Showing posts with label Phyllis Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phyllis Smith. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2016

On the Joe Geller Watch! Florida state Rep. Joseph S. Geller's curious and unsavory behavior gets more noteworthy by the month. Today: rigging an election, and earning his title of "Corruptocrat Extraordinaire," coined by Stephanie Kienzle, @dwightyoakamfan

On the Joe Geller Watch! Florida state Rep. Joseph S. Geller's curious and unsavory behavior gets more noteworthy by the month. Today: rigging an election, and earning his title of "Corruptocrat Extraordinaire," coined by Stephanie Kienzle, @dwightyoakamfan  

August 26th, 2016

My savvy friend and fellow South Florida observer and blogger Stephanie Kienzle has a post today about FL state Rep. Joe Geller, who since his election to the state legislature in 2014 has represented southeast Broward County and parts of northeast Miami-Dade County.
But NOT very well in the estimation of most reasonable and objective people I talk to and hear from all around the area and up in Tallahassee, who've been carefully noting what 
Geller actually says and does, as opposed to what we would all probablyprefer he do.
You know, like leading by example?

In the year 2016, shouldn't residents of this area be able to count on someone who is an elected official, at a minimum, to NOT be so egregious about demonstrating his own remarkably consistent poor judgment in public and private with respect to ethics, propriety 
and, yes, public appearances?

Yes, we should, to answer my own question, but once again, Stephanie has news today about the latest Joe Geller antics, and as usual, it's NOT something positive for responsible people in our part of South Florida who believe in old-fashioned concepts and notions like public transparency, public accountability and fair play.
But as Stephanie cooly and accurately notes, "Who didn’t see this coming?"

Sadly, nobody who has ever taken a hard look at Joe Geller's sorry public track record.

For those of you who are new to the never-ending Joe Geller WatchI've pasted below some past posts of Stephanie's about Geller since late last year for you to consider carefully. 
Taken individually or collectively, it all all adds up to yet more pieces of the unethical puzzle that fit the fact pattern that Geller clearly seems intent on creating for everyone to see.




Jason Bloch and Joe Geller team up in transparent attempt to rig an election. (Who didn’t see this coming?)

Disenfranchise all the voters
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jason Bloch is so afraid of losing his cushy appointed-not-elected seat on the bench, he tried to have his opponent, Marcia Del Rey, eliminated from the race.
Just a few weeks before Tuesday’s upcoming election, Jason Bloch filed a lawsuit on August 10, 2016 “asking Judge Jerald Bagley to enjoin Del Rey from running in Tuesday’s judicial election after she allegedly filed incomplete financial disclosures in May,” according to an article posted yesterday in the Daily Business Review.
Judge Jerald Bagley bitched slapped Bloch and his lawyer, Joseph S. Geller, the sleazy, breezy CoverBoy of politi-corruption in Miami-Dade County.
Read more at:  http://www.votersopinion.com/2016/08/26/jason-bloch-and-joe-geller-team-up-in-transparent-attempt-to-rig-an-election-who-didnt-see-this-coming/


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 3:12 PM
Subject: Franzie Watch: Sneaky Pierre and Sleazy Joe, doin’ what comes naturally

Franzie Watch: Sneaky Pierre and Sleazy Joe, doin’ what comes naturally

Apr.27, 2016Evil Twins
The day North Miami Beach faux-councilman Frantz Pierre and corrupt lawyer-slash-politican Joe Geller joined forces, it was a match made in heaven.
Or, I should say, in hell.
The lawsuit engineered by Frantz to take over the Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church is now in the hands of the Third District Court of Appeal.  Pending the determination of that appeal, in the form of a Petition for Writ of Prohibition filed by the Defendants, the lower court granted the Defendants an Emergency Stay of its previous Order granting the Plaintiffs a Temporary Injunction.
Read more at:  http://www.votersopinion.com/2016/04/27/franzie-watch-sneaky-pierre-and-sleazy-joe-doin-what-comes-naturally/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 12:23 PM
Subject: Copy that!

Copy that!

Apr.22, 2016imitation
The latest issue of Le Floridien is now online, including an article about the North Miami Beach absentee ballot fraud lawsuit filed by Michael Joseph against Phyllis Smith.
In Michael Joseph Absentee Ballot Fraud Case Moving Forward; Dismissal Denied,  Le Floridien reported:
On September 21, 2015, Phillis Smith’s lawyer Joe Geller scheduled an October 6, 2015 hearing for his Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that plaintiff Michael Joseph failed to name the North Miami Beach Canvassing Board as an “indispensable party” to the lawsuit. This bogus claim was an obvious distraction to stall for time. In response, the plaintiff noted that the complaint already named the individual members of the Canvassing Board as defendants, and that “there is no statute or relevant case law” that naming the individual members, “carries any less weight than naming them collectively” as a body.
Hmmm.  That sure sounds familiar.
Read more at:  http://www.votersopinion.com/2016/04/22/copy-that/


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, Apr 3, 2016 at 3:03 PM
Subject: Memo to Tallahassee #HouseClown Joe Geller: Time’s up!

Memo to Tallahassee #HouseClown Joe Geller: Time’s up!

Apr. 3, 2016hello-times-up
If you’re one of Joseph S. Geller’s constituents who aren’t happy that he voted FOR the right to openly carry firearms on college campuses you’ll be even more upset with his 2015 voting record.
In addition to his February 3, 2016 “yea” vote on House Bill 4001, which he claims was an accident, he made two intentional, and highly questionable, decisions during last year’s regular legislative session.
On April 24, 2015, Representative Joe Geller voted AGAINST Senate Bill 604, which requires the owners of websites to “clearly disclose” their contact information to consumers.
Apparently, Joe believes protecting the privacy of internet scammers is more important than protecting the public from fraud.
But that’s not the worst of it!
Read more at:  http://www.votersopinion.com/2016/04/03/memo-to-tallahassee-houseclown-joe-geller-times-up/


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, Feb 6, 2016 at 7:56 PM
Subject: #HouseGenius. Oh, Joe. Say it isn’t so!

#HouseGenius. Oh, Joe. Say it isn’t so!

Feb. 6, 2016
Photo: Trevor Bach, Broward/Palm Beach New TimesPhoto: Trevor Bach, Broward/Palm Beach New Times

Attorney Joseph S. Geller wants to be the City Attorney for North Miami.
Florida State Representative Joseph S. Geller can’t even figure out how to vote on the House floor.
The Miami Herald Naked Politics reported that on Wednesday State Representative Joe Geller accidentally voted “yes” on the very bill he “railed against” the night before.
He also cast a “yes” vote for his seatmate, Orlando Democrat Randolph Bracy, on a bill that will allow open carry on college campuses.  The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House, but is expected to be voted down in the Senate.
Read more at:  http://www.votersopinion.com/2016/02/06/housegenius-oh-joe-say-it-isnt-so/


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, Jan 11, 2016 at 3:35 PM
Subject: Joe Geller: Lawyer, Politician, Corruptocrat Extraordinaire

Joe Geller: Lawyer, Politician, Corruptocrat Extraordinaire

Jan.11, 2016
Political Promises
When is a law firm not a law firm?
Apparently, it all depends on Joseph S. Geller’s definition of the word “is.”
Joe’s been scurrying around North Miami City Hall like a rat, trying to snag the position of City Attorney for his firm, Greenspoon Marder.  He’s made it perfectly clear that despite his continuous duties in Tallahassee as a Florida State Representative, his firm is chock full of lawyers who would be at the disposal of the Mayor and Council around the clock.
And yet, when it comes to defending North Miami Beach “Councilwoman” Phyllis Smith against an absentee ballot fraud lawsuit, Joe claims to be a lone wolf.
Consider the irony.



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, Nov 4, 2015 at 9:40 PM
Subject: Phyllis Smith and Joe Geller, Two Peas in a Pod!

Phyllis Smith and Joe Geller, Two Peas in a Pod!

Nov. 4, 2015Phyllis and Joe
North Miami Beach “Councilwoman” Phyllis Smith and her lawyer, Joe Geller, make quite the pair.
Phyllis hired Joe to defend her against a lawsuit filed by her challenger in the last city council election.  Michael Joseph is contesting the results of the race based on very credible evidence indicating that Phyllis engaged in absentee ballot fraud.
As we are all too painfully aware, the wheels of justice in Miami-Dade County move slowly, especially when members of the politically connected class are forced to defend themselves.  Whether politicos are facing criminal charges, as in the case of North Miami Beach EX-Mayor Myron Rosner, or responding to civil charges, as in Phyllis Smith’s case, time seems to stand still for them.
No such luck for plebes like the rest of us, who could never afford to hire the likes of Ben Kuehne and friends.



SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 
#Ethics still matter in South Florida! Stephanie Kienzle of Votersopinion.com keeps her eyes firmly on what's going on with the VERY CURIOUS legal antics of FL state Rep. Joe Geller, even as most of South Florida's news media keeps ignoring what's right in front of us.
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/ethics-still-matter-in-south-florida.html

Thursday, September 17, 2015

#Ethics still matter in South Florida! Stephanie Kienzle of Votersopinion.com keeps her eyes firmly on what's going on with the VERY CURIOUS legal antics of FL state Rep. Joe Geller, even as most of South Florida's news media keeps ignoring what's right in front of us.

According to ever-vigilant Stephanie Kienzle at VotersOpinion despite what appears to be his obviously unethical -and possibly illegal- delay tactics, it looks like Florida state Rep. Joe Geller is going have to face the music for lying to the Courts in Miami.

Geller certainly plays a mean game of four-corners defense to try to run the clock out, but then consider Geller's client: North Miami Beach City Council member Phyliss Smith, who is accused of... wait for it: absentee ballot fraud!

And it's abundantly clear that she has considerably less than a fig-leaf for a defense.
And did I mention that she refused a court order to turn over relevant records?


VotersOpinion blog
September 17, 2015

Despite the obviously unethical, and possibly illegal, delay tactics employed by Joseph S. Geller, Esquire, the lawsuit filed against North Miami Beach “Councilwoman” Phyllis Smith is finally moving ahead.  In a few short days, she’ll be compelled to answer the allegations of absentee ballot fraud.
Read the rest of Stephanie's fact-filled post at: http://www.votersopinion.com/2015/09/17/is-the-fat-lady-about-to-sing/
Some of you more informed readers will recall that earlier this year while wearing his legislator hat, Joe Geller tried to make logic stand on its head by offering a bill that would, as the legislature's own website put it:
"Repeals requirement that write-in candidate reside within district represented by office sought at time of qualification."

Who could possibly think this is a good idea for civic engagement, public accountability and genuine transparency? 
Joe Geller did. 

Fortunately, the bill died:

(For those of you reading this who don't know, Joseph S. Geller is also the former mayor of the long ethically-challenged town of North Bay Village in northern Miami-Dade County, and more recently was elected to the state House of Representatives last November as a dependable knee-jerk Liberal vote.
Thus, Geller represents those parts of southeast Broward County that are the most important parts of our "beat" on this blog: Hallandale Beach and Hollywood, and necessarily, Geller's various actions and antics in Tallahasse and locally are part of our regular focus.

Yes, he's the brother of the former state Senator for this area, lobbyist/lawyer/developer mouthpiece Steve Geller, who was the frequent subject of so many posts on this blog in the past, including when he ran for Broward County Commissioner in 2010 -BEFORE actually living within the district. 
Fortunately for everyone in this area, and common sense, his track record in office and strange sense of what he as a lawyer/lobbyist was entitled to do was found wanting, and Commissioner Sue Gunzburger was handily re-elected, with stronger ethics in Broward one of her key legacies.) 

Kudos to my friend, truth-telling Stephanie for keeping her eyes firmly on the ball while most of the South Florida news media seems to be too distracted and giddy from the return of the football season to notice that there ARE still a LOT of very unsavory things going on with pols in South Florida 
and the Sunshine State that ARE worth investigating and making public.
And worth prosecuting!

Tomorrow on my blog I'll have some interesting details and background info you may want to peruse regarding another case of an official in power in South Florida whose track record makes clear that he is an unrepentant serial abuser of the public trust.

Despite this, he remains both surprisingly aloof and intent on maintaining his very clear sense of entitlement, despite self-evident facts that would make others in his position resign out of either sheer guilt or embarrassment.
Or both!

But he remains steadfast and without remorse, making decisions that affect lots of South Florida residents everyday.

Such is the price we all pay for living in an area of the country where to our collective and continuing dismay, we have FAR MORE than our fair share of elected officials and govt. officials with more self-confidence and hubris than common sense.

Stay tuned!