No plan to save drug treatment in Broward

While Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti has come up with a plan to attempt to reverse two of his most painful budget cuts through voluntary furloughs -- layoffs and closing a jail -- he hasn't announced any intentions to save drug treatment programs for inmates.

Earlier this year Lamberti announced he would end drug treatment and other programs for inmates in the jail by Aug. 1. Everyone -- including Lamberti -- agrees about the importance of the programs, but he says he can't afford it while being ordered to cut $50 million from his budget. Lamberti has refused to cut that amount but has taken steps to reduce growth in spending, such as axing treatment.

The Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is organizing a public forum about the jail programs at 1 p.m. July 24th at the courthouse. President Russell Williams said he plans to start a petition drive and hopes that the public turns up the heat on the county commission and the sheriff to find a way to pay for the programs.

"Everybody knows that the programs are essential but nobody is willing to step up to the plate and fund them,'' he said.

Williams and other attorneys say that ending drug treatment will only cost taxpayers more in the future because currently judges sentence inmates to shorter stays in the jail if they complete treatment programs. Without the treatment, inmates will sit in jail longer -- and will be more likely reoffend when they are released, advocates say. Longer and more frequent stints in jail could lead to overcrowding, violating a federal court order that could lead to fines for the county if the jails exceed a population cap.

Williams speculates that Lamberti chose to cut drug treatment to hit a nerve with the county.

"If he trims the budget to exclude treatment programs the jail cap increases. If the cap increases Broward County is responsible for paying the fine.  He is figuring if he puts that pressure on the county commission the county commission will find the money to fund the program.''

Black leader to run in white majority district

The Democratic side of the ledger is no longer empty in the District 91 house race. Freda Sherman Stevens filed paperwork on Friday to run for the seat to replace Ellyn Bogdanoff who is running for state senate.

District 91, which spans Dania Beach to Boca Raton, is an overwhelmingly white district. Stevens lost a previous race against state Rep. Evan Jenne. She is the press secretary of the Black Democratic Caucus which is embroiled in its own election dispute.

School board chair Maureen Dinnen could not be reached for comment today regarding whether she has decided to run.

On the Republican side, Shane Strum, Gov. Charlie Crist's deputy, did not return the umpteenth message about whether he plans to run. So far, two young activists and businessmen, David Maymon and Yomin Postelnik, have launched campaigns. Maymon has loaned his campaign $50,000 and raised about $18,000 while Postelnik has raised less than $2,000 including inkind donations and a loan.

Broward Sheriff investigates county crap and culture

In his ongoing quest to collect public records from the county, Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti has submitted requests for county officials to cough up financial records related to a sewer project and Cultural Council spending.

Lamberti has sent more than a dozen official records requests to County Hall as he embarks on a comparison of BSO and county spending. The records request blitz was launched after county officials asked Lamberti to cut more than $50 million and he refused.

If the two sides can't resolve their differences by September, the budget showdown will move to Tallahassee.

Broward GOP chair to county: quit playing politics with sheriff

Broward Republican Party Chair Chip LaMarca issued a news release today accusing the nine-member Democratic County Commission of playing politics with Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti's budget.

The county has asked Lamberti to cut $50 million. He has refused, although he has taken steps to reduce growth in his budget by laying off 177 workers by the end of this month.

LaMarca says that the County Commission has turned the budget date into a ''political circus.''

"The last straw was when the Democratic Mayor went before a partisan group of Democrats to criticize the sheriff,'' he wrote.

LaMarca called on elected officials in cities that have BSO contracts to also speak up.

"Or, will they remain silent out of fear of political reprisals from the Democratic Party?''

Commissioners have said their fight isn't about partisan politics despite the fact that nearly all of them endorsed Lamberti's opponent last year. They argue that its about money: if Lamberti doesn't cut, they will have to cut more from their side of the ledger.

Broward Republicans organize tea party for July 4th

Broward Republicans want residents to put down their grilling tongs and pick up their placards on July 4th.

Republican club leaders are organizing another Tea Party protest at the corner of Broward Boulevard and Third Avenue in Fort Lauderdale at 10:30 a.m.

"I would like everybody to remember that 48 percent of the nation didn't vote for this president,'' said Ed Napolitano, a Republican activist in Hallandale Beach.

Napolitano says the federal government is moving too quickly to approve spending related to the economy.

"They are rushing,'' he said. "This is payback to a lot of constituent groups. A lot of the bailouts are pay backs to the unions and ACORN.''

On April 15, Republicans across the country organized similar protests which in Fort Lauderdale police said drew 1,500 to 2,000.

Sheriff's official who moonlights drops campaign client

Danielle Will, who helped run Republican Al Lamberti's successful campaign for sheriff last year, was hired by Lamberti earlier this year as a $70,000 a year external affairs liasion -- despite the fact that budget cuts were looming.

Will kept her company, DPF Consulting, and agreed to work on David Maymon's campaign for state house in Broward.

But Maymon says that several weeks ago Will backed out.

"She said 'I have other commitments. I am too busy right now,''' Maymon said.

Will couldn't be reached for comment on her cell this morning. It's unclear if Will is keeping other political clients while she works for the sheriff who has vowed that he is not a politician. Maymon said he spotted Will at an event for state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff and state Sen. Jeff Atwater.

Keechl raises big bucks in county race

Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl says he has raised about $307,000 for his re-election next year -- a huge sum considering the Democrat doesn't officially have an opponent. None of that is a loan.

The most recent quarter includes a fundraiser hosted by some bigshot Republicans including Bill Scherer, Jim Blosser and Justin Sayfie. Wayne Huizenga dropped by, says Keechl, and Scott Rothstein also wrote the Democrat a check.

County Republican Party Chair Chip LaMarca says Keechl is funding his campaign ''with a lot of downtown business people and developers he campaigned against his first term.''

LaMarca, a Lighthouse Point commissioner, said he hasn't ruled out a bid himself and isn't intimidated by Keechl's cash, but he sounds less enthusiastic about the prospect of running than he did a few months ago. Previously LaMarca said he'd decide by the summer, now he says sometime this year. And he says the District 91 race isn't his main focus and that he doesn't feel he could run for that seat and continue his party chair gig.

Keechl, the current vice mayor, will have key visibility during his campaign next year because his peers will likely choose him as mayor.

Fundraising reports through June are due by July 10.

Broward want ad: anybody out there want to operate a jail?

Broward commissioners tonight voted to direct county officials to hit up city managers to see if any are interested in running the stockade, the jail facility Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti plans to close at the end of July as part of his budget cuts.

It seems unlikely that cities wrestling with their own budget woes would want to step into the middle of this fight and take over operating a jail.

Commissioners also voted to hire a consultant to study taking over BSO's entire jail system, but its unlikely that will resolve the budget dispute with Lamberti this year. That would give commissioners control over nearly one-third of Lamberti's $722 million budget.

Commissioner Kristin Jacobs argued that her peers were sending the wrong message as they attempt to continue negotiations with Lamberti. She said her colleagues need to meet with Lamberti in person.

"Enough of us aren't doing that,'' she said.

But Jacobs was outnumbered by commissioners who said its time to collect information to determine if the county could save money by operating the jails.

"For me its not a power grab,'' said Mayor Stacy Ritter.

Hasner endorses Bogdanoff

Republican House Majority Leader Adam Hasner is the latest Republican elected official to throw his support behind state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff in her state senate bid.

She has picked up endorsements from more than a half-dozen elected officials including U.S. Sen. John  McCain.

Bogdanoff, who is running for Jeff Atwater's seat, faces fellow state rep. Carl Domino and businessman Nick Loeb. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Kelly Skidmore plans to run.

Broward Mayor Ritter under investigation by elections commission

The Florida Elections Commission has concluded that the allegations about Broward Mayor Stacy Ritter's campaign finance reports are worth investigating.

The complaint "contains one or more legally sufficient allegations,'' states the June 5 letter from the commission to Ritter.

Ritter referred a phone call to her attorney Mark Herron who has represented hundreds of politicians or candidates facing elections commission investigations. Herron said he didn't get the June 5 letter until today and will submit a response to the elections commission in July.

Brenda Chalifour, an activist who has fought with the commission about airport expansion, filed the complaint with the elections commission last month. She also filed similar complaints with the Broward Sheriff's Office and State Attorney -- Herron said he isn't aware of any investigations underway by those agencies.

The Elections Commission will investigate reports filed from Ritter's 2008 campaign in which she drew no opponent. Specifically, the commission will investigate whether Ritter failed to report some contributions, failed to disclose at least one expenditure for consulting and accepted contributions in excess of campaign limits, among several other allegations.

"We are trying to get a handle on all the things alleged in that 200-page thing,'' Herron said. "We have noticed one or two errors. We are going to work with the elections commission and give them all the information they request.''

An example of an error: campaign reports show two donations of $500 apiece from the Florida Transportation Association -- above the maximum limit.

"We are going back and looking at original checks in every case to see what the case might be,'' he said.

If the allegations are substantiated, Ritter could face up to $1,000 per count.