Well, as usual, Representative Corrine Brown has decided to bless (or curse, depending on your viewpoint) the electorate of Duval County with her suggested candidate list. Based on what I've been hearing over the last few weeks, there are no surprises here, save for in District 8, which must have quite the story behind the snubbing of both PLF and Terry Fields.
A.G. Gancarski is knocking it out of the park this year with his reporting.
QuoteCORRINE BROWN'S "QUICK PICKS" ARE OUT NOW FOR NO-INFORMATION DUVAL VOTERS
The Jacksonville election is less than four weeks away, and early voting starts in less than two. Most Jacksonville voters have been inundated with mailers and by radio and TV ads. But if you're one of those Jacksonville voters without a mailbox or any electronic media capabilities, you might still lack information on how to vote. No worries! Representative Corrine Brown has you hooked up, with "Corrine's Quick Picks".
For those who read our site's piece on the St. Paul AME Forum that Mayor Alvin Brown and Bill Bishop were not part of (as both men had schedule conflicts that precluded attendance), you might remember Denise Lee telling voters not to choose candidates from a "slip of paper someone gives you". Below, you will see the slip of paper she was talking about.
I'll spoil the suspense. The perpetual Congresswoman, a Democrat, endorses Democrats in every race. The interesting part of this old-school "voter education" document comes when she has to pick between Democrats.
http://floridapolitics.com/archives/9379
Click the link for the full rundown, for what it's worth...
Worst elected official in the area. If it weren't for gerrymandering she would be unemployed.
What I find problematic is this : "Florida Law Allows you to take this information with you into the voting booth". It may be legal, but in my mind, it is obvious that this is indeed another way "Corrine Delivers" and she delivers votes in part by providing a pre-marked ballot as a template on how she wants her people to vote. If she really just wanted to share her thoughts, it would not be exactly like the actual ballot but a simple list. It would be interesting if there was a way to see how many of these did indeed get carried into the voting booths and how they arrived at the polls.
A lot of them get carried into voting booths in Districts 7, 8, 9, and 10. And maybe now in District 1 after reapportionment changed the demographics of that district considerably.
Many are distributed informally at churches. In the most heavily-trafficked precincts in the above districts, a volunteer or other person hands them out to people coming in to vote. (So long as they stay 100 feet from the entrance to the polling place, electioneering is legal.)
strider, I don't think the Congresswoman wants to share thoughts; she and her political folks want to share their picks. I wish she would share her thoughts and give people context and some supporting factors other than "Corrine says so." It's hard to paint with such a broad brush and get the best result. I disagree with Mrs. Brown on Mayor, but agree on Supervisor of Elections. She gets many of these wrong based on blind partisanship that has no place in an election with no party primary. There's a lot of nuance that gets lost.
I make a list of preferred candidates and share them informally with friends and family -- but I always explain my reasons for selecting, not selecting, or jointly selecting.
Everything I've done this election cycle has been about educating voters and helping them make a more informed decision. That's what the Jax Young Voters Coalition is up to. It's what the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC is up to. Deeper dives into statements and records. The best candidate survey in Jacksonville. Nuance, information, and support for a better outcome. I wish everyone involved in electoral politics would agree to those ground rules.
She's a person, not an organization. Organizations have to file reports and adhere to election laws. I'm not sure individuals are held to the same standards.
That's a pretty big difference. Others would be: endorsements by groups are made after some mechanism for collecting information. Such as surveys, questionnaires, or something along those lines. Some groups make it a point to meet in person with every endorsee and have one on one discussions of issues. Another difference: there's usually an explanation as to why a certain candidate was endorsed. When the LGBT PAC endorsed, we explained the reasons behind the endorsements and talked about our process in a press conference.
You could be. But the groups that I work with who make endorsements don't want you to be.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:48:53 AMMeh. That sounds odd. If you don't want me to also trust your judgement, why should I bother with your endorsements at all?
That's why I made the point about process. I don't mind if people trust my judgment, but I want them to know how I arrived at it. Some people will want to know that background; others, I suspect, won't. But I want them to.
Quote from: strider on March 01, 2015, 08:02:44 AM
What I find problematic is this : "Florida Law Allows you to take this information with you into the voting booth". It may be legal, but in my mind, it is obvious that this is indeed another way "Corrine Delivers" and she delivers votes in part by providing a pre-marked ballot as a template on how she wants her people to vote. If she really just wanted to share her thoughts, it would not be exactly like the actual ballot but a simple list. It would be interesting if there was a way to see how many of these did indeed get carried into the voting booths and how they arrived at the polls.
I see nothing wrong with people or organizations making voting recommendations as Corrine does. People should be able to take this into the voting booth, as they can with other sample ballots. At the end of the day, everyone's votes are their individual privilege and responsibility.
Quote from: tufsu1 on March 01, 2015, 02:22:58 PM
Quote from: strider on March 01, 2015, 08:02:44 AM
What I find problematic is this : "Florida Law Allows you to take this information with you into the voting booth". It may be legal, but in my mind, it is obvious that this is indeed another way "Corrine Delivers" and she delivers votes in part by providing a pre-marked ballot as a template on how she wants her people to vote. If she really just wanted to share her thoughts, it would not be exactly like the actual ballot but a simple list. It would be interesting if there was a way to see how many of these did indeed get carried into the voting booths and how they arrived at the polls.
I see nothing wrong with people or organizations making voting recommendations as Corrine does. People should be able to take this into the voting booth, as they can with other sample ballots. At the end of the day, everyone's votes are their individual privilege and responsibility.
Yeah that's a nice sentiment...though I suspect that if we knew for sure the result of finding out how many, where and how these arrived at the voting booth, you may feel differently. There is a good reason it is a duplicate of the ballot rather than a simple list of names. And it is much different than the sample ballot one receives in the mail from the Supervisor of Elections, you know, the one that presents all the info on all the candidates and does not show any of them voted for....so that you can make up your own mind....rather than just vote as marked.
But honestly, we reap what we sow and we have apparently sown a predominately poorly informed voting public in many precincts so we deserve what we get.
Hi Guys. I addressed all of this and more regarding electioneering, the law and Corrine's pics on the following link and have much more to add as the result of lengthy conversations with the State and Federal Elections office investigative officers. Will do that later but now am busy putting my pics on various threads back up because my imgur crashed.
Where the above is discussed here on the forum :
So what does the above image represent? It is a picture of an electioneering tool used by Congresswoman Corrine Brown which is listed on her website http://www.corrineforcongress.com/quick-picks. My guess is that many people are totally unaware of this website, her QP lists and how she uses them to influence elections in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Seminole and Putnam counties. She releases them as a representation of what Corrine Brown is "thinking" about a particular election. There is no mistaking the fact that the list looks ballot like. The names of those individuals Corrine has decided should be elected to office in any given district are indicated by a filled in voting box. She announces that her quick pic forms are allowed by law to be taken into the voting booth with you. At the bottom of her quick pick is the following disclaimer: Paid for by The Friends of Corrine Brown Campaign Committee. In this case my focus will be on Jacksonville elections and the above quick pic practice.
Is this legal you may ask? Yes it is. There is even a handbook put out by the state that discusses electioneering. It is called "Electioneering Communication Organization Handbook". You can view it at, http://election.dos.state.fl.us/publications/pdf/2014/2014_ECO_Handbook.pdf. The hand book sets out the parameters for electioneering and the parameters of lawful practice while electioneering. Now here is the thing about Corrine Brown's quick pics and the law. Chapter 4, titled Electioneering Communications Organization pg 3 (Chapter 106 Florida Statutes appendix B) Requires the creation of an "Elections Communications Organization", other than a political party or political committee. Apparently Corrine is not following those laws. How so you may ask?
If we look at the quick pic form used by Corrine you will see this statement at the bottom: Paid for by the Friends of Corrine Brown Campaign Committee. So her statement is that she has followed Fla electioneering laws and her quick pic is presented under this named committee. I set about checking the Fla Department of State Division of elections records to see if Ms. Browns committee exists and is current using the Elections Committee Organization ECO first and then every other possible combination I could think of during the records search. Here is what I found and the only thing on record that is named anything close to the committee Corrine has on her quick pic form.
Quote
Friends of Corrine Brown
Type: Political Committee
Status: Closed
Address: 12055 Saverio Lane
Jacksonville, FL 32225
Phone: (251)490-6211
Chairperson: Gloria Simmons
11607 Longwood Key Drive
West
Jacksonville, FL 322180000
Treasurer: Gloria Simmons
11607 Longwood Key Drive
West
Jacksonville, FL 322180000
Registered Agent: Gloria Simmons
11607 Longwood Key Drive West
Jacksonville, FL 322180000
Purpose:
Affiliates:
You will notice that this is listed as a "Political Committee" which is not in keeping with the Florida State requirements and that it is closed and apparently has been closed since 2007
Now this raises a number of concerns. Corrine has a website for quick picks that still lists her pics from 2014. But it appears there was no lawful committee in place when she made those pics or any since 2007. It that is true we have a problem. There is no listing in State records for the organization Corrine lists on her ballot pic document. If it exists and has for years why doesn't is show up in the records using any related search or search combination?
But it goes deeper still. What those who do not vote in districts 7,8,9 & 10 don't know is that Corrine's quick pics are highly prized by candidates running in those races. It is said that in order to get on her quick pics the candidate must be someone she feels is in line with her political views and method of doing business. Here is where it gets really murky and questionable. For the past few years folks in those districts have been "telling" me about the practice and this is what I have heard from some seeking office in the past and currently but are unwilling to put their name to the accusation. Likely because doing so would also be an indictment of their own character. It has been suggested over and over again that if you as a candidate are not anointed to be on Corrine's list of pics it would be helpful if you were to offer some sort of monetary compensation to be placed there. These suggestions do not come from Corrine herself but allegedly from one of her many operatives or associates. Plausible denial? Maybe. The amounts I have been told were suggested to candidates reflect thousands of dollars. If the money is not possible, then the claim is, it may become an exchange of things less tangible, like support for a specific agenda etc. All of this of course remains nothing more than here say and it is being shared as such. Until someone brave enough steps forward and tells their personal candidate story this will remain an unproven claim. However a look at Corrine's history which include fines for campaign violations it seems at least plausible. Why would a candidate do this? It's simple really, a positive association with Corrine Brown can be very profitable once elected as well as the potential for other powerful connections. I will be offering some future posts about those close to Corrine who profit in finances and goods with links to the information. Here is one to begin with. http://freebeacon.com/national-security/all-in-the-family-2/
Quote
From the above link: Brown's campaign committee paid her daughter's husband, Tyree Fields, $5,500 for political consulting work in 2006.
A congressional ethics committee investigated Brown in 1999 after a $50,000 Lexus purchased by African banker Karim Pouye was registered to Shantrel Brown.
Brown failed to disclose a $10,000 donation from a secret Wisconsin bank account that her friend Baptist leader Henry J. Lyons allegedly used for money laundering during her 1996 re-election campaign. The House Ethics Committee eventually cleared Brown.
Brown paid a $5,000 fine to the Florida Ethics Commission in 1993 after it found she used legislative staff members as employees in a travel agency she owned.
In another instance, Brown's campaign treasurer quit after discovering his name had been forged on campaign reports, leading to a rebuke from the Federal Elections Commission.
and this from the same article:
A nonprofit connected to Rep. Corrine Brown (D., Fla.) and run by a local political power player over billed Medicaid by nearly $1.4 million, the Florida Times-Union reported.
According to an audit by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the Community Rehabilitation Center in Jacksonville overbilled Medicaid by nearly $1.4 million. Reggie Gaffney, a former Jacksonville Port Authority board member, runs the nonprofit, which provides medical services for mental illness, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS for low-income residents.
Brown's daughter, Shantrel, is a lobbyist for Arlington-based Alcade and Fay, whose clients include the nonprofit. Community Rehabilitation Center has paid $185,000 to Alcalde and Fay since 2005.
Such arrangements aren't unusual in Congress. According to a 2012 report by government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, 44 members have family members who lobby or are employed in government affairs.
Brown requested nearly $3 million in earmarks for the Community Rehabilitation Center between 2008 and 2010, when Congress banned earmarks, the Florida Times-Union reported in 2010.
Of those requests, Congress approved $147,000. However, the tax dollars did not go directly to the nonprofit health center, but rather "streetscape improvements and renovation" for Pearl Plaza, the shopping center in Jacksonville where the nonprofit is located.
Gaffney and several other Community Rehabilitation Center executives own three for-profit businesses that lease space in the plaza.
Gaffney and the health center did not immediately return request for comment, but in 2010 he said that the for-profit businesses provided job training.
When the connection between Gaffney, Brown, and her daughter was revealed by the Florida Times-Union in 2010, Gaffney said he was "unaware of Ms. Shantrel Brown's involvement with securing funding for the agency."
Gaffney has contributed $5,300 to Brown since 2003. Brown's office did not return requests for comment.[/quote]
Beyond all of the above there is the reason why I am sharing this information. It is so that the public can be educated as to how politics goes down in Jacksonville and to point out again the fact that so many people go to the polls and are uneducated about the candidates. In the case of those using Corrine's quick pics they simply take her word when it comes to choosing a candidate. She indicates who to vote for with no background or information shared about the candidate. That is a good part of the reason that voters in these districts continue to find themselves with representation that takes care of their business obligations at one level and the business of the people falls in line behind that.
Why should they care if the use Corrine's quick pics. A look at these numbers recently shared in a Time Union article are one good reason to question following Corrine's lead. In the decades of her time in office these are the stats for many of her constituents.
Quote
Anyone trying to connect with voters this year might keep in mind these benchmarks of how different Jacksonville looks, depending on where people stand:
■ By 2013, unemployment had dipped to 7.5 percent for whites and 16.4 percent for blacks.
■ Household income for whites — the median was $55,035 by 2013 — was a world apart from the $31,911 median for black households and far higher than the $40,261 for Hispanic households.
General racial differences found all over Florida don't fully explain why; white incomes in Duval County were well above the median statewide, but black incomes were below that norm.
That's masked in overall numbers, with the county's $59,238 median family income standing a prosperous $2,500 above statewide levels.
■ Poverty is more common in Duval County than in the state overall, although just a little. From 2010 to 2013, the share of Duval residents living in poverty rose from 16.6 percent to 17.1 percent.
■ Whatever else happened with incomes, more and more people in Duval County have been signing up for food stamps, now known by the government acronym SNAP. From 2010 to last year, food-stamp enrollment rose from 162.5 per 1,000 people to 212.1 per 1,000, a 30 percent increase and well above the state norm of 187.1 per 1,000.
■ Education remains the clearest dividing point for earning power. The median income for someone with a bachelor's degree in Duval County was a bit under $45,000 a year, compared to a little more than $27,000 for someone with a high school diploma and no college.
By some basic benchmarks, Duval has been playing catch-up to the state in education — or trying to
For the article link, http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,23661.0.html\
Quote from: strider on March 01, 2015, 08:02:44 AM
What I find problematic is this : "Florida Law Allows you to take this information with you into the voting booth". It may be legal, but in my mind, it is obvious that this is indeed another way "Corrine Delivers" and she delivers votes in part by providing a pre-marked ballot as a template on how she wants her people to vote. If she really just wanted to share her thoughts, it would not be exactly like the actual ballot but a simple list. It would be interesting if there was a way to see how many of these did indeed get carried into the voting booths and how they arrived at the polls.
Joe, I am actually speaking with investigators about this notion of info in voting booths. There are statues that address that and there is one in particular that is open to further interpretation with regard to things that "are not" allowed in the voting booth. When I next speak with the State Elections Directors office about the statue I will let you know what has been decided.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:19:06 AM
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 09:17:19 AM
A lot of them get carried into voting booths in Districts 7, 8, 9, and 10. And maybe now in District 1 after reapportionment changed the demographics of that district considerably.
Many are distributed informally at churches. In the most heavily-trafficked precincts in the above districts, a volunteer or other person hands them out to people coming in to vote. (So long as they stay 100 feet from the entrance to the polling place, electioneering is legal.)
strider, I don't think the Congresswoman wants to share thoughts; she and her political folks want to share their picks. I wish she would share her thoughts and give people context and some supporting factors other than "Corrine says so." It's hard to paint with such a broad brush and get the best result. I disagree with Mrs. Brown on Mayor, but agree on Supervisor of Elections. She gets many of these wrong based on blind partisanship that has no place in an election with no party primary. There's a lot of nuance that gets lost.
I make a list of preferred candidates and share them informally with friends and family -- but I always explain my reasons for selecting, not selecting, or jointly selecting.
Everything I've done this election cycle has been about educating voters and helping them make a more informed decision. That's what the Jax Young Voters Coalition is up to. It's what the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC is up to. Deeper dives into statements and records. The best candidate survey in Jacksonville. Nuance, information, and support for a better outcome. I wish everyone involved in electoral politics would agree to those ground rules.
Jimmy how does this substantially differ from any other organization's endorsement list?
I differs because she is an elected official and is offering her material as paid for by Friends of Corrine Brown which is how her political machine is registered at the federal level. There are laws and statues in Florida as well that outline what she must do in order to electioneer, which is different from public individuals or groups.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:52:39 AM
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.
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.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:52:39 AM
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.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 09:03:44 PM
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on March 01, 2015, 08:33:18 PM
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:52:39 AM
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.
Quote
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
Quote
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
Quote from: RattlerGator on March 01, 2015, 09:07:15 PM
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 11:52:39 AM
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. :)
Here you go Rattler:
QuoteLast 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
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.
Quote from: stephendare on March 01, 2015, 09:15:40 PM
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.
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 08:47:49 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 10:05:41 PM
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
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.
(http://content.screencast.com/users/JimmyMidyette/folders/Jing/media/fb7c0af9-5f2d-48e7-991d-911172e4e950/00000002.png)
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
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 10:12:44 PM
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.
(http://content.screencast.com/users/JimmyMidyette/folders/Jing/media/fb7c0af9-5f2d-48e7-991d-911172e4e950/00000002.png)
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. :)
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.
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
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 10:22:22 PM
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.
Found my notes. According to them her PAC was closed in 2009 and another one she had closed in 2003. Direct info from the Feds. I will contact them again for clarification. She also has no active PAC in Florida and the last campaign committee she had closed in 2007.
Jimmy, using the link you gave me I don't get to anything that says this is a PAC but another type of link speaking to her position on GLBT issues. Do you have a link directly to the page you got the numbers from?
From everything I know and have read, a Federal official's Principal Campaign Committee Of A Candidate is, for all intents and purposes, a PAC. That is, a political action committee, by definition. It's an organization that exists to receive contributions and make expenditures for political purposes.
A FAQ out there includes this Q&A:
Can my campaign committee contribute to other candidates?
Yes. A federal candidate committee may contribute up to $2,000 per election to the committee of another federal candidate. 11 CFR 102.12(c)(2).1 Donations from federal candidate committees to state or local candidate committees are subject to state law.
What could be tripping us up in the difference in terminology on the state and federal level.
I don't have a direct link because the FEC site is awful. But if you will go to the FEC, you can see the various contributions and expendatures made by the Friends of Corrine Brown going back to 1996.
Quote from: Jimmy on March 01, 2015, 10:45:05 PM
From everything I know and have read, a Federal official's Principal Campaign Committee Of A Candidate is, for all intents and purposes, a PAC. That is, a political action committee, by definition. It's an organization that exists to receive contributions and make expenditures for political purposes.
A FAQ out there includes this Q&A:
Can my campaign committee contribute to other candidates?
Yes. A federal candidate committee may contribute up to $2,000 per election to the committee of another federal candidate. 11 CFR 102.12(c)(2).1 Donations from federal candidate committees to state or local candidate committees are subject to state law.
What could be tripping us up in the difference in terminology on the state and federal level.
Hmmmm, wonder why they did not tell me that? I will check into it. This makes it even more strange that if indeed it is a PAC that Corrine would take back the donation made from Friends of Corrine and give Kim a check. Could it be she did not want that know at the top levels. Curiouser and curiouser. I agree about the terminology as well.
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories, I'd say all this internal discord and Democratic fratricide has been engineered to keep us a second-tier, also-ran political party in Jacksonville. I'd say the money folks play both parties like puppets. They back AB one election. LC in the next. And while championing the HRO in some circles, giving as much as legally permissible to the HRO's biggest foe (who could return to the council).
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories.
Quote from: Jimmy on March 02, 2015, 10:21:41 AM
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories, I'd say all this internal discord and Democratic fratricide has been engineered to keep us a second-tier, also-ran political party in Jacksonville. I'd say the money folks play both parties like puppets. They back AB one election. LC in the next. And while championing the HRO in some circles, giving as much as legally permissible to the HRO's biggest foe (who could return to the council).
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories.
You don't have to subscribe to conspiracy theories, as much as accept the fact that for many, perhaps most, politics is not so much about ideas, ideology, or even good governance, but simply about getting, consolidating and keeping power.
Quote from: Jimmy on March 02, 2015, 10:21:41 AM
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories, I'd say all this internal discord and Democratic fratricide has been engineered to keep us a second-tier, also-ran political party in Jacksonville. I'd say the money folks play both parties like puppets. They back AB one election. LC in the next. And while championing the HRO in some circles, giving as much as legally permissible to the HRO's biggest foe (who could return to the council).
If I subscribed to conspiracy theories.
THIS....and also CC has good points. i believe Jimmy & Cheshire Cat is all too familiar w/ the hierarchy of black politicians locally and nationally. There is a way to run in an election but you must have paid your dues (not always financially) which explains why Corrine chooses who to recommend and why she would to tell people in these districts to clearly vote against their own self interests. I'm sure this happens in many cities, but if you have watched politics as I assume CC, Jimmy & Stephen has over the years, I do not believe you can ever figure out the real reasons for Corrines Pics unless you are part of the group. I'm unsure local Democratic leaders have much input.
I had intended to do updates on Quick Picks on the original thread about the issue. Since this one is now underway I want to update those who are reading that I did speak with the Director of Elections office about several issues surrounding the ballot. Some questions were raised on their end at the State level and I will be hearing back from them about the laws and statues addressing those specifics later today or tomorrow.
On another note, during one of my lengthy conversations with a state elections official investigator whom I will not name at this point, the following observations were made. First that Corrine's Quick Pics certainly look to be a ballot with a specific intent that may not on the surface be against the law but certainly falls in line with a "Repeat After Me" mentality aimed at less informed or less independent voters. The individual went on to say that the Electioneering laws of Florida are loosely written and open to interpretation with a few noted exceptions. The shame of it is that there has historically been the "assumption" of a "private ballot". If the intent here was as claimed to "let the voters know ones thinking about candidates",a background of the candidates would have been of service. Beyond that a simple list of candidate names would have sufficed as opposed to a faux ballot. Unfortunately according to this individual, for the many voters who don't understand the process simply telling or suggesting to them who to vote for creates a situation where they continue to remain un-informed and un-involved in the process of vetting the candidates that they put into office and that was rather a sad thing and not what the campaign and election process is about.
From today's T.U.:
Quote
An Open Letter to North Jacksonville Voters in District Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten.
Good day to you,
This is a very important letter to voters in District 7, 8, 9, and 10 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Since Jacksonville Consolidation in 1968 these four districts have been without forward thinking and compassionate transformational leadership with integrity and empathy for their constituents. North Jacksonville leadership has been and is a colossal failure for North Jacksonville residents under the past and present leadership of Corrine Brown's despicable folly, "the Quick Picks" politics. Physical evidence speaks for self in the Urban Core and surrounding areas. The majority of African American Leaders nationwide individual and collective failure to effectuate any kind of positive economic growth is pathetic.
Mayor Alvin Brown, who is an African American male from the North Jacksonville community, has no economic plan for the Urban Core and no open-ended communication with the grassroots organizations or leaders. He keep run to the African American Faith-based community that is responsible for our present day pathology. If Mayor Brown was a forward thinker he would have created a native Urban Core Czar to initiate Generational Progressive dialogue change within these four districts. .
Mayor Alvin Brown continues to bring in local and out of town friends to make decisions that impact our local community development. He uses the power of his office to position them with authority and high paying jobs. These individuals have no knowledge, understanding, compassion or proven experience to effectuate positive changes in the City of Jacksonville, especially in North Jacksonville.
While, four decades of African American leadership has produce nothing but profound ignorance and self-serving mentality has perpetuated gentrification in some areas. Citizen's protests for social justice and equity are becoming increasingly 'more frequent' and are linked directly to, injustices in the criminal justice system, school to prison pipeline, and the obliteration of historical African American communities. In addition, they have failed to provide resolutions to reverse trends in low performing schools, increasing crimes, unjust punishment, inconsistent safety and no intention to include current residents for economic growth throughout North Jacksonville Urban Core.
The majority of Americans of African Descent who reside in our local area resides in one of these four districts (7, 8, 9, 10 and one at large member).
According to New York Life numbers, African Americans collectively spent twelve point four BILLION dollars ($12.4 billions) in Duval County in 2013.
Money stays in the African American community six (6) hours; we control less than one percentage point of the City GDP (EST).
The absent of leadership perpetuates these pathologies on the African American communities not corporations or "de white man".
No wonder the community hosts a variety of holistic pathology including, but is not limited to a disproportionate and appalling number of poverty-stricken non-traditional households, double digits unemployment for youth and adult males, catastrophic level school dropout's rate, marginal proactive social and civic participation among the male leadership, collaborations to rebuild the family infrastructure and stability, education empowerment, cooperative economics investment and civic policing of our communities.
Now is the time for new forward thinking compassionate leadership that is grounded to these districts with the courage to stand up for Quality of Life issues, who are committed and open-minded with proven integrity, accountability and transparency. The absent of these qualities leads into our present day correlation, more folly and making promises with no plans to deliver.
NEW LEADERSHIP IS REQUIRED NOW, not recycled politicians like Terry Field and Pat Lockett Felder perpetuating the pathologies in their communities for self-gains. Their betrayal cannot be rewarded with another opportunity to represents ignorance on Jacksonville's City Council. The price is too great for District Eight to bear spiritually, emotionally, mentally, or physically. We cannot afford anymore self-serving leaders for North Jacksonville. New leadership requires battle-tested commitment and human capital investing in the area, NO OJT.
Do your research and 'just say no' to candidates who are hiding behind their family names like, 'Spencer', 'Gaffney', or 'Brown' or popularity candidates like 'Pittman', 'Morgan', and 'Foy'.
Jacksonville's African American community, it's "Time Out" for proven ignorance, classism and cynical representation from the past and present African American leadership.
I recommend taking a very serious look at these candidates. I know for a fact that we can transform our communities with a cooperative economics plan that is proven. No more set-aside programs, begging for jobs and perpetuating the increasing pathologies from within our present leadership.
Vote to Elect Leadership that is accountable, transparent and open-minded with integrity and courage to advocate for the interests of their constituents.
When you find a candidate to give your VOTE, donate to his/her campaign to be sure others are made aware of your Choice for representation.
District 7 – has an up and coming community actionist with a powerful voice, integrity, and is a forward thinker intellect in historic Eastside. Her name is Niki Brunson. Niki Brunson is a selected board member of the African American Economic Recovery Think Tank.
District 8 – James Breaker, I endorsed James Breaker as the right person for District Eight because of his community involvement and his economic development plan. James Breaker is a selected board member of the African American Economic Recovery Think Tank.
District 9 – Second Chance - Glorious Johnson provides a deep understanding of the City Council and can be a mentor to Districts 7, 8, and 10. Glorious Johnson leadership should be able to unify the other three districts to implement the Comprehensive Cooperative Economic Initiative already in force on Moncrief/Myrtle, be included in the planning stages of New King Road and the completion of the Soutel/Pritchard Corridors CRA's.
District 10 – I endorsed Reginald Brown for two reasons transparency and open communication. Moving forward, I expect Reginald Brown to "talk less and listen more" to people in his District who can help him succeed. The money is not the only issue when transforming a community. It's about economic empowerment leads to high self-esteem, community and business ownership that brings about positive change.
When it comes to District 7, 8, 9 and 10 holistic Quality of Life matters; rebuilding family infrastructure, life and career educational empowerment, healthcare prevention and generational wealth-builders.
There is a five years plan called the North Jacksonville Comprehensive Community Development Initiative developed from within the community by the numerous members of the AAERTT.
It's paramount for these district residents to VOTE for their interests and the issues not party politics. Seek out candidates with proven integrity, compassionate, open-end communication and a proven commitment for change. .
Stanley "Doc" Scott
Life Support - Strategic Intervention Coaching
Strategic Intervention Coach - Transformational Motivational Speaker
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifesupportforhumanity/
Civil Rights Activist advocating for Education Reform and Economic Development in Underserved Communities
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stanley-Doc-Scott/417685324989803
Founding Member of the African American Economic Recovery Think Tank
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AAERTT/
doc3507@msn.com
PO Box 2672
Jacksonville, Florida 32203
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400605/stanley-scott/2015-03-08/open-letter-north-jacksonville-voters-district-seven
Then there is this: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=339151749611292&set=vr.339151749611292&type=2&theater
More controversy and questions.
QuoteAt the Supervisor of Elections office today for an Early Voting event, Representative Corrine Brown was in good humor, until I asked her about her voter information document, "Corrine's Quick Picks", a long standing institution for Florida voters that is under increased scrutiny this year.
I asked her about whether they were, as some are saying, "pay to play." The Congresswoman did not shirk the question.
"Corrine's Quick Picks is my choice," she said. "I make it quite clear. You can vote for anyone you want. I pay to print them."
The other big rumor swirling was that Kim Daniels' altercation yesterday was tied into the Quick Picks process somehow. Representative Brown did not want to address that question, preferring instead to discuss the mechanics of voting, such as reminding voters that "you can only vote for one [candidate] per category."
After I broached the question, other reporters followed suit, with one television reporter asking how one gets on the Quick Picks.
"There's a list of ways," Brown related. "You can go to some kind of boot camp" for candidate training, such as those hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus or EMILY's List.
"I can't run a campaign for you," she added.
The Congresswoman took issue with the idea that her endorsing was controversial, given that the Chamber and the Unions offer endorsements. "How am I different? Oh, I know," she said, laughing ruefully.
"I've been doing this for over twenty years. People ask me how I'm voting. I'm so excited that it's a discussion in the community. I've printed 50,000 of them," she said. "It's like the dog track — a cheat sheet."
The Congresswoman had a message to her critics: "you better talk to yourself and what you bring to the table."
Across town, at the same time as the Congresswoman's presser, there was a press conference taking issue with Corrine's Quick Picks.
Kenneth Adkins, representing a group of black pastors, called for the elimination of the Quick Picks and for them no longer to be disseminated at early voting sites and black churches. His take is that the Quick Picks manipulate elections and cause tension within the African-American political community.
For original article click this link http://floridapolitics.com/archives/11058
Just had a story on AcrionNews 47 about it. Showing two of the candidates arguing it. And pastors telling her to rescind the Quick Picks. Of course then Ms Corrine telling them the pics are just her opinion but she encourages all to vote how they feel. Lol
Quoteasked her about whether they were, as some are saying, "pay to play." The Congresswoman did not shirk the question.
"Corrine's Quick Picks is my choice," she said. "I make it quite clear. You can vote for anyone you want. I pay to print them."
Anyone know how much it costs to get on the quick pick?
Depends on who you are. I have had people tell me she has charged up to $6,000.00 but no one will go on record saying they were approached or paid. I reached out to a few former and current candidates in an attempt to verify.
http://www.youtube.com/v/D0IaoNmegiM?rel=0"%20frameborder="0"
QuoteCorrine Brown's 'Quick-Picks' spurring debate over her influence on Jacksonville elections
By Steve Patterson Fri, Mar 13, 2015 @ 6:52 pm | updated Fri, Mar 13, 2015 @ 8:41 pm
A sheet of candidate endorsements that U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown circulates for Jacksonville's city elections is drawing intense debate about the role of lists like that in local politics.
"I've been doing this for years. And evidently it's very popular," said Brown, D-Jacksonville, who said her political committee paid to print and distribute 40,000 copies of Corrine's Quick-Picks, a two-sided sheet resembling a ballot for the March 24 "first election."
The sheet, marked with Brown's choices for mayor, sheriff, elections supervisor and 13 contested City Council seats, turned up this month at churches and election rallies and was printed on two pages of a glossy magazine, Onyx, where most of the candidates that Brown endorsed bought ads.
It also was distributed this week by sign-wavers outside early voting sites — as was an unsigned rival sheet made by someone who appeared to have simply photocopied one page of Brown's picks in the magazine and pasted on new choices for the council's District 7 and 8 races.
Lists like Brown's have been used for years for the simple reason that they work, said Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland, noting that business groups, churches and others have followed a cheat-sheet model to produce lists that can be carried freely into ballot booths.
Holland said he doesn't recall ever seeing the number of sheets that are competing for attention this year — but Brown's still holds a special spot.
"The congresswoman is the mother of all Quick-Picks," Holland said, Brown having popularized her lists after tens of thousands of ballots were thrown out during the 2000 election by officials who said they were filled out incorrectly.
Brown's endorsements have become a sort of election-season industry. Her Friends of Corrine Brown committee last fall turned out Quick-Picks for voters in five counties — Alachua, Duval, Orange, Putnam and Seminole — on races ranging from school boards and judgeships to soil and water conservation districts. And the stalwart Democrat said people want to hear her opinions.
"People all over town ask me for them," she said. "And it's not just Northside. It's all over town."
But the Quick-Picks' following is fueling a backlash from people who say they're used the most in poorer, predominately black neighborhoods that need lots of city services — and residents instead need to vote for effective, energetic candidates, not for names on a list.
"Choose for yourself," said Ken Adkins, a minister and public relations consultant who staged a news conference Tuesday to urge Brown to retire her Quick-Picks. "People need to learn to educate themselves. ... You can choose the best candidate for your district."
Adkins told reporters he was speaking for close to 20 ministers who had concerns about the Quick-Picks process, but were afraid to speak up because they didn't want to alienate Brown, who has been in Congress 22 years.
`I AM NOT GOING TO PIMP MY RACE'
more
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-03-13/story/corrine-browns-quick-picks-spurring-debate-over-her-influence#.VQOFJvi0bWg.twitter
sheclown, this would almost answer your question about how much people paid to get included. I was surprise to read the "Corrine pics" were placed in type of magazine where most candidates who were pics, had ads!?! If she paid for this through her own PAC, where did the money from the ads go??
For those following the Quick Pick stories etc and may now think Corrine and her claims justifying the hows and whys of her quick pics are all nothing more than others do when endorsing candidates, think again. I have been on the phone all day with investigators and attorneys at the state level and there are some serious concerns and some statues to be revisited. Stay tuned!
Diane, I don't know if this is a piece of your puzzle, or not, but you need to focus in on something called Onyx Magazine out of Orlando.
And then there's this odd entry in KD's campaign expenditures from 2011:
28 3/8/2011 Alvin Brown Campaign Quick Pick Ad Monetary $300.00
She paid Alvin Brown, another 2011 candidate, $300 for a Quick Pick Ad? Don't know what that's about...
(In case you're wondering, there's no corresponding $300 contribution coming into the Alvin Brown account...)
https://www.voterfocus.com/ws/WScand/candidate_pr.php?op=rp_all&e=10&c=duval&ca=318&cname=Kimberly+Daniels&coffice=City+Council+At+Large+Group+1&rellevel=
Quote from: Jimmy on March 16, 2015, 06:29:32 PM
Diane, I don't know if this is a piece of your puzzle, or not, but you need to focus in on something called Onyx Magazine out of Orlando.
And then there's this odd entry in KD's campaign expenditures from 2011:
28 3/8/2011 Alvin Brown Campaign Quick Pick Ad Monetary $300.00
She paid Alvin Brown, another 2011 candidate, $300 for a Quick Pick Ad? Don't know what that's about...
(In case you're wondering, there's no corresponding $300 contribution coming into the Alvin Brown account...)
https://www.voterfocus.com/ws/WScand/candidate_pr.php?op=rp_all&e=10&c=duval&ca=318&cname=Kimberly+Daniels&coffice=City+Council+At+Large+Group+1&rellevel=
On it big time Jimmy as well as some angles the public is unaware of as yet. :) There is also an interesting series of self loans from Kimberly to Kimberly's campaign account. One in the odd amount of 19,461.00. Shoot, a person might think this was about laundering money or something. ;)
Investigations of elected officials can take a lot of time and some may need to re-read these threads to catch up. Just wanted to update the thread by saying that Corrine Brown was served a subpoena yesterday while lunching at Bono's. It appears there is a case pending about her campaign finances and spending. The wheels turn slowly but at least they are turning.
Update: The focus is on some of her finances connected to a non profit.
Interesting it appears that Gaffney was with Corrine and he also received a subpoena. The plot thickens.
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on January 05, 2016, 11:17:49 PM
Interesting it appears that Gaffney was with Corrine and he also received a subpoena. The plot thickens.
Which Gaffney?
I really wish she'd just go away. And thanks to the redistricting, it looks like she will!
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on March 01, 2015, 09:33:25 PM
Here you go Rattler:
QuoteLast 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
Diane, going back to your March 1st post -- that Washington Post writer is part of the problem I've referenced before. Ignorant of history, and naively regurgitating the preferred talking point. For example, this is another quote from his piece:
QuoteAs the Tampa Bay Times' Alex Leary describes in great detail, Brown partnered with Republicans to create that district in the 1990s.
No, she didn't. That district was MANDATED by the Courts and supported by Democrats when first created as a minority-access district. The Democrats outfoxed themselves, and unintended consequences have bitten them in the ass (dems da breaks, you know?). But this can't be blamed on Republicans. Not when the courts signed off on it, and the Legislature was led by Democrats with a Democrat sitting at the Governor's mansion.
Black Democrats demanded these districts; that's the bottom line.
You might wish the facts were different, but that's another story entirely and there is a parallel (it seems to me) with the current outrage over Corrine's QuickPick cheat sheet. Before the 1990s, white Democrats simply would not vote for a Black candidate in sufficient numbers for said candidate to win a seat in Congress. Florida history proves this. Now, apparently, we have the problem with overvotes & hanging chads, etc., in 2000 so the entrenched Black congresswoman from Big Duval simply follows
established practice (engaged in by Unions, etc.) and develops a cheat sheet that
SHE controls.
Political power made manifest -- I mean, what a copycat concept! Right?
And, lo and behold, white Democrats in Big Duval now lose their freaking mind. All because (it appears) she's decidedly
OFF the plantation on the Gay folks agenda. As is, by the way, most of Black America.
The desire that Corrine simply goes away is likely to go unfulfilled. She's gonna have to be forced out, and that's clearly what some are hoping for by investigating so hard some of her practices. She is likely the heavy, heavy favorite to win re-election in this new district (that's probably why she gave up on the move to Orlando). No one from Tallahassee is going to bop in and take this away from her, certainly not Al Lawson. Maybe a Black Republican has a shot but that's not likely either. Also, from a Northeast Florida Republican perspective -- she's a known entity that can bring some projects back to Jax much better than some newby from the Panhandle.
Y'all might want to quit with the insults and give her some serious dap.
Quote from: RattlerGator on January 06, 2016, 10:36:52 AM
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on March 01, 2015, 09:33:25 PM
Here you go Rattler:
QuoteLast 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
Diane, going back to your March 1st post -- that Washington Post writer is part of the problem I've referenced before. Ignorant of history, and naively regurgitating the preferred talking point. For example, this is another quote from his piece:
QuoteAs the Tampa Bay Times' Alex Leary describes in great detail, Brown partnered with Republicans to create that district in the 1990s.
No, she didn't. That district was MANDATED by the Courts and supported by Democrats when first created as a minority-access district. The Democrats outfoxed themselves, and unintended consequences have bitten them in the ass (dems da breaks, you know?). But this can't be blamed on Republicans. Not when the courts signed off on it, and the Legislature was led by Democrats with a Democrat sitting at the Governor's mansion.
Black Democrats demanded these districts; that's the bottom line.
You might wish the facts were different, but that's another story entirely and there is a parallel (it seems to me) with the current outrage over Corrine's QuickPick cheat sheet. Before the 1990s, white Democrats simply would not vote for a Black candidate in sufficient numbers for said candidate to win a seat in Congress. Florida history proves this. Now, apparently, we have the problem with overvotes & hanging chads, etc., in 2000 so the entrenched Black congresswoman from Big Duval simply follows established practice (engaged in by Unions, etc.) and develops a cheat sheet that SHE controls.
Political power made manifest -- I mean, what a copycat concept! Right?
And, lo and behold, white Democrats in Big Duval now lose their freaking mind. All because (it appears) she's decidedly OFF the plantation on the Gay folks agenda. As is, by the way, most of Black America.
The desire that Corrine simply goes away is likely to go unfulfilled. She's gonna have to be forced out, and that's clearly what some are hoping for by investigating so hard some of her practices. She is likely the heavy, heavy favorite to win re-election in this new district (that's probably why she gave up on the move to Orlando). No one from Tallahassee is going to bop in and take this away from her, certainly not Al Lawson. Maybe a Black Republican has a shot but that's not likely either. Also, from a Northeast Florida Republican perspective -- she's a known entity that can bring some projects back to Jax much better than some newby from the Panhandle.
Y'all might want to quit with the insults and give her some serious dap.
Not quite. Redistricting in general was mandated by the courts due to the near-total lack of minority representation in Congress. But the Republicans were heavily involved in the way that redistricting occurred. They worked closely with minority Democrats unhappy with the previous status quo - and with the Democratic Party's failure to work toward representing minority neighborhoods, to create the current gerrymandered districts.
The gerrymandering they came up with concentrated black and Latino neighorhoods into certain districts, ensuring that a few districts would always have minority representatives, but also making the Democrats much less competitive in all the other districts. It's a mess now, but it was a mess before.
It was Reggie Gaffney who was allegedly served along with Ms. Alexander, a long time partner of Corrine. I had someone ask Reggie if he had been served and he denied it. However another contact tells me that he is lying about it. Feb/March/April of last year I spoke with both the Feds and State Officials about a number of issues and provided documentation. My next contact with them informed me that an investigation was underway. Many people are not going to see this coming. This is not about the issue of Redistricting although the meeting she had with several others that day at Bono's was about a petition she has going with regard to redistricting. There is also an issue about funding going to a non-profit but it does not stop there. This thing has tentacles.
Quote from: coredumped on January 06, 2016, 10:19:50 AM
I really wish she'd just go away. And thanks to the redistricting, it looks like she will!
Even if she gets voted out in the next election, at some point we'll get the eventual embezzlement trial that will become a media circus.
Quote from: Tacachale on January 06, 2016, 11:39:26 AM
Not quite. Redistricting in general was mandated by the courts due to the near-total lack of minority representation in Congress. But the Republicans were heavily involved in the way that redistricting occurred. They worked closely with minority Democrats unhappy with the previous status quo - and with the Democratic Party's failure to work toward representing minority neighborhoods, to create the current gerrymandered districts.
The gerrymandering they came up with concentrated black and Latino neighorhoods into certain districts, ensuring that a few districts would always have minority representatives, but also making the Democrats much less competitive in all the other districts. It's a mess now, but it was a mess before.
Wrong. And yes, Tacachale, quite. There's a mythology that has developed around this stuff for partisan reasons but a range of plaintiffs were involved in the 1992 lawsuit -- most of them Democrats or nominally nonpartisan groups closely aligned with Democrats.
1. QuoteDeGrandy v. Wetherell, 794 F. Supp. 1076 (N.D. Fla. 1992)
The Legislature did not adopt a congressional redistricting plan either during the regular session that adjourned March 14, 1992, or during a special session that adjourned April 1, 1992. A three-judge panel then held that the congressional redistricting plan adopted in 1982 violated Article I, § 2 of the United States Constitution, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, the one person, one vote principle, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. On May 29, 1992, the court ordered the state to conduct the 1992 congressional election and subsequent congressional elections in accordance with a redistricting plan adopted by the court.
The important thing here to note is that a bunch of proposed maps were submitted by a wide range of interested parties and the federal court, because of gridlock in the Florida Legislature, heavily relied upon certain submitted maps, most of them from Democrats or nominally nonpartisan groups closely aligned with Democrats.
2. QuoteThe independent expert assembled his plan (Plan 308) from key portions of other plans, in particular the DeGrandy plan [RattlerGator: Republican-friendly], the Common Cause plan [RattlerGator: Democrat-friendly], the Margolis plan [RattlerGator: Democrat and Senate President], and the NAACP plan [RattlerGator: Democrat-friendly]. The expert plan takes the NAACP and DeGrandy approach of creating two African-American majority districts, plus one influence African-American district. Additionally, the expert's plan follows the DeGrandy approach with some modification in south Florida, keeping Cuban-American communities together and creating two Hispanic super majority districts, plus one African-American majority district, in Dade County. The expert pointed out that his plan follows the lead of the Margolis plan [RattlerGator: Again, Democrat and 1992 Senate President] with respect to the African-American majority district in north Florida. However, the plan makes changes in that district based upon the NAACP plan. Additionally, the expert witness points out that the plan generally follows the Common Cause approach to central Florida.
So, as anyone can plainly see . . . the Republicans didn't drive this train and clearly aren't responsible for it. The court drew the district
largely based on maps generated by Democrats or Democrat-friendly groups. It should also be noted that this is ESPECIALLY TRUE with respect to Corrine's district -- heavily influenced by the (1) Margolis, (2) Common Cause, and (3) NAACP maps. Democrat, Democrat, Democrat.
Those are the cold, hard facts Stephen (that
stupid boomerang keeps slapping you, bwah!) and no amount of northeast Florida gossip from Corrine or Ander Crenshaw or anyone else can change that. The idea that so many Democrats absolutely refuse to own this particular fact is telling but ultimately irrelevant to the truth of the matter asserted.
This just out this evening, Times Union.
QuoteBrown's political spending has come under scrutiny in the last year by the Federal Election Commission.
The agency notified her political committee, Friends of Corrine Brown, that it found several discrepancies, including the committee's records showing it spent $7,800 more than it recorded having in its account. That finding suggests the committee took on a debt that it didn't record in its report, overdrew its account or made a mathematical error, according to a letter from the FEC in June.
The letter instructed the committee to respond to the finding by June 29. "Failure to adequately respond... could result in an audit or enforcement action," the letter said.
Brown didn't file a written response or an amended report, according to the FEC's website. A FEC spokeswoman said she wasn't permitted to say whether the issue was still open or an audit was being conducted.
For full story click link: http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-01-06/story/us-rep-brown-served-subpoena-long-time-aide-visited-federal-agents[/quote]
QuoteWhile her office won't say what the subpoena is for, local leaders who spoke with Action News Jax said they think it could be about her quick picks.
Every election Brown hands out quick picks to her constituents telling them who she is endorsing.
Action News Jax spoke to one former candidate Wednesday who described his encounter with Brown's quick picks.
Dick Kravitz ran for tax collector in 2011 and lost. He said he went to Brown asking for support.
Kravitz said Brown and an aid explained that if Brown offered her support, Kravitz would have to pay for printing costs either $10,000 or $15,000.
Kravitz said he left to consider it, and then realized the math did not add up, so he never went back for the endorsement.
- See more at: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/rep-corrine-brown-served-federal-subpoena/npyhS/#sthash.oYxgdjb5.dpuf
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on January 07, 2016, 02:27:25 PM
QuoteWhile her office won't say what the subpoena is for, local leaders who spoke with Action News Jax said they think it could be about her quick picks.
Every election Brown hands out quick picks to her constituents telling them who she is endorsing.
Action News Jax spoke to one former candidate Wednesday who described his encounter with Brown's quick picks.
Dick Kravitz ran for tax collector in 2011 and lost. He said he went to Brown asking for support.
Kravitz said Brown and an aid explained that if Brown offered her support, Kravitz would have to pay for printing costs either $10,000 or $15,000.
Kravitz said he left to consider it, and then realized the math did not add up, so he never went back for the endorsement.
- See more at: http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/rep-corrine-brown-served-federal-subpoena/npyhS/#sthash.oYxgdjb5.dpuf
Pack your bags Corrine, your time on the taxpayers back is over! Maybe she can get city employees to help her move...
Thanks for the re-post Stephen. There is much more cooking right now and more than one investigation into Corrine and her associates under way. Just know that Corrine's claims that this is political because of the redistricting is false. This current investigation was underway more than a year ago and hasn't one doggone thing to do with redistricting. That is a convenient claim that ties in with her rhetoric about being under political attack. Not so. Also know that at the meeting Corrine was served during her lunch at Bono's, there indeed was conversation about redistricting but the meeting was about Medicaid/Medicare expansion. At that table was Reggie Gaffney who for those who have forgotten was caught falsely billing Medicaid to the tune of 1.4 million through his non-profit Community Rehabilitation Center. Prior to 2010 Corrine had put in over 3 million dollars in "earmarks" for this same organization. It was in August of last year that Gaffney's name was removed as a principal from the CRC. LLC. All the years prior his name is there. Connect the dots folks.
So the public is learning more about Corrine's non profit dealings. Here is another of her non profits that has no or foundation in a legal non profit entity and to no ones Surprise, Corrine will not comment on it. Let me make it clear to those of you just opening your eyes to the dealings of Corrine Brown. This is just one of a myriad of questionable dealings that officials are looking into!
QuoteOver the past four years, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown repeatedly has used her name, office and political connections to steer tens of thousands of dollars to an obscure organization in Northern Virginia that says it helps a range of charities.
Brown has touted the group, One Door for Education — Amy Anderson Scholarship Foundation, as a charitable nonprofit when courting potential donors.
But the partnership with Brown is curious because One Door — a group unknown to some of its neighbors and several causes it says it supports — doesn't appear to have the tax-exempt status commonly held by charities even as it has taken in substantial donations.
It's not clear why Brown has taken such a keen interest in One Door. The normally loquacious congresswoman refused to talk about it, and One Door, based in Leesburg, Va., hasn't returned multiple phone calls and emails.
Brown's close association with One Door is unusual both for the extent of her financial help and the exposure to a wider audience her backing seems to offer.
One Door, based in a single-family house in an affluent suburb 40 miles northwest of Washington, has received money from political action committees, lobbyists and foundations run by people around Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat whose political franchise is advocacy for the dispossessed in Northeast and Central Florida.
Brown also sought donations for One Door as part of a 2013 golf tournament where sponsorship levels reached as high as $20,000, though it's unclear how successful Brown's fundraising push was. Invitations — which included One Door letterhead, the U.S. House of Representatives seal and Brown's signature — were sent to her supporters and city officials.
The Times-Union was able to track money that came from a committee organized by Brown, from people or organizations who have also given to Brown, and from a wealthy foundation active in education that isn't known to have past dealings with the 23-year House member.
For full story click this link:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-01-30/story/us-rep-corrine-brown-has-steered-tens-thousands-dollars-unusual