Palm Beach Politics

Skip Campbell and other Democrats to rail on 2008 session

Mon, 12 May 2008 19:12:28 -0500

Republican legislative leaders' rosy appraisal of the 2008 legislative session will be called into doubt Tuesday by a handful of Democratic legislative candidates on the ballot in Palm Beach County. Leading a pack of candidates at a press conference taking place in downtown West Palm Beach Tuesday morning will be former state Sen. Skip Campbell, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat and trial lawyer. He’s seeking to return to the Florida Senate after a two-year hiatus. Getting back to Tallahassee will require him to oust Sen. Jeff Atwater, the presumptive incoming Florida Senate president. Organizers say Campbell and other Democrats will offer their critiques of how Republican leaders managed the just-ended session, which primarily involved taming state spending to adjust to $4 billion in revenue shortfalls. Joining Campbell will be several Democratic state House contenders, including Jupiter attorney Bryan Miller, a candidate for the state House District 83 seat now held by Rep. Carl Domino of Jupiter. Another expected participant is Christian Chiari, a candidate for Florida House District 91 now held by Fort Lauderdale Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff. Also likely attending is Robert Ostrov of Wellington, who is running for House District 87, a post now held by Republican Adam Hasner of Boca Raton, the House Majority Leader. Ostrov filed earlier this year to run for the Palm Beach and Broward state Senate district that will pitch Campbell and Atwater in a major statewide battle. But Ostrov is now expected to run for a House seat, avoiding a Democratic primary in the state Senate seat.

Ron Klein and Lois Frankel battle White House over federal housing bill

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:42:10 -0500

This week’s political debate in Washington over how to address the nation’s housing crisis touches down in Palm Beach County, with a pair of local Democratic officials attempting to draw attention to the topic on Friday. U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel will discuss federal housing legislation passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives, and they will tour the West Palm Beach’s Foreclosure Assistance Center. President Bush and Congress are clashing over the housing legislation, raising possibilities of an election-year stalemate. Bush said Wednesday he would veto Democrats’ housing aid plan, saying it wouldn’t help struggling homeowners and would, instead, “reward speculators and lenders.” The centerpiece of the package, which aims to prevent foreclosures, would have the government insure up to $300 billion in new mortgages for distressed homeowners.

A bigger seat for Palm Beach County

Tue, 06 May 2008 18:36:52 -0500

The Palm Beach County seat is getting bigger. County commissioners gave preliminary approval today to adding several county buildings that house official documents and county offices into the geographic area known as the “county seat.” Until now, the official boundaries of the county seat have been limited to the West Palm Beach city limits. But that’s changing because county attorneys discovered that the state constitution requires county officers to keep their permanent offices and records in the official county seat. Presently, some county records and offices are in buildings west of Military Trail and north of Belvedere Road, just outside the West Palm Beach city limits. Commissioners are adding those buildings into the county seat. Final approval for the move is expected on May 20.

Burt Aaronson's amputee story

Tue, 06 May 2008 18:05:30 -0500

Palm Beach County commissioners heard this afternoon from more than a half-dozen physically handicapped individuals, many of them expressing concerns about potential county spending cuts to public transportation programs. The testimony followed a commission meeting in which County Commissioner Burt Aaronson raged about the 2008 legislative session. Aaronson said he thinks the Legislature did as much harm as good this year. He ended his spiel with a harsh analogy: A story of a guy who gets in an accident and has his leg amputated. “His friend comes in and says, `It could have been worse,’” Aaronson said. “It could have been two.” READ MORE about what Palm Beach County commissioners think of the 2008 legislative session by CLICKING HERE.

State dems bash Atwater's chief hire as "intern"

Tue, 06 May 2008 17:15:00 -0500

Jeff Atwater's reelection bid for his Palm Beach-Broward Senate seat -- with the Senate presidency on the line -- is heating up already. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman just sent a letter to Atwater, of North Palm Beach, blasting his decision to hire a Palm Beach County businessman, Budd Kneip, starting this spring at $7,000 a month. Kneip was hired to learn the ropes before his scheduled appointment as Senate chief of staff under Atwater in November. Thurman said his duites were "akin to an intern" and demanded Atwater refund the money. The Democrats have put up former Sen. Skip Campbell to challenge Atwater, in what could be a costly, hard-fought race. Read more here: Download file

Haze or no haze. This is `Clean Air' Month in Palm Beach County

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:16:32 -0500

Never mind that a mysterious haze is blanketing much of Palm Beach County this morning, and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue officials are receiving calls from residents in Boca Raton complaining of smoke. None of that stopped Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday from declaring May as “Clean Air” month in Palm Beach County. With environmental health officials attending, commissioners lauded Palm Beach County’s record of improved air quality and “A” air-quality rating it has received from the American Lung Association. Commissioner Jeff Koons, apparently unaware of the complaints about the haze outdoors Tuesday, sponsored the proclamation and seemed confused when other commissioners bristled at his remarks about the local air quality. “What happened this morning?” Koons asked. “It’s all smoky,” Commissioner Mary McCarty advised him.

Lunch for $50. How's that for government cutbacks?

Mon, 05 May 2008 18:38:00 -0500

Here’s another sign of belt tightening by local governments: Scratch the annual black-tie gala. The Palm Beach County League of Cities is forgoing its usual swanky Saturday night annual gala. Instead, the civic group will hold a luncheon on May 23 at the CityPlace Marriott in West Palm Beach to commemorate the installation of a new league president. Ocean Ridge Mayor Ken Kaleel is set to preside over the league, which acts as a lobbying entity for Palm Beach County’s municipalities. Kaleel will replace David J. Stewart, the Lantana mayor, as league president. The league includes more than 200 local elected officials as members, representing all 38 municipalities in Palm Beach County. “Usually, it’s a big Saturday night dinner, but with budget cuts, we wanted to make (the price) palatable to everyone’s pocketbooks,” said Kristen Puhalainen, a league organizer. More than 300 people attended last year’s event. Despite the leaner trimmings, Puhalainen said it looks like just as many, if not more, will make it to this year’s event, which costs $50 a person to attend. Some officials pay their own way. But some put the tab on the taxpayers. A few of Kaleel’s closest associates appear to be going at the expense of Ocean Ridge residents. On April 7, the Ocean Ridge town council voted to spend $500 from the town’s “contingency account” to reserve a table at Kaleel’s installation luncheon.

Gelber calls Lois Frankel classic "contact sport minority leader"

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:36:00 -0500

House Democrat Leader Dan Gelber, giving his farewell remarks today, gave a shout-out to West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, who was minority leader when Gelber came into the House in 2000. "She was sort of the model of the contact sport minority leader," said Gelber, of Miami Beach, who's now running for a Dade-Broward Senate seat. Lest that be perceived as a backhanded compliment, Gelber added that she did very well in her role leading the minority party.

Tim Mahoney may face a fight:: Dem strategist

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:04:39 -0500

Most Democratic incumbents in Congress are safe in terms of re-election, according to the head of party's congressional campaign committee. The exception might be Tim Mahoney, the freshman who occupies the seat once held by Mark Foley U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, made these observations when in Fort Lauderdale and Miami this week. Here's more, from the Broward Politics blog.

Is John McCain campaign keeping McCain-Crist ticket hopes alive?

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:39:37 -0500

Is the John McCain campaign keeping hopes alive for a McCain-Crist ticket? Today, McCain’s press office distributed a release to the media focused on Gov. Charlie Crist’s glowing praise of McCain’s health care plan. The remarks came from a Tuesday interview on a Fox News program. The headline under the JohnMcCain.com banner screams “Governor Charlie Crist on Fox News’ “Your World.” The release quotes a commentator identifying Crist as “a McCain supporter…a man many say could be a McCain running mate.” The release goes on to quote Crist striking on a few of the hot buttons that excite conservatives, at least those with a fiscally conservative bent. “You empower the consumer to have the power of choice, as Milton Friedman would love or Adam Smith,” Crist is quoted as saying on Fox. “It’s the right way to go in my view, and philosophically, I think it’s better for the American people, because it gives them that power of choice to make their decisions about what’s best for them on an individual and/or family basis.”

A unanimous vote, but Hasner blasts "political posturing" on prop insurance issue

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:41:00 -0500

Leave it to the ultra-partisan Florida House to make a 117-0 vote on a major property insurance package an event for election-year political bickering. Boca Raton's Adam Hasner, the majority leader, blistered Democrats for criticizing a bill they voted for. The insurance package freezes Citizens rates for another year, until 2010, among other things. But Democrats said it did too little for consumers, and zipped out a handful of press releases after the unanimous vote pointing out that even Republicans said it won't do much to lower rates. "There was a lot of political posturing," Hasner said after the vote, which came after 11 p.m. "We worked together all day (to put the bill together), and at the end of the day, instead of celebrating with a handshake they're high-fiving to try to score political points."

Palm Beach County commissioners ready for debate Thursday

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:26:37 -0500

UPDATE: Not all county commissioner candidates will make it to the Thursday political forum in south Palm Beach County because of scheduling conflicts. Among expected absences are: incumbent Republican commissioner Bob Kanjian and a Democratic challenger, state Rep. Shelley Vana of Lantana. We blogged earlier today: The four county commissioners up for reelection this year and their challengers are expected to take part in a political forum hosted by the nonpartisan Voters Coalition of Palm Beach County. The event takes place at 1 p.m. Thursday at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, west of Delray Beach. Attendance is free. Expected to appear are incumbent commissioner Karen Marcus and challenger John Jamason, vying for a District 1 commission seat; incumbent Bob Kanjian and challengers Karl McKoy, Cliff Montross and Rep. Shelley Vana, for the District 3 seat; incumbent Burt Aaronson and challenger Charlotte Linderman Beasley, seeking the District 5 seat; and incumbent Addie Greene and challengers Robbie Littles and Elizabeth Wade, running for the District 7 seat. The candidates will field questions from the public, ask queries of one another, and make presentations outlining their qualifications to serve.

Bucher vs. Rubio, smackdown 2008?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:36:00 -0500

Susan Bucher’s no stranger to the ire of her Republican colleagues in the House, but even by her standards, she just got a harsh smack-down. Bucher, the fiesty West Palm Beach Democrat famous for peppering House Republicans with hostile questions on the floor, was in the middle of a lengthy argument against a schools bill when House Speaker Marco Rubio cut her off with a few loud thwacks of a gavel. Bucher stormed up the House chamber’s center aisle, folded her arms and glowered at Rubio. Then he came down and exchanged animated words with Bucher. With the House still grinding on well past bedtime, tempers are growing shorter by the minute. Bucher was arguing against a bill to allow private school kids to play sports that aren’t offered there at public schools. Earlier, when she was asking a long series of questions to Republican Aaron Bean, he turned his back on Bucher and answered her questions without looking at her.

Charlie Crist appointed defenders lack pals in Palm Beach County

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:48:41 -0500

Palm Beach County administrators are keeping an arm’s length distance from a new system of public defenders charged with representing parents in dependency cases. The Legislature in 2007 created the Regional Conflict Counsel, with five offices throughout the state, as a way to cut down on the state’s costs of hiring private outside lawyers. Gov. Charlie Crist signed the legislation and even appointed five special public defenders to the special office. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers challenged the creation of the positions, but the state Supreme Court recently upheld the creation of the office as constitutional. The opposition from criminal lawyers surfaced because of state estimates that the new public defenders will handle about 80 percent of the current criminal conflict cases now handled by private attorneys. Last year, the Florida Bar reported that private conflict counsel for just the public defender conflict cases cost the state more than $90 million. Legislators hope the new offices can handle most of those conflicts, plus dependency, for around $50 million annually, the Bar reported. Critics of the Regional Conflict Council Offices say the state hasn’t allocated enough money or personnel to replace the private counsel, and that the quality of representation may suffer under the new, untried system. This week, Palm Beach County Attorney Denise Nieman wrote Philip Joseph Massa, a local Regional Conflict Counsel, based in West Palm Beach, that the county is pleased to have "voluntarily supplied (work) space" for Massa and his staff, but insisted that the county – and local taxpayers – are in no way mandated to do so in the future, nor are they mandated to provide "any other funding" for the Regional Conflict Counsel.

Machek comedy hour pokes fun at Truck Nutz

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:33:00 -0500

The soft-spoken Richard Machek drew guffaws during his going-away speech in the Florida House today that turned into something of a comedy routine. Machek’s muse: the bill approved by the Senate last week to ban Truck Nutz, the bumper ornaments that resemble bull testicles. The Boca Raton Democrat is wrapping up eight years in the House this week. “We can’t let this bill be hanging around,” Machek deadpanned. “When it comes over here, we’re going to have to get our hands around it and squeeze the life out of it.” He kept going. “How will (a cop) pull somebody over and say, ‘Sir, will step out of the truck? I need you step back here and talk about your Truck Nutz.’ “Some of the crazy things we do here in Tallahassee.”