The Cost Of Inside Dealing and Other County Commission Tidbits
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Call it the cost of inside dealing.
We are going into the second decade of waiting for a new headquarters for the Supervisor of Elections, with the estimated cost having zoomed from under $12 million to $23 million.
That doesn’t include the millions of dollars in rent paid over the years to house the supervisor’s employees and equipment while waiting for a new HQ.
Why?
I believe its because the Broward County Commission insisted on steering the deal to real estate investor and insider Charlie Ladd and his company Broward Barron. Ladd got the deal even though the county already owned another multi-million dollar building they had bought for the supervisor.
The deal with Ladd’s company was first broached in 2005 and then called off after adverse publicity. Commissioners bided their time while several elections passed.
In late 2008 a deal was signed with Ladd’s company. The building was suppose to be completed in December, 2010.
But Broward Barron couldn’t get financing to build the promised 70,000 square feet of office and warehouse space on West Broward Boulevard.
So this week a new deadline will be considered for the building.
The new deadline: Feb. 2012.
That’s a dozen years after it was first considered in the wake of the 2000 presidential recount.
I have no doubt that the headquarters would have been up and running if commissioners were not so intent on signing a deal with Ladd and Company.
After all they owned a building since the early 2000s near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport that they bought for the supervisor. It would have cost less than $13 million at the time to complete that structure.
The new cost is $23 million.
Just more foolishness from the county commission with our money.
Or as Commissioner Ilene Lieberman was quoted in the Sun-Sentinel in 2005 when the supervisor’s buildings was delayed once again: “We all look like fools.
You still do, Ilene.
XXXX
If you thought Commissioner Sue Gunzburger won when she beat former state Sen. Steve Geller in the Democratic primary, think again.
Because her south Broward district is heavily Democratic, she probably will win. But she first has to beat the independent Russell Setti in November.
You would think that Setti would know something about election laws since he was mayor of Cooper City in the 1970s. Plus, Setti has had several conversations with the supervisor’s office about the laws.
The conservations concerned his required campaign finance forms, which he hasn’t filed since July 23.
He told them he hasn’t raised any money. He has been repeatedly warned that the law still requires him to file forms.
The supervisor’s staff is cutting him some slack. Their patience won’t last forever.
Setti is the administrator of the obscure Broward Soil and Water Conservation District. A Sun-Sentinel article I wrote stated that between 2000-2007, Setti has paid himself more than $467,000, using money from the grants even though he had no written agreement allowing him to do so, according to documents obtained by the newspaper.
XXXX
The Democratic nominee and probable winner in the southwest Broward commission district is making some smart moves.
Barbara Sharief is meeting with the current commissioners one-on-one to pick their brains and getting relationships started.
It’s good politics.
And it probably is the last time Sharief will be allowed to talk to the commissioners about commission business. Once she is elected such meetings are forbidden by the Sunshine Law.
September 13th, 2010 at 8:32 am
This is just one more reason why we need changes at the county commission. If they can’t get a building built after 12 years, what do they do every day except line their own pockets. Ken Kecheel is up for re-election. Remember this and the unfinished Fort Lauderdale International, the new $500 million courthouse the voters opposed and every other waste of money that he voted for.
September 13th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Interesting article on Pulp about Eggelletion this weekend. More interesting was the following comment about Judy Stern and Joe Eggs. While I doubt some of this it sure makes sense that Judy always seems to be around trouble yet never gets in trouble. Maybe as this poster said, she is a rat and gives up information to law enforcement to keep out of trouble.
Ghost of Whitey Bulger says:
As I sit here and look at the sunset, I see my own personal sunset approaching. Its been a fun ride in old Broward town. Once a mover and a shaker, its only my hands that shake now.
Why do you think Judy Stern is untouchable? For the same reason Whitey Bulger was untouchable for years in Boston. Judy is a RAT. She gives just enough dirt to investigative bodies to screw others in exchange for those same people to look away at her dirty deeds.
She is not shy about it. Mayo, Lyons and Wyman, how many dirty stories has Judy told you over the years? How did she always seem to know who was under investigation?
How many out there has Judy bragged too about being questioned by the Feds and they did nothing. They said the same about Whitey Bulger.
I have known Judy for 30 years. Talk to her for five minutes and she will tell you about all the lawyers, judges, US Attorneys, FDLE and State prosecutors she worked with or knows.
You think Finkelstien was not helped a little when his former secretary (Judy) gave up some of their own clients to get Howard a lighter sentence.
The current investigation in Fort Lauderdale is focusing on Commissioners Dubose and Rogers, because they supported the former City Manager.
Do we believe that Eggelletion would not have given up Stern for a lighter sentence? Of course he would have. He kept quiet because he figured out she was working for the Feds.
She has bragged of wearing a wire on public officials and taping their calls for years.
Have you figured who I am yet Judy? Are you going to sic Heron on me again with a “John Doe” lawsuit for blogging about you? Maybe Norman will not hand over the IP Address like Wyman did the last time. You didn’t seem so tough when I requested your deposition to be taken and you offered to settle if I signed a confidentiality agreement. Yeah, I broke it! You and Heron come get me.
Don’t fight em Bob, give em my IP. I am sitting in my living room on my home internet. Nothing they can do to me now that the Almighty is not doing to me even worse.
Posted On: Friday, Sep. 10 2010 @ 6:07PM
FROM BUDDY:
A little explanation is necessary. James “Whitey” Bulger is the infamous thug whose Irish mob ran some of the rackets in Boston with the help of corrupt FBI agents. He has been on the lam since 1994 and was added to the Ten Most Wanted list in 1999.
The “Bob” referred to at the end of the letter, which was apparently posted on The Pulp blog of the New Times, is the blog’s author Bob Norman.
September 13th, 2010 at 11:02 am
I see Pulp is reporting that Stern was questioned by SAO, he thinks with immunity. After reading the views of Ghost, is it any surprise it’s with immunity? Funny that this information comes out after the Ghost comments this weekend.
FROM BUDDY:
Some readers are obsessed with Judy Stern and see her everywhere. She is not half as powerful and omnipresent as you believe she is. For every deal she has won at the county commission and school board, she has lost one. For every victorious candidate she has helped, she has lost another (Scott Israel for sheriff comes to mind.).
Don’t get me wrong. Keep obsessing on her. I’m sure she loves the attention.
September 13th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Mr. Nevins
I have worked in the Gover”mental” (that what I like to call this place) Center for way to many years. I have seen and met Ms. Stern on many occasions and she is a very nice woman.
Sadly, I disagree about how posts like those above make Ms. Stern stronger. The talk around the building today was what was written on that rag, The Pulp, this weekend about Ms. Stern. It amazes me how many weel educated people think that if they read a comment on a blog, it has to be true. Some of my co-workers think Ms. Stern writes this stuff herself for attention. Its nuts.
While I think the whole thing is BS. Sadly, there are many other people who believe this unsubstantiated crap as gospel.
September 13th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I seem to recall that Judy Stern did lobby for Ladd on the supervisor’s new office. That’s why corrupt Joe Eggelletion led the charge. Lieberman, Jacobs, Rodstrom and the rest all went along too because they kiss Stern’s ample ass.
September 14th, 2010 at 9:06 am
I can’t believe Russell Setti has the balls to run for office. I’m one of the few who may be around who remember Setti from Cooper City and he was a disaster. He was thrown out of office after the Ethics Commission found that he had three conflict of interests. He also had constant code violations on his home. A total loser.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
All this talk about Judy Stern basiclly being a snitch is questionable. Although a tough cookie I hardly believe she gets granted immunity for her indulge so to speak. And all this innuendo that she has info to send people to jail if they don’t play ball w/ her,to her time working for the Public Defender is probably some bitter ex business asc. that got burned out of some City Or County contract that she had her hands in basiclly.So all this talk she is the next J. Edgar Hoover to being on the FBI payroll, I’m sure she would want to stand clear of the FEDS,since they can make your life miserable. Most likely she might have dropped a dime on someone or business that she knew was being shady,but they(FBI) must get 100’s of calls a week w/ that type of info,but all it takes is one person to make a complaint or call the Feds and present what they know.So like sands in the hour glass so are the days and times of Judy Stern.Real story w/ all this alleged snitching what about Comm. Att. Sheila Alu and this supposed affair w/ Bob Norman ,to Mr. Norman being now under the magnifing glass? Story has is that these 2 were carrying on(alot of that going around lately) and in between the sheets Alu allegedly spills the beans. County Reporter Brittany wallman subjects spouse says its totally BS and she went on to comment that she heard that Alu was even in her pool(big, big splash).So who knows,you seem to be in the loop Buddy whats the deal,Neal???Beside Brittany doesn’t seem to me to play secound fiddle so,I don’t know.Again she states not true about her husband and Alu for the record.
September 14th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
“Again she states not true about her husband and Alu for the record.”
What else would she say?
September 14th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
all you readers are assholes .. Wake up and see what is going on!!