Here's Your Raise

You folks keep on complaining about crap that doesn't matter, and the real money will continue to go out the door. Perhaps you state employees are satisfied with the crumbs you are given by your employers.

House Speaker Sansom marked funds for donor's airport project
Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom helped secure $6 million in education funds for a jet hangar sought by a campaign donor who had a financial interest in the project.
BY ALEX LEARY
HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
TALLAHASSEE -- As House Speaker Ray Sansom funneled millions in tax dollars to the college that now employs him, the list of school projects included an airport building first requested by a developer who has contributed heavily to Sansom's campaigns.
In 2007, Sansom quietly secured $6 million to build an emergency training center at the Destin Airport on land controlled by Sansom's friend, developer and jet business owner Jay Odom.
Odom had sought state funding for a similar emergency-oriented structure through the City of Destin in 2007. His plan was to make a hurricane-proof hangar on the vulnerable peninsula that his business would use most of the time, but then turn over to emergency officials during natural disasters. Although city officials endorsed Odom's proposal, he got no state money for the plan.
Now ground-breaking is near on the new college building that Sansom arranged, and classrooms seem secondary in the design.
The bulk of the 30,000-square-foot building is an open, two-story tall hangar-sized room. Odom says he has no plans to use the space to park his jets, but the manager of his airport operation, Bill Blackford, said in an interview that was the idea.
College officials say emergency vehicles will fit in the large room and also say there's ''no agreement'' to put jets in the new building.
But the architectural plans provided by the college refer to an ''aircraft hangar'' and ``aircraft-related occupancies.''
The confusion adds to the murkiness of a project that some Destin residents say is unnecessary. And it further darkens the cloud now hanging over Florida's new Speaker of the House, who recently joined the staff of the college he has showered with tax money in recent years.
Sansom -- who got the unadvertised $110,000 job at Northwest Florida State College on the same day this November that he was sworn in as House speaker -- insists he is only looking out for the community. Sansom said he didn't know Odom had sought state money for a similar project before.
''It doesn't benefit him at all,'' Sansom said in an interview at the Capitol. ``He wasn't involved with me. I worked with the college.''
E-mail records, however, show that Sansom, Odom and college president Bob Richburg were in contact with one another about the airport project.
Odom said Blackford, who represents the business before a local airport committee, was ''confused'' and ''mistaken'' when he said Odom's company planned to use the college facility for jet storage. Odom acknowledged that large jets will not fit in his own hangars but said he has no plan to use the college space.
Still, public records show that Odom was not just a major force in getting state money for the airport project -- it was his idea.

Story continued at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politic ... 02672.html

Posted on Monday, 12.08.08 Recommend (1)share email print comment reprint
TALLAHASSEE
Crist's trip cost taxpayers $430K
Gov. Charlie Crist's spokeswoman defended the tab racked up on his business trip to Europe.
TALLAHASSEE -- (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist took a pricey 12-day trip to Europe this summer, hitting taxpayers with a $430,000 bill amid a sagging economy. Crist flew to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid to drum up business in July on a trip that was supposed to cost $255,000, but the tab came in much higher, The Sun Sentinel reported Sunday.

Expenses included Crist's entourage of more than two dozen, including a photographer and nine bodyguards, who alone spent more than $148,000 on meals, hotels, transportation and incidentals. The news comes as the state budget has a roughly $2 billion deficit.

`DISTRESS'

Crist's office says fostering overseas business is even more important when the economy is hurting and has been ''instrumental in keeping our state from greater distress,'' spokeswoman Erin Isaac said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press on Sunday.

State money was not used to pay for Crist's roughly $30,000 in expenses. Business executives who went on the trip picked up that bill -- which included a $2,179-a-night London suite, where he conducted meetings.

Some of the costs were: first-class tickets for about $8,000 round-trip; room service and minibar tabs of more than $1,300; and $320 on electric fans to keep him cool while giving speeches, the newspaper reported.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, was also there on a crime-solving agreement with British police. He billed taxpayers $5,135 for less than 12 hours of official duties during four days, the newspaper reported. He stayed an extra week at his own expense. His spokeswoman said he was on call around the clock and complied with state travel and vacation policies.

The company that organized the trip said the hotel costs were not extraordinary by European standards and that they negotiated rates wisely, but the weak dollar posed a challenge. Former Gov. Jeb Bush used tax dollars to cover his costs on similar trade missions.

Crist's office said the countries he visited combined have more than 900 companies in the state employing some 50,000 and have invested nearly $6 billion in the economy.

`PARTNERS'

''These nations are strategic trading partners with Florida,'' Isaac said in a statement.

Florida corporations made $5.5 million in sales and laid the groundwork for an additional $96 million in deals and 2,245 new high-tech jobs during the trip, according to Enterprise Florida, the company that arranged the trip.

A Spanish company also said during the trip that it would negotiate to build a solar-energy plant in Florida. Other officials promised greater cooperation between Florida and European companies, universities and law enforcement.

SPECULATION

Some political experts speculate Crist used the trip to bolster his image in foreign affairs. At the time, he was widely speculated to be a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain.

''This was a way of increasing his gravitas, his bona fides in foreign policy,'' said Florida political expert Robert Watson, director of American studies at Lynn University in Boca Raton. ``Charlie can say that even though he's governor, he's met with all of these world leaders.''

Crist gave TV and newspaper interviews in London and repeatedly answered questions about whether he would be the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

MANY PEOPLE

About 65 Florida business executives accompanied Crist, including lobbyists and two people with ties to the sugar industry. At the time, the state was negotiating a $1.75 billion deal to purchase large tracts of sugar fields for Everglades restoration.

Crist's fiancée, Carole Rome, and her sister also went along. The couple met Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles at Clarence House and sipped ****tails with the British Foreign Office minister.

I am a State LEO ... and they preach ETHICS How about lead by example and clean your own house first. We are held to a much higher standard than the GOV ... Give me a break ! Guys must drive to Tallahassee for promotions on their own dime, vaction days, and car... when it is company business... what the heck is going on..

No raise but days off for holidays is like a raise, is it not? I am for one happy with this result. :devil:

ETHICS?Ask Cindy B how much she paid for lunch!

[Rotten Herman]

OH YEAH, thatz a zing, oh yeah :devil:

Happy Holidays to all MFCU employees!!!!!! A great bunch of people to work with and for. May the New Year treat you all well in these difficult times.