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Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 12:41 AM Jan 2019

What is it about Florida that we can foster such nasty, crude people who have such influence over

our lives? I don't think it's an accident that such a rotten soul as Roger Stone has a home in this state. It seems that the more connections they have to powerful people, the more arrogant they get. So back to my question, "What is it about Florida that we can foster such nasty, crude people who have such influence over our lives?

It's a rhetorical question, because I know the answer.

In a nutshell, there is a bond that exists between our local government, the state and a combination of private cronies and the agencies that usually restore order and fairness. We're lucky on a national level to have the FBI and the media doing their jobs as the Constitution meant it to be, but it's not like that in Florida. Things wouldn't be this bad, otherwise.

I've already written how my city was compromised back in the nineties. You can find that rant in my Journal. Today it's impossible to break the path that began twenty years ago because people who make it into our community boards are either loyal to the cause, or do not seem to have the resolve or accurate information to break with the backwater methods that rule this community. It's my objective to bring that information to light, eventually. Even then, I think my success will be limited to exposing an entitled, privileged white-flight community in suburban Florida. I don't expect anything will change, because this is a way of life that works too well for them.

What I will share tonight, is how their need for secrecy creates strange behavior from those who are invested in protecting secrets which have long run their course. That's what happens when you have two societies running parallel to each other, and one is determined to retain power in order to keep information from the other.

For background, our community is being sued by our sister community over payments for infrastructure problems. The solution is very simple. The problems were a direct cause from the city's interference with our legal rights back when the sister community was going through the city review process. With the assistance of backwater cronies who lived in my community, the elected officials of that time co-opted the sister development. Their reason: they favored a new developer over the first one that tried to develop the property. Their subterfuge involved withholding critical information from the rest of us who lived here, which would have apprised us of our rights. But keeping us informed would have slowed the approval process. To this day, they go through great lengths to keep information away from us that pertains to our welfare. Except for their cabal.

You would think that good people would distance themselves from a cause that included fraud and conspiracy, but that's not what I have observed. This is more like a virus that spreads. There is never a shortage of people who are willing to join them, if the opportunity is offered. And when they do, it isn't too hard to spot the benefits they receive for their service. It's just the same as you see on a national level.

Meanwhile, I get to observe how they compound their problems by creating a hostile environment. People here are just downright dishonest and mean spirited, and the best advice I could give a newcomer who wants to hold on to their integrity, it is this: if they are eager to reach out to you, look for a disingenuous purpose. You probably won't be wrong.

There are other things that are unique to a compromised community. Like tonight, when I went out to walk the dogs, I could feel the difference. It wasn't an ordinary night. The old guy on a bicycle without lights that drove too close to us as we walked on the sidewalk wasn't the first thing that tipped me off. It was the houselights on the neighbor next door. That only happens on my street when someone is jumpy. So, looking at my security cameras, I could distinctly spot the lone dark shadow of a person walking on the golfpath behind the house. I kept my eye on that camera and the mystery was solved shortly afterward. The other neighbor is a HOA board member and the camera captured the moment he returned from the HOA president's house.

So, tonight it was another illegal HOA board meeting. That would make two in about ten days time. Something is moving quickly.

You know, it's times like this that I think about that lawsuit filed by the developer back in the nineties. I wonder if the federal district court for the middle district of Florida that ruled over that lawsuit and ultimately allowed this community to bury its secrets, did so knowing that it ultimately was allowing a community to function in a manner that was the opposite of what the Constitution had intended.

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What is it about Florida that we can foster such nasty, crude people who have such influence over (Original Post) Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 OP
good weather, no state income tax. KG Jan 2019 #1
Dangerous heat 8 months of the year More hurricanes. eom Cetacea Jan 2019 #3
It is not "dangerous heat," and NC and the Gulf have waaaay more hurricanes obamanut2012 Jan 2019 #12
That's simply not true. Cetacea Jan 2019 #13
My coworker constantly talks about moving to Florida...I say go ahead it's fast becoming the toilet UniteFightBack Jan 2019 #2
because of all the NYers moving here. nt RandiFan1290 Jan 2019 #7
100% this obamanut2012 Jan 2019 #11
Oh sure because in NY everybody is native here. There are more transplants here than anywhere UniteFightBack Jan 2019 #14
My friend (then a recent college grad) moved there for a year to live with his mom (just moved there crazycatlady Jan 2019 #20
In a word: Retirees Jake Stern Jan 2019 #4
Good points. FLorida changed a lot since the GOP took over 20 years ago Cetacea Jan 2019 #5
Thank you...this is what I should of said with my post. nt UniteFightBack Jan 2019 #15
No question that the problems I experienced, and have been experienced have been Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #21
Ever read Carl Hiaasen? jls4561 Jan 2019 #6
Just read his bio. One of the authors I probably would have read if I weren't so immersed Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #22
They come from all over treestar Jan 2019 #8
Which is why we have so many people who are willing to add to the troubles that are Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #23
Roger Stone was raised in Connecticut and has spent most of his life elsewhere. Tommy_Carcetti Jan 2019 #9
I don't know. I think the things I've seen here are strictly backwater Florida. Like the lawyers... Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #16
I saw that same behavior in the red area of the blue state where I grew up. nt Tommy_Carcetti Jan 2019 #17
Since this county, until recently, was very Republican and very anti-regulation, Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #19
Roger Stone mainly lives in his opulent NYC apartment obamanut2012 Jan 2019 #10
Of course we hate them. They make Florida suck. Baitball Blogger Jan 2019 #18
Florida has been sold to the world as Paradise. lunatica Jan 2019 #24

obamanut2012

(26,064 posts)
12. It is not "dangerous heat," and NC and the Gulf have waaaay more hurricanes
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 07:06 AM
Jan 2019

Than here.

Dangerous heat lol -- we run in it, cycle in it, do everything in it. It is the same heat as most of the South, and the heat and humidity in SOFL is less than that of a lot of the South, and even Mid Atlantic.

Cetacea

(7,367 posts)
13. That's simply not true.
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 07:59 AM
Jan 2019

Please explain why the people in the nursing home died after not having air conditioning for a day. And please show me proof that intelligent people do those things during the peak hours of the day. The heat indexes are well over one hundred F on a daily basis for months on end, and according to the government apps I have, that is dangerous heat/humidity.

There is no way that the sunlight itself is as strong in Carolina as it is in Florida, and you have to take that into consideration when considering wet bulb and lethal wet bulb temperatures.

 

UniteFightBack

(8,231 posts)
2. My coworker constantly talks about moving to Florida...I say go ahead it's fast becoming the toilet
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:00 AM
Jan 2019

bowl of the United States of America.

obamanut2012

(26,064 posts)
11. 100% this
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 07:05 AM
Jan 2019

They move here or winter here, and are some of teh most bigoted folks I have ever seen. I am not originally from SOFL, but all my friends and most of my coworkers are, and they are nothing like those folks. They suck, they vote GOP, and they cannot drive.

 

UniteFightBack

(8,231 posts)
14. Oh sure because in NY everybody is native here. There are more transplants here than anywhere
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 10:09 AM
Jan 2019

else...so save it.

I was talking more the LAWMAKERS and the R voters....I feel I have a better chance of getting shot and killed in Florida than I do here in New York City.



crazycatlady

(4,492 posts)
20. My friend (then a recent college grad) moved there for a year to live with his mom (just moved there
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 12:11 PM
Jan 2019

and hated every minute of it. He said there was very little opportunity for young people there (expected in a state of retirees who don't want to invest in things like education) and that the heat melted people's brain cells (explains 'Florida Man/Woman' stories). He nicknamed the state 'God's Waiting Room."

He got out as soon as he could and taught English in Spain. Now he shares a studio apt in NYC with 4 people and is much happier.

I think the true test for the state's future is to see if any of the Parkland kids return to FL upon completing college.

Jake Stern

(3,145 posts)
4. In a word: Retirees
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:18 AM
Jan 2019

As long as they keep the taxes low, retirees are happy to vote Republican.

When I lived in Florida it was not unusual to hear some variation of "I busted my ass for ______ years to get what I got and I ain't gonna let some welfare mooch take from me!"

Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
21. No question that the problems I experienced, and have been experienced have been
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:54 PM
Jan 2019

precipitated by Republican philosophies. At their foundation:

1) Anti-regulation.
2) Pro-property rights - but only for developers and large landowners.
3) CEO mentality, no matter what kind of organization they are in control of.
4) Immense tribalistic mentality - but willing to take in anyone who is important to the mission.

Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
22. Just read his bio. One of the authors I probably would have read if I weren't so immersed
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:58 PM
Jan 2019

in solving the problem in front of my eyes.

I like what I read about him, but probably should stick my head in the game and finish my personal journal. Then I'll compare notes.

Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
23. Which is why we have so many people who are willing to add to the troubles that are
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 01:59 PM
Jan 2019

already here. When in Rome...

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,166 posts)
9. Roger Stone was raised in Connecticut and has spent most of his life elsewhere.
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 06:37 AM
Jan 2019

As a Floridian (although not native myself) I understand the desire to self-flagulate but it’s a lot more complex than what you put out.

Shit be everywhere.

Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
16. I don't know. I think the things I've seen here are strictly backwater Florida. Like the lawyers...
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 12:00 PM
Jan 2019

Last edited Tue Jan 29, 2019, 02:13 PM - Edit history (1)

In my personal journal, I intend to dedicate a chapter on why I wouldn't hire a local lawyer, and it goes down to the fact that they're so interconnected that they will only stick around long enough to learn what you know. In other words, it's up to you to uncover their conflicts of interest because they won't tell you. So when they leave, they leave you weaker than you were before you contacted them.

I am going to tell you an anecdote, but keep in mind, that this is only one of the experiences I will write about, concerning the lawyers.

Here's the necessary background: On one HOA meeting in late 1998, we managed to clean the board of the two members who were putting their interests ahead of the interests of the Association. In a nutshell, their houses abutted against the Association's common grounds and it was their hope that the new developer for the sister community would just hand over the titles of those properties over to them, in return for their support for his plans. Let that sink in. It was a huge breach of fiduciary responsibility, but fiduciary responsibility is the first casualty in a good ole boy community.

In another part of town, about the same time that we were cleaning out our Association board, the City and its co-defendants were seeing the final stage in a lawsuit filed by the old developer, who tried to develop our sister community. Part of his lawsuit claimed that he had been denied the opportunity to develop the property because of business interference and/or conspiracy. One of the City's co-defendants was the Master HOA, A HOA that empowered itself to represent all the Associations within our PUD borders, including mine.

Keep that information on the back burner.

The old developer's lawsuit against the city and the Master HOA would end with a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause. Years back, with the help of a public records request, I was able to go into City Hall to examine boxes of documents that were pertinent to that lawsuit. I spent a pretty penny on copies, and it would take me years to sift through the information, and even more years to finally understand what had happened.

One of the documents that I read was particularly shocking. That one I understood, almost immediately. It was a letter from a local attorney who expressed his commitment to insure that the points that were agreed on in the settlement agreement, would be observed. Remember, that one of those points involved a confidentiality clause, which would have extended to the Master HOA.

In the document, the lawyer would identify himself as the "Insurer". In one line, like a subject line, it was stated that the topic involved "Auto Casualty". To this day, this statement is still jarring to me, because his involvement had nothing to do with auto insurance. And it's that attempted misdirection that stands tall, adding to my opinion of lawyers. But it doesn't stop there.

Remember, that at the same time that the City and the Master HOA was entering into this settlement agreement in late 1998, my Association was cleaning the board of two people who allowed our Association to walk into this debacle. There was a third board member that may have also been partially involved, or at least knew more than s/he led on. In sum, there was no one I could trust, 100%.

Skip to a few months later when our HOA now had a new president who was a homeowner who had never taken part in any of the early events. He seemed to be of the right mindset, imploring us to refer to our HOA documents for guidance. Keep in mind, that we were only beginning to suspect that we had more legal rights than we were led to believe. We needed the opinion of a lawyer to confirm it. And the new president suggested the personal lawyer he had just retained to represent him as a homeowner.

Oh, God. It would be months before I would connect that we were being led down a rabbit hole. The new president of our Association had been referred to the lawyer by someone in our community. And the lawyer was the same one who had insured that the confidentiality clause would be followed. This lawyer had a conflict of interest you could drive a train through and he wouldn't tell us. Months later I confronted him and he acted like he didn't know.

But we didn't know that in early 1999. Needless to say, we went to him for clarification and he read over our documents. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. He poured over those pages and didn't even appear to stop to breathe because he came up gasping for air, almost gleeful when he crossed over a statement that he claimed vindicated the HOA president who represented our HOA when the sister community was under city review in early 1998. In layman's terms, it was a line that claimed that the president had the power to sell property. i don't know how that stacks up against primary and secondary law, since there are plenty of cases and even state laws that supersede HOA documents, but I don't believe we were sitting before an attorney who was giving us the benefit of loyalty. He concluded that a lawsuit against the city would be a "horse race," which put doubt in our minds. In other words, he averted a lawsuit that would have protected his clients in the lawsuit against the old developer.

Months later, I came across that lawyer's name in that memo I described earlier and realized his incredible conflict of interest. I hate him for it. He pushed us off the path that would have revealed just how politically intertwined this community is and, thus, denied us self-determination and justice.

There's more I could write about the tumbling consequences that are directly tied to that lawyer. I'll just mention the following: The new president developed a close relationship with him, and over time, the new president would change. He grew in the belief that he didn't need the rest of the board to make decisions. He felt he had the power to represent our Association, like a CEO.

There is no question in my mind that the lawyer led him to believe that. And it would become the beginning of the end when the new president made a rule that we would hold the board meeting first, followed immediately by a HOA meeting. Do you see how that would work out? The lawyer would have an opportunity to influence the president's direction. We only would learn what he decided at the board meeting, and wouldn't have time to investigate and research the issue to question him. I saw the flaw immediately. The lawyer was turning us into a rubber stamp.

Needless to say, I ended my participation on the board when my term was up. I don't know how anyone can agree to be part of these boards because there is liability, even if you're just a rubber stamp. But I know that part of their boldness comes from lawyers whispering in their ear, "We've got your back."

Of course, over the years this community has been able to hone their strategies to accomplish the same objective -- tamp down on information that would eventually be turned around into a lawsuit against the city and the Master HOA. And the strategy that amazes me the most, is allowing one of their cronies to serve on BOTH boards: Our Association board, as well as the Master HOA Board, which is obligated to follow the confidentiality clause. And this person is Not just anyone, mind you. But someone with military service AND ties to Tallahassee.

Imagine what it has taken to change my perspective in order to find justice. It has not only involved breaking through American sacred cows, but also required dealing with the fear of retaliation from powerful people. Needless to say all the improper board procedures that I have observed and documented over the years, makes for one hell of a curiosity.

In sum, I really do believe I got a front row seat to see how the backwater powerbase of Central Florida operates. And to say that all these machinations have interfered with the enjoyment of my property is an understatement.


Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
19. Since this county, until recently, was very Republican and very anti-regulation,
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 12:07 PM
Jan 2019

and also pro-property rights, I'm not surprised to hear that the same behavior is observed in a red area of a blue state.

I'm just surprised that so many old guard Dems played along with it.

obamanut2012

(26,064 posts)
10. Roger Stone mainly lives in his opulent NYC apartment
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 07:03 AM
Jan 2019

And is from CT, so this makes no sense.

I'm in SOFL, and we hate people like him and Trump and the fake Dem retirees who vote for scum like DeSantis and Scott.

The fake Dem snowbirds who vote here and people like Stone and Trump and Madoff who winter here are who suck. Take them back.

Baitball Blogger

(46,699 posts)
18. Of course we hate them. They make Florida suck.
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 12:04 PM
Jan 2019

But, let's not be blind to the fact that the status quo likes to take advantage of its power. So what part is driven by Florida's libertarian ways and what part is due to the weasels it attracts? I think it's a combination.

And "fake Dem snowbirds." Congrats for spotting them. I think the litmus test for Democrats these days is their commitment to Civil Rights issues.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
24. Florida has been sold to the world as Paradise.
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 02:06 PM
Jan 2019

I just saw a documentary about the history of Florida. It was a swamp. And it’s going back to being one again because that’s it’s natural state.

Perhaps this time our human expansion won’t wreck the Everglades the way we’ve wrecked other ecosystems. Not that we haven’t tried!

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