This is a local political issue, but what is the latest on Orlando....

[whistle]

...mayor, Buddy Dyer's situation? He he permanently out as mayor? Is this another GOP election theft?

[nytemare]

1. He is suspended until they work the charges out

He will have to go to court before he is out forever. I was hearing something today on a recall election, which would be between Dyer and the irish guy.(mulvaney?).

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. I thought you were an RN?

:shrug:

[JimmyJazz]

4. Hi - Welcome to DU. I gotta let you in on a little secret....

see the star by a lot of the people's names? That allows them to do searches on people. And, by searching on you, I discovered that in one thread you claim to be an RN and in this one you are an attorney.

Now, I know people who are both nurses and paralegals and I even know an attorney who is a retired MD, but I think I see some inconsistencies in your posts which you might like to explain in order for me to accept your posts as credible.

Yanumsen? :shrug:

[Amfortas]

5. Is Buddy Dyer a dem ?

[whistle]

6. Yes

[SlavesandBulldozers]

7. apparently Dyer's been "supsended by Jeb Bush"

after being "indicted" for paying a "political operative" to "collect absentee ballots". This "political operative" had been used by "many campaigns" but Mulvaney (who Dyer defeated) never let up and accused everybody and their mother of election shenanigans (an appropriate term as Mulvaney is Irish business owner with little to no political experience).

Dyer is a 46 year old democrat. Son of a champion bull rider, with degrees in engineering and law. He is a former state senator. He is very popular with african americans, and was working on improving an area known as Parramore which is a run down African-american neighborhood. The "political operative" is a black dude that picked up absentee ballots in black neighborhoods.

Dyer has been pushing for progress in Orlando. development-wise. He inherently had a lot of pushback from the conservatives around here, and was under seige from day 1. He operated much like a conservative (but for progressive causes), in that he used secrecy and closed door back-room agreements, and that really pissed the rethugs off around here because that's how they operate.

He wanted (hang onto your hats folks) to develop Orlando's cultural life, like making a new performing arts center and some high-rise condos. Republicans accused him of "changing the historic area of downtown". (BAHAHAHHAHAHA, historic Orlando. sniff sniff)

Most of this info paraphrased from today's (Sunday 3/13/04) Orlando Sentinel

[SlavesandBulldozers]

8. i realized i didnt answer your questions

is he out permanently? i don't know. He is incredibly popular here.

Is this another GOP elections theft? Abso-FUCKING-lutely.

There is something distinctly Rovian about it. They know the I-4 corridor is a pivotal point in the National election scam.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. The suspension is temporary

He gets his job back if he is aquitted. A city commissioner in Miami was suspended last year when he was charged with assulting a police officer. He was just convicted a week or so ago. Barring a successful appeal, he is finished.

[Orangepeel]

9. theoretically, he is not permanently out

he could be acquitted, then he would be reinstated.

In my opinion, it is another GOP election theft. I don't know whether or not Buddy Dyer actually did something wrong -- he did pay Ezzie Thomas to work the African American community, Ezzie Thomas did get many African Americans to vote with absentee ballots (in fl, you can now vote absentee just because you feel like it), and, apparently, it is against the law to pay someone to collect or distribute absentee ballots.

But, I do know that many, many politicians did the same thing as Buddy Dyer and they aren't indicted. In my opinion, if Rich Crotty, who is the (republican) mayor of Orange County isn't indicted, then it is political.

[DawnneOBTS]

11. What life could have been like...

I'm trying to make myself feel better here. I can dream, can't I?
Picture this...Election Day, 2004. Kerry wins Florida. He wins Iowa. He wins the election. Period. As soon as he takes office, a special commission is appointed to investigate 2000 voter fraud in Florida. It's proven-the truth is out...Jebbie and Dum-Dum are guilty. Of election fraud. Of a whole lot of stuff. Witnesses/people who want to testify against them are coming out of the woodwork to tell what they did/were made to do in 2000. So the dynamic duo go to jail. That's right, jail. And no appeal works. Plus, W is tried as a war criminal and executed for Iraq. In France. Au revoir. And all of this becomes written history. Because Rehnquist dies and Judge Hatchett is appointed as the next supreme court justice, they didn't have a chance for any kind of appeal. BTW, Jebbie gets a new boyfriend named Slug in prison. We start to make friends with the Europeans who help us to clean up the Bushit in Iraq. They work with us to catch all the terrorists in the world. Jimmy Carter is appointed ambassador to the U.N. Imagine...

"Imagine all the people living life in peace...you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...I hope some day you will join us, and the world will live as one" -John Lennon

If.

[seasat]

12. Here's a St Pete Times editorial on the indictment.

(LINK)

Here are the relevant passages. Dyer may have pushed the limit on this law but it sounds like sour grapes from FL Repugs who are not satisfied until they destroy every shred of Democracy in our state and turn us into a 3rd world country.

Named along with Dyer were his campaign manager in the 2004 mayoral election, a circuit judge and Ezzie Thomas, a campaign consultant who worked for both candidates. Thomas allegedly solicited a couple hundred absentee ballots in the black community, helping Dyer get enough votes to avoid a runoff. The losing candidate in that race investigated Thomas' activities and insisted that prosecutors pursue the case, which led to the indictments.
...
Dyer said he was "stunned" by the indictment, and his disbelief is understandable. Thomas, who was openly dubbed the "absentee ballot king," worked for 10 local candidates over the past six years. Included in that list were Sen. Mel Martinez, who used Thomas in an earlier race for county chairman, and none other than former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, who currently oversees election law as Florida secretary of state.

There is no reason to believe Thomas served a different role for those candidates, though as the case unfolds we may learn why Dyer was investigated and others weren't. One thing is clear: The law is so vague that even its original sponsor in the Legislature thinks it needs to be rewritten.

[Orangepeel]

13. The civil suit was just thrown out (Thurs. 3/24)

From the local TV news --

The sore loser who lost the election to Dyer by 20% was suing to get the absentee ballots thrown out (which would bring Dyer's percentage down to 49% and force a runoff).

The judge threw out the case saying that there was no indication of fraud and that there is nothing wrong with someone delivering another person's legal absentee ballot.