Tim Smith's Fort Lauderdale

     Judge Naugle has overturned the will of the people, apparently for a handful of unnamed, long – serving politicians.

     On this past election day, when everyone was focused on the coming Republican landslide, Judge Naugle quietly released an opinion that overturned the Broward County Term Limits law.

                                                  
                                                            Carol Lisa Naugle, before being 
               appointed Judge by the Governor, with daughter, husband (you know who), and dog


     It didn’t seem to matter much that the giant majority ( 80%) of the voters believe in, and voted for term limits for their County politicians, (and their City Politicians in Fort Lauderdale).

     Naugle’s ruling was based on an earlier court decision in another County. That verdict said that since there were term limits specifically established for the Governor, State Reps, etc.  in the Florida Constitution, that it must “necessarily follow” that no other Term Limits for County/City officials were allowed…. HUH? 

     Judge Naugle also regurgitated the worn out slogan that “politicians already have term limits, there called elections.”

     So this is how it all went down. Term limits were just about to go into effect.

     Commissioners John Rodstrom and Ilene Lieberman were about to lose their $90,000 a year jobs in 2012. Rodstrom will have been a County Commissioner twenty years, Lieberman sixteen. The mission was clear – overturn the term limits !

     Enter attorney Bill Scherer. Scherer is probably the most connected attorney in our town. He was one of G.W. Bushs’ “pioneers” for raising over $100,000 for Bush’s re-election effort. He served for years as attorney for the North Broward Hospital District and the Stranahan House, and was appointed by John Rodstrom to the Ethics committee. Sheesh! 

     Scherer was supposedly hired by Rio Vista resident William Telli, who, when asked why he was suing to overturn term limits, said he didn’t really know much about it!

                                    

                            Here’s the rest of the story in pictorial form ….

                                                     
                                                   attorney Scherer
                                                                     sues in front of
                                               
                                                
                                                   Judge Naugle 
                                                                  who’s married to

                                              
                                                   
         &nbs
p;                               formerly term- limited Mayor Jim Naugle
                                                     who served with

                                                                   

                                                         
                                           Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom,
                                                       who’s married to

                                                  
                                                       
                               (used to be term limited) Commissioner John Rodstrom
                                                                           who represents the

                                                                   

                                               screwed citizens
                                                 
                                                      

     

    

     Time to come joggin with Jack ….. again ! 

    You missed last month’s “fitness time with the Mayor”,  because you had a dentist appointment, you were going to be out of town, your grandmother was ill, and your dog ate your homework !! So, I’m guessing you will all be available this time!

     Last month we got healthy by walking and jogging and talking (some bicycled) through the historic neighborhood of Sailboat Bend, and finished up with some free cold frosties provided by the Tarpon Bend restaurant in Himmarshee Village.

     Here’s a picture of some of the sweaty finishers ( the Police Chief is the one with the skinny legs!)
 
    
                                                   

     Here’s a picture of how they got sweaty  …. 

                                                    
                                                                                       sweaty Jack !

     OK, so this month’s walk/jog will be along our beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach front !

                                         

                          Meet on the Sand at Sunrise Boulevard and A1A

                                Monday evening, November 8th
                                7:00 P.M.
                                ( park by the Parrot Lounge- extra parking will be available)
     We will be walking down to Las Olas, where a special treat awaits us ( you’ll have to come to find out!) , and then we slowly jog back to Sunrise Boulevard where Tim Schiavone’s World Famous Parrot Lounge will be there with our reward  ……

                              free cold beer and healthy snacks !

                  ( if you have any questions, call the Mayor’s office at 954-828-5003)  Tim
                               

     13th Street, Fort Lauderdale….. 

     You remember (because I never let you forget!) , that 13th Street, Fort Lauderdale, is trying to make itself over. The street was once a thriving area where Canadian tourists stayed during the winter.

     Then came crack cocaine !

                                      

     Drugs moved in, good folks moved out!

     But it’s finally a new day on 13th Street. The new association, led by dynamo Katherine Barry, are beginning to turn the area around. New owners are buying up the buildings, crime is on the run, and a new government-backed Community Redevelopment Association is in place.

     The street got pricey African sculptures placed in the wide medians last summer, but as with all progress, a small set-back came when a sleeping motorist plowed into one of the sculptures. What was once a $35,000 Zimbabwian sculpture, became a worthless little unrecognizable stub.

     But some good came of it, interestingly, many credit the sculpture with saving the sleeping motorist by stopping her before she headed into oncoming traffic!

                                                           Here’s the little stub

                                                   
                                                                      little stub

      And the association got really lucky also. The motorist was insured by State Farm, who did the right thing and paid for a replacement sculpture.

                                                         Here’s the new one !

                                               
                                                        new cactus head sculpture

     New landscaping and painting of the base comes this week. With any luck, this one stays for a long time!~

     In my last musing, I shared some thoughts about the upcoming Tuesday election. I even had the audacity to do a little endorsing.

     Well, no good deed goes unpunished, and I heard from one of the candidate’s supporters that I did not endorse.

     The call was about local infamous lawyer and perpetual candidate Jim Lewis.

       Jim became famous when he represented    
                                                                                                             child, child killer Lionel Tate

     The caller asked me to consider the following strong points about Lewis,

     1.) Lewis doesn’t take any money from lobbyists, idealogue, partisans – actually no one! 

     2.) Lewis wants to reform the bloated, overwhelmed crime and punishment system by legalizing

                                                                                        
                                                                                                  

     3.) Lewis is the most fiscally conservative of the candidates. Some proof of that is made by the two pictures below.

                                 Lewis’s sign in a field of sign blight 

                      

                            Lewis proof that he knows how to save on sign lumber costs!

                           
                                    

           Note:  the sign buried underneath Lewis’s sign is for Judge Skolnik who won re-election last August   ……..

     Funny thing about being an elected official and even a former elected official. Come election time, lots of your friends and acquaintances will ask your opinion on the ballot choices.

                                                     

    
     Here’s my take ( sort of) :

                                                  … United States Senator
…… your real choice here is between a far left guy, a far right guy, and a guy who will be whatever you want him to be! ….some think Meeks will drop out and Crist will have a shot…I say no way that will happen….

     I’m not offering an opinion on this race, but one thing I am sure of … you should steer clear of this fringe U.S. Senate candidate pictured below.

                                                          
                                           U.S. Senate candidate Bobbie Bean

     Bean’s running on a kind of “fear the Muslims” platform, and says it’s reasonable to think that Christians will soon have to hide in the closet to read the bible.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
                                                              …….. Governor
……….between the Democrat Alex Sink and the Republican Rick Scott.

     Scott totally lost me when he had his mother attend one of the debates for him because “everybody was picking on him”  …..  Vote Sink
      ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
                       
                                                         Attorney General

…… not a lot of pizazz in this race, a Dem and a Repub, but third party candidate and hometown boy Jim Lewis is running for it…. Of course Jim’s run for about every elected position possible!
 
                                                              
                                                                    don’t vote Jim – again

     …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
 
                                                                Supreme Court Justices

……….  the ballot asks us ” if we’d like to retain them”  …. what kind of choice is that? ..I said NO

    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

                                                                     Issues

     ………… should we repeal campaign financing reform  ……… No

    ………….  should we give our military serving overseas extra homestead exemptions …… hell Yes

    ………….  should we have to set a referendum every time a city wants to change a Land Use Reg? … No 

    …………  should we stop politicians from changing boundaries around so they can get reelected… hell Yes

    ………..  should we go back on our decision to keep classroom sizes small? ….. hell No 

    ………..  new Ethics laws for everyone?  …..hell Yes

   …………  should we review the County charter less often than we do now?  ….  a final hell No 

                             now you know what I think  ….. if you cared !  …..Tim

                                                                    

    Mayor Jack Seiler wants YOU ! 

    …… to join him in a workout ! ….  Seiler’s newest effort promotes a healthy Fort Lauderdale. He says he well knows that it is “easy to say, but not the easiest to do”. So he plans on “walking the walk”, literally, not just “talking the talk”. 

                     Here’s the deal !

      Jack invites you to come along on his new work-out plan. He figures he can get healthy, meet new citizens, and inspect the neighborhoods, all at the same time. His first jog/walk workout will be next Monday, Oct. 18th, at 7 P.M……  Meet at Huizenga Plaza at Las Olas and Andrews.

     Now, just in case you don’t think you can keep up, cut the mustard, here’s a picture Jack jogging! ( and this was back when he was in shape!)             
                                    
                                                         “Joggin” Jack
    
      And if you need more proof, I’ll be jogging along side Jack – and here’s what that tortured view looks like !

                                                          
                                                               barely jogging Tim

      Some of the areas health professionals will be there to warm us up with stretches first.   And to keep us all safe, Chief Frank Adderley will be jogging along with us.

     The Mayor will also have staff along, so if you tell him about a problem to fix, or you have a great idea that he’ll want to investigate, someone will be there to put it all down.  

     Here’s how Seiler’s staff will come along – 

                                     
                                       Oceanview Rickshaws will carry the secretary !   .. thanks Jay  

     And if your idea of exercise is by bicycle, or skates, or pogo stick, just come along as you like.

     And if you need more motivation, the 2 mile course will wind through the Historic neighborhood of Sailboat Bend and end here – 

                               

                           Tarpon Bend…..where a tall frosty one will await all who complete the course!

           ….. for more info, e-mail me at Tim@TimSmith.com , or call the Mayor’s office.

        
            
    
 

     All great cities have a Police Mounted Unit   …….  We do!
                                                 
                                                      Fort Lauderdale’s four legged finest !

     They are unique in the things they do…….  The problem is – they ain’t cheap!

                         

     Nearly every budget season, the Unit is on the chopping block, only to be saved by the bell at the last minute. Some year, sooner or later,they won’t make the cut. But what if the Unit could pay for itself? 

             Here’s what I’m thinking  

     We have a wonderful Mounted facility in Holiday Park, an 80 acre park right in the middle of Fort Lauderdale.

                              
                                                    the horsey facility in Holiday park

     The Unit does what it can to cut costs – here’s amazing proof !

                                  
                           Fort Lauderedale Cop with plunkards ( that’s what the stuff in the pitchfork is called!)

     How about we try and find a horse stabling/riding business that would like to locate next to the Cops in the Park.

     They could  offer rides all around the giant park on the weekends, board horses for our citizens. They could even take over the plunkard digging duties!
    
     There’s plenty of horse businesses out in Davie, and I’ll bet one of them would pay real money for the opportunity to go east to the big city Fort Lauderdale!

     
                                                                  
                                                                               picture yourself here
    
      

                                                      A cost cutting idea for the City of Fort Lauderdale ! 

                                       

                                                       Delray Beach Traffic Enforcement Division
                                   EZ Go Golf Cart – less than $5000. totally tricked out!

                     
                          Fort Lauderdale Traffic Enforcement Division
                                Ford Escape – totally tricked out $25,000 

     
                                     Savings per vehicle = $20,000

     Ron “Popeye” Gray

                              
                                                  age – 56
                                                  address – roof of the Home Depot
                                                  occupation – panhandler 

      If you drive Sunrise Boulevard, you’ll probably recognize Popeye. He spends at least some of each day panhandling,  perched on a small 3 foot median on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and NE 4th Avenue. (just outside Home Depot.)

     According to Popeye, (nicknamed that due to a sleepy eye) his problems that lead to his current condition started just after New Year’s in 2005. 

       He was a carpenter, a good one he says. (” I can still hang a door”).  But after drinking too much one Friday after work, he fell out of a truck. His leg suffered permanent nerve damage, leaving him mostly wheelchair bound.

     He lost his job, his wife, his house. Now, he wheels the chair straight out into traffic to panhandle. “I always go backwards, so I can see the cars coming”.

                                          
                                                               badly sunburned, nerve damaged leg

     He’s a sad case for sure. He doesn’t appear to be mentally disabled. He’s smart, but talks incessantly, and says he is writing a book, though I can’t imagine how.

      He did want me to see his head. It’s a mess. He says he’s basically healthy, though he “may have cancer”.

                                          
                                                                     Popeye’s head

     He says he eats alright, mostly at McDonalds ( prefers bacon cheddar and cheese), reads the paper  there when someone gives him one, and when it rains, ducks into the elevator on the Home Depot roof. He says the employees there feel for him and help him out when they can.

     He says most of his panhandling goes for cigarettes (anything but menthol), beer, and food for a little kitten named Tiger that he has adopted.

     He has a criminal record (spent a year “in the County” for cocaine possession and fighting with the Cops), but says he now has a good relationship with them – “they mostly drive by and wave”. 

     I asked him what his future holds. He’s not sure. He says he’s too independent to stay in shelters for long, and can’t get a job due to his leg (and the criminal record). He says he’s been trying forever to get disability, but says he hasn’t had any luck. He says he’s thinking of putting his leg on the track when the train goes by. He figures that will get him disability quick.

     He says until he does that, he’d really like some shoes, as he currently only has two left footed flip-flops. He’s a size 11 and a half, and wants some with “good treads”, ones that will help him push his chair.

     Anybody make any sense of this ?   ………    Tim
 
     

    

     It’s been in the planning process for over ten years, but now it’s hit a snag.

     Passenger Service on the Florida East Coast rail line.

            We had it once, long ago. Henry Flagler saw to that.       

     
     It went away decades ago when the owners of the tracks decided to run freight only. Today, only the rumbling noise of the rock clogged trains move through Fort Lauderdale. But  the plans have been slowly working their way through the cumbersome public planning process for the new service. This passenger service line would run from Jupiter to Miami, with dozens of stops along the way.

     Unfortunately, this week, residents of Fort Lauderdale Downtown have thrown a wrinkle in the process.

     Here’s the problem.

     1.) – In order for the new service to be successful, it must run often, say every 15 minutes from each station.

     2.) – The trains must pass over the New River, and the marine interests say opening a draw bridge every     15 minutes over the river would be dangerous and unworkable. They say a very tall bridge ( maybe 90 foot) would have to be built over the river.

     3.) – The Downtown Residents are loudly saying “hold on, we don’t want a big, ugly, tall bridge dividing the downtown”. They want a tunnel.

                                     
                                        the bridge would have to run along this stretch – Broward and south

   4.) – The planners say a tunnel costs huge bucks, maybe 10 times the cost of a bridge, maybe a half a billion dollars. Probably a deal killer.

                                 Does anyone have a phone number for Henry Flagler ???