Tim Smith's Fort Lauderdale

     Last night’s meeting of the Progresso Village Civic Association in Fort Lauderdale degraded into a profanity screaming free- for- all.

     The volatile melee was all over the much discussed Homeless Feeding Camps the City is trying to place.

     This is Progresso Village Civic –



     And this is Progresso Village Civic –



     It’s a neighborhood that had started it’s comeback when the bottom fell out of the economy a few years back.

       Now, it’s mostly known as the neighborhood by Sunrise Boulevard that the City originally proposed to move the troublesome hardcore homeless into, in order to get them out of the downtown parks.

     That proposal died on the vine last month, but the tension in the Progresso Civic group hasn’t died.

     Here’s the problem …..the five members on the Board of Directors had quietly told the City that they could put the feeding center in Progresso. The problem was, most of them owned rental houses there and lived elsewhere.

     To make matters worse, one Board member, Ron Centamore, actually is the President of the Downtown Residents group that is pushing to have the vagrants moved out of the downtown! Talk about a rotten cauldron !

     Mayor Jack Seiler came to last night’s meeting in hopes of calming the situation.


                 Seiler in front of room trying to calm the situation

     The Mayor was not successful.
 
     The meeting built to a boil. 

     The residents were mad. They felt they had been poorly represented by their non-resident Board and were strongly taking the Board to task, when one Board Member, developer Renee Lepine, who was unfairly shouldering much of the blame for the Board’s action, banged on the table in front of him, lept up, and yelled 

                               Go F_ _ _ Yourselves (Renee filled in the blanks!)

     As he fled the room, he added, you can all go to hell.

     So much for kinder political discourse!

     Riverside Hotel …… tonight –  6 p.m.- Friday, January 7th 2011. They came to honor Gerry Cooper,  officially named –   E. Gerald Cooper. 

     Many of you knew Gerry Cooper. He built an vast empire of residential rental buildings in Fort Lauderdale over the last three decades. Ask him how many rental units he owned,  he would chuckle and say “-  “oh, I don’t know, quite a few”.  ( I’m sure it numbered in the many thousands!)

     What I’m quite sure of – and is quite an accomplishment –  he was the largest individual tax payer in the City of Fort Lauderdale. 
 
    But it  also should be mentioned –  he was one tough son of a  bitch. But one thing I respected about Gerry,  if he told you he was going to do something, you could take it to the bank.



     The room was packed……. most everyone that was anyone was there…. Mayor Seiler read a formal City Proclamation.

     There were current City Commissioners  one County Commissioner ( Lieberman was missing?), former City Commissioners, a former City Manager, big Law Firm principals, all sorts of important City Advisory Board members, the  Police Chief, Fire Chief, the Chief Planning Official, Downtown Development Officials, ….etc. etc. etc.  I half expected Obama  to walk in…..

      If Gerry was watching, he would have been pleased…..

     Stay with me now!

     Not only is Mayor John P. “Jack” Seiler running, he’s running. 

                 
                                              Jack is running


     Yes, you remember that Seiler is trying to get back to his old fighting shape. He’s been on a public jog/walk program throughout the City, exercising in each political district ( more about that in a minute).

     But what you don’t know until now, Seiler is definitely running for re-election as Mayor.

                                                            
                                               and Jack is running

     Rumors have run rampant since Seiler was elected in February 2009. Many people suspected Seiler would be using the Fort Lauderdale Mayorship as a building block to higher office. Many see Seiler staying in elected office, but ultimately moving his way up for a run to become Florida’s Governor. 

     The first rumor that surfaced that Jack would be a short timer in Fort Lauderdale came last fall. Stories began to circulate that Seiler would run as Lieutenant Governor on the Democratic ticket with Alex Sink . I do have it on good authority that he was approached for that job, but turned it down.

     Now, rumors are circulating that Seiler will run for Congress, taking on newly elected Representative Allen West. 

     Seiler debunked all such rumors in a phone call with me earlier. “I’m running for re-election as Mayor of Fort Lauderdale”, Seiler said. He wasn’t sure when he would open his re-election effort, but said it will probably be “very soon”. 

     Seiler said he is enjoying the job of Mayor, feels as though progress is being made on the city’s economy and budget, and says his family is loving having him home for soccer car pooling, football coaching and the like.

    

     No word yet on who the competition will be.

    …….. and, as far as Jack’s other running, he’d like everyone to meet up with him at the Beach Community Center, Monday, January 10th, at 6:00 p.m. for a jog walk along the Galt Ocean Mile   ……  you’ll have his ear   …. and ….

      …… no campaign contributions are necessary !  ..

     …..( call his assistant, Safeea, at 954-828-5003 if you have any questions)…

                                     P.S. Happy New Year !
          

    

     Gerry Cooper passed away at 10:30 a.m. this morning…

     His son tells me a celebration of his life will be planned shortly. I will let you know as soon as I get the details……..

     Cooper was one of the most successful men in the history of Fort Lauderdale. 

    

     Gerry Cooper, one of Fort Lauderdale’s leading citizens, is gravely ill and might not pull through.

     Cooper built an empire of rental buildings over the last three decades throughout Fort Lauderdale. He has also served in many volunteer capacities, including the Rotary Club, the Sister Cities Program, the Planning and Zoning Board, and many others.

     Cooper’s son, Caldwell Cooper, choking back tears, told me that his dad is “one tough son of a bitch”, but added that things aren’t looking good.

     Gerry has been battling Leukemia for many years, and is in a undisclosed hospital in the North East, fighting for his life.

     The family asks for prayers for Gerry.

     Meet homeless person Theodore Adams.

                  
                                                             “Mayor” Ted

     I met Ted today in Stranahan Park. One of the City’s neighborhood Presidents called me this morning and wanted to see what all the fuss was about in Stranahan Park, and asked me to take him down for a look.

     We met Ted shortly after arriving. Ted said I should probably remember him from Tent City. Tent City was the open air frenzy of a homeless camp just north of Broward Blvd. and just west ( outside the windows) of City Hall.

     Thankfully, Tent City closed at the end of the 1990’s.
    
     Ted lived there back then and says he was the leader of the pack. He said he marched into the Mayor’s office one day and demanded toilets for the camp. He said former Mayor Jim Naugle just said “OK”, and Ted was shocked to see the toilets being trailered in a few weeks later. He says he became “Mayor Ted” of tent city from then on.

    
      Naugle said OK

     Ted hasn’t been homeless the whole time since then. He was living indoors for awhile, courtesy of the State, for a conviction of armed robbery (Ted says he was innocent).

     Ted’s intelligent. He says he can’t work due to lots of physical problems ( he mentioned diabetes), and can’t get into an apartment,( with first last and security) on his meager $651 a month in social security payments. 

     Ted says there are quite a few like him there. He says there are also many who “don’t want to change”. He says there are also quite a few with drug and alcohol problems. And some with mental problems –  “that’s a whole different story”, he said.

     Ted says if the current Mayor would give him a call, he could fill him in on the situation and a few good solutions. Ted’s phone number is 954-687-3325.

         

     Looks like the Fort Lauderdale City Commission’s latest plan to open a Vagrant Feeding Camp off Sunrise Boulevard is dead on arrival. ( thank God ! )



     The proposal, which passed out of the Commission Conference meeting just yesterday, with Seiler, Rogers, and Roberts in favor of the feeding center, and Rodstrom and Dubose opposing, didn’t last 24 hours.
    
     This morning the building owner apparently balked at the short term lease of 3 months. That detail had been proposed by Mayor Seiler, who favored a short term trial period in case the feeding center had problems.

     This e-mail was received by the Commission this morning from Genia Ellis, member of the homeless task force. Ellis is also member of the Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club that sits next to Stranahan Park where most of the feeding currently occurs.

…..                     Ellis’s e-mail follows …..

     …..  I flew home to Fort Lauderdale the day after Thanksgiving expecting a thorough groping. 
                   
                       
                                                  arriving in Fort Lauderdale 

     Here’s what happened!

     As usual, I was running late. I was in Georgia at my mountain hide-a-way, and Cindy was chirping at me,  …… “hurry up, you’re late …. as usual ! “  …..

     But as luck would have it, as I sped down the mountain road, a gigantic tree blocked the only way out . I ran back to the cabin and grabbed a chain saw. I zipped, chopped and made mincemeat of the tree, but it looked like I’d never make it in time –

     ….. but what troubled me much more – I was reeking of GASOLINE ! …. there was no time to go back and change. I would have to head for the airport smelling like a human bomb…. 

     People were sniffing me, I was sure….. But somehow, I sailed right through! … No gropes, no grabs, nothing but a nice smile and a “have a nice day!”.

     Not everyone was as lucky though.

                               
                                        they were checkin  ’em from the rear

                                
                                                 checkin ’em from the front

     And then there was the terrorist   …..

                      

     I caught up with him on the way to the gate. He had been checked nine ways from Sunday…. bags opened …  front and rear check-ups  …wanding … bending… anything they could think of  ….  He met the profile! …. 

    …… But he told me it happens to him everytime … then he said ” I don’t care, anything to keep us safe!”  

     Now there’s a good sport !



    

     I watch too much cable TV.

                 
    
      If I see one more goob saying they were sexually assaulted by the TSA, I’m going to scream. I’ve just searched the web, aggressively looking for any groping evidence, any sexual assaults, even a passing grab, but it’s just not there.
 
     Mostly, I found myself feeling sorry for the TSA folks! As I scanned through hundreds of pat down pics, let’s just say I didn’t find myself lusting to grope most of the flying public !

                                   
                                               I bet his buddies rib him bad !

     I did find it strange that the protocols called for a brief prayer prior to the pat down.

                                                     
                                                     Dear Lord, please don’t let my hands stray!     
                                    

     Anyway, you don’t need to place yourself in the danger zone of the totally trained touchers. Just place your privates in the cold, unfeeling machine. 

                                     

     But I get what you’re worried about …..

                                    
                                        does this make my butt look big?

     
     I think it’s crazy –  all much ado about nothing. I could only find one picture that I think crosses the line.

                                                    


                          And I have to fly on Friday !!!!

     
     

    

     While the rest of the Cities and Counties in the United States are placing Term Limits on their elected officials, Broward County seems intent on dismantling theirs.

                                   
                             old picture of the County Commission – one’s in jail,
                                                          at least one other is on the way –
                                                      one was defeated in the last election

     Here is a list of the Term Limit initiatives that took place in the U.S. in 2010. Thirty-four of the thirty- five initiatives passed, most of them with giant margins.