City Commission Election News and Pics !

……   So it’s about time to vote for Mayor and Commissioners in Fort Lauderdale…..

 

………   You might not even know that, this being the least active election in my memory. In District One and District Four, the incumbents have already won, because no one even ran against them  ……  So, for the record, I heartily endorse both Commissioner Roberts and Commissioner Rogers 🙂

 

…….  All the real news is in District III, the area of the City with the most problems, the most crime, the most poverty. I’ll get to that in a minute, but first my other pics –

 

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I say let’s re-elect Mayor Seiler . Seiler has been good for Fort Lauderdale. This will be his last term ( term limited due to my term limit legislation 🙂 …

……Seiler has two opponents – One is Earl Rynerson, and he hasn’t earned anyone’s vote. He got active for a bit after Seiler voted against gay marriage ( a mistake of Seiler’s , I say)  – so if that is your issue, hold your nose and vote for Rynerson…

 

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Hold nose if you vote Rynerson

 

…Seiler’s other opponent is Chris Brennan – 

 

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….Brennan was the main guy who opposed moving the Rain Tree, the biggest of it’s species in the continental United States. The Commission voted to let a developer move the tree, though the jury is out on whether the giant tree can survive the move  …..

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Re-elect Dean Trantalis . Trantalis has had a rocky term, but his opponent, Riverwalk Board member David Tabb, has little experience . I liked what I heard out of Tabb when I interviewed him ….Maybe he will be a future contender ….

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…District Three is an election mess –

Appointed Commissioner McKinzie has had to fight in court to retain the right to run  …. Three issues were finally found invalid to disqualify him, but the attention to his residency question might have hurt him……

 

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This is a pic in the courtroom ….. That’s City Attorney Everett, second from top, who said nothing during the hearing other than “I’m Cynthia Everett, City Attorney …..

 

But the race is getting even  uglier  …..

…….I just got a mysterious letter in my mailbox maligning McKinzie’s opponent – Donna Guthrie…

 

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………  It was a copy of a Palm Beach restraining order against Guthrie from her grown daughter. Guthrie say she was trying to remove her grandchild from a sexually abusive home, and that the child has now been removed and is in foster care…. I was satisfied with the explanation   …

….For me, I think Guthrie would make a better Commissioner than Mckinzie  …I say vote Guthrie …….

 

 

7 Replies to “City Commission Election News and Pics !”

  1. So, let me get this straight. According to the anonymous tipster Guthrie has sold out to the “land grabbers”. If you check her campaign finance reports you will see she got a donation from the Wal-Mart Developer and Attorney Norris-Weeks and her husband. If you check McKinzie’s finance reports you will find dozens contributors from Dade and Palm Beach Co that are listed as Developers. As to the “Downtown Crowd” here’s a partial list of the “movers and shakers” that have bought a spot at the trough:
    Bernie Friedman & Wife
    Jeff Cazeau
    Kenneth DIrektor
    Judith Stern
    Robert Lochrie & Wife
    Nectaria Chakas
    Hope Calhoun
    Keith Costello
    Stephen Botek
    Caldwell Cooper
    Miles Forman & Wife
    James Kane
    Patrick McTigue
    William Murphy & a Family Bundle
    Thomas McDonald & Wife
    Michael Dutko
    Gregory Durden
    John Milledge
    Charles Whitehouse
    Robert Huebner
    John T Loos (and Family bundle)
    William Laystrom
    Peter Moore
    Stephen Wherry
    Sean Jones
    Michael Wohl
    Aleida Waldman
    Sarah Chappell
    Lawrence DeRose
    John Barranco
    Gerald Holland & Wife
    Michael Moskowitz
    R. Emmett McTique
    Yolanda Cash Jackson
    John Abdo
    Joel Altman
    Stephen Tilbrook
    George Platt
    It’s no wonder McKinzie’s thugs vandalized Guthrie’s sign – UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED

  2. I am disappointed in such a small field of candidates.
    Experience is a catch phrase used by every incumbent campaign manager.
    It implies some people are born into their office.
    Fort Lauderdale is a weak mayor system of city government.
    We have experts on city staff and a well paid executive branch.
    Just vote for good honest people with common sense.

  3. What’s the reasoning behind the statement made on this blog? ” I say let’s re-elect Mayor Seiler . Seiler has been good for Fort Lauderdale.”

    Have you and the City Residents forgotten that over $3 Million was approved in 2009 to be spent on video dash cams for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Mayor Seiler voted this down when he first got in office? Now our City is left with many falsely accused suspects and out of control cops. The taxpayers now get to foot the legal bills to defend these bad cops and the claims against the City if they get caught. And the FOP is doing a disservice to the honest police men and women by defending these “bad apples” and promoting a culture of misconduct.

    Vote NO on Seiler.

  4. A Concern About Campaign Funds

    Hello Mayor – According to City Ordinance C02-09

    (a) It shall be unlawful for any natural person, either directly or indirectly, to make contributions to any candidate with respect to any election for the office of mayor-commissioner or city commissioner, which, in the aggregate, exceed $250.00. (b) It shall be unlawful for any candidate or other natural person to knowingly accept or receive any campaign contribution prohibited by this section.

    According to public records, City Commission Candidate Robert McKinzie has accepted donations in excess of the maximum on several occasions. Accordingly, he and the donors would all appear to be in violation of the aforementioned ordinance.

    Thomas McDonald has donated the maximum on three occasions – $750
    Amy Loos Mergler has donated the maximum on two occasions – $500
    Steven Mergler has donated the maximum on two occasions – $500
    Susan Parker has donated the maximum on two occasions – $500
    DDA Counsel John Milledge has donated the maximum on two occasions
    Senator Chris Smith donated the maximum. His wife’s corporation owns the property at 1134 Sistrunk – site of McKinzie’s Campaign Headquarters. To date there has been no report of rent paid or of an in-kind donation (which would be illegal as not coming from a natural person). The fair market value of the rent is at least $5000.

    As our Mayor, and an officer of the Court I am asking you to launch an investigation and give public assurances to the District III residents that no one is getting an unfair advantage. This appears to be quite contrary to the letter and spirit of the law.

    Please enforce this important ordinance and preserve the sanctity and transparency of our local electoral system.

    I know you will do the right thing.

    mrk – a deeply concerned citizen

  5. Mayor,
    Two things I suggest you point out to our CIty Clerk as opportunities for improvement:
    It is wrong to notarize an unsigned oath – very wrong. It’s not okay. Really not.
    When posting important public records for public examination (like Candidate Finance Reports) it is important to upload all the pages. (at the top the reports say things like “Page 1 of 5”. Those notes provide a useful guide for the Clerk to upload entire reports for the public). Citizens should have a reasonable right to rely on the Clerk’s information.
    It would be good if you could work on getting those things set right.

    I never heard back from you on that McKinzie illegal campaign thing – I guess you must be busy. It was in the news today.

    Remember – just because he gave the money back, doesn’t mean that he and your friends didn’t violate CIty Ordinance and State Law. Clearly, they broke the law, admitted, it, and made restitution. That’s all well and good, but they were caught cheating – your constituents deserve a most thorough vetting of any impropriety by a sitting Commissioner.

    If they had been caught speeding, would you let them off because they slowed down after you saw them? You’re an officer of the court. I know you know better.

    I hope to see you at the polls on Tuesday.
    I know you’ll do the right thing.

    thanks.
    mrk

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