Sunrise shenanigans shouldn't sit well with voters

December 2, 2008

Sunrise has an appearance problem.

Recent columns

• It's time to end Florida gay adoption ban

  November 30, 2008

  Wayne LaRue Smith was outside the Andrews Diner in Wilton Manors on Friday when he interrupted our phone conversation.

• Rebuilding a Life

  November 27, 2008

  Fighting a rare illness

  THE STORY: Michael Stolzenberg, 8, of Weston, had his hands and feet amputated in October after a bacterial infection led to septic shock this summer. Loss of circulation to his extremities caused gangrene, which required amputation.

• Young amputee faces challenges with smile

  November 27, 2008

  Michael Stolzenberg, 8, nearly died of a bacterial infection that ravaged his body this summer. In October, doctors amputated his hands and feet, shriveled black with gangrene.

• Disgraced former Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne shouldn't get pension

  November 23, 2008

  It's hard to blame former Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne for trying to win back his estimated $134,500-a-year state pension. If somebody told me there was a way to reclaim a big prize on a semantic technicality after multiple federal felony convictions, heck, I'd hire a lawyer and take my chances, too.

• Kids' mixed gun message: Do as adults say, not as they do

  November 20, 2008

  In the past week, we've seen a fatal shooting at Dillard High and five other kids caught with guns at Broward schools, including four elementary students. It's only natural to wonder what in the world — or the Wild, Wild West — is going on.

• Fort Lauderdale lawyer builds powerful new firm, expands influence

  November 16, 2008

  I'll turn to the Yiddish of my grandparents to describe Scott Rothstein, a fast-talking, fast-rising Fort Lauderdale lawyer, businessman and political juggernaut.

• Broward County sheriff's race over, but the slime keeps percolating

  November 13, 2008

  More than a week after Election Day, Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti still hasn't gotten a call from Scott Israel, the Democratic challenger. No concession, no congratulations, no conciliation. Surprising?

• Gays' right to marry is nation's newest struggle

  November 9, 2008

  Imagine that you lived in a society where 90 percent of the people were gay. You were straight, and you were quite happy that way.

• Voter paradox: Breaking barriers, creating new ones

  November 6, 2008

  How is it that a state that embraced Barack Obama and his barrier-busting presidential win could also enshrine exclusion in the state constitution the same day?

• For one determined voter (and precinct), obstacles and triumph

  November 5, 2008

  When the precinct doors opened at the C.W. Thomas Recreation Center in Dania Beach at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Althea Wakeland was 160th in line.

• Election Day is finally here: Vote or shut up

  November 4, 2008

  Election Day is here. Go vote.

• Early returns: Broward vote cause for pride, not shame

  November 2, 2008

  I showed up at the African-American Research Library at lunchtime on Thursday, happy to find a spot in the overflowing parking lot, ready to do my civic duty.

• What a shock: FPL bills stay high despite big fuel drop

  October 30, 2008

  I think I've figured out my FPL bill.

• Lauderhill public artwork all about whirls and swirls and our money down the drain

  October 28, 2008

  The $332,000 sculpture looks lonely. It sits in the middle of a traffic circle, emerging from a shimmering pond, near the entrance to the Central Broward Regional Park.

• Fort Lauderdale murder case temporarily put a face on the homeless

  October 26, 2008

  At one point during last week's sentencing hearing, when Thomas Daugherty's dysfunctional upbringing was laid bare for the world to see, homeless advocate Sean Cononie leaned over to a friend and said, "I could never be a judge."

• Street politics: Thumbs both ways, and the occasional middle finger

  October 23, 2008

  Wednesday was a good day for Kristin Holeman, a John McCain volunteer.

• Many choices during Election Fortnight

  October 21, 2008

  Voting in Florida can be a challenge. It's not just figuring out who to vote for or how to vote on amendments, but how to vote, period.

• Confused about the amendments? Say no to discrimination, yes to the rest

  October 19, 2008

  Early voting starts Monday, which means it's time to cram for all those confusing ballot questions. Today, my election cheat sheet covers the six proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution.

• It's party vs. power in Broward County sheriff's race

  October 12, 2008

  Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti exploits the advantages of incumbency. He holds news conferences seemingly every other day. His name has been plastered on billboards and gas pumps for public service campaigns. He appears in uniform, leaning on a Broward Sheriff's Office cruiser, in a political advertisement that hit the airwaves last week.

• Don't bet against Seminoles in high-stakes battle

  October 9, 2008

  The biggest casino of all — Wall Street — is crumbling and our 401(k)s have become 201(k)s, but the chips keep flying at the blackjack and baccarat tables at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

• Paper ballots won't be the panacea Broward County hoped for

  September 28, 2008

  On paper, the return to paper ballots seems a good idea. In reality, it amounts to logistical torture by a million paper cuts. Every step of the way, from printing to counting to sorting to storing, something can go wrong.

• The Florida way: Broward judge race decided by judges

  September 21, 2008

  What's a South Florida election without some good controversy?

• Judging the judges in Broward County: A disturbing name game

  September 4, 2008

  I'm no political consultant, but I'll offer this advice to the dwindling ranks of Hispanic judges in Broward: It might be time for some serious re-branding.

• Broward County school year's first lesson: Lean times lie ahead

  August 21, 2008

  Dale Roland came back in black. Like many Broward teachers upset with a contract impasse, she wore protest clothes for the first day of classes at Coconut Creek High School.

• Adult charges, bad choices bring tragic end for teen

  August 12, 2008

  For his alleged role in a brutal assault and robbery in May, Jonathan Fontanez, 17, had already been arrested July 16, gone before a juvenile court judge July 17, and was scheduled to appear before two judges next week.

• Robert Wexler back in South Florida to put his house in order

  August 5, 2008

  OK, so he doesn't really live in South Florida.

• Here's to Southport Raw Bar's Big Al, whose big heart quit too soon

  July 29, 2008

  If you've been to the Southport Raw Bar on Cordova Road in Fort Lauderdale, you probably knew the bartender they called "Big Al."

• In Fort Lauderdale girl's case, police attention went missing

  July 27, 2008

  After 14-year-old Neica Gibbs was reported missing by her family, Fort Lauderdale police said they didn't believe she was in danger and didn't suspect foul play. Police were wrong on both counts.

• Pembroke Pines family, police paint two portraits of one man

  June 22, 2008

  A week after Vinny Hodgkiss was killed in a June 12 police drug raid at his Pembroke Pines home, his two grown children sat in Brian Piccolo Park and remembered the man many of their friends called "Pops."

• Randomness of lawyer's murder adds to shock

  March 11, 2008

  All murders are horrific, but those that seem especially random can rattle a community to the core.

• Shades of Tate, shades of gray for young suspect

  January 8, 2008

  The details are different, but the riddle remains the same: How is society supposed to treat a 12-year-old charged with a horrific murder? As the child he is, or the adult the justice system allows him to be?

• Ill-fated charter brings back haunting memories

  September 30, 2007

  The hijackers jumped bail and have never been brought to justice and that makes Jason Walcott nervous. So he doesn't identify them by name, just as The Big Guy and The Little Guy.

• Mayor's antics detract from valid issues raised

  July 19, 2007

  Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle has turned out to be a prophet. Many members of the local gay community aren't very happy at the moment. But their grumpiness has nothing to do with their sexuality. It has everything to do with the flippant ignorance of the man who's supposed to be a leader.A few weeks ago, Naugle made an off-handed remark to my colleague Brittany Wallman that he doesn't call homosexuals "gay" because most "aren't happy." A group of protesters came to City Hall on Tuesday and demanded an apology.

• Mayor ought to get his mind out of the outhouse

  July 10, 2007

  The toilet roll arrived in the mail at Fort Lauderdale City Hall on Monday, its first sheet inscribed with the message: "His Honor -Jim Naugel [sic]. From a very happy homosexual professional & voter. Bye! Steve."Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, who loves saying outrageous things for maximum effect, has stepped in it again.

• Swap Shop owner enjoys leeway not granted to others

  May 24, 2005

  Whatever sparked Swap Shop owner Preston Henn's behavior last Friday, this much is pretty clear. If you or I had allegedly struck four Broward Sheriff's deputies and kicked out the window of a police cruiser, we wouldn't be spending our Baker Act evaluation period in a hospital of our family's choosing.

• MAYO: Spectator fee would put Air & Sea Show on solid ground

  March 4, 2004

  I've always had mixed feelings about the Air & Sea Show. On the one hand, I'm not a big fan of war weapon fetishism. On the other, watching those military jets swoop down so low and loud that the afterburners rattle your beer, warm your cheeks and drown out the whoops of 100,000 neighbors on the beach is just plain cool.