Special Interest Money Funneled Into School Bond Campaign
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The pro-school bond political committee has finally found a way to raise money — hit up firms and business types that will benefit if the referendum passes.
Ah, special interest money. Repeated Grand Juries since the 1990s have criticized the influence of special interest money on Broward school construction.
That didn’t stop Citizens for Safe and Modern Schools from raising $86,000 between September 30 and October 2, largely from firms and business folks associated with school construction.
Until September 30, the group only had $10,000 in the bank.
The contributors include:
* The Broward Workshop, a group of downtown Fort Lauderdale business leaders, which gave the biggest contribution — $50,000.
The Workshop has members whose firms do business with or are associated with the schools. The vice chair is builder Terry Stiles, who has rented millions of dollars in property to the schools and has a long business relationship with them. James Cummings, whose firm has built numerous schools, is a past chair of the group.
* Advanced Roofing, a Fort Lauderdale firm with a history of building school roofs for the Broward School Board, donated $10,000. If voters approve the $800 million bonds, tens of millions of dollars are earmarked for new roofs.
* Moss & Associates, a Fort Lauderdale contractor, gave $5,000. This firm has also build school projects in the past.
The remaining money is $20,000 from the Community Foundation of Broward, a downtown Fort Lauderdale charity, and $1,000 from Roy Krause, a retired management recruitment executive living in the upscale Idlewyld section of Fort Lauderdale.
Whether this special-interest money – relatively little for a countywide race – will make a difference can’t be known. Absentee ballots are already being voted and early voting begins Oct. 20.
Organized opposition to the bonds has not surfaced yet, but it could. Who knows?
October 11th, 2014 at 2:30 pm
wjat is goldmyer’ cut? or Ashley “take your dough” Walker”. Part of the money coming in was committed prior to goldmyer and walker.
October 11th, 2014 at 3:18 pm
And you expected maybe something different from this crowd?
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
October 11th, 2014 at 7:30 pm
After decades of the same, decay is embedded.
October 11th, 2014 at 7:32 pm
The anti bonders are running the underground network, many are SBBC employees and past employees. Time will tell.
October 11th, 2014 at 8:45 pm
All of the money this crew is ponying up is merely a write-off for their companies and/or an investment in future business. Meanwhile, if the bond issue passes, taxpayers get to fork out money for an unknown process. Where will the money go besides to the same old bunch of players? Will any real good be done in the schools?
October 11th, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Chaz Stevens, Genius says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
October 11th, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Not to go off on a tangent, but…
Dear fellow liberals;
Like Scott Herman, if you vote for William Rankin merely because he’s a (D), then kindly stop breathing.
***
Like bitching about Herman for a year, it doesn’t matter if no one is listening, as long as you are right.
And with Rankin, see I told you so.
http://www.myactsofsedition.com/blog/2014/10/11/sunshine-state-new-william-rankin-catch-him-if-you-can/
October 11th, 2014 at 11:13 pm
Polling is showing this thing losing, but it’s close. CSC is looking much stronger.
October 12th, 2014 at 9:15 am
Follow the MONEY….. Vote NO to CORRUPTION
October 12th, 2014 at 10:35 am
How much money does Charlotte Greenbarg or Chaz Stevens ever raise or give to their “cause”? To Ha Ha or Sam the Sham? Mr. Nevins, your bloggers will continue to GET NOWHERE if they are AS CHEAP or CHEAPER than you accuse the “old leadership downtown” of being. Seems the “old leadership downtown” has come up with some money while the critics have come up with NOTHING! MONEY TALKS and bullshit walks, at least in politics. and the polls show the lousy Bond Proposal is winning with 55% of the voters!!!
October 12th, 2014 at 11:30 am
Can someone please share a web page or hard copy where these polls are? Nothing on SMART info or SBBC website. And please don ‘t say it’s not allowed on site, schools are printing and handing out pro bond material.
October 12th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
@9 – I have given and continue to give generously to the causes I believe in. However, it seems unlikely that you clearly understand exactly what those causes are.
October 12th, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Count…
Really?
Forget the fact I donate rather lavishly to ACLU, Amnesty, and others…
Take in consideration the time spent researching, producing my articles.
October 12th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
bond vote goes in toilet, runcie out in a year. golden parachute for chicago garbage.
October 12th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
Didn’t Keith Fredricks do that poll in july?Has he been paid yet?
October 12th, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Sorry, Count Chocula, I wish I had a spare $10K laying around to push against the bond and the CSC. But I don’t.
My voice really counts for very little. A voice crying out in a progressive Democrat wilderness. I would like to see Broward County turn around and have some sensible government but I realize that there are too many brain dead, low info voters here. It really is a lost cause. I am biding my time to move to a more sensible area.
Good riddance you say? Well, I can tell you, after almost 60 years here I am sick to death at what the libtard N.E. idiots have done to my Broward County. I will gladly shake the dust from my feet when I leave.
October 13th, 2014 at 7:30 am
I am so damned tired of the same old cynicism that only helps transform nowhere into oblivion. If everything is a crock, if nothing is worth believing in, if you really feel that way, why even bother caring? Why go on living?
The very point being that life is for the living. It’s about possibilities, overcoming problems and taking risks because you believe in something. Believing everything is a failed effort is no way to live. Join the living. Take a risk, overcome your fears and make it work. Gosh.
October 13th, 2014 at 9:06 am
I’m with Plain Language.
October 13th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
If anyone thinks a district comprised of people who were the problem for years, those who won’t remove them, and those who are taking money and support from profiteers is anything to pin hopes on, then you obviously believe that doing the same thing time after time and expecting different results isn’t the definition of insanity.
Too many of us have given years of our time, effort and money yes money fighting corruption will not give up trying to get some decent honest people in office. That is of course almost tilting at windmills in Broward and most of S FL, but it’s worth the fight.
October 13th, 2014 at 4:08 pm
@charlotte
Anyone worth keeping on Board?
And what about Runcie?
October 14th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
@Michael:
Runcie needs to go first.
As far as the board is concerned, let’s see which of them will move to fire Runcie.