The head of Miami Dade County Department of Elections, Penelope Townsley, is leaving June 2016 when her drop takes effect. I will be sorry to see her go. Her departure date is BEFORE the 2016 election. I have always gotten 100% response, even on weekends, from Penny. I believe she truly cares about voters. But remember, she is not elected she is appointed by Mayor Carlos Gimenez and has to pass everything by him or his staff before she does anything. Do we want an Election Supervisor beholden to anyone? The rest of the State of Florida has elected Election Supervisors. That doesn't guarantee a good supervisor. Remember Broward's wacky Miriam Oliphant who was suspended? This is from Wikipedia (which means it could be true) on Miriam Oliphant:
Government investigators found that not only had her office neglected to perform some of its most essential tasks, but it had gone almost $1 million over budget. Among other findings was that Oliphant fired many experienced staff members, and replaced them with an all black and less (in some cases not-at-all) experienced friends and associates with significantly higher rates of pay. She hired a college admissions representative who didn't even know what a primary election was and put her in charge of registration and absentee ballots. She promoted a computer specialist, whom she'd met in her condominium building, to deputy supervisor.
10 comments:
In mid-2011, Rick Scott changed the retirement process by reducing the benefits of joining the five year DROP program.
Many, senior staff, got the old percentages by signing up before the change. There will be a braindrain of experienced staff as their five year drop period ends in mid-2016.
Good riddance, and none too soon. This woman can't manage a hotdog stand, no less the largest election dept in Florida.
I'm glad GOD's experience with this incompetent was pleasant.
The rest of us who have had to deal regularly with her and her department can only hope she leaves earlier.
It's like dealing with a Soviet-era buraucracy. The contemptful and inept management, the woefully outdated technology, the secrecy and distrust.
They routinely screw up absentee ballot requests, and always blow deadlines sending them out en masse.
The re-precincting process has taken forever, and forever. Redistricting took them three times longer to implement as other large counties.
Even the most basic requests for data or other information takes forever.
The best part, which I know your readers will find interesting:
They ENABLE problems and even fraud by not policing their paid poll workers, who moonlight as paid shills for campaigns while on the taxpayer time clock.
The only big-county election department in Florida that's worse is Broward.
In fairness to her and the dumbasses in Broward, election departments are usually dumping grounds for political appointees, and they are never funded properly.
Just like maintaining our infrastructure. No one cares until the bridge to Key Biscayne collapses.
Sure, elect the position. We need to provide another paying job for our term-limited electeds.
So I get you are unhappy. I had that kind of experience with Lester Sola, the previous elections chief.
I disagree with the second comment. Townsley has always been professional, courteous and helpful with the public.
Dear Mr or Ms. Elect this...... I really must disagree with you and challenge you to state your name! Ms. Townsley was not only competent she was, freindly while being a strong leader. too bad she wont be replaced by someone as good!
Oscar Braynon, Sr.
The largest absentee ballot fraud in the history of this county occurred under the leadership of Townsley in 2012. Her boss, our current strong mayor, perpetrated the largest absentee ballot fraud ever in the State of Florida. Would have gone to prison too if not for the fact his campaign manager was the same as our State Attorney and the absentee ballots were collected for both officials. Our public officials only give an "appearance" of being professional. Deep inside, for the most part, they are corrupt and either benefit or go along for the ride.
I was the one who got a penalty instituted on an existing absentee ballot fraud law (with a little coaxing to Rebeca Sosa). It was a law without a penalty before Townsley was appointed --- impossible to enforce. So before this ---- absentee ballot fraud existed but was never prosecuted. Townsley has nothing to do with the fraud, the enforcement or the law. Do not blame her.
If we would have had an elected Elections Supervisor in 2012 Carlos Gimenez would not be a mayor today. Instead he would have been disclosed as the worst absentee ballot offender to ever run for office in Miami-Dade County. Gimenez's campaign manager Al Lorenzo not only conducted his absentee ballot fraud in Hialeah but the same pattern occurred all over the county. In 2012 all absentee ballots should have been thrown out. Absentee ballot fraud is alive and well. If you care to see it stay tuned to the upcoming Sweetwater election of May 12th. The ballots drop on April 13th and for the next 72 hours, Commissioner Isolina Marono, mother of convicted mayor Manny Marono, will conduct the same absentee ballot fraud she has conducted for the last 15 years. Ms. Townsley is well informed about this issue but seems helpless and unable to stop it. Our democracy is trampled on every election by the cottage industry headed by corrupt politicians and absentee ballot fraud.
Francois Illias was working with Al Lorenzo, maybe still is? Sleazy lobbyist. Under investigation? Now Francois Ilias is getting paid by All Aboard Florida.
Wonder what he is doing?
It would be great if we could get an IT professional to replace her. Our world has changed a lot. There are many places for patronage jobs in government where what people do or don't do has little impact on anything. But there are also some jobs where we really do need expertise, detailed critical thinking, and extensive training and experience in operations management. Hopefully the leadership there will figure it out.
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