Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Teel Draws First Challenger !
Her name is Inger Garcia.
And she is the first competitor to jump into the race against current District I City Commissioner Christine Teel. At least one other challenger,former Police Chief Bruce Roberts, is expected to follow Garcia's lead soon.
Garcia is best known on the Galt Ocean Mile, a string of High-Rise condominiums that make up a large voting block in District I. She's had a standing column about condo law in the The Fort Lauderdale City News, a splashy monthly alternative newspaper that has been known to hit hard and rile feathers, and has a very large distribution in the City.
I interviewed Garcia on her 46th birthday, and found her quite effervescent and effusive in her remarks about her candidacy.
Here are some examples:
........ So Ingrid, why did you decide to run for District I Commissioner?
"I want to help Fort Lauderdale ... make a difference.... I've spent my whole career helping people, and now I want to fight for the rights of the people! .... This is a job I want!"
........ And what makes you think you can beat the incumbent?
" [she jokes] , my campaign manager hasn't told me yet! .... but really, lots of people are unhappy with the incumbent. I'll listen to the people!
........ Can you give me some examples of how Teel doesn't listen to the people?
"She didn't listen to them when they told her to protect the golf courses from development, she doesn't listen to them when they tell her to stop the planes from flying over their heads. She [has the wrong ideas] about naming parks. And she's not focusing on making Fort Lauderdale green/organic and protected for the families.
........ So how will you approach the job differently?
"First off, I will have an open door policy. I will tell my constituents to come to my house, knock on the door. I want to balance the budget, and pay some City employees a more realistic salary.
........ Are there any specific employees you are talking about?
"Well, lets just say that the City Manager is going to have to be able to explain his high salary to the citizens. If they think he deserves it, fine.
........ Anything else you want to say to your prospective voters?
" Just that I've spent the last 20 years helping people achieve their goals. Now I'm ready to help the citizens as a Commissioner"
So the race is on in District I. Things should began to get very interesting from here on in !
And she is the first competitor to jump into the race against current District I City Commissioner Christine Teel. At least one other challenger,former Police Chief Bruce Roberts, is expected to follow Garcia's lead soon.
Garcia is best known on the Galt Ocean Mile, a string of High-Rise condominiums that make up a large voting block in District I. She's had a standing column about condo law in the The Fort Lauderdale City News, a splashy monthly alternative newspaper that has been known to hit hard and rile feathers, and has a very large distribution in the City.
I interviewed Garcia on her 46th birthday, and found her quite effervescent and effusive in her remarks about her candidacy.
Here are some examples:
........ So Ingrid, why did you decide to run for District I Commissioner?
"I want to help Fort Lauderdale ... make a difference.... I've spent my whole career helping people, and now I want to fight for the rights of the people! .... This is a job I want!"
........ And what makes you think you can beat the incumbent?
" [she jokes] , my campaign manager hasn't told me yet! .... but really, lots of people are unhappy with the incumbent. I'll listen to the people!
........ Can you give me some examples of how Teel doesn't listen to the people?
"She didn't listen to them when they told her to protect the golf courses from development, she doesn't listen to them when they tell her to stop the planes from flying over their heads. She [has the wrong ideas] about naming parks. And she's not focusing on making Fort Lauderdale green/organic and protected for the families.
........ So how will you approach the job differently?
"First off, I will have an open door policy. I will tell my constituents to come to my house, knock on the door. I want to balance the budget, and pay some City employees a more realistic salary.
........ Are there any specific employees you are talking about?
"Well, lets just say that the City Manager is going to have to be able to explain his high salary to the citizens. If they think he deserves it, fine.
........ Anything else you want to say to your prospective voters?
" Just that I've spent the last 20 years helping people achieve their goals. Now I'm ready to help the citizens as a Commissioner"
So the race is on in District I. Things should began to get very interesting from here on in !
I applaud anyone willing to step up to the plate for our community but that applause does not mean support. Ms. Garcia says, on her web site, she wants to get elected to Fort Lauderdale's City Commission to help reduce the national debt. People from many different backgrounds have served our community well but one common thread in the successful ones is a clear understand of how things work, what can be done from a particular seat and a clear direction and plan to arrive there. Ms. Garcia has none of these attributes. We do not need and cannot afford to educate Ms. Garcia. While I do not support Commissioner Teel she is an accomplished business woman and surely knows our city commission doesn't have any control over the national debt! It is my hope that we will soon have an outstanding candidate for District 1 to consider in former Police Chief Bruce Roberts. Mr. Roberts is a highly educated, professional public business manager. At his various positions in Fort Lauderdale's police department, over many years, he developed budgets, procedures, projections, managed cash, he was responsible for public relations, police moral, and union contract negotiations among his many other management duties. Our former police chief is highly regarded by his pears throughout the state and with all levels of federal security personal. Mr. Roberts has a well documented history of working with our citizens and is highly regarded in our neighborhoods and our business community. District 1 should be served by a person with a professional management background, a clear understanding of how our city runs, a clear vision of where it should go and the political contacts and skills to help get us there. Mr Roberts is that person. Mr Roberts can defeat Ms. Teel and along with a new mayor form a coalition for real progress. Our city needs a commission that is committed to working together for OUR benefit, not there personal "pet" interest. The next District 1 Commissar must be able to make tough decisions and still retain respect and corporation. Ms. Teel hasn't done that, Ms. Garcia can't do this but Bruce Roberts, on the other hand, has demonstrated these skills over and over again !! I want him, we need him and when you see Mr. Roberts next you should tell him yourself. And will someone over at the High School please explain the local, state and federal budget process to Ms. Garcia.
Reply to this
It seems that SAC is confused.
First, he is confused about the national debt. Ms. Garcia's website has nothing to do with the national debt.
Second, Mr. Roberts has never been involved in our community. He was the most unpopular Chief and was then resigned like an angry child because he could not take the heat from the city manager.
Worse for Mr. Roberts is the fact that although his employment contract stated NO SEPARATION fee if he resigned, he took a 6 FIGURE check from Fort Lauderdale. GIVE BACK THE MONEY, BRUCE.
Reply to this
Although golf courses and air traffic patterns are a concern, it is essential that the Commissioner from District 1 be in tune to the needs of the entire city. The commissioner representing this district will be casting votes for or against issues that may be of prime concern to another district. If the District 1 commissioner is only familiar or only concerned with issues involving Coral Ridge or the Galt Ocean Mile, and not concerned with the crime issues in Districts 2 and 3 or with development in these blighted areas, it is a major issue. We need a commissioner that will be involved in issues west of US-1 and work cohesively with the other commissioners to improve conditions in all areas of the city. A commissioner that is solely focused on the needs of the one segment that they represent, or a commissioner that will not support something that benefits another area because they have personal issues with the commissioner of that area, creates a big problem. In view of this, I would think that Bruce Roberts is the most familiar with the entire city and the problems of each area and would not be afraid to join a crime walk that was focused on the Sistrunk area and would have many years of experience to offer this district as a commissioner.
Reply to this
I am very concerned with what I have read about her. we can not take another Airhead !!! sorry being so frank, but this City has some big problems and I believe we need to have the very best Leaders we can get !!! please sign up Chief Roberts
Reply to this
I am very concerned about your slander of Ms. Garcia.
It appears that YOU are the airhead, for you cannot recognize a true patriot and activist when you see one. This is clearly the case because you want to see an overpaid, disgraced political HACK like Brucie on the City Commission?
GET REAL, Dude. When the Galt Mile asked for help, Bruce said NO. The last thing Fort Lauderdale's District One needs is Brucie.
Reply to this
Effervescent indeed but I think I'll wait for Roberts to announce. Too many bubbles tend to upset my stomach! All that helping people babble coupled with vague criticism of the incumbent makes me want to yell out "do-gooder" and the comment about Gretsas meriting his salary and if folks don't object it's OK with the lady. Mercy, mercy, mercy is this the best challenger we can get?
Reply to this
It seems clear that Bruce Roberts had his family post comments here. He was our worst Chief -- his lack of ability was only passed by Ken Jenne.
I just examined Garcia's website and she has some excellent statments about her campaign and about Roberts. According to the newspaper, Roberts is only in the race for revenge against Gretsas. Bad move, Brucie.
Reply to this
Only in Fort Lauderdale!
The project to memorialize the biggest crook on the Galt, the late Bob Rozema, has been revived by Jim Naugle and Christine Teel.
Tell me, what kind of person wants to spend $40,000 of tax dollars to build a monument to the Galt's biggest crook?
I suppose Teel would support an Al Capone Park in Chicago, or Sadam Hussein Park in Bagdad.
Please! STOP this wasteful spending. Fort Lauderdale CANNOT afford a $40,000 park when the economy is crashing, property values are crashing, tax revenues are falling, and Wall Street is in a shambles.
What FLAWED thinking leads Teel to believe we can afford to spend $40,000 on a park that honors the biggest crook on the Galt?
Is this just "honor among thieves?"
Please! KILL THIS PARK!
Reply to this
I don't think Judi realizes that an elected official should be responsive to THEIR constitutnts. The reason we elect City Commissioners by District is an attempt to have them responsive to District 1.
While all City Commissioners should have the best interests of Fort Lauderdale in mind, District One's commissioner must keep District One's interest at the top of their list.
For an example of how NOT TO be a good City Commissioner, look at Christine Teel. She found the Air & Sea Show noisy and inconvenient, so she helped kill it. She is in bed with the Condo Boards on the Galt, so she (along with Naugle) support the Rozema Monument to Condo Crime. She is also in bed with the big developers, and would allow the East Side's last golf course to be paved and turned into condominiums.
If we consider Roberts refusal to enforce the law on the Galt and help the Condo Owners -- that makes him a criminal. We don't need a revenge motivated failed cop on the city commission.
I urge Bruce to withdraw and avoid the huge humiliation of defeat at the polls.
Reply to this
Judi, I don't' know what you've been smokin', but I just visited http://www.VoteForInger.com and the issues there are very clearly directed to Fort Lauderdale's District One!
You should do a little fact checking before you libel someone.
I actually think Tim should remove your comment since it is not true.
Fred
Reply to this
Monument To Condominium Crime and Corruption
Christine Teel and the Galt Mile Community Association want to use FORTY THOUSAND tax dollars to build a park in tribute to the Galt’s biggest thief, Bob Rozema. The plan is to place Rozema Park next to L'Hermitage.
This is just another example of the incredibly flawed judgment of Teel, who also shares responsibility for Fort Lauderdale City Attorney Stewart’s $348,000 income and City Manager Gretsas $315,000.
Financial irresponsibility is Teel’s middle name. However, what can one expect from someone who does not have to work to live?
In 2005, Southpoint’s owners, through their attorney Inger Garcia, served twenty-seven pages of administrative, civil, and criminal allegations on Rozema and the Southpoint Board. These allegations were never answered. After reading the allegations, and the findings of violations by the DBPR, no sane person would want to memorialize Rozema.
Confirmed Crimes
Florida’s DBPR found, Southpoint’s Board and Rozema admitted, that the Rozema and Southpoint violated the following Florida laws:
• FS 718.116(9)(a). Illegally paid RJR's condominium assessment.
• FS 718.116(9)(a). Illegally paid RJR's condominium maintenance
• FS 718.111(12)(a)11. Illegally failed to maintain sufficient detail in accounting records.
• FS 718.111(12)(a)11. Southpoint Board lied to the DBPR, and provided "three conflicting statements regarding his [Rozema] compensation, none of which were verifiable."
• FS 718.111(12). Illegally failed to maintain Board Minutes.
• FS 718.111(12). Illegally failed to maintain Rozema’s employment records and contract.
• FS 718.111(12). Illegally held secret meetings concerning Rozema's compensation.
It is clear that we are in a recession, and on the brink of a possible major recession.
Florida’s taxpayers are in revolt, mandating huge tax cuts and the spending cuts that are required.
Appraised values of all Florida real estate have fallen for three consecutive years. Tax dollars are cut, and the State, the Counties, and the Cities are facing huge cutbacks. Repossessions are at an all-time high.
We cannot allow Christine Teel to waste $40,000 taxpayer dollars on a tribute to the man who is known as the biggest crook on the Galt.
Reply to this
Why is Inger Garcia the only District 1 candidate that does not have a story line with her name in the headline? Who are you supporting, Tim?
Reply to this
Inger M Garcia-Armstrong can't handle her own finances how could she handle the communities. She owes me $1100.00 and refuses to pay me and claims she doesnt have the money. Vote for her I say NO
Reply to this
This is the last time I am posting this:
According to the settlement agreement We are to put on Tim's Smith Blog That Inger Garcia did NOT use our money for her campaign funds or placed them in her Campaign funds.
Reply to this
Inger Garcia should be disbarred. She is a moron. She DEFENDS RAPISTS. Really, she does. She defensds them poorly though, considering her "client" is about to be released....
I cannot believe someone that stupid would attempt to run for any type of community position
Reply to this