Just when you thought it wasn't possible
for the Great Minds patrolling the halls
at Hallandale Beach City Hall to act any
more legally or morally inappropriate
thru their longstanding stealthy and
anti-democratic behavior, reality
intervenes and slaps you in the face.
How low can they go?
Are you sitting down?
Please do.
Are you ready?
The city has decided they need
to start taxing political candidates.
Yes, it's true.
Could I make that up?
These geniuses have decided that this
small SE Broward city is so crucial
to the future of the Sunshine State
that they're going to tax political
candidates, by charging them a
$500 administrative fee for simply
exercising their First Amendment
rights, and posting political campaign
signs in the city.
Crist, Rubio, McCollum, Sink,
Gunzburger, Geller...
This issue and more will be before
the Hallandale Beach Planning
& Zoning Board at City Hall on
Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.,
before moving to the HB City
Commission in a few weeks.
Not that the City of Hallandale Beach
is calling it a tax, but that's exactly
what it is as you can see for yourself
here:http://www.hallandalebeachfl.
Political Signs Staff Report and Ordinancehttp://www.hallandalebeachfl.
Call me old-fashioned, but I always thought
only the FL State Legislature had the legal
authority in this state to create a new source
of taxation, along with the Governor's signature,
NOT unelected City Managers, City Attorneys
and Planning Directors.
Just for the record, there was STILL
a very large political sign for failed judicial
candidate Mardi Ann Levy on State Road
A1A & Hallandale Beach Blvd.,
placed in front of the Beach One Resort
property, in mid-January, two monthsafter the November election, whichBernie Bober won.
I know that for a fact because I not only
took photos of it, but mocked it and wrote
about it on my blog,
http://hallandalebeachblog.
I also made a comment about it in response
to the Daily Business Review's Legal blogpost of June 16th, titled,
So, this is what the witness stand looks likehttp://dailybusinessreview.
As unprincipled, obnoxious and plain
un-democratic as the idea is of charging
citizen candidates money in order to place
their campaign signs in one particular city,
that is far from the only troubling aspect
of this proposal to come before the P&Z
Board, as you can see for yourself at # 4
under analysis.
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.
Permits placement of political signs in public property if
determined by the City Manager to serve a public purpose."
To serve a public purpose?
Like what? To show City Hall's favoritism?
(Like maybe placing anti-Hometown Democracy
signs or perhaps Steve Geller signs on
city property?I mention the latter because of the foolish,
over-the-top performance last year exhibited
by the HB City Commissioners when Geller
was given the key to the city, and the commissioners
acted like small children at a birthday party
at the circus, excitedly putting on their "Geller"
caps and waving their "Geller" souvenirs
as Geller's staffers photographed the whole
embarrassing scene.
I said last year that it'd make a great YouTube
video because of how long it went on and on.)
Nobody has a problem with a prohibition on
political signs within a certain distance of polling
places, or on city property.
It's not just tradition and law, it's common sense.
But under what part of the Florida Constitution
does it give the right to an unelected City Manager
of a town, like Mike Good, to regulate political
speech protected by the First Amendment?
So he can personally decide whether or not signs
of his choosing ought to be placed on taxpayer
property?
It's preposterous on its face, made even worse by the
fact that he doesn't even live in this city.
And, if you keep reading the analysis, you'll see where
it even says the city wants to be able to regulate the
actual content of the political signs you place on
YOUR OWN PROPERTY.
Again, where is it written in the Florida Constitution
that a municipality like the City of Hallandale Beach
can regulate free speech by enacting a law that says
you can only have ONE sign regarding an individual
candidate in, on or around YOUR OWN PROPERTY?
Honestly, you'd think that a city that's so poorly-managed
that in the year 2009, it STILL lacks a single directional
road sign anywhere indicating where the City Hall or
Police Dept. HQ is located, would have more pressing
needs than trying to usurp citizens' constitutional rights,
right?
But then consider the locale and the likely source.The legal mind of Hallandale Beach City Attorney
David Jove.
The same person who for years has had no problem
in continually winking at the city's clear-cut violations
of the state's Sunshine Laws, with him present in
the room.
There are other things I could say about this but
consider the moral caliber of someone who might
well vote on this in a few weeks if someone in authority
doesn't do their job and stop this illegal outrage,
namely, Comm. William Julian.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows
full well just of some of the ethical, moral and legal
shenanigans Julian has gotten himself and the
city into, but he is also well-known by his reputation
for violating the city's extant laws against putting
campaign signs on city property.
The city ROW on Layne Boulevard and Diana Drive
are said to be among some of his favorite spots...
Comm. Julian is someone who should clearly
know better, but like the vast majority of people
at HB City Hall, he's a great believer in situational
ethics.
You see, his response at being caught red-handed
by a HB citizen putting his own campaign signs on
city property and the public ROW is classic
HB City Hall: "Everyone does it."
No, actually they don't.
Just Julian and City Hall's Rubber Stamp Crew,
plus their pals and cronies, always looking for a
favor or CRA handout -for old times sake.
-------------------------
October 2nd, 2008 photos of Dotty Ross campaign
signs all over Hallandale Beach Municipal complex
Why?
I'm told it was because she rented some space at
the HB Cultural Center?
So because of that, she gets to put campaign signs
on city property everywhere?
After seeing that, though I had someplace to be,
I walked over to the benches across the street to
ponder my next move.
Of course!
Document the proof all around me,
and that's exactly what I did.
The two Dotty Ross campaign signs in front of the city's
Cultural Center building. fine, I'll let that one slide.
Of course IF City Manager Mike Good and his
staff have their way with their preposterous proposal,
it'd be against the law in Hallandale Beach for any
citizen to have two Ross campaign signs on your own
property, if you were so inclined.
But two next to the city sign on the
S.E. 3rd Street entrance?
I don't think so.
And near the city's electronic board on S.E. 3rd Street,
in front of the County Library branch?
That's ridiculous, but par for the course here.
And on S.E. 5th Street off U.S.-1, near the main city
municipal complex sign, and facing the entrance and
exit of the main HB branch of the U.S. Post Office?
Really?
And all of these campaign signs are on city property
But then if you're a regular at this blog, you already
know that more than is true in most places in South
Florida government, here, there are different rules for
different people.
If you're part of the Joy Cooper-Mike Good tag-team,
you do as you please, and everyone just looks the other
way.
Well, almost everyone!
for the Great Minds patrolling the halls
at Hallandale Beach City Hall to act any
more legally or morally inappropriate
thru their longstanding stealthy and
anti-democratic behavior, reality
intervenes and slaps you in the face.
How low can they go?
Are you sitting down?
Please do.
Are you ready?
The city has decided they need
to start taxing political candidates.
Yes, it's true.
Could I make that up?
These geniuses have decided that this
small SE Broward city is so crucial
to the future of the Sunshine State
that they're going to tax political
candidates, by charging them a
$500 administrative fee for simply
exercising their First Amendment
rights, and posting political campaign
signs in the city.
Crist, Rubio, McCollum, Sink,
Gunzburger, Geller...
This issue and more will be before
the Hallandale Beach Planning
& Zoning Board at City Hall on
Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.,
before moving to the HB City
Commission in a few weeks.
Not that the City of Hallandale Beach
is calling it a tax, but that's exactly
what it is as you can see for yourself
here:http://www.hallandalebeachfl.
Call me old-fashioned, but I always thought
only the FL State Legislature had the legal
authority in this state to create a new source
of taxation, along with the Governor's signature,
NOT unelected City Managers, City Attorneys
and Planning Directors.
Just for the record, there was STILL
a very large political sign for failed judicial
candidate Mardi Ann Levy on State Road
A1A & Hallandale Beach Blvd.,
placed in front of the Beach One Resort
property, in mid-January, two monthsafter the November election, whichBernie Bober won.
I know that for a fact because I not only
took photos of it, but mocked it and wrote
about it on my blog,
http://hallandalebeachblog.
I also made a comment about it in response
to the Daily Business Review's Legal blogpost of June 16th, titled,
So, this is what the witness stand looks likehttp://dailybusinessreview.
As unprincipled, obnoxious and plain
un-democratic as the idea is of charging
citizen candidates money in order to place
their campaign signs in one particular city,
that is far from the only troubling aspect
of this proposal to come before the P&Z
Board, as you can see for yourself at # 4
under analysis.
http://www.hallandalebeachfl.
Permits placement of political signs in public property if
determined by the City Manager to serve a public purpose."
To serve a public purpose?
Like what? To show City Hall's favoritism?
(Like maybe placing anti-Hometown Democracy
signs or perhaps Steve Geller signs on
city property?I mention the latter because of the foolish,
over-the-top performance last year exhibited
by the HB City Commissioners when Geller
was given the key to the city, and the commissioners
acted like small children at a birthday party
at the circus, excitedly putting on their "Geller"
caps and waving their "Geller" souvenirs
as Geller's staffers photographed the whole
embarrassing scene.
I said last year that it'd make a great YouTube
video because of how long it went on and on.)
Nobody has a problem with a prohibition on
political signs within a certain distance of polling
places, or on city property.
It's not just tradition and law, it's common sense.
But under what part of the Florida Constitution
does it give the right to an unelected City Manager
of a town, like Mike Good, to regulate political
speech protected by the First Amendment?
So he can personally decide whether or not signs
of his choosing ought to be placed on taxpayer
property?
It's preposterous on its face, made even worse by the
fact that he doesn't even live in this city.
And, if you keep reading the analysis, you'll see where
it even says the city wants to be able to regulate the
actual content of the political signs you place on
YOUR OWN PROPERTY.
Again, where is it written in the Florida Constitution
that a municipality like the City of Hallandale Beach
can regulate free speech by enacting a law that says
you can only have ONE sign regarding an individual
candidate in, on or around YOUR OWN PROPERTY?
Honestly, you'd think that a city that's so poorly-managed
that in the year 2009, it STILL lacks a single directional
road sign anywhere indicating where the City Hall or
Police Dept. HQ is located, would have more pressing
needs than trying to usurp citizens' constitutional rights,
right?
But then consider the locale and the likely source.The legal mind of Hallandale Beach City Attorney
David Jove.
The same person who for years has had no problem
in continually winking at the city's clear-cut violations
of the state's Sunshine Laws, with him present in
the room.
There are other things I could say about this but
consider the moral caliber of someone who might
well vote on this in a few weeks if someone in authority
doesn't do their job and stop this illegal outrage,
namely, Comm. William Julian.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows
full well just of some of the ethical, moral and legal
shenanigans Julian has gotten himself and the
city into, but he is also well-known by his reputation
for violating the city's extant laws against putting
campaign signs on city property.
The city ROW on Layne Boulevard and Diana Drive
are said to be among some of his favorite spots...
Comm. Julian is someone who should clearly
know better, but like the vast majority of people
at HB City Hall, he's a great believer in situational
ethics.
You see, his response at being caught red-handed
by a HB citizen putting his own campaign signs on
city property and the public ROW is classic
HB City Hall: "Everyone does it."
No, actually they don't.
Just Julian and City Hall's Rubber Stamp Crew,
plus their pals and cronies, always looking for a
favor or CRA handout -for old times sake.
-------------------------
October 2nd, 2008 photos of Dotty Ross campaign
signs all over Hallandale Beach Municipal complex
Why?
I'm told it was because she rented some space at
the HB Cultural Center?
So because of that, she gets to put campaign signs
on city property everywhere?
Between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m., Thursday October 2nd,
out of curiosity, and with some time to kill before
meeting a friend in Aventura, I swung by the HB
Cultural Center to get a gander at the prep work
for the Dotty Ross fundraiser.
I was at the HB Park & Rec's front desk at the
Cultural Center when I personally saw a sweating
Comm. William Julian walk in wearing shorts,
a t-shirt and carrying some Ross campaign signs
under his arm.
out of curiosity, and with some time to kill before
meeting a friend in Aventura, I swung by the HB
Cultural Center to get a gander at the prep work
for the Dotty Ross fundraiser.
I was at the HB Park & Rec's front desk at the
Cultural Center when I personally saw a sweating
Comm. William Julian walk in wearing shorts,
a t-shirt and carrying some Ross campaign signs
under his arm.
After seeing that, though I had someplace to be,I walked over to the benches across the street to
ponder my next move.
Of course!
Document the proof all around me,
and that's exactly what I did.
The two Dotty Ross campaign signs in front of the city'sCultural Center building. fine, I'll let that one slide.
Of course IF City Manager Mike Good and his
staff have their way with their preposterous proposal,
it'd be against the law in Hallandale Beach for any
citizen to have two Ross campaign signs on your own
property, if you were so inclined.
But two next to the city sign on theS.E. 3rd Street entrance?
I don't think so.
And near the city's electronic board on S.E. 3rd Street,in front of the County Library branch?
That's ridiculous, but par for the course here.
And on S.E. 5th Street off U.S.-1, near the main citymunicipal complex sign, and facing the entrance and
exit of the main HB branch of the U.S. Post Office?
Really?
And all of these campaign signs are on city property
But then if you're a regular at this blog, you already
know that more than is true in most places in South
Florida government, here, there are different rules for
different people.
If you're part of the Joy Cooper-Mike Good tag-team,
you do as you please, and everyone just looks the other
way.
Well, almost everyone!
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