Geller Snares Early Support From Fire Fighters
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward County Commission candidate Chuck Lanza is a retired fire chief who worked in the fire service his entire life.
Yet it was former State Sen. Steve Geller who snared an early endorsement from fire fighters in the battle for the commission’s open District 5 seat in Southwest Broward.
Fire fighters were a big presence at Geller’s campaign kickoff.
Steve Geller and Fire Fighters at kickoff
About 100 attended the kick off.
Several members and officers of the International Association of Fire Fighters’ local, which endorsed Geller for the 2016 race already, were at the Cooper City home of Mina and Donato DiLeo where the event was held.
One problem for Lanza may be that he is a Republican. Geller is a Democrat and the District was carved for Democratic Commissioner Lois Wexler, who is term limited and is retiring next year.
District 5 has roughly 53.9k Democrats, 36.5k Republicans and 35.8k independents. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist carried District 5 by around 24 percent last year, Geller said.
Lanza is the former Broward Emergency Management director. He also worked in the fire services in Miami-Dade County and for the Seminole Tribe.
November 2nd, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Well, you have to admit the Firefighters union makes a lot of stupid decisions. The members deserve much respect for their job performance, but their union leaders tarnish their image.
The Firefighters union once backed a convicted felon for a commission seat in Dania Beach then dropped him when he was disqualified. And who did they replace him with?? A candidate who does not pay property taxes.
What were they thinking?
November 2nd, 2015 at 11:36 pm
wexler is not retiring.
wexler is term limited.
if both, please state it as such.
FROM BUDDY:
You are correct. Lois is term limited in 2016 and told Browardbeat.com she is retiring.
November 3rd, 2015 at 7:20 am
Geller? Really? How dopey to you have to be to support him? He has BEEN part of the problem here for years.
November 3rd, 2015 at 8:52 am
I read your post “Geller Snares Early Support from Fire Fighters” this morning with a great deal of interest as to where you received, then posted, only part of the story. A review of the Supervisor of Election’s record of campaign donations shows Local 4321, a “political committee”, gave Mr. Geller the maximum donation six weeks before I filed my papers. At that time, only my family knew I planned to run.
This union is well known for their almost perfect attendance at all Democrat functions and giving exclusively to Democrats. As a member of Fire Fighters Local 1403, the largest union in the southeastern United States, I know how many union leaders are too close to their Democrat friends.
For years I have worked with union leadership to provide a safe and healthy work environment for the people who are doing the job every day. I made it a point to spend a lot of time in the field, at the stations and at department events to listen to the concerns of the men and women on the department. If anything, I have been an approachable and understanding Chief; not for the Union’s endorsement but for the benefit of the people that are on the line every day.
I am focusing on the men and women that make up the departments not what I have always called the “fat cats” which has been exclusively the union leadership and their career politician Democrat “friends”. The men and women of the police and fire departments are looking for elected officials that they can count on to understand their issues and their jobs; in this race, that is me. I will work with the unions on issues of concern to the people doing the job but I will not be beholden to special interest and political committees that are already well represented in this race.
I am sure Mr. Geller will add many unions to his list of lobbyist, attorneys and special interest groups. A review of his campaign contributions is a “Who’s Who” of every special interest group in Broward, Tallahassee and other areas where asking for good government is not necessarily a priority. I will continue to meet with all people in the district as well as the brave men and women in our police and fire departments who, more often than not, walk to a different drummer than the Union’s “friends”, the career Democrat politicians.
November 3rd, 2015 at 9:39 am
o k you are in the. Tank for a career politician,no surprise there you are in the media. No one trusts the media,period
Next time you have an. Emergency c all for. A politician
November 3rd, 2015 at 9:45 am
Chuck Lanza has the experience to work with unions because he is a member of the firefighters union! His expertise in the field will play in for his new role as commissioner. He is not a republican that will tarnish unions and turn his back to them but rather listen to what they have to say. Making this a “democrat” issue is just a political agenda for others. Chuck Lanza will make for a great commissioner make no mistake about it.
November 3rd, 2015 at 1:52 pm
I am proud to say that Chuck & I began our careers together in the same fire academy class. I later had the privilege of working under his direction in the Miami-Dade Emergency Management office. I will also say that not all union firefighters follow the agenda of the left. Chuck Lanza has demonstrated a life-long commitment to public safety, and would no-doubt make a great elected representative for everyone in Broward County.
November 3rd, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Was it IAFF Local 4321 in Broward? Funny that they have numerous endorsements on their website http://www.bcfire.com/ but none for Geller or District 5. Maybe party politics and unions are so strongly connected that they might endorse the Democrat. But, clearly, their members would be better served by Mr. Lanza who deeply understands what the fire service and the community need.
November 3rd, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Seriously?? Chuck Lanza is one of the most committed people I know to the needs of Firefighters and Police officers alike. He has dedicated his entire life to public service. I’m a retired firefighter and Geller sure doesn’t have my vote. Chuck Lanza does! He’s one of the nicest and most honest individuals I have ever met.
November 3rd, 2015 at 11:03 pm
Chuck, you sound bitter and out of touch. The voters of District 5 may think that Steve Geller is the worst Democrat of all time, but you just wrote enough stupid, partisan, short sighted bovine excrement here that you might as well have voted for Steve.
Seriously Chuck, learn to count.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in District 5 by such a large margin that you cannot mathematically win without them. Belly aching about the “Democrat Party” is just the kind of reminder to Democratic voters that you aren’t one of them. It defies logic.
Not to mention that you copied this stupid blog comment onto your campaign website. These words will be on a mail piece to the voters from Steve Geller, I guarantee it.
Really Chuck, after so many years for working for elected officials, didn’t it sink yet? You have to get elected by the members of the district in order to take office. Voters like people who look, sound and vote like them. So barring a miracle or a catastrophe, have fun writing these blog comments, because they will be the bitter end of your long career.
November 4th, 2015 at 5:55 am
When Steve Geller was in the State Senate I lived in his District. I had an issue about a Bill that would directly affect my family and he never responded to my requests for a meeting. His staff was always very nice and available but Mr. Geller never seemed to have time for a lowly constituent.
If that’s the kind of representation you want, he’s your guy.
November 4th, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Cute. Same person post under different names much? Try not to be so obvious.
November 4th, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Geller is a blow hard
He is as partisan as they come and can easily by swayed by special interests
Geller is a tool of the gambling interests and carried their water in Tally better than even Ronnie Book!
Who’s water will he carry in Broward? Scary to think.
I will vote for Lanza-
a commited public servant-
an honest hard working man who is humble and whose actions speak louder than party politics.
November 4th, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Mr. Lanza, perhaps you should look at the campaign contributions of various IAFF Locals around the state. While you are at it, look at the campaign contributions for the state association, Florida Professional Firefighters and Paramedics. You will see that contributions are spread across candidates in both parties. The endorsements of the state association and various Locals includes candidates from both parties. I believe last year it was 60/40 D to R. Your contention that unions support only Democrats is patently false and even inflammatory to this proud union member who doesn’t vote along party lines, never have, never will.
November 5th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
I am sure I am not the only one who is sick of the perpetual, public trough feeding “career” politicians. Such is the result of present campaign finance “rules” (written by these very same perpetual, public trough feeding “career” politicians.) This will not change in our lifetime.
One thing that CAN change is voters becoming better educated as to what this all means and not voting for scumbag career politicians like Geller.
Steve Geller is an absolute expert at skirting and violating morals and ethics while he proudly serves……..himself. He has held public office most of his adult life. He is very adept at sucking up to money people and doing their bidding as long as they “pay” him to do so in the form of campaign cash. They OWN Geller and he doesn’t seem to mind or care.
It is NOT the his constituency that Geller serves, it is the special interests who line his campaign coffers with cash. Did I mention that they OWN Geller?
Steve Geller never met a lobbyist (or a double cheeseburger & fries) that he did not like.
If the people of District 5 elect this poor excuse for a snake-oil salesman to that commission seat after having had the privelege of having one of the most honest and sincerest County Commissioners, Lois Wexler, as their District 5 Commissioner I feel badly for them and all of Broward County as his “influence” on the CC will certainly spill over into the other districts.
Chuck Lanza is the epitome of what a public servant really is. Honest, hard working and a man who is truly for the people. Chuck would be a perfect follow-up to Lois Wexler as they both share common virtues and honesty…unlike lobbyist -owned tool Geller.
My biggest fear is that Geller will use all of that questionably sourced campaign cash to buy enormous amounts of propaganda to mail to the voters in District 5, thereby fooling yet another constituency into believing he is a good guy. No doubt, David Brown will be involved , but that’s a story about an entirely different (but similar) scumbag. David might be busy though attempting to connive his own (hopefully failed) election….one can only hope.
Folks, tell everyone you know in District 5 what Geller REALLY is and consider voting for Chuck Lanza.
As for the Firefighters Union, they have been wrong before…a lot in fact.
Looks like they got it wrong yet again.
November 6th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
I’m so impressed with all of the bloggers (like me) who can make up any crap they want because they don’t use their names. It’s on the internet, so it must be true. Actually, I followed Bigfoot home, and when he took off a mask, it was really Donald Trump.
Knows for Sure (15) – Let’s see, Geller was in office for about 20 years, and has held no public position for over 7 years. He served in the Legislature, never earning more than mid-twenty thousand a year. He was a lawyer the whole time.
Lanza stopped being a firefighter in the 1980’s, and since then has been a government bureaucrat almost the entire time, deriving all of his income from taxpayer dollars.
Which of the two did you say was feeding off the public trough?
November 17th, 2015 at 11:08 am
Steve Geller has spent a lot of time in public office, but is he a “career politician?” If you look at his financial disclosures, you’ll see that he’s never earned $30,000 in a year as an elected official, but he has consistently earned six figures as a lawyer.
If I make $300,000 a year as an accountant and $30,000 a year from investing in the stock market, I’d call myself a CPA, not a career investor. Geller is a career lawyer who has given decades of his life to serving the public.
Steve Geller has a record of public service far more than he does of playing politics. His time in the legislature included creating regulations to guarantee safer carnival and fair rides to protect families and passing landmark legislation requiring insurance companies to cover therapy for autistic children. That’s not politics, that’s public service.
I don’t live in the area that Steve Geller is running in; but if I did, I’d be proud to cast my vote for him and have him representing me on the county commission.
November 17th, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Never in the 20 years since I returned home to Florida have I seen either Geller do anything positive except mouth generally accepted liberal Jewish Democratic principles I subscribe to THEN GO AND PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES OUT TO SPECIAL and sometimes get in bed with people on thin ice legally as on the infamous Holocaust Documentation Center… i think they are terrible people who wont even shave or put on a shirt that fits to go to a meeting with their constitutes who they long ago forgot are their bosses!