PARTY POLITICS INVADES GULFPORT RACE!
Second in a series
Armed with 25,000 addresses of Pinellas County Democrat voters and a training manual for grassroots organization developed in the Obama campaign, the state Democratic party through its member organization, Progressive Democrats of America and its affiliate, the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County apparently decided to target Gulfport in its 2009 Ward 4 City Council Election.
If partisan politics were not illegal in Gulfport such an event would not be remarkable, in fact it would be expected. After all, effective grass roots organization played a big role in the remarkable Democrat Party victories in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Gulfport by tradition and Charter runs non-partisan elections. In fact, any party that introduces partisanship into a municipal election is subject to some pretty significant fines.
Sam Henderson, an unemployed college student, announced with three others that he would be a candidate for the Ward 4 City Council seat. He announced that a group of his friends from school would be his primary supporters. Ian O’Hara of Gulfport was announced as his campaign manager. With considerable energy and available time, Sam was extremely active in canvassing city neighborhoods.
Very early on, December of 2008, a new face came on the scene. His name was Michael Fox whom everyone assumed was another of Sam’s “school friends.” It turns out that Mike Fox was really one of three Florida state co-coordinators for the Progressive Democrats of America, a part of the National Democrat Party. As a coordinator, he is primarily responsible for coordinating grass roots organizations. Mike Fox had never met Sam Henderson prior to the 2009 campaign. He is a resident of St. Petersburg.
Just how Mike was brought into the race is unclear, but one might suspect an introduction by Ian O’Hara who, it turns out, is a full time political consultant in partnership with Matthew Snyder, another Gulfport resident. The name of their firm is Realization Management. While Ian remained Sam’s Campaign Manager, Mike Fox introduced himself as Sam’s Campaign Coordinator.
According to Sam Henderson’s Campaign Treasurer’s Report he raised $3935.01 plus $197.06 in in-kind services and spent $3538.89. One of his first campaign expenditures was the purchase of access to the Democratic Election Committee’s “Vote Builder” web site. Included in the revenue figure is $650 in personal loans to the campaign and in the expenditure figure $400 in payment of those loans. He raised $3285.01 from persons other than himself. Interestingly, only $335 or about 10.2% came from Gulfport residents. Many of his contributions are for $50 from various addresses in Clearwater.
In a letter to members and friends dated February 20, 2009 signed by Bill Bliss, Vice President for Political Action of the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County, Sam Henderson and Michele King received the endorsement of the organization. The Stonewall Democrats are an affiliate of the National Democratic Party and claim to be the party’s sole voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.
Quoting from the letter, “Michele King spoke of her continued dedication to Gulfport and support for the LGBT community. As a City Councilmember, she spearheaded the adoption of the city’s fully inclusive Human Rights Ordinance in 2005 and she remains a consistent champion of pro-equality issues.”
Further, “Sam Henderson is committed to working for environmental and human rights issues. In his remarks to the Stonewall Democrats, Sam said that our struggle for marriage equality and other rights is part of the overall struggle for securing human rights for all.”
The letter concludes by saying, “Please exercise your most basic American right-the right to vote-and help elect Michele King and Sam Henderson on March 10, 2009.”
In an e-mail to members and friends after the election, the Stonewall Democrats crowed, “With your help, the Gulfport city council is now blue! Both of our supported candidates, Michele King and Sam Henderson won with large margins! Thank you to everybody who helped by walking, sign waving, donating and making phone calls.”
The conduct and conclusions of the organizations are not in question here. Nor, are we in any way criticizing the candidates’ overall record, we are simply questioning the propriety, maybe even the legality of seeking, accepting and disseminating the endorsement of a party organ in a non-partisan election.
Sam Henderson’s knowing use of a prominent party operative as a coordinator in his campaign should also be questioned both from an ethical and legal standpoint. Was Mike Fox’s time spent on Sam’s campaign, in fact, a political contribution and should it have been reported as “in-kind-service” income? Can the same be said for the involvement of Messrs Ian O’Hara and Matthew Snyder whose firm hires out to political candidates such as Jamie Bennett in the recent St. Petersburg Mayoral race?
It is interesting to note that when it was announced at a recent council Meeting that a “green” grant application was being considered by the city, Sam Henderson was quick to recommend the services of Realization Management, (O’Hara and Snyder’s firm), to apply on behalf of the city.
We believe that the partisan influence in the 2009 campaign may be only the beginning of a larger influence in upcoming elections. We also believe that partisan Gulfport candidates for local office may be more interested in furthering the ideology of the political party or faction to which they have become obligated by accepting their help or financial support. Voters need to be certain that the motivation of a candidate to run for office is to serve the needs of all the people of Gulfport not just the “special interest groups” to which they have become obligated.
Voters also need to pay particular attention to the old question often asked of candidates, “Why are you running for office?” It is the deep down motivation of the candidate to serve all the people of Gulfport not the personal ambition of the candidate that is essential to a successful term on the City Council.
Slick, expensive campaigns financed by mostly out of town money should be questioned by Gulfport voters. Is the candidate running due to party ideology? Is the candidate using us as a steppingstone to some other office? Is our election being “stolen” by out of town special interest groups? If the answer appears to be “yes” to any of these questions, find another candidate.
What’s with the repeated use of the term “Democrat Party?” It makes those who use the hackneyed Republican taunt lose much of their credibility.
Sorry Richard. No taunt intended. It would be the same article if the Republican Right had been the party involved.
Thank you for your wonderful insite into this problem. Now what do we do next? How do we get those “significant fines” imposed? Lets put a stop to this activity and get back to candidates that actually care about the citizens and the city.
I have heard from neighbors that people from “the party” go door to door with clipboards and ask residents to sign papers pledging to vote for their chosen democratic candidate. When they go to the booth they feel obligated to follow through. It’s pure bully politics.
Michele King is wrong when she boasts that she spearheaded the Human Rights ordinance. Go back and read the minutes, it was Harry Broadhead who introduced the idea and did alot of work to move it forward. After he lost his next election Bob Worthington actually picked up the ball. All the council people voted it in, not just King.
When email was sent to Sam Henderson, Mike Fox would answer. He had sent me a request to include Sam on my political website as well. I still have the data. I asked him if his involvement was undermining our election and he wrote no, with an explanation, so I figured they were running close to the legal limits but were well aware of their position.
Since the election I have written Mike Fox to inform him that he has done the City of Gulfport a disservice by undermining our elections and introducing Henderson to our Council, and I explained why and how Sam was planning on using the dais as a platform to condemn the detriment of burning coal, and the downside of mountain capping and valley filling to the council and citizens, but would not address a more toxic activity that was in his own ward. I told him that we already had enough hypocrisy in the council chambers without importing more from unknown pools of high ambition and low ethics, masquerading as environmentalist and using the dais as a platform for democrat agenda. Mike wrote back stating that he would speak to Sam. Sam has still not taken a stand on the smoker issue; instead he has informed me that the Attorney has instructed him not to support an amendment, in fear of a lawsuit from the property owner.
Legislation by litigation is no way to govern. Continuing to threaten or allow a neighborhood to be buried in toxic waste in fear of a possible lawsuit for wrongdoing is unethical. They created the nightmare and need to take responsibility.
Even though Sam Henderson did not vote for the smoker resolution 2008-43, he has done nothing but obstruct our only option to remedy the problem. We have no representative in Ward 4 now, or any remedy to our ongoing nightmare because Mike Fox scammed the system under the management of Ian O’Hara and the direction of Sam Henderson. Scam Henderson has stolen Ward 4′s representative, leaving this neighborhood and Ward to address the council on their own.
Our only remaining option was to have the violators removed from the dais and replaced with responsible representatives. Henderson is not such a person.
Dr. Salmon has examined the issue and has addressed the council on our behalf. Mr. Steinke has examined the issue and used our cause in his first address as a candidate. These two citizens took the time to listen and observe, and in so doing has earned the respect and support of a grateful population.
Neither one of these two candidates need outside support to win an election. Dr. Salmon has been working on City issues for 8 years. Dave Steinke has been a citizen, businessman in Gulfport for decades and their records reflect their character and commitment.
Let’s examine the other candidates for Ward 1 shall we?
Rosalie Barbieri is a Town Shores Resident with little to no involvement in the City at large.
Stanley Solomons of Town Shores is or was the Chairman of the Media/Marketing Committee for the Stonewall Democrats. He has no place in our Council.
David Hastings, a resent resident to Pasadena Yacht Club, formally from Indian Shores and Hillsboro County, now a local business owner was on the Planning and Zoning Board that Voted to pass the Smoker Resolution 2008-43 on July 2nd 2008.
His reckless vote has disqualified him for this office as far as reasonable citizens are concern.
Judy (I agree with Bobby) Ryerson of Town Shores voted for the Smoker resolution 2008-43 on July 15th 2008. We the responsible citizen of Gulfport Florida could not vote for this irresponsible and reckless person to represent this City any further.
From our perspective David Steinke is the only qualified person to represent Ward 1.
If someone can demonstrate why any other candidate is better qualified I would like to see their argument and evidence.
http://www.gulfportinflorida.com/
2iview…just to clarify, you meant Dr. Jennifer Salmon, right? Don’t want her confused with Solomons.
Yes MT, Dr. Jennifer Salmon addressed the council on our behalf.
This software does not allow for editing fubar text and I could certainly use an editor and some fresh eyes.
Maybe Rob can fix that one for me? Please?
I’m new here, and delighted to discover Gulfport Watchdog. I wish every community had a working news & blog site with such energy. It’s great for the community, and the fun would never stop for those of us who follow and play in politics.
I do have to point out some inaccuracies here, however. They’re understandable goofs perhaps, since whoever writes some of the news here may be getting or showing more opinion than fact. Fine by me either way, but facts are true things, and here are some for you…
Regarding partisanship especially, I don’t think true nonpartisanship exists anywhere except among the ignorant, and sooner or later they pick sides too. It’s inevitable because the “sides” are based in human nature: conservative or liberal.
Regarding Democratic Party members involved in Gulfport, let me clarify the following:
1) Progressive Democrats Of America is not a “member organization” of the Florida Democratic Party. It is a 527 that is in no way connected to the state OR national party.
2) The people of Gulfport chose Sam Henderson in a LANDLSIDE because he walked neighborhoods and reached out to his fellow Gulfport citizens. And they liked what they saw when he did. His opponents did not, and while one was quick to spread incorrect information about his voting record — which was rightfully corrected in the Gabber — in order to combat his grassroots sweat, and another paid for a scandalous ad in that pub to discredit him, the people of Gulfport knew better.
3) Re: “Stanley Solomons of Town Shores is or was the Chairman of the Media/Marketing Committee for the Stonewall Democrats. He has no place in our Council.” So then, the fact that Stanley is gay makes him unfit for council, regardless of his resume showing a high level of competence? Wow, I always thought that Gulfport was an inclusive community.
Personally, I’d be much more concerned about homophobes, with all their baggage, trying to influence the elections in Gulfport than any party doing so.
Hope that clears up a few things.
Well truenews it’s great to see your not horsefeathers or mistakenly being goofy.
True nonpartisanship would start with a non partisan voting registration card, claiming that you are in fact not a member of a party. It may be an ignorant approach to your political views but it seems authentic to me.
1- The progressive movement is hardly considered a republican organization, if what you allude is true, it’s either on one side or the other but certainly not perched on a fence post. From the Pinellas Progressives web site.
ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL.
Work locally to make good things happen in Tampa Bay and GET ACTIVE in your community by joining up with a campaign or organization such as Democratic Party, MoveOn, Organizing for America, Progressive Democrats of America, Sierra Club, Repower America, Pinellas Environment, Florida Hometown Democracy, or Fair Districts Florida. http://www.pinellasprogressives.com/
2- your interpretation of a landslide and the people who live in landslide prone areas are quite different, I would say. The FACT is that Mike Fox did published… that… Sam Henderson was the only democrat running against a field of republicans>.< that little dot is a period.
3- How would anyone know that a Stonewall democrat is a gay individual? Does Mr. Solomons say he is a Gay Stonewall democrat? He wrote that he’s a Stonewall democrat. You may try to turn this issue into a civil rights debate but you would loose hands down. The organization’s name picks a party, so he is a Party Man in a non party race trying to draw on the party voting public. Do you really think that the voting public is so ignorant not to have noticed?
Why would you be concerned about homophobes? Would it be that its an easier argument to make than… say…the truth? Is this going to be Mr. Solomons default argument? I’m just an ignorant NP voter who can actually produce a voter registration card that proves that a citizen can be nonpartisan in a political world of Sheeple.
Hope that clears up a few things.
@TRUENEWS—I don’t understand your analogy either. What does being a Stonewall Democrat have to do with being gay? Why would being against the former mean that one is also against the latter? Seems like a real stretch to me.If Stanley is qualified (which it appears he is) and can win in a non-partisan fashion then he deserves the job! My only concern beyond the non partisan issue is that I have never seen him at City Hall for any meeting, committee, etc. before running for Council. Why is that?
Will Gulfport elections always be tainted with party politics when Ian O’Hara is involved? Should we just assume that anyone that hires this Manager will use outside influences to taint the process?
@2iview – IMO Mr. Ohara and his buds like to stir the pot and keep animosities brewing. Shame he can’t put that energy to better use. Maybe spend quality time with his kids or something else that is productive.