School Board Member To Run Against Franklin Sands
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Not so fast, Frankllin.
Franklin Sands of Weston hoped he would walk into a countywide School Board seat when he was termed out of the Florida House later this year. His dream of not getting an opponent ended Tuesday.
School Board member Donna Korn, who was appointed last year to fill a vacancy in Northwest Broward, opened a campaign against Sands for the countywide seat.
Although the seat is non-partisan, Sands is expected to emphasize his role as Florida Democratic House leader during the campaign…surreptitiously. He will also remind voters that Korn was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott.
Sands, however, will have to counter charges that he is just looking for a job and health coverage because he must leave his legislative seat because of term limits. And his stepson, Alex Heckler, should be an issue since Heckler is a registered lobbyist at the School Board.
Heckler is registered to represent a vending company, while his partner is registered to lobby for a health care firm.
Korn, who is a moderate Republican, will campaign as a new, fresh face in politics. She also has extensive education experience as a parent activist and now a School Board member.
January 24th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Good Luck Donna. We don’t Need Franklin heckler on the school board
FROM BUDDY:
This comment refers to Franklin Sands’ stepson, Alex Heckler, a well-known Broward lobbyist.
January 24th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Good…we need everyone in this county contested, so voters will win in the end!
January 24th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
I presume there will be more to come about Ms. Korn’s connections to the Charter School community?
January 24th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Nick: And what exactly would be wrong with those connections?
January 24th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
The Nick Steffens of the world — I assume he is a Democrat — would ignore that tens of thousands of parents in Broward chose for their children to go to charter schools. He apparently would force them to go to where bureaucrats want them to go. If Korn is for school choice, I’m for her.
January 24th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
People can choose to send their kids where they want as long as it is not with my taxpayer money. Just as women can be as pro-choice as they want to be as long as it is not taxpayer funded with my pro-life money
January 24th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Maybe Sands can tell us about the 30k he raised right before Session from Big Sugar, Wast Mgmt, Southern Wine and Spirits, Gentlin out of NY, Timber and Citrus companies, Florida Panthers, Palm Beach Kennel CLub, Bank Atlantic Center, Florida Horseman, and many other companies that have no connection to Broward Schools.
http://www.browardsoe.org/CFElectionFilings.aspx?elect_id=119&office_id=335&cand_id=171
FROM BUDDY: And the folks seeking to build a casino in Miami.
January 24th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
The Anonymous’ of the world- I assume you are a Tea Bagger or some similar ilk- would pilfer the coffers of public schools to send their children to schools only they can afford with additional compensation then complain about people who want an equitable education system for public school children.
January 24th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
We would not want to pilfer the coffers of public schools where students must be wary of bullies and rapists, being lit on fire or having their heads kicked in with steel toed boots. Yep, substandard education, violence and the occasional murder are just what we want for our students.
January 24th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Good for Ms. Korn. I hope she wins. I find her thoughtful, smart and a quick study.
January 25th, 2012 at 10:33 am
If Sands is so broke why has he already loaned his campaign $2900? What was his net worth last time it was required for Tallahassee? It’s time for this man to retire. He was the weakest leader the Democrats have ever seen.
As far as Korn and Charter Schools…they are a fact of life in Florida. As long as my tax dollars go to these public schools and not for vouchers to schools like American Heritage, then there is no argument from me if she has connections to them. Let’s see how she does the next few months. Anything is better than the old guard and a political hack.
January 27th, 2012 at 10:51 am
No one should walk into a seat, anywhere. But when it looks like you run for a seat because you can’t run somewhere else, I question the reasoning behind it. If Franklin Sands was such great public servant while in Tallahassee, why didn’t we hear more about his efforts to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors? All we heard was how much he was hurt by the disgusting Madoff. I don’t begrudge him his personal financial position, wealthy or not, but I would have rather heard more about what he did for us here in Weston and Broward.
January 29th, 2012 at 8:38 am
No 6 “@ Anonymous” Actually our tax dollars fund education. Why should you care where children obtain that education? Why should you object if parents seek BETTER schools to give their kids a BETTER shot at a BETTER life? Those choices do not raise your taxes but they do raise the child’s chances at a BETTER future.