Keeping up with the Hillsborough County Board of Education has been rather interesting. Beginning in August the Tribune made it look like they were closing three schools. Those three schools are part of a program related specifically to Title I schools, which are schools that receive additional federal funding for having high poverty student population. Although each school’s tests scored made gains, they did not make enough gains. They have also expanded things into each school. In Middleton, the School Board is identifying specific resources they will need, and targeting the community resources and groups that support Middleton. They stated that it is extremely important to look at every school in terms of instruction, attendance, and connecting with parents. In Franklin, they are looking for qualified teachers and they are stressing this to the parents in a personal way and lastly in Sulphur Springs, they are stating that the parents have great need for support and the importance of being on time and attendance needs to be understood. They will have a partnership with the United Way to bring resources into the community. They will also have Saturday school available. These three schools are what I saw most coverage about in the Tribune. There was a worry and an understanding that these three schools were closing down, and they are not. The School Board is doing everything they can to improve the schools.
Later on there was update out in the Tribune that Superintendent Elia discussed what they are doing at three “intervene” schools. So I was able to get an update on the three schools that were possibly closing according to the Tribune. Elia states that in Middleton they are adding: EXCELerator, AVID program, magnet program, Urban Teaching Academy, Urban Debate League, Cosmetology program; additional units in math, reading, and ESE; Math mentoring etc. In Franklin, they are adding rolling workshops to increase scientific thinking and understanding, enhancing reading comprehension and writing, CRISS, theme integration, academic rigor, data driven instruction, and technology infusion. Lastly, I was update on Sulphur Springs, they are adding before and after school tutorials, Saturday school, additional staffing training, highly qualified teachers, TA added in science Spectrum lab, and HOST program.
In October, three local students were acknowledged; they represented the school district at their national competition in Orlando, hosted by Disney World. They were Alfred Sheppard from Blake High School 10th grade; he won a gold metal in a music competition, $2,000, a computer, and a $20,000 scholarship to the Berkley College of Music. Second was Jasmine Roberts from Wharton High School 10th grade; she won a silver medal in microbiology, also $1,500, and a computer. And in third is Jasmine Myers, from Stewart Middle Magnet School 6th grader, she was one of the four in the nation selected to attend the Maryland Institute of College of Art next summer.
In November The Board of education elected Carol Kurdell chair and Susan Valdes vice chair. They also sore in elected and re-elected Board members, they were: The Honorable E.J. Salcines: Susan Valdes, Jack Lamb, Doretha Edgecomb, and Carol Kurell. Over all Hillsborough County Board of Education had a lot of interesting things going on from October through November and looking forward to finding out what else is to come.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Pat Bean
Patricia Bean is the Country Administrator. She became the County Administrator in 2003. She has a B.A. degree in sociology from Winthrop University and also has her Masters in Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Pat has served for many different programs, organizations, and groups. Some are: A two-year term as the President of the National Association of County Administrators. Pat also served on a National Advisory Board for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and she also served as an evaluator for the Kennedy School at Harvard’s “Innovations in American Government” Program. She served as a Deputy County Administrator for twelve years. She was in a little over thirty years experience in Hillsborough County government. Twelve of those years in county’s human services, including health care, Children’s issues and programs for the elderly. She was also a part of the development of the national award winning Health Care Program, and she served as Assistant County Administrator over Public Works, Fire Rescue, Planning and Growth of Management, and Solid Waste.
After searching the Hillsborough county Tax Collector website, I found information on Pat’s Real Estate and Tangible property Tax information. Pat is up to date on paying all her taxes, from 2001-2007. Her property location is 2805 W Morrison Ave, and the assessed value of her property is $222,456, the Just Value of Pat’s property is $417,907, the exemption amount is $25,000, the Ad Volorem Taxes is $4,229, Non-Advalorem is $59.76. Her total tax due for the year is $4,289.54 which she is also up to date on and paid. With the information provided by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector website, I see that Pat Bean’s property taxes are complete year to date. I also searched the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s office and Pat Bean has a clean record.
I also found a letter to Pat Bean from Pat Frank Clerk of the Circuit Court/Comptroller. It was written May 1, 2008. It was in regards to the 2009 Budget for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Pat Frank also included performance measures and proposed budget reductions submitted by the Clerk of the Board Departments. Pat Frank stated to Pat Bean that the revised 2009 budget represents a 3.45% increase over the 2008 budget and an average annual increase from 2007 budget of 2.56%. Pat Frank also mentioned that because Amendment 1 passed in January, she advised all department directors of the cuts they would be making and the impact if 5 percent and 10 percent reductions to the director’s budgets were necessary. They were also able to reduce the planned budget by almost $300,000 by accepting the certain proposals. According to Pat Frank in her letter these are a few of the proposals mentioned in her letter to Pat Bean: 1. Elimination of the Clerk’s Facilities Director position and reassigning the duties to other staff in Clerk’s Administration. While the duties will be shared, one position will be designated as the facilities issues liaison with your Real Estate Department. 5. Reduction in Banking Service Fees of thirty eight percent. Our new banking partner, Wachovia, has lower fees than our former banking partners, Bank of America. In addition to all the reductions Pat Frank stated that two administrative support positions were also eliminated. Due to the alignment of duties and increased cross training, three positions were eliminated in Clerk to the Board Departments-one each in System Support, BOCC Finance, and Mail Services. Pat Frank stated to Pat Bean that it was important that she understand the assumptions used in the development of this revised budget for the office. If there were any assumptions that needed to be changed, Pat Frank would have to revise the budget first. Over all Pat Frank’s letter to Pat Bean was extremely detailed and informative on the budget for 2009.
The next public record, were the minutes of a meeting of the National Association of County Administrators. This is one of the Associations that Pat Bean served in for two years. The meeting was called to order by the President who is Pat Bean, She welcomed everyone to the NACA General Membership Meeting. Pat mentioned on the successful idea Exchange that took place the day before they met. There were thirty-nine people in attendance. Everyone participated in the meeting, but the section that Pat Bean interacted was when she made a suggestion membership for ICMA and NACA. IT was determined that is was feasible. Pat suggested that everyone should help with affiliate membership recruitment. Then there was a motion to accept and approve the membership report. Motion was approved. Pt Bean ended with, stating that she was pleased with the accuracy of the roster of members as it is being brought up to date. This is being accomplished by Barbara Yuhas. She felt there is a need for the entire membership of NACA to assist with affiliate membership recruitment. The results of the meeting are listed as: List Serve option for members was approved. Information will be able to be shared or gathered by participants. The project is planned to be operational within the following months. Creation of a website, it will create organization. With this document I found that Pat Bean was involved, she did and does attend meetings and she does express her opinion on how she feels things should work.
The next public record that I found is an article about the Hillsborough County Communicator. The title of this article is “Keeping you informed about County Government”, published in November of 2004. The Hillsborough County Communicator is yet another organization that Pat Bean served. This is published every month by the Communications Department to inform residents about the programs, services and activities of their County government. In this article she wrote a letter addressed to Hillsborough County Residents in regards to the four hurricanes that hit Florida. Throughout the letter she thanks the residents and businesses for heeding the requests in making all the preparations for the hurricane. She also mentions that Hillsborough County was fortunate compared to other counties. Pat also reassured all residents by stating that the Citizen Action and Citizen Response Centers were there for them during the storm. If anyone had any questions about county government services, they can contact the Citizen Action Center.
On the Clerk of the Circuit Court website I found a record stating the 2008 Lobbyist Activity Report. According the website Hillsborough County Lobbying Ordinance 07-8 requires that all lobbyists register the time of any private meeting with a member of the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, any Assistant County Administrator, any Department Head, the County Attorney, or any Chief Assistant County Attorney, regarding any item which is pending before the Board of County Commissioners or being considered by the aforementioned county employees for presentation or recommendation to the County Commissioners. A first violation of this ordinance shall result in the issuance of a warning by the County Attorney's Office. Each subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. For the 2008 report Pat bean was registered under Faye Boatright for the subject of finance/financial transactions, and principal Morgan Stanley & Co, also under Pegeen Hanrahan for the subject ELAPP Funding and the principal Trust for Public Land. Pat was also registered under William Lorenzen and Vincent Marchetti.
Finally, Pat Bean’s Campaign Contributions and Donations that I found were on The Huffington Post states that Pat Bean contributed to Hilary Clinton in 2008 for $425.
After searching the Hillsborough county Tax Collector website, I found information on Pat’s Real Estate and Tangible property Tax information. Pat is up to date on paying all her taxes, from 2001-2007. Her property location is 2805 W Morrison Ave, and the assessed value of her property is $222,456, the Just Value of Pat’s property is $417,907, the exemption amount is $25,000, the Ad Volorem Taxes is $4,229, Non-Advalorem is $59.76. Her total tax due for the year is $4,289.54 which she is also up to date on and paid. With the information provided by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector website, I see that Pat Bean’s property taxes are complete year to date. I also searched the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s office and Pat Bean has a clean record.
I also found a letter to Pat Bean from Pat Frank Clerk of the Circuit Court/Comptroller. It was written May 1, 2008. It was in regards to the 2009 Budget for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Pat Frank also included performance measures and proposed budget reductions submitted by the Clerk of the Board Departments. Pat Frank stated to Pat Bean that the revised 2009 budget represents a 3.45% increase over the 2008 budget and an average annual increase from 2007 budget of 2.56%. Pat Frank also mentioned that because Amendment 1 passed in January, she advised all department directors of the cuts they would be making and the impact if 5 percent and 10 percent reductions to the director’s budgets were necessary. They were also able to reduce the planned budget by almost $300,000 by accepting the certain proposals. According to Pat Frank in her letter these are a few of the proposals mentioned in her letter to Pat Bean: 1. Elimination of the Clerk’s Facilities Director position and reassigning the duties to other staff in Clerk’s Administration. While the duties will be shared, one position will be designated as the facilities issues liaison with your Real Estate Department. 5. Reduction in Banking Service Fees of thirty eight percent. Our new banking partner, Wachovia, has lower fees than our former banking partners, Bank of America. In addition to all the reductions Pat Frank stated that two administrative support positions were also eliminated. Due to the alignment of duties and increased cross training, three positions were eliminated in Clerk to the Board Departments-one each in System Support, BOCC Finance, and Mail Services. Pat Frank stated to Pat Bean that it was important that she understand the assumptions used in the development of this revised budget for the office. If there were any assumptions that needed to be changed, Pat Frank would have to revise the budget first. Over all Pat Frank’s letter to Pat Bean was extremely detailed and informative on the budget for 2009.
The next public record, were the minutes of a meeting of the National Association of County Administrators. This is one of the Associations that Pat Bean served in for two years. The meeting was called to order by the President who is Pat Bean, She welcomed everyone to the NACA General Membership Meeting. Pat mentioned on the successful idea Exchange that took place the day before they met. There were thirty-nine people in attendance. Everyone participated in the meeting, but the section that Pat Bean interacted was when she made a suggestion membership for ICMA and NACA. IT was determined that is was feasible. Pat suggested that everyone should help with affiliate membership recruitment. Then there was a motion to accept and approve the membership report. Motion was approved. Pt Bean ended with, stating that she was pleased with the accuracy of the roster of members as it is being brought up to date. This is being accomplished by Barbara Yuhas. She felt there is a need for the entire membership of NACA to assist with affiliate membership recruitment. The results of the meeting are listed as: List Serve option for members was approved. Information will be able to be shared or gathered by participants. The project is planned to be operational within the following months. Creation of a website, it will create organization. With this document I found that Pat Bean was involved, she did and does attend meetings and she does express her opinion on how she feels things should work.
The next public record that I found is an article about the Hillsborough County Communicator. The title of this article is “Keeping you informed about County Government”, published in November of 2004. The Hillsborough County Communicator is yet another organization that Pat Bean served. This is published every month by the Communications Department to inform residents about the programs, services and activities of their County government. In this article she wrote a letter addressed to Hillsborough County Residents in regards to the four hurricanes that hit Florida. Throughout the letter she thanks the residents and businesses for heeding the requests in making all the preparations for the hurricane. She also mentions that Hillsborough County was fortunate compared to other counties. Pat also reassured all residents by stating that the Citizen Action and Citizen Response Centers were there for them during the storm. If anyone had any questions about county government services, they can contact the Citizen Action Center.
On the Clerk of the Circuit Court website I found a record stating the 2008 Lobbyist Activity Report. According the website Hillsborough County Lobbying Ordinance 07-8 requires that all lobbyists register the time of any private meeting with a member of the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, any Assistant County Administrator, any Department Head, the County Attorney, or any Chief Assistant County Attorney, regarding any item which is pending before the Board of County Commissioners or being considered by the aforementioned county employees for presentation or recommendation to the County Commissioners. A first violation of this ordinance shall result in the issuance of a warning by the County Attorney's Office. Each subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. For the 2008 report Pat bean was registered under Faye Boatright for the subject of finance/financial transactions, and principal Morgan Stanley & Co, also under Pegeen Hanrahan for the subject ELAPP Funding and the principal Trust for Public Land. Pat was also registered under William Lorenzen and Vincent Marchetti.
Finally, Pat Bean’s Campaign Contributions and Donations that I found were on The Huffington Post states that Pat Bean contributed to Hilary Clinton in 2008 for $425.
*Documents turned in *
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Purchasing Process Project
For the Purchasing Project I spoke to Jeff Hurst from the Hillsborough County School Board. Jeff was extremely knowledgeable about what he did. He was willing to give more than what I needed to know. He explained in detail, step by step the process of purchasing and choosing a school bus for Hillsborough County Schools.
Jeff started out by mentioning that there is a committee that gets together to decide what features will be included on the particular buses that are being purchased. Jeff stated that the features today are very different from what they were in 1994, so there are more details to cover in these meetings. They also take into consideration what has occurred in previous years. These incidents play a huge role on how the committee decides on what kind of bus they will choose. When it comes time to choosing the bus the committee must go through a bidding process; this bidding process is called a state contract bid. He mentioned how years back the process was easier and did not involve so many aspects and concerns. Jeff mentioned that the bidding process was the best way because that is how they got the best price.
There are three manufacturers in Florida that distribute these buses and they are: Freight Liner, International Bus, and Blue Bird. The one that they use most often to purchase the buses is International Bus. These manufactures make all different kinds, from sixteen passengers to 90 passenger buses. Most of the buses in Hillsborough County are their standard, which carries sixty five to seventy passengers. The features on these buses also vary. Air Conditioning adds $10,000 to the cost of the bus, now they are adding video surveillance, they are installing cameras on the outside of the bus to see how many cars do not obey the stop signs, there is also a feature of GPS to track where the buses are at all times, some also have wheel chair capabilities. These are only a few of the features that are now available for school buses.
The prices of these buses have also increased through the years; in 1994 a standard bus cost $30,000, now they cost around $110,000. The features have a lot to do with the price increase along with inflation. Jeff stated that every year the county purchases 90 school buses. They are buying to replace the buses that have already met their sixteen-year mark. They do not keep any buses for more than that. As of right now there are 1425 school buses. Of the 1425 only 1000 of them are used daily. The remainders are used as back ups, are almost at their sixteen-year mark, or are brand new and have not been assigned. Over all, Jeff was extremely informative and willing to talk, he also stated that he knew what students go through, he had a daughter a USF.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Public Meeting #3
For Public meeting number three I attended Court Room 15 of Judge Walter Heinrich. Fist thing I noticed that was neat was that this court room was a closed circuit television. This is what we saw when we were given the tour at Orient Road Jail. There are several preliminary cases that go on through out the day here.
The first case that was being presented was a mother that was charged for child neglect. As I watched on the monitor the woman’s reaction, she was banned from seeing her children but her bond was reduced. I became even more engaged on what was going on.
The next case was a man by the name of Christopher he was in for burglary and trespassing, and drug charges; his bond was also reduced. This same process went on for about twenty minutes. I noticed a pattern that all these cases were asking for their bonds to be reduced. Some were reduced and some were denied.
Around noon is when they took a break for lunch. I was lucky that Judge Heinrich was nice enough to speak to us a little about what he does on a day to day basis, and how long he has been in the field.
Judge Walter Heinrich has been a Judge in Hillsborough County for twenty years. He begins his day at 8:00am and that is when he deals with all the inmates that have been in jail for less than 24 hours. I learned that when an individual is arrested they have the right to stand before a judge within the first 24 hours. That is what Judge Heinrich does from 8:00am till around 10:00am. Then there is a short break, around 10:30am they begin cases again. This is what I witnessed, such as misdemeanors traffic violations, drug abuse, and those who are looking to reduce bond.
Another question that we asked was if this career, position as judge affected him emotionally. The judge responded with “of course it does”, but he does not let it affect what he is doing, and how he presents himself in front of the inmates and other court members.
Over all the judge was extremely knowledgeable in what he does, very kind in taking the time to speak to us during his lunch break and I learned a lot about the court system especially Closed Circuit Television.
The first case that was being presented was a mother that was charged for child neglect. As I watched on the monitor the woman’s reaction, she was banned from seeing her children but her bond was reduced. I became even more engaged on what was going on.
The next case was a man by the name of Christopher he was in for burglary and trespassing, and drug charges; his bond was also reduced. This same process went on for about twenty minutes. I noticed a pattern that all these cases were asking for their bonds to be reduced. Some were reduced and some were denied.
Around noon is when they took a break for lunch. I was lucky that Judge Heinrich was nice enough to speak to us a little about what he does on a day to day basis, and how long he has been in the field.
Judge Walter Heinrich has been a Judge in Hillsborough County for twenty years. He begins his day at 8:00am and that is when he deals with all the inmates that have been in jail for less than 24 hours. I learned that when an individual is arrested they have the right to stand before a judge within the first 24 hours. That is what Judge Heinrich does from 8:00am till around 10:00am. Then there is a short break, around 10:30am they begin cases again. This is what I witnessed, such as misdemeanors traffic violations, drug abuse, and those who are looking to reduce bond.
Another question that we asked was if this career, position as judge affected him emotionally. The judge responded with “of course it does”, but he does not let it affect what he is doing, and how he presents himself in front of the inmates and other court members.
Over all the judge was extremely knowledgeable in what he does, very kind in taking the time to speak to us during his lunch break and I learned a lot about the court system especially Closed Circuit Television.
Other Contacts:
State Attorney-Linda
Circuit Court- Cookie
Public Defendant-(Judge did not remember name)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Trial
Today I attended three trails. What an experience! I have never been in a court room setting; I have only seen it in movies or on TV, so today was a real eye opener and a great trip! The first trail that I attended was with Judge Daniel L Perry, and the first case was with Eric Moore he was born on November 22, 1987. He was in there for violating his probation; on October 7th he was caught using marijuana. He then read off quickly what he no longer had a right to because of his violation. This was hard to understand but what I got from what he said was the Mr. Moore gave up the right to hearing, cross examine, and appeal because of this violation. He then moved into asking where Mr. Moore bought the marijuana from, Mr. Moore then proceeded with stating the name of the individual where he got it from; Anthony Brooks. Judge Perry then posted his picture up on a monitor and asked Moore to confirm if that was him, Moore confirmed and Judge Perry stated that he was let out on bond. In the end Judge Perry stated that his probation would be modified, he needed to get a 40hour job, no drugs, no alcohol, nothing not even Nyquil without a doctor’s note.
The next trail that I attended was with Judge Rogers Padgett. This was civil court, and it was a sexual offender. I was in this court for a short period of time because I was approached by an officer that I was speaking to earlier; he advised that there was a trial going on in court room 16 about an attempted murder. So I was interested, I then left the sexual offender trail and entered the attempted murder case. The judge for this trail was William Fuente. This is what was interesting, and eye opening. I was witnessing everything, the evidence, the jury, the judge, objections; it definitely was a reality check. But interesting, exciting, and informative! This trial then had to break around 11:55 for lunch. Over all the experience was fascinating!
The next trail that I attended was with Judge Rogers Padgett. This was civil court, and it was a sexual offender. I was in this court for a short period of time because I was approached by an officer that I was speaking to earlier; he advised that there was a trial going on in court room 16 about an attempted murder. So I was interested, I then left the sexual offender trail and entered the attempted murder case. The judge for this trail was William Fuente. This is what was interesting, and eye opening. I was witnessing everything, the evidence, the jury, the judge, objections; it definitely was a reality check. But interesting, exciting, and informative! This trial then had to break around 11:55 for lunch. Over all the experience was fascinating!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Midterm Question 3
Searching for a candidate like Victor Crist is something that needs much investigation and lots of research to find out interesting and accurate facts about this candidate. The first place that I would look is www.moneyline.cq.com. Here I would see the pattern of his contributions, to whom, how much he gave, and when. I would also see how many of employees are contributing and their pattern of contributing. I would look closely at his employers; see if they are registered voters, and their turnout rates. I would also look at a Florida Division of Elections to investigate contributions. I would also visit The Florida Senate site which is flsenate.gov. Here I can get biography on Visor Crist and I see honors and awards, other public service, legislative service, and affiliations.
The next site that I would search is the county tax collector website. Here I can find interesting information about what property Crist has owns, currently owns, and cost of what he owns. I can also see if he is up to date with his taxes. Again, this is more information that I can use to write about Crist in detail that would be interesting to the viewer or reader. Motor vehicle, business taxes, financial reports are just a few of the documentations that we have access to. This site is extremely useful and their vision is to be an exemplary government organization. Their mission is to exceed customer expectations through continuous innovation in performing the required duties of their office with the highest level of ethics and integrity while empowering and challenging our workforce.
I would then visit opensecrets.org. This site is a great tool that I can use to inform citizens about how money in politics affects their lives. Another point that this site concentrates on is empowering voters and activists by providing unbiased information. The point that is mentioned in their mission statement is to advocate for a transparent and responsive government. They pursue their mission largely through their award-winning website, which is the most comprehensive resource for campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis available anywhere. And for other organizations and news media, CRP's exclusive data powers their online features tracking money in politics counting cash to make change. Another great point about this site is that it is not only allowed the Center to expand its reach beyond those willing to invest in its voluminous and expensive publication, but also greatly accelerated the timing and depth of its analysis, making the Center’s research more readily available to those making decisions about candidates, policy and the influence of money. For the 1998 elections, the Center produced online contribution profiles for every federal candidate well before Election Day. For the 2000 elections, the Center unveiled several new groundbreaking features on OpenSecrets.org, including detailed contribution profiles of more than 80 industries in the U.S. economy, fund-raising breakdowns for federal party committees, and analyses of contributions from special interests to members of specific congressional committees. My main concern in reporting this story is getting the facts out there, and researching every search engine available to me.
The next site that I would search is the county tax collector website. Here I can find interesting information about what property Crist has owns, currently owns, and cost of what he owns. I can also see if he is up to date with his taxes. Again, this is more information that I can use to write about Crist in detail that would be interesting to the viewer or reader. Motor vehicle, business taxes, financial reports are just a few of the documentations that we have access to. This site is extremely useful and their vision is to be an exemplary government organization. Their mission is to exceed customer expectations through continuous innovation in performing the required duties of their office with the highest level of ethics and integrity while empowering and challenging our workforce.
I would then visit opensecrets.org. This site is a great tool that I can use to inform citizens about how money in politics affects their lives. Another point that this site concentrates on is empowering voters and activists by providing unbiased information. The point that is mentioned in their mission statement is to advocate for a transparent and responsive government. They pursue their mission largely through their award-winning website, which is the most comprehensive resource for campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis available anywhere. And for other organizations and news media, CRP's exclusive data powers their online features tracking money in politics counting cash to make change. Another great point about this site is that it is not only allowed the Center to expand its reach beyond those willing to invest in its voluminous and expensive publication, but also greatly accelerated the timing and depth of its analysis, making the Center’s research more readily available to those making decisions about candidates, policy and the influence of money. For the 1998 elections, the Center produced online contribution profiles for every federal candidate well before Election Day. For the 2000 elections, the Center unveiled several new groundbreaking features on OpenSecrets.org, including detailed contribution profiles of more than 80 industries in the U.S. economy, fund-raising breakdowns for federal party committees, and analyses of contributions from special interests to members of specific congressional committees. My main concern in reporting this story is getting the facts out there, and researching every search engine available to me.
Midterm Question 2
Florida's Sunshine laws is something that every person has been granted, it is the Constitutional right to inspect or copy any public record with some exemptions, and the Sunshine Law provides a right of access to government proceedings at both the state and local levels. These essential laws afford citizens of our state the ability to see behind the curtain of government and remain involved in the processes that affect their lives. Without this access there is little accountability, and accountability is vital for good government. The Attorney General's Office plays a key role in keeping Florida's government open to all Floridians. The office is charged with mediating disputes involving access to public records and provides a mediation program to that effect - a resource which can be requested by any member of the public and was put into action more than 75 times in 2007. The mediation program involves an impartial individual who encourages and facilitates the resolution of a dispute involving access to public records. The mediators assist the participants in fostering joint problem-solving and exploring settlement alternatives. By allowing parties to resolve issues in an informal mediation process, we prevent expensive and time-consuming litigation which is often not an option for a citizen who is merely trying to hold his or her government accountable and responsible for its actions.
The state policy is that Florida's Sunshine law, section 286.011, Florida Statutes, requires that all meetings of state agencies and local government boards or commissions be open to the public unless there is a specific statutory exemption. This Law applies to any meeting of two or more officials of any public agency, any private company doing business on behalf of a public agency, and any advisory or committee with the power or authority to make recommendations to public agency. The functions of a board or committee can trigger application of the Sunshine law.
There must also be reasonable notice, or sufficient notice so as to inform members of the public who might be interested in attending the meeting. For example a clear posting of the timing of the meeting, the placement, and the content of the meeting; there must also be minutes of all meetings, and generally minutes become a public record at the conclusion of that particular meeting. Members of the public and press cannot be asked to leave an open meeting unless that individual or group becomes disruptive during the meeting. Cameras or video equipment that is not disrupting anyone can not be prohibited.
There are exemptions of openness in Florida, meaning that all meetings between two or more members of the same board or commission are presumed subject to the Sunshine Law unless there are specific statutory exemptions. Only the legislature can create an exemption to the law. An unintentional violation of the Sunshine Law is a noncommercial infraction, punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars. A knowing violation of the law is a second degree misdemeanor, carrying a jail term of up to sixty days. Any action taken at a meeting held in violation of the sunshine law will be voided by the court.
Access to public records in Florida are listed in Chapter 119, Florida Statues, it stipulates hat all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for inspection and copying by any person. According to the first amendment foundation an public record is all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recording, data processing software, or other material, regardless of physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission… in connection with the transaction of the official business by any agency [s.119,011(1),F.S.] A public agency may charge no more than fifteen cents a page for paper copies, plus an additional five cents for two-sided copies.
There are two presumption of openness under the Public Record Law, meaning that all records are presumed subject to public investigation and copying unless there is a specific statutory exemption. The denial must be put in writing if requested. And lastly there are two types of sanctions provided for violation of the Public Records Law. One a public officer who knowingly violates 119.07(1),F.S. is subject to suspension and removal or impeachment, and is guilty of a first degree misdemeanor punishable by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding one year and a fine of up to one thousand dollars. And the other type of sanction is when an officer violates any provision of chapter 119 is guilty of a noncriminal infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, a willful and knowing violation of any provision is a first degree misdemeanor.
According to chapter 119 medical history records and information related to health or property insurance provided to the Department of Community Affairs, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, a county, a municipality, or a local housing finance agency by an applicant for or a participant in a federal, state, or local housing assistance program are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a). Governmental entities or their agents shall have access to such confidential and exempt records and information for the purpose of auditing federal, state, or local housing programs or housing assistance programs. Such confidential and exempt records and information may be used in any administrative or judicial proceeding, provided such records are kept confidential and exempt unless otherwise ordered by a court.
According to the Florida Governor's Commission website http://www.flgov.com/og_commission_home, On June 19, 2007, Governor Charlie Crist issued Executive Order 07-107 , creating the the Commission on Open Government Reform. The nine member commission has been created within the Governor's Office of Open Government to review, evaluate, and issue recommendations regarding Florida's public records and public meetings laws. The Commission will review the public's right to access government meetings and records according to Section 119 and Section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes, as well as Article I. "Florida's Sunshine Laws are among the strongest in the nation and give every citizen access to information necessary for participating in the democratic process," said Governor Crist. "The Commission on Open Government will help ensure that all levels of government are accessible to the people."
In one of his first official acts after his inauguration, Governor Crist issued Executive Order 07-01 on January 3, 2007, and created the Office of Open Government. The office is designed to help Floridians access information about state government and ensure that government's actions are always transparent and accountable to taxpayers.
The state policy is that Florida's Sunshine law, section 286.011, Florida Statutes, requires that all meetings of state agencies and local government boards or commissions be open to the public unless there is a specific statutory exemption. This Law applies to any meeting of two or more officials of any public agency, any private company doing business on behalf of a public agency, and any advisory or committee with the power or authority to make recommendations to public agency. The functions of a board or committee can trigger application of the Sunshine law.
There must also be reasonable notice, or sufficient notice so as to inform members of the public who might be interested in attending the meeting. For example a clear posting of the timing of the meeting, the placement, and the content of the meeting; there must also be minutes of all meetings, and generally minutes become a public record at the conclusion of that particular meeting. Members of the public and press cannot be asked to leave an open meeting unless that individual or group becomes disruptive during the meeting. Cameras or video equipment that is not disrupting anyone can not be prohibited.
There are exemptions of openness in Florida, meaning that all meetings between two or more members of the same board or commission are presumed subject to the Sunshine Law unless there are specific statutory exemptions. Only the legislature can create an exemption to the law. An unintentional violation of the Sunshine Law is a noncommercial infraction, punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars. A knowing violation of the law is a second degree misdemeanor, carrying a jail term of up to sixty days. Any action taken at a meeting held in violation of the sunshine law will be voided by the court.
Access to public records in Florida are listed in Chapter 119, Florida Statues, it stipulates hat all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for inspection and copying by any person. According to the first amendment foundation an public record is all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recording, data processing software, or other material, regardless of physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission… in connection with the transaction of the official business by any agency [s.119,011(1),F.S.] A public agency may charge no more than fifteen cents a page for paper copies, plus an additional five cents for two-sided copies.
There are two presumption of openness under the Public Record Law, meaning that all records are presumed subject to public investigation and copying unless there is a specific statutory exemption. The denial must be put in writing if requested. And lastly there are two types of sanctions provided for violation of the Public Records Law. One a public officer who knowingly violates 119.07(1),F.S. is subject to suspension and removal or impeachment, and is guilty of a first degree misdemeanor punishable by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding one year and a fine of up to one thousand dollars. And the other type of sanction is when an officer violates any provision of chapter 119 is guilty of a noncriminal infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, a willful and knowing violation of any provision is a first degree misdemeanor.
According to chapter 119 medical history records and information related to health or property insurance provided to the Department of Community Affairs, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, a county, a municipality, or a local housing finance agency by an applicant for or a participant in a federal, state, or local housing assistance program are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a). Governmental entities or their agents shall have access to such confidential and exempt records and information for the purpose of auditing federal, state, or local housing programs or housing assistance programs. Such confidential and exempt records and information may be used in any administrative or judicial proceeding, provided such records are kept confidential and exempt unless otherwise ordered by a court.
According to the Florida Governor's Commission website http://www.flgov.com/og_commission_home, On June 19, 2007, Governor Charlie Crist issued Executive Order 07-107 , creating the the Commission on Open Government Reform. The nine member commission has been created within the Governor's Office of Open Government to review, evaluate, and issue recommendations regarding Florida's public records and public meetings laws. The Commission will review the public's right to access government meetings and records according to Section 119 and Section 286.011 of the Florida Statutes, as well as Article I. "Florida's Sunshine Laws are among the strongest in the nation and give every citizen access to information necessary for participating in the democratic process," said Governor Crist. "The Commission on Open Government will help ensure that all levels of government are accessible to the people."
In one of his first official acts after his inauguration, Governor Crist issued Executive Order 07-01 on January 3, 2007, and created the Office of Open Government. The office is designed to help Floridians access information about state government and ensure that government's actions are always transparent and accountable to taxpayers.
MidTerm Question 1
In the Al Zimmerman case of Child Pornography is a sensitive one because it deals with children. When dealing with children it is a whole different situation because the information on the child is not public record. Only parents/guardians, officers, have access to the information about the child. The information of anyone under the age of eighteen is not considered public record. So in Zimmerman’s case we can get information on him but not any information on the child that was in the situation.
The first documentation that I would get a hold of is the Police report. I would go down to the Sheriff’s office and get the report. I can also go online (http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/), here I can search in detail or as broad as I would like. I want o familiarize myself with this case. If I have the Police record I can be specific in my search. I put in Mr. Zimmerman’s name and I am given all his information. Once Zimmerman is booked all f his information is available on the database. Other documentation that I would get for my news report is the booking information, property, which they take pictures of so I would be able to use that picture as part of my story if he had anything that suggested his crime.
I could also get an incident report form the Sheriff’s office. Record copies of incident reports filled with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office can be obtained from the Records Section; and is released according to Florida Statute 119.00, Public Records. I can also look up criminal arrest records and that Requests should be directed to the Identification Section located at 2306 North Falkenburg Road, telephone # 247-0062.
I would also want to visit the Clerk of Circuit Court office; I want to see if there are any court date for Zimmerman, the bail out information and any other cases that this man has been involved in. Here I can also investigate if this man is married or has gone through a divorce, again other tactics to see Zimmerman’s pattern and his way of life. I want to get as much information that would lead to such a horrible crime. I would go to the Tax collector website; there I will get information about where he lives, property he owns, and how he follows up on his taxes. I can get a pattern on how this man works and his trends.
The individuals that I would want to interview are the officer who made the arrest. He or she can give me specifics on how they found this information, what happen during the arrest process, or any information that they might know.
I would also want to interview family members, if there are any. I would ask them if they had any idea what was going on. Again, I would get as much information as possible, even though this would be a tough subject for the family members as a reporter I would do everything ethically possible to get the family members to talk.
I would move into getting past employers to talk about Zimmerman, even people who worked with him. I would ask questions regarding his behavior at work, did they ever see him interact with minors, had they ever seen him outside of work, was there anything unusual about they way he acted at work. These are a few of the questions that would ask employers and people who worked with them. I would also like to speak to the individual who actually hired Zimmerman; I would want to know what qualifications Zimmerman had to get his position.
The last documentation that I would look at newspaper articles that were written about Zimmerman; I would google Zimmerman and see what interesting articles were written about him. On TBO http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/17/na-dcf-new-child-porn-victims-not-state-clients/news-breaking/ we find that The state had paid $500,000 in a legal settlement for that victim, who will be eligible to receive therapy until he turns 40, a DCF spokeswoman said. This article is also recent so I know I can use this information to make the story that more exciting and interesting. With this newspaper article we get a sense about what is happening to the child/minor that went through this horrific situation. I would want to stick to my reliable sources like the circuit courts, and the sheriff’s office, because sometimes what you find on google can be fictitious and accuracy and attribution is key in writing a news story.
The first documentation that I would get a hold of is the Police report. I would go down to the Sheriff’s office and get the report. I can also go online (http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/), here I can search in detail or as broad as I would like. I want o familiarize myself with this case. If I have the Police record I can be specific in my search. I put in Mr. Zimmerman’s name and I am given all his information. Once Zimmerman is booked all f his information is available on the database. Other documentation that I would get for my news report is the booking information, property, which they take pictures of so I would be able to use that picture as part of my story if he had anything that suggested his crime.
I could also get an incident report form the Sheriff’s office. Record copies of incident reports filled with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office can be obtained from the Records Section; and is released according to Florida Statute 119.00, Public Records. I can also look up criminal arrest records and that Requests should be directed to the Identification Section located at 2306 North Falkenburg Road, telephone # 247-0062.
I would also want to visit the Clerk of Circuit Court office; I want to see if there are any court date for Zimmerman, the bail out information and any other cases that this man has been involved in. Here I can also investigate if this man is married or has gone through a divorce, again other tactics to see Zimmerman’s pattern and his way of life. I want to get as much information that would lead to such a horrible crime. I would go to the Tax collector website; there I will get information about where he lives, property he owns, and how he follows up on his taxes. I can get a pattern on how this man works and his trends.
The individuals that I would want to interview are the officer who made the arrest. He or she can give me specifics on how they found this information, what happen during the arrest process, or any information that they might know.
I would also want to interview family members, if there are any. I would ask them if they had any idea what was going on. Again, I would get as much information as possible, even though this would be a tough subject for the family members as a reporter I would do everything ethically possible to get the family members to talk.
I would move into getting past employers to talk about Zimmerman, even people who worked with him. I would ask questions regarding his behavior at work, did they ever see him interact with minors, had they ever seen him outside of work, was there anything unusual about they way he acted at work. These are a few of the questions that would ask employers and people who worked with them. I would also like to speak to the individual who actually hired Zimmerman; I would want to know what qualifications Zimmerman had to get his position.
The last documentation that I would look at newspaper articles that were written about Zimmerman; I would google Zimmerman and see what interesting articles were written about him. On TBO http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/17/na-dcf-new-child-porn-victims-not-state-clients/news-breaking/ we find that The state had paid $500,000 in a legal settlement for that victim, who will be eligible to receive therapy until he turns 40, a DCF spokeswoman said. This article is also recent so I know I can use this information to make the story that more exciting and interesting. With this newspaper article we get a sense about what is happening to the child/minor that went through this horrific situation. I would want to stick to my reliable sources like the circuit courts, and the sheriff’s office, because sometimes what you find on google can be fictitious and accuracy and attribution is key in writing a news story.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Steve Andrews
Steve Andrews is the Senior Investigative Reporter for News Channel 8. The meeting that we attended today was different because we were able to see what we can produce when we get access to public records. It was amazing to see what the outcome of hard work and dedication can do. Andrews stressed to us how important it is to have the all around feel of everything like the internet, TV, and newspapers even though newspapers are dying out. He says that they internet is our future. He has been in the business for 23 years, and he explained to us that some stories can pan out and take up to two hours and some may take 18 months. Andrews stressed that we have to be persistent and we will get what we want. He showed us a few examples of some of his work and what happens when we are persistent. The one that touched me the most was the one of the older man who was neglected in the home. This was also a unique case because this man could not talk for himself he had a legal guardian that had to speak for him and make decision for him. Fortunately in this case Ashley Butler, legal guardian, disclosed medical information. Andrews stated that this story would not have been possible without the information that Butler provided. It was a touching story that got many people talking, and it all worked out because the home was shut down, the owner was arrested, unfortunately the older man died. But it situations like this where Andrews was able to get information about the home, and with the help of Ashley Butler this story was possible. I really liked Andrews’s presentation and I like how it was able to put it into play on how public records, and knowing where to look can make or break your story.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Doug Belden
Doug Belden’s mission statement as Hillsborough County Tax Collector is To exceed customer expectations through continuous innovation in performing the required duties of our office with the highest level of ethics and integrity while empowering and challenging our workforce. And their vision is to be an exemplary government organization.
There are various locations such as downtown main office, Brandon, North Tampa, South County, Plant City, West County and Westshore, and they have a great senior leadership team including: Doug Belden, Efraim Castaño, Dale Hoffman, Kathy Meloy, Nancy Millan, Charlotte Luke, Kirk Sexton, and Preston Trigg.
At the Tax Collectors office you can renew motor vehicle registrations, pay property taxes, and get financial reports. We also see that the Hillsborough County ordinances give the Tax Collector collection and enforcement authority for the Tourist Development Tax. In Hillsborough County, a 5% Tourist Development tax is collected from any person who rents or leases accommodations for a period of six months or less.
One can also purchase hunting and fishing licenses, the Tax Collector is the agent of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries for the sale of hunting licenses, freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses, vessel fishing licenses, game management permits, lifetime and 5-year licenses. All annual privileges expire 12 months from the privilege start date.
Parking Permits is something that you can purchase and renew at the Tax Collectors office. A parking permit is available to any individual with permanent mobility problems or who is certified as legally blind. The disability must be certified by one of the following: A Licensed Physician, Physician Assistant, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Osteopath, Podiatrist, Chiropractor, and Optometrist.
Hillsborough County collects business taxes under Florida Statute, Chapter 205 and Hillsborough County Ordinance 95-4 as amended by 02-5. A business tax is a privilege tax to engage in or manage any business, profession, or occupation within its jurisdiction, including municipalities. Most businesses in Hillsborough County are required to pay a business tax. The categories for taxation are often broad and encompass many similar businesses under one heading.
Address:
601 East Kennedy Boulevard
County Center, 14th Floor
Tampa, Florida 33602
There are various locations such as downtown main office, Brandon, North Tampa, South County, Plant City, West County and Westshore, and they have a great senior leadership team including: Doug Belden, Efraim Castaño, Dale Hoffman, Kathy Meloy, Nancy Millan, Charlotte Luke, Kirk Sexton, and Preston Trigg.
At the Tax Collectors office you can renew motor vehicle registrations, pay property taxes, and get financial reports. We also see that the Hillsborough County ordinances give the Tax Collector collection and enforcement authority for the Tourist Development Tax. In Hillsborough County, a 5% Tourist Development tax is collected from any person who rents or leases accommodations for a period of six months or less.
One can also purchase hunting and fishing licenses, the Tax Collector is the agent of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries for the sale of hunting licenses, freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses, vessel fishing licenses, game management permits, lifetime and 5-year licenses. All annual privileges expire 12 months from the privilege start date.
Parking Permits is something that you can purchase and renew at the Tax Collectors office. A parking permit is available to any individual with permanent mobility problems or who is certified as legally blind. The disability must be certified by one of the following: A Licensed Physician, Physician Assistant, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Osteopath, Podiatrist, Chiropractor, and Optometrist.
Hillsborough County collects business taxes under Florida Statute, Chapter 205 and Hillsborough County Ordinance 95-4 as amended by 02-5. A business tax is a privilege tax to engage in or manage any business, profession, or occupation within its jurisdiction, including municipalities. Most businesses in Hillsborough County are required to pay a business tax. The categories for taxation are often broad and encompass many similar businesses under one heading.
Address:
601 East Kennedy Boulevard
County Center, 14th Floor
Tampa, Florida 33602
Friday, October 3, 2008
William March
William March’s visit was yet another interesting one. Just like all of our other visits he was able to fill us with useful information that we can use in the future. I also felt that this visit was unique because William walked us through searching for all the information on the web. We were given websites to use, and this was different from most of our speakers. We were able to interact and get on the web and actually see where all this information is located. I thought that was kind of neat, most of the time we are given places to go and check out, this time we were given the opportunity to check it out first hand.
Another interesting fact that William brought to the table was the National Comprehensive Report. This search provides information on assets, driver licenses, professional licenses, real properties, vehicles, and more. The result is a National Comprehensive Report providing and extremely focused and thorough Composite. Even though this is something that has to be paid for, it is still an incredible tool to find information on an individual. He was nice enough to give us an example of himself. This specific report shows us information as follows: Subject, User Supplied Information, Possible Driver License, Possible Address Associated with the Subject, Phone Listings, Real Estate property and Deed Transfers, Possible Vehicles Registered at Publics Address, Possible Florida Accidents, and Possible Hunting and Fishing License. These are listed under this report, I though this was amazing. The amount of information that someone can get after paying some money to get that information is incredible; and information like this can get you to an extraordinary story like William March did with Mr. Jimenez.
Overall it was interesting visit by Mr. William March, he also gave us his contact information that I feel will be very useful if I ever have any questions in the future about an individual that might be writing about.
Another interesting fact that William brought to the table was the National Comprehensive Report. This search provides information on assets, driver licenses, professional licenses, real properties, vehicles, and more. The result is a National Comprehensive Report providing and extremely focused and thorough Composite. Even though this is something that has to be paid for, it is still an incredible tool to find information on an individual. He was nice enough to give us an example of himself. This specific report shows us information as follows: Subject, User Supplied Information, Possible Driver License, Possible Address Associated with the Subject, Phone Listings, Real Estate property and Deed Transfers, Possible Vehicles Registered at Publics Address, Possible Florida Accidents, and Possible Hunting and Fishing License. These are listed under this report, I though this was amazing. The amount of information that someone can get after paying some money to get that information is incredible; and information like this can get you to an extraordinary story like William March did with Mr. Jimenez.
Overall it was interesting visit by Mr. William March, he also gave us his contact information that I feel will be very useful if I ever have any questions in the future about an individual that might be writing about.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Pat Frank
The visit to the Clerk of the Circuit Court was yet another interesting visit. Very informative and learned a lot of new things that will help me in the future. Beginning with Pat Frank, she is a very intelligent, spunky, and honest person. She did not beat around the bush; which I thought was a great part of her personality. Pat got right to the point with everything. She noted how the economy is right now, and what she feels should be done to make it better. Her opinion means a lot being that she has been in the business for many years, and has experience. As a public official Pat Frank represents our county in a very positive manner. Pat continues to perform with excellence as we can tell the citizens of Hillsborough County continue to elect her. Through out her speech she encouraged us to use the website and become familiar with what is accessible to us as young reporters; we are in our prime the website is a service provided to us as a tool to make our work accurate and current.
Another fact that was mentioned was that the clerk's office performs nearly 1,000 different constitutional and statutory functions or duties, representing the broadest and most diverse mantle of responsibility of any locally elected official.
Douglas Bakke, Director of Family Law, Domestic Violence, Collections Operations, and Sealing and Expungement Unit, was an extraordinary speaker. Even though he was given a short time to speak he was still full of useful information, and interesting new facts. It was also interesting to find out what they deal with on a day to day basis; we tend to take for granted what people like Doug do for us a community.
And Dana Caranante is the Director of Juvenile Court operations. Her short bit was probably the most interesting because none of it is public information because it is dealing with minors; the only people who have access to that is a parent or guardian, or law enforcement.
Another fact that was mentioned was that the clerk's office performs nearly 1,000 different constitutional and statutory functions or duties, representing the broadest and most diverse mantle of responsibility of any locally elected official.
Douglas Bakke, Director of Family Law, Domestic Violence, Collections Operations, and Sealing and Expungement Unit, was an extraordinary speaker. Even though he was given a short time to speak he was still full of useful information, and interesting new facts. It was also interesting to find out what they deal with on a day to day basis; we tend to take for granted what people like Doug do for us a community.
And Dana Caranante is the Director of Juvenile Court operations. Her short bit was probably the most interesting because none of it is public information because it is dealing with minors; the only people who have access to that is a parent or guardian, or law enforcement.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Public Meeting 2
Public Meeting 2
I attended the Victim Impact Panel, MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on September 22, 2008, at 6:00, at the county center.
This meeting was extremely interesting, and at some points hard to listen to. The stories that were told here were sad, unfortunate, and pretty graphic. We had the opportunity to listen to a few speakers. The meeting began with Susan Baker. She told the story of how she lost her daughter to a drunk driver, and how it has impacted her and her family. Her words were touching, and it is extremely difficult to feel what she is feeling after losing her 22-year-old daughter. The point of this meeting is to make everyone aware of the dangers when you get behind the wheel under the influence. Everyone that attended this meeting was required by their parole officer, and if they didn’t it was jail. Susan also gave out numbers that will take you home when you consumed alcohol, 800-AAA-HELP. This is provided by triple A and they provide this service that can avoid disasters like losing or taking someone’s life.
The second speaker was the most impressive. His name was Wes, I spoke to him after the meeting but he did not provide his last name. He was the drunk driver. On August 12, 2002 Dianne Korte was killed. She was the passenger, while Mr. Wes was the driver. The explanation of this story gave me goose bumps. To hear the horror, pain and agony that the girl’s family had to go through what he had to go through to recover was astonishing. Wes had to learn how to walk, and use the restroom all over again, but worst of all a life was lost because of driving under the influence. A direct quote from Wes: “Five minutes to make the decision to drink and drive but it takes a lifetime to make up for it”. He is speaking at the MADD meeting not because he has to, he did that for two years, he is doing it because he wants to. He will never be able to drive again, and he thinks about the accident everyday.
So in conclusion this meeting was interesting, sad, tough to listen to, but gave a wake up call on that it can happen to anyone. All the speakers stressed that MADD is not against consuming alcohol, they believe that once you have had one, DO NOT GET BEHIND A WHEEL!
Contacts Interviewed:
Susan Baker (Daughter killed in accident)
Robin Powell (Survivor, hit by Drunk Driver)
Deputy Richards
Tammy Philpott
I attended the Victim Impact Panel, MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, on September 22, 2008, at 6:00, at the county center.
This meeting was extremely interesting, and at some points hard to listen to. The stories that were told here were sad, unfortunate, and pretty graphic. We had the opportunity to listen to a few speakers. The meeting began with Susan Baker. She told the story of how she lost her daughter to a drunk driver, and how it has impacted her and her family. Her words were touching, and it is extremely difficult to feel what she is feeling after losing her 22-year-old daughter. The point of this meeting is to make everyone aware of the dangers when you get behind the wheel under the influence. Everyone that attended this meeting was required by their parole officer, and if they didn’t it was jail. Susan also gave out numbers that will take you home when you consumed alcohol, 800-AAA-HELP. This is provided by triple A and they provide this service that can avoid disasters like losing or taking someone’s life.
The second speaker was the most impressive. His name was Wes, I spoke to him after the meeting but he did not provide his last name. He was the drunk driver. On August 12, 2002 Dianne Korte was killed. She was the passenger, while Mr. Wes was the driver. The explanation of this story gave me goose bumps. To hear the horror, pain and agony that the girl’s family had to go through what he had to go through to recover was astonishing. Wes had to learn how to walk, and use the restroom all over again, but worst of all a life was lost because of driving under the influence. A direct quote from Wes: “Five minutes to make the decision to drink and drive but it takes a lifetime to make up for it”. He is speaking at the MADD meeting not because he has to, he did that for two years, he is doing it because he wants to. He will never be able to drive again, and he thinks about the accident everyday.
So in conclusion this meeting was interesting, sad, tough to listen to, but gave a wake up call on that it can happen to anyone. All the speakers stressed that MADD is not against consuming alcohol, they believe that once you have had one, DO NOT GET BEHIND A WHEEL!
Contacts Interviewed:
Susan Baker (Daughter killed in accident)
Robin Powell (Survivor, hit by Drunk Driver)
Deputy Richards
Tammy Philpott
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Orient Road Jail
Today’s experience at the Orient Road Jail is pretty difficult to put into words, but was still an eye opener in regards to what goes on in our world. I can not even begin to imagine that there are about 200 arrests a day.
I learned a lot from this trip, and will use this information in my professional career. Major gave an excellent tour and was extremely informative about the entire process that an individual has to go through when they are arrested. I learned what becomes a public record; for example intake, everything on the cameras, and property.
I also learned the reasoning why they take all belongings, and jewelry; it can become a form of extortion. So to prevent all of that from happening, they remove it at booking. Once your information is put into the database, anyone can access it.
From the booking area we then moved into the pods. At first I was a little nervous in seeing the inmates in their jail cells. I was pretty much pre-programmed by movies and what I see on TV. It was very different from what is shown on TV and movies. I expected to see all the inmates starting fights and being disruptive, but it was nothing like that. They were walking around, some playing basketball, others cleaning; but I still felt a little awkward being in there.
We then moved into the lock down, where these inmates are given 2 hours of recreational time. It was hard for met o understand that these inmates are in there cells 22 hours at a time; but they are in there for a reason so it was easier to handle.
Lastly we saw where the individual watches all the surveillance cameras. This was another neat place to visit because you saw everything that was going on around the entire property.
Over all it was a great experience, and I learned a lot. In regards to budget cuts; I do not think there should be any in a facility like this. This is done to make out community safer, and I do not think that they should take away from that. I want to feel safe in my community and if that involves paying a little more in taxes then so be it, as long as it is used properly, and not taken advantage of.
I learned a lot from this trip, and will use this information in my professional career. Major gave an excellent tour and was extremely informative about the entire process that an individual has to go through when they are arrested. I learned what becomes a public record; for example intake, everything on the cameras, and property.
I also learned the reasoning why they take all belongings, and jewelry; it can become a form of extortion. So to prevent all of that from happening, they remove it at booking. Once your information is put into the database, anyone can access it.
From the booking area we then moved into the pods. At first I was a little nervous in seeing the inmates in their jail cells. I was pretty much pre-programmed by movies and what I see on TV. It was very different from what is shown on TV and movies. I expected to see all the inmates starting fights and being disruptive, but it was nothing like that. They were walking around, some playing basketball, others cleaning; but I still felt a little awkward being in there.
We then moved into the lock down, where these inmates are given 2 hours of recreational time. It was hard for met o understand that these inmates are in there cells 22 hours at a time; but they are in there for a reason so it was easier to handle.
Lastly we saw where the individual watches all the surveillance cameras. This was another neat place to visit because you saw everything that was going on around the entire property.
Over all it was a great experience, and I learned a lot. In regards to budget cuts; I do not think there should be any in a facility like this. This is done to make out community safer, and I do not think that they should take away from that. I want to feel safe in my community and if that involves paying a little more in taxes then so be it, as long as it is used properly, and not taken advantage of.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sheriff's Office Trip
The trip to the Sheriff’s office was exciting and extremely informative. J.D. Callaway was an amazing speaker and was willing to answer any questions that we had in regards to how the system worked. He was great in informing us what was available as a public record. The handouts that he provided were great examples of what we can find when we use the sources given to us. The tour of the office was also another great part of the trip. I have never seen the inside of the Sheriff’s Office. It was kind of neat to see how it all works, and the layout of the building. Another interesting point that J.D. mentioned was how the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office is the 9th largest in the nation.
Walking through the 911 dispatch area was pretty overwhelming. Seeing that each dispatcher had four monitors to review, listen to the caller, make sure it is dispatched to the correct location are just a few of the tasks that a dispatcher has to perform. I don’t think that I would be able to do all that both physically and emotionally. Hearing some of the calls in the background and how the dispatchers dealt with the situation was amazing.
Overall the experience was great. I learned a lot in regards to obtaining public records at the sheriff’s office. J.D. was full of information that we as future reporters can use to present an accurate and informative story to the public. He stressed how sometimes reporters do not know what they have accessible to them; they sometimes neglect to come back and get more information about their story. He made sure that we know what is there and how to use it. I loved the tour and I am looking forward to the rest of our trips to learn more about what is available for us to make great reporters.
Walking through the 911 dispatch area was pretty overwhelming. Seeing that each dispatcher had four monitors to review, listen to the caller, make sure it is dispatched to the correct location are just a few of the tasks that a dispatcher has to perform. I don’t think that I would be able to do all that both physically and emotionally. Hearing some of the calls in the background and how the dispatchers dealt with the situation was amazing.
Overall the experience was great. I learned a lot in regards to obtaining public records at the sheriff’s office. J.D. was full of information that we as future reporters can use to present an accurate and informative story to the public. He stressed how sometimes reporters do not know what they have accessible to them; they sometimes neglect to come back and get more information about their story. He made sure that we know what is there and how to use it. I loved the tour and I am looking forward to the rest of our trips to learn more about what is available for us to make great reporters.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Public Meeting
I attended the Public Art Program meeting, this meeting was held by Bill Iverson who is the project manager. There are seven people who make up this committee; they range from architects to art councils, to citizens with knowledge of the arts.
This meeting was rather interesting, and I learned things that I never knew existed. Some interesting fact that Bill pointed out in this meeting was the how the public art program is funded. One percent of a new construction goes to public art, but there is a cap 200,000. There are various projects underway, but what the committee is concentrating on right now is the rewriting of the ordinance. The discussions revolve around what is going to changed, or updated. One of the things that is definitely going to change is that the meetings will be held every other month, along with various things. The two recent projects that are in the works is the South Shore Regional Library in Sun City and right in our backyard Mosi.
The process in which an artist is chosen is unique. First step is sending out all the information, and ads to everyone in the “art world”, in this over one hundred artist apply. From this point is where the committee will then chose three artist and pay them 1,000 to enter in proposal. They then proceed to presenting it to the committee and after much negotiation only one artist is chosen.
This meeting informed me of a lot of things I did not know. First I never knew there was such thing as an art committee. Then to find out that one percent of a new construction goes to art. That amazed me; sometimes things like this are taken for granted. Bill pointed out one statue in front of one of the buildings that was done by the public art committee that cost 400,000; in this case there was an exception for this piece. I also found out that pretty much everything has its own art program, for example Tampa International Airport, and us here at University of South Florida which is the most recognized in an academic institution. One of the most famous on campus is the sun-dial.
Overall this meeting was incredibly informative and interesting. I found out how the process works in putting up an art piece to what is in the books for the future. Bill Iverson was very helpful, he gave me a business card and was willing to help and answer any questions that I had.
Contact:
William D. Iverson
Project Manager
813-307-1070
email-iverson@hillsboroughcoutny.org
This meeting was rather interesting, and I learned things that I never knew existed. Some interesting fact that Bill pointed out in this meeting was the how the public art program is funded. One percent of a new construction goes to public art, but there is a cap 200,000. There are various projects underway, but what the committee is concentrating on right now is the rewriting of the ordinance. The discussions revolve around what is going to changed, or updated. One of the things that is definitely going to change is that the meetings will be held every other month, along with various things. The two recent projects that are in the works is the South Shore Regional Library in Sun City and right in our backyard Mosi.
The process in which an artist is chosen is unique. First step is sending out all the information, and ads to everyone in the “art world”, in this over one hundred artist apply. From this point is where the committee will then chose three artist and pay them 1,000 to enter in proposal. They then proceed to presenting it to the committee and after much negotiation only one artist is chosen.
This meeting informed me of a lot of things I did not know. First I never knew there was such thing as an art committee. Then to find out that one percent of a new construction goes to art. That amazed me; sometimes things like this are taken for granted. Bill pointed out one statue in front of one of the buildings that was done by the public art committee that cost 400,000; in this case there was an exception for this piece. I also found out that pretty much everything has its own art program, for example Tampa International Airport, and us here at University of South Florida which is the most recognized in an academic institution. One of the most famous on campus is the sun-dial.
Overall this meeting was incredibly informative and interesting. I found out how the process works in putting up an art piece to what is in the books for the future. Bill Iverson was very helpful, he gave me a business card and was willing to help and answer any questions that I had.
Contact:
William D. Iverson
Project Manager
813-307-1070
email-iverson@hillsboroughcoutny.org
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Guest 2
Matt Doig, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, investigative reporter (data base specialist).
Matt Doing was another interesting speaker. He was extremely informative, and his personal experiences where great to hear. I like how he was able to tell us what he has encountered on a day to day basis, and some of the big stories that he has published. Some of what Matthew mention he does is, reporting in which the reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or another type of scandal. It was also interesting how he got a hold of some of the public records, for example there was an employee that requested something from the FBI, and it was not till 5 years later that eh received the document. Matthew informed us that with that you cannot put a time limit. He was surprised to see this documents, but being that the former employee requested it when he was employed with the company, there fore it is the property of the company that he was employed by when the request was made.
Another point that Matthew mentioned is when he calls in to request a public record they say “Oh, ok we have to give it to you because you are from the newspaper”, this comment irritates him because anyone has access to that not ONLY people form the news paper.
Being an investigative reporter is rather interesting because a lot of it does coincide with TV. Much of what is written in the newspaper can become a news story. He mentioned this several times throughout his talk that many paper stories can also be news stories for us TV News people.
Another point that Matthew made is how an investigative journalist may spend a considerable period researching and preparing a report, sometimes months or years, whereas a typical daily or weekly news reporter writes items concerning immediately available news.
Matt Doing was another interesting speaker. He was extremely informative, and his personal experiences where great to hear. I like how he was able to tell us what he has encountered on a day to day basis, and some of the big stories that he has published. Some of what Matthew mention he does is, reporting in which the reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or another type of scandal. It was also interesting how he got a hold of some of the public records, for example there was an employee that requested something from the FBI, and it was not till 5 years later that eh received the document. Matthew informed us that with that you cannot put a time limit. He was surprised to see this documents, but being that the former employee requested it when he was employed with the company, there fore it is the property of the company that he was employed by when the request was made.
Another point that Matthew mentioned is when he calls in to request a public record they say “Oh, ok we have to give it to you because you are from the newspaper”, this comment irritates him because anyone has access to that not ONLY people form the news paper.
Being an investigative reporter is rather interesting because a lot of it does coincide with TV. Much of what is written in the newspaper can become a news story. He mentioned this several times throughout his talk that many paper stories can also be news stories for us TV News people.
Another point that Matthew made is how an investigative journalist may spend a considerable period researching and preparing a report, sometimes months or years, whereas a typical daily or weekly news reporter writes items concerning immediately available news.
Monday, September 8, 2008
First Amendment Foundation Sunshine Seminar
Ms. Harper's was extremely informative and interesting. I learned a lot that will help me in the future when I am researching different topics. There were a few points that Ms. Harper mentioned that caught my attention. The fact that agencies cannot charge you for viewing public records. This is something that if i would have gone out and attempted to get some type of public record and they asked me to pay a fee, I would have done it unknowingly. Thankfully, I now know that no agency or can charge for the viewing of the records. There a few exceptions that Ms, Harper spoke about, which is recreating the record for example on a CD. No agency can make any type of profit, they have to charge the actual amount, but as Stated in the handout that we received generally, a public agency may charge no more than 15 cents per page for copies up to 8 ½ x 14 inches, plus and additional 5 cents for two-sided copies.
Another interesting point is how vague certain definitions are, for example the definition of a public record is defined as all documents, papers, letter, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing, software or other material regardless of physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission made or received. Like Ms. Harper stated that these definitions are fuzzy and can get confusing when claiming something public record, a post-it note can also be a form of public record. The challenge is how do you get everything.
There are also two types of sanctions for those who violate the Public Records Law. There can be a fine and/or fee if a public officer knowingly violates s. 119.07(1),F.S. Another sanction that is provided for violating the public records law is suspension and removal or impeachments, and can lead to imprisonment.
Overall Adria Harper was a great speaker and extremely knowledgeable about what she does. I look forward to having Ms. Harper as a resource for information about public records.
Another interesting point is how vague certain definitions are, for example the definition of a public record is defined as all documents, papers, letter, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing, software or other material regardless of physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission made or received. Like Ms. Harper stated that these definitions are fuzzy and can get confusing when claiming something public record, a post-it note can also be a form of public record. The challenge is how do you get everything.
There are also two types of sanctions for those who violate the Public Records Law. There can be a fine and/or fee if a public officer knowingly violates s. 119.07(1),F.S. Another sanction that is provided for violating the public records law is suspension and removal or impeachments, and can lead to imprisonment.
Overall Adria Harper was a great speaker and extremely knowledgeable about what she does. I look forward to having Ms. Harper as a resource for information about public records.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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