Sansom helped secure $200,000 for college

House Speaker Ray Sansom got $200,000 into the current fiscal year budget to help Northwest Florida State College, his new employer, build a "leadership institute," The Buzz has learned.

In an interview today, Sansom confirmed his involvement in the appropriation, which caused a behind-the-scenes stir with the Rubio administration since it was not discovered until late in the process.

Two top top Rubio lieutenants, Mike Hansen and Bob Ward, were asked how the money got slipped in and signs pointed to Sansom, according to a informed source.

Sansom said the leadership institute hosts chambers of commerce and other groups that want to build team and work skills.

But Sansom said his involvement ended there. "None of that has anything to do with me or how I'm paid," he told The Buzz.

Comments

way to go mr speaker what a crook!

resign

This looks really, really bad.

[P__A__Y__O__F__F]

Your GOP party at work for...Them selves.

you sir, are a

s c u m b a g

Or how I was selected...

Report on the selection process... who else was considered/interviewed.

So let me get this right, as head of the budget process he secretly had $200,000 earmarked for a "leadership institute" (I wonder how many other community colleges have "leadership institutes") at a community college, and less than a year later is hired by that same college. And we're supposed to believe this wasn't a Quid Pro Quo scenario. I was born on a day, but is wasn't yesterday.

Wow, ain't that something. You pulled that story right out of this blog, didn't you, Ray!

Attention Barack and DEMs, vet your new appointees carefully, we don't want a "Sansom" on our team.

[Fed Up Republican]

He's already loaded. Why the need to feather his nest with this job?

As much as I can't stand Florida's Democrats (i.e. Gelber, Greenstein, Siplin, Aronberg, etc.), I despise these self-serving Republicans who deviate from the Jeb Bush model (you know, make your money BEFORE you enter public life).

What a crook. It's time for a regime change, if only to get rid of the corruption and dead weight presently in the RPOF (and, yes, I'm looking at you Crist, Greer, Sansom, etc.).

Wasn't there a moratorium on local pork projects in the budget last year? I guess when your future Chief of Staff is the Budget Director and you can sneak things in without anyone noticing the rules don't apply.

[LOL at 3:37]

Jeb Bush model: Inherit money from WWII investments in the Nazi regime. Jeb makes Sansom look like a choirboy.

Alex, you know the story why don't you tell it. What do you mean when you say, "Sansom confirmed his involvement in the appropriation, which caused a behind-the-scenes stir with the Rubio administration since it was not discovered until late in the process."

The truth is that Rubio opposed this appropriation. His chief of staff, Bob Ward, hid the fact it was in the budget in exchange for his new job. When Rubio found out about the scheme, Ward was kicked out of the speakers office.

So in what was then the toughest budget year ever he gave $200,000 to a "Leadership Institute that hosts chambers of commerce and other groups that want to build team and work skills." I don't even know what the above sentence means let alone how you would spend 200K to accomplish it.

3:48 Now Rubio's gone and it's time to kick Sansom out of the Speakers office, period.

Something is rotten in the state of Florida.

To resign or to bluster through, that is the question.

LOL at 3:37,

Even though Jeb Bush may have had the benefit of the family name and connections when he got his start in the development business in Miami back in the 80s, I defy you to show me what money derived from consorting with Nazis that Jeb Bush had. By all accounts, Jeb Bush and Columba lived modestly and carved out what they had through hard work.

Your casual assertions of ill-gotten money is tantamount to slander. Show me your sources that aren't conspiracy theorist's ramblings or partisan blogs.

This above all — to thine ownself-interest be true...

[LOL at 3:59]

OK, if you say so. (snort) It doesn't matter cause his political career is DONE!

Ray, that will be the most expensive money you will ever earn. Look up the word "taint" in Websters, then look up "taint" in the urban dictionary. I think the urban dictionary definition is a noun and you are one.

Why is everyone so angry? At least Sansom had his college pay for his salary. Most of this crowd (Hairidopolos; Lynn; etc.) didn't bring the bacon home before they were paid. As I calculate it, Northwest Florida State College made a cool $90,000 on the deal.

Step up Cannon and Weatherford do what needs to be done!

Ward and Hanson were totally disloyal to Speaker Rubio.

Step up voters and do what needs to be done!

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

So basically Sansom, with the help of the Speaker's Chief of Staff and the Budget Director, picked the state's pocket.

This matter can be fixed by pulling the money out of this year's budget when it comes up during a special session or early in regular session. Any takers on who will run the amendment on the Democrat side?

Samson has met his Delilah.

First, there's the most ill-conceived event of all time, the beach retreat, that he refuses to cancel.

Followed of course by an uptight lecture on the need for humility by public officials.

Then, there's the job announcement where Sansom has squeezed another paycheck out of the taxpayer.

And, now the revelation that he screwed with the system to get a sketchy appropriation to pay his own unearned salary, mislabeled so only the most ignorant would be fooled.

All of this pales is comparison to his use of the RPOF where he spends about $12,000 a month on what are essentially trips and meals for his family.

So here's the question: Has this guy ever actually earned any of the luxuries of which he seems so fond?

What an idiot. He represents the exact opposite of humility: Unchecked complete arrogance.

Other House members should know they will be judged not only by what they do, but also by what they tolerate others doing.

[Draft Alex Sink for Governor]

Looks like our "non-partisan" Governor should be calling for the Speakers resignation ...

Now I see why Sansom fired all of Rubio's people. Rubio's people tried to stop it, and about 30 of them "moved on."

The House ought to investigate this affair.

Great first week Mr. Speaker, there was a little bit of everything: 1.) Arrogance-spend hundreds of thousands of donor dollars to go to a swanky resort during borderline depression
2.)Hypocrisy-After speaking about the joys of smaller and streamlined government you except a six figure do-nothing job at a public institution. 3.) Corruption-Secretly funnel 200K to said college to pay for your future job.

I can't wait for whats next!

[This is new?]

Hey what do you expect from the Republicans? I didn't vote Republican because of this kind of thing but many stupid people did.

[sitcom anyone]

Why doesn't ABC make a sitcom out of the Florida politics. It's a laugh and a joke. Who need comics with these fools in charge?

How ironic. Delilah betrayed Samson for 1100 silver coins. Add two zeros and now you have Sansom betraying Rubio for 110,000. Does any one have a pair of shears?

Let me guess what you will hear at Sansom press conferences this year:

"We need to stand up to the pro-government liberals who want to spend the taxpayer's hard earned dollars on more bureaucracy."

The real question is whether the press will call him on it, or if they will give him a free pass.

Scoundrel.

He should be run out of the Legislature on a rail and have to pull the splinters from his backside with his teeth.

[(Mr) Bill]

Someone tell me why incumbents almost always get reelected to the Florida Legislature, please.

He's a pig. THat's all there is to it. He and his family are millionaires, yet he is still compelled gobble up a $110k gig at the local community college. A nasty, greedy, bloated pig.

Feel the love!

The Philistines be upon thee, Sansom.

[Constituent]

No wonder people have lost confidence in government. What a sham. Perhaps there should be government in the Sunshine for State Legistlators and not only local elected officials.

Florida's Sunshine Law also covers state legislators. It's just that corrupt politicos like Sansom don't abide by it.

Sunset Sansom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz4gLug06fc

It's been awhile since we've had a speaker go to prison. Sets a needed example to other potential public crooks. Shoulda been Byrd (may still be if FBI does its job on Wellcare), but Sansom will do.

Ray's like Bo without the charisma.

Corrupt Leaders from the Panhandle must be a common theme... WD Childers, Bo Johnson, Randy Mackey, Gerald Lewis and now Ray Sansom.

Speaker Samson should give the speakership to someone more ethical.

Methinks that 99% of the posts above came from the same person who served as "informed source" to the Buzz.

Tempest in a teapot.