Third Florida Mayor Arrested This Month

[babylonsister]

http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2013/08/third-florida-mayor-arrested-month/

Third Florida Mayor Arrested This Month
Posted on August 29, 2013 by Alisha Mims •


The mayor of Homestead, FL was arrested on Wednesday on corruption charges. Mayor Steve Bateman, 58, is the third Florida mayor to be arrested within the past month.

Bateman reportedly received $125 an hour to work as a consultant for a healthcare company. The company was seeking city and council approval for a sewer connection that would have enabled it to build a clinic in Homestead, according to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Rundle.

The mayor lobbied his city officials and County Mayor Carlos Gimenez “without disclosing his financial arrangement with Community Health Care of South Florida Inc.” Bloomberg reports.

Earlier this month, Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi and Sweetwater Mayor Manuel Maroño were arrested in an FBI sting operation. The two men, along with two lobbyists, were charged with conspiring to commit extortion.

Pizzi and Maroño accepted thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for “championing purported federal grant applications for their towns,” according to the Miami Herald. “In reality, the men were in cahoots, intending to line their pockets with the grant money – not to bring dollars into municipal coffers,” according to the FBI.

“Our democracy suffers when… elected officials use their power and political influence for personal gain instead of for public good,” US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said at a press conference this month.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Progress!

It's a start.

[skydive forever]

2. So proud to be a Floridian

[valerief]

3. Florida, the nation's turd.

No offense to thinking, liberal Floridians outnumbered by Teh Stoopid and the elected criminals!

[secondvariety]

4. No offense taken.

Florida gets the politicians they deserve.

[RandiFan1290]

7. Yeah and Massatwoshits elected Romney as their Governor.

[valerief]

22. Don't forget the Scott Brown bullshit, too! nt

[HooptieWagon]

9. FYI, The Homestead Mayor is a Democrat.

There is indeed a whole lot of corruption in Fla, but it isn't limited to the GOP. Third Way Dems are just as bad.

[dotymed]

11. We MUST create a "Progressive Party"

no corporate sponsors allowed, just a real grassroots party, to get rid of the fascists and corruption.

The d&r parties are actually just different arms of one entity.....the top 5% or so.

I bet Holder is pissed at the Fla. AG for actually doing his job against these corrupt bastards.

America no longer exists. Only the majority, through non-violent civil disobedience, everywhere at once, can make a difference.

I never thought, as an FDR Democrat, that I could be thoroughly disgusted with our country. TPTB bought all of their restraints off and have been allowing us the false image that our vote counts; hold your nose and pick a candidate.

"We" (our soldiers) are fighting for democracy across the world yet Americans don't have it.

What is our "flash point"?

[Baitball Blogger]

15. kick

[valerief]

23. So much of Florida is a toilet. That's why it's shaped like a turd. nt

[Safetykitten]

6. Florida.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. I hope they can do this retroactively.

Our mayor in the late nineties was representing property that the city was trying to annex into the city limits. He also represented property in a special districting area where he used his position to try to dilute the regulations. He was a registered Democrat, but was anti-regulation. Which goes to show you, that in Central Florida things aren't always what they seemed.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that he was also behind an effort to delay city approvals for a developer because he and his buddies were trying to get a good price for the property once the developer went bankrupt?

Where the hell were the authorities back then?

[NBachers]

10. Having lived in both Homestead and Sweetwater, I'm not surprised

Then there's this: "Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and wife indicted on tax evasion charges"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014485249

[Baitball Blogger]

16. Crooked business has been conducted in Central Florida

for quite some time. The reason they have stayed under the radar is because their good ole boy network extends into the legal field which has connections into the political process on both sides of the aisle.

[HooptieWagon]

19. Florida has a long history of corruption and swindles.

Sometime look up the great railroad bond swindle.

[Baitball Blogger]

21. I wonder if they have met their match with the internet?

[progressoid]

12. cahoots.

I love that word.

cahoots.

[darkangel218]

26. What does it mean?

[SwampG8r]

28. colluding or conspiring together secretly nt

[dotymed]

13. In Clarksville, TN.

The only people who run for city council (it is not cheap) are the ones who want to look at the planning commissions future plans.

Then they know what land to buy cheap and where to locally invest their money for huge profits. We merge with Ft. Campbell, Ky.

Talk about a militarized (huge) police force. If you are wealthy, you are safe.

Even in our High Schools, if you play sports, your parents must have enough money so that their child doesn't have to work a summer (or any) job. They lose good athletes because only the parents who can pay have children who can play.

It is a major topic of discussion among the parents, my best friend works 2 full time jobs and his wife works full time to keep their son in sports. The coaches tell the other kids, "unless you have can give us 320 days a year, you will not be on the varsity team.
Many good athletes cannot play because they must have a summer job. It is not a secret...no money/ no chance. The kids are embarrassed. That does not include the thousands of dollars their parents must pay for sports clinics (often run by their own coaches) America has demoralized the poor and working class. What are we, the majority, gonna do about it?...so far, bow our heads in shame.
Fuck that!

[Rebellious Republican]

14. This is the norm down here, weekly headlines involving poor ethics in politics.

Looks like our choices for Gov will be Teabagger pRick Scott, or Republican light Charlie Christ. Makes me jump for joy over the prospects.

[Baitball Blogger]

18. And at least on of CC's rainmakers is an attorney who should have faced disciplinary action

in the late nineties.

Maybe we should be looking at the people propping the politicians to determine what kind of government they plan to run?

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. i'm glad they are willing to arrest corrupt officials

[rrneck]

20. Tim Dorcey novels are actually history books. nt

[Cha]

24. What ever makes them think they won't be

caught?

mahalo babylonsistah!

[B Calm]

25. I spent 4 years in the navy stationed in Florida. Haven't been back to Florida

in almost 40 years and I don't care if I ever go back.

[gopiscrap]

27. Florida is one fucked up state