Paging Doctor Footinmouth

For much of the past week since the May 27 meeting of the North Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, Juice has been trying to reach the doctor who offered that meeting’s most fascinating testimony.Dr. Richard Glick’s remarks seemed to illustrate exactly how entrenched is the local health care system’s…

Love to Hate: Right-Wing Visitor to South Florida Wins Big in Europe

Maybe there’s method in the seeming madness of Adam Hasner’s right-wing associations. The House majority leader from Boca Raton sparked controversy in late April when he took a break from the state budget to make public appearances with anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Based on exit polls from elections yesterday…

Abused Kids Get $10 Million From State

Last year, I wrote a feature story about three little boys who had been horribly abused in the state foster care system. They were eventually placed with an adoptive family — but the Department of Children and Families hid the boys’ case files and backgrounds from the adoptive parents. As…

McCarty Sentenced to Prison, Leaving Trail of Corruption Behind

Former Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary McCarty showed up for federal court in West Palm this morning dressed as a repentant sinner, in a white jacket and pearls. She choked back tears when she addressed the judge charged with sentencing her for violating public corruption law, telling him and the…

On Israel, Wexler Walks Tightrope

Few politicians had as much stake during Barack Obama’s speech today in Cairo, than Palm Beach County-based U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, an early supporter of the president’s 2008 campaign and whose efforts to convince Jewish voters to cast votes for Obama helped deliver Florida to the Democrats.Wexler has tried to…

Sheriff Makes Questionable Purchase From Campaign Contributor

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti held a news conference yesterday to show off his department’s newest and trendiest purchase: four tiny Smart cars that will zip around Fort Lauderdale International Airport and Port Everglades. TV stations and the Sun-Sentinel followed the announcement with stories about BSO’s new “European minicars” that…

Attorney Suspects Shakedown by Broward Hospital Commish

A tipster claiming knowledge of the North Broward Hospital District’s investigation of Commissioner Joseph Cobo recently suggested Juice take a closer look at one of the most damning passages in the report: that Cobo allegedly used his power as a commissioner to do favors for a prospective client of his…

Corrine Brown: Because This Senate Race Needs Some Crazy

If Jacksonville U.S. Rep Corrine Brown should become U.S. Sen. Corrine Brown, can we expect a whole crew of city (and state and possibly federal workers) to come to her home to stop the next tropical storm? After all, it’s pretty ridiculous that she had to call “several” times during…

Fort Lauderdale Has a Map Flap!

Former mayoral candidate and compulsive activist Earl Rynerson has been looking for dirt in the office of new Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler. Who knew he’d find it in his own mailbox?Judging by his blog post yesterday, Rynerson can barely contain his excitement over having received a form letter from…

Gelber “Steps Back” From Senate Race

That’s video from Saturday’s Netroots Coalition meeting in Miami Beach, where State Sen. Dan Gelber acknowledged his intention to leave the U.S. Senate race. Miami-Dade Democratic activist Larry Thorson posted it last night on the Daily Kos, along with his congratulations for the Democrats avoiding a nasty primary battle, so…

Cone-y Island: Will Hollywood Enforce Tough Ethics Law?

Last week, the Hollywood Commission considered a measure that would have broadened the “cone of silence” rule for city officials. They rock the cone in Miami — click here and scroll down for a definition. Basically, when the city puts a project out for bid, the contenders and their supporters…

Surprise! Corrupt Palm Beach County Runs Out of Cash

Beaches without life guards, higher bus fares, laid off county workers, a major tax hike. Such a dismal budget proposal is hardly shocking in a county that’s drowning in a housing bust. But Palm Beach County’s proposal–detailed in the Palm Beach Post this morning–is stomach- turning because it can’t entirely…

See No Evil: Hospital District Commissioners Lack Nerve

By the conclusion of yesterday’s long, rancor-filled meeting of the North Broward Hospital District’s Board of Commissioners, it seemed as though everybody just wanted to move on.Did Commissioner Joseph Cobo commit ethics violations? Well, gee, the district’s own investigator Martin Goldberg says — if I can paraphrase his 43-page report…

Grand Jury Details Palm Beach County’s Sins

How corrupt is Palm Beach County government? A grand jury report released today counts the ways. From overpriced land deals to shady bond underwriting practices, to slush funds that allow public officials to spend millions on their pet projects, it paints a picture of government that would make Rod Blagojevich…

Forecast for West Palm: Expect a Shower

Hot chicks. Nude. Showering. In public. The prospect is so dazzling…well… it’s damned hard to focus on the political point. But if you can pry yourself away from that photo, we’ll give it a try.Before we get to that, it behooves me to mention the time and place. This PETA…

Cobo Report Sent to Governor

During a lengthy meeting this morning that saw roughly 40 speakers testify in favor of embattled Broward Health Commissioner Joseph Cobo, his fellow commissioners voted unanimously to send the investigative report alleging potential ethics violations to Gov. Charlie Crist. The Florida governor appoints commissioners to preside over the North Broward…

For Supreme Court, Two South Florida Judges Coulda Been Contenders

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Gov. George W. Bush vowed that if elected, he would nominate a Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. It certainly didn’t hurt his popularity in Florida’s Latin American community, and that was a race close enough where little things made a world of difference. Of course, he…

Florida Is National Battleground for Conservative Soul

The national conservative blogosphere is in no mood for moderation, and recently a video has circulated reminding them what they’re fighting for in Florida.  That’s former Speaker Marco Rubio’s farewell address to the Florida House in 2008, before he became the underdog candidate for U.S. Senate. As such, it’s seen…

The True Cost of Protecting Crist’s Family

The St. Petersburg Times ran an intriguing expose today about the thousands of dollars it costs to provide state security to Gov. Charlie Crist’s wife and her children. It’s worth reading not so much because of what it says, but how much was left unsaid–namely, why anyone would care about…