Ambush on Galt Ocean Mile
It was billed as a Fort Lauderdale Candidate Event for those seeking the Mayoral post and the District I Commission seat.
The candidates all arrived, with a good showing of some of the City's top activists.
State Rep candidate Chris Chiari
chats with Commissioner Rodstrom
as Commissioner Teel looks on !
But the crowd, for such an important civic event, seemed paltry. Where were the Galt Milers? Only a handful were there, and they appeared to mostly come from one Condo.
The Galt Ocean Mile has always been critical to City candidates, because the mature residents there always turn out to vote in big numbers. It was apparent that this event was not widely publicized.
Soon the mystery answered itself. It wasn't your standard Q&A candidate forum at all, but more of an ambush, seemingly set up to attack one candidate.
And that District I Commission candidate was local condo attorney Inger Garcia. Garcia has been critical of the leadership of many of the condos along the Galt for years now. In her column in the Fort Lauderdale City News, a newspaper known for its' controversial offerings, Garcia has continually warned residents to watch their Condo Boards.
District I candidates
Garcia ..... Roberts .... Teel
She has written about the new State Condo laws that improve transparency and "punish the wrongdoers". She recently wrote that condo unit owners should report any suspicions that Board Officials have " made decisions based on their own financial interests".
After an abbreviated Q&A session, Galt President Pio stated that there were "a few questions". Then came the ambush. Pio called up only two residents to the microphone and they both blasted Garcia. They chastised her for "implicating corruption", and for calling them "crooks". Another in the audience defiantly "shot the bird" at Garcia from his seat.
The Ambush
No other questions were entertained.
The candidates left the stage, while those in the crowd with no affilation to the condo just seemed shocked. It was a bad day for the Galt.
Excellent coverage of a non-event. Pio was clearly in cahoots with the trouble-makers from the "one condo." I think you should add that a photo of the first "person" from the "one condo" could not be used because he had drooled down his front.
Pio's so-called "Galt Community Association confirmed that is it an Anti-Owner club for a very small handful of Board members on the Galt.
It was a very bad day for the Galt.
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Remind you ~ that every condo has it's own board, & with every condo within the district should have meetings together as board members representing the condo which they live. Together they can make progress or lose from time to time for what they want & expect the Galt to be like. I myself feel that the Galt is over rated & the people who live there are not any better than myself.
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Typical highjinx for the self-centered condo commando.....
I am willing to bet that these are the same schmucks that held a Mayor's forum the time you ran against Jim Naugle,and only invited Jim Naugle!!
I am also willing to bet it's voters like these that kept the majority of the contenders running for office mute when you asked in your blog who they wanted for President.
Those unfair people will eventually have their judgement day. I however, have no respect for them,or the candidates that pander to them....
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I would suspect that Garcia has a thick skin and was not ruffled.
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I have to chuckle. After watching the two old fools at the microphone, they were the ones that were ruffled. Their body language broadcast fear. They are afraid of Ms. Garcia, because they know that as a member of the City Government, she will see they are brought to justice for their crimes and violations against the owners. They SHOULD be afraid of her -- very afraid.
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While it was advertised as a candidate forum for District 1 and Mayor - it was obvious from the start that the questions were contrived to feature the encumbent District 1 Commissioner and provided no opportunity for any of the candidates - either District 1 or Mayor - to give their vision of the future. It did not recognize that they must work with the rest of the Commission nor did it acknowledge that the last 3 years have failed dismally in that respect. Interestingly enough, the encumbent spent all of her available time talking about her accomplishments...yet still no vision. Is she looking backwards and hoping it is enough to carry her forward?
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Excellent point. This was actually a political patronage event. Pio and the slugs from the Galt Community Ass. were paying back Christine Teel for supporting their Park Monument to the dead Condo Crook, Bob Rozema. It's that simple.
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It's too early for the perspective Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commission candidates to be campaigning. I don't fault them, I fault everyone for having these "Candidate Forums" before the November 4th General Election is over. The official candidate filing for Mayor or District Commissioner of the four City of Fort Lauderdale Commission Districts isn't even until after January 1st. You can open a campaign account for fund raising, but the official ten day filing period is in early January. Too much early campaigning in my opinion, turns off the voters. Isn't everyone past ready for November 4th General Election, and eager for it to be over?
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