U.S. Sues Florida Over Disabled Children In Nursing Homes

MIAMI – The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Florida on Monday, accusing the state of unnecessarily keeping about 200 disabled children in nursing homes and cutting services that would allow them to receive care at home. Once they do get to the facility, federal officials said many stay for years, some literally grow up in a nursing home.

Federal investigators say they visited six nursing homes around the state and identified roughly 200 children who didn’t need to be there and could benefit from being care for at home or in the community. But instead, the children languish in facilities, sharing common areas with elderly patients and having few interactions with others, rarely leaving the nursing homes or going outside. Investigators noted the children are not exposed to social, educational and recreational activities that are critical to child development. Educational opportunities are limited to as little as 45 minutes a day, according to the lawsuit.
Investigators also said Florida is violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and is infringing on the children’s civil rights by segregating and isolating them. The average length of stay is three years,
The federal government threatened a lawsuit in September if the state failed to make changes to the system,

Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek

but Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek first denied the allegations, then repeatedly stated the problems had been fixed. In the past, Dudek stressed the agency does not limit medically necessary home health services and that parent ultimately decide where to put their children in a nursing home.

State health officials and Attorney General Pam Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
Parents have said they have are desperately fighting to get services to keep their children at home.
“(The state) pressures parents to place parents in institutionalized settings and then give them no way to get out,” said attorney Matthew Dietz, who filed a lawsuit two years ago against the state that mirrors the federal lawsuit.

Pam Bondi

He said the state has not addressed the issue, despite official claims.
The waiting list for services at home or in the community has jumped from 14,629 in 2005 to more than 21,000 in 2012, with more than half waiting longer than five years. Currently, state policy does not give priority on the waiting list to children in nursing homes, federal officials said.
At the same time, the state turned down nearly $40 million in federal funds for a program that transitions people from nursing homes back into the community. The state has also been paying community-based providers less, reducing payments by 15 percent last year because of legislative budget cuts. Yet the state implemented policies that expanded nursing home care by offering facilities a $500 enhanced daily rate for caring for children, which is more than double than what the state pays for adults, according to federal investigators.
EARLIER: The U.S. Justice Department is suing Florida, saying the state is unnecessarily keeping hundreds of disabled children in nursing homes.
According to the lawsuit filed Monday, federal officials visited six nursing homes around the state and identified roughly 200 children who didn’t need to be there and could receive care at home.
Federal officials concluded the state has made it difficult for disabled children to get medical services that would allow them to move home. According to the lawsuit, Florida’s system has led to unnecessary segregation and isolation of children, often for years.
The federal government threatened a lawsuit in September if the state failed to make changes to the system.
State health officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Check back at HeraldTribune.com for more on this developing story.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130722/WIRE/130729914/2416/NEWS?Title=UPDATE-U-S-sues-Florida-over-disabled-children-in-nursing-homes

Stacy Ritter Settles Election Violations: More Than Half Are Dropped

Stacy Ritter

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Florida’s elections police have agreed to drop more than half the charges against Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, including all those that accused her of deliberately breaking state elections laws.

It is a major personal victory for Ritter, part of a settlement in a case stemming from her 2008 county commission election.
The settlement is recommended by the staff of the Florida Elections Commission.  It still must be formally approved by the Florida Elections Commission, which will consider it early next year.
As part of the settlement obtained first by Browardbeat.com, staff investigators will drop the claim there that Ritter was guilty of “falsely reporting or deliberately failing to include information” on her campaign financial reports.
Also dropped were allegations that Ritter failed to “report the purpose” of $5,348.66 in reimbursements to her husband, Russ Klenet, who managed her campaign. In addition, claims were dropped that Ritter took money after she was unopposed in June 2008 and failed to return some of those contributions.
Of the 28 original allegations which the elections commission staff originally found probable cause, 17 were dropped.
The 11 that remain are largely technical.  They include only the allegation that Ritter failed to report 11 contributions of $500 apiece.
She had agreed to pay an $8,300 fine for the 11 violations.
Ritter has admitted many times she failed to report the 11 contributions, blaming “accounting and data entry by staff during my 2008 campaign”.  The allegations that remain appear to back her version of what happened.
Ten of the contributions are from real estate companies owned by two Coral Springs developers and given on the same day, April 10, 2007, and no doubt processed at the same time.
She told me more than a year ago that a glitch somehow prevented the April 10 contributions and one on Oct. 9, 2007 from appearing on the list filed with the Supervisor of Elections. She said then:
“Although any bookkeeping errors were clearly unintentional, I take full responsibility.”
In her 2008 race, Ritter raised more than $190,000.  The allegations that remain involve $5,500 in contributions not reported.
The case has dragged on for more than a year after a complaint was filed by one of Ritter’s political enemies — a lobbyist for Dania Beach fighting the runway expansion at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Ritter was a driving force behind the expansion project.
In September 2010 that the commission staff announced that it found probable cause to believe she violated state election laws 26 times. Negotiations have been going on since then between the staff and Ritter’s lawyer which resulted in last week’s settlement.

http://www.browardbeat.com/stacy-ritter-settles-election-violations-more-than-half-are-dropped/

Rick Scott And David Wilkins Did You Take This Oath?

Rick Scott and David Wilkins,          

I, (fill in with your name), a citizen of the State of Florida and of the United States of America, and being employed by or an officer of and a recipient of public funds as such employee or officer, do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Florida.

Do you remember taking this oath?

You have been made aware of numerous violations of law within DCF and police agencies.  Yet, you do nothing to correct these problems.

Police agencies and DCF employees routinely and illegally violate the Florida Constitution and the U.S. Constitution by unlawfully entering a person’s dwelling without a warrant.  By permitting this to continue day after day you are an accomplice to constitutional violations and you are aiding and abetting unlawful activity.

I am calling upon you to follow your oath or stand down.

Chapter 876

CRIMINAL ANARCHY, TREASON, AND OTHER CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER (in relevant part)

[E]mployed by or who now or hereafter are on the payroll of the state, or any of its departments and agencies, subdivisions, counties, cities, school boards and districts of the free public school system of the state or counties, or institutions of higher learning, except candidates for federal office, are required to take an oath before any person duly authorized to take acknowledgments of instruments for public record in the state in the following form: 

Public employees; oath.—

(1)  876.05 All persons who now or hereafter are:

I, (fill in name), a citizen of the State of Florida and of the United States of America, and being employed by or an officer of   and a recipient of public funds as such employee or officer, do hereby solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Florida.

(2) official or employing governmental agency prior to the approval of any voucher for the payment of salary, expenses, or other compensation. Said oath shall be filed with the records of the governing

History.—s. 1, ch. 25046, 1949; s. 22, ch. 83-214; s. 55, ch. 2007-30; s. 77, ch. 2011-40

Broward's Political Family Ties: Look Who's Related

Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober is the brother of Broward Circuit Judge Bernie Bober.
Broward’s Property Appraiser
Lori Parrish

is married to Geoffrey Cohen, Broward circuit judge.
 Broward County Commissoner
Stacy Ritter
is the daughter of the former
Tamarac mayor, Ed Portner, and is married to lobbyist Russ Klenet.
Tourism czar and former County Commissioner
Nicki Grossman
is married to Broward Circuit Judge Mel Grossman, and her sister, Patti Englander Henning, is also a Broward
circuit judge.
State Sen. Chris Smith is married to Lauderhill Assistant City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith.
State Rep. Franklin Sands is the stepdad of lobbyist and Democratic fundraiser Alex Heckler.

Barbra Stern, a former state representative candidate recently appointed to the Florida Elections Commission, is the daughter of Judy Stern, a Broward lobbyist and political consultant.
Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, who is running for county judge, is married to Stuart Michelson, a former city attorney for Sunrise.
Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom is running for the Broward County Commission seat of her husband, Broward Mayor John Rodstrom.

Jennifer Gottlieb, who resigned last fall as a Broward school board member, is married to former state Rep. Kenneth Gottlieb, now a county judge.
Former Plantation Mayor Rae Carol Armstrong is married to Tom Armstrong, who served in the state House.
Former longtime Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle is married to Broward Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips.
Dania City Commission candidate Carolyn Jones tried to get elected to the seat vacated by her husband, Albert Jones, in 2010, when he was appointed to Broward County Commission.
Broward Circuit Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren is the ex-wife of Chris Wren, Fort Lauderdale’s former planning director and now the director of the Downtown Development Authority.
Superlobbyist George Platt now is grooming his son, Seth Platt, as a lobbyist in County Hall.
Plantation Mayor Diane Bendekovic Veltri is the daughter of longtime Plantation Mayor Frank Veltri.
State Rep. Evan Jenne of Dania Beach is the son of Ken Jenne, a former Broward county commissioner, state senator and sheriff.

State Rep. Martin “Marty” Kiar, a Broward County Commission candidate, is the son of Monroe Kiar, a former Davie town councilman and mayor.
State Rep. Jim Waldman of Coconut Creek is the ex-husband of Broward lobbyist Aleida “Ali” Waldman, and the brother of developer Andrew Waldman.

Hayward J. Benson Jr., Lauderhill city commissioner, is the father of Hollywood City Manager Cameron Benson, who resigned last summer.
Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness of Lauderhill campaigned last year for his cousin, Jeptha “Jeff” Holness, a candidate for Plantation City Council. He lost.
Former state Rep. and Broward County Commission candidate Tim Ryan is the son of former state representative and state senator A.J. “Red” Ryan Jr., and is the grandson of A.J. Ryan Sr., who was a Hollywood commissioner. Ryan’s brother, Christopher Ryan, is city attorney for Pembroke Park.
Former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart dropped from the seat in 2010, prompting his brother U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, to switch districts and win his Broward-Dade District 21 seat.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Romney Rogers’ grandfather, Dwight Rogers, was a state representative and U.S. congressman, who was replaced in Congress after his death by Paul Rogers, Dwight’s brother.
Coral Springs Mayor Roy Gold’s brother is Broward Circuit Judge Marc H. Gold.
West Park Mayor Eric Jones is the father of Shevrin Jones, a Broward County commission candidate in 2010.
Lauderdale Lakes City Manager Jonathan Allen is the son of Broward lobbyist W. George Allen.
Former Broward-Dade state Sen. Dan Gelber is the son of former judge and Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber.
Former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Broward-Dade’s District 17 was elected to the seat his mother, U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, held.
State Sen.
Nan Rich’s daughter is Broward School Board member
Laurie Levinson.
State Rep. Perry Thurston’s uncle, Ken Thurston, is a Lauderhill city commissioner.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and County Judge Edward Merrigan are brothers-in-law.
Broward Circuit Judges Paul Backman and Arlene Simon Backman are married.
Former state Sen. Steve Geller of Hollywood is the brother of Joe Geller, former mayor of North Bay Village.
Parkland Commissioner Jared Moskowitz is the son of super lobbyist Mike Moskowitz.

Broward Circuit Judge Dale Ross is the father of Circuit Judge Stacy Ross.
Broward County Judge candidate Michael Ian Rothschild is running for the seat of his father, Judge Ronald Rothschild 

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-04-21/news/sfl-browards-political-family-ties-20120421_1_broward-mayor-broward-commissioner-broward-school-board-member

Miami Beach Police Captain Arrested For Racketeering Charges

Miami Beach Police Captain Arrested Racketeering Charges by cbs4price

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) - The son of a well-known Miami Beach official has been arrested on several charges, fraud and racketeering.

George Navarro Jr., a Miami Beach Police officer, was arrested Wednesday and has already bonded out of jail.

According to an arrest search, Navarro, 26, faces one count each of Racketeering, Conspiracy, Organized Fraud, and Official Misconduct. He also faces two counts each of Unlawful Subleasing of a Vehicle, Vehicle Obtained by Trick, and False Statement of Financial Condition/Identity.

His father, George Navarro Sr., was the MBPD lead homicide detective in the infamous 1997 shooting death of designer Gianni Versace at his mansion on Ocean Drive. He also investigated the suicide death of Versace's assailant Andrew Cunanan. Navarro Sr. now works as a city in another capacity

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/09/05/son-of-fmr-miami-beach-police-captain-arrested-racketeering-charges/

DCF Worker Accused In Prostitution Ring Returns To MIA To Face Charges

MIAMI (CBS4) – An investigator with the Department of Child and Families accused of sexual misconduct with a foster child returned to Miami after being arrested in New York.
Jean LaCroix, 46, landed at Miami International Airport just after 5 p.m. Thursday.

LaCroix 46, was reportedly in New York trying to flee to the Dominican Republic before he was turned around and returned to the U.S., according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.
“ASAs (Assistant State Attorneys) Brenda Mezick & Court Keeley, MDPD Det. Jeanette Azcuy & ICE ASAC Tonya Marshall went to extraordinary lengths to bring this man into custody as he tried to flee the country,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in a statement released earlier this month.  “But for those who work child exploitation & human trafficking cases, extraordinary efforts are just part of the everyday routine.”

Investigators learned LaCroix caught a flight out to the Dominican Republic on June 30. They then contact customs agents in the Dominican Republic to refuse LaCroix entry. They did, and LaCroix was immediately returned to New York, where he was taken into custody.
Prosecutors believe LaCroix ultimately was headed for Haiti, where he grew up, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
Four men accused of running the ring were arrested in June. CBS4 obtained a copy of a search warrant issued for Lacroix’s work-issued cell phone. The warrant allows police officers to access Lacroix’s call history, text messages and any other communication he may have had with the alleged victim using that phone.
The warrant was issued in May. It indicates a 17-year-old girl in foster care admitted to Miami-Dade Police that she engaged in consensual sexual intercourse on numerous occasions with her DCF case worker, Jean Lacroix.
It further stated the alleged victim said she called and sent text messages to Lacroix and that he would arrange to pick her up from school, take her to his residence, where they allegedly had consensual sex.
“He was an excellent man, an excellent man,” said Lacroix’s friend Jean Clayvil. “I don’t believe it.”
Clayvil says he tried calling Lacroix on his DCF cell phone a couple of weeks ago, but wasn’t able to speak with him until he saw him at their church.

“I said ‘I called you’, and he told me he doesn’t have this phone number no more. He told me the company doesn’t want him to use the phone anymore.” Clayvil said Lacroix didn’t offer an explanation as to why.
According to the search warrant, Lacroix’s case work involving the alleged victim began in September of 2011 and ended in October, but indicated the two stayed in touch on his personal cell phone after he was instructed not to by his supervisor.
Lacroix was placed on administrative leave in May. DCF Secretary David E. Wilkins has since released this statement:

I will do nothing as always

This alleged behavior is absolutely appalling and betrays the trust and confidence that all Floridians have in our Department’s employees. Mr. Lacroix’s actions in no way reflect the expectations we and all Floridians have for our investigators or any of our employees.
LaCroix has been charged with five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed to this report.

cbs4price | July 12, 2012 at 6:44 pm |

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/07/12/dcf-worker-accused-in-sexual-misconduct-returns-to-mia-to-face-charges/

Corrupt Government Agencies? Say It Isn't So!

I had to laugh the other day when a Federal Employee in the Justice System said that corruption is exaggerated. I don't consider myself a conspiracy theorist, I do not believe everyone is out to get me, I do not think every government agency is evil. I do believe that there are those whose sole goal appears to be the pursuit of power and wealth and that no matter the cost they will pursue those goals. I believe that even those with the best of intentions can be corrupted and that our state and federal government  is set up to fail due to lack of impartial over-site, consequence that are none existent,  and by allowing individuals to garner huge amounts of influence and power.
This is a full page add was taken out by the FBI I guess they are also exaggerating the Corruption in our Governments too, hmmm I guess I do finally agree with a government agency. But I would not get too excited I did call in saying I had some information and no one bothered to return the call.

Tallahassee has become a focal point in the FBI’s crackdown on public corruption.
The FBI in Jacksonville has launched a major initiative seeking the public’s help in identifying government officials who use their office for personal gain. Of particular interest to the FBI is potential fraud involving federal stimulus money.
The agency unveiled the Public Corruption Tip Line (1-888-722-1225) in February and said it would run advertisements in newspapers seeking tips. So far, the FBI has run one advertisement, which appeared on the front page of the Tallahassee Democrat.
Toni Chrabot, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI office in Jacksonville, said the FBI chose to run the ad in Tallahassee because it is the seat of power in Florida.
“Since it’s the capital and the home of Florida’s Legislature and numerous state agencies, any public corruption there has the potential to have consequences on a much broader scale than similar corruption in a smaller town or county,” said Chrabot, who is overseeing the office’s public-corruption program.
The ad ran under the heading, “Who’s representing you?” and had a “pay-to-play” logo with a slash through it. “Dishonest government officials aren’t just wasting your tax dollars,” the ad said. “They’re betraying your trust. Report public corruption to the FBI.”
The FBI made headlines recently after asking the city of Tallahassee for a copy of its purchasing policy and emails involving a federally funded grant for technology programs on the south side. The FBI doesn’t confirm or deny investigations; Chrabot discussed only in broad terms the FBI’s efforts to stamp out government corruption. The Democrat learned of the FBI’s interest in city documents from city officials.
Brad Ashwell, democracy advocate for the Florida Public Interest Research Group, said it’s reassuring that the federal government is using one of its most powerful crime-fighting tools — the FBI — to safeguard against corruption.
“It’s critical that we ensure public funds are used appropriately and effectively,” Ashwell said. “And any time there is fraud or public corruption, that’s a breach of the public trust that is corrosive to our democracy.”
Chrabot said the FBI relies on the public’s help in uncovering public corruption, which often occurs with private-sector accomplices. One reason is the secretive nature of bribes.
“For much of the investigation that the FBI does just in general, we are successful because of the help of the public,” she said. “And that’s true for counter-terrorism investigations, where the public has been so aware and reported suspicious activity. We benefit the same way when a citizen reports what they believe to be suspicious and corrupt activity. We depend on that.”
U.S. Attorney Pamela C. Marsh of the Northern District of Florida said in a written statement that public corruption is the top priority of the office.
“Greed and self-interest have no place in public service, and violations of the law will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted,” Marsh said. “We look forward to joining with federal law enforcement and members of the concerned public in bringing to justice those who seek to line their own pockets at the expense of the public trust.”
FBI probes bribes, kickbacks
James Casey, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville office, said in a written statement that most public officials are honest.
“But we encourage the public to help us hold accountable those who use their positions for their own enrichment and those contractors who misuse the taxpayers’ money,” Casey said.
Chrabot said some public officials who are motivated by power and greed accept or solicit bribes or receive kickbacks in exchange for official action or inaction.
“We call it quid pro quo — there’s something of value for something of value,” she said. “Historically, kickbacks have been as simple as the hand-to-hand exchange of money. The payment of bribes or kickbacks may take a very sophisticated track through companies, individuals and bank accounts or all three.”
She said the FBI is paying particular attention to fraud involving the $787- billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The FBI said Florida is expected to receive nearly $20 billion in federal stimulus money and that contracts totaling nearly $10 billion have already been awarded.
“It’s a tremendous amount of money,” Chrabot said. “And our responsibility with regard to public corruption and the investigation of public corruption is to ensure that the American public receives what they’re supposed to receive.”
FBI working 3,500 corruption cases
The FBI in Jacksonville oversees offices in 40 Florida counties, from Duval County in the east to Escambia County in the west and Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties in the central part of the state.
Chrabot said more than 50 investigators have been assigned to public corruption in the FBI’s Southeast Region, which encompasses 11 field offices in Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; Norfolk, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.; Baltimore; Atlanta; Jacksonville; Tampa; Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nationwide, 750 agents are assigned to public-corruption matters.
The FBI is involved in about 400 pending cases in some stage of investigation or prosecution in the Southeast Region and more than 3,500 pending cases nationally. The cases involve public corruption, fraud against the government and anti-trust matters, Chrabot said.
About 450 people have been charged with public-corruption crimes across the country since Oct. 1, 2010, Chrabot said. There have been more than 430 convictions over the same time period.
Chrabot said the FBI has received valuable information through the tip line and the FBI’s website. She said some tips have immediate value in existing cases, while others could have value in future cases.
“Anything we get, we share,” she said. “It’s one big FBI.”
Public corruption ‘unacceptable’
The FBI has a long history of investigating public corruption. Chrabot recalled the FBI’s ABSCAM investigation, which began in the late 1970s and led to the convictions of a senator and six congressmen caught on video accepting bribes. The operation was named after Abdul Enterprises, a fictitious company set up by the FBI to nab criminals involved in public corruption and organized crime.
In the early 1980s, Operation Greylord, named after wigs British judges wear, led to the indictments of more than 90 judges, lawyers and law-enforcement officers in the Chicago area on charges involving bribery, kickbacks, vote buying and fraud. Most of them were convicted.
In a recent public-corruption probe, the former chairman of the Jacksonville Port Authority, Tony Devaughn Nelson, was found guilty May 20 on 36 charges, including bribery and money laundering. Nelson is facing 20 years in prison.
Chrabot said public corruption is not a “victimless crime.”
“Public corruption is so far-reaching because it is a breach of the public trust,” she said. “Citizens should think it unacceptable, and they should report it if they have knowledge of it because it does affect them. The American public deserves honest services from public officials, and they have the right to expect it.”