It is not new but it is startling: periods when political criminality infects the public body, bubbling then necrotizing like small pox.
Voters are fascinated but do nothing until it gets SO BAD, so blatantly ugly, that they are roused to scrub, and scrub and scrub the spots out.
So state representative Erik Fresen -- Big Gambling billionaire Sheldon Adelson's BBF in the Florida legislature -- gets hit with a state ethics charge that sticks, remains in public office, and still takes a salary from a defunct business in violation of ANOTHER ethics rule while campaigning for re-election. WHO DOES THAT?
The answer is obviously someone who doesn't believe voters pay attention.
Gov. Rick Scott fails to report assets totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. His BFF, state attorney general Pam Bondi, just shrugs. Who cares?
In the months leading up to the Nov. 4th election, we learned that top GOP officials failed to report they had flown by private jet to exclusive and secret hunting trips funded by Big Sugar to the King Ranch in Texas. Gov. Scott appointed to the Public Service Commission Jimmy Patronis, the state legislator who lead the holy jihad against all manner of environmental regulations, more or less assuring that the state of Florida will officially not do anything about King Tides flooding the state, because -- well -- no one is paying attention.
They think no one is paying attention, and judging by past performance by voters, who can argue?
Miami-Dade voters play a very important role in state elections. Help reach out to our Republican friends and ask them to change their votes this mid-term election cycle. Do the state of Florida a solid: scrub out this culture of political criminality.
Voters are fascinated but do nothing until it gets SO BAD, so blatantly ugly, that they are roused to scrub, and scrub and scrub the spots out.
So state representative Erik Fresen -- Big Gambling billionaire Sheldon Adelson's BBF in the Florida legislature -- gets hit with a state ethics charge that sticks, remains in public office, and still takes a salary from a defunct business in violation of ANOTHER ethics rule while campaigning for re-election. WHO DOES THAT?
The answer is obviously someone who doesn't believe voters pay attention.
Gov. Rick Scott fails to report assets totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. His BFF, state attorney general Pam Bondi, just shrugs. Who cares?
In the months leading up to the Nov. 4th election, we learned that top GOP officials failed to report they had flown by private jet to exclusive and secret hunting trips funded by Big Sugar to the King Ranch in Texas. Gov. Scott appointed to the Public Service Commission Jimmy Patronis, the state legislator who lead the holy jihad against all manner of environmental regulations, more or less assuring that the state of Florida will officially not do anything about King Tides flooding the state, because -- well -- no one is paying attention.
They think no one is paying attention, and judging by past performance by voters, who can argue?
Miami-Dade voters play a very important role in state elections. Help reach out to our Republican friends and ask them to change their votes this mid-term election cycle. Do the state of Florida a solid: scrub out this culture of political criminality.
10 comments:
Getting rid of Fresen would be a blessing to us all. Daisy is a credible candidate. Ross don't steal her votes. Help her win
THE BUZZ
From the staff of the Tampa Bay TimesSubscribe to RSS
The best evidence yet Charlie Crist might win this thing
Adam C. SmithAdam C. Smith, Times Political Editor
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 6:03pm
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Mike Fasano and Charlie Crist
Tampa Bay TimesMike Fasano and Charlie Crist
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First a confession: For most of the past year, my gut has told me that Rick Scott would likely win a second term and that there was a reasonable likelihood it wouldn't even be close. Around the start of October, as Charlie Crist was not only still standing but actually neck and neck or ahead of the incumbent governor, it became clear this race is a coin toss and Crist might actually pull it off.
Now I'm thinking Crist may have become the clear frontrunner.
I have just seen an internal poll of likely voters in Florida House 36, the west Pasco County district currently represented by Democrat Amanda Murphy and formerly represented by Republican Mike Fasano. District 36, loaded with working class Floridians and retirees may be the single best bellwether state House district in Florida. Barack Obama narrowly won it in 2008 and 2012, and Rick Scott narrowly won it in 2010.
The telephone poll was taken Monday and Tuesday by the Democratic firm SEA Polling & Strategic Design (which nailed it on Murphy's special election win in 2013) and found 45 percent planning to vote for Crist, 37 percent for Scott, and 14 percent for Libertarian Adrian Wyllie. In August, the firm showed Scott leading by five points, with 43 percent support to 38 percent for Crist and 10 percent for Wyllie.
Look inside the numbers and it's still worse for the Republican governor:
***Crist leads among voters 65 and over by 8 percentage points.
***Crist is winning nearly one in four Republicans in the district, while Scott is winning 13 percent of Democrats.
***Crist leads among women by a whopping 19 percentage points.
In the final month of the campaign, Scott no longer has such an overwhelming advantage in money. And unless District 36 has suddenly stopped reflecting the overall Florida electorate or the poll by the well-respected Tom Eldon is out of whack, these numbers should set off alarm bells at the already increasingly anxious Scott campaign headquarters.
Murphy, by the way, is leading her Republican challenger, Chris Gregg, 50 percent to 38 percent.
Only 42 percent of voters there have a favorable view of President Obama (52 percent unfavorable), but even that is better than Gov. Scott who running ads linking Crist to Obama but is viewed favorably by 36 percent and unfavorably by 56 percent. Crist is not exactly popular, with only 43 percent viewing him favorably and 48 percent unfavorably.
Then there's Duke Energy, which is view unfavorably by 65 percent of the voters there (even though roughly half are served by Withlacoochie River Electric). Only 17 percent view Duke favorably. No wonder Democrats are eager to wrap Duke Energy around Rick Scott's neck. The utility giant is a pretty handy foil for Crist, who also enjoys potent support in Republican Mike Fasano.
Only 5 percent - not a typo! - of voters have an unfavorable view of the the Pasco tax collector and Crist supporter who used to represent that area in the legislature, while 63 percent view Fasano favorably.
This is Florida, so anything can happen, and statewide races tend to be excruciatingly close. But based on the mood in west Pasco County, Rick Scott appears to be in much deeper trouble than a lot of us realized.
[Last modified: Wednesday, October 8, 2014 6:03pm]
I honestly cannot understand how anyone can cast a vote for Charlie Crist. Please explain it to me. I'm open to listening to reason. Please don't tell me what's bad about the other candidates. Tell me what's good about Charlie.
I am a native Floridian, now retired and have never missed a vote in my life.
Last anon there's always Adrian Willey he can't win but thats a good thing cause your conscience will be clean
The lesser of two evils is still evil.
Thank you. I've been reading up on Willey. He offers some positive points. Perhaps he cannot win, but a vote for him sends a message. Thanks again.
Pardon my stupidity but if you vote for Willey, if he weren't running, who would you have voted for- Scott or Crist?
If it wasn't so important to get Scott out of office, I too would send a "message" vote.
Crist is no bargain but Scott is doing so many long term awful things to this state that it is scary.
This situation of not including Adrian Wyllie in the debates.
Floridians should be fuming over this, like him or not, he is running for office and we deserve to hear from him in the debates. LET HIM SPEAK!!
He absolutely has my vote. It is very clear that he is the best choice.
The question nobody is asking is, "what are they so afraid of that they would work so hard to make sure he isn't in the debates"?
I would NEVER vote for Scott or Crist, period.
Internet search: 2014 Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Comparison Chart.
Of course, if we elected Democrats, the squeaky clean party, all will be well. Just look at the White House for example.
Democrats are not squeaky clean but they are environmentally more aware, believe that women can make their own choices about their bodies, are aware that there is a middle class and don't shove religion down our throats.
Ever notice that the poorest states and states ranked the lowest in education are also red states?
what about Jeff Porter? Ethics violations, then and NOW, yet sits quietly in his office while his predecessor faces potential jail time... This county has a huge problem with selective prosecution! How can you turn a blind eye to one and not the other? Favoritism is not a game appropriate for the political arena. Anyone whose last name is Bell or has been in their pockets, should automatically be disqualified. But if you have crossed them, watch out! They will pull enough strings to tie you up and drag you through the arena for a public beating and then criminal charges...
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