SENATE PREZ WILL LIKELY ALLOW JUNKET TRAVELER TO SPONSOR SLOTS BILL
Lloyd Dunkelberger, Tallahassee reporter for the New York Times Regional Newspapers Group, writes that pending a meeting Senate President Tom Lee (R - Brandon) will allow the chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee to sponsor a bill during December's special legislative session which would authorize Vegas-style slot machines in Broward County.
Normally, that would not be news. Voters in Broward County earlier this year approved a proposal which would allow the slot machines at two horse racing tracks, one dog track, and a jai alai fronton under the guidelines of a new constitutional amendment.
But Senator Dennis Jones (R - Treasure Island), along with three collegues, are currently being investigated after Magna Entertainment spend $48,000 in July to host the four lawmakers for two days at it's Toronto headquarters. Magna owns Gulfstream Park near Hallandale Beach, and will benefit from the additional gambling revenue.
The amount of the trip showed up as an in-kind donation to the Republican Party of Florida. That would not be a problem, except that the trip took the form of a direct benefit to the legislative quartet...who are not permitted from accepting gifts valued at over $100.
The other members who took Magna's charter jet to Canada are former Senate President Jim King (R - Jacksonville), Mike Bennett (R - Bradenton) and Representative Frank Farkas (R - St. Petersburg). Farkas is currently seeking a Senate seat.
From Dunkelburger's story:
Lee said he weighed those facts against Jones' legislative experience, which includes 22 years in the House before coming to the Senate in 2002.
"I don't want to prejudge him . . .," Lee said. "He is an experienced and talented lawmaker."
But Lee said he wanted to have a conversation with his committee chairman "so that he understands the gravity of the situation, the perception that we find ourselves in and (whether) he is up to the task of managing this piece of legislation against the backdrop of what will be a lot of scrutiny."
A question here: Is bad judgement rampant on the Capitol campus? It it the air, or something in the water?
2 Comments:
What bugs me so darn much about this whole slot machine thing isn't the freebies or Magna's involvement or any of that ...
What bugs me is the Legislature's continued high-handedness ... Voters made a constitutional demand for a stupid bullet train? Legislature ignores it .. Voters made a constitutinal demand for smaller class sizes? Legislature seeks to upend it ... Voters made a constitutional demand for "slot machines?" Legislature quibbles, stalls, ignores it ...
Okay, all together now, "you are REPRESENTATIVES ... do your damn job and represent us"
If we wanted DICTATORS we'd let you know (with a constitutional amendment, which you would ignore)
I'm just sayin' ...
I fully agree with you on that. It's just like many of those in power in Tallahassee --- and there are a number of them in BOTH parties --- that take a parochial attitude that "we the people" don't have the sense to know better. They need to go.
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