“People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
In the Furth owned By The Sea Times an article was written for the second time trying to cast aspersions on the opposing CIC-PAC in town…Unite Our Town…making mention of it not being registered with the State…You may recall the BTSTimes falsely stated in their previous publication that probable cause was found BEFORE any hearing of the Florida Elections Commission …(prev. post)…calling into question the very people who investigate these claims and giving the impression the state investigators had circumvented the proper protocol required ….. Not quite what Owner-Publisher -Editor Furth asserted at the podium on Feb 9, 2010..
Cristie Furth-” A little over a year ago my husband and I purchased the By The Sea Times, Lauderdale By The Sea’s oldest newspaper and we are proud of the contribution being made to the community by providing accurate and factual, actual and factual community news and human interest stories. We do not engage in yellow journalism.” …Hmmm…
While the “NEW” UOT may not have been properly registered with the Department of Elections, we can only surmise it was an oversight on their part…And because UOT is under a gag order and is prevented from discussing the situation much as Comms. Silverstone and McIntee were “gagged” during their many Fl. Ethics and Election investigations……all this writer can do is put the pieces of the puzzle together until that hearing, if it is required after any investigation has concluded there is a need for a hearing and then it would be only after a finding of the full commission…
This writer made a public records request to the Town to check on the registrations for UOT and the LBTS-CIC with the Town for years 2006, 2007, 2008 ,2009, after hearing of the charges made against UOT and being informed by someone who is knowledgeable that the LBTS-CIC was also initially only registered with the Town as a PAC, not the state….It was brought to my attention after that statement that in recent years the LBTS- CIC was not very diligent in keeping up their own Town of LBTS registration for being a PAC when changing their Chairperson yearly and the Registered Agent which did not occur annually…… As I awaited my request I was eager to see the paperwork especially after seeing the first G1 reports for the LBTS-CIC and UOT submitted on January 15, 2010…
The G1 for UOT stated – “ID Number #51-0649200
The G1 for the CIC stated – “ID Number # N/A”
The LBTS-CIC showed NO ID NUMBER and stated either Not Applicable or Not Available!…
On February 5, 2010 I received my request from Deputy Town Clerk Nikki Smith…
I received two “Registered Agent Statement Of Appointment” for UOT…
The first was stamped “Received Oct. 5, 2007” and the Reg. Agent was listed as Regis Brady/ also listed as Chairperson with Mr. Brady signing both..
The second was stamped “Received Jun 16, 2009” and the Reg Agent was listed as Bob Fleishman/also listed as Chair with Mr. Fleishman signing both…
I asked Deputy Town Clerk Smith where was the paperwork for the LBTS-CIC and Ms. Smith replied there was “NO CIC Registered Agent for the Town” …”There is no LBTS-CIC registration as a PAC with the Town on LBTS for any of those years”….. WOW!…
I am informed that is indeed a violation of the Florida Elections Rules!…
On the G2 the LBTS- CIC also states “N/A” for Town ID #…
In this writer’s opinion some of the blame for for both PACs being non- registered with either the Town or the State falls squarely on the Town Clerk… who should have recognized that either PAC was not in compliance with the requirements for being a PAC ….
Perhaps, now the Fl. Elections Commission needs to receive a complaint against the LBTS-CIC to deal with the LBTS-CIC for years of non -registered activity in the Town of LBTS…
While they are at it they can also check into some other violations found with the LBTS-CIC…
As previously stated the LBTS-CIC website is still as of today inaccurately giving false information that the maximum contribution is $500.00 while at the same time endorsing Comm. Silverstone who is campaigning on his role in reducing the maximum contribution from $500.00 to $300.00…
The LBTS-CIC has paid for ads in the Furth By The Sea Times without the proper disclaimers on October 2, 2009 0n page 5/ without the proper disclaimers on Oct. 23, 2009 on page 20
In the LBTS-CIC G1 report the expenditures list advertising to BTSTimes on 10-7-2009 for $420.00/ expenditure for advertising on 11-23-09 for $420.00/ expenditure for advertising on 12/15/09 for $420.00
According to the Newspapers the LBTS-CIC advertised on 10-2-09/1o-23-09/ 11-2-09/ 12-11-09/12-28-09…with 1/4 pg. ads…the expenditures do not reflect the correct number of ads paid for in the G1 required dates for reporting 10-1-09 to 1-15-10…
In the G2 LBTS-CIC report from Jan-16-10 to Jan- 29-10 …there is only listed in the expenditures one item…”1/29/10 Postage mailing 648.97″
The LBTS- CIC sent out a mailer and does not include the printing costs in the G2 Report…
The LBTS-CIC advertised in the By The Sea Times with a half pg. ad on Jan 22, 2010 on pg.23 but show no expenditure for that ad in their G2 Report
The LBTS- CIC has been active in the meet in greets for their candidates throughout town providing wine, H’ordeurves, coffee and dessert…and we are told it has been catered from a local restaurant …but in their G2s there is no expenditure or in-kind donations listed…
The LBTS-CIC has retained the current Mayoral Candidate Joe Couriel as their current Vice Chair of the LBTS-CIC knowing it was a conflict found in 2008 when Vice Mayor McIntee went to his own Fl. Elections hearing concerning his 2006 run for commission…(prev. post)…
Three weeks before the March 9, 2010 Municipal Election in LBTS and the LBTS-CIC looks to be cracking alright…alongside the Furth owned By The Sea Times…..
more to come…
Tags: Civic Organizations, Lauderdale By The Sea By The Sea Times Newspaper Engages In Yellow Journalism?, Lauderdale By The Sea LBTS-CIC Not Registered with Town Of Lauderdale By The Sea, Lauderdale By The Sea- CIC has questionable G1-G2 Reports of Expenditures, Local News, Local Politics, Scoops
