So, Who Else Won Yesterday?

                        
                                                                                          


     The General Election. 

     It happens every three years here in Fort Lauderdale. And as is usually the case, just a smidgen over 10% of us went to the voting booth and elected our fearless leaders for the next cycle.


                                                                     
                                                                            
                                                                lonely voting booth!

     So we now know that the team of Seiler, Roberts, Rodstrom, Dubose, and Rogers will fill out that most important roster and decide how much to tax, what roads to fix, whether we need new Fire trucks, etc.

     But the new City Commission were not the only winners yesterday. There were other winners, even though they weren’t on any ballot.
                                                …………………………………………………………….
   
  Here’s how I see it:


     ……. Fort Lauderdale’s Voting Process –

     It’s a big winner for sure. The term limit law that finally and completely kicked in this year gave us a new City Commission that has four new members. That will guarantee the City new ideas, new energy, and a positive feeling that we can shed off the ugly baggage of the past.

     ……. Decorum,Decency,Manners –
 
     It’s been fun and entertaining at times to watch all the shenanigans and insanity on the Commission dais, but unproductive. This new group seems to get that. It’s the people’s business, and it should be done with respect. We should see a whole lot more this time around.

    …….. New King Makers –

     We love to hate Judi Stern, the queen of brash politics, but there are new campaign consultants quietly surging onto the scene. Mark Ketcham is the most notable, having just won another election against an incumbent ( he led Bruce Robert’s campaign to victory over incumbent Teel this time, and had a big win for Ken Keechl over incumbent Jim Scott last year). Also, former State Rep candidate Alain Jean won strong as campaign manager for Bobby Dubose.

                                                                                
                                                                       
                                                          New King Maker Ketcham ?


     …… Fort Lauderdale Police – 

     If it wasn’t Mayor Naugle calling them lazy, or City Manager Gretsas likening their Union boss to a feral cat, it was Teel blaming them for an out of control budget, (even if it was only a tiny fraction of the increase in City spending). Now, one of theirs (Roberts) will be sitting on the dais, and Mayor-Elect Seiler and Commissioner Rodstrom are expected to be Police friendly.

                                                                              
                                                          Mounted Division FLPD               
   

      …… Me! 

      I endorsed four out of the five City Commission winners on this blog over the last month ! 
Whew …
I’ve been sweating it!
                                                                                  
                                                                          
                                                      Tim Smith – Student Council Pres. 1969