-- The Deerfield Advocate, which is very quick to post news favorable to disgraced ex-mayor Al Capellini, is reporting that mayoral favorite Peggy Noland's son, firefighter Thomas Noland, was arrested at 3 a.m. for stealing Capellini's campaign signs.
And you thought Deerfield couldn't get anymore screwy than it already was?
IIf true, and I'm sure it is since another source has confirmed it, then nice job, Thomas. You probably thought you were doing a public service, but you just put Capellini, a carnivorous politician who finds profit everywhere he can, squarely in the victim's role. At the same time, you threw a wrench into your mom's campaign, which was running while a well-oiled machine.
What fun.
-- That headline contradicts a bit with what we're hearing about a 20 percent cut coming to the Miami Herald newsroom, but it's close. Here's the link. Good thread below about the state of journalism if you haven't read it.
-- Speaking of good comments, here's one (with typos corrected) about the Fort Lauderdale police beating from a "Ron Harper" on the post below:
Didn't lie? Did Ortiz do ANYTHING that deserved a felony jail sentence? No! Then they lied and should be charged with false swearing. These cops - after beating him down - were looking to screw his life up besides!
This is a free county and that means the cops can and should expect that citizens can tell them off and the cops should be expected to CONTROL themselves.
Here is what our Supreme Court said about this very topic:
Hill V Houston
The freedom of individuals verbally to oppose or challenge police action without thereby risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state.
I'm feeling Harper here. He hits the core of the matter. The cops, after beating Ortiz, charged him with a felony (that SAO reduced it to a misdemeanor before dropping it). It's a ridiculous charge and shows just how corrupt the police can be. Challenge a cop's actions? Get your ass kicked and go to jail for five years bitch! Same kind of overcharging happened in the BSO homeless man beatdown.
Now I've heard from people that my recommendation of a mere one-day suspension for the intitial cop, Derek Lade, was too light. They may be right, but the truth is that this is a culture at bad police departments. Cops who have done worse (including the second cop in the Ortiz beating) have gotten off without punishment over and over again. Fort Lauderdale is notorious for this kind of thing -- and IA/management never does anything about it. You start with suspensions; it's only the fair way to go. You get the wrongdoing on record, make suspensions, and you might slowly change the culture. It's ridiculous, FLPD even has a civilian board supposedly overseeing it. Problem is the board is utterly ineffective and doesn't even take a look at a lot of this stuff.
Mayor Jack Seiler, you talk a good game, but here's a chance to show some leadership. Let's see if you have the balls.
-- New Fort Lauderdale nightspot: Pulp Live. It's all about open jams and gong shows and bringing in local artists (the name is supposedly an acronym for "Presenting Unique Live Performances"). We feel a kinship for some reason.
