Sansom is college's million-dollar man

Last spring, the agency overseeing Florida's colleges made a list of budget requests in what was one of the leanest years in modern history. Northwest Florida State College was slated to get $1-million for a building project.

Yet when lawmakers signed off on the budget in May, the school had snagged $25.5-million — the single largest project of any college.

For that, it could thank state Rep. Ray Sansom, the Destin Republican who controlled the House budget.

The assistance, documented in a memo the St. Petersburg Times obtained this week through a public records request, highlights the close relationship between Sansom and the college president, Bob Richburg.

Last week that affiliation burst into public view when Sansom was given a $110,000 job as a vice president at the college. (story here)

Comments

[-]

Good work Alex. Keep digging, there's even more.

[Cheo]

GOP Wars: Rivera vs. Curbelo

Read more about it at http://versaillesbeat.blogspot.com

Alex, GREAT article and GREAT reporting. But keep going with your public records requests. Send some broad requests to Northwest Florida College and Richburg. Get all of their correspondence with Sansom. Keep going. There is more.

WOW, this is pretty bad.

[Ted Stevens]

Well done Ray. Thanks for bringing home Pork to the Panhandle. You have made me proud.

[Republican who's sick of crooked Republicans]

Take this hypocrite down!

Speaker Rubio approved giving Okaloosa-Walton College that kind of money? Really???

[W.D. & Bo]

Way to follow in our footsteps Ray. We are counting on you to keep it up. Do us proud now!!!!

How big is that college? Maybe 1/100th the size of HCC or St. Pete or Miami Dade or any other of the large universities and colleges in the state? And they got the largest amount? Surely Ray will get paid more than what's been reported so far? Alex, you might have to take a trip to wherever this place is to see if former speaker Bo Johnson's bridge connects to the college somehow. Wait a minute, didn't he work there too? Maybe Ted Stephens will join the staff next to handle federal relations.

This guy deserves everything he's going to get. Good thing the House Republicans line up their Speakers so far in advance...they may need another one soon!

[OMG!!!! P__A__Y__O__F__F!!!]

Has he resigned yet? What??? No??? Guess he won't go until he takes Marco down with him.

Good job Alex and the SPT.

Good work Alex! Why don't you check out the money FIU receives from the legislature to pay for the position Rep. Anitere Flores has and what exactly she does for it?

Was Anitere's position created for her when she got elected. What was her title before she took office and what was it after?

It's funny, as much as we bad rap the crooked big city politicians it's always the bible thumping hypocrites from the Christian conservative areas who are the worst... Johnson, Childers, Mackey, Byrd, Sansom.

Unbelievable.

Hey Ray, next year why don't you "appropriate" some taxpayer millions to CSX to build a commuter rail from Tallahassee to Destin so you don't have to make that 3 hour drive.

That should work out nicely with the 3 day weekend you've already planned around committee meetings.

[Patchwork Quilt]

While the rest of Floridians and hard-working Americans are working double-shifts (if they are lucky) to put turkey on the table this Thanksgiving, this fat pig Sansom is gorging himself on the trough of state government. What a dirtbag!

[Lifelong Republican]

Happy Thanksgiving.

Ray, your turkey and you are done!

Mike Hansen and Ray Sansom should both be barred from continuing to "serve" in state government.

10:12 pm
Anitere has worked for FIU for 7 years. She was elected 4 years ago. Do your homework. By the way, she was not in leadership, so what's your point?

10:12 pm
Rep. Anitere Flores has worked for FIU for 7 years. She was elected four years ago. Do your homework. Also, she has never been in leadership, so what's your point?

[panhandledem]

What about Rep. Marti Coley, (R-Marianna)? over $12 milion for Chipola College and she's a highly paid employee! She even moved her district office to the campus so that no one knows when she is on the college's time or the state's time!

Roberto005@yahoo.com

Wow. Real reporting by a real reporter. Nice job.

Almost didn't recognize it after two years of puffballs. Nice to see the press finally not abdicating its true role in a free democracy.

Best reporting I have seen in years..restores my confidence in at least one reporter....great work!

Thanks for digging in and exposing this. Please remember though that the folks that put this together are laughing at everyone.

now continue this reporting on ALL elected officials... even the one's you like...

[Gilbert]

Hats off to the reporter for this piece, very informative as well.

As a Republican, I would be remiss if I did not express my displeasure and outrage at this type of behavior. And, we wonder why we are taking hits right and left on our integrity!

Obviously EVERY Floridian, Republican, Democrat and Idependent should be very concerned now, more than ever as the economy is in a mess simply because of mismanagement and misdeeds, yet we have our elected officials pulling stunts like this!

Hey 10:34 why would he take a train when he can just fly; from what I heard from RPOF staff Ray routinely used RPOF money to pay for private flights from get this...Tallahassee to Destin! What a good steward of money this guy is.

Excellent journalism, Alex. Now time to look at the U.S. Sugar deal. Makes Sansom's stuff look like kiddie games. Hundreds of millions of dollars in overpayments. Backroom deals. Impending indictments of water management district officials for corruption. Deal rammed down the throats of the taxpayers and doesn't protect the environment.

Stop it while you still can.

So, Sansom just gave this big speech to the legislators saying no money for hometown projects. Is he going to bring home money for his hometown while everyone else gets nothing?

What a loser this guy is.

[outsider]

What a joke the leadership of Florida produces. Sam the man is really sam the sham. and Haridop-lies is an upcoming joke, but learned how to scam the Uof F job early. when will the members say enough is enough. At least Lynn walked away with a little grace. All of the members of both houses are weak if they let these two represent them as thier LEADERS..

Rep.Anitere Flores is one of those legislators that get paid by the university system that gets funded by the state to ask the state to fund them some more!

[b valen]

Let's have a list of all reps and sen. who double-dip with a state agency or educ inst. Several have been listed here in comments-- Sansom, Coley, Flores, Haridopolis. Add Thompson of Ft Myers to this list. There are probably others. This needs to be investigated.

This stuff is absolutely pathetic!!! Unfortunately, its the way the system operates! Look around the legislature and other branches of gov and ask yourself "how many of these people feeding from the trough could obtain the benefits they derive from gov w/o the title that people have given them"? The answer to that question usually determines whether the action is perceived as an abuse of power. Its the people's gov and the benefits of those titles should inure to them!!

[Happy Unity Day]

During Thanksgiving, as American toiling masses traditionally give thanks to the government for what it has distributed to them, all conscientious members of community are required to experience the following emotions: (a) deep gratitude to the government for letting them exist; (b) utter unworthiness compared to the magnanimity of the state; (c) everlasting guilt for consuming what they have not produced, as well as for not giving back to the community according to their abilities. If you do not experience said emotions, you are not a conscientious member of community and shall be disposed of according to the Party Manual (Page 894, Paragraph 5) with all your belongings confiscated by the state and redistributed to the more worthy members according to their need.

Have A Glorious Progressive Thanksgiving! (It's mandatory)

Director of Unanimity

The point is that people have lost their jobs at F.I.U. and legislators like Anitere Flores are on salary and no one at the university can say what she does.

Gee, I wonder if the other 119 House members will censure their Speaker? No. I wonder if the someone will file a complaint with the ethics commission and they'll do anything? Probably not.

To the victor go the spoils. The then Speaker in waiting brought money home to his district, which I see no problem with. He got himself a job as a direct result of that money, which I do have a problem with and consequently the law has a problem with.

We'll see what happens, but my guess is nothing will happen. At most, the heat from the media will cause Ray to resign.

sorry...11:24 again...I meant resign from the new money job...not resign as Speaker. My bad...watching sports center and pontificating simultaneously.

[expat]

Any person serving actively as a state representative or senator should be barred from a state-funded job. Period.

[expat]

Any person serving actively as a state representative or senator should be barred from a state-funded job. Period.

[Cynical Idealist]

Morons...have you not yet figured that "to the victors go the spoils?"

While repugnant, this game of feeding at the trough of government has gone on for decades.

The only interesting twist is the Republicans have been doing it while also decrying the size of government and attempting to reduce everyone else off the payroll except them and their cronies...

Alex, isn't it about time for another "expose" of which legislators are feeding at the trough?

15.4—Ethics; Conflicting Employment

A member shall:

a) Scrupulously comply with the requirements of all laws related to the ethics of public officers.

b) Not allow personal employment to impair the member's independence of judgment in the exercise of official duties.

c) Not directly or INDIRECTLY receive or agree to receive any compensation for any services rendered OR TO BE RENDERED either by the member or any other person when such activity is in substantial conflict with the duties of a member of the House.

He should resign from being Speaker.

Samson is a light weight compared to Haridoplois. A man who claims to be self righteors and then cheats the system.. they are both poor examples . I don't think they were any more dirty than the Dem's , but the Dems did not preach one thing and then do the other. they knew they were crooked and did't care if you knew

Two Suggestions:

Ray should gracefully abdicate the crown to Dean;

A freshmen leader - Weinstein, Drake, Ray, Eisnaugle, Burgin, or Mayfield should file a bill prohibiting state government jobs for active members of either chamber. At least, no more university positions.

Something must be done and i applaud Alex for the excellent reporting. Sorry Steve, Mary ellen, Caput, and Kam, Alex is out in front for the Pulitzer.

The Republican Party, which as short as ten years ago, was the party of term limits and citizen-legislators, has now become the party of place-holders and nest-feathers -- using feathers plucked from the taxpayers, of course.

And you wonder why the Republic Party is collasping from within.

I agree with ex-pat. No government payroll for State Legislators. It is simply a method for the government entity hiring the legislator to have a captive super-lobbyist.

Moreover, most of the legislators on the government payrolls feel their work is done once they deliver the taxpayer cash. They are notorious no-shows at their purported "jobs." Check the legislators who work for the various local school boards.

GREAT REPORTING. This is a disgrace.

Thats it I'm tired of all Republicans being corrupt, anti-minority and embracing stupid people like people like Palin as so called leaders. Good buy, I am changing my registration to Democrat!

[enough]

Another Republican lines his pal's pockets. SOS.

If you want some honest government, vote for change.

Thank God for the leadership of Ray Sansom Without him this state becomes another left wing California.
Look at the big picture all you phonies that know you can't run over Ray and his team.