Update: Demo Forum On Police Abuse To Feature Sheriff, State Atty and Asst. Public Defender
BY BUDDY NEVINS
In what could be a fascinating forum, Broward’s Democratic Party will host a discussion on police abuse featuring the county’s top law enforcement officials.
The conference will debate recent police killings of blacks.
Sheriff Scott Israel, State Attorney Mike Satz and Public Defender Howard Finkelstein have agreed to participate and hopefully suggest solutions, according to county Democratic Leader Mitch Ceasar.
Finkelstein later told Browardbeat.com that he had a conflict. Gordon Weekes, one of Finkelstein’s chief assistants, will replace him.
Gordon Weekes: Will Discuss Police Abuse
Weeks “has spearheaded our efforts to address the double standard of justice in broward county…he will keep it real,” Finkelstein said.
Representatives from a number of civil rights groups have been invited, Ceasar told the Plantation Democratic Club on Tuesday.
The event is planned at the party organization’s regular monthly meeting, 7 p.m., April 21 at Deicke Auditorium, 5701 Cypress Rd., Plantation. It is free to the public.
A lot of criticism has been aimed at Ceasar over the years, but this presentation illustrates just how much the Democrats will miss him if he quits as chair after next year.
Coming up with ideas that make the monthly party meetings interesting is not easy after two decades in leadership, but he has done so time and again. Some meetings have featured comics, figures outside of politics and yes, even me and other news folks.
Mike Satz: Will Participate
I’m sure next week’s meeting will be covered by the media, which is nothing unusual during Ceasar’s reign. Since the 1990s, he has kept attention focused on the Broward Democratic organization.
Now running for Broward Clerk of the Courts, Ceasar has not announced whether he will retire from his chairmanship after the 2016 if he wins.
If he does retire, I predict Democrats will miss him. Or as the song goes, “You Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)”.
April 15th, 2015 at 8:34 am
I believe the song’s title is “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Until You Lose It)”
FROM BUDDY:
Not really. I got the title right. Check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28UEoLXVFQ
The song you mentioned, which I never heard before, is quite a bit older: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4rwNBD1PrQ
April 15th, 2015 at 9:15 am
Mitch should invite Norm Leonard for his thoughts on race. Liz McHugh should be able to secure his attendance.
April 15th, 2015 at 9:31 am
Mitch will have to take a leave of absence once he files for Clerk.
April 15th, 2015 at 10:18 am
Interesting. By the way the three cops in Ft>lau. have their admin. hearing today. You all know how I feel about this. No second chances for anyone anymore fine. remember this City Manager Lee Feldman when its your own behind the eight ball(Mr,Hardeep). where’s the report Lee??? THis whole story concerning the cops was such a tragedy. The Police Chief Frank adderly and FOP Dir Sgt.Loekinsky didn’t derserve this. Both very good man and hav e been very good to me..
April 15th, 2015 at 11:33 am
Just another “White cops bad, black criminals good” free for all. Let’s see if Israel throws his deputies under the bus.
April 15th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Buddy,
Why are there no representatives from FLPD to this summit? Can you check your sources regarding Lt Greenlaw FLPD, when he was employed at Plantation PD was he being investigated for racially charged comments when he was hired by FLPD? Is it true Lee Feldman resigning?
April 15th, 2015 at 9:47 pm
Buddy, Mitch Caesar and his “mob” have only illustrated just how sleazy it is possible to be without getting arrested (well, except for Percy Johnson’s 2012 arrest for felony grand theft – and Diane Glasser’s pickup of the exact same “immunity for testimony” deal that the Chaits got (!!!) came really, really really close…).
I suppose Democrats could truthfully say that Mitch Sleazar has been a marginal improvement over his predecessor, Russell G. Barakat, whose status as Chair ended shortly after the FBI took him away in handcuffs…
To put a fine point on it, Mitch’s mob adheres to the Stacy Ritter school of ethics, in which existing rules designed to promote ethical behavior are first deliberately weakened, and then very, very cynically exploited. This is the truly obnoxious variety of sleaze which asserts that if something is legal (under their contorted, distorted, comical interpretation of the rules), then it’s also perfectly acceptable. History fans will recall that about 150 years ago, Southern slavedrivers exercised this truly perverted logic daily as they legally bought, sold, and whipped slaves, displaying the inhumane result of a very dangerous state of complete ethical blindness. Democrats will certainly not miss Mitch Ceasar, Diane Glasser, Percy Johnson, Jack Shifrel, and the other members of Mitch’s mob.
If a good leader like Cynthia Busch becomes the new Chair, the meetings will be far more interesting than they ever were under Sleazar. By being clean and honest and fair, Busch could really build up the organization and make it a powerful force for Democratic ideals, not just locally but at the state level too.
The alternative is more of the same barely legal corruption, just one step short of the jail cell. I certainly hope the Broward Democratic Party can enthusiastically say goodbye to all that – and to Mitch Ceasar, Diane Glasser, etc. – the sooner the better!
April 15th, 2015 at 10:17 pm
Robert Walsh is a putz.
April 16th, 2015 at 11:17 am
@Sam the Sham: Just another “White cops bad, black criminals good” free for all. Let’s see if Israel throws his deputies under the bus.
Israel never has done that at a single community event I have ever attended. Israel actually does the opposite. He says BSO does everything right … communicates and builds bridges of trust with the community, his deputies ethnically reflect the communities they serve, transparency and accountability, etc.
April 16th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
@7
Bringing up past shenanigas of DEC members has proven to me that YOU are part of the problem with Broward County Politics.
Think that you would do a better job? Step up, come up with a solution! Quit your keyboard BITCHING and put your name on a ballot!!!
BTW, You post shows just how far out of the Democratic loop you are!
Mitch Caesar and Jack Shifrel are not even close friends, just strong Democrats.
April 16th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
#8 “Putz” huh. Thinking about me after dark huh(10:17pm).”If you think your lonely now, wait until tonight”(rest in peace bobby Womack). I mean really some of you. Putz, huh….
April 16th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
My mistake (on not knowing the song you referenced). In my defense, I rarely listen to music made after 1980.
April 16th, 2015 at 6:23 pm
@10 – Jack Shifrel and Mitch Ceasar are very closely linked. Shifrel personally worked on re-writing the Broward Democratic Party’s by-laws to give Mitch Ceasar practically unlimited power, way back when Mitch Ceasar first became the Chair in 1996-1997. Shifrel’s changes to the bylaws are exactly why Mitch Ceasar has never had any significant internal checks and balances to deal with.
April 17th, 2015 at 1:52 am
@Just Saying – I will borrow from # 13 for my answer: Ha, Ha Ha! Seriously? Gunzy, is that you?
April 17th, 2015 at 9:52 am
#12-you got to be kidding me you don’t know who Bobby Womack is. Oh you have to down load it. “if you think your lonely now, wait until tonight”. My life story….
April 17th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Go focus on a making sure Sean doesn’t get popped for a dewy at your bachelor party and the vig is covered to the former mobster you borrowed money from for the wedding.
April 17th, 2015 at 4:01 pm
This will be nothing more than a “bad whitey” show. If the vocal “activists” really wanted to solve these problems they would alleviate the social customs that create and perpetuate the bias not just excuse them. Bad behavior is learned, not genetic…..so what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Neither Weekes or Satz will bring anything constructive to the table. Only blame and excuses.