Winner and loser of the week

Winner of the week: State Sen. Paula Dockery. It’s mainly through the sheer doggedness and determination of the Lakeland Republican that approval for the 61.5-mile SunRail commuter rail project near Orlando looks anything but certain more than halfway through the legislative session. Up against legions of SunRail supporters, Dockery has been relentless in raising questions about the deal.

Loser of the week: State Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West. The fellow in line to be House Democratic leader in 2010 looked more than a little politically tone deaf last week when he summoned House Democrats to a private, closed door meeting to discuss fundraising, candidate recruitment, and budget and tax policy. Plenty of Democrats saw the perception problem and steered clear. "As you know, mixing fundraising with votes on legislation is wholly improper and calls into question the integrity of the process,’’ Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, wrote in an e-mail objecting to the meeting.

Comments

[Blow the whistle on dem corruption please]

Isn't that the Ron Saunders who was indicted for trips, didn't pay his taxes, and pays himself out of his campaign account?

[good winner choice!]

Good call on the winner, SPT!

[Thibault]

Excellent, well thought out choices Mr. Smith.

[Saunders is Corrupt]

Saunders is corrupt. If he were a Republican he would have been hung up by the press a long time ago.

[Rillek]

Saunders/Taylor will be better than the current Sands/Thompson smearship in the house now.

[TheBrowardRepublican]

Too funny about Waldman pretending to have the higher moral ground. Check out this article:

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2006-04-06/news/what-s-a-little-medicare-fraud-between-friends/

[conserv]

I wish we had the senate full of people like Paula Dockery. Florida would be better place.

[All U Can Eat]

Go Get'em "Freight Train Dockery!"

Love,
Your Sponsor

[Orlando taxpayer]

In Orlando, Paula Dockery is a hero to the people and quite frankly taxpayers love her.
We don't really care who she's married to and all that crap the CSX goons like to throw around.
She's helping us defeat the boondoggle and for that we're eternally grateful.
Go Paula Go!

[Barnhill]

Stop posting from your state computer you lowlife. Half of Lakeland doesn't know her, no one in Orlando knows her.

She'll lose, as always, and retreat to the buffet in the basement.

[Ron's OK]

Saunders is a long way from perfect, as the award shows. But he is very smart, and usually astute. Others in the House should be so good.

[Cynical Idealist]

Waldman is a liar.

I watched him commit to vote for a bill, then work against its passage in the General Government Policy Council earlier in this session.

He's owned by the moneyed interests in his district and in Broward.

Wonder what his mentor, Ron Greenstein, thinks of him now that his true colors are beginning to show.

[Carolyn Adams]

Thank you, Senator Dockery, for working to stop this corporate giveaway and unlimited liability on the taxpayers for the bad conduct of a private corporation. Please keep fighting to stop this kind of corporate welfare. We cannot afford this in Florida anymore.

[Cold Stone Creamery]

She isn't making any new friends and the city of Lakeland doesn't care what she thinks. The only friends she has are the positive ones on this blog who have nothing to do with the process, they just own land next to the rail and want to profit from all of this. All of Orlando who would like to have access to a train to improve their everyday lives should send mail to her offices and jam her phone lines. Someone needs to see the large plane she flies in for one person and then we can talk about a person who only cares about herself. Lakeland doesn't have any interest in her interests.

[better than you]

mentor ron greenstein? are you serious?

[Do the right thing]

It is refreshing to see a politician who actually aims to do the right thing, for not only her constituency, but for the people of this State. If you knew the real details of this deal, you would know just how terrible it is and how unstandard the liability requested by CSX is around the country. It's about time someone stood up for securing education, healtchare, and public safety, rather than a boondoggle of a train that goes nowhere! GOOD JOB PAULA D!

[Dockery For Govenor!]

Dockery is a real taxpayer's representative!!! Why isn't she running for Governor? She'd look out for us and do a great job!!!

[PE Coach]

Dockery run for Governor? Have you seen her? She couldn't run down the hall.

[something smells]

Wonder what kind of advice Jim Waldman gave to his close friend, Brad Hertz, before he was convicted of MEDICARE FRAUD??!!

[Annoyed]

Okay...it's clear that the ONE person who is posting negative things about Dockery can only seem to find ONE thing to harp on and that's a personal issue. Who cares what she looks like or what kind of transportation she uses. She's fighting for the people who elected her....the FL taxpayers...and you can't find fault in that unless you are just a dumb a*^!! Get a life!

[Amato]

Paula Bono Dockery.... THE Italian Stallion!

[-]

The losing moment of the week should have been awarded to Dale Brill and the Brice case as it was confirmed that sneaky things were going on in the trade and economic development office of the Governor. How many times was Dale Brill warned and how many times did he listen. It will be very telling to see how the Governor handles this one with his inspector general. All of the office programs should be under the microscope with the legislature and the press.

[Small Gov GOP]

DOCKERY FOR GOVERNOR!!

[Railroaded Again]

Go Paula Dockery! Willing to stand up against CSX and the Orlandoa developers fro the benefit of her constituents. Wish more senators fought as hard as she did or were half as principled.

[Not Carolyn Adams]

Does Carolyn Adams really think that we don't know she's making all these posts? How boring.

[g]

All of the CSX corporate welfare supporters will quickly forget this bad deal when all that money that was hijacked and stuffed in the trust fund actually gets used for the real, pressing problems our state is facing just to meet the essentials. Commuter rail can come to the area...needs to come to to the area...but it can be done much cheaper without all the tax gifts to one of Florida's most powerful and profitable companies.

[Just a Dink needs to quit posting]

Dear Cold Stone Creamery,
Please explain how people who own land next to the "project" will profit by stopping the project and keeping CSX from getting their Welfare Check? On the other hand, it's obvious why someone who owns a warehousing facility with a "special relationship" with CSX, a partnership with a development company that owns land adjacent to the tracks, a trucking company a half mile from the ILC AND pushes for a "road to nowhere" that will connect with the ILC would want to RAM ROD it down the throats of taxpayers (cough cough JD).... Your reasoning sucks.

[Rose]

Is anyone fighting to get back to the light rail passenger solution we voted for so we could evacuate faster and safer in hurricanes -- and get we grayhairs off the road when driving gets less safe for us and other road warriors? Or are they all still lying about how "expensive" it would be?
Public transit is safer, cleaner, cheaper. Profiteers don't want us to remember. I remember when they trashed the great electric trolleys in my childhood hometown -- totally stupid decision.
Don't privatize any more of our state assets. It is theft. If our taxes pay for it -- we the taxpayers should get the profits. Stop cronyism.

Personally, I think Dockery is Hot!

[Orchid]

Rose 9:38 AM,

Yes, they are all still lying about how expensive it would be. Senator Dockery and former Representative Ross brought up the FDOT 2000 Florida Intercity Passenger Rail Vision Plan with Amtrak right after last year's legislative session and attempted to get the Governor and leadership to get back onto the original plan, that would have given passenger train mobility and numerous schedule options to all Floridians and visitors over all of the State, not just a few miles around Mouselando.

But FDOT did nothing and even has gone so far as to now claim that the Florida Intercity Passenger Rail Vision Plan wasn't even created until 2006. See their slide show at this internet link that was given to their "Rail Stakeholders Advisory Committee" in August:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/rail/PlanDevel/RSAC/Mtg2files/Notebook/TAB%209.1%20RSAC%20Intercity%20Passenger%20Rail%20in%20Florida%20Presentation.pdf

The original 2000 plan was supposed to be fully implemented by 2005 and now we know FDOT had the money to do it all along but didn't. Why? Greed and corporate welfare for CSX and their development buddies?

Say your prayers Rose, that Senator Dockery and the other ethical State Senators will prevail this month, and not those who claim SunRail and the CSX - FDOT Deal is good for the whole State, including Governor Choo Choo. Remember all this come election time and tell your friends and neighbors what Senator Dockery has been doing against enormous odds to protect all Floridians from "special interest" abuse.