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Coffee Talk (Sara/Mana edition)
Gold endorsements
Bradenton attorney Diana Moreland was elected to the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in what some say is one of the dirtier judicial races in the areais recent history. Moreland captured 55.3% (154,789) of the vote to Sarasota attorney Susan Chapmanis 44.7% (125,137).
Credit for Morelandis success can be attributed to her controversial TV spots, which featured endorsements from the father of murdered 11-year-old Carlie Brucia and Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells. Morelandis campaign focused on endorsements from law enforcement, as well as the typical attorney group endorsements.
Critics have complained to the Floridais Judicial Qualifications Commission, saying Moreland fought dirty.
In Florida and other states, judicial candidates arenit allowed to state their opinions for fear their comments will undermine the publicis trust in a fair, unbiased judicial system. Judicial wannabes are mostly limited to comments on their background and family life o qualities that donit usually send voters to the polls in droves.
Yet in many ways the law-enforcement angle seemed a no-brainer given the media circus surrounding Circuit Judge Harry Rapkinis handling of the probation case of Joseph P. Smith, whois accused in Bruciais death. Rapkin resigned after public outcry heid erred when he failed to jail Smith on probation violations.
Coffee Talk expects to see a lot of badges around the next judicial races in 2006, unless the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission makes an example of Moreland, as the Florida Supreme Court is doing to the north with Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge John Renke III.
The JQC censured Renke for comments he made during the 2004 judicial race about his opponent, Declan Mansfield, a criminal defense attorney. Renke portrayed Mansfield as anti-law enforcement.
In May, the JQC and Renke agreed to a one-month suspension, $20,000 fine and public reprimand. But the Supreme Court refused to OK the punishment, and instead kicked the case back to the JQC for tougher sanctions.
Portofino reborn as CityPointe
Not surprisingly, the first downtown condominium with housing for workers is headed for less expensive land in the steadily-improving Rosemary District, north of Fruitville Road. Atlanta developer Wayne Morehead is in negotiations with the city to produce a revised Portofino development oalthough the name has been changed to CityPointe o with units priced from the upper $100,000s to the mid-$400,000s.
In June, Coffee Talk reported that sales had halted on the first building in Portofino, called The Boulevard, and the development had been pulled from the market. Sources attributed the sales trouble to a glut in the upper-end of the condo market; units in the first condominium averaged out to about $600,000.
Now, Morehead and the city are discussing height and density o keys to the affordability of the development at Cocoanut Avenue and Boulevard of the Arts.
iI think we have a good working relationship,i Morehead says. iThe city has been very good to work with. We are not in complete agreement with the height right now. The depth of the (condominium) market hasnit changed that much. The market we are going after now is just deeper. Our challenge is to get enough units in order to offer them at such attractive prices. (Moderate-income families) deserve the opportunity to live and work in downtown.i
While the development is said to be highly fluid, the complex is expected to offer more than 300 units in a total of eight buildings. The first building will have 146 units and 44,000 square feet of retail space.
The development is scheduled to go before the cityis planning board at a 6 p.m. meeting on Nov. 10.
Let the suits begin
Doctors and lawyers have taken it on the chin from Florida voters.
The MDsiconstitutional amendment capping legal fees in medical malpractice cases passed. But so did two anti-physician measures designed to spotlight those who repeatedly screw up in the operating room.
If the pre-election doomsday scenarios from each side are correct, there will be few new malpractice claims filed in Florida yet also fewer doctors to sue.
These two deep-pocketed interest groups arenit going to stand for voters impeding their ability to continue making very good livings here. Court challenges to the three amendments are almost certain o if the doctors can find a lawyer to file theirs.
Correction
A Coffee Talk item in the GCBR Oct. 29-Nov. 4 edition should have said in a quote, iJust look at the Central Avenue (in Sarasota) and then look at the Village of the Arts or Antiques District (in Bradenton),i says Ian Black, president of Sarasota-based Ian Black Real Estate and a Central Avenue property owner.
Most influential
Thirteen Gulf Coast business people made Florida Trendis 2004 list of the 174 most influential Floridians: Lee Arnold, chairman/CEO, Arnold Cos., Clearwater; Al Austin, CEO, Austin Cos., Tampa; Dick Beard III, president, R.A. Beard & Co.; Bill Habermeyer, president/CEO, Progress Energy Florida, St. Petersburg; Tom James, Chairman/CEO, Raymond James Financial, St. Petersburg; Pat Neal, president, Neal Communities, Bradenton; Steve Raymund, CEO, Tech Data, St. Petersburg; Mel Sembler, founder, Sembler Co., St. Petersburg; Chris Sullivan, founder/CEO, Outback Steakhouse, Tampa; Bill McBride, partner at Barnett, Bolt, Kirkwood Long & McBride PA, and spouse, Alex Sink, retired banker, both of Tampa; Rhea Law, president/CEO, Fowler White Boggs Banker, Tampa; and H. Lee Moffitt, attorney, Tampa.
In politics: (14) Adam Goodman, president, The Victory Group, Tampa. (15) Susan McManus, professor/political consultant, University of South Florida, Tampa; (16) Attorney General Charlie Crist; (17) state Sen. Tom Lee, Brandon; (18) U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, Tarpon Springs; and (19) U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, Tampa.
In academia: (20) Carl Kuttler, president, St. Petersburg College; and (21) Robert Hueter, director/senior scientist, Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota.
When it comes to celebrities, athletes and artists, Lakewood Ranchis (22) Dick Vitale o a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, ex-coach, columnist and author o made the list. And as for powerful families, (23) The Klaubers of Longboat Key Colony Beach and Tennis Resort fame.
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