Reflection

In today’s world it is not uncommon to presume that people in positions of power and wealth control the government. We can say as much as we want about this being a democracy, but the truth is America is far from it. The everyday individual seems powerless. Citizens have very little say in the laws by which they live. Although, perhaps we as a people have become jaded. I admit that I myself fall victim to the notion that leaders are selfish and heartless. Could it possibly be that bad government is not one hundred percent to blame?

If you look at it on a local level, take the public records audit for example, where hundreds of people were denied their rights to access information. In October of 2008 the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors organized an audit to test local governments’ compliance with Florida public record laws. Our class was among the many chosen to partake in this experiment. Over the course of a few days, 56 counties were unknowingly visited. I was chosen to ask the Hillsborough County School Board for e-mails concerning the budget. I was one of the many people who had an unpleasant experience to say the least.

When I arrived at the school board I went to the office and simply requested copies of the emails. The secretary gave me a suspicious look and another lady from across the room walked over to glare at me and make me feel uncomfortable. They grilled me for my name, address, phone number, date of birth, you name it. I told them my name and asked if it was required to give them more information in order to retrieve the files. The secretary responded with, “I can’t just drop what I’m doing and spend hours finding emails. You’ll have to give us at least one week, so we need your information.” She then proceeded to explain how I would have to pay for all of the hours they would use looking for this information. I felt as though they weren’t so much trying to inform me, as they were trying to convince me to go away and not come back.

My initial reaction was to get angry at the government for hiding public records and making it impossible for regular citizens to participate in government. But after discussing the audit with my class, I realized that most of the secretaries had no clue about public record laws. Not only did they not know the laws but they behaved as though no one had ever requested the records before.

If the masses took it upon themselves to learn their rights, it would be much easier to be persistent and get the information requested. In the event that a person’s request for a record is denied, or the agency makes it difficult to attain the records, an informed citizen could site the statute and quickly resolve most dilemmas. People would be less intimidated and less likely to take no for an answer.

On the other hand, the public should not have to challenge agencies because agencies are required to know this information as well. The job of an agency like the school board or the sheriffs office is to serve the public. Before someone can be hired at any of these agencies, employees must have a certain amount of training. In that training should not only be included, but also stressed, that employees should encourage the public to take action and keep our government transparent so as to maintain a system of checks and balances within our communities.

But then does that responsibility lay on the governments who head the agencies? Shouldn’t the government mandate that their employees are up to date and well versed in Florida Public Record laws? Or is the answer all of the above? It is true that the government has no right to deny public records and there needs to be done something about that. But knowing that our government isn’t perfect, the citizens should regard it as their duty to educate themselves.

Hopefully one day Americans will be willing to work towards a true participatory democracy, but in order to get there you have to ask yourself why is it that these agency secretaries had never before been asked to retrieve public records. Why is it that they assumed only the media had access to public records? The answer is simply because not enough people have taken the time to even try and research their local government.


And then one last question to ask yourself is, why hasn’t the government done more to educate the population about their right to access this information? Is it because they feel as though an apathetic nation is one that can be easily controlled? Regardless what the answers to these questions are, it is most likely a combination of all of those factors. Everyone must get involved and fight to keep our rights, because if we don’t, we might loose them.

Profile: Brian Blair

After thoroughly researching former County Commissioner Brian Blair, I’ve found more passionate opinions about him than facts. Whether people hate him or love him, Blair is definitely a noticeable figure in Hillsborough County. In order to understand Blair’s incessant need for the spot light, you would have to detach him from his public official title and see him as the fifty-four-year-old ex-wrestler republican whose faith in Christianity has blindly controlled every choice he’s ever made. The way in which Blair has lived his life has dramatically affected the community; some say more so than any other county commissioner in Hillsborough County history.

It all started in Gary, Indiana on January 12, 1954. Soon thereafter, Blair moved to Tampa, Florida where he began at Lake Elementary School. Blair then attended Webb Junior High School and Tampa Bay Tech High School. Here he grew into the self-proclaimed excellent athlete with “God-given ability”. Blair earned eight varsity letters for football and wrestling. Later he attended Saint Leo College in San Antonio, Florida for a year before going to the University of Louisville. Meanwhile Blair became known as one of the Killer Bees TV tag-team after making his name as a professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation, fighting well known wrestlers like Hulk Hogan.

Blair married Toni Sabella with whom he had two children. Blair became a very successful business man when he and his wife developed Blair’s Health and Fitness Gold’s Gym. Blair wrestled until 2001 when he blamed Carrabbas Italian Restaurant for ending his career. In June of 2001 Blair tripped over a tray in the restaurant and hit his head. He was quoted saying "It knocked the dog doo-doo out of me." He then sued the Carrabbas chain for the trauma his children experienced when they watched their father fall. Blair also claimed that the fall gave him a physical handicap that could impair his working ability. However, four months later Blair was caught on tape wrestling in Japan. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

In 2004 Blair was elected Hillsborough County Commissioner where he served for four years until he lost his position to democrat Kevin Beckner. Over the course of the past four years Blair has been recognized for an outstanding number of achievements. Blair has served on the Citizens Advisory Committee, the Florida Association of Counties Urban Caucus, HARTline, Juvenile Justice Council, Old Gandy Bridge Oversight Committee, Tampa Bay Partnership for Regional Economic Development, Hillsborough County Regional Transportation Authority, Tampa Chamber of Commerce International Committee and the Value Adjustment Board. Blair is also known for more than 6,000 hours of community service. Blair has volunteered for Florida Sheriff's Association, Great American Teach-In All Children's Hospital Telethon, Forest Hills Youth Baseball, The Children's Home, Florida Children's Wish Come True , Mary Help of Christians School, Make a Wish Foundation, Fraternal Order of Police, Faith Children's Home, Say No to Drugs Foundation, American Heart Association, SERVE Volunteer, Save the Children, Concerned Women of America, and was recognized as a Bay News 9 Every Day Hero.

However, Blair may be more famous for his controversial moral shortcomings. Since 2004 Blair has become known for discriminating against minorities, violating public meeting laws, banning books, stealing taxpayer dollars, and pushing his religious agenda. When Kevin Beckner questioned Blair about his prejudices against minorities in an interview with Flashpoint Blair replied;

I’ve coached black kids, black children stay at my home almost every weekend. For anybody to say, I was born in Gary Indiana, you know where Gary Indiana is Kevin. There was very few white people in my neighborhood And I didn’t know what prejudice was, probably the two white people in my neighborhood was myself and Michael Jackson. And those were. My friends were all black, so for anyone to say that I’ve been prejudice against African Americans is flat out wrong.

Later in the interview Blair said;

We’ve taken God out of our school, we’ve taken the nation, the pledge of allegiance out of school, look where our nation is headed to based on, and go back to when we recognized God, when we said the pledge of allegiance, those were times when people had more respect for our country, more respect for our creator, and this is a nation that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and I have nothing against Muslims or any other religion, nobody has worked harder for the Muslim community and their school system and their traffic congestion on Sligh avenue at Sligh and Orient than I have.

In the same interview Blair said, “you can call me a lot of things, but one thing you can’t call me is being frivolous with your tax dollars.” There is clear evidence that his statement could not be farther from the truth. One example is when Blair tried to take $985,000 of taxpayer money to replenish the 8-acre lake in front of his house. Blair clamed that the county was responsible because there were drainage problems, therefore the county should pay to resolve the situation.

Another very interesting thing I found was that his house at 518 West 130^th Avenue in Tampa has major financial discrepancies. At first I was surprised to find that the assessed value of his home was only $124,502 as it states on the Hillsborough County tax Collectors website. I checked to see if there were other properties under his or his wife’s name and there were not. I did additional research and found that under the Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests his home was appraised at $425,000. The location for this home is undisclosed but it states that the house on 130^th Ave is only his rental property. It also reveals that he has $375,000 in stakes and bonds. As of December 31, 2008 Blair’s net worth was $1,333,000. (This information was given to me by Senior Assistant County Attorney DeBora Cromartie-Mincey with the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office 813-272-5670 and County Attorney Renee Francis Lee with the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office 813-272-5670)

After that, I collected emails sent from Blair concerning an event that outraged the entire community. In April of 2008 Blair surpassed his sleazy reputation when he sent mass email to public officials, the school board, and parents urging them to protest the “Day of Silence”. This annual event is not school sponsored and promotes students to take a day in silence in commemoration of a particular cause. This year the students from Blake, Bloomingdale, Brandon, Riverview, Tampa Bay Technical, St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Hernando and Lecanto high school chose to devote the day to Lawrence King, an eighth grader who was murdered due to his sexual orientation. The day was meant to teach about hate crimes and stop bullying. Blair’s email said that;

The observances are no more appropriate than noting the heterosexual orientation of soldiers killed in Iraq. I have always believed that all citizens are equal and should be treated accordingly. On the other hand, no group of citizens should be given government sanction and support to promote their social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, our children. Considering the fact that the same school system does not want to allow just one Minute of Silence in the classroom for God, this is preposterous.

Needless to say, people shouted out in anger against Blair’s comments. One would think that Blair, if for no other reason than because he would soon be running for re-election, would revoke his statement and play it off as a misunderstanding. However, Blair did the opposite. When asked about the incident on Flashpoint Blair said that he wasn’t discriminatory against homosexuals. Although, he firmly believed in passing the gay marriage ban Amendment Two, but he has a gay friend so it’s OK. Apparently Blair’s gay friend and his partner respect Blair for his decision- somehow I find this hard to believe.

Today Blair is no longer the Hillsborough County Commissioner. Now that Blair has been replaced by openly gay Kevin Beckner, there’s no telling what Blair will do with the rest of his time on earth. But regardless what he chooses, I have no doubt in my mind that he will continue to charm people’s hearts and piss people off.

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=8777179&rn=25&pi=0&ref=search

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=11124836&rn=24&pi=0&ref=search

http://www.brianblair.com/community-involvement.aspx

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=7897761&rn=26&pi=0&ref=search

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=4687975&rn=48&pi=1&ref=search

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article447098.ece

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/28/Hillsborough/Blair__cafe_settle_la.shtml

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/10/Hillsborough/Apologize_Ferlita_say.shtml

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article860418.ece

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article765250.ece

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/article765250.ece

http://www.hillstax.org/taxapp/property_detail.asp?pmid=3664496

Meeting # 3 From Analog to Digital

The Tampa Chapter of the Society of Broadcast Engineers and Hillsborough County Television held the Digital Television Public Awareness Seminar on November 12, 2008. The meeting was held to educate the community about the transition from analog to digital television. On February 18, 2009 every television in America will officially be digital. Many say this transition will be bigger than the transition from black and white to color. Now televisions will have enhanced color and clarity, as well as a new world of channels.

From the National Association of Broadcasters, Robin Oxford is the Director of State Association and Membership Outreach Government Relations. Oxford opened the meeting by explaining the transition in detail. She explained the upgrade in sound and picture, but also spoke about the roll digital television will play in our community. I have heard of digital television, and like most I recognize the improvement, but until then I had no idea that digital television will create thousands of new channels. Digital will allow for more local programming which will be more representative of the society in which we live. Commercial industries will no longer be the gate keepers of information and opinions. With digital television, diverse view points will be easily transmitted. This will affect everyone; however, the benefits for lower-class residents can not be overstated.

In relation to expanding realities, one topic that was not addressed was the issue we have been discussing in class. With more channels, people will be increasingly drawn to sources that agree with their already existing positions. Viewers will be more easily capable of creating their own perception of reality which might further segregate our society. Though information sent through digital television may not be false, the pure amount of different sources stands as a conflict that we face in every aspect of our lives as digital media enhances convenience and consumer power. The double edged sword is not unlike the dilemma created by the internet. On the one hand, overwhelming sources of information pull people apart as they learn how to back up and misconception they may have about reality. However, the internet also brings people together through use of blogs for example. The internet, and digital television, may cause issues, although they also have the potential to educate people about each other. By learning about one another’s’ culture we are essentially coming closer together.

Oxford also spoke about digital freeing up the spectrum for other uses. With the transition to digital television, more sources will be available for wireless services. Digital will help limit dropped calls and reach communities in rural areas who otherwise would have poor access to television. Digital will also reach inner-city markets.

Another way digital will help is by enhancing public safety. According to Oxford, the transition to digital will help prevent disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Oxford stressed that if communication on the local level had been digital, more people could have been informed on what to do and where to go. The same argument was made against Clear Channel after a train crash killed one and injured hundreds in Minot, North Dakota. The town was unable to communicate with residents to warn them about a deadly gas leak. Many say that if digital was available, hundreds of people could have been saved from harm.

Southeast Regional Director for the DTV Transition National Outreach Campaign Patrick Weber, also spoke at the meeting. Weber went into the more technical aspect of the transition. Weber explained what residents should do with their antennas and even brought in an example he built himself. Weber brought a converter coupon and went through the steps the meeting advocated in order to make for an easier transition. After using a coupon to buy a converter and building his own antenna when he was “bored one day”, Weber showed how easy it is to convert with out having to buy a new and expensive television. Weber explained how with as little as six dollars, anyone can prepare for the transition. He gave the websites to go to in order to receive a coupon for a converter for those who wish to hold on to their analog televisions, and motivated everyone to get started early, since supplies will be in high demand a couple of months from now.

One thing I found interesting was that though most television stations will cease to function as of February, viewers can still watch some low powered Spanish stations, until those too eventually convert. Whether people prepare in time or not, the transition to digital will come and it will change how people view television forever.

Budget Cuts

With the economy in shambles, the politics of budget cuts seem to be on everyone’s minds. Why is education loosing money while CEOs receive bonuses from government buy-outs? It appears as though national and local government priorities are devastatingly skewed. Not only are school funding cuts in general affecting our community, but sex education is taking a particularly hard hit. With an already meager allowance allotted for sex education, the County Commission cut funds across the board. However, no cuts were as devastating as those made to Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provides sex education, reproductive counseling, STD testing, abortions, and contraceptives. While classrooms are getting bigger, students are loosing sex-ed programs. After a failed attempt to remove Planned Parenthood funding altogether, the county cut the 2008 budget from $25,000 in half.

Already massively under funded, Planned Parenthood pays for sex education in public schools and is responsible for supporting a group of students who travel to schools and discuss teenage pregnancies and STDs. With teen STD and pregnancy rates increasing, this is no time to cut funding for a program that will help prevent years of problems to come. Sex education has proven to reduce unintentional pregnancies and spread of disease. Due to the budget costs, Planned Parenthood will not be able to afford materials for educating the community. It will not be able to provide free and low priced contraceptives. It will not be able to provide vaccinations that can prevent cancer and death.

A weak economy requires major compromises. However, the majority of compromises that have been made thus far have been made by those who need it the most. Though the commission denies that their choices are politically motivated, it is hard not to notice the disparity between programs budgets that are being cut, and programs with neutral and even increasing budgets.

Midterm

1.

In order to do an in-depth report on Al Zimmerman I would have to use numerous sources, many of which are now located on the internet. The internet has made it infinitely easier to access public information. Though personal interviews are usually the most valid and acceptable form of reporting, the internet has made it possible to quickly and efficiently cross-reference information. In some cases this has proven to be an even more legitimate research method than the traditional reporting process; which is why the first thing I would do if I were investigating Al Zimmerman is simply enter his name in the Lexis Nexis search engine.

According to www.lexisnexis.com, Lexis Nexis is “a leading global provider of business information solutions to professionals in law firms, corporations, government, law enforcement, tax, accounting, academic institutions and risk and compliance assessment.” By searching Zimmerman in Lexis Nexis, you avoid the clutter and bias commonly found with commercial search engines like Google or Yahoo. Now I would check to see if any stories have already been written about Al Zimmerman and I would look for red flags that may indicate that further research is necessary.

I know that Al Zimmerman is a Public Information Officer of the Department of Child and Family Services. Since certain DCF personnel fall under exemption, it is not possible to obtain the “home address, telephone numbers, places of employment of spouses and children of such officers or personnel and the names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended by their children,” However; many public records that do not fall under exemption produce similar information.

Therefore, among other documents, I would check the Individual's Charge Report. Because I know Zimmerman was arrested in Hillsborough County, I can find his Charge Report by entering his name in an Arrest Inquiry at the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/online/sname01 With the Charge Report, I would be able to find out that he was arrested at 4:30pm on February 1, 2008 at 5015 Florida Av N. Records would show that he was born on January 09, 1968 and is a white male who also goes by Albert Andre Zimmerman. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and he is 5’8’’ and weighs 183 lbs. This information would help advance and specify further searches. At the moment, Zimmerman’s status is “released” but his bond was set to $120,000. I would also be able to find that he lives at 218 Sinclair Rd, Tallahassee Florida, 32312. Zimmerman was arrested on the basis of probable cause for eight counts of the use of a child in a sexual performance.

The laws for public records concerning victims of sex offenses, especially in regards to crimes involving children, are very strict. The Florida Public Records Handbook clearly states that, “any criminal intelligence information or criminal investigative information which reveals the identity of the victim of the crime of sexual battery or other sexual offense; lewd, lascivious, or indecent assault upon or in the presence of a child; or child abuse is exempt from disclosure.” Therefore, finding information on the victims would be extremely difficult, and if nothing else, unethical.

To find more information about Al Zimmerman I would go to the Clerk of Circuit Court for Hillsborough County and request a criminal background check. These are not offered online so before I go down town, I would go to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website. Criminal records are open to the public but a fee of $24 is required to access the information. Criminal records are very revealing and can help explain if the person in question has lived a long life of crime or if this is their first offense. When using criminal records you also have to be aware of the fact that some records can be expunged. Unfortunately there is corruption in our judicial system so even if people have a clean record that does not necessarily mean they have never committed a crime. In addition I would look at court records and go to the Tax Collector website to see if he owns property, and if he has been paying his taxes.

Lastly I would try and interview anyone from DCF to see if they have any inside information about Zimmerman. I would also interview the chief of DCF. Up until a month ago Bob Butterworth was DCF chief. George Sheldon is now the new DCF secretary. So, I would interview both if possible and I would ask them when they began to suspect Zimmerman was engaging in illegal acts with children. I would ask how it was possible that a DCF official could get away with it for so long. I would ask if other officials have also been tied to Zimmerman’s case. And I would ask what is being done from preventing anything like this from happening again.

2.

Though Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967, Florida has practiced government transparency for decades. Public Records Laws, also known as chapter 119, became official as early as 1909. Today, the right to access information has developed into an organized and regulated system of justice, including the Governor’s Commission on Open Government Reform.

Florida Public Records Laws are some of the most liberal laws in the nation. According to the Sunshine laws, also known as chapter 286, residents have a Constitutional right to access public records. Though there are many exemptions to these laws, Sunshine laws still ensure utmost availability to information. Sunshine laws also guarantee open public meetings of boards or commissions in relation to state and local agencies; this does not include federal agencies. Not only must the information concerning the meetings be readily available, agencies must also maintain that meetings are held at appropriate times and locations. Public meetings should minimally inconvenience residents as to not discourage people from attending. The reason for this is that justice and democracy depend on checks and balances. This country needs public meetings to insure the transparency of government actions. A person’s right to participate in their government is stripped of them if the information is not readily available. People must have the right to know what is going on so that they can protest against any wrong doing.

Governor Charlie Crist is a great proponent of the Sunshine Law. In his Executive Order 07-107 Crist states that “an open and accessible government is the key to establishing and maintaining the people’s trust and confidence in their government and its ability to effectively serve its citizens.” Crist created the Open Government Reform Commission in June of 2007, which evaluates and amends Florida Public Records and Public Meeting Laws. The report developed by the commission will be turned in to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President on December 31, 2008. In accordance with Article 1, Section 119 and Section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes, http://www.flgov.com/og_commission_home the commission consists of nine people who must be a “representative of a state agency, Florida Senate, Florida House of Representatives, Florida law enforcement, city or county government, First Amendment Foundation, or an attorney with experience in First Amendment issues and litigation.” Crist also adds that a private citizen who resides in Florida is eligible for a position on the commission.

The commission meets at least once every three months. Not only does it deal with protecting the rights of citizens but it also ensures fair treatment of agencies. Section three of Crist’s Executive Order states that;

The relevance and redundancy of all exemptions to government meetings and records. The Commission shall recommend the repeal or creation of exemptions, including new exemptions for categories of information, based on the following criteria:

a. Does the exemption allow the state or its political subdivisions to effectively and efficiently administer a governmental program?

b. Would the administration be significantly impaired without the exemption?

c. Does the exemption protect personal identifying information of a sensitive nature, the release of which would be defamatory or damaging to the good name or reputation of such individuals or would jeopardize the safety of such individuals. However, in exemptions under this subparagraph, only information that would identify the individuals may be exempted.

d. Does the exemption protect information of a proprietary nature which is used to protect or further a business advantage, the disclosure of which would injure the affected entity in the marketplace?

Crist is able to maintain a fair balance of transparency while protecting people in agencies who do not deserve to be publicly exposed. Of the thousands of people employed by the state, many have very little affects on the rest of the population. Crist differentiates between those who control what happens in the lives of others, and those who simply work for the government and have no reason to be exposed. There is a fine line between the public’s right to information, and a person’s right to privacy. By exempting certain pieces of information regarding, for example, an agency worker’s children, the government can help protect their employees from unwarranted intervention. However, this does not by any means signify that Open Government Reform is lenient on those officials whose information would help maintain regulation. Quite the opposite is true in that case. Public officials receive few exemptions because the public needs to know where their tax dollars are being spent. Citizens have the right to view travel records and expenses, payroll records, educational expenses, and automobile stipends. This way, the public can take part in regulating corruption in the system. The Open Government Reform Commission works with the public to come up with ways to better our public records laws and amend Article I, Section 24, of the Florida Constitution.

Although the commission has significantly helped develop and improve upon Florida’s Public Record and Sunshine Laws, there is still work to be done. Some of the issues raised to the commission concerned “relevance and redundancy of exemptions to government meetings and records”. Other issues include discontent with fees associated with public record requests. Some agencies will still attempt to discourage people from requesting information by falsely inflating the price of labor and materials. The commission is in the process of addressing these concerns but challengers stress the commission is not moving fast or efficiently enough. A fairly recent issue that is brought to the attention of the commission more frequently is new technologies associated with public records. As time goes by, an increasing amount of public records are being attained. We are becoming better at gathering information on people. However, there have become so many records that even if organization wasn’t an issue, there wouldn’t even be room for all of the papers. That is why our government is doing everything in its power to move records from paper to the web. Unfortunately, access to information can be a double edge sword; we are better able to regulate our government, but now they are better able to regulate us as well. Privacy and safety come into question which is why the commission is attempting to clarify the shades of grey in our current system.

3.

If I were doing a story about State Senator Victor Crist and his candidacy for Congress I would start off by checking his actions as a senator to get a better idea of who Crist is. I would go to flsenate.gov and click on “Senators”, then “find your legislators”. I see that when I go to his page I find a valid biography. I take note of the fact that he as President of Metropolitan Communications Inc, because that might come up later in regards to campaign funding. I look for who would benefit from Crist’s election. I also note the list of affiliations and keep in mind possible connections with lobbyists to cross reference them later.

I then go to www.sunbiz.org where I can find corporate officers, when corporations are founded or when they are dissolved. I could also check every corporation Crist owns. I see that Crist owns Theta Beta House Corperation, Inc. University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc., University of South Florida Area Community Civic Association, Inc., and Metropolitan Communications Inc.

The most helpful sight that every reporter should use when investigating campaign finances is http://moneyline.cq.com. After I log in, I would search for all of the people who contributed to Victor Crist so far and cross reference them to look for red flags. I would check to see what companies they owned, and I would also follow up on any lobbyists included in the bunch.

I would also go to http://election.dos.state.fl.us/campaign-finance/contrib.asp the Florida Division of Elections. I would check the Campaign Finance Database for all election years to see if donations to Victor Crist have changed over time. In order to refine my search I indicate Crist’s political party and make sure that I am only receiving contribution listings. This will help cut away the clutter and it will help insure I am searching for the correct Victor Crist. Among hundreds of contributors, I find that Associated Industries of Florida has donated thousands of dollars to Crist dating as far back as 1995. Another company name that stands out for contributing $3,000 is Anheuser Bush. I would also review Crist’s voting record at votesmart.org. Seeing who Crist is affiliated with would help to further monitor financial “coincidences”.

To find out what financial situation Crist has, I would go to the Tax Collectors web site. I would get to see where he lives. I would find out how many houses Crist owns. I would check to see if his properties are only owned by him, or if he shares ownership with his wife, or friend etc. If his properties were owned two or more people, I would also check their backgrounds as well.

Steve Andrews

WFLA Senior Investigative Reporter Steve Andrews spoke with our class on October 14, 2008. Andrews was motivating and inspiring. His stories were so momentous and emotional that I can’t wait until I can make that kind of a difference in people’s lives. He presented several cases and walked us step by step through his investigations. Andrews explained how public records can reveal crucial evidence. Most of the time, public records and patience are all you need to build a great report.

The first story Andrews shared was about cracks in a reservoir. I never imagined that something so simple could affect so many people. The 146 million dollar reservoir was supposed to be constructed with 12 inch walls. However, inspection proved that the walls were only four and in some cases only one inch thick. While covering the story, Andrews found out that there were videotaped dives that showed the inspections. Because of chapter 119, the videotapes are a matter of public record and Andrews was therefore entitled to the footage. This footage helped solidify the story which led to a full blown investigation and a great story.

Andrews also discussed the story he reported on Ronald Larson and the Palmetto Guest Home. Along with the medical records shared by Ashley Butler, public records helped Andrews find the cracks in the system Larson was able to slip through. Andrews revealed the horrible inner workings of this abusive assisted living facility and saved the dozen of patients who had been terribly neglected.

Andrews stressed that though his research investigation methods can be time consuming and emotionally stressful, the most difficult part is often due to agency discouragement. Not only will agencies try and refuse reporters public records, but they will also bury evidence in hundreds of boxes of files. Regardless the obstacle Andrews showed us why the fulfillment is well worth the work.

Hillsborough County Tax Collector Director of Administration Preston Trigg

Hillsborough County Tax Collector Director of Administration Preston Trigg gave a surprisingly fascinating presentation to our class on October 7, 2008. It was the first time someone had explained to me the homestead exemption in such detail and clarity. According to Trigg, the homestead exemption is a $50,000 deduction of the assessed property value of a primary residence. This deduction insures residents pay less taxes on the homes in which they live. I purchased my first home two years ago and have personally filed for the homestead exemption. Up until last Tuesday, I honestly had very little understanding of what that meant. Though most of the employees at the Hillsborough County Office are very accommodating, I had a hard time getting someone to explain anything about the exemption.

Trigg continued to clarify Save Our Homes. This exemption was enacted to amend the Florida constitution to limit the increase on property value assessments for homes receiving homestead exemption. Amendment ten says that value assessments can only go up three percent each year, except for the year after a home is sold.

Trigg also gave an excellent overview of public records. For the most part, we have already touched on many of these topics. However, Trigg gave great examples of real life situations where we can and will use this information. For one, Trigg reminded us to put requests for public records in writing. Though we are not required to do so, making requests official may help if an agency is unwilling to produce the records. By writing our requests we can use them in the event we go to court in order to prove the agency’s wrongdoing.

Financial disclosures were also subject matters that Trigg talked about. He reminded the class to look for public records that expose information about the highest paid employees in an agency. He said to look for people whose salaries have dramatically increased all of a sudden. Public records reveal five years of gifts an official has received, one year of payroll records, educational expenses, travel records, and automobile stipends; all of which a reporter can use in an investigation.

William March

October 2, 2008 Chief Political Writer William March covered issues concerning political campaigns, corporate records and federal criminal investigations. He explained the difference between soft- and hard money, and how the two come into play when reporting campaigns. March stressed that as a political writer, he covers everything from sewer systems to high finance, “you can’t name a subject that won’t come into play.” He clarified cross referencing and shared valuable websites reporters should use to “follow the money.”

The first website March detailed was CQ Money Line at http://moneyline.cq.com/pml/home.do. CQ Money Line lays out contributions and filings with the Federal Election Commission and IRS that lobbyists are required to release every six months. Candidates are required to file campaign contribution and expenses to the FEC. According to March, “the Federal Election Commission records and assembles filings in an easier to use, searchable form, and regulatory body for the funding of elections.”

With CQ Money Line, March took us through the steps he made in order to build a tax evasion investigation against Mark Jimenez. In 1996 Jimenez was Bill Clinton’s largest soft money donor in FL. March was able to prove that Jimenez illegally donated $500,000 by forcing his Future Tech employees to donate money to the campaign. March used CQ Money Line to search donations from anyone who listed Future Tech as their employers. After finding overwhelming donations March checked to see if any of those employees had ever donated money to a political campaign. He used public records to check their registration status and voting history. He was able to conclude that there was no way people would have donated thousands of dollars to a political campaign if they didn’t even care enough to vote for the party they were donating to. All of the information March used was a part of public records which proves that any reporter who tries hard enough, can uncover momentous and valuable information.

March also gave us the website for the Florida Division of election and OpenSecrets.org. Because Florida allows corporate donations, when most states do not, the Campaign Finance Database allows the population to insure corporations fairly and legally contribute to campaigns. March gave examples of people who created hundreds of corporations in order to illegally contribute.

March's presentation helped train us to become better and more thorough reporters. With the help of these websites, we will be better able to provide a service to the community by reporting on issues that potentially affect the outcome of our local, state, and national governments.

Goodwill: Public Meeting #2

I attended the Juvenile Justice Board meeting on September 19,
2008. The meeting far surpassed my expectations. It was
informative and engaging. From the beginning of the meeting,
there was a surprisingly positive, uplifting energy. It was clear
that those in attendance truly cared about the topic at hand.


Rick Rolfes, from Hillsborough County Criminal Justice, started the
meeting. He gave a short summary of the agenda and introduced
Goodwill Operations Manager Stephanie Anna. Anna began by
explaining Goodwill’s history and mission statement which is, “to
help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and
power of work.” I was impressed to hear that the Saint Petersburg-
based program, which opened in 1957, is one of the biggest Goodwills
in America. I was also unaware of the amount of people Goodwill
helps. This particular program is responsible for ten counties.
According to Anna, Goodwill served 77,000 people in 2007, 30,000
of whom were given jobs.


Goodwill correction programs work with the Hillsborough and Pinellas
County Drug Courts, Bureau of Prisons, and the Department of
Corrections to lend a hand to those who have fallen through the
cracks. Anna stressed that most of the people she helps don’t know
what jobs they like and are therefore less likely to thrive in
employment. By introducing people to different work environments,
Goodwill improves the chances that individuals will succeed and
will therefore be less likely to commit crimes. Goodwill’s Project
Bridge is designed to help people develop the skills needed to
get hired and maintain employment.


At Goodwill, youths receive education and on the job training. Drop-
out prevention and GED preparation hinder what Anna called
Department of Juvenile Justice recidivism. Recidivism is “a tendency
to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially
relapse into criminal behavior.” Goodwill therefore also provides
tutoring and carefully monitors adolescents.


I was pleased to learn that people are trained in jobs that are
in high demand in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. Far
too often are people educated and trained only to be turned
down due to low job availability. Especially in today’s market,
it is vital that these people, who are already at quite a disadvantage,
receive realistic and dependable help because otherwise it’s almost
worthless. If youths are forced back into a life of crime because of
unemployment it makes it that much harder to re-integrate them
into society.


Goodwill uses 87.7% of their budget to make sure that people are
taken care of from all angels. Goodwill gives people professional
clothes so that they are more likely to succeed at an interview.
Goodwill also has basic training in things most of us take for granted,
like classes on how to properly shake someone’s hand, and how to
look someone in the eye. All of these things help individuals fulfill
their potential, and insure that they receive a fair chance to get their
lives together.


The only issue that concerned me was brought up by Alvin McCray,
St. Pete Times Columnist, and sponsor of the Community Justice
Forum. McCray questioned the place of military recruitment, which
has been a topic of distress for me especially since the beginning of
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anna responded that the
Department of Labor calls for Goodwill to employ people and/or
recruit them into the military. Far too many underprivileged youth
of today turn to the military because they fear it is their only option.
With the economy in shambles an increasing amount of people are
not able to provide for themselves unless they enroll.


Other than that, I was very impressed with Goodwill and I greatly
enjoyed attending the public meeting.

Clerk of Circuit Court

The presentation at the Clerk of Circuit Court Office was very informative. Pat Frank, JoAnn Constantini, Dana Caranante, and Douglas Bakke taught us about e-recording, electronic court, surplus- and deficit counties, and the clerk switchboard.

The switchboard provides a surprisingly significant amount of service to the community. The two switchboard operators take a total of over a thousand calls a day. Twenty percent of the calls are actually intended for different departments or even completely different counties. JoAnn gave us several examples of misdirected calls, some as unrelated as removal of dead animals. When people don't know who to call, they often turn to the Hillsborough county commissioner's office. The switchboard office helps the community by connecting people to their desired party, even though twenty percent of the calls don't apply to their job description. Thirty to thirty-five percent of calls require services in Spanish.

Another topic that interests me is sealing and expunging of records. For the most part, public records are open for anyone. However, in cases with minors, adoption, and prominent figures, the laws are confining. This all makes perfect sense considering safety and privacy of certain individuals. Although, the seemingly obvious but nonetheless disturbing part of the policy is the fact that wealthy public figures misuse and manipulate the system to hide things from the public that people deserve to know. Lately this has come to light in several cases, for example Vice Presidential Candidate Gov. Sarah Palin. Palin has attempted to seal records from the American public to better her chances of winning the election.

The clerk of circuit court proved to be much more relevant than I had imagined. It deals with a wide range of issues and concerns that affect the community in ways most people will never know.

Orient Road Jail

After reading multiple news stories defaming Orient Road Jail, I was less than optimistic about their standards and regulations. Before going on a tour of the jail, I envisioned a chaotic and dangerous environment. Much to my surprise, Orient Road Jail was more like a progressive rehabilitation center than an unruly penitentiary. Sheriff Robert Lucas was kind enough to enlighten our class about Direct Supervision and its revolutionary role in jails. According to Lucas, behavioral management is proven to be much more affective in preventing crime. By rehabilitating inmates, Orient Road Jail is less likely to see inmates return, and more likely to see them pursue education and job training.

Direct supervision, along with strategic layout of the jail, makes Orient Road one of the first facilities to offer such great care of inmates. The safety of the inmates and the employees is greatly elevated due to Orient Road’s “modern way of running things”. Inmates are encouraged to spend time out of their cells and are free to walk safely around their housing pods.

Housing pods include recreation like basketball and television. Inmates also have access to a library, a computer lab and GED prep courses. Orient Road Jail commonly offers referrals to schools and jobs in attempts to reintegrate inmates to their community after they are released. In order to help improve the quality of their lives, Orient Road Jail also offers substance-abuse programs. One of the major reasons for the jail’s success is their emphasis on relapse prevention.

Orient Road Jail is also home to the Work Release Center; a program that allows inmates to work during the day and then return to the jail at night. The Work Release Center teaches inmates how to function in the real world by entrusting them with responsibilities. In 2007, there was a daily average of 118 participants involved with the program.

Though Orient Road Jail is currently facing challenges and is in the process of fixing many problems that occurred within the past year, Orient Road is still one of the best jails in the country. Their commitment to improving the lives of their inmates is reassuring and gives me hope for the future of Hillsborough County.

J.D.Callaway- Hillsborough PIO

Public Information Officer J.D. Callaway revealed the inner workings of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday Sept 17, 2008. Callaway, a credentialed Tampa Tribune reporter and University of South Florida alumni, joined the sheriffs department in 2004. Some key points Callaway explained were public records, transition to digital media, incident reports, and criminal report affidavits.

According to Callaway, the most common public records that junior reporters deal with are documents related to law enforcement. The transition to digital media is greatly affecting the way reporters gather and report news. One example given by Callaway was the consequence of police scanners. Currently, 30 percent of reports rely on information from police scanners. Due to the ever increasing fast pace of our society, the public demands news instantaneously. However, information transmitted on scanners can be incorrect or incomplete. In attempts to be the first reporter to break a story, accuracy is replaced by timeliness. News organizations are placing less value on verification, which leads Callaway to conclude that new technology can be damaging to our communities.

Although technology has been shown to harm journalism, if used correctly it can improve the validity of a news source and can even help solve criminal cases. Callaway shared a story about a 26-year-old male named Kristopher Russ. Through use of surveillance tapes, police were able to arrest and convict Russ after he stole hundreds of dollars from a Charity Jar used to raise funds for a child with cancer. Police used technology to enhance their chances of catching Russ by releasing a picture of the child and a description of the crime. Eyewitness testimony is often sought through similar means. Many cases would yet to be solved without the help of witnesses who willingly came forth after seeing signs like the one about the Charity Jar.

Public Meeting: Canal Dredging

Coastal Canal Dredging Ordinance

The Coastal Canal Dredging Ordinance was presented by the County Attorney's Office and the Public Works Department on Wednesday September 10, 2008 at 6:30 PM. The meeting was surprisingly electrifying and passionate. People from all over Hillsborough County attended Wednesday's meeting at Sickles High School in hopes of preventing the costly Costal Canal Dredging Ordinance.

Martin Montalvo, General Manager of the Public Works Department, opened the meeting with a presentation that explained the situation at hand. Montalvo explained that canal dredging is, "the municipal services and essential facilities utilized for cleaning, deepening and widening a navigable salt or brackish water canal-type waterway including but not limited to, the use of a dredge, or any other type of machinery or equipment used to clean, deepen or widen such waterways." In other words, dredging is the process of removing the sediment in canals, or other waterways, to make it easier for boats to maneuver. Especially during hurricane season, canals become shallow after sediment collects in the center. At times the waterways become so eroded that it is impossible for owners of waterfront properties to use their boats. Montalvo stated many times throughout his speech that dredging raises recreation and navigation and therefore raise property values.

Montalvo continued to try and convince owners of waterfront property to gather their neighbors and create a MSBU (Municipal Service Benefit Unit). He explained that residents need 40 petition signatures in order to begin the process. After a series of formalities, the county will bring in machines and dredge the canal. This is where it gets sticky; usually houses down stream of the dredging location will also reap the benefits and will therefore be mandated to pay for the dredging regardless if the resident wanted it or not.

Montalvo then broke down the estimated costs which averaged $15,231,489 for a normal neighborhood. This would mean that each resident would be taxed hundreds of dollars annually for twenty years until the project is paid off. This is when people began to protest. I got the feeling that I was not the only one who felt as though Montalvo's speech was more like a sales pitch than anything else.

A major issue was that residents are charged in spite of if they have a boat or not, because of the "perceived property value" dredging adds to the house. However, as many people pointed out, if they were to spend millions of dollars on dredging their canal and a hurricane were to come and ruin the canal a year later, all of their money would be wasted. Montalvo proclaimed that it was not his job to insure that the canals would stay clear. The dredging ordinance is a one time deal and by no means a permanent solution.

Many other protesters including homeowner Brad Wear, claimed the Board of County Commissioners should simply re-budget and maintain storm water runoff so that this problem would stop reoccurring. Wear later explained that no house built before 1984 has a retention pond. This means that all untreated storm water runoff empties directly into the Bay, thus further devastating our environment. Homeowner Tom Phinney commented that he lives "in the largest estuary in Tampa, and the government is treating it like a sewer."

Though most were displeased with the ordinance, some people tried to convince fellow residents to come together for the common good. Norm Coffman admitted he did not agree with the manner in which the government has ignored the issue. However, he stated that there is nothing else to do but to support the proposition, "If we don't fix this, no one will. We need to do this because even though some of us don't need it now, we might need it later. It's like any tax."

USF alumni and Meeting Secretary Frances M. Valdes added, "People may not feel they should have to pay taxes for schools, but one day they might have a child that needs school. Or if not, we need to look at is as an investment for our future. The same thing goes for this. If we don't fix the canals, they could dry up for good."

Though the meeting brought many great points to light, strong disagreements insure that there will most likely not be a definite decision in the near future.

Phone Numbers:
Norm Coffman: (813)-885-5090
Tom Phinney: (813)-577-2525
Frances M. Valdes: (813)-744-5671
Brad Wear: (813)-695-8779

Database Reporting Matt Doig

Herald Tribune database reporter Matt Doig exemplifies what good reporting should be. I truly gained a newfound respect for the time and energy that goes into "explaining complexity of life" as apposed to merely spitting out headlines. Doig's passion was inspiring. He showed us how devoting oneself to a story and spending months, even years, investigating will not only impact readers but might also contribute to solving crimes and changing laws.

One of Doig's works that I found particularly interesting was a study he did on poor education in poor areas. He compiled a database of teacher test scores and searched for the correlation between smarter teachers going to more affluent schools and average to below average teachers going to underprivileged schools. Doig was able to prove that lower class children were receiving considerably worse teachers, thus continuing the cycle of poverty and expanding the polarization between class systems.

Another precedent story that caught my attention was one where social security numbers of public employees were being released to research groups. The rule changed to only allow the release of the last four digits of social security numbers. However, there are many people with identical last four numbers, and there are even more people with the same name. Therefore, the new rule made it difficult to ensure the validity of reports rendered. One example given by Doig was if the reports of buss drivers with DUIs were incorrect, then that could lead to grave consequences. A sex offender is also a sensitive issue where the charges and the picture being shown better be correct or it could ruin many people's lives.

Another conflict concerning the release of social security numbers is that many companies are selling social security numbers to insurance companies, for example. Driver's license records cost ten dollars to produce because there are companies willing to pay for them.

In short, Doig taught us that stories will always be better with public records research.

Ms. Harper Public Records

Ms. Harper's visit clarified the Sunshine Law and used thorough examples to illustrate how public records affect the community. Everything from knowing that copies should cost no more than 15 cents, to understanding how to request a specific access statutory citation, is helpful information that most students would not otherwise be aware of. She explained how to know if your rights are being violated and what to do if an agency overcharges you. Ms. Harper taught us that state agencies and local government boards or commission meetings have to be open and accessible to every person in order to ensure public participation.

Agencies must give adequate notice of meetings. Meetings qualify as conversations between two or more officials of any public agency, and any private company, committee, or advisory board that does business with a public agency. Notice of time, location, and content are required in advance. If a person’s behavior is disorderly, he or she cannot be asked to leave a public meeting. Press is therefore allowed cameras and equipment as long as it does not get in the way of proceedings. As with most laws, the Sunshine Law has many exemptions that are created by the legislature.

According to the Sunshine law if meetings purposely do not follow the protocol, agencies can be subject to fines of maximum 500 dollars. If agencies knowingly fail to adhere to the rules, they can be charged with a second degree misdemeanor, jailed up to 60 days, and/or have to pay up to a 500 dollar fine. If someone knowingly disobeys the Public Records Law they can be suspended, impeached, or fired and be found guilty to a first degree misdemeanor with up to one year in prison, and a fine up to 1,000 dollars. Violators of chapter 119—which states that “all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for inspection and copying by any person”—can be guilty of a noncriminal infraction, and charged a fee of no more than 500 dollars.