The Town of Davie is considering an idea to restrict the deed on the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds for the next 99 years.
One CRA member and former councilwoman told the Sun-Sentinel the idea is "insane." The town's CRA director is opposed to it, saying it could get in the way of the town's redevelopment efforts.
Don't get me wrong. The roots of Davie do need to be preserved and the rodeo grounds and certainly Ron Bergeron himself are big parts of that. But there are ways to do that other than locking the town into a century-long freeze-out.
I'm going to wager it passes. Why? The man himself, Bergeron, wants it to happen. And what Alligator Ron wants, Alligator Ron generally gets. Hell, he got his name put on the rodeo grounds after giving a mere $150,000 to the city for parking. That there's a deal.
You can't fault Bergeron for that, he's a good businessman. It's on the city. If Davie had tried to sell eternal naming rights to the rodeo grounds, I'm pretty sure they could have gotten more than 150 grand for it.
You'll note that the people who voice opposition to the deed restriction aren't elected officials. The electeds don'thave the gonads to cross Bergeron, who showers them with campaign contributions. The only council member quoted in the story, Susan Starkey, voiced support for the idea. Bergeron and his lobbyist-girlfriend Ali Waldman have been huge supporters of Starkey for years and she's not about to bite the hand that feeds her.
Inside, a peek inside Bergeron's world, a place where horses run, alligators lurk, and politicians pander.
The place is Alligator Ron's Saloon, which is located out at Bergeron's giant Everglades spread, Green Glades. Here's what the saloon looks like:
That's Ted Morse, Patti Morse, and cigar man Moe Sohail (with date) at Alligator Ron's. That photo, incidentally, was taken post-Rothstein meltdown at Bergeron's Ranch Roam for charity on March 20, 2010.
