Political Tidbits: Local Demo’s Dinner Blasted; Homeless Controversy Settled By Police Lab
BY BUDDY NEVINS
In what some are calling a bonehead move, their Broward Democratic Party is holding its big fundraising dinner after the presidential primary this weekend.
“Its obviously a stupid move,” one well-known activist said .“Before the primary, the (local) party could have gotten more help from the campaigns, more excitement and a better speaker. Now Florida is done and the attention moved on.”
Another Democratic precinct committee member said, “We could have gotten national attention for the local party with the right speaker.”
The Unity Dinner will be at Pier 66 on Fort Lauderdale beach. It is the first planned by acting Democratic Chair Cynthia Busch with, I am told, generous help from U. S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston.
Wasserman Schultz, who has been distracted from her South Florida duties by her role as Democratic National Committee chair, has a new district and spirited challenger, Nova Law Professor Timothy Canova. Canova has gotten some union and activist support, so Wasserman Schultz is paying more attention to Broward, which includes involvement in the dinner.
The location of Saturday’s event also caused some negative comment.
Most of the previous fundraisers, the major one annually for the local Ds, were at hotels along the county’s expressway system. This one is on traffic-clogged Fort Lauderdale beach on a Saturday evening, far from the Interstates.
In addition, Fort Lauderdale beach is distant from the heart of the party’s Democratic base along and west of those Interstates.
“If I left now, I might make the dinner before the speech,” joked one activist who called to complain on Thursday.
Speaker at the event is Gov. Dan Malloy of Connecticut.
Meanwhile, a snafu caused the party to schedule its regular monthly meeting at Deicke Auditorium on March 15 , the same day 1,428 Democrats and 877 Republicans were eligible to vote in the presidential primary at that location. The meeting wasn’t cancelled until the day of the primary, according to e-mails obtained by Browardbeat.com.
Warning: Don’t Drink At The Bar
Talk about a mixed message.
Then again, these are lawyers.
The invitation for The Broward Bar’s Legislative Affairs Reception on March 30 promises an evening of “hors d’oeuvres, drinks and good company.”
Then the lawyers have to go and spoil it with some legalese. See the italics below.
If they didn’t want anyone to drink, why do they serve liquor? If they really think those weasely words will protect them from a lawsuit, they don’t know their own members.
Homeless Man Freed
What judicial candidate and Assistant Public Defender Dale Miller lost in court he has won in a laboratory.
Miller clashed with Judge Jay Hurley in December over the fate of a homeless man charged with felony drug possession.
Hurley slapped a $1,000 bond on Fenton Ross, who was facing his third drug arrest. Miller objected, charging that the judge was “going to warehouse Mr. Ross” since the homeless man couldn’t pay a bond.
An appeals court refused to order Ross’s release.
Now the Broward Sheriff’s Office crime lab has analyzed the three cigarettes that police said contained the dangerous synthetic drug Flakka. A police forensic chemist found the cigarettes were just cigarettes. Not Flakka.
Ross was released and charges were dropped.
“In the end Mr. Ross was just a homeless guy smoking a cigarette he picked up off the street and for that we forcibly interrupted his life for weeks. At taxpayer expense for this illegal arrest, we paid for public defenders and state attorneys and a judge and courtroom time and forensic lab services for an arrest that never would have happened if he wasn’t homeless,” Public Defender Howard Finkelstein said.
Miller holds a fundraiser next week for his County Court Group 3 race. The initiation is below.
He has three opponents – Florence Barner, Russell Thompson and Rhoda Sokoloff.
March 18th, 2016 at 1:16 pm
I cant imagine a more depressing set of news tidbits. Isnt anything going right?
March 18th, 2016 at 3:02 pm
Received the email cancelation notice twenty minutes before the meeting. Thank goodness, I had decided to go to the Hillary event in West Palm.
Obviously, the new DEC regime is floundering and cannot continue to blame Mitch and his crew for this foul up.
Get a calendar and mark all future presidential debates and Democratic nominee presidential visits and try not schedule a DEC meeting or event.
The only saving grace: more Broward County Democratic voters turned out to vote in the Primary than Republican voters (+80,000) in spite of its DEC flailing incompetence.
March 18th, 2016 at 3:04 pm
When Mitch was there, it was the Mitch Party. Debbie wouldn’t come near the DEC because of Mitch. How strange is it to have the most known Democrat not coming near the county party. Christine has brought her in and given her a major role.
March 18th, 2016 at 3:38 pm
I think the characterization of the locations of the annual Dem dinner is way off. The last few events have been in the most Northwestern location in the County at the Marriot Coral Springs/Parkland, a stones throw from the Everglades, hardly convenient for many in Broward. The new even is close to I595 and there should not be much traffic in that area early Saturday evening. It is not on the beach but rather right on the other side of the 17th Street Causeway bridge.
How is it newsworthy to print every gripe from curmudgeons that can’t handle change. Most in the Democratic Party embrace change and understand that it is a natural cycle that should be fostered. Stop your complaining and start volunteering if you want to make a difference.
Dems had good turnout and are gearing up for a successful November election, not even a couple of rotten apples or nego blog posts can spoil our hopes this year.
March 18th, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Most of the previous fundraisers, the major one annually for the local Ds, were at hotels along the county’s expressway system. This one is on traffic-clogged Fort Lauderdale beach on a Saturday evening, far from the Interstates.
Of all the possible complaints, this is without a doubt the most lame.
March 18th, 2016 at 8:19 pm
What a joke. There’s 2x as many dems and you only got 80,000. That’s a drubbing. Republicans beat you by more than 10%
March 18th, 2016 at 8:57 pm
The Dems move their fundraiser from a 3 star hotel in the Northwest Corner of the county to a 4 star hotel on of the intercoastal, give people a chance to recuperate from a busy presidential primary, and receive “generous help” ($$$) from a local Congresswoman. And “activists” complain? If this is Cynthia Busch screwing up, then keep up the bad work!
March 19th, 2016 at 12:50 pm
Was Cynthia Busch the group leader who told them it was OK to park there?
ANOTHER TOTAL SCREW UP!!!!
Cars towed; seniors left stranded
By Emily Miller | Sun Sentinel Staff writer March 19, 2016
A busload of seniors returned from a day trip to find about 16 of their cars had been towed from a Delray Beach parking lot.
“It was frightening,” said Ed Sol, 84, whose car was towed. “Let’s say you went to a movie and came out and your car wasn’t there. How you’d feel?”
Sol, of Delray Beach, is one of 50 members of the United South County Democratic Club who traveled Thursday from Delray Beach to Clewiston to tour a sugar cane facility.
The seniors were told by a group leader where to park — but when they returned to the lot in the 14500 block of South Military Trail, the group was stranded. “We didn’t know where to go or how to get there,” Sol said.
Someone from the club got the number for the towing company, which told them they would have to pay $123 to get their cars back.
“It was very traumatizing,” Sol said. “A number of the people are handicapped, and they were tired after a full day. These are senior citizens. Some didn’t have money and had to borrow.”
People were frantically calling friends, family or taxis to come get them, said Brenda Wolf, 70, whose car was also towed.
“We thought our cars were stolen,” Wolf said. “Here we had this perfectly lovely day, and I don’t understand. It’s a parking lot.”
Delray Beach police received a call about the cars being towed, police spokeswoman Dani Moschella said.
“Property owners have the right to have vehicles towed from a private lot if they have signs posted that it in fact is a private lot,” she said. “For instance, some say ‘vehicles left overnight will be towed’ but some others indicate that it is up to the owner of the lot to say when to have them towed.”
Charlie Cook, owner of City Towing in Boynton Beach, said he had received a call from the property manager asking him to tow the cars that were outside Planet Fitness. The cars, he said, were parked without permission in a private parking lot.
“The property manager felt it was a liability to have all the people there and had [the cars] removed,” Cook said.
Of the five entrances to the parking lot, Sol said, only one has a sign.
“That place was virtually empty,” he said. “They should not have towed the vehicles. If you see a handicap car, would you tow? It’s not acting in good faith and the signage is improper.”
This was not the first time seniors have parked in that lot to go on the day trip to Clewiston. Just last month a different group did the same thing, Sol’s wife, Harriet, said.
She had coordinated the trip with Alexis Andres, community relations manager for the Florida Sugar Cane League. Andres said the seniors will be reimbursed for the towing expense but would not comment further.
Towing that many cars at once, Cook said, is unusual for the towing company and “kind of a weird thing.”
March 20th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Buddy,
I was at the event last night. It was awful.
A band of mariachi performers blaring music so loud you could not have a conversation during the cocktail reception or the dinner. A man on stilts? Many of us asked hiw much the “entertainment” cost the DEC.
To add to the tackiness, DWS had people walking around during dinner handing out these tacky red DEBBIE! signs. No other politicians were there passing out their literature or chum. After all this was supposed to be an elegant, expensive dinner. I guess DWS needs to feel adored. After all, everything is always about her.
The irony was the chair, Cynthia Busch, wearing…gasp…red at a Democratic function. Pretty tacky and very much noticed by many people. Clueless woman that she is. Republicans wear red to their dinners. Democrats do not.
The dinner, the speakers, the “prayer” by Rick Hoye that was an inappropriate speech that should not have been offered as an invocation where…another gasp…people applauded during it. You don’t applaud during a prayer. Then again maybe the Dems ought to keep religion out of their dinners.
I will not be spending money on another DEC dinner again.
March 20th, 2016 at 11:07 am
All this homeless crap. If you break the law etc , expect to be arrested. This notion that this poor homeless man just picked up a cigerette off the ground and the cops excused him off filling it w/ Flakka. So then its tested by the lab and there’s nothing . maybe the Flakka fell out of the cig etc. This notion that th e cops pick on the homeless just for ha/ha’s -i’m not buyin it. Cops would never just randomly question a homelees person unless a call comes in from dispatch that they are doing something or someone calls about seeing them urinate/defacte etc. So we should just give them a free pass, come on down, live on the fat of the land, shit/piss any where you want, no w/ all the programs, 211, United way etc, the Hack center, but its not enough, BS, put the booze down, enter Barc etc, get your life in order and move on. Noooo, we will do drugs, booze it up all day/night, and poop and pee anywhere we feel like, no way. Besides these homeless w/ all the law suits facing Ft>lau related to the homeless, you should see who’s representing them wow knew(Robert Walsh does, this will come back to haunt you).Oh yes another group gaining traction, money , money ,money huh. Can’t get a job Robert oh no we will sue the City, can’t work, toooo busy growing carrots in the back yard. Un real……
March 20th, 2016 at 11:32 am
“This one is on traffic-clogged Fort Lauderdale beach on a Saturday evening, far from the Interstates.
This massive lie from Buddy Nevins gives me the impression that he lives in Alaska and he has never been to Fort Lauderdale in his life. I attended the Saturday night dinner / fund raiser. NO TRAFFIC AT ALL !!!!!!!! I believe that 98% of all those who attended NEVER drove by the beaches on that section of A1A. The hotel is located less than 4 miles from Rt 95. Davie Blvd and Federal Highway are major roads. It is a great pity and boarders on the line of pathetic that GOP Nevins needs to complain and bitch about EVERYTHING the Democrats do. Hillary has earned more votes ALL OVER THE COUNTRY than The Donald. When will Nevins admit this simple and actual fact? In another article Nevins wrote that he has witnessed no enthusiasm about Hillary from her supporters. Yet Hillary has won the MOST votes of all candidates from both parties in Florida this week. INCLUDING TRUMP!!! Using this truth, in three different columns that Nevins as written, I have asked him how can Hillary supporters show their enthusiasm for her to please and satisfy his wishes. This low life GOP blind supporter named Buddy has shown no balls; as he continues to ignore and still fails to answer my simple question. I am sure Nevins is losing the respect of every GOP here until he opens up and answers honestly.
March 20th, 2016 at 11:50 am
The Palm Beach County Republican Party is scheduling its Lincoln Day fundraising dinner at the The Mar-a-Lago Club, 1100 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida. This location is DIRECTLY on the beach. There is absolutely no way in arriving at this location WITHOUT driving on the single road DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH. Will Buddy Nevins also write: “This one is on traffic-clogged Fort Lauderdale beach on a Saturday evening, far from the Interstates” as he did about the Democratic fund raiser? If Buddy immediately does not state this fact, Mr. Nevins will go down in history known as Buddy “NO BALLS” Nevins. Case closed!!!!
March 20th, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Since the Supreme Court threw out the Vagancy Laws homelessness IS NOT A CRIME.
All religions teach a form of YOU ARE YOUR BROTHER’s KEEPER or we return in Caveman savagery.
March 20th, 2016 at 1:32 pm
I totally agree with the comments of above #9 except the last one about Mr. Rick Hoye.
Yes the event was awful. Simply terrible. Cynthia “The Loser” Busch strikes again! And again! The Mexican mariachi band played for at least an hour so loudly that they must have thought they were performing at an outdoor stadium with the Miami Dolphins. The cocktail area was in a small and crowded enclosed area surrounded by glass and concrete walls. No band microphones were needed at all. And why that specific band? The only Hispanics I saw all evening were the excellent table waitress help. For the life of me, why Cynthia hired a man on stilts is beyond anyone at my table of 12 could think of.
Then it took well over 10 minutes of Cynthia standing alone with the microphone trying to get the crowd quiet down to start the event. Another person literally had to wrestle the microphone away from Cynthia to end all the crowd conversations. A complete show of distain the vast number of the attendees has for MS Busch. Though richly desired!
The quality of the meals themselves were nothing to write home about. A chicken plate was placed in front of me, while another meal was given to others at the table. No one ever asked me or anyone which meals we preferred. And there were no vegetarian meals at all for anyone. Cynthia: “Mommy says eat this and shut up!” $3.00 for a half a can of soda. $7.00 for a mixed drink. Well-coordinated and successful fund raiser dinners offer a single free drink ticket when each attendee first sign in. Bush league on Cynthia’s part.
The National Anthem was performed beautifully, with an excellent sound level, by MS Carolyn Jones. She was then allowed to perform a song that she wrote herself. Lovely. But half through the evening another band took over and again this band blasted the walls off the hotel. Where was MS Jones when the crowd needed her?
Our local US Congressman Ted Deutch failed to show up for this Saturday evening event. Even though Friday March 19 was NOT a scheduled Washington DC congressional work session date. Too busy planning another taxpayer trip to Israel?
The above #9 writer was so correct about the colorful DEEP RED outfit Cynthia wore. Look at any TV and newspapers maps of the US primaries and elections. The GOP states are always colored in RED. Democratic states always have a BLUE color. And toss-up states are always a combination of these colors: PURPLE.
I hate dumping on Cynthia Busch so much, but…
The Keynote Speaker, Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut gave a rather up-beat and enthusiastic oration. He discussed the history of the Democratic Party that gave the country life savings bills such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and Equal Rights. And properly needled the crowd for the re-election of our Republican Governor Scott. Such a shame that a vast number of Nan Rich’s primary voters were way too tired to get out and vote in November 2014.
I am most proud that Mr. Richard Hoye gave the invocation that he recited. He properly laid down the law as he was most specific about the hatred that continues to spout out of the despicable and vile mouth of The Donald. Mr. Hoye correctly fought fire with fire.
“You don’t applaud during a prayer.” wrote complaining above #9 writer. Apparently he never listened to the vast crowds of the Pope offering prayers to millions around the world. And how will #9 feel when POTUS Trump appoints numerous US Supreme Court justices?
Though his last sentence was right on. I just hope that the Broward DEC votes unanimously this week to spend a few dollars raised Saturday night and purchases a life preserver for MS You-Know Who!
FROM BUDDY:
Let me add one factoid to the Broward Democratic dinner story. Pier 66 is a non-union hotel. Many times in the past, the Broward Democratic Party went out of its way to patronize union hotels when scheduling its dinner.
March 20th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
The “prayer” was a campaign speech; I can’t even describe it. The people dining were rude, talking during speakers, even DWS and the governor. The band, food and cash bar didn’t bother me that much and the Debbie signs were passed out by her staff, kind of a playful thing although I see your point. But very much agree on the prayer.
March 20th, 2016 at 9:20 pm
Just to be clear, I’m agreeing with No. 9, not No. 14. Hoye’s speech was awful. It was a partisan, political rant meant to fire up a crowd, not a talk with God to ask for strength, good decisions and love for everyone. When he finished, I sarcastically said “And help the starving in Ethiopa.” Had some waiter had a cell camera, it would have surpassed Romney’s 47 percent moment, had the gathering been higher profile. If you’re going to bash Ms. Busch simply for wearing red — and I’m not — the decision to give this guy the mic should be what you’re complaining about.
March 20th, 2016 at 11:03 pm
Did Mitch get a room half-price?
March 21st, 2016 at 9:33 am
The nitpicking here about the wonderful event that the Broward Dems held is so petty, rude, and unproductive.
Take your school girl bickering elsewhere. You should be ashamed.
March 21st, 2016 at 3:26 pm
@11 @18 are delusional AND OBVIOUSLY NOT FROM SOUTH FLORIDA N SPECIFICALLY FORT LAUDERDAKE WHERE WE NATIVE BORN FLORIDIANS HAVE BEEN READING BUDDY NEVERS PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM FOR DECADES.
NITPICKING? Its NOT NITPICKING when in PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR the “new” Leadership of the Broward County only is interested in PATRONAGE JOBS FOR THEMSELVES and us doing less than nothing to energize the Black Community moderate and conservative Democrats.
If Florida puts Trump in the White House he should send thank you notes to Cythnia Busch. Travis Perron. Ken Evans Carlos Verney and the other clowns at the useless except getting jobs for themselves Young Democrats
FROM BUDDY: Cynthia Busch is only the acting chair of the local party. Mitch Ceasar is due to return after the August primary, well before the General Election.
March 21st, 2016 at 9:01 pm
I totally enjoyed the Victory Dinner and thought it was one of the best annual events the Broward Democratic Party has done. The traffic to the venue was light, and parking was easy and free. The prices at the bar were typical and the drinks were generous. Seating was easy. The service was quick and friendly. I received a vegetarian meal as requested, and it was far from an after thought as many veg meals are at large events like this. Most importantly, the event was very well attended. With a crowd of that size, getting people into their seats is always a challenge and has been a challenge at past events. This was not anything new and definitely not a reflection of Cynthia Busch. Please, let’s leave what she was wearing out of the line of fire. That is ridiculous. I commend Cynthia Busch and Travis Perron for a well organized, well attended, and well paced fundraiser.
March 22nd, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Maggie of #20 must surely had been a volunteer of Cynthia’s low-life Fund Raiser committee. Nowhere did it say on the invitation that there was free parking. And the Hotel’s web site clearing showed prices for parking. No volunteer ever got back to an attendee at my table and asked what they would like for a meal. And certainly no waitress asked anyone what the choices were available for dinner that evening. Like I wrote earlier they placed a chicken meal in front of me and another meat meal in front of all others. At least 4 friends at my table did not have a proper meal at all to eat as they were also vegetarians. Four meals literally had to be thrown away that evening just from a table of 12. What a wasteful shame. How else did Maggie here know about all these facts unless she was offered her short time of volunteering for a free meal and free parking? I am also sure Maggie here already knows what the profit amount of the event brought in. Please feel free to fill us all in today. And where will all these profits go to? I have been informed that Cynthia’s handpicked assistant Travis Perron’s salary is now well over 50% higher than the black homosexual that Cynthia bounced out of the Broward DEC office as soon as she ascended to the top job. OOOPPPPPSSSSS My mistake. The Broward DEC does not currently have an office! Silly me. Maggie, how about you informing us the size of the new Broward DEC office that Cynthia and Travis are now searching for in square footage? I offer my services in tackling this task of finding a new Broward DEC office. And should I ask any potential landlord if it will be available now? Or how about a day after the November 8, 2016 presidential election? And I have read that the Florida Democratic Party leadership members all the way up in Tallahassee are also assisting in this new office hunt. Being just 446 (Four hundred forty six) miles away, I am sure the Tallahassee FDP personal will be most useful. As I am sure they definitely know the way of the land down here in ‘neighboring’ Broward County.
March 23rd, 2016 at 8:58 am
“Totally enjoyed” sounds more like an SNL skit mocking teenage suburban none too bright cheerleaders than an intellectual or labor Democrat from the days of FDR Mayor Hague John L Lewis Harry Truman Carmine DeSapio and Walter Reuther n our Democratic Party wasnt overflowing with lobbyists trial lawyers non profit parasites n insane lunatics of PETA BLACK LIVES MATTER etc.
March 23rd, 2016 at 11:01 pm
I received a vegetarian dinner because I asked for one. Parking was free because the gate was open when I left. No mystery there. The only mystery is why you choose to behave like bullies, sniping over tiny details while hiding behind false names. With your passion and knowledge, you are more than that.
March 24th, 2016 at 7:24 pm
Maggie Macaulay must be Maggie Davidson. Who else would support the Broward DEC all the time?…Maggie is an old fart and totally useless! And Ken Evans ain’t any better either!
Bring in YOUNG BLOOD!!!!!