Court Upholds Jennings' 26 Campaign Violations Bailey's and Queenie's Ice Cream Team up to Draw Donors to Give
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
-•-—. ~* ', i n » f i ' i ' •. !; • • .'i * f\ -•' 'I': ' ^;' •••' VOLUME 32, NUMBER 31 WEEK OF. JULY 6, 2OO6 Court upholds Jennings' 26 campaign violations Bailey's and Queenie's Ice Cream team up to draw donors to give. Elections Commission had no jurisdiction over remaining 30 counts By EMILIE ALFINO ing expenditure checks he was not authorized to sign. The court did not consider Florida's Second District Court "I made a mistake and part of leadership is Jennings" guilt or innocence on to admit when one makes a mistake." of Appeals on June 30 issued its those counts because while opinion upholding the Florida Jennings' case was pending, Elections Commission's finding of Florida elections procedures were guilt against Sanibcl City changed to restrict the election Councilman Jim Jennings on 26 commission's jurisdiction, and that counts. The opinion dismisses 30 change placed those 30 counts out- counts on the grounds that the elec- side of the commission's control. citizens of Sanibel care about.'" tions '"technical" rather than "seri tions commission, because of pro- When the charges arose in 2003, ous." cedural changes made during the Jennings issued the following e- Jennings denied any guilt whatso- In March 2005. the Sanibcl Cil\ Looking c;ui tor Jennings case, did not have juris- mail statement July 3: ever, then later said that while he Council decided not to censure diction. "I respect the Court's opinion had made mistakes, it was because Jennings because he publicly apol fel'ovv citizens and take full responsibility for ray The district court upheld two he "'was a first-time candidate with ogized. Commissioner Bob Janes com- actions. I made a mistake and part a background in math and art." "People do make mistakes counts of Jennings" falsely certify- of leadership is (o admit when one ments on emergency preparations. ing reports of campaign contribu- When the elections commission Candidates do make mistakes,' makes a mistake. My family and 1 found Jennings guilty in 2004. Jennings said at council's Marct tors and 24 counts of his failing to are looking forward to putting this report campaign contributions. some Sanibelians called for his res- 18. 2005. meeting. "I thought matter behind us so that I can con- ignation. Jennings held fast to his The court ordered dismissed 30 tinue to focus on the issues that (he counts charging Jennings with sign- seat, though, and calleuiedu thmee violviuiaa- i>eSee JbNIMIIMUJENNINGSb, page 2 July 4 Parade U.S. reps urge citizen action to help pass WRDA By EMIL1E ALFiNO Two Florida congressmen are s,... ,,, asking citizens "The time is to write their now for the i Post to the virtual newsroom: U.S. senators www.breezenewspapers.com Senate to and urge them to Mr* pass the Water act." Resources \ ** Develop m e n t Act (WRDA). The bill, passed by the House of Faiey Representatives RISE a year ago and RISE is fighting now stalled in the Senate, could be brought to tht Fla. regulators floor after senators return July 10. on environmental rules. U.S. Rep. Connie Mack [V (R-Ft. Myers) am ., .«• /•• U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-West Palm Beach) want t< i" See WRDA, page 2 Kelsey Angsladl Ar«:V! The American Legion Post 123 provided the color guard for the Breeze opens new Independence Day parade. Rally Web sites for papers Optimists Club does Islanders turn out for By Ryan Reiterman their Independence Day thing again Breeze Newspapers will launch redesigned ant new Web sites today for all of its community news Independence Day parade papers in Lee and Charlotte counties. The new sites open from a master home page / iSSUC- Sanibcl Police Department. Cape Coral www.breezcnewspapers.com. and from individua By GARY PHILLIPS Web addresses for the Daily Breeze and 10 sistei Letters Police and the Lee County Sheriff's Department. weeklies — The Pine Island F.agle, the North For Commentary Hundreds of Sanibelians, Captivans and Floats ranging the simple to elaborate Myers Neighbor, the Lehigh Acres Citizen, ihe visitors lined Periwinkle Way from Tarpon were also included. Members of the Sanibcl Island Reporter, the Islander, the Captiva Current Gardening Bay Road lo Casa Ybcl Road for the annual City Council passed by in the back of a pick- the Fort Myers Beach Observer, the Bead Bulletin, the South Lee Messenger and thi Community Calender Independence Day Parade on Tuesday. Julv up truck, freely dispensing candy to the 4. crowd. Gasparilla Gazelle. Classifieds " The event had spectators claiming their Local businessman Billy KMland. owner Each site features complete, full versions of al spots along Ihe route as early as 90 minutes the local stories published in the print edition Word on the Island - of Billy's Bikes, served as the parade's or more before the parade officially began at Grand Marshall, but rather than ride on a including front page news, business news am 9:30 a.m. The parade was led by a precision float or in the back of a convertible, opted to sports and recreation along with letters to the edi www.tireezenevvspapers.com drill team of motorcycle officers from lor. columns, obituaries and more. The sites a' throughout Lee County, including the See PARADE, page 2 See WEB, page LIVE THE OLD FLORIDA LITESTYLI ! I TOLL FREE 8OO^33.882< I This lovely beach home nestled ! MAIN OFFICE 239.472.1511 ' •in>on»{?i l ho natural foliage o> \ \ RESORTOUEST hiMiiiiiul Sjnihi-i M.HHI1 CAUSLWAY 239.472.4121 REAL E.LTAYL ^*W- •\ ihori -i 1 11 CAPTIVA 239.472.5154 O\'FR SO Yl Alls OF RLAl I STATL E\( Mil NCI (If Itil'fl l)l'.H h ill I I"-" I'j.t III . , M 11 l"> !)'i'.M In ik111• • i i'!l in ,:i I i--- •L-j I ORT MYERS BEACH 239.463.1141 www.resortquest.com •v'.l . 0 10 JMIMMERLIN SANIBEL PO. Box 57 S.inibcl. F! "5»r>? C\1L Kl LiY SAT472 HI! i 239.466.553; Page 2 • Week of Thursday, July 6, 2006 www.breezenewspapers.com Island Reporter Jump from page 1 from page 1 thoroughly understood the law bul some FEC's jurisdiction to include only charges see the Senate pass the act. which funds Everglades Restoration Project we can get fine points escaped me." arising out of a sworn complaint. projects for major bodies of water in the done, that's fine. When the Island Reporter called The court decided the amendment should U.S. "The whole plan, we have to remember, Jennings for comment July 3, he would not apply to cases pending at the time it was Mack said the bill impacts several areas is not comprehensive," Cooley said. ""We comment further and said his e-mail state- passed. Therefore, because the first 26 in Florida including the Caloosahatchee need a lot more than CERP. The list goes ment was all he had to say — except that he counts of which Jennings was found guilty River, Sanibel Island, the Everglades and on and on. The projects in this [WRDA is "always planning" lo run for re-election arose specifically from Gargano's sworn Estero Island. bill | arc very important." to city council next year. complaint, they were allowed to stand. But Mack said too much Sen. Mel Martinez (R- Background the 30 counts that arose out of the EEC's water is pumping out of "I can Fla.) in a prepared siate- investigation will be dismissed. menl ca ec lnc s a Jennings was elected to city council in Lake Okeechobec and see the " ^ ^" ' " affecting the water in the March 2003. In June 2003, then-Sanibcl Reaction difference." '««,'„«» resident Marie Gargano filed a complaint ''It'* an atrocity,'" Gargano said. "It Caloosahatchee River. m wilh the FEC alleging campaign finance means private citizens, in order to file com- "'I can see the differ- experiencing extensive law violations, and an investigation ensued. plaints, would have to have access to candi- ence." Mack said. water quality problems in Ultimately, the Florida Elections dates' private records that are not public Foley said Lake South Commission found Jennings guilty in documents. It was only through the elec- Okeechobee is "'three- • ij."i. '>•'< Florida because March 2005 of 56 counts tions commission and fourths of the problem." Co^ie •«,*:* IV WRDA is stalled," of campaign violations «|r certain|y its subpoena power that Regulating the amount of Martinez' statement said. during the 2003 Sanibel ... these violations were water that comes out of I '"There are significant city election. A separate something observed and prosecut- the lake could have an Everglades restoration projects wailing for overseeing body, the that needs to ed. immediate impact, he said. this authorization. Florida Ethics be put to "So what the legisla- While the WRDA gi\es the U.S. Army "'The importance of the environmental Commission, determined rest..." ture of Florida has done Corps of Engineers authority to construct projects in this bill demand action." there was no probable is made elections laws various projects, it is an authorization bill Foley said Senate Majority Leader Bill cause to believe Jennings almost null and void, only. If it passes the Senate, Congress still Frist (R-Tenn.) and others in the Senate had violated the code of ... *?•.';•.<? %'.•<••<->n because private citizens will ha\c to vote to approve spending for have held up the bill for more than three each individual project. ethics for public officers. r:-;y e-Mr^?; don't have subpoena years. The election commis- w>;r:s,«,- powers." "I think it's a very important bill for the "Some senators think it's a boondog- sion's ruling found the Gargano called the U.S.