Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach,Fl-
Thanks to all who believe we should all be able to express our First Amendment rights on this platform and comply with TOS from Nextdoor.com without those who want to silence us.I as some understand am reporting about issues concerning the city and information received from our very same government from public records requests.When they try to put up roadblocks that can and will not go unchallenged it is the law. So they have their cronies try to censor us here.I am of the same politcal party as they are even though in theory Deerfied Beach runs at large.The present system of Nextdoor.com does allow for a form of censorship ,that they should rethink and let the reader either read a post or not.While watching TV if you do not like the program change the channel do not censor it.Same with radio I do not agree with all talk show hosts,but I will listen to as any of them as possible to hear what both sides are saying..
The pictures of our rusty water treatment plant(where nothing was wrong from the cities perspective) which was and still is not in compliance were received from the State of Florida Dept.Of Health.
Florida has very broad public records laws and the Florida Sunshine Law .We have only just begun taking a good hard look at our city officials and meetings being held .We intend to be Deerfield Beach’s Digital Disruptor.
THANKS!- To following Neighbors on Nextdoor.com!
I too find the vitriol on social media overwhelming today. However, if you join this group you should appreciate that local politics do have an impact on where you live. This is the perfect forum to discuss concerns about zoning, taxes, schools, permit fees, etc… If it occasionally includes calling out specific government authorities than so be it. You should be happy that someone is keeping watch at the gate!….and how and where your tax money is being spent. As long as it is kept dignified and with facts I have no problem with these posts, whether they are editorial or copying/pasting a relevant article from a reliable source.
And….if you are really offended by the posts, avail yourself of the table of contents in the left column of the opening page. You can go straight to events, classifieds, etc… and avoid what offends you. Just keep on scrolling!
We have the option to delete any conversation we are not interested in or that offends by clicking on the link below the words “Thank or Reply”. We are a community of many different view points and interests. As long as the discussion is civil, I feel an open forum is a good thing.
Jen Lynn, ·
I just don’t get it… how is it that the couple people on here that don’t like to talk politics think that no one should take an interest in their city officials and be prevalent in what is happening in their city???? This is the perfect forum to do it… you are with neighbors who can give you the best advice, debates, references, help/support & so on. Who do you think voted for these people? Who do you think watches them so they don’t take advantage of people who don’t take an interest and can be easily manipulated because they don’t know what is happening in their city? Who do you think shows up at town meetings with these officials to make sure the city is running properly, animals are not abused, children are not abused, elderly are not abused, schools run properly, crime is under control, fees are not accessed uncontrollably… and the list goes on & on & on! I for one am an animal activist and without our say at city meetings animals would still be living in the dark ages. So continue to burn you candles at night while I use electric… sarcasm ensues. Oh and I work for an engineering firm & we put in proposals and bids for jobs, we have to work extremely hard without any money coming in just to turn in proposals. We only get paid if/when we are chosen by that city. If they aren’t watched then those jobs go to family, friends or some crooked company willing to pay big kick backs. That is just an inkling of why we should be interested in city politics! I only get to hear US politics on tv, I rarely ever hear city politics unless it’s on a local channel at 3am. So, I am very interested in hearing about what is going on in my city when most of America is awake. REMEMBER… JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T LIKE SOMETHING OR FIND IT OFFENSIVE… DOESN’T MAKE YOU RIGHT, IT IS JUST MEANS YOU HAVE AN OPINION. I think we all know how the rest of that sentence goes… lol!
It is amusing that people that are so uninterested in local government that they would read a post and spend so much time replying when they could read the first sentence and move on. If you do not think what’s happening with your local government doesn’t fit within your local community, well do not read the posts. News about what is happening in local government should not be seen as “politics”. No one is debating the right or the left side, it is simply news that citizens should be interested in. It is your duty to vote and if some would vote more intelligently we might be far better off…..
The following is from Miami Herald .Written by a former Republican Legislator Subject: The Florida Sunshine Law is actually a series of laws intended to guarantee that the public has access to the public records of the various levels of government in the state. The Florida Open Meetings Law — Section 286 of the Florida statutes — governs the extent to which public meetings are open to the public. The Florida Public Records Law — Section 119 — governs the inspection and copying of public records. Anybody can make a public records request and government agencies are required to comply. While some citizens do make requests, the majority of the requests come from the news media, whose job it is to report on the government’s actions in order to educate and inform voters. How can voters make wise decisions on whom to vote for if they don’t know what their elected officials are doing? It’s called accountability. The news media follow closely so you don’t have to. In their role as watchdogs, reporters and editors alert the public when there is something controversial, unethical, illegal or just questionable. They rely on these laws to gather information the public has a right and a need to see. The Sunshine laws were crafted in broad fashion, allowing most everything a government entity or official did to be available for the public to see. It didn’t take long for those affected to find reasons to exempt some records from public view. Of course, there were instances where legitimate concerns were raised for keeping some sensitive information from being shared. A legitimate reason was to protect someone’s safety. One example is the home addresses of judges. Allowances were made to shield — or redact — that information. With each adopted exemption, more and more followed, making Swiss cheese out of Florida’s Sunshine Laws. There are currently 1,106 exemptions. It’s so confusing and complex that it’s difficult for the average citizen to navigate. Few legislators stand up to defend our Sunshine Laws. That’s why Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008 selected me as the Senate appointee to serve on his Government in the Sunshine Commission. It was not a highly-sought-after post. Our job was to restore sanity to the hodgepodge of exemptions and contradictions and to adjust the law to changing technology. The commission took public testimony throughout the state and proposed sweeping recommendations. Of course, it would take legislative action to make the changes and legislative leaders had no appetite to do so. In 2009 there were 39 bills filed affecting Sunshine Laws — but few were to strengthen it. There have been numerous bills filed for the 2016 Session that create a new open government exemption or extend a current one. HB 1021, which is moving right along in the House, removes the requirement that judges award attorneys fees to those who successfully challenge a government entity for violating the public records law. Just this week, the Senate passed its own version out of a committee. There is no penalty for public officials who withhold public records. The only recourse to obtain denied records is through the courts. Representatives of the news media and the First Amendment Foundation spoke against the bill — warning of its chilling effect — to no avail. It passed unanimously. The other bills for consideration that create or extend public record exemptions involve the identity of witnesses to a felony; security videos; the State Boxing Commission; the State-Funded Infrastructure Bank; audit reports; emergency notifications; and brain tumor research. Death by a thousand cuts. And if state Sen. Alan Hays had his way, SB 1364 would create a public records exemption for personal information held by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for recreational fishing and hunting licenses and hunter and boating safety certifications. The sponsors of the bill claim confidentiality is a public necessity. Really? The continual erosion of our public records law is gutting Government in the Sunshine and — ironically — it’s all being done in the open. Paula Dockery is a syndicated columnist who served in the Florida Legislature for 16 years as a Republican from Lakeland.
For the record I from Totowa NJ and moved to Deerfield Beach 1980 I am a lifelong Democrat.
