Greetings from central Florida.
As I drank my morning coffee I glanced at the Orlando Sentinel’s front page, above the fold, lead story. Staff writer Rebecca Mahoney’s headline reads “Treats flow at parties for elected officials.”
While we often question what really goes on at League of Cities off-site meetings at posh locations, such as Monterey, CA. Rebecca exposes the Florida League of Cities sponsors who pick up the tab for the private parties which begin tonight, Thursday Aug 16th.
While taxpayers pay to send our elected officials to these training sessions, such as how to circumlocut the Brown Act in CA, this practice is not limited only to our state and county.
Her report opens: A “death by chocolate” extravaganza. Lobster tail and an open bar at Fulton’s Crab House. Filet mignon at Morton’s Steakhouse. Dinner and drinks at Disney’s exclusive California Grill.
These events, paid for by lobbyists and special interest groups, are among the ways Central Florida’s elected officials will spend the weekend during a taxpayer funded conference in Orlando.
Though these private after hours parties are rarely advertised, they are a longstanding part of the Florida League of Cities annual conference, a three day seminar that kicks off today at the Orlando World Center Marriott.”
Orange City Councilman Jeff Allebach said “IT’S JUST A BENEFIT OF THE POSITION.”
Let me cite one example: This year Central Florida officials have been invited to more than a dozen exclusive parties, including one on the top deck of Fulton’s Crab House, a seafood restaurant in downtown Disney where the average entree cost $35. Later they will be shuttled back to the hotel to enjoy the annual death by chocolate dessert reception until midnight–a sumptuous spread of chocolate cakes, pies and elegant sweets, courtesy of Waste Management.
The sanitation company has contracts with more than two dozen Central Florida cities, but the companies event coordiantor Jim Swan, also the mayor of Kissimmee, says the reception is meant to thank officials, not to lure new business.”Wait a minute. How dumb does he think we are? Querry. Does he recuse himself from voting on their sanitation contracts? Aside from luring new business, Waste Management does not want to lose any of their current city contracts and is spending whatever it takes to keep these underpaid local officials happy. A valid tax write off and a small price to pay for retaining million dollar contracts.
There is an interesting point in the story. “Though federal and state lawmakers have recently approved legislation aiming to limit such gifts from lobbyists, local officials are not bound by the the same restraints.”
I must commend “Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, a member of the leagues’ board of directors, (who) plans to attend several daytime sessions Friday but isn’t staying in a hotel and plans to skip the receptions.” I also tip my hat to Apopka City Councilman Bill Arrowsmith who said “he does not have plans to attend any of the sponsored events because he doesn’t want there to be even the appearance of impropriety.”
If these two elected officials recognize the black cloud of these private after hours parties, not open to the general public, than I think our elected officials should follow suit. Networking among your peers at these meetings can be of value but having open bars with lobbyists and vendors surely lures you into supporting them when their contracts come up for re-negotiation.
PS: I am not jealous. We had a seafood dinner ourselves on International Drive last night. The good news is that there were no lobbyists picking up the tab.
In interviewing candidates for future seats on our city councils do you support asking them to refrain from indulging in these after conference parties?
My vote is not for sale for a chocolate covered strawberry.
Free dinner and booze is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to freebies that council members help themselves to. Don’t forget about all the free golf, junkets, tickets to sporting events and all the other “under the table” benefits they shove into their big mouths. Politicians not only win a seat on a pulpit from where they can pontificate from, but they also win a comped lifestyle. Think about all the conferences and meeting held abroad that councilmembers go to. They are basically getting free vacations year-round. Why do you think most council members hang on to their seats for as long as humanly possible? Most local elected officials are useless, self-serving humps who serve to benefit themselves and their friends.
anonymous 1:29 pm
While I agree that there is more to the story perhaps skipping these after hours meetings is a good first step.
We do need to be vigilant and keep tabs on all of our elected officials regardless of which party they list before or after their names.
When city council members are elected to their part-time posts they justify these gifts based on how hard they work and for so little compensation.
Think about the annual budget of your city and the exclusive contracts they award to these vendors that provide the entertainment referenced above.
Hey Larry, did you miss this party at Vector Control? From OCBlog.net
Vector Control 60th Anniversary Open House
Looking for a good time?
Consider swinging by the Orange County Vector Control District today for their 60th Anniversary Open House.
It started at noon and runs until 7:00 p.m. Here’s the invite for further details.
No word on the nature of the free fixings or if they’re giving away mosquito fish as party favors.
Anonymous.
So far the Juice is the only blog I have looked at since arrivng in florida.
Well, I guess we can’t be everywhere. That said, we did go night fishing on Tuesday. The catch was slim but I was surely tagged by a swarm of mosquito’s.
Where’s vector control when you need them?
Today’s Orlando Sentinel contains a follow up report on the League of Cities (sponsors) weekend abuses as well as an editorial which opens with three simple words to local elected officials:
“Don’t do it”
I like the overall content of this paper and should read it more often.
Let me skip to Kissimmee Mayor Jim Swan who is employed by Waste Managment and is quoted to say “it’s just the company’s way of saying thanks.” The editorial continues reporting that “the best way for Waste Management to say thanks is to do a good, reliable job for the cities who hire it.”
They go on to write that “being an elected official is a tough job for sure. But the thanks the officials receive is the salary the public pays them–meager though it may be. There’s also the public trust and the ability to shape policy for the good of the community. If that’s not enough, find another line of work.
Instead of grabbing the goodies the local officials should be spearheading ethics reform.”
There’s more to this Editorial but you get the message. Now if we could ever reach the abusers we would truly be able to claim Mission Accomplished.