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Sunday, 07 September 2008 |
Commissioner Carlton Moore has had it
Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, Carlton Moore who recently lost his bid for a seat on the Broward County Commission to incumbent John Rodstrom, has said that he is done with the Fort Lauderdale Commission, after serving for the past 20 years according to reports. Moore had resigned his seat on the City Commission to contest the County seat. That resignation would have taken effect in November. He has indicated that he has no desire to run for the City seat again.
It is unclear if Moore’s reluctance to run again was due to the disappointment in the aftermath of losing the county seat, and if he would reconsider and run for the City seat again next year, the reports said. Many political observers believe that he will return, especially after providing public service for so long. They also feel that after a year, Moore will again feel the urge to run for public office. One observer said that the people of Fort Lauderdale love Moore, and will pressure him into running for office.
Moore ran a very strong campaign for the Broward County Commission District 7 seat losing by some 200 votes.
National
Massachusetts billionaire wants penalty for marijuana reduced
An amendment has been placed on the Massachusetts ballot which if approved would lessen minor marijuana charges. The placement of this amendment on the ballot is due largely to the efforts of a billionaire financier and liberal activist, George Soros, according to an AP report. Soros contributed $400,000 to the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy who needed funds to collect more than 100,000 signatures to have the amendment placed on the state’s ballot for the November 4 general elections.
If the measure is approved Massachusetts would become the 13th state to ease criminal penalties on marijuana possession, and would make having an ounce or less of the weed a civil offense, punishable by a $100 fine. The current fine runs much higher, and in some circumstances risk the offender serving prison time.
The reports state that Soros has championed similar efforts to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession in other states. He is a member of the board of directors of the New York based Drug Policy Alliance, through which he has made his initiatives to secure reduction in marijuana charges. A spokesman for Soros, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of DPA, said that Soros thinks the ballot initiative is a responsible measure to reduce the over reliance on criminal justice sanctions in dealing with marijuana.
Lyndon Johnson’s centennial birthday celebrated
Last week not only recognized the 45th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech made by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington D.C., but the 100th birthday of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was born in August 27, 1908. His birthday was celebrated in Texas by his family and a number of admirers.
Johnson is recognized for his significant accomplishment in approving the Civil Rights Act in 1965, after the assassination of President John Kennedy who had initiated deliberation on this bill.
Reports are that his daughters, Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Johnson Robb, an others gather at LBJ’s Hill Country ranch on his birthday for a wreath-laying ceremony at his grave which is along the banks of the Pedernales River. The group later visited the late president’s Texas ranch house-office that has been remodeled as a public commemorative site in memory of the president.
Luci Johnson said Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama’s acceptance speech on August 28th in Denver was a fulfillment of the vision of both King, the civil rights leader when the Civil Rights Act was approved, and her father. Johnson, despite the ravages of the Viet Nam war, led America under his “Great Society” initiatives making significant accomplishments like civil rights reform, Medicare, education reform, clean air and water legislation.
Broward County Fair back at Fort Lauderdale Stadium
The Broward County Fair, which has had no place to call home, is returning to the Fort Lauderdale Stadium where it has been held for the past two years. While Miami-Dade County has a permanent site for that’s county’s fair in South Miami, the same thing has not applied to the Broward fair. The fair which, despite its nomadic characteristic is a very popular event for Broward county families, usually opens around Thanksgiving each year.
The fair has not had a permanent home since it started in 1976. When it first opened it was held at the Broward Community College in Davie, two years later it moved to the Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, where it continued until 1996, moving again this time to the Pompano Park Harness Track and remained there up to 2005, and moved to the Fort Lauderdale stadium in 2006.
However, last year the organizers planned to move it to Festival Flea market in Pompano since that site was larger, and moreover, the stadium was being renovated. The Pompano Beach authorities denied the organizers the necessary permit to host the fair because of concerns expressed by the Broward Sheriff Office that rescue vehicles would be unable to reach the site and that the fair would crate chaotic traffic congestion. As a consequence the organizers decided to take the fair back to the Fort Lauderdale stadium.
The 2008 fair is expected to open on November 20, and run for over two weeks. It is anticipated to attract over 250,000 people, and will features rides, entertainment and attractions for the entire family. |
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