Why Broward Doesn't "Work" - Part Two
The Best Candidates Money Can Buy
More than a million Broward citizens are registered to vote.
Call it a sad exercise in political futility.
Especially when it comes to their influence in government at the county level..
With an annual budget of more than $2 billion, Broward County Government is operated by nine Commissioners – each allegedly elected to serve residents in their nine individual Districts.
However...
When it comes to a voice the daily doings of Broward government, the average resident has less clout than a farting flea in a Category Five Hurricane.
This is because modern politics operates like a high stakes poker game –where each player must buy his way in.
Here in Broward, the “buy in” is:
A maximum campaign contribution of $500 per player.
Plus $500 more “bundled” from each of your friends, relatives, employees, business associates and so on.
All of which can and does add up to money enough to buy lots of cooperative face time from the elected public servants you've bankrolled with your “bundles” of campaign contributions.
Most campaign “bundling” is performed by lobbyists, each armed with a thick Rolodex of clients in need of favors from elected officials.
In Broward, 115 lobbyists representing 531 clients are registered to influence every level of County government.
Here's how it works:
Both lobbyists and elected officials need each other to survive.
This is because few – if any – politicians could win public office without campaign funds from the lobbyists and their special interest group clients.
But without politicians to buy, special interest groups would have no need of lobbyists.
Oh yes.
Most lobbyists are lawyers – which enables them hide behind their attorney-client privileges to avoid public scrutiny of their work.
Which creates a political menage a trois from hell.
And the reason why representative government in the United States no longer works – be it at the local, state, or national level.
And also why here in Florida, cities hire lobbyists to work the counties, while counties hire lobbyists to work the state and so on --- all the way the nation's cash-addicted political food chain.
Okay.
I'm sure that somewhere there are one or two remarkable American voters who truly believe various businesses and special interest groups give millions of dollars to elect public officials out of an abiding love for God, apple pie and better government.
What else but love for their country would have led various special interest groups in 2008 to give:
State Senator Jeff Atwater $2.8 million
State Representative Adam Hanser $1 million.
So now Jeff Atwater is collecting millions more from nation-loving special interest groups and their lobbyists as a Republican candidate for Florida's Chief Financial Officer – running on a platform to combat “waste, fraud and abuse” in Tallahassee.
“Jeff,” noted former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, “is uniquely qualified to handle this job” as the state's top budget watchdog.
Of course, there also are Republicans who believe Jesus walked with dinosaurs.
Anyhow....
Broward is home to a host of elected whores who serve as shameless living metaphors of the nation's terminal Body Politik – with some of the all-time worst being:
Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman who also earns a living as a lobbyist while sleeping with her lobbyist husband every night.
Lieberman danced into office without opposition in 2008, having raised some $250,000 from lobbyists and special interests dedicated to better government in Broward.
Broward Commissioners Stacy Ritter, also married to a lobbyist.
Like Lieberman, Ritter also slid into office without opposition, having raised some $190,000 to finance a campaign that – like Lieberman's – never was
Broward Commissioner Sue Gunzberger, although not married to a lobbyist, raised some $173,000 to bankroll her 2006 campaign – even though she ran without opposition.
Broward Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, married to a government grant writer.
Now under investigation for fraud, Wasserman-Rubin raised some $193,000 in campaign contributions in 2006.
Former Broward Commissioner Josephus Eggeletion, now doing Federal time for selling hisw vote.
Eggeletion was elected in the 2008 primary, garner 52% of the 12,000 votes cast in his District 9 race – this after raising some $153,000 in campaign funds from civic-minded supporters, which comes to roughly $25 per vote.
Bottom line?
First, of course, there's no shortage of citizens willing to open their wallets for better government in Broward.
Also, only three of Broward's nine commissioners ran against an opposing candidate during a General Election – when the vast majority of voters go to the polls.
For example, In 2008, 73% of Broward's registered voters went to the polls in the General Election – but less than 12% in the 2008 Primary race.
Broward's Best Commissioners Money Can Buy
Campaign $ General Election
District #1 Ilene Lieberman $249,400 Unopposed
District #2 Kristen Jacobs $183,200 Opposed
District #3 Stacy Ritter $190,150 Unopposed
District #4 Ken Keechl $248,550 Opposed
District #5 Lois Wexler $106,800 Opposed
District #6 Sue Gunsberger $172,900 Unopposed
District #7 John Rodstrom $136,400 Unopposed
District #8 D. Wasserman-Rubin $192,900 Unopposed
District #9 Josephus Eggeletion $153,000 Unopposed
TOTAL $1,633,300
Green – No opposition
Black – Primary Oppostion only
Red – General Election Opposition
SOURCE: Broward Supervisor of Elections
More than a million Broward citizens are registered to vote.
Call it a sad exercise in political futility.
Especially when it comes to their influence in government at the county level..
With an annual budget of more than $2 billion, Broward County Government is operated by nine Commissioners – each allegedly elected to serve residents in their nine individual Districts.
However...
When it comes to a voice the daily doings of Broward government, the average resident has less clout than a farting flea in a Category Five Hurricane.
This is because modern politics operates like a high stakes poker game –where each player must buy his way in.
Here in Broward, the “buy in” is:
A maximum campaign contribution of $500 per player.
Plus $500 more “bundled” from each of your friends, relatives, employees, business associates and so on.
All of which can and does add up to money enough to buy lots of cooperative face time from the elected public servants you've bankrolled with your “bundles” of campaign contributions.
Most campaign “bundling” is performed by lobbyists, each armed with a thick Rolodex of clients in need of favors from elected officials.
In Broward, 115 lobbyists representing 531 clients are registered to influence every level of County government.
Here's how it works:
Both lobbyists and elected officials need each other to survive.
This is because few – if any – politicians could win public office without campaign funds from the lobbyists and their special interest group clients.
But without politicians to buy, special interest groups would have no need of lobbyists.
Oh yes.
Most lobbyists are lawyers – which enables them hide behind their attorney-client privileges to avoid public scrutiny of their work.
Which creates a political menage a trois from hell.
And the reason why representative government in the United States no longer works – be it at the local, state, or national level.
And also why here in Florida, cities hire lobbyists to work the counties, while counties hire lobbyists to work the state and so on --- all the way the nation's cash-addicted political food chain.
Okay.
I'm sure that somewhere there are one or two remarkable American voters who truly believe various businesses and special interest groups give millions of dollars to elect public officials out of an abiding love for God, apple pie and better government.
What else but love for their country would have led various special interest groups in 2008 to give:
State Senator Jeff Atwater $2.8 million
State Representative Adam Hanser $1 million.
So now Jeff Atwater is collecting millions more from nation-loving special interest groups and their lobbyists as a Republican candidate for Florida's Chief Financial Officer – running on a platform to combat “waste, fraud and abuse” in Tallahassee.
“Jeff,” noted former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, “is uniquely qualified to handle this job” as the state's top budget watchdog.
Of course, there also are Republicans who believe Jesus walked with dinosaurs.
Anyhow....
Broward is home to a host of elected whores who serve as shameless living metaphors of the nation's terminal Body Politik – with some of the all-time worst being:
Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman who also earns a living as a lobbyist while sleeping with her lobbyist husband every night.
Lieberman danced into office without opposition in 2008, having raised some $250,000 from lobbyists and special interests dedicated to better government in Broward.
Broward Commissioners Stacy Ritter, also married to a lobbyist.
Like Lieberman, Ritter also slid into office without opposition, having raised some $190,000 to finance a campaign that – like Lieberman's – never was
Broward Commissioner Sue Gunzberger, although not married to a lobbyist, raised some $173,000 to bankroll her 2006 campaign – even though she ran without opposition.
Broward Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, married to a government grant writer.
Now under investigation for fraud, Wasserman-Rubin raised some $193,000 in campaign contributions in 2006.
Former Broward Commissioner Josephus Eggeletion, now doing Federal time for selling hisw vote.
Eggeletion was elected in the 2008 primary, garner 52% of the 12,000 votes cast in his District 9 race – this after raising some $153,000 in campaign funds from civic-minded supporters, which comes to roughly $25 per vote.
Bottom line?
First, of course, there's no shortage of citizens willing to open their wallets for better government in Broward.
Also, only three of Broward's nine commissioners ran against an opposing candidate during a General Election – when the vast majority of voters go to the polls.
For example, In 2008, 73% of Broward's registered voters went to the polls in the General Election – but less than 12% in the 2008 Primary race.
Broward's Best Commissioners Money Can Buy
Campaign $ General Election
District #1 Ilene Lieberman $249,400 Unopposed
District #2 Kristen Jacobs $183,200 Opposed
District #3 Stacy Ritter $190,150 Unopposed
District #4 Ken Keechl $248,550 Opposed
District #5 Lois Wexler $106,800 Opposed
District #6 Sue Gunsberger $172,900 Unopposed
District #7 John Rodstrom $136,400 Unopposed
District #8 D. Wasserman-Rubin $192,900 Unopposed
District #9 Josephus Eggeletion $153,000 Unopposed
TOTAL $1,633,300
Green – No opposition
Black – Primary Oppostion only
Red – General Election Opposition
SOURCE: Broward Supervisor of Elections
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