My mind has been racing since watching the webcast of the Miami-Dade Public Safety Committee meeting this week.
How is it that Ron Book, the same guy who has publicly vilified registered sex offenders, called them monsters, lied in testimony about recidivism rates (in fact, stating absurdly that 100% re-offend) and who orchestrated a recent eviction of registrants from stable housing (see: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article1953953.html), is the same guy Miami-Dade County appoints to help the sex offenders?
Come on, I thought. These commissioners are not stupid people. Even if they gave Book the benefit of the doubt that he can be objective, this lesson has been learned repeatedly! Wouldn’t anyone with an ounce of common sense and responsibility think it’s time to set Ron Book aside and let someone else work on a solution to this problem?
But as I watched the usual theatrics and parade of lies in his presentation, I expected to hear a tongue lashing from the commissioners. After all, they were there to address a problem, the problem was created by this guy and after more than a decade, this guy was unable to find a solution to the problem.
I was nearly floored when, instead of a reprimand, came a blatant stream of ass-kissing from Jose “Pepe” Diaz! There had to be more to this and in speaking to people who know the ins and outs of Miami-Dade politics, it was explained to me.
You see; Pepe Diaz is running for re-election in 2018 and he needs Ron Book’s campaign contributions. He needs Book’s clients contributions and he needs the contributions of the Political Action Committees and Electioneering Communication Organizations that Book funds. It’s not about public safety or human rights it’s about contributions. Pepe is not stupid, he’s chasing the money! And that’s the way it works.
Even Sally Heyman, who I could have sworn seemed to “get it”, miraculously abandoned all integrity and put the legislation through. What’s with that?
Oh… wait a minute… here’s Commissioner Heyman’s campaign contribution disclosure: https://votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/24253/sally-heyman. Right there, up on the top donor list is Ron Book and alongside him are his clients, such as AT&T and FPL!
Now does it make sense?
Book is making our lives miserable to assuage his guilt over outsourcing his child rearing responsibilities.
What FAC says needs no further comment. Complaining does no good, thats why its called Florida ACTION Committee. Please, please everyone at least write a letter. This needs our attention to change it not our criticism of the liars.
So now what are “we” going to do about it? This is called Florida Action Committee.. Accurate reporting of the latest failures of “our” free country is important. Also, if not even more important, is meetings, group writing sessions, the county by county formation of support groups, and finally the assembly of the largest, most outspoken team of reformed registered sex offenders in the nation. It is time “we” got serious about “our” freedom. Let’s discuss that.
Well, “WE” filed a lawsuit challenging the SORR through the ACLU.
WE have monthly meetings and twice-monthly BOD meetings where we strategize and organize activities, including calls to action, letter writing campaigns, etc.
WE hold county meet and greets to help mobilize members.
WE also maintain a website on which we report of these injustices, notify people of public hearings, such as this one, where they can attend and speak out.
It’s up to the individuals, Duane, to participate in what WE are doing. After we notified people of the hearing, how many showed up? After we requested a call to action for people to write letters to the Commissioners, how many did? Ron Book showed up to the hearing. He got into the ears (and pocketbooks) of the politicians.
You don’t need to start donating, but it’s FREE to show up to the meeting! There are about 2000 people registered in Miami-Dade. If one percent had shown up to speak that would have been twenty times better than what we had.
We get that it’s humiliating to show your face if you are a registrant and who wants to be shamed and insulted, but if nobody stands up in Ron Book’s face, he gets away with spewing his garbage and nobody thinks twice. If even 5 people of the 250 people who live out there had shown up to refute the bullshit, it’d have been very hard to take what he said as the truth.
Pepe Diaz was saying that the people out there show up to registration in Mercedes. Implying somehow that they just choose to be homeless to take advantage of the system. Really Pepe? This is all some scam by 250 wealthy people who are just really into camping and shitting alongside railroad tracks?
Not to be argumentative, Duane, but what are YOU going to do to help the cause? Or anyone reading this, what are YOU going to do? Why don’t we continue this comment section with a list. Anyone who wants to pitch in can contribute their input on what “we” are going to do, by writing what THEY are going to do.
You can contribute; “I’m going to write a letter to all Miami-Dade Commissioners and share my disgust”, “I am going to write a letter to five news outlets, sharing this story and asking them to cover it”, “I’m going to show up at the Committee meeting in January and read a statement opposing the amendment”, “I’m going to write to 5 Florida law schools to see whether they have a human rights clinic that wants to take up a sex offender issue”, “I’m going to use my connection with a media outlet to get FAC a speaking engagement so they get their message out”…
There are a ton of things “we” can do and, notice none of the above cost a penny. I would love to hire a lobbyist, a PR person, put up billboards and buy politicians, but let’s start with the easy stuff.
Deal.. I’m scared to death about drawing attention to myself because I’m on probation for domestic violence and failure to register. Nevertheless, I will use my word combination skills to “our” benefit and join your cause. Good luck to us all, “we” are going to need it.
You can have a family member or friend write a letter. Or, mail a letter using a pseudonym.
But make damn sure you report that “pseudonym” to FDLE, right? We have no anonymity.
Miami should have some bad publicity and loose tourists dollars.
Nailed that one on the head. The lying is what got me.
Through the courts is the only way this nightmare is going to end we need a judge ( not one that’s elected) who has a understanding of the constitution and basic human rights these ass clowns will never give in as long as there is money to be made persecuting us
Under this leadership we are no longer men. As no longer men, are better off dead.
Mark, there are the famous words that were spoken by a hero. Please take this and run with it. “Give me liberty or give me death”. For this statement was there to mobilize the people to action. I say fight even if your choosing ends with freedom.
We are worse than dead…we are SLAVES, and exactly in the same well of the SCOTUS as Dred Scott back in 1857, when his freedom was denied him. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
The Supreme Court is STILL telling SO’s the same thing, paraphrased only slightly: “A black man (Read an ex-SO for today) has no rights a white man (Read ANYONE for today) is bound to respect”
That’s how things work in Florida, it’s all about the money. Ron and Lauren Book are a revenge driven family, they will never be satisfied. They are determined to make all sex offenders pay for ever, no matter if their crime was minor or not.
B. Webb, yes that is how it works. Everyone who is associated with Ron Book is corrupted. His daughter Lauren is the product of his up bringing and this corruption expands itself with everyone in that county. Follow the money and you may learn more about how he truly represents the people.
P.S. Try to always consider Hanlon’s razor as an explanation: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
My question is why FAC members didn’t flood the meeting room with people willing to speak out. All I saw was a couple of attorneys. That room should’ve been packed to the bloody gills.
We posted the meeting details online. Can’t force people to go. We had a call to action weeks ago, asking people to write. Few did.
People see BS like this and figure ‘what’s the point?’ with corrupt commissioners doing whatever the lobbyists say. There’s nothing to do anyhow.
To the naysayers…
“All politicians are corrupt” is just about as ignorant as “all sex offenders will re-offend”. Ok, well maybe not that close, but it’s heading down the same path. Plenty of politicians get into the gig for the wrong reasons, and end up corrupt. Some get into it for the right reasons, and end up corrupt. Some get into it for whatever reason, and end up actually doing the right thing. No one can expect any of them to be perfect. Even the ones generally doing the right thing have some tough calls to make and sometimes make mistakes. And sometimes they have to sacrifice a little integrity to stay in office, to eventually contribute to the greater good. And even the generally corrupt ones can end up doing good things, even if only out of selfish motivations.
While it is probably wise to be skeptical of politicians and constantly verifying what they say is true when it matters, it is unwise to assume the absolute worst at all times. Some of them can be allies, we just haven’t figured out how to consistently turn them into allies. Even if they align with our position despite showing hate toward us (think fiscal responsibilities, or acceptance of studies that show how the registries put their constituents in more harm), we should accept that. Not to say we should re-allocate resources from efforts that are showing promise (courts), but if we have special opportunities to form agreements on some issues with legislators, we should take that opportunity.
It is hypocritical and ironic for us to paint a group of people as “bad” for their act of painting us as a group of people who are “bad”. Better to lead by example and find strategies that work in getting them to see the light on our issues than to completely cast them away without ever giving a chance. As crazy as it sounds, even Ron Book could change. If you don’t believe people can change, well, that’s beyond me at this time…
There has to be a grievance that can be filed with the state or federally over this. These actions basically amount to evicting all sex offenders from the city limits. That’s unconstitutional.
Lol, great commentary!! Great information!!!
There is not ONE politician or bureaucrat with an ounce of integrity. They are ALL after MONEY and/or POWER.
Ass-kissing is the means to an end. And who suffers?
The public sheep who believe the lies the politicians push.
It is desperate deflection. There is something insidious lurking in Ron Book’s past: something so bad hiding in his closet that the thought of it cominf into the public’s light terrifies him, so he is working at mach speed to keep attention off of himself by villifying and harassing one group of society. Problem. Reaction. Solution. Was the caretaker who allegedly sexually abused his daughter an RSO? Was it really the caretaker who abused his daughter; perhaps there is something even more sinister to the story that has yet to be disclosed? We’ve been watching the house of cards called Washington, D.C. (District of Criminals) come crashing down as of late…perhaps the foundation under Ron Book’s feet will start shaking soon. God made it clear…everyrhing hidden will be made known.
Yes JD you hit it on the nail I have been saying the same thing Now for awhile now. We need somehow to get a reporter in the jail where the nanny is to ask questions. I bet she will sing like a Canary! What she got to loose. I bet we would learn a lot about mr Book!!! He is hiding just like his ex wife is hiding a lot of there past about what really happened. I watched this video 2 times and it just made me sick all political bullshit kissing his ass. Yea you got that right follow the money…..
Any idea which jail that is….?
…and that is just a microcosm of the BIGGER corruption that is going on in Florida and in the Dept of Corrections. We are the pawns. But the more we just sit back and do nothing about this and just go along with their stupid little laws, then it’s never going to change.