Candidate Sought Senior Discounts For The Young

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

Lawyer Mark Bogen is today running for county commission and is actively seeking the vote of seniors.

But 20 years ago, Bogen formed a group that fought against special discounts for seniors.

It was called the National Association of Non-Retired People.

It sought to get younger folks the same discounts as elders.

The NANRP wasn’t anti-senior, I’m sure Bogen will be quick to point out. The group’s first issue was preserving Social Security, according to a Sun-Sentinel article from the time.

Of course, forcing firms to give everybody a discount could have resulted in nobody getting a discount.

Bogen was careful in the newspaper interview not to attack seniors. Maybe he had his eye on a political race in the future.

More likely, he wanted publicity for his law practice.

He got it.

The NANRP dissolved in 1999, five years after it formed.

Bogen, a Democrat with a Boca Raton law practice, is running for the seat now held by County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs.  The other candidates for the North Broward district are Commissioner Lisa Aronson of Coconut Creek and former Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom of Fort Lauderdale.

Here is part of the Sun-Sentinel piece:

GROUP SEEKS FANFARE FOR COMMAN MAN

Sun-Sentinel – Thursday, October 6, 1994

It’s been like this for 20 years or more. The middle-aged middle class pays full freight while senior citizens enjoy discounts on hotel rooms, movie tickets, even a Wendy’s Big Classic with cheese. 

On Wednesday, a new consumer and lobbying organization based in Deerfield Beach said it is time that corporations and politicians do more for working stiffs. 

The group – the National Association of Non-Retired People – said it has set up a discount-buying network that will save members money on services and products from real estate agents’ commissions to prescriptions to rental cars. 

“This is about giving the working guy a break, immediately,” said Mark Bogen , a Boca Raton lawyer and executive director of NANRP. 

 



23 Responses to “Candidate Sought Senior Discounts For The Young”

  1. Sam The Sham says:

    Throughout man’s history, seniors have been one of the poorest demographic groups. That is until the 20th century when social security and other retirement age plans were implemented. Now seniors are either the richest demographic, or close to it, and we have a huge income redistribution from the working poor to the idle senior rich. There are less than three workers for each ss recipient. In 1945 it was 41.9 workers contributing to each ss recipient. It is time to stop this madness.

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/labor-dept-data-only-175-full-time-private-sector-workers-social-security-recipient

  2. Patti Lynn says:

    Although I heartily disagree with the premises spouted in the cnsnews.com article, I think that a position taken 20 years ago should be discounted in this election. If I remember correctly, a LOT of different groups were making statements on various “discounts” afforded select groups. Men were even protesting “Ladies Nights” at bars and restaurants. Ellis Rubin, at one time, protested school busing in Broward County, too! Could we have even ONE election which focuses on issues?

  3. Re: Sam the Sham says:

    Sam the Sham:
    Good luck convincing voters, especially working class district 2 voters, that seniors make too much money.

  4. Ha Ha Ha says:

    Want to know who DOES make too much money? Click here…

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/19/1268985/-Is-your-CEO-employee-worth-it?showAll=yes

  5. Notocorruption says:

    Please…someone else for public office.

  6. Charlotte Greenbarg says:

    The issue isn’t that it happened 20 years ago so it’s irrelevant now. The larger question it begs is whether Mr. Bogen’s values are driven strictly by his self-interests, with altruism thrown in for appearance’s sake.

    That will,, I expect, become more obvious as the campaign progresses.

  7. Sam The Sham says:

    Thank you Charlotte for bringing us (me) back to the central issue of Buddy’s article, Mark Bogen. Very keen of you.

    Not only does he not live in the district, he does not even live in the county. Lets see how the race develops. So far the field of candidates looks pretty dismal.

  8. Ron Lichtman says:

    Buddy – I knew Bogen when he was involved with that group. To claim that “Bogen formed a group that fought against special discounts against seniors ” is not only untrue but your thought process is ridiculous. Based on your thinking, I guess the Entertainment discount book and all other discount programs provided by credit card companies must be aimed against seniors. Isn’t that ridiculous??
    So are you saying that trying to help working people…means you are against seniors? Are you serious?
    You also claim he did this to get publicity for his law practice. Why would a discount program help his law practice? He was in the newspaper every week writing the condo law and consumer law column for the Sun-Sentinel and received publicity from his columns every week. It appears to me that your cheap shots bring you down to the level of all other reporters. I thought you had some journalist professionalism.

  9. Rub Roh says:

    I noticed there wasn’t any mention of funds raised for the District 2 County Commissioner race by Aronson, Bogen or Rodstrom. (or any other County Commission races)

    Buddy, in your other article you seem to send the message that Candidate Shapiro-Harris should get out of the judicial race because of her poor fund raising abilities against Schulman.

    Well, Buddy, are you gonna write an article for other candidates in the County Commissioner races to bow out because or their poor fundraising abilities?

    Your standards for candidates seem to change from one race l(local or State) to the next (Federal or Judicial). One could conclude that you have a “special” interest in the outcome in your written “support”(or positive mentions) or “slam”(negative bias) on your blog and your responses to readers posts.

    So far you “support” Candidates Crist,
    Schulman, Aronson, Waldman, and Ring(in a potential C.F.O bid). You have “slammed” Candidates Rich, Jacobs, Bogen, Shapiro-Harris, and Rodstrom.

    FROM BUDDY:
    You asked for it.

    Lisa Aronson has only raised $9,355 for the north Broward seat now held by Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, who is term limited in November.

    That’s not bad when you compare her to former Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, who has raised nothing. She loaned her campaign $700, but used most of it for a website and other initial campaign expenses.

    Both women have a long way to go to catch lawyer Mark Bogen, who has raised $38,000 and put in $110,000 of his own.

    The difference between this county commission race and Julie Shapiro Harris’ judicial race is that Aronson and Rodstrom have only been running a short time. Shapiro Harris has been unable to collect donations for months, which shows a lack of support. This is a big county. Shapiro Harris should be able to find somebody with some money.

    In addition, Shapiro Harris is running countywide. A realistic race countywide costs a minimum of $100-$200,000. That’s why Shapiro Harris put in six figures of her own money in her race two years ago. Without money, there is little hope of communicating with the vast majority of voters.

    As far as your list of my “favorites,” I couldn’t care less who gets elected.

    You say I have “slammed” several candidates. You call it “slam.” I call it enlightening the readers.

    The only one I agree upon is Nan Rich. Her ego-driven campaign is a disservice to the Democratic Party, especially since she has absolutely no chance of winning the governor’s race. Rick Scott wins in a landslide if Rich is nominated.

  10. The difference says:

    Buddy

    I will disagree, Lisa Aronson has been the annointed one for this seat for all of 2012. She was supposedly the darling of Platt and LSN Partners as well as Bernie Friedman. Less than 10 grand in 2 months clearly shows that the downtown money is not coming her way. I guess we will see if this changes since she has a big fundraiser planned at the local pizza parlor at the end of the month.

    I thought Lisa was supposed to hand back her Broward Delegation job to Sandy Harris to complete the double dip by Jan 1? Has this occurred?

    Also, I thought this clip from Bob Norman was interesting, it appears there are a group of electeds from the League of Cities who opposed adding more powers to the IG and creating an Ethics Czar. It appears that Aronson is sitting at the head of the table.

    While she is not interviewed it could be gathered that her attendance at the meeting, she too may oppose expaning the powers of the IG and creating an Ethcis Czar.

    If the assumption is incorrect maybe Lisa, the darling of the League of Cities who opposes the expansion of the IG and Ethics Czar can articulate her position on this?

    http://www.local10.com/news/broward-inspector-general-considers-creating-ethics-czar-position/-/1717324/23837424/-/12chmhqz/-/index.html

  11. City activist Robert Walsh says:

    Well, well, well. How is life over @ “palm aire” there Mr. Bogen. Yes, word has it he is renting in there. Keep it comin Buddy…..

  12. Le Peerman says:

    The difference, If you mean that Vice Mayor Aronson may be against adding another layer of government to an already broken system, that she does not want taxpayers to have to pay for this layer of government since that is not what they voted on in the first place, if you mean that she may think the way to fix the OIG is making the laws clearer as opposed to adding another paid employee to the OIG office then she is probably the best choice for County Commissioner. For the record the whole commission in Margate came to agreement against the OIG suggestion for a Czar as that is not the way to fix the problems. Look at the OIG website and see what they have been doing. Stating opinions, they have only 1 ethics violation case against an elected official and that one was put on hold for the longest time and it still has to go through a civil case. Not exactly what I thought the OIG would be doing to clean up Broward.
    Le

  13. Creekgirl says:

    @ 10 the difference

    you wrote: ” she too may oppose expanding the powers of the IG and creating an Ethcis Czar.”

    Commission Aronson is opposed the expansion of the IG on the creation of an Ethics Czar. She publicly stated her opposition at the January 9th City of Coconut Creek Commission meeting. Got it on tape.

    I was stunned and disappointed to hear her make such a statement from the Dais. Hopefully, she will clarify her position on this issue. I would hate to think that a potential County Commissioner has taken a stance against strengthening the County’s ethics laws to weed out corruption in Broward County.

  14. Well Le says:

    Maybe the reason the IG has not been as effective is because it needs the Ethics Czar and expanded powers to do the job you expected them to do in the first place. I love the fact that the City who gave us David McLean votes by majority against ethics violations. Peerman and Aronson against ethics reform, seems to me these electeds who are against reform you could say “thou protest too much”.

    For us silly residents, many think it is better to have a strong IG and Ethics Czar. If it annoys 99 electeds and catches 1 corrupt pol it is worth the price. Really Le, you complain about the cost, I am sure the taxpayers will gladly pay for more oversight than less.

  15. Ha Ha Ha says:

    @14 – You are exactly right!!! Broward County needs WAY, WAY more corruption-fighting. If only we could find a way to divert the money Mike Satz wastes on prosecuting victimless crimes (marijuana, prostitution, etc.) and use that money to bring down corrupt politicians instead!!

  16. Rub Roh says:

    @ Buddy,

    Wow. Your response was a better read than the article (and far more informative).

    I don’t believe for a minute that you “couldn’t care less who gets elected”. A man who has maintained a widely read (perhaps more that the Sun Sentinel) and respectable “Political Blog” in South Florida for nearly a decade, I doubt that this is the case.

  17. Le Peerman says:

    Well Le, The commission did NOT vote against ethic violations we support the ethics laws as confusing as they are. We do not support another layer of government and more taxpayer dollars going to a broken system. The Czar would be under the control of the OIG, not exactly impartial. I would hope the taxpayers would take a look at what the OIG has done and what penalties have been handed out before handing over more money, as I would suggest you do. As for me maybe you should check your sources. I happen to be very strong on ethics and not allowing elected officials get away with anything. Check your facts before making accusations of “thou protest too much.” I am going to go out on a limb that those of us who take the ethic classes and live by the ethic rules may know what we are talking about, but hey what do I know. Check the OIG track record. And by the way there is another one up today about McLean, let’s see where that one goes.
    Le

  18. Sam The Sham says:

    This OIG thing is going to bite everybody in the ass.

    The OIG is unelected and completely unaccountable to any Broward elected position. If it takes action you don’t like, you have no recourse, NONE. The only people who could stop it would be the governor or a judge. It is expanding in budget and personnel every year so far. Do you think the budget is too high? Too bad, the county must fund it anyway.

    Before long it will be wearing a mask of respectability but will be just another corrupt layer of Broward Government. They will favor their patrons and bulldog everyone else.

  19. Ha Ha Ha says:

    Nice strawman, Le. The OIG is only an investigative body and it is only capable of issuing reports and recommendations. Expecting the OIG to single-handedly “clean up Broward” is preposterous; all the OIG does is identify & describe the corruption. That’s a very good start!!

    http://www.broward.org/InspectorGeneral/PublicationsPress/Pages/PublicationsPress.aspx

  20. watchdogs says:

    Mission
    Broward OIG Mission Statement
    The mission of the Broward Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is to act as an independent watchdog for the residents of Broward County. We promote integrity and accountability by investigating allegations of misconduct including fraud, corruption, and abuse and gross mismanagement, by officials and employees of the charter government of Broward County, its thirty-one municipalities, and all entities and persons who provide goods and services to the County and the municipalities. The OIG publicly reports its findings to keep residents informed. Whenever appropriate, the OIG seeks criminal prosecution, civil recoveries, administrative and monetary sanctions, and ethics sanctions of those responsible for fraud, waste and abuse in government.
    Authority & Responsibility
    As the independent watchdog for over 1.7 million residents of Broward County, the OIG’s authority extends over all elected and appointed county officials and employees, all elected and appointed officials and employees of the 31 municipalities located in the county, and all entities and persons who provide goods and services to the county and the municipalities. This responsibility encompasses county and municipal budgets totaling more than $8 billion, approximately 20,000 employees, and over 450 separate divisions and departments of government. In addition, the OIG has oversight responsibility for 174 elected officials including county commissioners, mayors, vice mayors, city commissioners, and town council members, as well as more than 47,000 registered vendors who provide goods or services to the county and municipalities.

    In executing its responsibilities the OIG has the authority to investigate violations of state and federal statutes and codes, county and municipal ordinances and codes, and conduct involving fraud, corruption and abuse. The OIG is also charged with the responsibility to enforce the Code of Ethics for Elected Officials, which was made applicable to all Broward elected officials in January 2012.

    Although our office cooperates with other agencies and investigators whenever it is appropriate, the Charter requires that the OIG function as an independent body to assure that we may carry out our responsibilities free from any external interference or influence.

  21. Voter and Tax Payer says:

    Dear Commissioner Peerman

    I take issue with your statement “We do not support another layer of government and more taxpayer dollars going to a broken system. The Czar would be under the control of the OIG, not exactly impartial.”

    Who are you implying the IG is partial towards? Now the IG is corrupt? Typical words of paranoia from elected officials to get what they want. What is next the IG is in favor of death panels?

    Is the IG office perfect? apparently not? It appears they can only work within the limited framework set out for them. They have come back and said they need changes to be more effective.

    Besides people like you and Lisa Aronson, who would not want the IG office to be more effective? Tax paying voters sure do.

    Also Commissioner Peerman, as you are riding on the high horse looking down telling us taxpaying voters what is best for us, remember is was us silly tax paying voters who voted for ethics reform in 2010.

    We voted for it, we want it.

  22. Le Peerman says:

    Voter and Taxpayer, No offense was meant. I gather my information from talking to voters and taxpayers who want to see the elected officials held accountable for their actions. I too am a voter and taxpayer. For me ethics is easy. Just say no. However 31 cities and 1 county getting an ethics opinion from 1 Czar seems like a nightmare in the making. Wouldn’t it be easier to just make the ethics rules more straight forward? After asking for David’s resignation for abuse of power, I initiated and got passed a policy that states no commissioner gets any benefit more than any employee or resident. Pretty straight forward no one has to even think twice about whether I can do this or that or should I be able to get away with it because I am their boss. Seemed pretty stupid to me that we even had to make such a policy but that is why it is called abuse of power. Broward ethics are not so straight forward. Can I let my friend who is also a fireman buy me a cup of coffee? yes, no, maybe. Simple for me I say no because we have a contract with the fire dept, however he is my friend for years and maybe he is buying it for me in my personal capacity? Yes cups of coffee and bottles of water that seems to be the focus at times. I would like the OIG to have more teeth, if they deem it an ethics violation then it is an ethics violation plain and simple. I know our charter says we can have a commissioner forfeit office if they have broken an ethics or code of conduct so if the OIG says it is an ethics violation then shouldn’t the commissioner be asked to leave? Especially if it is a major violation. Read the OIG’s on McLean that is major(the first one not the second still waiting for the final outcome on that). Again you can ask just about anyone, I abhor elected officials who abuse their power. If abuse of power and unethical behavior is clear to me why can’t it be clearer in the ethics rules? No need to have a czar or safe harbor opinions. You can’t do this and you can’t do that. Done
    Le

  23. Ha Ha Ha says:

    Add Stacy Ritter to the list of politicians who don’t want the OIG to effectively battle corruption…

    http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2010/08/stacy_ritter_broward_ethics.php