PAC money and Sarasota's schoolchildren

Cathy Antunes:

School Board candidate Eric Robinson works for over 40 political committees. A review of their financials raises a number of issues.

Follow the Money! 

This bit of wisdom tells us to take a close look at how money moves through our political system. Understand the money flow and who is involved and you gain clarity around who influences elections and what they may expect to gain from doing so. Simple enough. But these days, following the money is a different animal. Political committees have changed the campaign funding landscape as donations are swapped from political action committee to another. Political committees are exempt from limits on donations, and can stuff voter mailboxes with a barrage of political ads late in local elections. Candidates who don’t attract lush PAC funding are unable to respond to the onslaught. This dynamic is a huge factor in City and County elections. School Board candidate Eric Robinson works for over 40 political committees. A review of their financials raises a number of issues.  Read more . . .

Political Action Committees:

More about PACs and SuperPACs:

Wikipedia
Open Secrets 
Federal Election Commission

Eric Robinson

Runs for School Board

Sarasota School Board Background

Rick Scott makes Contributor-Developer head of Hospital Board

via the Herald Tribune:

Developer, a Scott loyalist, at helm of hospital panel

By Dale White , Herald-Tribune


Friday, May 15, 2015

As a political supporter of Gov. Rick Scott and already a gubernatorial appointee to several regional boards, Manatee County-based developer Carlos Beruff is regarded by political observers as an unsurprising choice by Scott to head a new state panel looking into hospital profits and health care funding gaps.

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As a major supporter and confidant, Carlos Beruff already casts considerable influence with the state’s chief executive. (H-T ARCHIVE)

During Scott’s re-election effort, Beruff donated nearly $100,000 to Scott’s campaign and political action committee Let’s Get to Work. Since 2002, Beruff has been a major Republican Party donor, giving more than $330,000 to state candidates through his various holdings. He also served on Scott’s transition team after the governor’s first election.

As a major supporter and confidant, Beruff already casts considerable influence with the state’s chief executive.

Scott’s critics regard his appointment of Beruff to the new Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding to be based strictly on political favoritism rather than expertise. Beruff is a home builder, not a health care expert.

“Rick Scott has appointed a banker, a builder, an integrated beef consultant — whatever an integrated beef consultant is — to this committee who clearly lack the qualifications to solve the problems in Florida’s health care system,” said Joshua Karp, communications director for the Florida Democratic Party. MORE...

More about Carlos Beruff