Corrine Delivers: Quick-Picks 2015...

[RattlerGator]

I just wonder why the dems can't get their shit together and actually work as a unit here in jax.  Is Corrine really that hard to work with? Is she any more or less corrupt than our other national representation?

Her seat came as the result of an initiative by the Republican Party to overcome favorable gerrymandering by a Dem leader of the legislature, but to hear some retell the story, (meaning the usual anti 'black gerrymandering' suspects) you would think it was the by product of old democratic race politics (which it most certainly isn't)

What did Corrine do that pisses off the white dems so much in this town?

Is there some other reason why the black democrats in this town refuse to support white democrats?  Other than you know....Corrine's hammerlock on the no information voter bloc?

Cheshire Cat and Jimmy have unwittingly answered your question, Stephen. Part of what Corrine did is she had (and has) the audacity to fight to keep her gerrymandered district, instead of being a good little girl and taking her instructions from "above" -- those folks (dare I say, them people?) don't likes that. Surely you've seen as much, Stephen. Hello, Cheshire Cat. And just as Jameis Winston is embarrassing to some folks in part because of his throwback black Southern speech pattern (and they wrongly insist that the kid Stanford desperately wanted is stupid), so too for Corrine. She is a long ways from stupid. But I have to admit, that "Go Gatuh" routine on the floor of the House of Representatives after one of our national championships brought me many zings from a range of Noles here in Tallahassee who know how passionate I am about the Gators. So, for those who are superficially obsessed with presentation, the Congresswoman can be hard to take. And, admittedly, she has made some rather boneheaded mistakes. She will probably make some more. Add on top of that the rather dishonest political conversation had between so many black Democrats and white Democrats nationally, and you get what we've got in Big Duval.

Corrine drives them Democrats crazy, Corrine drives Republicans crazy, Corrine drives a bunch of people crazy. Including black folks. But she's got that African Methodist Episcopal church political mafia machine behind her, and you mess with them at your own damn peril.

Imagine just how bananas that makes the LGBT crowd. Corrine, Corrine, Corrine.

But a correction to Cheshire Cat and stephendare, Corrine's district is a creation of DEMOCRATS -- no matter how much Democrats try to deny that these days. She was first elected, I think, in November 1992. Lawton Chiles, Democrat, was Governor. T.K. Wetherell, Democrat, was Speaker of the House. Our very own Ander Crenshaw was President of the Florida Senate after the 1992 elections, the first Republican President of the Florida Senate in 118 years. But the President of the Senate when Corrine's district was drawn? Gwen Margolis, Democrat. So, the crowd that gave Corrine her gerrymandered district were all Democrats. That's a fact; you can look it up. I know it's hard to swallow, but all the Republicans have done is follow the precise logic followed by Democrats in 1992 when her district was first created. All the courts have done since then is tweak the logic, they haven't repudiated it at all.

Let us at least be honest about that.

[Cheshire Cat]

I just wonder why the dems can't get their shit together and actually work as a unit here in jax.  Is Corrine really that hard to work with? Is she any more or less corrupt than our other national representation?

Her seat came as the result of an initiative by the Republican Party to overcome favorable gerrymandering by a Dem leader of the legislature, but to hear some retell the story, (meaning the usual anti 'black gerrymandering' suspects) you would think it was the by product of old democratic race politics (which it most certainly isn't)

What did Corrine do that pisses off the white dems so much in this town?

Is there some other reason why the black democrats in this town refuse to support white democrats?  Other than you know....Corrine's hammerlock on the no information voter bloc?

You mean what has angered Democrats beyond her working with State Republicans to gerrymander her district? Not only Dems in the district but by a judge who took on the Gerrymandered district and had plenty to say about her gerrymandering efforts?   On July 11, 2014, Florida Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis over threw the new district out and had this to say about Corrine (the judges words in bold: 

Corrine Brown has run this district for more than 20 years, last night Judge Terry Lewis thew the gerrymandered district out and Brown issued a blistering statement opposing the judge's ruling. As the Tampa Bay Times' Alex Leary describes in great detail, Brown partnered with Republicans to create that district in the 1990s. She's siding with them again in Florida's redistricting case, and it's easy to see the mutual benefit there: Brown gets a safe majority-minority district, while Republicans benefit from diluted minority representation in all the districts surrounding Brown's.

Florida Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis made the following statement:  In effect, she's choosing political self-interest over the interest of her party. Forty-seven percent of votes in Florida's House elections in 2012 went to Democratic candidates, but Democrats won only 39 percent of the state's House seats. This is partly because Democratic-leaning minority voters were concentrated heavily in District 5, and by extension underrepresented everywhere else.

Beyond this it is not just white Dem's that are fed up with her but rather a great deal of Jacksonville's black population are no longer quite so fond of Corrine and her manipulations in their districts.  Why not ask Denise Lee about these the next time you get a chance or Stanley "Doc" Scott who wrote a blistering letter about her to Times Union that was published in letters to the editor. Get another perspective.

But this situation didn't happen because of the black Democratic officeholders, Diane.

The gerrymandering to guarantee black majorities in the districts was a Republican plan.

Where were the Democrats speaking out back then?  And why were Corrine and Alcee Hastings the first black democrats to be elected in a hundred years to the state legislature?

From blackpast.com:

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/hastings-alcee-l-1936

Alcee Hastings was elected in 1992 to represent the newly created 23rd District of Florida in the United States House of Representatives, a seat he holds to this day.  Hastings, Representative Carrie Meek and Representative Corrine Brown, all Democrats, became the first African Americans elected to Congress from Florida since Reconstruction. While serving in the House of Representatives, Hastings has been elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.  He is also currently a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and serves on the House Rules Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  He chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.  Hastings is also a Senior Democratic Whip in the House.   - See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/hastings-alcee-l-1936#sthash.EhTBAs6Z.dpuf

I well know that Stephen.  You asked why some white Dems were upset with her and I answered you.  This gerrymandering went on with full knowledge of some Dem power players standing on the side lines.

To the it's not just white Dem's made about her are these two quotes from black activist Stanley Scott with link included.

As my representative, Ms. Brown is a total disappointment to me and she has no understanding or empathy for the true needs of her African American Constituents. Representative Brown has continued to sellout her constituents (mostly African Americans) to special interests, classism and a subordinate position to the Jacksonville Civil Council Group (neo-conservatives).
Rep. Brown's claim to fame in 2009 in NE Florida for the African American community was a Job Fair (during a time when most companies were not hiring).  African Americans seeking jobs

and

As I write this open letter to Honorable Congressional Representative Corrine Brown it absolutely breaks my heart.  This letter is about a group of misguided African American elected officials who continue to bamboozle their own African American Constituents. African American Constituents whose African ancestors were once slaves in America deprived of their history and land, murdered by lynching or burned to death until the 1950's, and deprived of a quality education for over 400 years. Still, even now, in the New Millennium equal opportunity and fairness in jobs, housing and the justice system is not equitable to all.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400605/stanley-scott/2010-10-21/question-congresswoman-corrine-brown-leadership-african

[Cheshire Cat]

I just wonder why the dems can't get their shit together and actually work as a unit here in jax.  Is Corrine really that hard to work with? Is she any more or less corrupt than our other national representation?

Her seat came as the result of an initiative by the Republican Party to overcome favorable gerrymandering by a Dem leader of the legislature, but to hear some retell the story, (meaning the usual anti 'black gerrymandering' suspects) you would think it was the by product of old democratic race politics (which it most certainly isn't)

What did Corrine do that pisses off the white dems so much in this town?

Is there some other reason why the black democrats in this town refuse to support white democrats?  Other than you know....Corrine's hammerlock on the no information voter bloc?

Cheshire Cat and Jimmy have unwittingly answered your question, Stephen. Part of what Corrine did is she had (and has) the audacity to fight to keep her gerrymandered district, instead of being a good little girl and taking her instructions from "above" -- those folks (dare I say, them people?) don't likes that. Surely you've seen as much, Stephen. Hello, Cheshire Cat. And just as Jameis Winston is embarrassing to some folks in part because of his throwback black Southern speech pattern (and they wrongly insist that the kid Stanford desperately wanted is stupid), so too for Corrine. She is a long ways from stupid. But I have to admit, that "Go Gatuh" routine on the floor of the House of Representatives after one of our national championships brought me many zings from a range of Noles here in Tallahassee who know how passionate I am about the Gators. So, for those who are superficially obsessed with presentation, the Congresswoman can be hard to take. And, admittedly, she has made some rather boneheaded mistakes. She will probably make some more. Add on top of that the rather dishonest political conversation had between so many black Democrats and white Democrats nationally, and you get what we've got in Big Duval.

Corrine drives them Democrats crazy, Corrine drives Republicans crazy, Corrine drives a bunch of people crazy. Including black folks. But she's got that African Methodist Episcopal church political mafia machine behind her, and you mess with them at your own damn peril.

Imagine just how bananas that makes the LGBT crowd. Corrine, Corrine, Corrine.

But a correction to Cheshire Cat and stephendare, Corrine's district is a creation of DEMOCRATS -- no matter how much Democrats try to deny that these days. She was first elected, I think, in November 1992. Lawton Chiles, Democrat, was Governor. T.K. Wetherell, Democrat, was Speaker of the House. Our very own Ander Crenshaw was President of the Florida Senate after the 1992 elections, the first Republican President of the Florida Senate in 118 years. But the President of the Senate when Corrine's district was drawn? Gwen Margolis, Democrat. So, the crowd that gave Corrine her gerrymandered district were all Democrats. That's a fact; you can look it up. I know it's hard to swallow, but all the Republicans have done is follow the precise logic followed by Democrats in 1992 when her district was first created. All the courts have done since then is tweak the logic, they haven't repudiated it at all.

Let us at least be honest about that.

Yes it was first drafted as a gerrymandered district way back when as district three with the aim of opening the doors to more black voters.  However in the last redraft which made what was district 3 into district 5 was done by republicans.  I am going to try and find the article again. 

[Cheshire Cat]

Here you go Rattler:

Last night a circuit court judge in Florida voided the state's congressional map, citing a "secret, organized campaign" by Republican operatives that "made a mockery of the Legislature's transparent and open process of redistricting." The ruling concluded that District 5, held by Democrat Corrine Brown,[/b]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/07/11/a-florida-judge-just-voided-the-states-congressional-districts-heres-what-you-need-to-know


Some may want to visit the other thread called Corrine Browns Political Fiefdom.  http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,23716.0.html

[Jimmy]

The Republicans need not be racially polarized locally.  There frankly aren't many African American Republicans from our area in elective office.  I think there are none.  I guess not since Jennifer Carroll.  The Democratic party struggles with race because we confront it.

There was another thread somewhere (that went off the rails) that talked about the way that religion interplays with all this.  A point also raised above by RattlerGator.  The suits in the local GOP have to find a way to make nice with the bubbas in the Southern Baptist pews every Sunday.  And liberal Democrats have to find a way to do the same thing with fundamentalist African Americans.  I'd say the GOP has more practice than we Democrats do. 

[Cheshire Cat]

It just seems like it makes it impossible for Dems to do anything significant in Duval when they are pitted against each other.

Perhaps if there was some actual comity going on between the black and white democrats of duval county it wouldn't have mattered what Don Redman thought about the Human Rights Ordinance, because he wouldn't have been elected to the Council in the first place....

Its just so backwards ass.  Jville has to be one of the few large cities where the Democrats are more racially polarized than the Republicans.

This division is not new.  The division is both in and out of the Democratic party and runs deep among Dem's though folks have too long believed that all was "hunky dory" but the local Duval Dem party has suffered from weak leadership and lack of vitality for years. With one of their members of leadership recently claiming the Tea Party is non partisan as an explanation for Alvin Brown looking to curry favor with them.  It's frankly so bizarre a statement as to be laughable but sad considering this is the current mindset by those supposed to be taking Duval Dems forward.

Of course the racial divide in the party is greater Stephen.  The GOP does not have a whole lot of blacks in their party and their attempts to disenfranchise black voters doesn't help them either.     The angst  also comes from the fact that the Dem party via it's large black membership has found their stronghold to be the weakest districts in the city. 7, 8, 9 and 10 and holding onto those seats for Dems has been so important that they will support weak candidates to hold them.  The backside of this is that the liberal community does not have much representation in the rest of the council.  Four seats is not enough in a city where there are more registered Dem's than Republicans.

[Cheshire Cat]

Yeah, what Diane said above.  My biggest problem with Congresswoman Brown is the gerrymandering stuff and is summarized well here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/01/this-is-the-best-explanation-of-gerrymandering-you-will-ever-see/?tid=sm_fb

I'm also distressed that she's endorsed a number of anti-gay candidates, including Councilwoman Kim Daniels.

Jimmy, Corrine is doing more than just supporting Kimberly Daniels, she has given money to her campaign. She first made a donation of $500.00 to Kim's campaign via her political campaign group "Friends of Corrine Brown".  The problem being that it is illegal to give a donation from one campaign to another.  When this was discovered Corrine told the SOE that she made a mistake (after 20 years doing this?) and then the money was refunded and given back to Kim as a direct donation from Corrine.  Corrine's ambiguous actions when it comes to the GLBT community are not new as referenced by an non partisan reporting agency that follows government and Congress.  They sent her a questionnaire asking her to clarify a variety of her positions.  One of the questions on the document asked whether or not she supported Gay marriage.  She did not answer that portion of the questionnaire so the asked her point black several times over and she still refused to answer.  When I have some time I will look for the document and a link so folks can see what she answered and what she chose not to answer.

[Jimmy]

Well, I know that she's been ambiguous on LGBT issues.  She's gone along with some things because President Obama has pulled her along. 

At some point along the line, the Friends of Corrine Brown ceased being a state political committee and became instead a federal PAC of some variety.  You can look at the FEC and see expenditures from the Friends group to all manner of candidates for Federal and other offices and lots and lots and lots of donations to nonprofits and various Democratic orgs.  I think she's okay on those expenditures, but will be interested to learn if the experts feel otherwise.

[Cheshire Cat]

Well, I know that she's been ambiguous on LGBT issues.  She's gone along with some things because President Obama has pulled her along. 

At some point along the line, the Friends of Corrine Brown ceased being a state political committee and became instead a federal PAC of some variety.  You can look at the FEC and see expenditures from the Friends group to all manner of candidates for Federal and other offices and lots and lots and lots of donations to nonprofits and various Democratic orgs.  I think she's okay on those expenditures, but will be interested to learn if the experts
feel otherwise.

Not according to the elections division Jimmy or the local SOE. The PAC closed years ago. She has a single organization registered at the Federal level.  I did a complete search and so did the folks at the federal and state level at my request.  She cannot take funds directly from her campaign account and give them to another campaign. Which is why they were returned to her and she sent a personal donation.


As to her position on Gay Marriage, I found the report I spoke to above.

http://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/26797/corrine-brown/#.VPPSDXzF-So

[Jimmy]

This information is more accurate and trustworthy:

http://www.hrc.org/elected-officials/profile/house/191#.VPPUYEJDbKA


She gives from her PAC to a lot of candidates.  I've seen Daniels, Paula Right, Ken Jefferson, and others.

[Cheshire Cat]

Rattlegator, This is what you were referring to when you said the Gators speech.  What trouble many beyond her stumbling persona was the fact that with all the serious issues facing down Jacksonville she chose to do "Go Gata's".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbBP9Em00A

[Cheshire Cat]

This information is more accurate and trustworthy:

http://www.hrc.org/elected-officials/profile/house/191#.VPPUYEJDbKA


She gives from her PAC to a lot of candidates.  I've seen Daniels, Paula Right, Ken Jefferson, and others.

Yes, I have this link.  According to the State elections office she has no pac in Florida and the one she had at the federal level does not exist. She has a political committee but now PAC. 

[Jimmy]

She's been using her Federal PAC to give for years.  You can look back at contributions to Denise Lee, Johnny Gaffney, and Mia Jones.  Like I said, I'll be interested to see what else you have in the pipeline, but she's been at this for years.

[Cheshire Cat]

Here is the link for that.  Just input Corrine Brown in the search bar.  http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/candcmte_info.shtml

C00272732   Friends Of Corrine Brown,
Designation: P - Principal Campaign Committee Of A Candidate  (not a PAC)

Interestingly you will notice that when closing out for the year 2014 her campaign account was in the "Red" for $7,842.00.  Causes one to wonder as to why a woman in Congress for 20 years can't balance her own campaign funding.  smh.

This is where the money was returned:  7   4/25/2014   Friends of Corrine Brown
P.O. Box 40087
Jacksonville, Fl 32203   Campaign Account   Refund   Delete   $-500.00
8   4/25/2014   Friends of Corrine Brown
P.O. Box 40087
Jacksonville, Fl 32203   Campaign Account   Refund   Add   $0.00

This was where it was re donated:

43   2/21/2014   Corrine Brown
3563 Carriage Walk Lane
Laurel, MD 20724   Individual   Congresswoman   Check         $500.00

[Cheshire Cat]

She's been using her Federal PAC to give for years.  You can look back at contributions to Denise Lee, Johnny Gaffney, and Mia Jones.  Like I said, I'll be interested to see what else you have in the pipeline, but she's been at this for years.

Yes, now you have me interested because the federal elections office did a search for me and told me her PAC was closed and has been for sometime.  Now I want to know if she is issuing donations as a PAC with no PAC actually filed with the Feds.  A PAC should show up on the link I gave you above and it does not.  They searched and the PAC she had was closed and has been for some time.