Dear Friends
As many of you know, I have spent the summer getting to know many of these candidates personally. I am basing my recommendations on the results of that quest. In the case of the judges, I have tried to endorse those who think the same way I do. While party affiliation is not supposed to be a factor, in some cases it had to be. Candidates who donated heavily to the Republican party (George Bush, Clay Shaw etc.) were not candidates I felt would make judgments representing the way I felt. Some of these were very hard to choose from, but I did the best I could. While I found that almost all were qualified, I needed to choose the person I felt would be best suited from each individual race. I did not use incumbency as a yardstick. Some incumbents were fabulous at what they did and there were some whose time had come and who needed to step down. The names I bolded were of candidates that I got to know really well and fell in love with :-). They are young, fresh, enthusiastic and would do us proud on the bench. It's been quite a summer :-)
Please use these recommendations in the spirit in which they were intended. They are only a guide and the way I feel. Feel perfectly free to pass these recommendations on to your voting lists, making any changes you feel are necessary.
Happy voting!!!!!!!
UNITED STATES SENATOR Kendrick B. Meek
ATTORNEY GENERAL Dan Gelber
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 94 Hazelle P. Rogers
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 4 Ken Keechl
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 6 Suzanne Gunzberger
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 8 Angelo Castillo
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 9 Dale Holness
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 2 Kenneth L. Gillespie
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 4 Elijah H. Williams
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 6 Carlos Rodriguez
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 9 Susan Lebow
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 15 Robert Abraham Jakovich
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 22 Carlos Rebollo
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 23 Barbara Anne McCarthy
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 24 Olga Levine
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 47 Lisa Porter
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 51 Sandra Perlman
CIRCUIT JUDGE GROUP 53 Eileen M. O’Connor
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 1 John Howes
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 3 Peter Skolnick
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 4 Lloyd Golburgh.
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 12 John (Jay) Hurley
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 13 Linda R. Pratt
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 14 Mary Rudd Robinson
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 15 Mindy Solomon
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 20 Steven Schaet
COUNTY JUDGE GROUP 26 Nathaniel Klitsberg
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1 Ann Murray
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2 Patti Good
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4 Robert Mayersohn
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 6 Laurie Rich Levenson
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 7 Nora Rupert
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 8 Nick Sakhnofsky
Remember, this is only a guide and my opinions. Please take it in the spirit in which it is offered :-)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
This year's August elections
Lately there has been a lot of hue and cry over judges and other officials (normally elected) who were unfortunate enough to draw opponents. The hue and cry stems from the fact that these judges, county officials, and even a school board member were appointed to their position and therefore deserve that position for life, or their term limits, whatever comes first.
These judicials and others were never elected to positions by the people and in most cases, the people don't even know who they are. Yet, they and their entourages, feel entitled. They are mortified. How dare they be challenged.
Well, I personally feel that they should be challenged. An appointment by Jeb Bush or Charlie Crist is not, in my opinion, a mandate to keep an elected official. This is not to say that they are bad judges, or officials. I am simply saying that it is time the public had a say over their tenure in the position.
I see nothing wrong with an appointed judge having to prove himself to the public he or she serves. I see nothing wrong with an appointed school board member or county commissioner having to seek the validation of the population. I have a major problem with a judicial coming to me for support and explaining that they were appointed because they were the best for the job. We all know that isn't true. I think I also am totally insulted with that line.
There are some cases where the appointed judicial happens to be wonderful in that position and I am proud to be supporting that person. I will say, however, that it is not always the case. I truly resent the sense of entitlement that I am hearing from judges who were appointed to that position. They are sure they own the judicial role. I also feel that way with judicials who were elected many years ago and do not want to have to go through an election again.
My position on all this is that no one is elected to any position for life here in Broward County. We need our elected officials, all of them, to keep proving to us that they are the best for the job. They, above all, should understand this. The crying needs to stop!
These judicials and others were never elected to positions by the people and in most cases, the people don't even know who they are. Yet, they and their entourages, feel entitled. They are mortified. How dare they be challenged.
Well, I personally feel that they should be challenged. An appointment by Jeb Bush or Charlie Crist is not, in my opinion, a mandate to keep an elected official. This is not to say that they are bad judges, or officials. I am simply saying that it is time the public had a say over their tenure in the position.
I see nothing wrong with an appointed judge having to prove himself to the public he or she serves. I see nothing wrong with an appointed school board member or county commissioner having to seek the validation of the population. I have a major problem with a judicial coming to me for support and explaining that they were appointed because they were the best for the job. We all know that isn't true. I think I also am totally insulted with that line.
There are some cases where the appointed judicial happens to be wonderful in that position and I am proud to be supporting that person. I will say, however, that it is not always the case. I truly resent the sense of entitlement that I am hearing from judges who were appointed to that position. They are sure they own the judicial role. I also feel that way with judicials who were elected many years ago and do not want to have to go through an election again.
My position on all this is that no one is elected to any position for life here in Broward County. We need our elected officials, all of them, to keep proving to us that they are the best for the job. They, above all, should understand this. The crying needs to stop!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
History Repeats Itself
As a teenager growing up, I always was told that I needed to make sure I took care of my little sister. When she was around eleven, she came to me crying hysterically that kids were throwing rocks at her. Despite my advanced age (I was 18), I went to those kids and started throwing rocks at them (my mother was furious, and rightly so), but no one messed with my sister. I think I scared those kids half to death.
When my son was young, we were in the Library one day when a group of Juvenile Delinquents cornered him and started throwing books at him. He was terrified, and when I got there, I determined that I would protect him at all costs. I chased those kids into the middle of a New York street and with traffic flowing both ways, I caught one of them and spanked him. Quite a spectacle.
When Sharon was growing up, and was picked on by a teacher in the middle of the rotunda at her high school, I called the principal and explained that if that teacher did not publicly apologize to my daughter and undo the embarrassment that she was caused, this story would be in every newspaper in New York City as well as in the courts. I also explained that I fully expected my daughter to receive an "A" in her coursework so her college applications were not affected. Sharon was protected.
When my husband was rendered paralyzed by ALS, there was a situation where he fell getting into a County sponsored limo and was left there, on the floor, by the driver. I was furious. The owner of that Limo service is probably still shaking by the explanation of what was going to happen to him, his service and his very lucrative County contract unless my husband received a full apology from him, the driver was fired, and my husband was treated royally from that time on.
I'm sure that those who know me remember all of these events quite well!
Bottom line here.....I will fight to the death to protect those I love. No one messes with my loved ones without having to deal with me...and that is not always a pleasant experience!
I am getting that same feeling now, watching my kids lose their educational benefits due to a top heavy, selfish, wasteful, school Administration and I am determined to protect them at all costs. Many people have applauded the fact that I am apparently relentless in my quest to see that this damage does not happen. They don't understand that for me this is just as personal as those incidents reported above.
I inherited my love of Broadway musical theater from music and drama classes starting in the elementary schools. My school library was my second home and I loved seeing my friends (note that it was never me) winning their competitions in their gym classes. These were the things that I loved about school and that love of education is with me to this day.
We are in a situation here in Broward County where administrative waste and excess is threatening to take all those things from our kids. I won't bore you by listing all the ridiculous excesses, they can easily be found elsewhere. I will say that I will fight to the death to make sure that it does not happen. I am hearing school board members blame it on administration and I find it mind boggling. To begin with...who works for whom? I don't ever remember voting for a school Superintendent or an Area Director. I do remember voting for school board members and I know that I have the power to help reelect them if I so choose. I will only choose to work with those who are working with our public.
We did an amazing thing this week. The strength of the public lobbying here in Florida was so intense that we caused a Republican governor to veto a Republican bill and ensure that our teachers did not get the short end of the educational stick on a state wide level. Too many people are resting on those laurels and not remembering that though teachers on the higher level were protected, a large number of our elementary school teachers have been cut or eliminated from their positions. It is going to take a major battle to reach the public and get the outpouring of emotion that saved our teachers salary and tenure. Here in Broward county, what is the good of salary and tenure if there is no job.
What is the good of an educational system that is not well rounded for our kids. What is the good of a school system that takes the joy out of the educational system. What is the good of an educational system that focuses purely on academics without bringing out the creativity of our children.
This needs to change and we need to alert everyone to the power of their vote. You have that power, you just need to use it.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Life seems so short
This is a clip of Bea Arthur and Angela Lansbury doing the "Bosom Buddies" act that they created in the show "Mame". The song, as the singers, have always been favorites of mine. These were beautiful women who dealt with the aging process with grace, retaining their feminity and beauty. They were funny, sharp, creative women who seemed to have it all. They were my role models. They were doing what I always wanted to do. Performing and having a wonderful time.
They are no more. Bea Arthur passed away today. She was 86 years old. That alone was an incredible shock to me. How could she be 86 years old, when in my mind she was somewhere in her early 60's.
My mother had a saying. She would turn to us and say "They could shoot me dead 6 times, but they will never kill me". I believed her. Her death was a double shock to me. The first for the obvious reason that she was my wonderful, beautiful, charismatic, and lively mother,,,and the other was that they did kill her. She was wrong.
I felt that way about Bea Arthur as well. She was an indomitable woman with strength and determination second to none. Just recently she was on stage here in South Florida and enchanting all who saw her. I missed that performance, but was eagerly awaiting the next one. There won't be a next one. I feel terrible. I shouldn't have been so cavalier about missing that performance.
There is a lesson to be learned here. I'm not sure exactly what it is and need to crystalize my thoughts. It will come to me, but until it does......
Rest in peace Bea Arthur....your admirers will miss you.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
25 Things About Me
My daughter dared me to write 25 things about me on my Facebook page. These are the things that I came up with. Basically this is who I am.
1. I am basically a very lazy person. My most comfortable days are when I don't get dressed.
2. I am happiest when I am curled up in the recliner with a good book.
3. I am an obsessive collector. I can't just have one of something I like - I buy in bulk
4. I am the eternal optimist. I always try to see whatever bright side exists.
5. I am very high maintenance. I require a lot to exist.
6. I am vain. I like to look nice and work real hard at it. I passed that trait down to Sharon, but then again, she always looks nice.
7. I just had a birthday and it had to be one of the most painful days of my life. The older I get, the more I cherish my old friends.
8. I am very fortunate that I have a wonderful family. It wasn't easy, but when you work at it, it comes together.
9. My son lives in New York and it kills me. I know that he is where he needs to be and where he belongs, but I wish he felt that way when he lived down in Florida.
10. My daughter lives around the corner from me and I feel wonderfully fortunate that she allows me to be part of her day to day life.
11. Sharon's husband Darren is an absolute saint. Not only does he put up with my daughter, but he puts up with me as well and I'm not easy!!!
12. My sister and her family are now part of my every day existence. It was not an easy process, but we had to grow into our feelings and I think we finally made it. We also have more in common now than ever before.
13, I have a niece that was part of my world before and is part of my world again. She is also part of me.
14. ADHD is a family trait. My father's family is rife with it and I unfortunately passed it on to my son and my niece. My Emma is also ADHD the way we were. I know just what she is experiencing.
15. I wanted to be a musical comedy star when I was growing up. My favorite role was Ado Annie in Oklahoma and I performed it in school plays.
16. I passed my love of theater down to my children. Emma and Camryn are the only kids that age that know the lyrics to showtunes.
17. I also passed down my love of performing. My daughter was a theater major and Emma takes drama classes. Larry did stand up comedy and made entertainment interviews the lynchpin of his profession.
18. I get very scared that one day I will not be able to handle the myriad things life throws at me.
19. I get scared that more will be thrown at me and I really think I've had enough.
20. I nursed my mother through cancer and my husband through five years of ALS. I want this to be my time.
21. I am very scatterbrained. I am constantly locking my keys in my car and calling Darren to come and unlock the car for me.
22. I have a minor focus problem. It takes me a minute to process what is said - sometimes people think I don't hear them, but what really happens is that I need to process.
23. I am a very private person. I can go on for hours about things that really mean nothing to me, but rarely communicate the things that are very important.
24. I have a tendency to block unpleasant things from my memory. People and incidents where I was left hurting just stop to exist in my world.
25. My mother was a beautiful woman but my father was the person that I idolized all mylife.
1. I am basically a very lazy person. My most comfortable days are when I don't get dressed.
2. I am happiest when I am curled up in the recliner with a good book.
3. I am an obsessive collector. I can't just have one of something I like - I buy in bulk
4. I am the eternal optimist. I always try to see whatever bright side exists.
5. I am very high maintenance. I require a lot to exist.
6. I am vain. I like to look nice and work real hard at it. I passed that trait down to Sharon, but then again, she always looks nice.
7. I just had a birthday and it had to be one of the most painful days of my life. The older I get, the more I cherish my old friends.
8. I am very fortunate that I have a wonderful family. It wasn't easy, but when you work at it, it comes together.
9. My son lives in New York and it kills me. I know that he is where he needs to be and where he belongs, but I wish he felt that way when he lived down in Florida.
10. My daughter lives around the corner from me and I feel wonderfully fortunate that she allows me to be part of her day to day life.
11. Sharon's husband Darren is an absolute saint. Not only does he put up with my daughter, but he puts up with me as well and I'm not easy!!!
12. My sister and her family are now part of my every day existence. It was not an easy process, but we had to grow into our feelings and I think we finally made it. We also have more in common now than ever before.
13, I have a niece that was part of my world before and is part of my world again. She is also part of me.
14. ADHD is a family trait. My father's family is rife with it and I unfortunately passed it on to my son and my niece. My Emma is also ADHD the way we were. I know just what she is experiencing.
15. I wanted to be a musical comedy star when I was growing up. My favorite role was Ado Annie in Oklahoma and I performed it in school plays.
16. I passed my love of theater down to my children. Emma and Camryn are the only kids that age that know the lyrics to showtunes.
17. I also passed down my love of performing. My daughter was a theater major and Emma takes drama classes. Larry did stand up comedy and made entertainment interviews the lynchpin of his profession.
18. I get very scared that one day I will not be able to handle the myriad things life throws at me.
19. I get scared that more will be thrown at me and I really think I've had enough.
20. I nursed my mother through cancer and my husband through five years of ALS. I want this to be my time.
21. I am very scatterbrained. I am constantly locking my keys in my car and calling Darren to come and unlock the car for me.
22. I have a minor focus problem. It takes me a minute to process what is said - sometimes people think I don't hear them, but what really happens is that I need to process.
23. I am a very private person. I can go on for hours about things that really mean nothing to me, but rarely communicate the things that are very important.
24. I have a tendency to block unpleasant things from my memory. People and incidents where I was left hurting just stop to exist in my world.
25. My mother was a beautiful woman but my father was the person that I idolized all mylife.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
It's Not Over Till It's Over......
…and that hasn’t happened yet. I am getting increasingly nervous about the number of undecided voters showing up in the polls. Are they really undecided or afraid to be labeled as one thing or another (I think the word I am having trouble with is racist).
The antidote for this is to make sure that every vote that can be cast has been cast. Here, in Florida, we expend a lot of energy on getting out the vote, but that goes for my friends in other states as well. Please make sure that everyone you know votes, and votes correctly. No one can be complacent enough to decide that their vote is really not necessary. Their vote is very necessary and becoming more so with each poll that comes out on realclearpolitics.com.
This email is to not request, but rather to beseech you to help in your area to get out the vote. Guilt them into it if you need to, but I beg you – do whatever you need to do to help us get out the vote…wherever you live….no matter how partisan the area may be. Use the vision of Sarah Palin if that will help. Again, pull out all the stops.
There is that great video going around where you insert a name and blame just one person for the wrong guy winning. That is almost not funny.
The antidote for this is to make sure that every vote that can be cast has been cast. Here, in Florida, we expend a lot of energy on getting out the vote, but that goes for my friends in other states as well. Please make sure that everyone you know votes, and votes correctly. No one can be complacent enough to decide that their vote is really not necessary. Their vote is very necessary and becoming more so with each poll that comes out on realclearpolitics.com.
This email is to not request, but rather to beseech you to help in your area to get out the vote. Guilt them into it if you need to, but I beg you – do whatever you need to do to help us get out the vote…wherever you live….no matter how partisan the area may be. Use the vision of Sarah Palin if that will help. Again, pull out all the stops.
There is that great video going around where you insert a name and blame just one person for the wrong guy winning. That is almost not funny.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Getting Closer to the Election
Yesterday, I observed the Obama field workers in action. It was really something to see. We had over 250 volunteers from Weston, my home town. The demographics ran the gamut from high school students to 90 year old men and women. The word of the day was enthusiasm. Another word might be joy.
You could tell from the electricity in the room, that there was a real chance for the state to go Democratic....something we are not usually used to. We were told that there would be a team of the best lawyers in the country at our beck and call for any emergency that might happen....very reassuring when you live in Florida. As a Democratic Leader, I really felt statewide victory and came away elated.
I somehow became very emotionally engaged in this election. I dislike the Republican team so intently and adore the Democratic team. I really do see hope when Obama Biden is in charge of our country. I just wish it was all over already. It almost is. Absentee ballots were received Friday and I will be voting today. At least it will be over for me.
You could tell from the electricity in the room, that there was a real chance for the state to go Democratic....something we are not usually used to. We were told that there would be a team of the best lawyers in the country at our beck and call for any emergency that might happen....very reassuring when you live in Florida. As a Democratic Leader, I really felt statewide victory and came away elated.
I somehow became very emotionally engaged in this election. I dislike the Republican team so intently and adore the Democratic team. I really do see hope when Obama Biden is in charge of our country. I just wish it was all over already. It almost is. Absentee ballots were received Friday and I will be voting today. At least it will be over for me.
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