Now it makes sense… political contributions over human rights.
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?
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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.