District City Council Races for Jacksonville 2015

[Jtetlak]

Thanks for posting all of this, it's important that the public is informed. Anyone interested in learning more about me and my stance on the issues can visit www.tetlak.com or my Facebook page: FB.com/Tetlak2015

[riverside_mail]

District 10 Race for Council 2015

Candidates are:

Reginald "Reggie" Brown  (D)  Incumbent
Celestine Mills                    (D)
Joseph L. Willis                  (NPA)

Just sayin'

State: Reggie Gaffney's nonprofit overbilled Medicaid nearly $1.4 million

By David Bauerlein Thu, May 16, 2013 @ 6:04 pm | updated Fri, May 17, 2013 @ 5:08 am

By David Bauerlein Thu, May 16, 2013 @ 6:04 pm | updated Fri, May 17, 2013 @ 5:08 am
Photo by Jon M. Fletcher/The Times-Union-- 063008-- The Jacksonville Port Authority Board of Directors holds their first meeting since the resignation of Ron Baker. Pictured is Board Member Reginald Gaffney. (The Florida Times-Union, Jon M. Fletcher) The Florida Times-Union
The Florida Times-Union
Photo by Jon M. Fletcher/The Times-Union-- 063008-- The Jacksonville Port Authority Board of Directors holds their first meeting since the resignation of Ron Baker. Pictured is Board Member Reginald Gaffney. (The Florida Times-Union, Jon M. Fletcher)

A nonprofit run by former Jacksonville Port Authority board member Reggie Gaffney overbilled Medicaid by almost $1.4 million, according to an audit by the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

The state is seeking to recoup the money from Community Rehabilitation Center and also assess a $111,000 fine.

Community Rehabilitation Center disputes the state's audit and says it filed for an administrative hearing to make its case.

Gaffney, whose five-year tenure on the port board ended this month after the Florida Senate did not confirm his reappointment, helped found Community Rehabilitation Center in 1993 and serves as executive director.

The nonprofit helps low-income people by providing medical services for mental illness, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Gaffney did not return a call for comment.

An email from his assistant said the organization disagrees with the audit.

Community Rehabilitation Center "requested a formal administrative hearing upon receipt of AHCA's audit advice and we are in the process of actively negotiating resolution of this matter," the email said.

The billing case stems from a routine audit by the Agency for Health Care Administration. Last July, a preliminary audit determined the Medicaid program overpaid Community Rehabilitation Center by almost $2.6 million from September 2008 through February 2011.

After further review, the state put the amount of overpayment at almost $1.4 million "for services that in whole or in part are not covered by Medicaid," according to a letter sent to the nonprofit in March.

The letter says Community Rehabilitation Center failed to adequately document its medical records, lacked a valid plan of care for some home health services, and did not render some medical services that were listed on claims for Medicaid payments.

Agency for Health Care Administration spokeswoman Shelisha Coleman declined comment, saying the agency does not discuss cases in active litigation.

In the 2011-12 fiscal year, the agency conducted 2,842 audits statewide and found overpayments in 1,987 cases, according to the agency's annual report. Those cases totaled $36 million in overpayments, or an average of roughly $18,000 in overbilling per case.

Community Rehabilitation Center has reached settlements with the state in the past over Medicaid audits that found overbilling. The organization agreed to pay about $29,000 in 2003 and paid $390 in 2010, according to state records.

Gaffney's service on the JaxPort board ended when the Senate wrapped up its session without voting to confirm his appointment by Gov. Rick Scott.

david.bauerlein@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4581

then there was this from 2004, same non-profit:

Council candidate airs errors


By MARY KELLI PALKA
The Times-Union,

A Jacksonville City Council candidate reimbursed the state pay almost $132,000 three years ago after being charged with Medicaid provider fraud.

Now Johnny Gaffney wants to get the word out that he's sorry for his past actions and wants to focus on issues during the upcoming campaign.

Gaffney, 46, was arrested on March 2, 2004, and accused of submitting claims to Florida's Medicaid program for services he didn't perform or that weren't authorized.

The State Attorney's Office dropped the charges a few months later. The court file in the clerk's office didn't provide details about why the charges were dropped. The assistant state attorney involved in the case couldn't be reached for comment.

Gaffney, a Democrat, contacted the Times-Union Tuesday after his legal problems hit at least one local online forum. He said he wanted to make sure the public knew about the charge, and he didn't want his opponents to be able to use the information against him to hurt his campaign.

He's running for District 7, which includes parts of downtown and East Jacksonville. The seat is being vacated by Pat Lockett-Felder.

From Dec. 1, 2002, through Sept. 30, 2003, Gaffney misrepresented himself as a licensed provider of support services for an adult day care program, according to a report by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The program, Community Resource and Training Services, was located on the Northside and taught life skills to six or seven mentally or physically challenged clients at a time. He repaid Medicaid almost $132,000, according to the state report.

Gaffney said he didn't know he needed a license to seek payment from Medicaid. He said he made a mistake and no fraud was intended.

"I'm very sorry," he said.

Gaffney said he now works as an adjunct professor for the Jacksonville campus of the University of Phoenix.

His brother, Donald Gaffney, is a former city councilman and a state representative who served two years in prison for a 1998 federal mail fraud conviction.

Also in the race for District 7 are Democrats Carolyn Anderson, Kenneth Arnold, Irvin "Pedro" Cohen, Marc A. McCullough and Martha C. Valdes-Pellino, and Republican Gary C. Morrison.

Gaffney had raised about $22,000, more than any of the other candidates, according to his last campaign finance report.

William Sweet, a former candidate for the District 7 seat, dropped out of the race in October after being accused of stealing about $8,700 of taxpayer money while working for the city.

mary.palka@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4104

Is there some correlation here, or did you post the wrong Reggie?

[sheclown]

yeah.  I shouldn't post when I'm in a hurry!

District 7 Race for Council 2015

Candidates are:

Niki Brunson  (NPA)
James Eddy   (D)
Donald Foy    (D)
Reggie Gaffney (D)
Mark A. McCullough Sr. (D)
Wendell Sams (D)

Reggie Gaffney.
Sirretta Williams (D)

[Cheshire Cat]

Good catch Joe, I was up past my bedtime doing this.  lol  I have added Mr. Spencer and his bio. 

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks for the thanks guys.  lol

I am also glad that sheclown posted the article on Gaffney.  He should not be elected under any circumstances.  This is guy who has learned how to use his name recognition to make money in politics and he is like his brother dishonest in his back room dealings. Bad news.   He is also on the receiving end right now of monies coming from a Republican PAC.  It is clear what his presence in the race is all about.  I give him a major thumbs down!

[Cheshire Cat]

Know your candidates and research them.  I say this over and over for a variety of reasons.  One of the most important is to ascertain the character of the person asking for your vote.  Here is a great example of why this is important.  In the race for District 9 there is a young man named Garrett Dennis filed as a Democrat who is busy attending black churches in the district telling them he will "NOT" support the HRO or GLBT community while at the same time attending other Dem and White progressive groups saying he "will" support the HRO.  He is a privately backed candidate, who was moved by political operatives into an apartment in district 9 just prior to the cut off date for district residence.  He has never lived there before.  This folks is the sad case of politics in Jacksonville.  There was a similar case of this nonsense between Reggie Fullwood and Johnny Gaffney with regard to a state house seat which will be voted on this month.  It's a game of chess and it is all manipulated.

[Noone]

EXCELLENT WORK!!!!  Thanks so much for doing this.

+1

[Scott A Wilson]

District 4 Council Race

Learn more about Scott Wilson at www.VoteScottWilson.com.


Candidates are:

Ramon Day   (D)
Fred Engness (R)
Ryan Taylor    (R)
Scott Wilson  (R)


SOE bio for Ramon Day:

None provided.



SOE bio for Fred Engness:

None provided.


SOE bio for Ryan Taylor: 

None provided


SOE bio for Scott Wilson:

None provided

[Cheshire Cat]

Scott, I know you have provided competent and honest support to Don Redman in District 4 while serving as his assistant. My dealings with you were always well received and you were very efficient and helpfull.  I think many people are seeing you as a reflection of Don's attitudes and beliefs which I don't believe is accurate.  It may be helpful to voters if you would supply a bio and share some insight with voters about how you see our government and where you would like to see it go.  What would your position on the HRO legislation be if it came up for a vote again under a new term of council?  Thanks!

[Noone]

Will any Jacksonville city council candidate show up at even one committee meeting as 2014-560 our new CRA/DIA in the USA now makes it way through the legislative committee process for a full Jacksonville city council vote before the elections?

Scott Wilson, Ask Don Redman who is still my District councilman and is the Chair of RCDPHS if he supports an amendment that would allow 24/7 economic opportunity for any licensed and insured watercraft to use any existing or new dock, pier, kayak launch in this new 4.8 mile rivers edge boundary zone from the Fuller Warren Bridge to the Mathews Bridge according to a CRA consultant. He has completely ignored the issue. You have said to me that you can't do anything because you don't have the power. But you support an amendment that just doesn't pick the winners and losers?

I remember Lori Boyer was awesome before being elected to city council being at the Charter Revision Commission meetings and how positive this is for any candidate looking to represent the people of Jacksonville.

[wtfjacksonville]

Did anyone else find it ODD that James Nealis lists his undergrad university, and that he is an attorney, but he doesnt list the law school he attended? Maybe, it;s because he graduated from The Regent University Law School ---A far RIGHT organization that was founded by 700 Club Guru and Christianist Broadcaster Pat Robertson. For more info: check this out. http://abovethelaw.com/2013/10/is-it-bigoted-to-oppose-this-christian-law-school/
Don't be fooled my moderate friends. This guy will make Kim Daniels look reasonable.

[Cheshire Cat]

FYI for readers.  Nealis is running for the District 3 seat against Aaron Bowman.  Only voters residing in District 3 can vote for this seat.  This is the seat Richard Clark is being termed out of. I must be honest, the "far right" tendency concerns me. 

[Jimmy]

That is of concern.  Luckily the other candidate in that District 3 race seems much more reasonable and viable. That's Captain Aaron Bowman.

[Cheshire Cat]

Glorious Johnson Candidate for District 9 receives well deserved endorsement from important political woman's group, Ruth's List Florida.  http://www.ruthslistfl.org/

Candidate for District 9 Council Glorious Johnson,

You have officially been endorsed by Ruth's List Florida. We are so excited about you and your campaign. Please let us know how we can help you win your election!

[Cheshire Cat]

Nice promo piece from my friend Steve Williams in support of Jason Tetlak for the District 14 council seat.