I just wanted to take a few moments, during my recovery of Santa's visit, to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Last evening, I attended a candlelight Christmas Eve church service at my church, First United Methodist Church of Avon Park (www.fumcap.org). I was blessed to have my mother, step-father, brother, and his partner attend with us. Pastor Gary performed an uplifting sermon about the birth of Jesus. He touched on how Mary must have felt on the inside during the turmoil that was surrounding her at the time of the birth. But how she knew that the child she was carrying was the Son of the Most High.
The church also presented a Living Nativity, which in all of my 35 years, was without a doubt the most inspiring Living Nativity that I have witnessed. Mary, Joseph, and the Shepperd were dressed in white, complete with white face paint. I cannot find the words to describe the scene but my mother was also awe inspired by the sight.
The highlight of the service for me was Reverend James Parker singing "O Holy Night". Reverend Parker has an amazing voice that filled the sanctuary beautifully. It was a spiritual night, to say the least.
So, as I get ready to enjoy some Christmas ham. If you have not already, please take a moment today and remember why we celebrate Christmas.
God Bless
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Who Throws a Shoe?
On Sunday, President Bush was holding a press conference in Iraq with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, when a journalist from the audience sprang to his feet and hurled a shoe at the President. Not just one shoe, but he threw the other at President Bush. As I sit here and watch replays of the video on Fox News, there is one glaringly disturbing thing that the video illustrates to me. Why was the reaction time of the Secret Service Agents in the room so delayed that a second shoe was allowed to be thrown?
Currently on Fox News, there is a Secret Service Expert making excuses for the delay. He is actually saying that egos may have come into play and that because the Secret Service may have viewed the event as a secure area. I am not a Secret Service Expert by any means, but I have been involved in some security training and self defense tactical training in my younger years. And I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, had I been the man responsible for the security of an individual and that happened while I was on watch and my response been that delayed, I would have been "relieved of my contractual obligations" on the spot.
Now, hypothetically speaking, what if there had been some type of sharpened edge to the shoes? And President Bush had not been proficient at dodge ball. Let's not forget that a few years ago there was a man on a plane that had bombs built into his shoes. And due, mostly to his inability to light a lighter, he was unable to ignite the bomb and blow the plane up. So, shoe technology has grown over the years.
I am not making light of the situation, really I'm not. This is a serious breach in the protocol of the Secret Service and all agents involved in the issue should be brought in and reevaluated before President-elect Obama takes office. If you recall during the Presidential election, there were two men that were arrested for planning an attack to kill Mr. Obama. I told several friends after that incident, "The ones you have to worry about are the ones that aren't bragging about it to their drinking buddies." There are some very dangerous people out there in the world. And they are highly trained and sophisticated, believe me. The attacks in Mumbai are an example of how a few trained men with technology can cause havoc and take many innocent lives in the process.
A shoe is not a deadly weapon, but the human mind can be and has been.
Currently on Fox News, there is a Secret Service Expert making excuses for the delay. He is actually saying that egos may have come into play and that because the Secret Service may have viewed the event as a secure area. I am not a Secret Service Expert by any means, but I have been involved in some security training and self defense tactical training in my younger years. And I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, had I been the man responsible for the security of an individual and that happened while I was on watch and my response been that delayed, I would have been "relieved of my contractual obligations" on the spot.
Now, hypothetically speaking, what if there had been some type of sharpened edge to the shoes? And President Bush had not been proficient at dodge ball. Let's not forget that a few years ago there was a man on a plane that had bombs built into his shoes. And due, mostly to his inability to light a lighter, he was unable to ignite the bomb and blow the plane up. So, shoe technology has grown over the years.
I am not making light of the situation, really I'm not. This is a serious breach in the protocol of the Secret Service and all agents involved in the issue should be brought in and reevaluated before President-elect Obama takes office. If you recall during the Presidential election, there were two men that were arrested for planning an attack to kill Mr. Obama. I told several friends after that incident, "The ones you have to worry about are the ones that aren't bragging about it to their drinking buddies." There are some very dangerous people out there in the world. And they are highly trained and sophisticated, believe me. The attacks in Mumbai are an example of how a few trained men with technology can cause havoc and take many innocent lives in the process.
A shoe is not a deadly weapon, but the human mind can be and has been.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Blogs and Forums...Are they Free Speech Zones?
Recently in my home county, one of the local papers had an interesting thread that was started on their online forum. Now, I will not divulge the name of the paper or the persons involved, but I will talk about the details as much as possible and will remain factual as to avoid any potential legal action against me or my family.
There was an accusation made of censorship lobbed against a former reporter for the paper. A thread began where, as usual, there were folks espousing without fact, and with a certain arrogance due to this being the internet. One person, whom is very well known in Highlands County, in fact some may say more infamous than famous, was accused of being a sexual predator by one of the persons posting on the thread. They even posted a link to an arrest record from the Highlands County Sheriff's Department that if they would have taken about 3 minutes, they could have looked up the Florida Statutes that were listed and found what the charges were. But they did not do that, they began a lengthy argument that eventually resulted in the threat of a lawsuit.
Now, I do not believe this to be an empty threat. And apparently neither did the individuals involved. There were public apologies made and all was forgiven. Now, I found this entire exchange very entertaining for several reasons. The largest reason being, three of the persons involved with posting the misleading statements have notoriously been abusive at times on the forum. However, when the shoe was placed on the other foot, they quickly folded like a deck of cards. They initially spouted claims of Freedom of Speech and that there was nothing that they had said that was incorrect.
This leads me to my question, are blogs and forums, such as the one you are ready, free speech zones? Short answer, no. I am responsible for every statement that I place on this blog. I try to be factual and make it very clear that I am simply stating my opinion. I would have no problem in printing a retraction or issuing an apology if it were determined that I had made misleading or untrue statements. But there are those that feel that the anonymity that the world wide web provides releaves them of the responsibility of existing in a realm of factual and responsible information and the reporting thereof.
I regularly utilize a plethora of different news sources, individuals, or my own personal experience. I normally do not use real names here, unless it is a news story where the person accused of a crime has already been identified. Now, I know that I am far from a reporter and in fact, I do not know how many people are actually reading this blog. But I strongly believe in being factual when possible and making it clear that I am expressing my opinion only.
This is not a free speech zone, it is simply my zone for speech. Besides, we have always been told, nothing worth having is ever free. Right?
There was an accusation made of censorship lobbed against a former reporter for the paper. A thread began where, as usual, there were folks espousing without fact, and with a certain arrogance due to this being the internet. One person, whom is very well known in Highlands County, in fact some may say more infamous than famous, was accused of being a sexual predator by one of the persons posting on the thread. They even posted a link to an arrest record from the Highlands County Sheriff's Department that if they would have taken about 3 minutes, they could have looked up the Florida Statutes that were listed and found what the charges were. But they did not do that, they began a lengthy argument that eventually resulted in the threat of a lawsuit.
Now, I do not believe this to be an empty threat. And apparently neither did the individuals involved. There were public apologies made and all was forgiven. Now, I found this entire exchange very entertaining for several reasons. The largest reason being, three of the persons involved with posting the misleading statements have notoriously been abusive at times on the forum. However, when the shoe was placed on the other foot, they quickly folded like a deck of cards. They initially spouted claims of Freedom of Speech and that there was nothing that they had said that was incorrect.
This leads me to my question, are blogs and forums, such as the one you are ready, free speech zones? Short answer, no. I am responsible for every statement that I place on this blog. I try to be factual and make it very clear that I am simply stating my opinion. I would have no problem in printing a retraction or issuing an apology if it were determined that I had made misleading or untrue statements. But there are those that feel that the anonymity that the world wide web provides releaves them of the responsibility of existing in a realm of factual and responsible information and the reporting thereof.
I regularly utilize a plethora of different news sources, individuals, or my own personal experience. I normally do not use real names here, unless it is a news story where the person accused of a crime has already been identified. Now, I know that I am far from a reporter and in fact, I do not know how many people are actually reading this blog. But I strongly believe in being factual when possible and making it clear that I am expressing my opinion only.
This is not a free speech zone, it is simply my zone for speech. Besides, we have always been told, nothing worth having is ever free. Right?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A wave of corruption and fraud crackdowns
Just today, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Chief of Staff John Harris were arrested and accused of corruption charges. While the details of this event are still being revealed and the extent of the corruption investigation are not known at this time, this event is one of several recent fraud and corruption related news items over the last few months. The recent events can be best described as a crackdown on corruption and fraud in government.
Mr. Blagojevich, 51 and Mr. Harris, 46, have both been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Mr. Blagojevich is accused of attempting to solicit bribes for the Senate seat that was left vacant by the election of Barack Obama in November. As I write this, the main stream media is reporting that it does not appear as though President-elect Obama was involved in this issue in any way.
Of course, we all remember the drama surrounding the race for the Senate seat in Alaska that was held by Ted Stevens. For those of you who have forgotten, Senator Stevens was convicted on charges that he failed to report gifts that he had received from VECO Corporation. Senator Stevens lost his bid to return to the Senate to Mark Begich.
The misdeeds of the rich and powerful have even stretched into Highlands County with the recent arrest of Dan Andrews on counts of embezzlement, fraud, and theft. Mr. Andrews has his initial hearing on December 22.
Over the course of American history, there have been many people that hold a position of power that have fallen prey to the lure of easy money. The lengths at which some have and will go to protect their socio-economic status is astounding. The old adage that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" has never been more true than it is now.
I suppose that people who yearn for power and wealth have had to do things outside the moral fabric to get where they are. I am not naive enough to think that everyone in business and politics always play fair and do not break the rules. But the amusing part to me is always when they fall from grace and immediately become the victim. The image that pops into my head right now is that of a teary eyed, sobbing Jimmy Swaggert as he reveals that he has succumbed to the sins of the flesh.
"I have sinned against you," he says. No, Mr. Swaggert you have sinned against your morals and your God. But He will forgive you, He always will forgive. I firmly believe that a man of God should not be placed on higher moral ground than a "regular" man. Everyone is human, even men and women of the cloth.
So why, I ask, do we place our spiritual and government leaders on a higher moral ground? Why do we want to believe that they are incapable of committing the same crimes and sins that the average person can commit?
Because we want them to be better than us. I do not mean that in a negative way. Each of us feel that a person in a position of power should be able to withstand all temptation and make the correct ethical, moral, and financial decision every time without a misstep. Of course, deep down inside, we all know that it is impossible. And that is where our own sins come into play.
There are many in society that enjoy watching the mighty fall from grace or power. It reaffirms the belief that we are all human and we all make mistakes. So why do we bang the drum when they make the mistakes and then laugh when they fall? Because we to are human.
Mr. Blagojevich, 51 and Mr. Harris, 46, have both been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Mr. Blagojevich is accused of attempting to solicit bribes for the Senate seat that was left vacant by the election of Barack Obama in November. As I write this, the main stream media is reporting that it does not appear as though President-elect Obama was involved in this issue in any way.
Of course, we all remember the drama surrounding the race for the Senate seat in Alaska that was held by Ted Stevens. For those of you who have forgotten, Senator Stevens was convicted on charges that he failed to report gifts that he had received from VECO Corporation. Senator Stevens lost his bid to return to the Senate to Mark Begich.
The misdeeds of the rich and powerful have even stretched into Highlands County with the recent arrest of Dan Andrews on counts of embezzlement, fraud, and theft. Mr. Andrews has his initial hearing on December 22.
Over the course of American history, there have been many people that hold a position of power that have fallen prey to the lure of easy money. The lengths at which some have and will go to protect their socio-economic status is astounding. The old adage that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" has never been more true than it is now.
I suppose that people who yearn for power and wealth have had to do things outside the moral fabric to get where they are. I am not naive enough to think that everyone in business and politics always play fair and do not break the rules. But the amusing part to me is always when they fall from grace and immediately become the victim. The image that pops into my head right now is that of a teary eyed, sobbing Jimmy Swaggert as he reveals that he has succumbed to the sins of the flesh.
"I have sinned against you," he says. No, Mr. Swaggert you have sinned against your morals and your God. But He will forgive you, He always will forgive. I firmly believe that a man of God should not be placed on higher moral ground than a "regular" man. Everyone is human, even men and women of the cloth.
So why, I ask, do we place our spiritual and government leaders on a higher moral ground? Why do we want to believe that they are incapable of committing the same crimes and sins that the average person can commit?
Because we want them to be better than us. I do not mean that in a negative way. Each of us feel that a person in a position of power should be able to withstand all temptation and make the correct ethical, moral, and financial decision every time without a misstep. Of course, deep down inside, we all know that it is impossible. And that is where our own sins come into play.
There are many in society that enjoy watching the mighty fall from grace or power. It reaffirms the belief that we are all human and we all make mistakes. So why do we bang the drum when they make the mistakes and then laugh when they fall? Because we to are human.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
The Highlands Informer would like to take a moment and wish each and every one of our readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. This is a weekend to surround yourself with family and friends. A time to forget about the world as we know it for a little while and just enjoy the little things.
So please, eat plenty of turkey and ham, enjoy the football games (even if one of them includes Detroit), and savor every moment that you have with your family. These are the days that form memories for our children that they will keep with them their entire lives.
Finally, please say a prayer for all our men and women whom are serving our country overseas protecting our freedoms.
So please, eat plenty of turkey and ham, enjoy the football games (even if one of them includes Detroit), and savor every moment that you have with your family. These are the days that form memories for our children that they will keep with them their entire lives.
Finally, please say a prayer for all our men and women whom are serving our country overseas protecting our freedoms.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Governor Issues Executive Order Suspending Dan Andrews
At 3:08 PM, Governor Charlie Crist's office release an Executive Order in which Dan Andrews was suspended from his position on the Sebring City Council.
The order cites the three felony charges that Mr. Andrews is facing.
"Where as it is in the best interest of the residents of Sebring and the citizens of the state of Florida, that Daniel Farmer Andrews be immediately suspended from public office, which he now holds upon the grounds set forth in this executive order."
Mr. Andrews is also prohibited from performing any official act, duty or function. Also from receiving any pay or allowance and from being entitled to any privileges and benefits of public office during this suspension.
The Governor may choose to reinstate Mr. Andrews with an additional Executive Order once he has gone through the criminal proceedings.
Mayor George Hensley states, ""We regret the circumstances that Dan is in and I always say we're in America where a person is innocent until proven guilty. The governor's office made the decision it needed and the council could not make."
The City Council will most likely take up this issue at their December 4 meeting. Until then the City will consult the charter and the city attorney into what steps they may make. This is uncharted territory for the City of Sebring.
Mr. Andrews was arrested on Monday following a lengthy investigation by the State Attorney's office into his term as Executive Director of the Sebring Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Andrews was charged with embezzlement, fraud, and theft. If convicted he is facing a maximum sentence of 15 years and/or a fine of $15,000.
The order cites the three felony charges that Mr. Andrews is facing.
"Where as it is in the best interest of the residents of Sebring and the citizens of the state of Florida, that Daniel Farmer Andrews be immediately suspended from public office, which he now holds upon the grounds set forth in this executive order."
Mr. Andrews is also prohibited from performing any official act, duty or function. Also from receiving any pay or allowance and from being entitled to any privileges and benefits of public office during this suspension.
The Governor may choose to reinstate Mr. Andrews with an additional Executive Order once he has gone through the criminal proceedings.
Mayor George Hensley states, ""We regret the circumstances that Dan is in and I always say we're in America where a person is innocent until proven guilty. The governor's office made the decision it needed and the council could not make."
The City Council will most likely take up this issue at their December 4 meeting. Until then the City will consult the charter and the city attorney into what steps they may make. This is uncharted territory for the City of Sebring.
Mr. Andrews was arrested on Monday following a lengthy investigation by the State Attorney's office into his term as Executive Director of the Sebring Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Andrews was charged with embezzlement, fraud, and theft. If convicted he is facing a maximum sentence of 15 years and/or a fine of $15,000.
Highlands Today Online Poll
The Highlands Today has began an online poll asking the question, "Should Dan Andrews Resign or Be Removed from Sebring City Council?" As of 10:47 AM the results are as follows:
Be Removed- 54%
Resign- 40%
Remain on City Council- 6%
A total of 99 votes have been cast.
So once again I renew my demand that Mr. Andrews step down immediately as a member of the Sebring City Council.
Be Removed- 54%
Resign- 40%
Remain on City Council- 6%
A total of 99 votes have been cast.
So once again I renew my demand that Mr. Andrews step down immediately as a member of the Sebring City Council.
Asking Dan Andrews to Step Down Right or Wrong?
As I stated yesterday, I have publicly called for Dan Andrews to step down from his seat on the Sebring City Council. Thus far, Mr. Andrews has not spoken with anyone, that I know of, about his plans. I have seen several comments to the news story on the News Sun (http://www.newssun.com/) website. And they appear to say that Mr. Andrews should STAY in his current position. That he is innocent until proven guiltya nd I agree that he is. However, as of this writing, there is a poll that has been placed on the News Sun website asking if Mr. Andrews should step down and it currently sits at 100% yes.
You have a man who has been accused of embezzlement, fraud, and stealing. I, for one, now have serious doubts about his decision making ability. Now let me be honest here, I do not live within the city limits of Sebring. You have to live within those limits to vote for city council seats. So, whether he stays or goes really does not affect me on a daily basis. I know that there may be friends of Mr. Andrews that will read this blog, I hope that they understand that I have no problem with Dan Andrews the man. By all accounts, he is a good husband and father. But, the jails are full of good husbands and fathers. That really has no bearing on this case.
I have said on several occasions that the perception of misdeeds is just as dangerous as actually committing the misdeed. After time, people will begin to believe the perception instead of the truth. I sincerely hope that this legal problem goes away quickly and that all parties are satisfied with the outcome. But in order for the City of Sebring to move forward without the perception of a member of its council being involved in wrong-doing, Mr. Andrews should step down.
You have a man who has been accused of embezzlement, fraud, and stealing. I, for one, now have serious doubts about his decision making ability. Now let me be honest here, I do not live within the city limits of Sebring. You have to live within those limits to vote for city council seats. So, whether he stays or goes really does not affect me on a daily basis. I know that there may be friends of Mr. Andrews that will read this blog, I hope that they understand that I have no problem with Dan Andrews the man. By all accounts, he is a good husband and father. But, the jails are full of good husbands and fathers. That really has no bearing on this case.
I have said on several occasions that the perception of misdeeds is just as dangerous as actually committing the misdeed. After time, people will begin to believe the perception instead of the truth. I sincerely hope that this legal problem goes away quickly and that all parties are satisfied with the outcome. But in order for the City of Sebring to move forward without the perception of a member of its council being involved in wrong-doing, Mr. Andrews should step down.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
**UPDATE** DAN ANDREWS COMPLAINT AFFIDAVIT
I have obtained a copy of the complaint affidavit from the investigation into financial misappropriations by Sebring City Councilman Dan Andrews. The early details are covered in my earlier blog from today.
Mr. Andrews was hired as the Executive Director of the Sebring Chamber of Commerce in March 2005. His annual salary was set at $38,000 including his health insurance of $5,862 with a payroll deduction available for family coverage. After Mr. Andrew's employment agreement was signed, his salary was increased to $50,000 in October 2005.
The Sebring Chamber employed Toni Kopp as bookkeeper, her employment began prior to the arrival of Mr. Andrews. Ms. Kopp was terminated in February 2006. During Ms. Kopp's time at the Chamber with Mr. Andrews, she had issues with Mr. Andrew's Chamber credit card charges. The complaint affidavit states that, "Around Christmas 2005, Dan bought jewelry for his wife and charged it to the Chamber credit card." That purchase appeared on the January 2006 statement and when Ms. Kopp informed Mr. Andrews that he would have to reimburse the Chamber, the report states that Ms. Kopp was terminated a short time after.
The affidavit further states that according to Chamber bylaws require and annual audit or review of the financial statements. The last audit was conducted in May 2005 and was performed by Wicks, Brown, Williams & Co. The next review or audit would have been due for the fiscal year 2005 to be completed in 2006. Due to the termination of Ms. Kopp, no further reviews or audits of the financial statements were conducted or have been conducted since.
Mr. Andrews received Board approval to hire NCT Group to handle accounts payable, cut checks, and do basic accounting support work. Of specific interest here is that, prior to his employment with the Chamber, Mr. Andrews worked for a local CPA firm, Carlson Accounting, owned by newly elected County Commissioner Jeff Carlson. Bill Benton of NCT Group was assigned to handle the Chamber's account with NCT Group. According to the affidavit, "NCT Group was never able to fully complete the accounting work for the Chamber since they never received complete information from Andrews."
NCT Group made numerous requests beginning in September 2006 to Mr. Andrews for records to allow NCT Group to help in "catching up" the records. Apparently, Mr. Andrews' excuse for failing to provide the financial statements to NCT Group was that he was "catching up" on the paperwork. There was a letter to the Board that was dropped off at the Chamber offices by NCT Group requesting a discussion about the records. The affidavit states that the letter, "never made it to the Board." This was in October 2007, now fast forward to January 21, 2008, NCT Group sent a letter directly to Board Members and then receives a response from the Board.
Since March 2005, Mr. Andrews charged $4,106.85 to the Chamber's credit cards for meals at restaurants and asked for additional reimbursement for other meals. Mr. Andrews regularly received mileage reimbursement checks from the Chamber, but still saw fit to use the Chamber credit card for gas, car washes, and other service to his vehicle. The total for those purchases are shown in the affidavit as totaling $1,908.45, which has not been reimbursed to the Chamber. Mr. Andrews' assistant and current Interim Executive Director, Sarah Pallone states that she, "had often ridden with Andrews for business meetings and had never observed a mileage log nor Andrews recording mileage on the trips." Mr. Andrews was asked about the gas charges on the credit cards, which totaled substantially higher than $1,900, Mr. Andrews made the claim that the charges incurred during business trips in which he rode with others. Shortly after offering that explanation, Mr. Andrews reimbursed the Chamber which included the gas charged to the company credit card as well as cell phone charges for his wife. But there are additional charges not reimbursed by Mr. Andrews including, Beall's Department Store on 03/15/06 for $137.38 and South Florida Community College (SFCC) Box Office on 04/12/06 for $460.
The Sebring Chamber sponsored an event called "The Key Leader Reception". This event was held at the home of Mr. Andrews. There was never any approval given by the Board for any charges to be made or paid for using Chamber funds for this event. However, Mr. Andrews appears to have made as many as four charges for this event. Those four charges appear to be for home improvements. The total of these charges are $1,252.88, again NO CHARGES were approved by the Board related to the Key Leader event. But this is where things get interesting, the Key Leader event was held November 2006, one of the above mentioned transactions was to Robbins Nursery for the amount of $325.40. Now it's time to cue the dramatic music....the Robbins Nursery transaction was not until March 2007!! Nearly 4 months after the Key Leader event. And yes, the affidavit states, "the plants were installed at Andrews' home on Lakeview Drive."
Now for you golfers out there, we have something just for you. Around November 2007, Mr. Andrews purchased a set of Mazzuno irons fro GolfUSA in Sebring. The irons, while nice, are not the type of clubs that the staff at GolfUSA would recommend be used by a novice golfer or be given away as a raffle gift. The total of the set of irons was $625.91. The clerk at GolfUSA remembers the transaction because, ready for this, Mr. Andrews was accompanied into the shop by Jeff Carlson! The two fellas spent quite some time trying our various golf clubs. The Chamber was holding a golf tournament around this time and Mr. Andrews claimed that the clubs were purchased as a raffle gift. However, no such clubs were given away during the raffle. During a board meeting on February 22, 2008, Mr. Andrews was asked to explain certain discrepancies. He claimed that the golf clubs were door prizes and he denied the clubs were his and said that he would, "find them". Man, I have lost some things in the past, but never a set of golf clubs!
The affidavit goes on to cover a diversion of funds from a scholarship that had been in place for some time. Without getting into this portion too deeply, Mr. Andrews continually reported the balance of the scholarship to be near the $75,000 level. However, there appears to have been nearly $65,000 of transfers out of the scholarship fund, without the primary contributor to the scholarship's permission or the permission of the Board. The funds transferred out were moved to the operating account of the Chamber, along with deposits totaling $12,100. At the February 22, 2008 board meeting, Mr. Andrews was asked about the Scholarship account. He stated that he "borrowed the money for operating cash". But he failed to show the correct account balance for the scholarship account.
There is also detailed information regarding checks being writing for mileage reimbursements, even after records indicate reimbursement had already happened. Undeposited membership dues were found in the Chamber's storage unit, along with paychecks bouncing, vendors going unpaid, and numerous other issues.
Folks, I am here to tell you that I believe that this is just the tip of the corruption iceberg here in Highlands County. Some may even say it is a modern day "mafia". The "Don" of this mafia was not Mr. Andrews, but someone else. I am going to enjoy looking into various tips that I have received over the last few weeks and writing about them here. I have already publicly called for Mr. Andrews to step down from his position on the Sebring City Council and will continue that demand until he does it. I believe he is innocent until proven guilty, however, he also owes the citizens that voted him into office his full attention to the duties of the City Council and with the ongoing legal issue, how can he??
If you would like to review the entire affidavit for yourself, here is the link:
http://www.newssun.com/images/andrews.pdf
Mr. Andrews was hired as the Executive Director of the Sebring Chamber of Commerce in March 2005. His annual salary was set at $38,000 including his health insurance of $5,862 with a payroll deduction available for family coverage. After Mr. Andrew's employment agreement was signed, his salary was increased to $50,000 in October 2005.
The Sebring Chamber employed Toni Kopp as bookkeeper, her employment began prior to the arrival of Mr. Andrews. Ms. Kopp was terminated in February 2006. During Ms. Kopp's time at the Chamber with Mr. Andrews, she had issues with Mr. Andrew's Chamber credit card charges. The complaint affidavit states that, "Around Christmas 2005, Dan bought jewelry for his wife and charged it to the Chamber credit card." That purchase appeared on the January 2006 statement and when Ms. Kopp informed Mr. Andrews that he would have to reimburse the Chamber, the report states that Ms. Kopp was terminated a short time after.
The affidavit further states that according to Chamber bylaws require and annual audit or review of the financial statements. The last audit was conducted in May 2005 and was performed by Wicks, Brown, Williams & Co. The next review or audit would have been due for the fiscal year 2005 to be completed in 2006. Due to the termination of Ms. Kopp, no further reviews or audits of the financial statements were conducted or have been conducted since.
Mr. Andrews received Board approval to hire NCT Group to handle accounts payable, cut checks, and do basic accounting support work. Of specific interest here is that, prior to his employment with the Chamber, Mr. Andrews worked for a local CPA firm, Carlson Accounting, owned by newly elected County Commissioner Jeff Carlson. Bill Benton of NCT Group was assigned to handle the Chamber's account with NCT Group. According to the affidavit, "NCT Group was never able to fully complete the accounting work for the Chamber since they never received complete information from Andrews."
NCT Group made numerous requests beginning in September 2006 to Mr. Andrews for records to allow NCT Group to help in "catching up" the records. Apparently, Mr. Andrews' excuse for failing to provide the financial statements to NCT Group was that he was "catching up" on the paperwork. There was a letter to the Board that was dropped off at the Chamber offices by NCT Group requesting a discussion about the records. The affidavit states that the letter, "never made it to the Board." This was in October 2007, now fast forward to January 21, 2008, NCT Group sent a letter directly to Board Members and then receives a response from the Board.
Since March 2005, Mr. Andrews charged $4,106.85 to the Chamber's credit cards for meals at restaurants and asked for additional reimbursement for other meals. Mr. Andrews regularly received mileage reimbursement checks from the Chamber, but still saw fit to use the Chamber credit card for gas, car washes, and other service to his vehicle. The total for those purchases are shown in the affidavit as totaling $1,908.45, which has not been reimbursed to the Chamber. Mr. Andrews' assistant and current Interim Executive Director, Sarah Pallone states that she, "had often ridden with Andrews for business meetings and had never observed a mileage log nor Andrews recording mileage on the trips." Mr. Andrews was asked about the gas charges on the credit cards, which totaled substantially higher than $1,900, Mr. Andrews made the claim that the charges incurred during business trips in which he rode with others. Shortly after offering that explanation, Mr. Andrews reimbursed the Chamber which included the gas charged to the company credit card as well as cell phone charges for his wife. But there are additional charges not reimbursed by Mr. Andrews including, Beall's Department Store on 03/15/06 for $137.38 and South Florida Community College (SFCC) Box Office on 04/12/06 for $460.
The Sebring Chamber sponsored an event called "The Key Leader Reception". This event was held at the home of Mr. Andrews. There was never any approval given by the Board for any charges to be made or paid for using Chamber funds for this event. However, Mr. Andrews appears to have made as many as four charges for this event. Those four charges appear to be for home improvements. The total of these charges are $1,252.88, again NO CHARGES were approved by the Board related to the Key Leader event. But this is where things get interesting, the Key Leader event was held November 2006, one of the above mentioned transactions was to Robbins Nursery for the amount of $325.40. Now it's time to cue the dramatic music....the Robbins Nursery transaction was not until March 2007!! Nearly 4 months after the Key Leader event. And yes, the affidavit states, "the plants were installed at Andrews' home on Lakeview Drive."
Now for you golfers out there, we have something just for you. Around November 2007, Mr. Andrews purchased a set of Mazzuno irons fro GolfUSA in Sebring. The irons, while nice, are not the type of clubs that the staff at GolfUSA would recommend be used by a novice golfer or be given away as a raffle gift. The total of the set of irons was $625.91. The clerk at GolfUSA remembers the transaction because, ready for this, Mr. Andrews was accompanied into the shop by Jeff Carlson! The two fellas spent quite some time trying our various golf clubs. The Chamber was holding a golf tournament around this time and Mr. Andrews claimed that the clubs were purchased as a raffle gift. However, no such clubs were given away during the raffle. During a board meeting on February 22, 2008, Mr. Andrews was asked to explain certain discrepancies. He claimed that the golf clubs were door prizes and he denied the clubs were his and said that he would, "find them". Man, I have lost some things in the past, but never a set of golf clubs!
The affidavit goes on to cover a diversion of funds from a scholarship that had been in place for some time. Without getting into this portion too deeply, Mr. Andrews continually reported the balance of the scholarship to be near the $75,000 level. However, there appears to have been nearly $65,000 of transfers out of the scholarship fund, without the primary contributor to the scholarship's permission or the permission of the Board. The funds transferred out were moved to the operating account of the Chamber, along with deposits totaling $12,100. At the February 22, 2008 board meeting, Mr. Andrews was asked about the Scholarship account. He stated that he "borrowed the money for operating cash". But he failed to show the correct account balance for the scholarship account.
There is also detailed information regarding checks being writing for mileage reimbursements, even after records indicate reimbursement had already happened. Undeposited membership dues were found in the Chamber's storage unit, along with paychecks bouncing, vendors going unpaid, and numerous other issues.
Folks, I am here to tell you that I believe that this is just the tip of the corruption iceberg here in Highlands County. Some may even say it is a modern day "mafia". The "Don" of this mafia was not Mr. Andrews, but someone else. I am going to enjoy looking into various tips that I have received over the last few weeks and writing about them here. I have already publicly called for Mr. Andrews to step down from his position on the Sebring City Council and will continue that demand until he does it. I believe he is innocent until proven guilty, however, he also owes the citizens that voted him into office his full attention to the duties of the City Council and with the ongoing legal issue, how can he??
If you would like to review the entire affidavit for yourself, here is the link:
http://www.newssun.com/images/andrews.pdf
**BREAKING NEWS** Dan Andrews Arrested
According to the Highlands Today, Sebring City Councilman Dan Andrews was arrested on Monday, November 24 at his home in Sebring. Mr. Andrews is the former President of the Sebring Chamber of Commerce, whom left that organization under a cloud of accusations.
On April 22, the chamber executive board terminated Andrews after if was discovered he had mismanaged the finances of the organization. When dismissed Mr. Andrews wrote a check for more than $9,000 to repay the chamber for items he had purchased using a corporate credit card.
The booking report from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office shows that Mr. Andrews has been charged with embezzle make false entry in corporate books (Florida Statute 817.15.), Larceny theft of $300 or more but less than $5000 (Florida Statute 812.014.2c1), and fraud-swindle obtain property under $20,000 (Florida Statute 817.034.4a3)
The Florida Statues read as follows:
817.15 Making false entries, etc., on books of corporation.--Any officer, agent, clerk or servant of a corporation who makes a false entry in the books thereof, with intent to defraud, and any person whose duty it is to make in such books a record or entry of the transfer of stock, or of the issuing and canceling of certificates thereof, or of the amount of stock issued by such corporation, who omits to make a true record or entry thereof, with intent to defraud, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. History.--s. 47, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2467; GS 3326; RGS 5164; CGL 7267; s. 850, ch. 71-136.
Statute 812.014.2c1 - c) It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is: 1. Valued at $300 or more, but less than $5,000.
817.034 Florida Communications Fraud Act.-- (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-- (a) The Legislature recognizes that schemes to defraud have proliferated in the United States in recent years and that many operators of schemes to defraud use communications technology to solicit victims and thereby conceal their identities and overcome a victim's normal resistance to sales pressure by delivering a personalized sales message. (a) Any person who engages in a scheme to defraud and obtains property thereby is guilty of organized fraud, punishable as follows: 3. If the amount of property obtained has an aggregate value of less than $20,000, the violator is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
If convicted, Mr. Andrews is facing a maximum sentence of 5 years per charge, and a maximum fine of $5,000 per charge. Mr. Andrews was released from custody on a $3,000 bond on November 24.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.
On April 22, the chamber executive board terminated Andrews after if was discovered he had mismanaged the finances of the organization. When dismissed Mr. Andrews wrote a check for more than $9,000 to repay the chamber for items he had purchased using a corporate credit card.
The booking report from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office shows that Mr. Andrews has been charged with embezzle make false entry in corporate books (Florida Statute 817.15.), Larceny theft of $300 or more but less than $5000 (Florida Statute 812.014.2c1), and fraud-swindle obtain property under $20,000 (Florida Statute 817.034.4a3)
The Florida Statues read as follows:
817.15 Making false entries, etc., on books of corporation.--Any officer, agent, clerk or servant of a corporation who makes a false entry in the books thereof, with intent to defraud, and any person whose duty it is to make in such books a record or entry of the transfer of stock, or of the issuing and canceling of certificates thereof, or of the amount of stock issued by such corporation, who omits to make a true record or entry thereof, with intent to defraud, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. History.--s. 47, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2467; GS 3326; RGS 5164; CGL 7267; s. 850, ch. 71-136.
Statute 812.014.2c1 - c) It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is: 1. Valued at $300 or more, but less than $5,000.
817.034 Florida Communications Fraud Act.-- (1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.-- (a) The Legislature recognizes that schemes to defraud have proliferated in the United States in recent years and that many operators of schemes to defraud use communications technology to solicit victims and thereby conceal their identities and overcome a victim's normal resistance to sales pressure by delivering a personalized sales message. (a) Any person who engages in a scheme to defraud and obtains property thereby is guilty of organized fraud, punishable as follows: 3. If the amount of property obtained has an aggregate value of less than $20,000, the violator is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
If convicted, Mr. Andrews is facing a maximum sentence of 5 years per charge, and a maximum fine of $5,000 per charge. Mr. Andrews was released from custody on a $3,000 bond on November 24.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Local Media
Over the last couple of weeks while reading both the Highlands Today and News Sun websites, I have found myself wondering, where is the actual journalism? For those that may not know, the Highlands Today is a daily publication owned by the Tampa Tribune. In my opinion, they are not the best and most well rounded group of journalists that have ever existed. Sometimes I wonder if their reporters actually live in Highlands County. There have been many instances in the past that the "fact checking" appeared to be a lost art, along with spell checker. The News Sun is published 3 times per week and at one point was the better of the two. Although there are still a few good reporters there, it has been told to me that the News Sun management has a issue with bowing to advertisers, sitting on stories, and an overall lack of responsibility when it comes to reporting the news to the citizens of Highlands County.
The publisher of the News Sun, Clarissa Williams, recently issued this statement, "Many of you may not know me, my name is Clarissa Williams. I am the publisher of the News-Sun. I enjoy reading the forum, redesigning the newspaper and our website and reading your posts. After several months of inappropriate postings by several we felt it was time to take this action to better manage our site. Many of you are respectable and offer wonderful ideas that give us leads, however many have abused this portion of the web with little regard to the post. This simply is the best means for the forum and expression to continue and to protect our business, the News-Sun and you, the reader. I would also like to set the record straight, I have not been pressured about any story running or not running. I certainly have never backed away from an assignment; having a journalism background and marketing experience I fully understand the importance of maintaining credibility. I stress these values to our staff because they are critical. It is our mission to serve Highlands County through timely, quality service and editorial excellence. We have the power to affect our community while offering a history record or keepsake while adding accountability measures. Our content is an irreplaceable news source for our community, displaying the uniqueness of Highlands County. Our goal: Foster, preserve and encourage the News-Sun and www.newssun.com as the fair and balanced voice, influence and watchdog for the community. We will provide locally-focused content that is important to our readers. Ethics and standards of the News-Sun, especially the newsroom, will never be compromised or questionable. Anyone that believes otherwise should email me at clarissa.williams@newssun.com or make an appointment and stop in. "
This was posted in response to a thread that I started regarding a new policy regarding commenting on articles. In the past, a person was able to comment on the website to an article, but recently, a policy of screening comments before they appear on the site has been instituted. I have no problem with a screening process, I know that not everyone is who they say they are here in cyberspace. But the heart of my post was simply this, a policy of this nature allows for the News Sun to screen comments and also allows for the possibility of the powers that be to not post comments that may be negative to advertisers or elected officials. Now I am in now way suggesting that this is what they are doing. I am only pointing out that it is possible to happen.
Recently the online forum of the News Sun (www.newssun.org/forum) had what the paper said were "technical errors". Now, there were a few things that happened during the "error" that makes me think that it was more than an "error". The first item is, the links from the main page of the paper's website to the forum was removed. Now, I am not a computer or website wizard,but I do know that a "technical error" on a free standing site will not disrupt another free standing site or cause the links to that site to disappear. This was explained by the paper as "The techie guy removed the link while he was looking at the issues, and then when they figured them out, everything was back working again. " There was also the instance that administrative privileges were removed as a result of this "error". But that was explained away because the person's employment with the paper had ended a month and a half prior.
An interesting story was told to me over the weekend about the "technical error". My source tells me that there was a phone call made to the News Sun from a local business owner and advertiser. During the course of the conversation, the business owner complained that the forum and comments were, "making Sebring look like a redneck town" and "it is going to affect my business and make it difficult to get customers to come in from out of the county." Now, unless I have missed something, the Highlands County area has never been confused with New York City or Chicago. It is a rural county, so why would anyone from outside the county be "shocked" to learn that there may be some "rednecks" amongst us? Secondly, do those same "rednecks" not have the right to express their opinion, although granted, it may not be in the most eloquent manner possible. Third, I am certain that this business owner has no problem in accepting "redneck money". A news outlet should never have to bend over backwards to please an advertiser, especially at the cost of freedom of speech.
Yes, I am aware that freedom of speech in this case is that of the News Sun. They own the website and forum, so it is their property to police how they see fit. But this is my blog and I have my own website, therefore, here I have freedom of speech. And I am using that right to point out things that I feel are potentially damaging for the average citizen. The News Sun recently held on to a story about an investigation into a Clerk of Courts candidate by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into campaign ethics violations. The allegations were determined to be without merit and no charges were filed. But I know for a FACT that the News Sun was going to run a story the Sunday before the General Election. How do I know this? The person who was investigated told me that it was going to run. This person was nervous about the damage that it could do to their campaign and hopes for winning, rightfully so. This person told me that if the story were "framed" the right way, it would "kill my campaign." The story did not run that following day, but it did eventually run. I was told that the reason it did not run was because a person in the article had called and retracted their statements to the paper. Now, that is fair and responsible journalism. But I also know that the story was supposed to run much earlier than even the candidate thought. A source told me that it was going to run in both papers just before early voting began. It did run in the Highlands Today, but only as a blurb that mentioned that a few people in the Clerk of Courts office had been served with subpoenas. And do not get me started on the "Fill Dirt Issue" that is currently ongoing in the county.
I often wonder what happened to the journalists that simply reported the facts and did not worry about hurting feelings. Woodward, Berstein, Cronkite, and many others, where would this country be if they had not done what they did. Would Nixon have gotten away with Watergate? Is there still "journalistic ethics?"
Many people say that CNN or MSNBC are where journalism went wrong. That the "Spin Era" of journalism is now in control. I have to agree with part of that. News media all put a spin on the story in order to sell. But when did it start to go downhill, you ask? My opinion, when Fox News Channel was created. They began the downward spiral of journalism. They began reporting things from the "Right" and getting high ratings for it. That then forced the other media entities to report from a side, instead of simply just reporting.
And that's the way it is...
The publisher of the News Sun, Clarissa Williams, recently issued this statement, "Many of you may not know me, my name is Clarissa Williams. I am the publisher of the News-Sun. I enjoy reading the forum, redesigning the newspaper and our website and reading your posts. After several months of inappropriate postings by several we felt it was time to take this action to better manage our site. Many of you are respectable and offer wonderful ideas that give us leads, however many have abused this portion of the web with little regard to the post. This simply is the best means for the forum and expression to continue and to protect our business, the News-Sun and you, the reader. I would also like to set the record straight, I have not been pressured about any story running or not running. I certainly have never backed away from an assignment; having a journalism background and marketing experience I fully understand the importance of maintaining credibility. I stress these values to our staff because they are critical. It is our mission to serve Highlands County through timely, quality service and editorial excellence. We have the power to affect our community while offering a history record or keepsake while adding accountability measures. Our content is an irreplaceable news source for our community, displaying the uniqueness of Highlands County. Our goal: Foster, preserve and encourage the News-Sun and www.newssun.com as the fair and balanced voice, influence and watchdog for the community. We will provide locally-focused content that is important to our readers. Ethics and standards of the News-Sun, especially the newsroom, will never be compromised or questionable. Anyone that believes otherwise should email me at clarissa.williams@newssun.com or make an appointment and stop in. "
This was posted in response to a thread that I started regarding a new policy regarding commenting on articles. In the past, a person was able to comment on the website to an article, but recently, a policy of screening comments before they appear on the site has been instituted. I have no problem with a screening process, I know that not everyone is who they say they are here in cyberspace. But the heart of my post was simply this, a policy of this nature allows for the News Sun to screen comments and also allows for the possibility of the powers that be to not post comments that may be negative to advertisers or elected officials. Now I am in now way suggesting that this is what they are doing. I am only pointing out that it is possible to happen.
Recently the online forum of the News Sun (www.newssun.org/forum) had what the paper said were "technical errors". Now, there were a few things that happened during the "error" that makes me think that it was more than an "error". The first item is, the links from the main page of the paper's website to the forum was removed. Now, I am not a computer or website wizard,but I do know that a "technical error" on a free standing site will not disrupt another free standing site or cause the links to that site to disappear. This was explained by the paper as "The techie guy removed the link while he was looking at the issues, and then when they figured them out, everything was back working again. " There was also the instance that administrative privileges were removed as a result of this "error". But that was explained away because the person's employment with the paper had ended a month and a half prior.
An interesting story was told to me over the weekend about the "technical error". My source tells me that there was a phone call made to the News Sun from a local business owner and advertiser. During the course of the conversation, the business owner complained that the forum and comments were, "making Sebring look like a redneck town" and "it is going to affect my business and make it difficult to get customers to come in from out of the county." Now, unless I have missed something, the Highlands County area has never been confused with New York City or Chicago. It is a rural county, so why would anyone from outside the county be "shocked" to learn that there may be some "rednecks" amongst us? Secondly, do those same "rednecks" not have the right to express their opinion, although granted, it may not be in the most eloquent manner possible. Third, I am certain that this business owner has no problem in accepting "redneck money". A news outlet should never have to bend over backwards to please an advertiser, especially at the cost of freedom of speech.
Yes, I am aware that freedom of speech in this case is that of the News Sun. They own the website and forum, so it is their property to police how they see fit. But this is my blog and I have my own website, therefore, here I have freedom of speech. And I am using that right to point out things that I feel are potentially damaging for the average citizen. The News Sun recently held on to a story about an investigation into a Clerk of Courts candidate by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into campaign ethics violations. The allegations were determined to be without merit and no charges were filed. But I know for a FACT that the News Sun was going to run a story the Sunday before the General Election. How do I know this? The person who was investigated told me that it was going to run. This person was nervous about the damage that it could do to their campaign and hopes for winning, rightfully so. This person told me that if the story were "framed" the right way, it would "kill my campaign." The story did not run that following day, but it did eventually run. I was told that the reason it did not run was because a person in the article had called and retracted their statements to the paper. Now, that is fair and responsible journalism. But I also know that the story was supposed to run much earlier than even the candidate thought. A source told me that it was going to run in both papers just before early voting began. It did run in the Highlands Today, but only as a blurb that mentioned that a few people in the Clerk of Courts office had been served with subpoenas. And do not get me started on the "Fill Dirt Issue" that is currently ongoing in the county.
I often wonder what happened to the journalists that simply reported the facts and did not worry about hurting feelings. Woodward, Berstein, Cronkite, and many others, where would this country be if they had not done what they did. Would Nixon have gotten away with Watergate? Is there still "journalistic ethics?"
Many people say that CNN or MSNBC are where journalism went wrong. That the "Spin Era" of journalism is now in control. I have to agree with part of that. News media all put a spin on the story in order to sell. But when did it start to go downhill, you ask? My opinion, when Fox News Channel was created. They began the downward spiral of journalism. They began reporting things from the "Right" and getting high ratings for it. That then forced the other media entities to report from a side, instead of simply just reporting.
And that's the way it is...
A Holiday Wish List
A Holiday Wish List
The cool wind in the air, the decorations being set up on the Circle in downtown Sebring, and the talk of "Black Friday" deals all add up to one thing, the holiday season. It is not unusual for children to create a "wish list" of gifts that they would like to receive for Christmas. Here is a wish list for local elected officials and the citizens of Highlands County.
For Sheriff Susan Benton- The sincere hope that you will listen to some of the ideas that your opponent, Ron Grimming, brought up during the campaign. Barracks style housing for inmates, a Citizen Review Board, and delaying the construction of the new Sheriff's administration building were all very good ideas. The current economic state of the county, along with that of the State of Florida and United States, require all of us to curtail spending. You have done a good job in the past 4 years and were given the opportunity to continue to serve, please do not let this chance pass you by. Also, the wish that those within your department that may have supported Mr. Grimming, will be able to continue in their current positions without fear of retribution or bad blood.
For Mr. Bob Germaine- A wish that you will continue with the internal audit system as it currently exists. Allow the auditors to do their jobs as they have done in the past, excellently. The best thing for the county is that the Clerk of Courts office remain intact and keep operating as it has in the past. You said many times, that Highlands County has the best Clerk of Courts staff in the state, so let's keep it that way. The auditing process is a valuable one, one that should be allowed to continue without interruption and without bias. No matter how difficult an issue is, there is one thing that cannot be doubted or argued against and that is simply...FACTS. And that is what the Internal Auditing Department provides the county. Finally, the same wish for you that was made for Ms. Benton, that those in your department that may have supported Ms. Wilson will be able to continue in their current positions without fear of retribution or bad blood.
For Jeff Carlson- You are no stranger to public service. As of this writing, you have already taken your new role as County Commissioner. So the wish for you is simple, hold your seat with honor, integrity, and an open mind. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by the old adage, "This is the way we have always done it." Bring new ideas into the county and you will do fine.
For Guy Maxcy- As you enter what is supposed to be your final term as County Commissioner, the wish that you follow through with the campaign promise that you made. And that promise was that you will bring fresh ideas into the County Commission meetings and improve the county. We all know that you love this county just as much as the rest of us do, that was never in question. But the citizens are watching, please do not let them down. As was stated for Mr. Carlson, "This is the way we have always done it" is no longer an acceptable reason for continuing on.
For the Citizens of Highlands County- Now is not the time to relax, now is the time to hold those that YOU placed in public service to be held accountable. Make your voices heard, if any elected official does something that you are not in agreement with, let them know. Write letters, make phone calls, send emails, and yes, even attend meetings. All of the elected officials are "guardians" of the public interest. Do not let them forget this fact. Over the course of the campaign season, many of you said that you were tired of "business as usual", well, now you must show those that are in office that was true. The only way that the "Good 'ole Boys" ever existed is because they were allowed to.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Have We Really Come That Far??
Just this morning, I was sent a link to a YouTube video that featured a commentary by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. Now let me be very up front, I am not a Keith Olbermann fan, unless he is back on ESPN or co-hosting NBC's Sunday Night Football in America. I do not agree with many of his political views. But this time, the video clip that I received was Mr. Olbermann's commentary regarding the recently approved Proposition 8 in California.
According to the State of California's voters guide, Proposition 8 "Eliminates rights of same-sex couples to marry." The summary of the proposition states, "Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California, Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. " The voter's guide is also informative enough to point out that, "Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments. "
Mr. Olbermann utilized nearly 7 minutes of national air time to give, what may be, the most impassioned, heartfelt, and emotional commentaries in recent memory. He points out that in an election year where racial barriers were shattered but there is still discrimination on-going. Not based on the color of someones skin but on what is inside. Mr. Olbermann speaks of love as being a tiny ember that is burning inside and that nobody should be able to extinguish that ember for another human being. He states that you do not have to like the people or want to like them, but we should all love each other, because we are all the same. We all want the same rights, to be treated as equals. He points out that if this country had not "redefined marriage" in the past, then black people could not marry white people. Also that until 1967, 16 states had laws on the books that banned black people from marrying white people.
Over the course of the last few months, there were people from both sides of the issue that made impassioned speeches for their stance on Prop 8. Actors, actresses, billionaires, churches, and just everyday average citizens had their say. But Mr. Olbermann said it best, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Bigoted ideologies and actions have gotten us nowhere as a society in the past. Isn't it time we try something different? Let's try tolerance and understanding, wouldn't that be nice?
Here is the link to the YouTube clip featuring Keith Olbermann's commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnHyy8gkNEE&feature=related
Proposition 8 Information taken from:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop8-title-sum.htm
According to the State of California's voters guide, Proposition 8 "Eliminates rights of same-sex couples to marry." The summary of the proposition states, "Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California, Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. " The voter's guide is also informative enough to point out that, "Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments. "
Mr. Olbermann utilized nearly 7 minutes of national air time to give, what may be, the most impassioned, heartfelt, and emotional commentaries in recent memory. He points out that in an election year where racial barriers were shattered but there is still discrimination on-going. Not based on the color of someones skin but on what is inside. Mr. Olbermann speaks of love as being a tiny ember that is burning inside and that nobody should be able to extinguish that ember for another human being. He states that you do not have to like the people or want to like them, but we should all love each other, because we are all the same. We all want the same rights, to be treated as equals. He points out that if this country had not "redefined marriage" in the past, then black people could not marry white people. Also that until 1967, 16 states had laws on the books that banned black people from marrying white people.
Over the course of the last few months, there were people from both sides of the issue that made impassioned speeches for their stance on Prop 8. Actors, actresses, billionaires, churches, and just everyday average citizens had their say. But Mr. Olbermann said it best, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Bigoted ideologies and actions have gotten us nowhere as a society in the past. Isn't it time we try something different? Let's try tolerance and understanding, wouldn't that be nice?
Here is the link to the YouTube clip featuring Keith Olbermann's commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnHyy8gkNEE&feature=related
Proposition 8 Information taken from:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop8-title-sum.htm
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Election Backlash??
Well, now that the 2008 elections are complete we can all get back to our daily existence, right? I say wrong!! At the local level, we now, more than ever, must hold those that were chosen to serve the public accountable for their actions and decisions. The best way to do that is to end the "backroom politics" of the past. We must make sure that we force things out into the open. And this is the first step in that process.
I have been hearing "rumors" or "rumblings" that once some of the elected officials in Highlands County take control or continue control that there may be some "backlash" on those that either ran against or supported the opposition. Folks, we have democracy for a reason. It gives each of us the ability to run for public office. In the past, people would run out of a desire to serve the public for the greater good. However, in modern times, it seems that people run for public office out of a desire for power and control. I was told a story from a person while I was out on the campaign trail covering the local elections, during a sheriff's office race in another county, they had asked their candidate to refrain from immediately coming in and firing those that supported the other candidate. Unfortunately, the winner went against their word and went in and fired people.
I want to speak directly to the county officials for a moment. If the person was qualified for his/her position prior to the election, then they are STILL qualified for that position. That is plain and simple. You have to put aside petty differences that may have been exposed during the election and do what is best for the county. You are the guardians of the people and their money. You serve at the will of the people and in my opinion, it would be damaging to come in and immediately begin firing people that may have been running against you or supported the opposition. Also, it would not be the smartest decision to begin promoting people, unless their is an opening for that position. I have said it many, many times in the past. In a county as small as Highlands, perception is reality. If the people or media perceive that you are doing something underhanded then that will become the reality.
Folks, we have to do whatever we can to make sure that if we see something building on the horizon that we get it out in the open. The best way to end a rumor is to confront it. The most effective way to control OUR local government officials is to keep things out in the open. Not everyone will be comfortable with being out in the spotlight. But I have no problem doing it, so long as there are facts to back up the charge. So if you have any information regarding issues in Highlands County that need to be addressed, send me an email.
Let me be clear on one thing. This is blog entry is simply a request to all county officials to keep things business as usual. The county was working fine before the election, and why would it be any different now that you are in charge? If it changes, then it will be because of you. And the voters will either voice displeasure or praise, sometimes both.
I have been hearing "rumors" or "rumblings" that once some of the elected officials in Highlands County take control or continue control that there may be some "backlash" on those that either ran against or supported the opposition. Folks, we have democracy for a reason. It gives each of us the ability to run for public office. In the past, people would run out of a desire to serve the public for the greater good. However, in modern times, it seems that people run for public office out of a desire for power and control. I was told a story from a person while I was out on the campaign trail covering the local elections, during a sheriff's office race in another county, they had asked their candidate to refrain from immediately coming in and firing those that supported the other candidate. Unfortunately, the winner went against their word and went in and fired people.
I want to speak directly to the county officials for a moment. If the person was qualified for his/her position prior to the election, then they are STILL qualified for that position. That is plain and simple. You have to put aside petty differences that may have been exposed during the election and do what is best for the county. You are the guardians of the people and their money. You serve at the will of the people and in my opinion, it would be damaging to come in and immediately begin firing people that may have been running against you or supported the opposition. Also, it would not be the smartest decision to begin promoting people, unless their is an opening for that position. I have said it many, many times in the past. In a county as small as Highlands, perception is reality. If the people or media perceive that you are doing something underhanded then that will become the reality.
Folks, we have to do whatever we can to make sure that if we see something building on the horizon that we get it out in the open. The best way to end a rumor is to confront it. The most effective way to control OUR local government officials is to keep things out in the open. Not everyone will be comfortable with being out in the spotlight. But I have no problem doing it, so long as there are facts to back up the charge. So if you have any information regarding issues in Highlands County that need to be addressed, send me an email.
Let me be clear on one thing. This is blog entry is simply a request to all county officials to keep things business as usual. The county was working fine before the election, and why would it be any different now that you are in charge? If it changes, then it will be because of you. And the voters will either voice displeasure or praise, sometimes both.
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