Political World Scoffs at Alu’s Reason for Quitting Race
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward politicians don’t believe Sheila Alu.
Alu told the Sun-Sentinel Wednesday she was quitting the county commission race because she got a promotion at the State Attorney’s office. She was a prosecutor in the felony division and now she will be working in the Sex Crimes unit.
“What’s the real reason?” was the question that swept the political world by text, e-mail and phone within minutes of her announcement.
Now the mercurial Alu didn’t return my call. She is apparently annoyed with me…this week. So I called others.
Two sources at the State Attorney’s Office put her estimated new salary at roughly two-thirds the $92,000 annual salary of county commissioners. So it isn’t about the money.
Here are some other thoughts:
(1) Was she worried about what would be uncovered during a campaign?
The word Wednesday was that various well-heeled Alu enemies were set to start a political committee against her. They would dig up dirt and run negative ads targeting Alu in the campaign.
With her flamboyant personal life and controversial past – among other things, she wore a wire to help snare a supposed friend in an FBI sting – detectives could have dug up something embarrassing.
Alu has never been in a race where negative material was thrown at her to any great extent. In fact, she hasn’t been in a tough race since her first in 2001. So she might have shied away from being next year’s Broward political piñata.
(2) She faced a rough reception at the county commission. Some commissioners viewed her as a potentially disruptive force, noting that she is constantly embroiled in controversy and often clashes with her colleagues on the Sunrise commission.
Some commissioners vowed to block her election during the redistricting by putting her in an unfavorable district. There has also been talk of commissioners campaigning against Alu behind-the-scenes.
(3) Is she getting some more solid experience as a prosecutor to pave the way for a judicial campaign or a race for State Attorney somewhere down the line? Entirely possible.
Either of those jobs would considerably boost her salary and eventual pension. And Alu has at least two decades left in her political career…if she wants to stay and the voters keep electing her.
(4) Alu just likes being a prosecutor and wants to build a career in the State Attorney’s Office? On the days when she is talking to me, she said she loves being a prosecutor.
“My impression is she really, really likes it here (at the State Attorney’s Office),” said one fellow prosecutor. “I think she has a real empathy for the victim and will do very well in Sex Crimes.”
For the rest of the answer to No. 4, return to No. 3.
I may never know the real reason Alu quit the race. It probably is like the woman herself– complex and more layers than an onion.
One thing I do know: Sheila will be around and will be pumping out copy for the media for a long time to come.
I will update if Sheila calls, texts or e-mails.
November 23rd, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Well, good for district 1! Let’s go Howard Berger!
November 23rd, 2011 at 10:45 pm
It’s kind of telling and sad that a supporter for Howard Burger is “All Screwed Up!”
November 23rd, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Ilene Lieberman is crying tonight. Everybody knows she was pushing hard for Alu to be elected.
November 23rd, 2011 at 11:36 pm
I agree Buddy. Something doesn’t smell kosher.
November 24th, 2011 at 1:47 am
Here are ten reasons why Alu dropped out of the race:
1)She found out how many people actually love her.
2)She doesn’t want the real reason for wearing an FBI wire revealed.
3)She hasn’t lived in Sunrise for more than a year and doesn’t want it to come out.
4)Her ex-boyfriends won’t vote for her and that lets out half of the county.
5)She recently became a vegetarian, so meat eaters won’t vote for her.
6)Willie Roberson scared the crap out of her.
7)Howard Berger’s mom scared the crap out of her.
8)She doesn’t want photos of her drunken escapades at the holiday boat show released.
9)She doesn’t like being subject to the ethics rules for the county commission.
10)She can dish it out, but she can’t take it.
November 24th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Good Riddance!!!!!!
November 24th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Hazell Rogers: when are you goin to announce? Now or before the leg session starts?
November 25th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
To Where’s Sheila:
Oh my G-D you figured me out!
1). Truth: You’ve got me there! And, I love the people I represent too.
2). Truth: The FBI Special Agent was so damn cute; I just couldn’t say no when the Bureau came calling. Just ask Buddy he met him too.
3). Truth: I actually live in a million dollar high-rise overlooking the ocean. Amazing view! You wouldn’t believe how it’s wired for sound as am I.
4). False: If all my boyfriends voted for me, I was definitely a shoe in. But, don’t tell my fiancée.
5) False: No meat eaters still love me—let your imaginations run wild!
6). False: Sorry, I have no clue who Willie Roberson is, but I wish him well!
7). False: Actually, Berger’s mom hoped I’d become her daughter in law! Sorry, not in this lifetime.
8). No really: Oh, wow if there are photos of me, I might want to reconsider. You should see the ones of me on the bow of the FBI boat.
9). Truth: There you have me! It’s all my fault that the ethic’s rule were written.
10.) Truth: Love a great fight, but the contenders really bored me.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
November 26th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Alu was given the option of quit the state attorney or quit the race. Her polling showed that she would lose the race, leaving her without a job.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
It’s not hard to figure out: county commission meetings are held during the day on Tuesdays. I doubt the state attorney was going to let goldilocks take every tuesday off to be a county commissioner. Maybe she thought a private firm would step up and offer her a job once she announced, but she is pretty much the opposite of a rainmaker given her cozy relationship with the FBI. Plus she’s not a great attorney. Plus she’s a complete whack job.
November 28th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
she is is backing out. Since this whole debackle about this one screwing this one etc, she ha snot made one comment in regard to her little love triangle. And to her defense ( I Know shock me) if some of you(one in particular lied to me and used me as a pawn w/ this woman i mean come on. Although the source swears its true that Alu was banging Bob Norman. To pictures etc, to survillance(what Sheila got beat at her own game). Then I’m hearing the whole story was concocted by disgrassed, fat Att,rothstein. Who by the way is going to ask the Judge for a lighter sentence onthe grounds that he’s basiclly a snitch. Misery loves company-I guess.Bottom line Alu bailing -is no big surprise.
September 16th, 2012 at 9:23 am
Thank goodness for historical (hysterical) record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_6K6Plm_ZM&feature=results_video
she wants the city manager back that she really really wanted fired? He sounds like she thought he was pretty bad, sneaky and bad for her city.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sunrise/fl-salerno-sunrise-chatter-sunrise-commissioners-20120915,0,7264595.story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7yBzQpv3Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player
probably right when she said her city deserves better. When is this commissioner up for re-election again? Any more videos of her by towanda tellall, only found 2 on you tube.