Flores reports $150k haul

Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which fundraising is banned) she still has some catch-up to do to keep her competitive with Miami Rep. David Rivera.

Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which fundraising is banned) she still has some catch-up to do to keep her competitive with Miami Rep. David Rivera.

At the end of last quarter, Rivera had raised $236k and spent $3k. Flores, who started running just before session, had raised just $9k. Rep. Marcelo Llorente's leaving of the race should make the contest a little clearer.

The conventional wisdom: Flores needs less money than Rivera because most of her House district is in the Senate district. Being female helps as well. Rivera wouldn't disclose how much he has raised this past quarter, but sounded confident.

“I hope Anitere does well this quarter because for every dollar she raises now I’ll receive two or three from most of those folks next quarter,” Rivera said

Here's Flores' email:

Dear Friends & Family,

The first fundraising quarter for our campaign for the Florida Senate came to a close this week.  Thanks to all of your support and generosity, we exceeded all expectations and raised more than $150,000 in just 53 days!  Even more significant are the hundreds of phone calls and emails we received from so many of you, offering your time and eager to join our campaign.

You will hear it said that political races are won only by money – we know that is NOT TRUE! Nothing can beat hard work and my unwavering commitment to representing your best interests in Tallahassee – That will be what ultimately decides this campaign! 

Very importantly, we have the home team advantage: as the State Representative for District 114 I currently serve the largest portion of Senate District 38. Since my election in 2004 my team and I have worked tirelessly to constantly reflect your values and respond to your concerns. That is because this is my home too! It is where I have always lived.  Many personal milestones have taken place here including my high school and college graduations, my wedding and the birth of my son.  I am so honored to be your neighbor, your co-worker and your fellow parishioner. 

You, my friends and family, have helped lead me to victory before, and I know that together we will do it again!  Thank you for your constant support. 

Sincerely, 

Anitere

***Error mine. It is 53 days. MC

Dear Friends & Family,

The first fundraising quarter for our campaign for the Florida Senate came to a close this week.  Thanks to all of your support and generosity, we exceeded all expectations and raised more than $150,000 in just 53 days!  Even more significant are the hundreds of phone calls and emails we received from so many of you, offering your time and eager to join our campaign.

You will hear it said that political races are won only by money – we know that is NOT TRUE! Nothing can beat hard work and my unwavering commitment to representing your best interests in Tallahassee – That will be what ultimately decides this campaign! 

Very importantly, we have the home team advantage: as the State Representative for District 114 I currently serve the largest portion of Senate District 38. Since my election in 2004 my team and I have worked tirelessly to constantly reflect your values and respond to your concerns. That is because this is my home too! It is where I have always lived.  Many personal milestones have taken place here including my high school and college graduations, my wedding and the birth of my son.  I am so honored to be your neighbor, your co-worker and your fellow parishioner. 

You, my friends and family, have helped lead me to victory before, and I know that together we will do it again!  Thank you for your constant support. 

Sincerely, 

Anitere

***Error mine. It is 53 days. MC

Comments

[FootInMouth]

That's a pretty surprising statement from Rep. Rivera.

[...]

5:55pm

I agree! Why would he say something like that? Is he trying to scare everyone in to giving him money?

[Go Flores!]

Rivera is nothing but a thug! Flores, there is tons of dirt on this guy. Kickbacks, threats, intimidation. You should do a back ground check on him. I heard he was arrested for domestic battery years ago. Also, wasn't there something about him "detaining" a truck that was going to deliver a bad mail piece on him?

[WhereIsCretul]

Sounds like Rivera totally outed himself. He finally admitted what everyone already knew. He and Llorente are using their positions to extort money from lobbyists. Hopefully Cretul will put a stop to this.

[DontExtortMeBro]

David and Marcelo are working together to use their approps positions to shakedown Tallahassee lobbyists. Cretul what more proof do you need than David's own statement? I hope you'll get rid of him.

[Paul D. Harvill]

Unfortunately, this is legalized renting, extortion and bribery.

[custin]

custin is a moron loser. stop all the hate on David

[,,,]

6:47-where have you been?? Custin, Llorente and Rivera are a team now!!

[LMAO]

I just want to say "Don't Extort Me Bro" is the best blog name ever. I can see it already...tshirts, bumper stickers, yard signs. I'm going to start taking orders now. Who's in?

[seriously?!]

It's so shocking to me that in the days of Ray Sansom, any legislator would even HINT at some type of quid pro quo relationship with a donor. These guys think they are untouchable. That's exactly the attitude that got Ray, Richburg and Odom where they are today. Take notice now Rivera or you're headed in exactly the same direction.

[Math Man]

Hey Times Editor her letter says she raised the money in 53 days. that is a bit more than 3 weeks. That is 7.5 weeks and means that is all she raised since the end of session. So get out your calculators next time.

She will still have less than rivera raised in the 1st quarter of the year and we can all assume he may have raised some this quarter too.

She is a a nice lady, and toast.

And when her donors realize she is outgunned they probably will be calling Rivera themselves.

[You Go Girl!]

Rivera reminds me of Tony Montana:" I always tell the truth. Even when I lie."

No more Thugs in the Senate!

[know a thug when i read one]

Looks like Rivera has finally chimed in at 7:19pm.

[Just the facts]

Florida International Universtiy January poll:

Rivera 30
Flores 13
Llorente 5

[Oops!]

Miami Herald, The (FL)
September 22, 2005
Section: Metro & State
Edition: Final
Page: 4B

LOBBYIST PLANS LAWMAKER PARTY
GARY FINEOUT, gfineout@herald.com
A prominent Miami lobbyist, whose list of clients includes tow-truck operators, nurses, hospitals and the New World School of the Arts, is sponsoring an engagement party Tuesday for freshman Republican Rep. Anitere Flores.

All 25 members of the Miami-Dade County legislative delegation have been invited for cocktails and dinner at the New Chinatown Restaurant in South Miami to celebrate the upcoming wedding of the 29-year-old Flores, a lawyer who works at Florida International University.

Bob Levy, the same lobbyist who helped pay for an expensive party at the home of state Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla during this past year's legislative session, said it was routine for lobbyists to pay for delegation events and lunches. He also said that he has known Flores' mother for nearly 30 years and was an early supporter of Flores' career.

``This is just an opportunity for the delegation to socialize,'' Levy said.
Since Flores was elected in fall 2004, she has sponsored one bill that was of interest to one of Levy's clients, the Florida Nurses Association. Flores pushed a bill that would have made it easier for nurses in other states to come to Florida and work in the state.

Levy said that the bill never moved because of opposition in the Senate and that he never lobbied Flores on the measure. He said he approached her just once this past session, on behalf of the city of Homestead, which was fighting a bill that would have prohibited cities from providing Internet service or cable.

Flores described Levy as a ``longtime family friend'' and said she had nothing to do with putting the engagement party together.

When asked whether she planned to help pay for the bill, Flores said she wasn't sure, and that she assumed ``we'll all split it.''

But Levy said that he planned to divide the cost of the party with the two other hosts - Barbara Lumpkin, who represents the Florida Nurses Association, and Marc Catalano, who owns Catalano Nurse Registry in Hialeah.

It is not illegal for lobbyists to give gifts to legislators or pay for meals valued at $100 or less, but they are required to disclose any meals that cost more than $25.

The Herald has reported this year that many lobbyists are able to sidestep the gift disclosure requirement by dividing costs with other lobbyists and among various clients. A bill sought by Senate President Tom Lee to force more disclosure by lobbyists died on the session's last day.

Levy said he chose the New Chinatown Restaurant for the party partly because even if 20 legislators showed up, the bill would likely be less than $500.

Levy helped bankroll a $5,000 engagement party at Diaz de la Portilla's Tallahassee home in March on behalf of Sen. Victor Crist, a Tampa Republican. Crist sponsored a bill that was a top priority for tow-truck operators, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jeb Bush.

[intheknow]

8:33, I think you meant Dario Moreno's "Special Report".

Yes, that's the same Dario Moreno who has given personal contributions to Rivera's campaigns. Never seen an "independent pollster" do that before!

[qwerty]

Pretty crazy thing he said! So does that mean that Rivera's campaign plan is to EXTORT his way to victory?

[Rivera is a thug]

Rivera extorts his way to everything.

And, an "FIU poll"? Isn't that where Rubio works?

Nuff said.

[What does it take to return government to the people?]

Regardless of who the candidate might be, the fascists of the right wing are pumping money into Florida elections. They want to ensure that while the rest of the nation recovers from their selfish greed, they still have our state to use as their personal playground.

[Spoiled Brat]

Flores got herself into this mess. Now she wants Cretul to save her from Rivera and Llorente. She's going to have to grow up and her and her mom have to figure out how to get out of it. Pathetic.

[Rubio and Rivera want to turn Florida into a Prop 13 ghetto state]

Attention Floridians - despite the absolute disaster that Prop 13 has been for California, Rivera, Rubio, and all their fascist pals are planning to launch the exact same type of so-called tax-reform in Florida. Please read this article from "Time" so that you can vote a resounding NO! on their 1.35% plan or other potentially disasterous tax schemes:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904938,00.html

[Taxpayer]

As a taxpayer, I would like to know what Flores gets paid to do at FIU. Everyone says she has a no-show job.

[.]

10:31 that would be Rubio who gets paid to do nothing..l oh, except for campaign.

[Outraged]

Flores' no-show "full-time" job needs to be investigated. My cousin works in her department at FIU and says Flores gets paid $80K a year to do nothing but play politics. This is outrageous at a time when FIU is firing people who actually do work. When is the St. Pete Times going to expose this?

[No more influence peddling]

So Representative Anitere Flores had a lobbyist pay for her engagement party? That’s outrageous!

We need to take our government back from special interests. Enough is enough.

[haha]

This is actually pretty funny! Rivera makes a totally inappropriate comment, realizes it, freaks out and is now trying to shift the attention by making ridiculous claims about Flores. I bet he wishes he'd never answered that reporter's call.

[Reality]

Florida International Universtiy January poll:

Rivera 30
Flores 13
Llorente 5

[Stoner]

Stop picking on Anitere for her no-show job. She's not the only politician who gets paid by taxpayers and universities to do nothing.

[flores supporter]

Great job Rep. Flores! We're rooting for you.

[Ray Sansom]

I'm rooting for you too Rep. Flores! Anyone that has a no-show job at a state college is ok by me. Just don't let Willy Megs find out about it.

[Stop influence peddling]

It's worse than that 11:15. Not only has Flores had lobbyists pay for her engagement party, they've also helped pay the mortgage on her Tallahassee house. I agree with you, enough is enough.

[get a real job]

Great letter Anitere. "I can't compete with Rivera in fundraising or poll results, but I really am going to win anyway. Even my mother says so. Just ask her."

[golook at the gift law]

8:45 its illegal for a lobbyist to pay any amount

[golook at the gift law]

in refernce to 8:45 it seems like someone should ask Mr Levy how he interprets the law. I interpret as 0 dollars.

[00000]

6:56t is 0

[rivera lackey]

654, 656 and 659: I know that RIvera gave you your talking points and asked you to monitor the blogs...

However, 2005 was pre-gift ban. Get a clue.

[A real tea party is needed to get the ticks off.]

Rivera and thugs like him are trying to steal the peoples government. Ever noticed that organized crime has moved off the streets and has taken over our government? They are our politicians. They have figured out that doing their crimial business is easier if you are doing it from within.
He truly is a pig. He and many other like him resemble a blood sucking tick. A parasite that just gorges from its host. Haridopolis, Rivera, Diaz Di La Portilla, Atwater, Alexander, Gomer Baker, Bennett and so many more. They just keep using the peoples process to fill their own pockets.

[fed up citizen]

9:57, aka - stop justifying corruption. having a lobbyist pay for your engagement party is wrong any way you look at it, no matter when it happend. Flores should be ashamed of herself. Enough already with the special interest corruption.

[terminator]

12:21:
How bout Putzman? He's the leech with the big red mop and "W" tatooed on his butt!

[Slick]

Wow. It's always the same group of three people who post the same crap over and over again on Flores-River-Llorente blogs. The best part of all this is you guys running around the same floor in Tallahassee. Those who understand this district know money is not as important as other places in Florida. Door knocking and air time on Radio Mambi are the difference maker. The FIU poll is a bunch of BS. This is going to be a great race from beginning to end (I expect Flores to pull it out.) If you like the "novela" aspect focus on what Rivera hung over Llorente's head to make him his lap dog.

[Slick]

Wow. It's always the same group of three people who post the same crap over and over again on Flores-River-Llorente blogs. The best part of all this is you guys running around the same floor in Tallahassee. Those who understand this district know money is not as important as other places in Florida. Door knocking and air time on Radio Mambi are the difference maker. The FIU poll is a bunch of BS. This is going to be a great race from beginning to end (I expect Flores to pull it out.) If you like the "novela" aspect focus on what Rivera hung over Llorente's head to make him his lap dog.

[Sheryl]

Very few not-for-profit agencies and school districts can survive these days without extra revenue coming from their members and community. Although events have proven to be a great way to raise money, there are other avenues that require less time, less volunteers and no initial investment. Political races are no different and require a special look at the community and the candidate, according to Mrs. Ryan, owner of Print All Promotions, www.printallpromotions.com.