I have to tell you that I'm really genuinely excited about this whole election process. I've been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I've received from friends and total strangers who read about my encounter with Mayor Mara Giulianti. It's crazy!! David Mach, the owner of the building at the center of the eminent domain controversy that I wrote about in my previous entry was sent my blog. He wrote to me as well! Even Mara herself responded! I will have to post that! It would only be fair of me! This week could very well be my 15 minutes of fame. If Mara's not careful, I might jump into the election arena in the next few days! haha
But really what's so interesting, now that I'm "in the loop", is all the information I've taken in the last few days and the connections I'm able to make between events and facts. For instance, last night I massed mailed an article that was published in the Sun Sentinel yesterday "Group's Backing of Hollywood Mayor Raises Ire." Now I should've elaborated more on why I was mailing it out at the time, but really, I didn't make all the connections until much later. (I'm laying in bed trying to sleep, but can't because I have a million and one thoughts running..no sprinting..through my head!). So anyway here's how I understand it.....we've all been receiving what seems like numerous negative flyers about Peter Bober in the mail. Frankly, my neighbors and I are tired of them. I know that all candidates, regardless of what office they're running for, resort to some sort of negative campaigning. I think you have to. But the number of negative flyers we've been getting about Peter Bober borders on the ridiculous and absurd. I'm sure that negative campaigning does work in some instances. But enough is enough here! I truly think that it's having an opposite effect in this case. Quite honestly, Mara could be running against my 14 month old son (completely unqualified to hold the position for mayor, I mean he still poops his pants!), but he would have my vote if we received the same number of negative campaign flyers. So ridiculous right!?! So these flyers are being sent out by a group named "People for a Healthy Broward" run by a lobbyist. Now I'm not saying that I understand completely what a lobbyist does. I know they make alot of money, I know that they give away alot of money to politicians to make decisions in their favor which, if I'm not mistaken, alot of big wigs in Washington have gotten in trouble for. tsk tsk tsk! This group, "People for a Healthy Broward" was formed to protect the hospital district. Ok, when I read that in the article that I sent out to you yesterday, "Memorial Hospital Expansion" immediately came to mind. Bells and whistles went off in my head!!!! Soooo, that's one of the reasons why she voted in favor of hospital expansion!! Sure sure sure she loves the kids and the cancer patients, but here you've got this lobbyist group with lots of cash, who are trying to push for the hospital expansion and need the support of the mayor. So what do you do? You send tens if not hundreds of thousands of negative flyers against the mayor's opponent at no cost to the mayor. (I know you've seen them! They're quite beautiful really. All color, glossy! Let me just say "super duper expensive." These are by no means cheap!) In fact the mayor doesn't even have to put her name on them. She doesn't. She is quoted as saying in the paper, "I purposely kept my distance." Yeah, I'm sure she has. It's not like there are other candidates running for the same office. If the flyer is against Peter Bober, then it can only mean that it must be in support of.......(drum roll please.....) MARA GIULIANTI. (gag me!) She gets all of the pleasure with none of the guilt! It may not have her name or face on these flyers, but they are covered in her stink! For someone (Mara) who preaches ethics and morality, she could have at least approached the "People for a Healthy Broward" and asked them to halt their negative campaign efforts. She could've asked for them to instead send out flyers that supported her and her accomplishments, a list of her strengths! Which actually in her defense, I did receive on today. It had a quaint picture on the front of her and her husband along with her "two Hispanic grandchildren." It was entitled "Why Hispanics Should Vote For Mara" and is endorsed and paid for by her campaign. Although it got me to thinking....why just Hispanics? Why not Romanians, and Haitians, Canadians, African Americans? (just as a side note, the last negative Peter Bober flyer listed all of his campaign donations given by developers. I received a spreadsheet from David Mach detailing Mara's donations from developers. Overall developer total: $122,325.00. 51% of contributions from developer interests. Alright Mara and "People for a Healthy Broward" I'm starting to see alittle hypocrisy here! What's good for the goose is not good for the gander???? Pot calling the kettle black are we????)
(These are my own personal understandings! I'm not claiming them to be fact, but it's the way I see them! If under any circumstances I am wrong or incorrect in any of my interpretation of this, please let me know and I'll change them right away!)
I can't help but think of the old Steve Martin, Saturday Night Live Skit, where he's sitting alone in a dark room telling the audience, "If I had one wish for this Holiday season..." (I know you've all seen it!) Where he starts off "If I had one wish for this holiday season it would be for all the little children of the world to hold hands and sing together in harmony and peace." He then goes on to change the list and reprioritize so that includes 30 million dollars a month, a month long orgasm, all encompassing power, and then ends with "Oh yeah, the crap about the kids!"
I can just picture the Mayor pushing for hospital expansion "for the children" but really twiddling her thumbs "but yes, I also get tens of thousands of dollars worth of free anti-Peter Bober ads without any responsibility or ethical/moral backlash! AH HA HA HA HA HA!"
As I said at the beginning of this little blog entry of mine, I have received lots of emails from various residents most in support of Peter Bober and giving me a pat on the back for "standing up to that little troll." (yes, that is a direct quote! hehe) Now I did get one interesting email from a gentleman who is a "considerable property owner in downtown Hollywood." He wrote to me and said "that he shares the same feelings about Mara as well" but for his own reasons is still supporting her in her quest for another term. (whatever!) He goes on to say (and these are direct quotes, I'm cutting and pasting here!) "I think what's happened too her is that she been in the game too long. She certainly is not Ms. Congeniality and has really got me very annoyed on a couple of occasions." Ok, I'm just going to have to stop right here!!!! Is it really too much to ask, as a citizen and resident of Hollywood, for a mayor with a bit of congeniality? I'm not asking that they win the interview portion of the Miss America pageant, but our mayor should really have a bit of sparkle in their eye and a slight spring in the step. I don't know, I could be going out on a limb here, but our mayor is a direct representation of who I am, and where I live. Of who WE are and of where WE live. Many of you shared stories with me via email and phone of encounters with her in instances of where she was brusque and rude.
Boooooooo Boooooooo Boooooooooo Mayor Giulianti! She's today's "WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD!"
(alright all you Keith Olberman watchers out there! you get it don't you!!)
Let's all get out there and vote on January 29! Peter Bober for Mayor and Sara Case for City Commission District 1
Lastly, I want to send a shout out to Joan Baez, the lady who was accompanying Mara on her walk Monday afternoon. I want to apologize for referring to her as Janice Joplin. Apparently it was very rude and mean of me and I hurt her feelings. It was wrong of me to characterize her as Janice Joplin. We all know that Janice Joplin was an alcoholic and drug addict who died a young and tragic death. She looked nothing like Janice Joplin. I know Mara really appreciated her efforts on that chilly rainy day. She was quite pretty actually. I liked her glasses. A little on the argumentative side, but I forgive her for that!
(*I have cut and pasted a very poignant comment from a lady by the name of Tracy. This appears on the original blog!
Mara, the Sludge Queen, is pulling out all the stops. She must be running scared. It's time to put the lobbyists' and developers' (cash-)cow out to pasture. She uses her Jewish maiden name only at election time, and pushes her Hispanic grandkids into the picture at the same time. On the other hand, Peter Bober has never used his background or his family to "appeal" to voters. He was raised Jewish by his Jewish mother and Cuban (yes, Cuban!)father. Lovely, gracious, unassuming people. I've known Peter about 8 years. What a difference he will make to Hollywood's residents, who deserve better than they've gotten.)
Last thing I promise! For those of you who don't know me, I'm a local family/children's photographer. Check out my website
www.candidsbycourtney.com As a special promotion to all of you blog readers out there. Book a session with me, and mention that you read my recent blog entries and you'll receive a $50 print credit!!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
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