Tim Smith's Fort Lauderdale

  
      Former Commissioner Dean Trantalis is very upset over Mayor Jim Naugle’s homophobic message in the current addititon of the City’s newsletter “the Focus”., and it’s not just Jim Naugle who he is furious at.

      In Naugle’s latest article, he continued his focus on his priority of stopping “gay sex” at City parks and bathrooms. The “Focus” is mailed to all Fort Lauderdale residents.

     The article created quite a stir in the community, and Gay residents demanded that the City Commission rebuke Naugle at their latest meeting. The commission, with Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson leading the effort, agreed to keep any more Naugle missives from appearing in the publication. They agreed to replace Naugle’s column with a column of their own. (See Sun-Sentinel’s Politic Blog at http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/)  

     The effort, which was the strongest admonition yet of the Mayor by his Commission, didn’t pacify Trantalis when it came to the statements of his handpicked successor, Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom. Below is a copy of an e-mail sent by Trantalis to Rodstrom yesterday.

     Hi Charlotte-

    Naugle’s recent statements regarding the gay community, especially in
light of the death and beating of two individuals who were GLBT members, has
enraged the entire community.  The statements which he included in his State
of the City address, and now his most recent attack in the Focus article,
are clear signs that this guy is not going to let up. We can all say that,
oh well, he’ll be gone in a year so let’s just grin and bear it. Well,
unfortuantely, that doesn’t work. We all thought that the mayor would have
had his round last summer, and having seen the community response, would
have just felt satisfied that he said his peace and would move on with the
business of the city. That is clearly not the case.

    The gay community and its friends are planning a significant response to
the mayor’s latest actions. In its fight, its leaders will look to see who
is with them and who is not, and specific moments will be seen as tests to
determine community loyalty. Yesterday afternoon, at the conference meeting,
we were looking for a response from the other commissioners like yourself to
stand up to the mayor and insist that he not demean the city and the
position of mayor in his continual diatribe about bathroom sex which only he
seems to think is a problem. Many eyes were on you, Charlotte, and frankly
your attempt to try to shove the issue under the rug is being viewed as your
agreement with the mayor and his beliefs. You cannot look to find excuses
for the mayor when he conducts himself in an inexcusable manner. You can see
that he is unapolgetic, is shameless, and your looking to appease the anger
with a motherly pat on the head is making people in the GLBT community
feeling betrayed.

    I say this to you because I have always supported you and I believe in
your continued role as our commissioner. But Charlotte, this issue hits too
close and too hard for me to ignore and for you look indifferent. People are
dying because of their sexual orientation and being ruffed-up right here in
our own back yard–at the Floridian no less!! You cannot dig your head in
the sand; as much as we all hoped that the issue would have gone away it has
returned and with a vengeance. His rhetotic has emboldened people to attack
innocent victims and your refusal to stand up against the mayor or anyone
else who speaks his point of view is being interpreted as your agreeing with
him.

    Charlotte, you need to make a strong and bold statement real soon and in
a very demonstrative way. I can only hold back the anger for so long. (I
even convinced Coleman Pruitt to run in district 4 and not against you.) But
to let the mayor continue to offend and to especially put lives at risk is
just not acceptable. The city does not deserve to have as its mayor someone
who revels in filth, and certainly, with such a large GLBT population that
exists in Ft.Lauderdale, we need to know that we have people who are there
to protect us.

   

DEAN

              Who don’t like a Street Car ?

                
                   Well, that depends on where it’s going! 

     The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, a Board appointed by the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, made up of property owners in the Downtown, unveiled the latest version of a plan for a Downtown Street Car system at a Special City Commision meeting held this past Tuesday. The plan, years in the making, has drawn substantial support among many.

     But, as usual, the devil was in the details! 

    The meeting, requested by the DDA through their Chair, JacK Loos, a longtime developer and kingmaker, started the meeting by standing from his seat and telling the Mayor and the Commissioners that they had come for a decision. And the decision included money.

     The plan calls for a Street Car system similar to the one in Portland Oregon . It runs by overhead electric wires, is able to cross a bridge, and is paid for, substantially, by the Downtown property owners. The assessment will run unit owners in the Downtown $99. a year, and commercial property owners from 5 cent to 12 cent a square foot of commercial space. But the plan’s financial plan calls for a Fort Lauderdale City monetary contribution – and there comes the rub!

     The routes, chosen by the DDA, with assistance from a nationally recognized transit consultant, left out too much of the City’s downtown, according to some. Tim Smith (that’s me) attended the meeting with the intention of supporting the Street Car plan, but was surprised that the system stopped abruptly at NE 6 St. on the north side, yet went all the way to SE 17th Street on the south side. Smith argued that if the route didn’t go all the way to Sunrise Boulevard, or at least Searstown, it would miss the opportunity to provide a link to the 25,000 people that live in the neighborhoods north of Sunrise Boulevard. Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, who represents the District, agreed, and pushed for the northern extension.

     Also, Commissioner Carlton Moore, who represents the NW section of City, told the Downtowners that they could forget his support if they didn’t bring the Street car to his district through an attachment up Sistrunk Boulevard.

     The Authority asked for a postponement, after Mayor Naugle seemed to agree with Moore and Rodstrom. Another meeting is scheduled for 30 days, when many hope a new plan will include those additional areas.

  
The following listing from the Broward Republican website, (Browardgop.org ..dated today), was sent to Tim Smith’s Fort Lauderdale with this question: ……..

     Yo Tim,…. why is Cindi Hutchinson’s name still listed as a local Republican Elected Official in the Republican’s website, when I read month’s ago that she has switched back to the Democrat Party that she was initially a member of ?…..   I figure that ‘s a fair question ! …Cindi, will you respond?….. 

                              
                               Republican Party  of Broward County

                        BROWARD REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


                         County & Municipal Elected Officials
                      
                                     Fort Lauderdale
                                    100 North Andrews Avenue
                                   Fort Lauderdale Florida 33301
                                    Tel: 954-828 5000
                                    Fax: 954-828-5667

                           Commissioner Christine Teel, cteel@fortlauderdale.gov
                           Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson, chutchinson@fortlauderdale.gov

     In a year when Democrats seem to have all the momentum nationally, you’d think the infamous Broward County Democrats would pull off an annual dinner that would be one for the record books. You’d be wrong.

     Last night at the Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, Democratic Party enthusiasts gathered for their annual soiree, the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. The yearly dinner always draws a collection of Democrats that want to either see, or be seen.

     Most of the party bigshots were in attendance, including Howard Forman, (Clerk of the Courts and former State Senator), Lori Parrish, (Property Appraiser and former County Commissioner),Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Campbells, the Rodstroms, Stacy Ritter, Austin Forman, Sue Gunzburger, Lois Wexler, and others, too numerous to mention.

     So why did the dinner seem such a big flop to many in attendance?

                                                
                                                   Party Chair Mitch Cesear
                                                    
     Maybe it was the organization, or the apparent lack thereof. Party Chair Mitch Cesear seemed to have a more difficult job than usual herding the attendees in place. The VIP reception (which costs $125 in addition to the $150 entry fee) broke late and many lingered in the hallway outside the ballroom to mingle with the powerful. Cesear had to get stern with the crowd to usher them into the Ballroom for the night’s events.

     As Cesear struggled to begin the program, the party goers were still mingling and talking. “Shush” was the word of the night, and when that didn’t work, “Percy sit down” and “Albetta – quiet” rang out from the lecturn. Noone seemed to be paying attention even as the Keynote Speaker, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, late for another obligation, was introduced just as the clatter of the salad plates were hitting the table. 

      Governor Rendell seemed lackluster in the delivery of his speech, which appeared unpracticed and was short on inspiration. The crowd continued to mumble, and Rendell finished his talk just as the last of the main dishes (standard chicken –  rubber) hit the tables.

     The rest of the event just seemed to fade away, as most of the attendees flowed out of the ballroom with no apparent adjournment.

     Hopefully for the Party, the election process in the fall will be pulled off much more successfully than last night’s affair.  
 
         

  
      And you thought we were talking about his recently announced entry into the Fort Lauderdale Mayoral race!

     Actually, we received this photo, from an anonymous source, of a very pained looking State Representative Jack Seiler, dragging himself (with the help of some young tots) through a Wilton Manors 5K race!



                                            


     When reached for a comment, Seiler exclaimed, “I sure hope the Mayoral race is easier than that run was” ! On a more serious note, Seiler sent in this statement…….

                

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to continue to serve the citizens of Fort Lauderdale in a new capacity.  Since 2000, I have been honored and privileged to represent areas of Fort Lauderdale in the Florida House of Representatives, and I have truly enjoyed my tenure in Tallahassee.  Now, I am looking forward to representing all of Fort Lauderdale in City Hall.”  

…stay tuned for more articles on the upcoming exciting Fort Lauderdale Mayoral race!

                  

     In a move that could further deteriorate the relationship between the Fort Lauderdale Police Union and the City Management/City Commission, the Union has called for a vote of “No Confidence” in Manager George Gretsas. The vote is expected to be taken at an upcoming meeting. The Union is also including Assistant City Manager David Hebert, who oversees Public Safety for Gretsas, in the “No Confidence” vote, though the Police Chief has apparently been spared.
 
                     
                             Gretsas and  Department brass


     The drastic action follows unsuccessful efforts to negotiate a Police contract. Police Union officials report that the failure to negotiate a satisfactory contract have led to poor morale and an exodus of experienced Police Officers from the force. These are some of the numbers that they state to make their case:

33 less Officers now than 2003, when the City had less residents

58 Police Officers left the force in 2007

94% of the force claim poor or very poor morale

72% of the Officers are looking to move to other agencies

     Union officials complain that though they rated near the top in pay among other Departments in 2003, they currently rank last. They point to Gretsas’s
21 % increase in pay, while their standing among other Departments has fallen. 

     The Mayor and Commissioners are responsible for approving a contract, and leaks suggest that there is wide disagreement among the Commission on a solution. Early reports had Mayor Naugle and Commissioner Hutchinson in favor of accepting the Police demands, Commissioners Moore and Teel opposing, and Commissioner Rodstrom on the fence. The latest development has Teel ready to deal, but Naugle and Rodstrom at odds over the length of the contract to offer. 

     One thing is for sure. A “No Confidence ” vote next week on the City Manager is sure to cause new riffs and further instability. Stay tuned!


 

     Sitting outdoors at a quaint coffee shop, on the seedy edge of the trendy Victoria Park neighborhood, a group of key Fort Lauderdale opinion makers  met with former State Senator Skip Campbell, to hear him make his case for his bid to return to the Florida Senate next year. 
                                                 
                                                    
     Campbell, a Democrat, served with distinction in the Florida legislature for a decade, but saw his political career derailed in a loss for the State Attorney General post in 2006. This time around, Campbell has joined the race for the seat currently held by Jeff Atwater, a Republican. The 25th Florida Senate District seat is comprised of multiple cities, but Fort Lauderdale accounts for a hefty 40% of the District, all east of Interstate 95 to the Atlantic Ocean.

     The meeting, arranged by Randy Dunlap, a neighborhood activist and International Airport expert, and who ran unsuccessfully for John Rodstrom’s County Commission seat, was attended by a rich array of Fort Lauderdales’ leaders.
     The list included a former Mayor, former City Commissioners, leaders in the Fort Lauderdale Council of Neighborhoods, the  Publisher of the Fort Lauderdale City News,  current and former City Commission candidates, neighborhoods Presidents, and assorted other neighborhood activists. 

     Campbell used the hour long meeting to spell out his reasons for his efforts to rejoin the Legislature, which mostly centered around the States’ expensive insurance premiums, and his opponents’ percieved obligations to the Insurance Industry. Most attendees reported being “quite impressed” with not only his deep knowledge of the issues, but also his frank and honest answers to the questions posed by the group. 

     Campbell expressed a desire to meet with other groups in the City. Let him know if your group wants him to attend your meeting by calling him at 954-763-8181.

    

                                              



                                                      

                                         Former City Commissioner Tim Smith
                       running (kind of) the Fort Lauderdale
                       Half-Marathon on February 17th, 2008  

             ….. when asked for a comment, he was only able
                            to mutter “OUCH!”  …..

     Who are the rich and famous of Fort Lauderdale backing for President of the United States?

     It’s a bit complicated.

     First off, many people keep that choice a secret. You can ask (as I’ve done), but many will just tell you it’s none of your business, and they may be right. Also, some of the richest and most famous back more than one candidate, just in case!

     But thanks to the Internet, if you’ve given a Presidential candidate (or two) more than $200, your name, occupation, address, and shoe size are there for the discovery! All together, large donors in Fort Lauderdale have given about a Million Dollars, spent nearly evenly among the Democratic and Republican candidates, according to current Internet records.

     And here’s what it’s looking like so far…. on the Democratic side,
                                    
Obama,

 though seemingly catching fire on the National stage, hasn’t lit so much as a brushfire here in Fort Lauderdale among the big donors. His known local support comes from former Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Tim Smith, well- known local architects Anthony Abbate, Don Singer, and Dan Fee, civic activists Joe Holland and Cal Deal, historic preservationist Diane Smart, and attorney Mitchell Berger. He has also gotten big donations from Neil Sterling  and George Platt,(Broward County lobbyists),  but they both are hedging their bets and giving to multiple candidates ,herein referred to as MD (Multiple Donors).

Clinton 

 seems to be the big favorite among the City’s powerful. John and Charlotte Rodstom have been their most vocal fans among elected officials, having held a fundraiser at their Las Olas Isles home. Also in the Clinton camp include attorneys Don McCloskey, Greg Durden, George Platt (MD), Dick Coker, John Milledge, Robert Lochrie, and former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis. The developers include Ramola Motwani (beach),  Michael Shiff (Las Olas),  and Alan Hooper (downtown). The  realtors include Jackie Scott and Linda Bird, and well known VIP’s include Jim Kane (pollster),  Jack Abdo (Bank of Atlantic)  Neil Stirling (MD), Alan Levy, Geri Udell, Judy Stern (political consultant) Jim McKinley, and Elizabeth Buntrock (cousin of Wayne Huizenga) (MD).

Richardson 

  had quite a bit of support of the elite, with large donations from Michael Egan (former owner of Alamo Rent-a-Car), Russ Klenet (lobbyist) and attorneys Russ Adler (MD) and Ira Marcus, and also got money from multiple donors Platt, Buntrock, and Judy Stern.


Edwards 

  Edwards saw support from former political candidates Fred Haddad, Ken Cooper, and Bradford Cohen, attorney Jon Krupnick and VIP’s James Cummings and Elizabeth Buntrock (MD).

…….and on the Republican side


McCain 

  has seen big donations from attorneys Russ Adler  (MD), and Don Hall, realtor Ted Drum, and VIP’s Randy Avon and Clay King.


Romney

  was the favorite of Wayne Huizenga, Mike Maroone (auto dealerships), James Blosser, (who raised $100,000 for George Bush)  and VIP’s Fred Guardabasi and George Morgan (shopping center developer).

Guiliani

  saw donations from local bigshots Terry Stiles and William Schere, and attorney Russ Adler (MD) . 

Huckabee

  was the favorite of anti-gay activist Margaret Hostetter, and was recently endorsed by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle.

Thompson

  received  a donation from Naugle (MD).




 

In early 2009, for the first time in nearly a decade, voters in District IV in Fort Lauderdale will go to the polls and choose a new Commissioner. The District has been represented by Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson since her win in 2000. She is now term-limited and running for the open Mayoral seat.

     District IV is one of Fort Lauderdale’s most diverse districts, with a mix of people, incomes, and issues, and is commonly believed to have the most active Civic Associations in the City. 

     The district is centered in the Downtown, where a new, dense, urban lifestyle has created conflicts with some of the oldest neighborhoods in the City, including Sailboat Bend, Rio Vista, and Tarpon River.  The District also contains the southern portion of the Fort Lauderdale Beach, with it’s upscale neighborhoods of Harbor Beach, Harbour Isles, Harbour inlet, and Breakwater Surf Club. Rounding out the District are the mostly blue collar neighborhoods that run along the State Road 84 corridor, the Riverland Road area, and the areas along Davie Boulevard, where much of the City’s Hispanic population resides.

     So who is in the hunt to represent this cauldron? ….. It’s breaking down like this:

     Charles Jordan, 49, ran unsuccessfully (but strongly) for the Commissioner post in 2006. He garnered 42% of the vote in that run, and might be considered the frontrunner if he decides to get in. Jordan is a longtime civic activist, past President of the Sailboat Bend neighborhood and past Chairperson of the City’s Historic Preservation Board. He is largely considered to be a slow-growth candidate, and has worked hard on a citizen-led committee to adjust the Development Regulations in the City. Jordan says that he is not sure if he will get in the race. He says he is conferring with his team from the 2006 run, gauging the current political atmosphere, and deciding if he can once again put his family and his home remodeling and property development business on hold for a difficult political campaign. He is surely one to watch. 

     Darin Lentner, 44, past President of the Imperial Point neighborhood, and the current Vice-President of the River Oaks neighborhood, made news this past year when he agreed to bow out of the race for State Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff’s seat, under pressure from Bogdanoff and the Republican party. It is rumored that Bogdanoff promised him support for a Fort Lauderdale City Commission try if he would get out of her race. Darin says that he thinks that serving the City is a better cause, and a post that might be more appropriate for a first-time elected official. He intends to jump into the race “in a few weeks.” He says he is neither “pro” or “anti” development, but has “friends who are developers, and friends who are environmentalists”. Lentner thinks the City needs a “new vision”, and by the looks of his success as a Partner in his law firm, and his sometimes hobby of marathon running, he is one not to count out in the coming sprint.

     Coleman Prewitt, 41, a local lawyer with his own firm, has created quite a buzz in some civic circles in the past year. The One-Community Board member, die hard Citizen Volunteer Corp participant and joint UNITE Fort Lauderdale founder is planning a formal announcement and campaign kickoff event on March 25th at the Stone Packard Museum. Pruitt, who lives in the Las Olas Grande in Downtown, cites the difficult times ahead in the City as his reason for wanting to serve as Commissioner. He cites the challenge of maintaining Public Safety, promoting Economic Development, and bringing new jobs to the City, with the looming budget cuts, as a difficult job that needs special attention. He says he feels he is “up for the job.” Pruitt is gaining support from many of the well known civic activists in the District, which makes him a force to be reckoned with.

    Ron Centamore, a former Fort Lauderdale Police Officer and current President of the Downtown Civic Association, has been widely expected to run for the seat, but rumors abound he has changed his mind and won’t make a go for it in this cycle.

     Expect more candidates to appear before the full roster is complete. We will keep our ear to the ground and let you know as things develop…..


                                        Ciao, Tim