Applaude Two Board Members; Boo Bob Parks
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Two School Board incumbents are doing something unusual raising no money for their re-election.
Meanwhile, long-time School Board member Bob Parks has the usual suspects pouring money into his campaign.
Bob Parks: Still Taking Lobbyists Money
School Board members Jen Gottlieb and Ann Murray raised no money in the first three months of 2010.
Gottlieb hasn’t raised money since June 2009. She told Browardbeat.com last year that she felt asking for money was wrong in the current economic environment, especially since she has no opponent.
Murray only got opposition in early April, after the first quarter financial reporting closed. Her opponent is Gary Plancher of Davie.
It will be interesting to see if Murray starts collecting money again.
Regardless of the future, most incumbents collect money like crazy whether they have opponents or not.
Hats off to Gottlieb and Murray.
Parkshe’s a different story.
Ronald Reagan was president was Park was first elected in 1986. Cell phones were the size of bread boxes and Google was just dream. Computers had just been introduced into school libraries. Charter schools were 11 years in the future. The school system had nearly 150,000 students, compared to over 250,000 today.
Everything has changed in the past 24 years.except Bob Parks.
His campaign shows he really doesn’t have a clue. In Parks’ world, it is still 1986.
The recent arrest of his former colleague Bev Gallagher, who pleaded guilty to bribery, made no difference.
The allegation that that Gallagher was just one example of a Board way too close to the special interest crowd made no difference.
Parks still has the lobbyists and the special interests in his liver-spotted embrace.
Parks first quarter contributors include Neil Sterling, once the School Board’s most powerful lobbyist who is of interest to federal investigators, according to published reports.
The contributors include James A. Cummings, the construction executive who helped build many of Broward’s schools. His wife Jan Cummings was a Board member with Parks.
Lobbyist Bernie Friedman and his law firm are on the list. So are architects Zyscovich, once a Sterling client, and the engineering firm of Keith & Associates.
Parks’ campaign has paid consultant Amy Rose. She is closely associated with Barbara Miller, another lobbyist who has shared clients with Sterling.
Here is what voters should ask Parks:
Have the Board members been wise guardians of the public purse or have they wasted hundreds of millions? Have the Board or lobbyists set the agenda?
I believe the School Board has let lobbyists run the show. This has caused millions in waste.
Millions in unnecessary construction. Millions in unnecessary land purchases. Millions for unnecessary programs.
Parks voted for most of this waste.
Need I say more.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:20 am
A few interesting points about Ann Murray’s opponent Gary Plancher:
He originally registered to vote on June 6, 2008. He has votes in exactly 2 elections in Broward county: 8/08 & 11/08. While he filed for School Board as a Republican, he was originally registered NPA until April 5th, 2010. He then switched to Republican literally hours before he filed for office.
It would be interesting to see if he pays the filing fee because he has a Federal tax lien filed against him on March 5, 2009 because he owes the IRS $52,528.61 in unpaid 1040 income taxes. Maybe someone will tip off the IRS if he comes up with the filing fee? After all, he should pay them first.
The lien link is here:
http://205.166.161.12/oncoreV2/showdetails.aspx?id=47531242&rn=0&pi=0&ref=search
One of his Tallahassee registered corporations is Electec Group, Inc.
That corporation link is here:
http://www.sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P09000032226&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=ELECTEC&names_filing_type=
Electec Group, interestingly, was involved in marketing of voting machines that were responsible for 9 separately documented cases of voting irregularities in 4 different states. The electronic system they represented was the Guardian 1242 by Danaher Corp. The Guardian has problems as shown by the informative link below:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Guardian_Voting_Systems_ELECTronic_1242
And last, but not least: Gary Plancher, who by the way had his name changed in 1990 from Filbert Plancher, was arrested on January 8, 1991 for carrying a concealed firearm, a felony, in Hollywood.
That felony arrest link is here:
http://205.166.161.12/oncoreV2/showdetails.aspx?id=47531242&rn=0&pi=0&ref=search
He rents an apartment in Davie, pays no property taxes, has no stake in Broward county yet wants to run for a county office?
He has fully demonstrated that his character is well beneath what the electorate would like to see in an elected official.
Word on the street is that BTU boss Pat Santeramo put him up to this. Santeramo has verbally threatened to put up Republicans against incumbent School Board members because he can’t find any Democrats to do it. Cannot verify that, but it has come from several sources.
Sadly, is this is the best we can get in Broward to run for office?
Ann Murray will not have a problem getting reelected because she has done the right thing and will continue to do the right thing.
Because of Ann Murray,
Charlotte Greenbarg, audit committee watchdog, was reappointed by Ann just hours after getting the boot from Maureen Dinnan. Ann Murray has also advocated that no Board Member sits on the QSEC committee, has called for a moratorium on all spending pending a full review of present circumstances and more. Many of her cutting edge proposals were shot down by Parks, Kraft and others because they had a majority.
I believe she is the leader of the new guard and once we get rid of a few of her colleagues, she will have the majority of votes she needs to enact true reform at the School Board.
In 2008, she defeated Rick Saltrick for this seat. Golden boy Saltrick, personally anointed by Barbara Miller and Neil Sterling, had a $160,000.00 war chest and set out to crush Ann Murray with it. Ann raised $15,000.00 and put in another $20,000.00 of her own money along with some brilliant political strategy to win by 9,600 votes.
No one has ever won a school board seat in Broward by 9,600 votes.
Good luck Gary (Filbert) Plancher. You will need it.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:24 am
My apologies. The CORRECT link to Gary Plancher’s carrying a concealed weapon felony arrest is here:
http://www.clerk-17th-flcourts.org/Clerkwebsite/BCCOC2/Pubsearch/case_summary.aspx?hidSearchType=party_case&txtLastName=plancher&txtFirstName=gary&txtMiddleInitial=&txtBusinessEntity=&chkAdvSearch=0&cboCourtType=&sbmPublicParty=Submit&user_type=&DisplayCitation=yes&DisplayType=Criminal&hidCaseNumber=91000442CF10A&91000442CF10A=CRM&hidCourtType=CRM&hidGeneralType=CRM&ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$comcs$btnSummary=View%20Selected%20Case&&user_type=&DisplayCitation=yes&DisplayType=Criminal&SelectCourt=no
April 14th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
You forgot to mention the reason Parks has stayed in office is single member districts. He only has to worry about one little section of the county, which is Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. Those are the voters who elect him so he doesn’t concern himself with all the wrong doing going on in the other places. He votes blindly on anything in any other part of the county because it won’t affect him on Election Day.
Bob Parks is a grumpy old man just going through the motions to collect a pay check and get medical insurance. He should retire.
April 14th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Gallagher’s arrest had nothing to do with what you’re talking about. Especially campaign contributions.
April 14th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
jennifer gottlieb is/was also closely associated with barbara miller. why don’t you mention that, buddy??? are you playing favorites???
FROM BUDDY:
I just dealt with this election. I didn’t examine her previous votes.
April 14th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Hey- Jennifer gottlieb is also closely connected to Barbara Miller. She was Jen’s campaign manager. have you looked at jen’s voting record- helping barbara’s family and friends get construction contracts for school. And as far as fundraising- she probably hasn’t done any because her husband needs money for his campaign for judge. he’s certainly been fundraising!! why aren’t you more balanced, buddy—why do you protect jen gottlieb?
April 14th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Why doesn’t somebody look into what happens with all of the excess campaign funds that Parks gives to the Broward Education Foundation after he raises all that money and goes unopposed. I would say that the money that runs through Broward Education Foundation should be accounted for and tracked. I’ll be the players all know there is a big story hiding in there. BTW, if Parks does not get indicted I will be very surprised.
FROM BUDDY:
Thanks for your comment. I would be real annoyed if the BEF was wasting money because I have been a contributor.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Please, the only reason they didn’t raise money was because they didn’t have opponents. First Gottlieb can cut herself a check from Daddy-in law and want to be Judge husband who hasn’t seen a courtroom since the last time he watched Law and Order and Murray will start raising money now. Hats off, lol, hats back on because your bias reporting for these two is pathetic.
April 14th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
neither gottliebs need to raise money. daddy gottlieb will buy his son a judgeship
April 14th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I have recently met Gary Plancher and he appears to be knowledgeable.
I live in an apartment as well and that should not be a disqualification to run for office.
let’s stay clear from the negative campaigning Ann.
would you rather have a bus driver push the policy?
April 15th, 2010 at 7:19 am
You didn’t mention that Parks is double or triple dipper. He collects a state pension while at the School Board. He may also be collecting a union pension.
April 15th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Who is:
Please don’t disqualify someone because they rent an apartment. I too rent because I wanted to be smart and not buy while the market was going crazy as I knew it would balance itself out eventually. Smart move on my part. But my landlord pays property taxes on my behlaf so I am certainly paying my share.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:35 am
1) Parks has an opponent in this race.
2) A quick glance at Park’s campaign report indicates that about half the contributions he received were $100 or less.
3) A lot of innuendos and guilt by association, but you provide no examples of corruption, or even charges of corruption.
4) The truth is, you can play this game with any politician. Take one of your favorites, Ellyn Bogdanoff, for example. She sits on the Full Appropriations Council on General Government & Health Care (over $150,000* contributed from heath-care related industries), the Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review (over $8,000* from the gambling industry, including Calder, Pompano Park and Mardi Gras). She has also received campaign contributions from Ron Book and Scott Rothstein. Is she a crook or doing the bidding f the industries that fund her campaigns?
The truth is that virtually eveery politician would love to not have to raise money. But the system doesn’t work that way.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:36 am
The figures in the above comment are from 2008 reports.
April 15th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Buddy, as “Floridian” asks, the difference between Bogdanoff and Parks is?
April 15th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
@ Beth & @ jenny
No disrespect intended regarding the apartment reference. Nothing wrong with living in an apartment.
However, if you are an elected official in charge of spending tax dollars, it is not inappropriate to suggest that you should pay your fair share of said taxes.
I notice neither of you did not defend his Federal tax lien or his connection to a company responsible for voting irregularities in 4 states though did you.
Are you not the least bit disturbed that this guy does not pay his income taxes and you do?
Additionally, try and get a job at the School Board and get by the screening process where they ask you about firearm crimes.
April 15th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
@ jenny
BTW, I am not Ann, but I know her and there is nothing negative about disseminating facts and truth, which is what I did. Nothing more. There are references to all the details I mentioned.
Gary (Filbert) Plancher is a nice guy? He may just well be I do not know. I do know I do not want him sitting on the School Board though. No way!
Josephus Eggelletion was a nice guy.
Scott Rothstein was a nice guy.
Bernie Madoff was a nice guy.
Being a nice guy is not the most important prerequisite when you seek to oversee a county entity with a roughly 6 Billion dollar budget.
Honesty, integrity, responsibility and a squeaky clean character is, however. Particularly in these times.
April 15th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Anne is very clean and deserves to win. Grandpa Bob falls asleep most of the time and whoever sits next to him nudges him when it is time to vote….move ovr and get some fresh air in your seat!!!
April 15th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
RIGHT ON “Beth the Bounty Hunter” you got that right… People don’t understand that it’s time for him to go and get some new blood up there w/some fresh air… Then maybe something can be done in his District, like what happened to a Deerfield Beach Middle School student, Ratley!!! Some changes NEED TO BE MADE SOON!!! He’s NOT WATCHING, is he???
April 15th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I met Gary Plancher yesterday and ask him about his tax issues
He stated that the tax lean are for extra capital gain taxes that he lost in the following year
his explanation is similar to short selling your home
although, you lose money the IRS will hold you responsible for taxes on a house you just lost
April 15th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Ann Murray is getting paid under the table by all the construction guys
She will suffer the same fate as her fellow board member Gallagher ( her best friend)
matter of time before the FED gets her
FROM BUDDY: This is an allegation which I have never heard.
April 15th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
do you honestly believe that Gallagher was the only corrupt one in there and the other guys did not know?
give me a break! sure,
as far i know, the guy running against Ann Murray may be a crook too but let’s see.
i lost a contract from the school board because Ann Murray and fellow friends included Gallagher was in my competition pocket. that i know
April 16th, 2010 at 4:30 am
@ Jeff Stein:
You are an ignorant and uninformed idiot.
Unless you have proof of such unsubstantiated accusations, you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut.
Ann Murray has more integrity in her little finger than you do.
Sounds like you are just bitter over losing your contract.
There is no reason to slander others because of your failings.
April 16th, 2010 at 6:38 am
Sir,
i am talking about something that i know.
i do not want to call you name.
i will vote and support anyone running against the status quo.
totally incompetent and crooked
hope you follow me your life will be better
let’s vote all the incumbent out of office
April 18th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
yes, bob is a slut to Apple, among others, why would the 5th largest school system sell their soul to Apple and vendor John Vargas? Other then design people who uses the the Apple platform? Who many tripS has Bob gone to the home office in calforinia? how many I-somethigs does Bob havw? QUIT TALKING AND START INVESTIGATING!!!!!
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:57 am
[…] My previous post on how Parks is will taking lobbyists and insider money is here. […]