Oh, Buddy.
It is the largest success of the Hillsborough County residents that they successfully dethroned you as the Supervisor of Elections. The hundreds of voters missing over half the ballot, the lack of equipment at the University of South Florida that had students waiting in line four hours after the polls closed, and numerous other instances so eloquently showed how unprepared you were for this election.
What happened that so many poll workers were overwhelmed and unprepared that their lack of preparedness actually turned voters away especially in black neighborhoods were Obama was expected to win? Thank God for Kathy Castor asking the attorney general to intervene or else who knows how long this mess could have unraveled. The true success of the election was that Phyllis Busansky walked away the new Supervisor of Elections. Hopefully, Busansky is up to the challenge of breaking down the wall that Mr. Johnson put between himself and the public creating such a secretive office. Busansky has her work cut out for her, but at least this could be a step in the better direction.
It is still unseen if the Board of Education and Superintendent MaryEllen Elia can creat a success next year of the failure that has been the county school bus routes. After revamping the bus system this past school year, hundreds of confused and irate parents voiced off against the school system and called for change. Elia plans to hold off next year on revamping any more bus routes, but hopes to overhaul the current changes to address the problems brought forth by parents. One positive to come out of this whole debacle was the fact that the school system managed to eliminate a good number of bus stops, yet filled up their buses and got all students to the school on time. For the sanity of many parents next year, let's hope that next year isn't as entrenched with problems as it has been this year.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Jim Norman
County commissioner Jim Norman was born in 1954 in Jacksonville, Florida where he graduated from Englewood High School. After graduation, he attended Florida Junior College and then the University of North Florida. However, Norman left UNF when he was seriously injured in a car accident. Throughout school, Norman supported himself by working as an accounting clerk for Frito-Lay. Also, Norman worked as a comptroller for All State Pipe Supply Co. After leaving UNF, Norman worked as an accounting clerk for accounting firms in Jacksonville and Tampa. Before his election to the county commission, Norman worked as the state Salvation Army’s legislative liaison. He also worked as the head coach for the junior varsity football team at Berkeley Preparatory School.
Norman first ran for election for the county commission in 1992. In the republican primaries, Norman faced off against Gordon Davis and Harry Sexton. Norman ran on the platforms to bring a strong commitment to education and the judicial system. Also, Norman stated that he’d like to work with the sheriff’s office to make sure violent offenders stay in jail while looking at ways to get non-violent, bondable offenders in programs like community control to free space for the more violent prisoners.
After winning in the primaries, Norman went on to face Democratic opponent James P. Doyle. After a recount of the election results, Norman had beat out Doyle by 227 votes and on Nov. 6, 1992, Norman was declared the winner of the county commission seat for District 2, which covers north-central Hillsborough County. After successful re-elections each year, Norman could no longer run for District 2 due to term limits that would not allow him to serve past 2001. Instead, Norman ran for the District 5 countywide seat and managed to defeat Stacey Lynn Easterling with 54.8% of the vote.
During his election for the District 5 post, Norman was involved with a lawsuit leveled against himself, Emeline Acton, Thomas Scott, Gary Trombley and Morris Weinberg by the Times Publishing Company. The lawsuit came about when in August of 1998, Norman and Scott were subpoenaed to appear before the federal grand jury of the Middle District of Florida. The grand jury was investigating irregularities related to a potential vote by the Board of Commissioners on the lien authority of Tampa General Hospital. County Attorney Emeline Acton advised Norman that legal representation was not available to him through the county due to the nature of the subpoena. Norman then retained Weinberg to represent him without the help of the county. Norman appeared before the grand jury on September 15. After the case was over, on May 5, 1999, the Board of County Commissioners determined that the expenditures of Norman arose out of his performance as an official for the county and that he should be reimbursed for his legal fees. On June 28, 1999, reporter David Karp of the St. Petersburg Times issued a public records request for all materials related to the payment of Norman’s lawyer for the case. County Attorney Emeline Acton delivered a letter to Karp informing him that the public records he requested were not in the hands of the county, but in the hands of the attorneys that represented the commissioners. The county argued that the attorneys were in the private sector and not subject to public records requests. The court applied factors from the case New Sun-Sentinel v. Schwab, Twitty, & Hanser and determined that a contract between a private entity and a governmental agency does not subject the private entity to the Public Records Act. Norman walked away from the trial without having to hand over anything to the Times.
In May 2006, Norman’s office confirmed that he underwent heart bypass surgery. Speculation had arisen when Norman had missed government meetings as to what was happening with him. He issued a statement after undergoing the surgery to alleviate his wife Mearline from any added stress from the media.
After moving to the District 5 post, Norman seemed to get himself into the middle of a lot of hotly contested issues at the Board of County Commissioners. In 2006, Norman proposed that the county spend up to $70.5 million in tourist tax dollars at Tampa’s three main sports venues, the Times Forum, Raymond James Stadium and Legends Field. Norman discovered that a tax on people who book hotel rooms in Hillsborough County are charged an extra 5 cent tourist tax for every dollar of their room charge, which a portion of goes toward paying off loans that financed the Times Forum and Raymond James Stadium. Norman also discovered that the tax raised more than was needed to meet the loan obligations. He suggested that the money be put toward upkeep of the arenas so that taxpayers would not have to pay for it. Moreover, Norman warned that annual multimillion-dollar losses by the Lightning could prompt its parent company, Palace Sports and Entertainment, to sell or the move the team, which would leave the county-owned Times Forum without a tenant.
A few days after his initial proposal of using tourist tax dollars, the Hillsborough County Commission voted to give the city of Tampa $6 million in tourist tax dollars to repair a leaky roof in the Tampa Convention Center. The move to release the money was prompted by Norman’s proposal of spending tourist tax dollars in the county’s main sports venues. The commission tried to tie the $6 million payout to aiding the Tampa Bay Lightning as well, but was not successful.
In March of 2007, Norman proposed that the commission expand residency restrictions for sex offenders to areas with high concentration of seniors. Norman was prompted to voice his concern after incidents involving sex crimes in the senior community of Sun City. Sex offenders were already banned from living within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds and other places where children congregate, but Norman worried that these restrictions would push them into areas that include other vulnerable residents such as seniors. Norman proposed that sex offenders also be prohibited from residing within 1,000 feet of areas officially designated as retirement communities such as John Knox Village and Sun City Center.
On April 18, 2007, the commission voted to tighten the restrictions of where sexual predators can reside. The county ordinance that was passed stated that convicted sexual predators are barred from going into or near seniors-only communities that request safety zone designation.
As the county commissioner assigned to the post of the Tampa Sports Authority, one of Jim Norman’s largest plans for the county was the proposed $40-million complex named Championship Park to be built north of Plant City. Norman suggested that the half-cent Community Investment Tax be used to construct the sports complex. A committee was assembled to research the viability of such a complex. Findings supported the fact that Tampa sports facilities were in overuse by 200 percent. The review committee supported Norman’s proposed Championship Park by stating that the complex could pay for itself and potentially make money.
However, by October when the commission was poised to vote on the proposed sports complex, Tampa citizenry so brazenly blasted the proposal due to the effects they would experience from the budget proposal that not one commissioner voted in support of Norman’s dream complex. As a show of sympathy for Norman’s crushed dreams, fellow commissioner Brian Blair suggested the Community Investment tax be used to improve existing parks rather than build new ones.
In November 2007, Norman was replaced as the commission chairman, a position that he had held for two consecutive terms, but was kept on at his Tampa Sports Authority post. A few months later in April 2008, Norman filed his papers to run for the state Senate District 10 seat in 2010. Fellow Republican and friend Rep. Kevin Ambler also filed for the same seat as Norman a day earlier almost guaranteeing an interesting race come 2010.
In response to the apparent recession in September 2008, Norman proposed giving county residents tax rebate checks to get them through the troubling financial times and help spur the economy. Norman suggested that the money could be given out due to the fact bids for county-road building jobs are coming in tens of millions of dollars below projections. It is unclear whether the rebate can happen since money for county-road jobs comes from sales taxes collected from residents and visitors with no way of identifying who paid how much and Norman has not offered insight as to who would get the refunds. If the refund were not plausible, Norman suggested lowering the gas tax to reflect lower costs; however, the chance to change that tax has already passed since it must be voted on by July 1 in order to go into effect Jan. 1.
Although winning the praise of the citizenry for his proposed tax refunds, Norman managed to outrage others with his proposal to put a name on the Moral Courage Award. The Moral Courage Award was instituted to recognize a citizen who challenged government or fought back against wasteful spending or flat-out wrongness. In September 2008, Norman suggested that deceased millionaire concrete magnate Ralph Hughes have his name attached to the award. Outraged citizens against the renaming of the award said that Hughes was more of a campaign contributor than an involved citizen working to make a change. However, five of the seven commissioners voted to rename the award to memorialize Hughes including Norman who had received funding from Hughes in past election bids.
Most recently, Norman has come under fire for his use of luxury suites at Raymond James Stadium. Norman railed against the head of the agency that runs Raymond James Stadium saying that he wanted salaries frozen and travel expenses slashed. Norman’s demands came after the Tampa Sports Authority hadn’t cut enough spending demanded by the public in desperate need of tax relief. The point of contention over Norman’s crys of cutting spending at Raymond James is that he does not seem to believe that his access to the luxury suite designated to the Tampa Sports Authority be cut. Norman asserts that the cost of the suite is justified because it is used as a marketing tool for the county boosting community relations and economic development. However tickets in the past seem to have gone to the same people as well as the same invited guests of ticket holders causing citizens to regard the suite access as a perk not necessary to county development.
Aside from his political life, Jim is married to Mearline Norman and they share a four-bedroom home built in 1978 on 4210 Carrolwood Village Drive in Tampa. Norman’s home has an assessed value of $191,043 to which he pays $3,560 in taxes.
Norman first ran for election for the county commission in 1992. In the republican primaries, Norman faced off against Gordon Davis and Harry Sexton. Norman ran on the platforms to bring a strong commitment to education and the judicial system. Also, Norman stated that he’d like to work with the sheriff’s office to make sure violent offenders stay in jail while looking at ways to get non-violent, bondable offenders in programs like community control to free space for the more violent prisoners.
After winning in the primaries, Norman went on to face Democratic opponent James P. Doyle. After a recount of the election results, Norman had beat out Doyle by 227 votes and on Nov. 6, 1992, Norman was declared the winner of the county commission seat for District 2, which covers north-central Hillsborough County. After successful re-elections each year, Norman could no longer run for District 2 due to term limits that would not allow him to serve past 2001. Instead, Norman ran for the District 5 countywide seat and managed to defeat Stacey Lynn Easterling with 54.8% of the vote.
During his election for the District 5 post, Norman was involved with a lawsuit leveled against himself, Emeline Acton, Thomas Scott, Gary Trombley and Morris Weinberg by the Times Publishing Company. The lawsuit came about when in August of 1998, Norman and Scott were subpoenaed to appear before the federal grand jury of the Middle District of Florida. The grand jury was investigating irregularities related to a potential vote by the Board of Commissioners on the lien authority of Tampa General Hospital. County Attorney Emeline Acton advised Norman that legal representation was not available to him through the county due to the nature of the subpoena. Norman then retained Weinberg to represent him without the help of the county. Norman appeared before the grand jury on September 15. After the case was over, on May 5, 1999, the Board of County Commissioners determined that the expenditures of Norman arose out of his performance as an official for the county and that he should be reimbursed for his legal fees. On June 28, 1999, reporter David Karp of the St. Petersburg Times issued a public records request for all materials related to the payment of Norman’s lawyer for the case. County Attorney Emeline Acton delivered a letter to Karp informing him that the public records he requested were not in the hands of the county, but in the hands of the attorneys that represented the commissioners. The county argued that the attorneys were in the private sector and not subject to public records requests. The court applied factors from the case New Sun-Sentinel v. Schwab, Twitty, & Hanser and determined that a contract between a private entity and a governmental agency does not subject the private entity to the Public Records Act. Norman walked away from the trial without having to hand over anything to the Times.
In May 2006, Norman’s office confirmed that he underwent heart bypass surgery. Speculation had arisen when Norman had missed government meetings as to what was happening with him. He issued a statement after undergoing the surgery to alleviate his wife Mearline from any added stress from the media.
After moving to the District 5 post, Norman seemed to get himself into the middle of a lot of hotly contested issues at the Board of County Commissioners. In 2006, Norman proposed that the county spend up to $70.5 million in tourist tax dollars at Tampa’s three main sports venues, the Times Forum, Raymond James Stadium and Legends Field. Norman discovered that a tax on people who book hotel rooms in Hillsborough County are charged an extra 5 cent tourist tax for every dollar of their room charge, which a portion of goes toward paying off loans that financed the Times Forum and Raymond James Stadium. Norman also discovered that the tax raised more than was needed to meet the loan obligations. He suggested that the money be put toward upkeep of the arenas so that taxpayers would not have to pay for it. Moreover, Norman warned that annual multimillion-dollar losses by the Lightning could prompt its parent company, Palace Sports and Entertainment, to sell or the move the team, which would leave the county-owned Times Forum without a tenant.
A few days after his initial proposal of using tourist tax dollars, the Hillsborough County Commission voted to give the city of Tampa $6 million in tourist tax dollars to repair a leaky roof in the Tampa Convention Center. The move to release the money was prompted by Norman’s proposal of spending tourist tax dollars in the county’s main sports venues. The commission tried to tie the $6 million payout to aiding the Tampa Bay Lightning as well, but was not successful.
In March of 2007, Norman proposed that the commission expand residency restrictions for sex offenders to areas with high concentration of seniors. Norman was prompted to voice his concern after incidents involving sex crimes in the senior community of Sun City. Sex offenders were already banned from living within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds and other places where children congregate, but Norman worried that these restrictions would push them into areas that include other vulnerable residents such as seniors. Norman proposed that sex offenders also be prohibited from residing within 1,000 feet of areas officially designated as retirement communities such as John Knox Village and Sun City Center.
On April 18, 2007, the commission voted to tighten the restrictions of where sexual predators can reside. The county ordinance that was passed stated that convicted sexual predators are barred from going into or near seniors-only communities that request safety zone designation.
As the county commissioner assigned to the post of the Tampa Sports Authority, one of Jim Norman’s largest plans for the county was the proposed $40-million complex named Championship Park to be built north of Plant City. Norman suggested that the half-cent Community Investment Tax be used to construct the sports complex. A committee was assembled to research the viability of such a complex. Findings supported the fact that Tampa sports facilities were in overuse by 200 percent. The review committee supported Norman’s proposed Championship Park by stating that the complex could pay for itself and potentially make money.
However, by October when the commission was poised to vote on the proposed sports complex, Tampa citizenry so brazenly blasted the proposal due to the effects they would experience from the budget proposal that not one commissioner voted in support of Norman’s dream complex. As a show of sympathy for Norman’s crushed dreams, fellow commissioner Brian Blair suggested the Community Investment tax be used to improve existing parks rather than build new ones.
In November 2007, Norman was replaced as the commission chairman, a position that he had held for two consecutive terms, but was kept on at his Tampa Sports Authority post. A few months later in April 2008, Norman filed his papers to run for the state Senate District 10 seat in 2010. Fellow Republican and friend Rep. Kevin Ambler also filed for the same seat as Norman a day earlier almost guaranteeing an interesting race come 2010.
In response to the apparent recession in September 2008, Norman proposed giving county residents tax rebate checks to get them through the troubling financial times and help spur the economy. Norman suggested that the money could be given out due to the fact bids for county-road building jobs are coming in tens of millions of dollars below projections. It is unclear whether the rebate can happen since money for county-road jobs comes from sales taxes collected from residents and visitors with no way of identifying who paid how much and Norman has not offered insight as to who would get the refunds. If the refund were not plausible, Norman suggested lowering the gas tax to reflect lower costs; however, the chance to change that tax has already passed since it must be voted on by July 1 in order to go into effect Jan. 1.
Although winning the praise of the citizenry for his proposed tax refunds, Norman managed to outrage others with his proposal to put a name on the Moral Courage Award. The Moral Courage Award was instituted to recognize a citizen who challenged government or fought back against wasteful spending or flat-out wrongness. In September 2008, Norman suggested that deceased millionaire concrete magnate Ralph Hughes have his name attached to the award. Outraged citizens against the renaming of the award said that Hughes was more of a campaign contributor than an involved citizen working to make a change. However, five of the seven commissioners voted to rename the award to memorialize Hughes including Norman who had received funding from Hughes in past election bids.
Most recently, Norman has come under fire for his use of luxury suites at Raymond James Stadium. Norman railed against the head of the agency that runs Raymond James Stadium saying that he wanted salaries frozen and travel expenses slashed. Norman’s demands came after the Tampa Sports Authority hadn’t cut enough spending demanded by the public in desperate need of tax relief. The point of contention over Norman’s crys of cutting spending at Raymond James is that he does not seem to believe that his access to the luxury suite designated to the Tampa Sports Authority be cut. Norman asserts that the cost of the suite is justified because it is used as a marketing tool for the county boosting community relations and economic development. However tickets in the past seem to have gone to the same people as well as the same invited guests of ticket holders causing citizens to regard the suite access as a perk not necessary to county development.
Aside from his political life, Jim is married to Mearline Norman and they share a four-bedroom home built in 1978 on 4210 Carrolwood Village Drive in Tampa. Norman’s home has an assessed value of $191,043 to which he pays $3,560 in taxes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)