Coconut Creek’s Len Freund: Asleep?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The past few weeks have been unkind to Coconut Creek Commissioner Len Freund.
Three former mayors — Marilyn Gerber, Lou Sarbone and Sam Goldsmith — have turned against him. They’ve endorsed his opponent, challenger Mikkie Belvedere.
And Freund is being savaged in a whispering campaign.
The rumors are passed pool side and around the mah jong tables:
Freund is a lazy commissioner.
He even falls asleep at meetings.
(I’ve been to Coconut Creek meetings. I don’t blame him if he does nod off.)
When I mention the talk about Freund falling asleep, a fellow commissioner says: “It’s all just dirty politics. I’m up on the dias with him. I’ve never seen him fall asleep at meetings.
Saying Freund is falling asleep is really an allegation that Freund, 82, is too old to be re-elected.
His opponents won’t say he’s too old because this city’s biggest voting bloc is senior citizens.
In an interview, Belvedere, 72, avoided the allegation that Freund falls asleep. She stuck with the charge that Freund is ineffective.
“He really hasn’t done much, she says.
Belvedere is coming on strong. She hired a campaign consultant, David Brown. She drives a car with a big political sign, something Freund laughs at:
“That’s not the way to win in Coconut Creek. You win by people knowing you.
Belvedere is a serious opponent. She is made more serious by Brown, who has a very successful track record in Coconut Creek elections.
Freund seems a little naïve to me. Way too relaxed for a tough re-election.
Although he may not call asleep at meetings, he seems sleep walking through this campaign.
For his own sake, I hope he wakes up before March 10.
(A personal aside: I worked at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel with Belvedere’s daughter, business writer Doreen Hemlock.)
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Lisa Aronson is a tool of the downtown law firm Ruden that is making a fortune from the city and the INdian Casino, too. She hasn’t worked a real job her whole life and has worked for goverment for the past 20 years jobs that have been given to her by her political friends. She should stay out of the Freund campaign. She can’t because she is part of the group that wants to run everything.
March 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
david brown is the kiss of death,David Brown tried to be the Tony G of the Judical candidates last year and lost 3 out of 4 races,He won with former Mayor of Sunrise Steve Feren,I could have gotten a bird to win that race,the three that counted he lost,even Ellen Feld won for crying out loud.Brown also did a great job with Danji for sheriff.David Brown hahahahahahahahaha
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Len Fruend sleeps and snores loudly during every show at Wynmoor and they are surely more interesting than the commission meetings.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am
Geez Buddy, I said it the other day and I’ll say it again — why are you still writing everything David Brown gives you? You’re smarter then he is on your worst day.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:04 am
In response to the earlier post — you forgot to credit David Brown with perhaps his greatest achievement of all: it was his failed candidacy that gave us the most inept elected official in our county history, Miriam Oliphant.
David Brown has never won a race where he didn’t have atleast twice the money of his opponent. He can’t deliver anything he can’t buy. I’m still angry that I ever paid him anything!
March 4th, 2009 at 4:33 am
David Brown tells everyone that he is a poltical go to guy.the only thing he does is make candidates by his sponges,nail files and signs at top price and after you lose(which is very high with David Brown he then blames the cadidate saying they did not raise enough money,after most of it went to his stupid presents.David tries to take judical candidates because they have to run for judge and are not political savee,Very few people who are politicians use him.
oliphant cleaned his clock in the supervisor of election race
March 4th, 2009 at 6:46 am
David Brown is behind Lisa Aronson and Jim Waldman and a whole bunch of the judges. He has elected many in south Broward and he is a a class act. He is so far above other consultants in intelligence and there is really no comparison.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:16 am
as were said in early posts David can only win the sure things,David could not win 3 of the judge races that countedmhe got slauthered in the sheriffs race with danji,and couldnt win his own race,let David hand out the nail files,pennents,and signs stratigy you can keep your class act
March 4th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I can think of lots of races Brown won where he had atleast twice the money… show me once where there was a level playing field, or where he was outspent, and still won!!!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:16 am
the reason why David Brown needs a candidate with twice the money so he can make a high mark up on all his little toys he sells i.e pens,sponges,nail files,doing absentee ballot programs not to mench a very high fee
March 5th, 2009 at 7:48 am
David Brown plays dirty all the time and even in this race word is he filed a election complaint against Len Freund over a silly little wording issue on a sign. Its all BS, but typical for David, who only knows one way to play and that’s dirty.