90 year-old Fort Lauderdale resident Arnold Abbott was arrested for feeding the homeless. The first time the police confronted Abbott they treated him like a criminal.
The first confrontation occurred on November 2nd when an officer literally told the humanitarian hero to “’Drop that plate immediately.’ As though it were a weapon,” Abbott recalled.
We wouldn't want a 90 year-old man using a paper plate as a weapon.
Abbott has vowed to continue to feed the homeless.
If there is any doubt about the tea party being more about social conservative issues than fiscal issues look no further than this email by Danita Kilcullen of the Tea Party Fort Lauderdale. Kilcullen sent an email describing Log Cabin Republicans as "a thug organization.
“We must fight with all we have... We must put pressure on the House like has never been seen before. I'll be damned if I will ever be forced to hire someone with orange hair, body/neck/face covered with tattoos, multiple piercings, or a man in a dress... or for that matter, a demonstrative effeminate male or purposeful butch-looking female. The Log Cabins are the same lobbyist organization that has all but taken over BREC; and besides that, we have someone on the Board of BREC who is using her position to openly put pressure on some BREC members to stand for same-sex marriage.
This is the same group who, based on nothing other than his recent stand for gay marriage, supports Chris Christie and who publicly worked against Cuccinelli for his stand for traditional marriage. Keep in mind, this is a thug organization with only their own "special interests" in play. I wonder what they will do with democrat Charlie Crist now running for governor? I'm betting on them to vote for Charlie, along with some other mousey republicans. I will now be accused of 'splitting' BREC. I am not! I am in standing with the Republican Platform, which is what I stated the very night I was sworn-on to BREC. We must stop this in short!
The irony of Kilcullen's "thug" quote is she was arrested in 2011 on the charge of kicking a police officer. Welcome to the Republican Party of 2013.
Florida Has First Legally Bi-National Gay Married Couple
Florida finally does a progressive first in America. Julian Marsh and Traian “Tray” Popov of Fort Lauderdale are the first bi-natural married gay couple to have their marriage recognized by Popov's green card. Marsh and Popov couldn't marry in Florida because of the state ban against marriage. The couple married in Brooklyn, New York.
Their immigration attorney, Lavi Soloway of New York and California, believes Marsh and Popov’s case will “accelerate change” in Florida.
“That new reality changes the perspective of a lot of Floridians who probably never gave a thought to marriage equality,” said Soloway, co-founder of the DOMA Project for gay and lesbian binational couples.”
Soloway, who said he represents “scores” of similar couples in South Florida, is pleased the first gay couple to get a green card is from the Sunshine State.
No matter how Gov. Rick Scott feels about gay marriage; he can't legally change the fact that Marsh and Popov are legally a married couple.
Bob Norman interviews Scarlett Rabalais. She chained herself to a poll after she was evicted from her motel. Rabalais is the owner of Ask Me Inn on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
All of that is gone now. Rabalais this morning was sitting on the side of her property by the sidewalk, chained to a power pole support wire. She and her motel guests were being evicted by Landmark Bank after it foreclosed on her, leaving her hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.
Rabalais -- who held a sign with the words "Landmark Bank Is a Liar" -- says the bank not only refused to work with her but also manipulated her into losing the property. I've left a message for comment from Landmark Bank Vice President Peyton LaCaria that has yet to be returned.
Out of her complicated legal battles, Rabalais owes Landmark Bank $950,000. This is depressing and happening across Florida.
Fort Lauderdale police officers came out with a video asking Floridians to help stop SB 830. The bill's purpose to to financially destroy unions.
Labor and Employment; Prohibits a state agency from deducting from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of an employee organization or contributions made for purposes of political activity. Prohibits a county, municipality, or other local governmental entity from deducting from employee wages the dues, uniform assessments, fines, penalties, or special assessments of an employee organization or contributions made for purposes of political activity, etc.
Unions negotiate better wages and working conditions for their members. So for Republicans to merely label politicial organizations is a simplification.
There is also the hypocrisy of Republicans attempting to restrict political contributions. Conservative columnist George Will and the Supreme Court have argued that political contributions. Republicans are suddenly against the free speech when the money goes elsewhere. Apparently, Republicans believe it should be illegal for unions to be able to set up a political contribution system. Yet, that is exactly what Republicans in the Florida legislature did with its leadership funds.
The passage of the so-called leadership funds bill, HB 1207, will strengthen the clout of legislative leaders, allow them to work outside the purview of the party and, for Republicans, outside the the influence of the governor. In 2012, all legislators must run in newly drawn districts. Proponents argue the measure will increase ``transparency'' because they would give citizens the opportunity to view campaign finance activity, which is currently obscured by party reporting.
Leadership funds were banned 21 years ago when Democrats, in charge of the Legislature then, were embarrassed by a perception of pay-to-play politics. Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, said that lawmakers are headed down that path again.
"People just want you to be honest with them,'' he said. "This bill isn’t about transparency...This is about winning elections.''
It is about the Republicans able to keep to caucus in line with the promise of campaign money. Unions giving money to Democrats hinders the Republican cause. What the union-busting and leadership fund bills have to do with creating jobs is beyond me.
On April 27, 2008, there will be an AIDS Walk in Ft. Lauderdale to help raise money and awareness. According to the Florida AIDS Walk website, 84,000 Floridians have HIV/AIDS. The website is accepting donations and asking citizens to paticipate in the event. So bring your walking shoes.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 Huizenga Plaza -- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Sign-in: 8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony: 9:15 a.m. The AIDS Walk begins at 10:00 a.m. Since thousands of people will be participating
County commissioners accused him of jeopardizing the area's multibillion-dollar tourism industry. They said Naugle forced them to take the unprecedented step of stripping him of the job when he ignored warnings to stop his attacks.
Since Naugle made his initial allegations about rampant gay sex in public restrooms nearly two months ago, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has been deluged with hundreds of angry e-mails from tourists. Some said they had canceled vacations, while others threatened to go elsewhere.
Naugle is unrepentant.
"Sometimes the easiest thing to do when you don't want to hear something is to shoot the messenger, but that doesn't mean that there is not a problem out there that needs to be addressed," Naugle said.
"Let's do the right thing. Let's throw him off this council," said Commissioner Ken Keechl.
The message is hurting the local economy. Politicians will quickly jump into action when the bottom line is affected.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle must be mad that Ronda Storms gets all the media attention. He has launch an anti-gay campaign. It is also killing Fort Lauderdale's tourism industry.
Broward County tourism officials couldn't possibly have anticipated that their worst nightmare in 2007 would be Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. The mayor seems determined to alienate every gay and lesbian potential visitor to Broward with his contemptible anti-gay campaign.
Contrary to the mayor's claims, men having sex in public restrooms is not a problem or an epidemic in Fort Lauderdale. The city police department cites two arrests for sexual activity in public restrooms since 2005. The mayor claims the arrest number is eight. Yes, people having sex in public bathrooms is offensive, but there is no crime wave here.
Now a group of narrow-minded clerics and medical professionals has latched onto the mayor's cause. They held a press conference Tuesday to rail against public and promiscuous sex. We can all agree that such activities are to be discouraged, but this sanction applies equally to heterosexuals. Mr. Naugle and his clerical backers are specifically targeting gays and lesbians with their unwarranted criticism and, often as not, half-informed comments. The mayor apparently enjoys playing the provocateur. He refuses to let it die, as it should.
There are more productive things for the Mayor to do. Such as get potholes fixed and run an efficient government.
90 year-old Fort Lauderdale resident Arnold Abbott was arrested for feeding the homeless. The first time the police confronted Abbott they treated him like a criminal.
