Sunday, September 09, 2007

FLORIDA DIGEST September 9, 2007

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Broward Introduction to Florida Red And Blue!!!!

Do your part to fight the right-wing state-wide anti-gay initiativeto amend the Florida constitution.

Friday, September 28, at the GLCC, Ft. Lauderdale - 11:45am to 1:30pm.

Michael and I promised to get a minimum of 10 people to attend thislow dollar boxed lunch - only $25 - to learn about Florida Red And Blue andthe multiple efforts to overcome this hateful amendment. Florida Red andBlue has already raised over $1 million, but our work is only beginning.

Will you support us with this? Every GLBT person in Florida needs to be apart of this effort.

Boxed Lunch Series
$25
Friday, September 28
Noon - 1:30pm
Networking 11:45am
GLCC - Ft. Lauderdale

Send us an e-mail and let us know if you'll join us on the 28th.

And...... If you can't attend, we'll be glad to accept your check made outto "Florida Red and Blue."

Ray and Michael
rays.list@comcast.net




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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail873nbsep09,0,2813903,print.story

Naugle is not alone
September 9, 2007

God bless Jim Naugle. Militant gays and other far left groups love to attachthe word "homophobic" to anyone who disagrees with them. Let me assure youthat I (and I am certain that Jim Naugle) fear no man or earthly thing.

Furthermore, we do not hate anyone. On the contrary, if we claim to beChristian, we are compelled by God to love everyone in the same way that Godloves us.

My argument with these radical gays, and some other groups who love to crydiscrimination, is they demand special privileges, not equality. They insistthat society put its stamp of approval on what most people would considerdeviant or perverted behavior. The existing laws, in my opinion, are alreadyadequate to protect the rights of everyone, as long as those laws areproperly enforced.

God bless you, Jim Naugle. I know that you are not alone and I firmlybelieve that the majority of the people are on your side.

Joseph L. Mombrea
Tamarac



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flftlsails0909nesep09,0,722485,print.story

Fort Lauderdale denial has developer seeking $59 million from cityDeveloper seeks restitution for denial

By Brittany Wallman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
September 9, 2007

Fort Lauderdale

The city could be on the hook for $59 million for denying a hotel-marinacomplex proposed by attorney and developer Ron Mastriana and his partner onthe project, Tom Gonzalez.

That dollar figure is the appraised market value of the project citycommissioners rejected, according to the developers. Now Mastriana andGonzalez say the city has to pay or give them the approval they were lookingfor.

The developers' lawyer sent a letter to the city in mid-August demanding $59million in compensation, or a site plan approval, under the state's Bert J.Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act. The act requiresgovernments to compensate landowners if they deny them the "reasonable,investment-back expectation for the existing use of the real property or avested right to a specific use" for the land.

City commissioners in June voted 4-1, with Mayor Jim Naugle dissenting, toreject The Sails.

The project, proposed by 17th St. Marina Investments LLC and MastrianaDevelopment LLC, would have been built on 8.5 acres at 2150 SE 17th St.,site of the "Pink Plaza" and formerly a Best Western hotel. The land is onthe barrier island, south of the E. Clay Shaw Bridge/17th Street Causeway.



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-pbmail813xpnsep09,0,6066589,print.story

Don't judge Jenne by this last incident
September 9, 2007

I'd like to make the case for some perspective on former Broward Sheriff KenJenne.

I knew Ken Jenne in the early 1980s when I was a young and idealisticlobbyist for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.During my five-year stint working the Legislature for the department, wechampioned a great many reforms governing Florida's hospitals, nursing homesand other health-care providers. This involved taking on powerful vestedinterests with the clout to end political careers.

Time and time again, state Sen. Jenne was there to support change andprotections for patients. He was smart and he was fearless. Usually, he usedhis power behind the scenes but always it was at critical moments - and Ican never remember him taking any glory for it.

As a practicing health-care attorney, I daily see the effects of his work inthe health care that is provided to the people of this state. Many peoplehave benefitted from his many acts of selfless public service and I ask thatyou take the full measure of the man before you condemn him.

Timothy E. Monaghan
Delray Beach



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail890xnbsep09,0,2789782,print.story

Jenne should repay legal fees
September 9, 2007

I hope that the $379,000 in legal fees Ken Jenne ran up will be returned toBroward County as well.

Steve Ross

Pompano Beach



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail886nbsep09,0,6287315,print.story

Jenne case shows why there should be no politics in law enforcement
September 9, 2007

Folks just about everywhere are talking about the horrors of politics in alaw enforcement agency. The elected sheriff, accountable to no one but thevoters, has been a problem in many counties in this country. Consequently,large counties like Nassau and Suffolk in New York, Fairfax and Arlington inVirginia and Montgomery and Prince Georges in Maryland - to name just afew - have established county police departments with a chief or directorwho is hired and is accountable to a county commission. In many cases, thesheriff's office is still maintained to run the county jail, serve civilprocess and provide courtroom security. The folks in Miami-Dade made asimilar decision many years ago.

It's time to take politics out of law enforcement and establish an agencywith its leadership responsible to people other than the voters every fouryears.

Richard J. Mangan
Lighthouse Point



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail884nbsep09,0,4583377,print.story

Jenne's name shouldn't have been plastered on everything
September 9, 2007

Can Broward County never have anything but buffoons or crooks for sheriff?We had Nick Navarro, that egotistical buffoon long enough. It cost hundredsof thousands of taxpayer dollars to take his name off everything. There wasnothing in the Broward Sheriff's Office he didn't have his name on:uniforms, stationery, pens, every sheriff's vehicle and even on thebuilding. Now it's the same with Ken Jenne. It will cost another fortune toerase his name. No individual should have his name emblazoned all overeverything.

The Ken Jenne debacle overshadows even that of Navarro. Like hispredecessor, the longer he was in office, the more egotistical he became,considering himself above the law and constantly seeking media attention.What a tragedy for the residents of Broward County! When will we ever learn?

This is an important law enforcement office and should not belong to anypolitician, Democrat or Republican. It ought to be filled by someoneeducated in law enforcement who comes up through the ranks and actuallydeserves the job, and not be just a political appointment or popularitycontest at the polls! Al Lamberti sounds like the best man considered forthe job. I wish his appointment was permanent.

Jennifer Rahel Conover
Fort Lauderdale



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol0909nbsep09,0,4162557,print.column

Appointed or elected, Broward sheriff will have to play politics
Michael Mayo
News Columnist

September 9, 2007

Ken Jenne is a career politician who never spent a day in a police uniformbefore becoming Broward sheriff in 1998. Now that he has resigned incriminal disgrace, some wonder if Broward citizens would be better served iffuture sheriffs were appointed instead of elected.

The argument goes like this: A hired top cop means he or she would almostassuredly have an extensive law enforcement background, and likely also therespect of the rank and file.

Appointed sheriffs would also be immediately accountable if they abused theposition or failed in their duties, subject to speedy removal by the CountyCommission or county administrator instead of buffered by a four-yearelection cycle.

We've heard variations of this debate before, most recently when then-Gov.Jeb Bush had to step in and remove inept Miriam Oliphant as Browardsupervisor of elections in 2003.

It turned out Oliphant knew as much about running an elections department aspiloting the space shuttle, but her deficiencies weren't apparent whenvoters elected her in 2000.



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbsheriff0909nbsep09,0,6447094,print.story

New Broward sheriff faces tough agenda with cities, unions
By Robert Nolin and Brian Haas

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
September 9, 2007

Assuming the helm of one of the largest police agencies in the nation canmake one giddy.

But looming challenges such as city service contracts, union issues, slashedfinances and the ever-delicate issue of morale can make one flinch.

Acting Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti isn't flinching.

"The governor put me in this position to start from here and move the agencyforward, return it to the prominence that it needs to have," said Lamberti,who was appointed after former Sheriff Ken Jenne resigned to plead guilty tocorruption charges.

"And however long that may take, that's what we're going to do."



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09florida.html

September 9, 2007
Forewarned but Angry, Florida Democrats Weigh Primary Penalty
By ABBY GOODNOUGH

MIAMI, Sept. 8 - The anger coursing lately through Democratic circles inFlorida feels unlike any since the presidential recount of 2000.

This time, though, the object of wrath is the Democratic National Committee,which voted last month to punish Florida harshly for moving up itspresidential primary to January. Under pressure from the four statespermitted to hold contests that month, many Democratic candidates havepledged not to campaign in Florida and other states that break party rules.

Barring a compromise, none of Florida's delegates can be seated at nextsummer's party convention, which means the state Democratic primary willessentially count for nothing. Florida Democrats are calling it a cruelirony, not least because their party has worked doggedly to restore publicconfidence in the electoral process since 2000.

"The D.N.C. apparently wants us to campaign on the slogan of 'Make sure nota single vote counts,' " said State Senator Steven A. Geller, the minorityleader. Incensed by the sanctions, even though he knew they were possiblewhen he voted in May to change the primary date, Mr. Geller scrapped plansto endorse former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and is urgingagainst donating to the national committee or to candidates who avoidcampaigning here.


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