Who Nurtured Our "Roots of Corruption" in Broward?
The Bitter Emmis
It is both pretty and comforting to believe in honest politicians, hookers with hearts of gold and the possibility of a better life for the average person living in South Florida .
However, faith and idealism of this sort rank right up there with Rush Limbaugh's journalistic objectivity and Elizabeth Taylor's wedding vows.
Which is why – for me – it was so disquieting to read the John Dorschner's in-depth study of corruption in Broward County on page 1-A of Sunday's Miami Herald.
How so?
Basically, because – as Dorschner reported
One - The staggering financial cost of seeking public office has turned
most elected officials into indentured whores hopelessly indebted to the sleazy gang
of lobbyists and special interest groups who bankrolled their campaigns.
Two - The great majority of our community leaders are driven by greed, power and
status
Three - Our spiritual values are best reflected by our willingness to spend endless
millions on sports palaces and pennies for the care of our poor and sick.
In short, most of us are mere bait fish in a Darwinian food chain here to feed a leadership host of ravenous sharks.
The Herald's Dorschner cites the primary sordid reasons for Broward's moral wasteland as:
“An uncommonly intense relationship between lobbyists and public officials, voter apathy, possible prosecutorial indifference, and a diminishing number of trained (media) eyes watching what's happening.”
The horror, of course, is that Dosrchner has nailed the dynamics of Broward toxic “community” so well and succinctly.
Although what Dorschner calls “voter apathy” might actually stem from a gradual realization on the part of the average citizen that – from Alpha to Omega -- their lives are totally fucked. (Just as, at some point, I'm sure the average passenger on the sinking Titanic became apathetic about the possibility of a warm breakfast come the morning.)
More to the point, having been a part of Broward for more than 50 years, I've come to believe apathy just may be the most intelligent and healthy response to the dozens of competiing piss ant cities, governmental agencies, ethnic groups, political hacks, fiscal scavangers, legal bottom feeders and self-serving dickwads that make up our so-called “community.”
Or, as I told the parents of my only grandson shortly before they fled* South Florida several years back:
“Eat your Prozac and shut up, or get the hell out.”
And so they wisely moved north to happily freeze their assess off in a small community of Lake Woebegone style Lutherans outside of Minneapolis, Minn.
Anyhow....
The only fault I can find with Dorschner's must-read study of Broward Corruption is that he fails to identify the people most responsible for the moral shithole we live in.
Fortunately, Broward's Gold Coast magazine has done it for us when it listed “the 50 most powerfful people in Broward County” last July.
Okay.
I'll only list 12 of the 50.
That said, it's important to remember each of these venerable community leaders have grown rich and powerful as world class swimmers in Broward's moral cesspool.
And so, TAH-TAH...
And with heatfelt thanks to the august Gold Coast editors of that long-time arbiter of local high society, are the Powerful Dubious Dozen most responsbile for nurturing what Dorschner calls “The Roots of Corruption” here in Broward County:
It is both pretty and comforting to believe in honest politicians, hookers with hearts of gold and the possibility of a better life for the average person living in South Florida .
However, faith and idealism of this sort rank right up there with Rush Limbaugh's journalistic objectivity and Elizabeth Taylor's wedding vows.
Which is why – for me – it was so disquieting to read the John Dorschner's in-depth study of corruption in Broward County on page 1-A of Sunday's Miami Herald.
How so?
Basically, because – as Dorschner reported
One - The staggering financial cost of seeking public office has turned
most elected officials into indentured whores hopelessly indebted to the sleazy gang
of lobbyists and special interest groups who bankrolled their campaigns.
Two - The great majority of our community leaders are driven by greed, power and
status
Three - Our spiritual values are best reflected by our willingness to spend endless
millions on sports palaces and pennies for the care of our poor and sick.
In short, most of us are mere bait fish in a Darwinian food chain here to feed a leadership host of ravenous sharks.
The Herald's Dorschner cites the primary sordid reasons for Broward's moral wasteland as:
“An uncommonly intense relationship between lobbyists and public officials, voter apathy, possible prosecutorial indifference, and a diminishing number of trained (media) eyes watching what's happening.”
The horror, of course, is that Dosrchner has nailed the dynamics of Broward toxic “community” so well and succinctly.
Although what Dorschner calls “voter apathy” might actually stem from a gradual realization on the part of the average citizen that – from Alpha to Omega -- their lives are totally fucked. (Just as, at some point, I'm sure the average passenger on the sinking Titanic became apathetic about the possibility of a warm breakfast come the morning.)
More to the point, having been a part of Broward for more than 50 years, I've come to believe apathy just may be the most intelligent and healthy response to the dozens of competiing piss ant cities, governmental agencies, ethnic groups, political hacks, fiscal scavangers, legal bottom feeders and self-serving dickwads that make up our so-called “community.”
Or, as I told the parents of my only grandson shortly before they fled* South Florida several years back:
“Eat your Prozac and shut up, or get the hell out.”
And so they wisely moved north to happily freeze their assess off in a small community of Lake Woebegone style Lutherans outside of Minneapolis, Minn.
Anyhow....
The only fault I can find with Dorschner's must-read study of Broward Corruption is that he fails to identify the people most responsible for the moral shithole we live in.
Fortunately, Broward's Gold Coast magazine has done it for us when it listed “the 50 most powerfful people in Broward County” last July.
Okay.
I'll only list 12 of the 50.
That said, it's important to remember each of these venerable community leaders have grown rich and powerful as world class swimmers in Broward's moral cesspool.
And so, TAH-TAH...
And with heatfelt thanks to the august Gold Coast editors of that long-time arbiter of local high society, are the Powerful Dubious Dozen most responsbile for nurturing what Dorschner calls “The Roots of Corruption” here in Broward County:
-
H. Wayne Huizenga, billionaire, car salesman and former garbage collector.
-
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Broward's first Jewish Congressperson
-
The Seminole Tribe, shoeless swap dwellers yesterday and filthy rich casino operators today
-
Ray Ferrero, yacht club lawyer, former tax shelter maven now serving as president of Nova Southeastern university
-
Mike Jackson, former mechanic, now super car salesman
-
Terry Stiles, if he builds it, they will buy it (and then go into receivership)
-
Ron Bergeron, from cowboy muck merchant to millionaire developer
-
Colin Brown, world class Toyota salesman
-
Keith Koenig, ex-waterbed salesman turned furniture exec
-
Rick Case, former motorcycle mechanic turned mega Honda dealer
-
Ron Book, lawyer-lobbyist and master of back room politics
-
Steve Halmos, retired millionaire credit card system person
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