -- a comment thatprompted outrage among civil rights groups and calls for Allen'sresignation.

Allen's attorney, Greg Eisenmenger, said police questioned Allen even thoughthey never informed his client of his Miranda rights, and they continued toimproperly question Allen even after he asked for an attorney.

State prosecutors didn't oppose Eisenmenger's motion to suppress Allen'sstatements. But they said losing the statements won't hurt the case, whichis set for trial on Sept. 19.

Allen attended today's hearing but Eisenmenger would not allow him tocomment.

Allen has previously said he did nothing wrong, adding that he is not aracist.



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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flzhousingbr0828nbaug28,0,4929359.story?track=rss

Broward home prices down 2% as sales drop 22%
By Paul Owers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
August 28, 2007

Three years and counting.

Sales of existing homes in Broward County declined in July, just as theyhave for 36 of the past 37 months. That dismal trend isn't likely to changesoon as lenders across South Florida make it tougher for consumers toqualify for mortgages.

Analysts don't expect the housing slump to end until the second half of 2008or later, in part because the recent credit crunch is thinning an alreadysmall group of would-be buyers.

The county had 559 sales last month, down 22 percent from 721 in July 2006,the Florida Association of Realtors said Monday. The median price dropped 2percent, to $373,700 from $380,400 last year.

The market for existing condominiums in Broward also took a hit in July.Year-over-year sales fell 19 percent, and the median price slid 10 percent,to $187,200 from $209,100 a year ago.

The median price is the level at which half sold for more, half for less.


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