John Rodstrom

The Hidden Real Estate Empire of Jesse Gaddis, Yellow Cab Magnate: Here's Our Map

Riverside Market's uncertain fate has had a lot to do with the parking lot next door; this spring, cafe owner Julian Siegel wanted to buy the empty lot from the city to expand the parking at his beer- and dog-friendly spot. But before he noticed, the plot was swept up by Jesse Gaddis -- one of the w ... More >>

Broward Commission Rejects One Proposal Requiring Permits for "Expressive Activities"

​The Broward Commission unanimously voted down a draft ordinance proposed by County Administrator Bertha Henry to require people to apply for and obtain permits to engage in "expressive activities" at county facilities -- a mandate that many members of the public see as a stab at the First Ame ... More >>

Jack Tobin: One Of A Kind

Margate political powerhouse and consummate deal maker Jack Tobin, who died Tuesday at the age of 69, will be laid to rest Friday. He's remembered with near reverence by many who knew him, even those who also knew the rather unseemly nature of his long political career as a state legislator, Ma ... More >>

Newspaper Report: Sylvia Poiter Is Being Charged With Five Misdemeanors

UPDATED: Sylvia Poitier, the controversial former Broward County commissioner who is now an elected official in Deerfield Beach, has been charged with five misdemeanors related to her family's involvement in a city-sponsored housing organization, according to the South Florida Times. Poitier​ ... More >>

Working Girls: Ritter And Lieberman Won't Stop Trickin'

Simple question: How are Broward County Commissioners Stacy Ritter and Ilene Lieberman even still in office? Ritter at work​Seriously. Both voted for the dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait and both received something from them in return. Lieberman is now a state's witness testifying again ... More >>

Why Did Stacy Ritter Appoint Les Stracher To Powerful Planning Council?

Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, shortly after voting in favor of the controversial housing project being pushed by dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait, appointed the husband of  the Chaits' chief political consultant to the Broward County Planning Council. In early 2007, Ritte ... More >>

Total Recall: Can It Happen in Broward?

As we watch the images of the common folks -- and multimillionaire Norman Braman -- celebrating in Miami over the successful recall of Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas, it's easy to wonder: Can it happen here? Can the people in Broward County dump the co ... More >>

Broward Politics: Turning Red Into Blue (And A Weather Babe Exclusive)

You want to hear some political B.S.? Just listen to Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter when she opens her mouth to talk. Here's what she said yesterday during a discussion about the new courthouse: Ritter​RITTER: "Every time someone on this dais says the voters voted down the cour ... More >>

Sources Say Lieberman's Malady Is Stress-Related

Lieberman and Ritter during happier times.​Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca brought up a key -- and politically loaded -- question at yesterday's commission meeting. Essentially he asked: What about Ilene? Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, who has been AWOL for months now, was abse ... More >>

Sheila Alu: I'm Running for Broward County Commission If...

After a report on JAABlog appeared stating definitively that Sunrise Commissioner Sheila Alu is running for County Commission in 2012, I spoke with the potential candidate. Alu tells me she is going to run for the seat currently held by the embattled Ilene Lieberm ... More >>

After Tucson, Stacy Ritter Wants More Security -- From 'Bloggers'

In the wake of the Tucson shooting, Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter said at yesterday's public meeting that she wants to beef up security and have metal detectors at the county governmental building. ​All That Glitters, who watched the meeting (I didn't), reported the ... More >>

Is Stephanie Kraft Working Off Time?

It's a question that keeps popping up: Is Stephanie Kraft cooperating with law enforcement? I've never seen anyone so disgraced try to retain such a high profile. She's running around town, claims she's going to beat the nails-hard case against her, and is trying to maintain a presence in scho ... More >>

FEMA Bombshell: School Board Can't Account For $15 million In Post-Wilma Spending

FEMA conducted an audit of Broward School Board spending of federal funds after hurricanes Katrina and Wilma and found the school board may have squandered millions of dollars, according to a report issued by the Department of Homeland Security this week.. "The School Board did not account for FEMA ... More >>

Sue Gunzburger on Criticism From Fellow Commissioners: I'm Not Running for Miss Congeniality

Photo: C. StilesSue Gunzburger caught flack from her commission colleagues last night but has no regrets.​In an email that Broward County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger sent to campaign supporters late last night, she cheered the passage of an ethics reform package at a meeting just hours before and ... More >>

Honey, I Rigged the Vote (Part II): With Wasserman-Rubin Charged, Time to Revisit the Juice's Corrupt Couples Watch-List

​Way back in October, this blog used the Tom Ridge terrorist threat chart to rank Broward County's power couples according to the threat they posed to the integrity of local government. The duo of Richard Rubin and Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin posed an "elevated" risk of committing corruptio ... More >>

Honey, I Rigged the Vote: Broward Power Couples Screw Each Other; Then They Screw Us

Can Ritter and Klenet hold on to the top spot on our corruption watch list?​In light of the explosive findings Bob Norman's been posting over at Daily Pulp, it's time we identify a trend in Broward corruption: power-mad married couples, ruling the region like a king and queen, carving up our publi ... More >>

Cliff Hanger: Worker Tells of Subterfuge by Port Everglades Firm

Photo: Miami-Dade State Attorney's OfficeIs Cliff Berry Jr. still involved in a Port Everglades franchise?​After people are convicted of felonies, they have to wear orange jumpsuits. After Cliff Berry, Inc., was convicted of a felony, it also made a wardrobe change -- into shirts bearing the brand ... More >>

Dubious Port Tank Deal A Bernie Friedman Special?

A county selection committee today chose a Brazillian firm called Cepemar Environmental Services to take over the tank field at Port Everglades. It's a big deal -- and already reeks of undue influence by a key lobbyist.      The firm, represented by lobbyist Bernie Friedma ... More >>

Fort Lauderdale builder gets no-bid contract to build new Marlins stadium

UPDATED: Maus Should Step Down From City Board

Catherine Maus is the chairwoman of Fort Lauderdale's Planning & Zoning Board. And that isn't right. Maus is perfectly smart enough and certainly seems of fine enough character to serve in such a capacity. In fact, I'm sure that she, as a lawyer, is a very valuable memb ... More >>

And The Next Davie Mayor is ...

Prediction: Judy Paul will win the Davie mayoral election over Tom Truex.     Will Paul (at left next to white-hatted Ron Bergeron) be Davie's next mayor? This is an almost blind forecast based upon a single quote in Laura Figueroa's story on the race in Sunday's Miami Herald. ... More >>

Breaking: Taxi Mogul Jesse Gaddis' Airport Empire Taking Hit

Yellow Cab czar Jesse Gaddis has been running the taxi dispatch system at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for decades. But now the dispatch contract is being put out for bid -- and Broward County staff has effectively disqualified Gaddis from the job. In a request for ... More >>

The Broward County Commission Is A Nest Of Whores

I've decided to go with more blunt and truthful headlines ... can you tell? The inspiration for this one is the passing of lobbyist Ron Book's initiative to bring more money to the county's bail bondsmen at the expense of our tax dollars. Book, who represents the bondsmen, has been w ... More >>

Broward County bail bondsmen want to kill pretrial intervention, and the County Commission is willing to help

Fort Lauderdale Philanthropist Tied To Epic Swindler Madoff -- UPDATED

Michael Bienes doesn't make a lot of news and hasn't been involved much in local politics, but if you look around you'll see the tall and seemingly kindly Fort Lauderdale multi-millionaire's name all over the place. At Holy Cross Hospital, there's the Michael and Diann ... More >>

Battle Lines Forming at Ritter-Led Broward Commission

I'm done knocking on new Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter. Why? Because I like her. I really like her.   There are signs that she's going to make county hall fun again. She possesses a huge ego -- so big that she actually had staff move a wall this weekend to make her new mayor's office  ... More >>

Judy Stern: All Clear For Profits

Judy Stern Loses Hotel Vote

Mold? Rats? Yikes! Tear the Place Down!

The courthouse must be replaced! says an unholy alliance of judges and downtown landlords

"It's Alive!"

If Waldman's a Dem, What's With the GOP Cash?

Another in the long tradition of Broward elephants posing as donkeys.

Fish Bait

Baseball in Broward is possible, if we didn't have to deal with these bloodsuckers

Letters for November 18-24, 2004

Our Mayor, the Lobbyist, Part 2

Either Ilene Lieberman's timing is miraculous or...

Best Politician

Dean J. Trantalis Readers' Choice: US Rep. Clay Shaw

Bring Us the Ballpark

Build the Marlins' new home where it belongs. Forget that swampy wasteland to the south.

Letters for August 28, 2003

He hit a man

Incentivize This

In Hollywood, developers profit. You pay.

Where the Condos are

Fort Lauderdale is hell-bent on becoming a rich boomer bore town

A Plane Case of Quid Pro Quo

Commissioner Lori Parrish opposed a rent increase for small airlines. A major supporter is a lobbyist for the airlines. You figure it out.

Undercurrents

Florida Alliance for Patronage

A group dedicated mainly to its own business interests is getting taxpayer bucks from Broward County commissioners

Undercurrents

To the Victor Go the Spoiled Children

County Commissioner Scott Cowan paid his daughters $10,000 in campaign funds for not working on his campaign. Hey -- it's legal.

The Sultan of Swap

He's a hillbilly boor, a promotional genius, a political trickster, a lovable rogue, and a control freak. Preston Henn is also the owner of one of the biggest flea markets in the world.

Undercurrents

Undercurrents