Hillsborough County Overview

Hillsborough County Schools: not so excellent. There have had quite a few memorable moments in the local newspapers this semester concerning this particular school district. Some good, some bad, but definitely a presence nevertheless. In my opinion, as a indirect result of the current state of our economy, the bad outweighed the good.

An article in the Tampa Tribune this November covered the expected teacher shortages in the Hillsborough County school District. There is expected to also be a shortage of teachers in the state of Florida as a whole in "math, science, reading and exceptional education".

The article went on to say that even though the hiring of teachers has definitely slowed down, the number of applicants in the Hillsborough County School District is actually higher than it was any given time the year before.

The Hillsborough County School Board has to get ready to cut $26,000,00 from it's budget the middle of this month. As these budget cuts take place, schools are being closed, jobs are being lost, and students are getting cheated out of an already mediocre education.

The Tampa Tribune reported that if Governor Charlie Crist and his cabinet don't think of a way to come up with more money for education purposes, the Hillsborough County School District may have to cut an additional $28,900,000 from the budget; that's on top of $26,000,000 that has already been cut.

A teacher at Summerfield Crossings Elementary School in Riverview was arrested for selling cocaine and heroine. Her bond was $19,000, and she was booked for attempting to sell drugs to police officers.

Using the public records skills I received in this class, I decided to do a little further investigation the teacher beyond the limited information contained in the article. The teacher's name is Valerie Elaine Sabarese. The twenty-seven-year old teacher was arrested on November 14, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. The article actually states that she was arrested at 3:45 p.m., but I checked her charge report, and this is incorrect information.

Since the day we started consciously tracking the Hillsborough County School District this semester, there have been many different news pieces reltated to this district. I feel the budget cuts, the teachers getting arrested, shortages of teachers, and other incidences that have been in the news are indirectly a result of the failing economy; everything is effected by this struggling economy. Hopefully when our economy starts to improve, the Hillsborough School District will have a lot more good aspects in the news.

Profile

Al Higginbotham was born in 1954 in Florida and he is the current County Commissioner for district four of seven districts in Hillsborough County. the district he serves includes the Brandon and Lithia Pinecrest areas.

He was born Allen Holt Higginbotham Jr, but people usually recognize him as Al Higginbotham.

He has held this office as county Commissioner since 2006 and has led a life immersed in politics. He served on the 1998 and 2000 campaign for former Governor Jeb Bush. He also served on the campaign for President Bush in the 2000 election, and he served as chairman on a number of boards just to name a few.

Higginbotham’s wife name is Devon, formerly known as Devon Brown, and they have 2 children named Kaylon and Allen, III. Their current mailing address is at 6402 Barton Rd, Plant City, Florida 33465.

Through further investigation with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s office I was able to receive various information concerning Higginbotham’s Barton Rd dwelling. This information in turn led me to seek other resources.

The property appraiser has assessed the Higginbotham home at $377,758. Based on the current market value, the home is suggested to be worth $518,971.

His taxes for the 2007 tax year have been paid in the amount of $7292.54. For the 2008 tax year, $5250.99 is due if paid by the end of this year.

This particular Higginbotham’s home was built in 1940. This house is located on fifteen acres of land and has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. This home was sold to them in May of 2001.
Prior to obtaining this home, the Higginbothams’s’’ former mailing address was 120 Wiggins Rd S in Plant City, Florida.

Al Higginbotham and Devon Higginbotham have a large number of houses in their names.

Al Higginbotham, the conservative republican commissioner, was born in Plant City and lived a few places throughout Florida before coming back to his city of origin.

Before 1991, his political party was democratic. He served on a democratic campaign in 1972 when he was eighteen years old.

Devon and Al were married in 1979 and lived in Orlando at this time. While the couple lived in Orlando, they did file a civil suit against an individual by the name of Vincent Wilkinson on April 24,1985. Most of the information concerning this case was not available but, the judge Nancy Clark made her final judgment on May 7, 1985.

Al Higginbotham himself also had a civil suit filed against him by a person named Manuel Ojeda on June 19, 1990. Judge Nancy Clark handled this case as well. The case was later dismissed on August 22, 1992.

Discovering this suit, I decided to check and see if Higginbotham had any criminal conduct on his record, but I did not find any discrediting information on him for the Commissioner.

I also checked to see if he had been to jail, but of course no information populated.

In 1977, Al Higginbotham graduated from the University of Florida where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and South American Government.

The Higginbotham family came back to Plant City in 1991, but before leaving the Orlando area, Al Higginbotham had started two businesses. Both of these businesses were founded in 1981: Market Place Real Estate, Inc and Salesmakers, Inc. He sold these companies before heading back to the Hillsborough County area.

Being that Al Higginbotham is in office as a County Commissioner, I felt it was necessary to see how he votes on some of the various issued that are addressed by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

For the 2008 calendar year, I discovered over 100 issues discussed and voted on by the BOCC. For Majority of these issues voted upon, Higginbotham voted “yes”, such as whether or not to request staff to investigate the traffic light that seemed to be malfunctioning on Dale Mabry.

There was an issue in 2007 where Higginbotham stated that he would refrain from voting on a particular matter to avoid a conflict of interest:
Last year, Hillsborough County was cracking down on some companies that haul trash and remove waste from construction areas. Higginbotham reportedly had a lot to say about the issue until it was later discovered that his wife was partnered up with one of the trash-hauling companies that were complaining about this crackdown.

It is reported that when Higginbotham was questioned about knowing if his wife (Devon) was partnered with this company, he stated that he did not realize that she was involved with them.

Her house building company that was partnered up with the trash hauling company is known as Archive Properties, Inc.

Archive Properties, Inc specializes in making homes with whatever ideas the buyer has in mind.

I just found this information a little puzzling because it is hard to believe that a husband would not know the business partners of his wife…maybe he did not, but maybe he did and just wanted to sway the other commissioners to vote how he wanted them to based upon the alliance his wife had with the company.


After this information was publicized, Higginbotham stated that he would not vote at all on this matter, just to avoid any further issues. He also stated that he was not try to act in an unethical manner and did not feel that he had.




I found it very ironic that the first public meeting I attended included my profile select. I had not intentionally done this, but putting a face with the name made things much easier as I conducted my researched on Al Higginbotham.

As I discovered at this meeting, Higginbotham had been involved in some kind of accident or was born with an imparity. He walked with assistance. I guess you would call them crutches (he places his arms on top of the "crutches" to hold his weight up).

I discovered that Higginbotham actually walked without assistance before, but he had an accident on January 20,1995 that impacted his life forever.

He was in Alabama on a hunting trip and big tree fell on him while he was in the woods. The impact from this tree led to him receiving massive spinal injury. The actual tree was thirty feet tall!

He thought that he wouldn’t ever be able to walk again, but he did start to get feeling back into his legs. Although he uses a type of crutch to walk, he is able to use his legs still. This experience led him to start giving motivational speeches.

Higginbotham is a very religious individual. He is very active in his church. He attends First Baptist Church of Plant City.

The fourth district Commissioner wrote a book entitled, “By faith…I’m still standing. (Triumph Over Paralysis)”. I really like the selection for the titled because it can either be taken literally or figuratively and still be very effective. The foreword of this book was written by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush:
“Al Higginbotham is a man I’m proud to call my friend, and whose story would be captivating to me based on that friendship alone. But the intimate and personal story Al shares in the following pages, I think, will resonate with many people who have never met him but who will be moved by his words.”

http://www.hillstax.org/taxapp/property_detail.asp?pmid=3775369

http://www.hillstax.org/taxapp/property_detail.asp?pmid=3372588

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6402-Barton-Rd-Plant-City-FL-33565/82052684_zpid

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=9117169&rn=7&pi=0&ref=search

http://www.hcpafl.org/perl/re2html.pl?strap=212809ZZZ000003490901U%20%20%20&c0=1&c1=1&c2=1&c3=1&c4=1&c5=1&c6=1

http://www.myorangeclerk.com/myclerk/Details_Ptr.aspx?SessionID=14b66847-9eb5-4d0c-9226-27d1c808d5d3&CaseID=304385

http://www.myorangeclerk.com/myclerk/Details_Ptr.aspx?SessionID=14b66847-9eb5-4d0c-9226-27d1c808d5d3&CaseID=518653

http://www.hillsclerk.com/publicweb/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=4209

http://pubrec3.hillsclerk.com/oncore/showdetails.aspx?id=9462777&rn=0&pi=0&ref=search

http://www.sunbiz.org/pdf/50618725.pdf

Budget Cuts

Although most are reluctant to admit it, our society is currently in an economic crisis. The only positive account I have seen at this time is that gas prices are dropping.

The current economic status is affecting everything from jobs, food, and also schools. Bay News 9 reports that budget cuts in public schools can potentially cause elementary schools in Pinellas County to close.

Pinellas County has to cut millions of dollars from its budget this year alone and is expected to cut $40 million next year.

It was reported that four schools could possibly close: Gulf Beaches in St. Pete Beach, Kings Highway and North Ward in Clearwater, Palm Harbor Elementary and Rio Vista in St. Petersburg. If these schools are closed, the students attending will be forced to attend other schools.

Last year, Pinellas County closed three schools (Largo Central Elementary, South Ward Elementary and Riviera Middle School.). After a while, how many schools will be left? The number of adolescents isn’t decreasing; something has to give.

I think this example of some schools possibly closing and others already closed is indicative of the fact that our economy is not doing very well.

The public school system is very important for so many individuals and to not have as many schools available for our growing economy is scary. I just see this as being a big problem and not really solving anything, but I do understand that the school board is forced to make these tough decisions.

With more students at a school, more buses will be needed to compensate for the extra bodies. I remember when I used to ride the bus, it was already cozy. Just imagine more students having to pile on the bus because they can’t drive and their parents have to go to work.

And if budget cuts are already being made, will there be room to hire more bus drivers or get more buses? I guess the buses from the schools that could close can be used at the over-populated schools, but then more routes will need to be created which will lead to more work for the drivers and possibly a higher salary.

Also, since schools will possibly be closed, all of the teachers at those closing schools will lose their jobs. But just because the number of schools is reduced, doesn’t mean the number of students will reduce. Teachers are a necessity.

I think that the teacher-to-student ratio will be negatively affected if these schools are closed and students are forced to go to school elsewhere. How can students learn effectively if a teacher has to attend to an outrageous amount of students all at once? I think this could potentially lead to the students receiving lower test scores which will in turn affect the grade of the school.

The Associated Press reports that due to budget cuts, public schools in Florida have already had to let go of lunchroom staff and bus drivers. This goes back to what I stated earlier. If bus drivers are already being let go, what exactly will happen when the buses become over-populated because the students from other schools had to transfer to this particular school? Now these students have to pile on the bus with these other students...what if there is not enough room?

In Hillsborough County, budget cuts have led to the summer FCAT make-up exam being removed. This program is designated for seniors to have another chance to pass the FCAT so they can receive their diploma.

I remember when I was in high school; some students who graduated with me depended on this program so they could have more than just that certificate of completion they receive if they didn’t pass the FCAT.

Although I do think that the FCAT is a test that most should be able to pass, I do think that cutting this program is leaving some people with a disadvantage. If they didn’t pass the test before graduation, they just are out of luck?

I do understand that schools can no longer afford certain luxuries it was hard because of the current state of our economy, but these children still deserve a decent education.

Education is the key in this world and cutting back on education isn’t going to be effective in the long run. I don’t have the answer for exactly what can be done to compensate for the budget cuts, but I know that closing the schools should be last on the list.

I can only imagine that with time the economic status will get worst, but hopefully things will get better for us all!

Public meeting 3

I attended the Citizen's Advisory Committee meeting on October 24. This committee is made up of people of Hillsborough county who are appointed to this organization by each county commissioner. Each one of these commissioners chooses 2 individuals to serve on the committee.


In the meeting, the contract unit manager The Affordable Housing Office of Hillsborough County Valmarie Turner spoke a new program that would be coming to Hillsborough County. The program is called The Neighborhood Stabilization Program.


This program came about under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, which was signed by the president. Under this program, Hillsborough County is to receive over 19 million dollars to help with the failing housing business. This money would help with the foreclosures and abandoned property.


I really think that this program would be helpful because as you drive up and down the street, you see so many foreclosed or abandoned homes because people can't afford to pay. I personally know of people who have abandoned their homes because they couldn't afford the basic upkeep.
It's sad to see this kind of situation occur, but I really feel that this program will only help our communities.


Turner had a map that illustrated the current home foreclosure rate in Hillsborough County from the beginning of this year until up until September 30. This map included that there were more than 15,000 foreclosures filed in Hillsborough County.


Turner also informed that the nonprofit organizations involved in this program would have the title to the particular property that is foreclosed.


This program would help people who don't have as much income. The program would buy the foreclose and/or abandoned homes and turn around and help people get in those homes who couldn’t get it on their own. Turner advised that this program would provide "down payment assistance to them as well".


Turner also emphasized the fact that this program wasn't created to make money; it was created just to make the Hillsborough county area better.


One of the members asked Turner if the program would help someone that was in foreclosure but wanted to keep their home. Turner advised that this program wouldn't help that person.
But she did add that she does wish to have a program in force with that that kind of purpose.


When I attended this meeting, the plan had to be discussed at the Board of County Commissioners on November 6...this meeting is where the plan would get final approval to go forward.

Off to Court

The first and most important detail I have to mention about my day in court is that the bailiff freely handing over a sheet with information about the case. Now the disturbing part for me is that the sheet included the names of the jury. He just folded that part under and said not to look at it.

This didn't sit well with me because anyone can just easily unfold the sheet, read it, and find the names of the jury members. This careless behavior could have put the jury members lives in danger. It's funny how agencies and people have such a hard time providing public documents, but this bailiff quickly handed over documentation that I personally feel he shouldn't have.

I attended a trial for a man by the name of Eric C. Henderson. He had previously served time for sex offenses. This was an interesting and rare case filed under the Jimmy Ryce Act.

Henderson's attorneys, Robert Mactavish and Maria Pavlidis, stated that the Jimmy Ryce Act was passed in 1999. The Florida legislature decide people in prison for sex offenses will be looked at and evaluated to determine whether they need to be placed in a Florida Civil Commitment Center. This center can be thought of as a maximum security treatment center.

A peculiar thing about this center is that those sent there are kept there indefinitely. They are there until one of the following happens: they convince a judge they are better, the states decides they are better, or they die.

In Henderson's case, he had already served his time and was back on trial because at the time he was convicted, the Jimmy Ryce Act wasn't in existence.

Personally I don't think it was fair to put Henderson on trial because this act wasn't in force when he originally got convicted. I don't agree with his actions, but this man had already paid his debt to society. I could understand that if the laws were unjust and new laws had been created that affected his case, but this wasn't the case.

I understand that with more studies and more advancements, laws may change. This is absolutely fine, I just don't feel that because the laws have changed NOW, actions in the past should be re-evaluated or affected by this.

So this man had to go back on trial to possibly be put in a facility where there isn't a definite clue if he will ever be released!

I do think that the Jimmy Ryce Act is good in some ways. If a sex offender is evaluated and it is determined that he needs more help, this is a good outlet for that individual. Also, this Act will hopefully scare individuals into wanting to do right so they won't be faced with the possibility of being institutionalized for life.

On the other hand, any kind of evaluation that is done on the individual is going to be biased, based on who is conducting the testing.

I did enjoy sitting in on this trial, but it’s easier to understand if one is there for it’s entirety: from start to end. I was lost at first, but the attorneys gave really helpful information about the trial.

Mid Term: Question #3

When a candidate is running for office, it is important to get as much information on that individual as possible to depict how this candidate will be as an official. If Senator Victor Crist was running for Congress, I would search a number of databases to find information on his financial contributions for supporters, his voting habits and his relationship with lobbyist.

I would first start by going to http://www.moneyline.cq.com/. This website is full of helpful information concerning candidates and donations they receive from supporters. I would be able to search for donors by inputting the candidate’s name. Since there is a limit on the amount an individual can donate, this site would provide useful information.

This site is very helpful in confirming illegal contributions. For example, if it is suspected that a manager of a company is forcing their employees to donate to his or her political party, one can use this site to help confirm this story.

I would visit the fl senate website, http://www.flsenate.gov/, and the Florida senate in person to obtain bill information reports. These reports would provide me with reports on bills that have been passed and/or brought before the Florida senate. I would also be able to see how Crist voted on these bills.

I would then go to http://www.opensecrets.org/ to obtain more information on contribution patterns including the date the contribution was made. It is very important to see if there is a contributor donating above and beyond what is allowed because this could lead to swayed votes; the large contributor may try to buy the elected official’s vote when the reason the candidate was selected in the first place is because he or she sides with majority of the population’s views on certain issues.

I would also access http://www.sunbiz.org/. This site is resourceful for searching contribution patterns amongst entities, such as a corporation or a partnership.

I would use http://www.election.dos.state.fl.us/ to obtain more information of the Senate hopeful. There is a search engine on the site where one can search PACs which are political action committees. The engine provides much information on the various PACs, such as: the address, the treasurer, and campaign finance registration. I could use this information to see if Crist is affiliated with any of these types of organizations.

I would also use auto track to obtain a National Comprehensive Report on Crist. This detailed sheet includes property ownerships and deed transfers, possible vehicles the person may own, personal information, such as: address, date of birth, full name, and also vehicle accident information.

This information could also be used to support suspicion of illegal contributions such as an employer forcing an employee to contribute money. Getting the information from the National Comprehensive Report might lead one to hypothesize that the employee may have not contributed money on his own free will seeing that he does not own any property, or has an old car or not car at all for that matter.

There are many resourceful avenues out there for one to access on potential elected officials. It is important for us to access these sources to make sure the person that we want in charge is a trustworthy individual.

Midterm: Question #2

Florida’s Sunshine Laws allow for anyone to be able to attend public proceedings whether they are on a local level or state level as under article 1 section 24b of the Florida Constitution. Most people are unaware of this law or the magnitude of power if possesses for the people of Florida. This law, which was enacted in 1967 and can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes.

A public meeting does not necessarily have to be a big official meeting in a board room with all of the board members. A public meeting can be considered a conversation or meeting between two or more members of the same public board discussing public business. For example, if two members of the Board of County Commissioners for Hillsborough County are having lunch and discussing business related to the board, people have the right to listen. Even this type of informal setting would be considered a public meeting. This is a tricky situation because how does one know the individuals are discussing public business? Or how does one know when and where the board members are getting together (outside of the broadcasted meetings)? Or are we to be sure that board members will only discuss public business while they are on “the clock”?

The Sunshine Laws do not apply when one is at a social event. If a member or members of a board are at a gathering and not discussing public matters, a person does not have the right to invade their privacy. The only peculiar thing about this is how would one know when public matters are being discussed?

Minutes of meetings have to be made readily available to the public. If you attend a public meeting, you’re likely to see a recording secretary taking minutes of the meeting to coincide with this law. These minutes can usually be found on the internet. If they are not available on the agency, one can request them in person.

Under these laws, public meetings must be open to the public and must provide notice to the public as well. Throughout the local newspaper, one can find meeting notices providing dates and times of upcoming public meetings. In each of these meetings, there has to be a time designated for public comment.

Having a law such as the Florida Sunshine Laws provides citizens with the rights inherent when electing officials to represent and make decisions for them. This law that allows one to attend meetings and get minutes gives the citizen the opportunity to make sure the person they’ve elected as an official is capable of doing the job they’ve been assigned to do. Being that the citizens vote for the people whom they want to be in charge, the citizens are indirectly in charge themselves so these laws can be used as a report card to make sure the officials handle business appropriately.

Governor Charlie Crist created the Governor’s Commission on Open Government Reform . It was created so that the people are more trusting of government because government is open and accessible to them.

The Commission is responsible for reviewing government laws regarding public meeting and public records and making recommendations when necessary. The are 9 Governor-appointed officials that make up this commission.

A major issue with the open government reform is that it is difficult to enforce the Sunshine Laws on the agencies they are applicable to. It’s difficult to constantly track each agencies at all times to make sure the agencies is acting within each law. For example, many individuals are denied public records that they are guaranteed by law. But some agencies either don’t educate their people on the laws or just do not want to go through the hassle of finding the documents or they may have something to hide. This leads to the individual being denied documents they should have access to.

Another downside to that is one must file suit and go to court to reprimand the agency. This action may not be taken because either the person does not know they were denied a document that they should have access to or they do not want to deal with the legalities behind filing suit. Either way, the agency may get to slip by the law and not follow the Sunshine Laws or Chapter 119.

Also, the agency may not have resources needed to comply with the Sunshine Laws. An agency may not be able to afford a book keeper to keep track of all files so it may be difficult to quickly produce certain documents. This may lead the agency to deny the document instead of going through tons of paperwork to find the document requested. Or the agency may give the wrong paperwork because they did not feel like going through the documents to find which one is really being requested.

Another big issue is deciphering whether documents are considered public or private. If an individual asks for emails or phone records and part is marked out because they agency SAYS that information is private, how is one really to know that the information is private? Maybe the agency is trying to cover up some details about the official that the public should know. The only way to challenge this is by going to court and letting the judge determine whether the document is private or public property.

The elected official may also use their private accounts, such as: phones, or computers, to discuss public matters. How is one to know that the official is not discussing public matters without invading their privacy?

Fees and charges are another major concern of the open government reform. There is generally no fee for inspecting public records, but there could possible be a copying fee or an extensive use fee. How is one to know that they aren’t being overcharged?

There are many advantages provided to “the people” as a result of the Governor’s Commission on Open Government Reform. This group provides a system so that citizens are better able to understand and utilize their rights to access to public records as well as public meetings as granted to all via the Florida Sunshine Laws and Chapter 119.

Mid Term: Question #1

If I was assigned to do an in-depth report on Al Zimmerman related to the child pornography charges I would first start by doing an arrest inquiry on him at http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/. One can obtain information by simply having the first and last name of the person in question. Records are held here for up to 5 years so since this incident is new, information would definitely populate for Zimmerman.

From the arrest report, I can get quite a bit of useful information. The initial page provides date of birth, race, sex, name and booking date. From there, I can get more details by clicking on the icon. The next page will show me his booking picture, address, height, weight, arrest location and charges.

From the clerk of Circuit Courts, I would then review the arrest warrant and affidavit. These documents would provide me with some of the same information from the hcso website, but I can also find the date of when the alleged act/s occurred.

Through FDLE (either through the website http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/ or in person in Tallahassee) I can obtain a copy of Zimmerman’s criminal background check. These records at least date back to 1940 so this would be useful information because it holds an large range. Most public records request do not entail a fee, but this particular record includes a $15 fee.

I would use the 411 tab on Myflorida.com to get information on Zimmerman as an employee of DCF. You can obtain information here, such as: phone number and email address.

I would also go to the tax collector’s website (for his county) to view information. I can see if he was current on his taxes, his assessed property value, etc. From this site I would likely find his wife’s name.
After finding his wife’s name, I would head to http://www.myfloridacounty.com/ to look for their marriage license. On the marriage license, I can use the name of the witnesses and minister to in turn ask them questions about Zimmerman’s character. Most likely if the individual stood as a witness for the wedding, he/she will have a lot of information to provide about him.

I would ask people where he worked (before DCF), how many times he has been married, if they know any of his other wives(if there are any), what he likes to do for fun, where he went to school (for high school and college) , what kind of person is he, etc.

At the tax collector’s office, I could get the motor vehicle registration and tag information, too. This would provide me with the vehicles he own (which all must be registered if in the state of Florida), and the driver’s license number.

I can obtain driver’s license information and driving record form the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The driving record would provide me with violations, accidents, driver’s license statuses, convictions, issue date and expiration date.

I would also search popular networking sites like http://www.myspace.com/, http://www.facebook.com/, and http://www.twitter.com/ to view his account if he has one. I do realize that on these types of sites information may not be factual.

Since Zimmerman is the PIO of DCF, I would try contacting them directly to see what information they can provide me with, if any. I would ask them the specific role/duties of the PIO. I would also want to know if Zimmerman had to do any traveling, if so I would want a copy any travel expenses. I would try to see if they could direct me to people that know him well.

As far as DCF is concerned, I would request any emails between Zimmerman at work and whomever. I would read through all the extensive emails to see if anything suspicious stands out. (Reporter Rule 101: read EVERYTHING).

If DCF denied me any request, I would make sure they told me why I can not have the requested document, and I would also make them site the statute that gives them authority to do so.

I would want to find out everything I possibly can about Zimmerman, not only through public records but by speaking with other people. Interviews with people could lead to more information that I didn’t know about him which could lead to more public records that I hadn’t thought of searching.

From the information I’d obtain earlier from the tax collector, I would mapquest his address and go door-to-door to speak with neighbors. I would ask them what Zimmerman is like as a neighbor, have they ever noticed any peculiar behavior, etc.

Doing an in-depth report on Zimmerman would be rather time-consuming, but using public records can lead one to discover more than what one anticipated to find!

WFLA: Steve Andrews

Tuesday we went to WFLA to visit Senior Investigative Reporter and Executive Producer of Investigations’ Steve Andrews. Andrews provided us with numerous accounts where investigative reporting helped him tell the story that no one knew about or that could only be properly told through news.

Andrews emphasized the importance of the internet. “The internet is where the future is,” Andrews stated.
Andrews relies heavily on public records to uncover his stories. He was very knowledgeable with regards to the Chapter 119 Florida Statutes on public records. This is very important information for reporters especially, because knowing the law will make obtaining documents an easier process.

Knowing information pertaining to Chapter 119 is essential to reporting. As Professor Thelen told us, an agency may try to deny one documents, inundate one with documents to discourage reading them, or take a long time to produce the documents. If a reporter already knows the regulations regarding public records, they’re already one step ahead.

According to Andrews, investigative reporting can take anywhere from two hours or 18 months.
“If you get a public record, make sure you sit and read it,” Andrews suggested. He told us of a story where an organization bombarded him with a load of documentation; they probably assumed he wouldn’t read this massive amount of paper.

Andrews read through all that paperwork he received and came up with a compelling story for the audience. He was able to find details that the organization itself hadn’t even discovered.
Andrews also told us of a story where an elderly man wasn’t being properly cared for at Palmetto Guest Home. The elderly man had a cancerous lesion and wasn’t receiving proper care. The sad thing about this story is that the man was autistic so he didn’t say much and wasn’t capable of speaking up for himself. Andrews gave him a voice through his investigative reporting.

Andrews showed us many different stories he created through investigative reporting and document requests. These stories reiterated the importance of public records.

We had the pleasure of meeting with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Director of Administration and Special Projects Preston Trigg. Trigg provided us with an ample amount of information on obtaining public documents. He also gave us a number of different agencies/websites to obtain these documents.

Trigg advised us that when requesting a public record, which according to Trigg is, “Everything government produces,” one doesn’t have to give a name, reason or put the request in writing. Sometimes when requests are submitted in writing, competitors from other outlets may access a reporter’s request to try to get information on what that reporter is researching.

“Records are the back-bone of investigative reporting,” Trigg explained.

If an agency ever denies anyone (not just a reporter but any person) a public record, that agency must explain why the record isn’t attainable and also must site the statute that warrants the request being denied.

The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s website (http://www.hillstax.org/) is full of detailed information regarding property taxes. Trigg advised us that the section on this site that receives the most traffic is the property tax database.

Through this link, one can see if a property owner paid his/her property taxes for a particular year. That year’s taxes are due on Nov 1 and become delinquent April 1 of the following year. For example, the 2008 property taxes are due Nov 1, 2008 and become delinquent April 1, 2009.

As far as property taxes are concerned, there are three kinds of agencies: one that accesses the property (appraiser), one that levies the property tax, and one that collects the property tax (tax collector).

Using this helpful information, such as looking up an official’s property taxes or requesting other public documents related to that official can be very helpful in discovering a story that no one ever knew existed. Most people don't even realize that this infomation is available to them. I agree with Trigg, "Records ARE the back-bone of investigative reporting!".

On September 22, I attended the Victim Impact Panel at the County Center on Kennedy Blvd as my public meeting . I decided to pick this meeting because the panel is conducted by the organization MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving). I predicted that this meeting would be interesting and stimulated; it was!

MADD was started in 1980 as an organization designed to help people who have been impacted by drunk driving. It later revised its purpose by working toward change as it relates to drunk-

driving.

When I first arrived at the County Center I realized that there were a lot of people waiting in the lobby area to attend this panel, not like at my last public meeting where there were only a few attendees. I also noticed that most people had a piece of paper with them, I asked one of the men in the crowd if the paper that everyone is carrying is required. He told me that he got the paper from his probation officer.

“Everyone in here is on probation with Salvation Army”, explained Deputy T. Philpott of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Richards of Hillsborough County Sherrif's Office advised me that the people who were waiting outside had to come to this panel in order to avoid jail time. He said jail was their next option.

This panel was required for people with alcohol or drug-related offenses. Richards advised me that in this panel, different people who have been affected by drunk driving, either directly or indirectly, speak about the affect this has had on their lives.

The speakers provided personal accounts that were hopefully eye-opening to these offenders. I was truly touched by the speakers.

The first speaker was Mrs. Susan Baker. Her daughter, Jennifer, was killed by a drunk driver on October 15, 1995. She expressed to the audience how she missed how daughter. “My husband and I had no choice; it was made for us”, Baker said of her daughter’s death.

She also told the audience of a panel she spoke in before where a young woman had received a DUI and was forced to attend this meeting. Baker explained how the woman wasn’t paying attention and showed no interest in the information being provided to her.

Baker said the young woman later got another DUI and this time killed two people in the process. She received 21 years in prison as a result.

One thing that I find really peculiar about drunk drivers is that they never seem to die in the accident; it’s always the innocent passenger or people in the other car.

When I was in this meeting, it made me thing of one of my favorite poems in middle school that I read in “Chicken Noodle Soup for the Teenage Soul” called "Somebody Should've Taught Him":
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/picket/414/somebody_taught_him.html

I really enjoyed this public meeting and am very inspired by the efforts that MADD puts forth to better our society. I hope that the individuals who were forced to listen to the speakers walked away with a life-changing message; I did.

Last Thursday, our guest speaker for class was The Tampa Tribune’s chief political reporter, William March. March provided us with a lot of helpful information and tools that can be used when a reporter is attempting to gather information related to a politician or politics in general. This information March provided us with will also be helpful on our profile assignment.

March provided us with url addresses, such as: http://www.sunbiz.org/, http://www.moneyline.cq.com/, http://www.election.dos.state.fl.us/, where one can check the political contribution a particular person or an organization gives to a certain candidate. This is a very important tool to have because the maximum amount that one can donate by law is $1,000, but of course people try to get around the law.

March told us of a situation in Miami where many employees who worked for businessman Mark Jimenez were giving donations to the Bill Clinton campaign. The interesting thing about this is through these search engines, it was easy to denote that these all-of-a-sudden donators had never donated before. Some of them were registered republicans, and some of them had very little assets, which would lead one to infer that these individuals would most likely not have donated their own money.

This information is important to track because wealthy people can try to buy our elected officials and sway their way of thinking.

Another helpful piece of information March provided us with was the National Comprehensive Report. This information isn’t free, but it does contain an ample amount of information that can help one when investigating a situation as mentioned above or many others. This report contains the individual’s address, phone number, properties owned, vehicles owned, accidents, and even hunting and fishing licenses.

With this document and the other search engines on candidate donations, one can make an educated guess on whether or not it’s feasible for an individual to donate to have donated to a particular campaign. From there, the reporter can determine if it’s necessary to do a more thorough investigation to detect foul play.

On Tuesday we visited the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the County Center on Kennedy Blvd. We were privileged enough to get to receive vital information from Pat Frank herself. She is the clerk of the Circuit Court as well as the Comptroller. During our visit, we were made aware of the many tasks and responsibilities taken care of in this office.

Frank is responsible to keeping track of public records related to the courts. As comptroller, she is responsible for the money of the board, which has to be approved by her office. It must also be verified that the money is legally dispersed. Franks said she handles about 1.7 billion dollars a year.

The Clerk of Circuit Court also sits in the courtroom and takes notes on the trial before the judge. Another task of the clerk is to accept papers for cases in the courtroom.
Passports can also be issued here (by appointment only). Getting a passport here tends to be a quicker process.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court also keeps the records for board and committee meetings. Soon, records of how each member of the board or committee voted on a particular issue will be available.

It was also brought to our attention that revenues received from official records are decreasing based on the current status of our economy. All of these documents are stored in what’s called the docket. I didn’t have a clue of what the docket is. Supremecourtus.gov defines the docket as “the Court’s case tracking system”.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court also handle traffic citations. Last year, about 350,000 tickets were processed! The Clerk of Circuit Court receives a percentage of the fines, fees and costs associated with traffic citations. This percentage is set by the state.

I enjoyed our trip downtown and was able to take away a lot of information from this session.

A Trip to JAIL!

Our class attended the Orient Road jail on this past Tuesday. Although I was not in attendance, I did hear that the encounter was enjoyable, informative and one to remember. Many of my colleagues expressed the fact that they were surprised when taken to the booking section. They painted a mental picture of orange jump suit-wearing inmates sitting around...not even in cells! There were television sets and some inmates were on the phone!

The average population of the Orient Road Jail in 2007 was 1,631 inmates. Sometimes the number of inmates in the jail at any given time exceeds the amount of inmates the facility is designed to hold. This may lead to some inmates using cots on the floor of pods. The jail's population changes are tracked closely so that renovations can be done if necessary. In order for changes to modify the facility to be considered for approval, they must be thought out five years in advance.

When reviewing the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Department of Detention Services Population Summary for 2007, something really interesting to me was the statistics...they were eye-opening but not TOO shocking if I really think about it. The statistics show that in 2007, 42.2% of the average daily population of inmates was African American males! This is truly sad. This kind of makes me think that racial profiling has much to do with this number. Yes, I know that when people commit crimes they should get punished, but if an officer is waiting around in black neighborhoods to find something wrong or pulling over someone just because they have dreads or dark skin (but they haven't committed any traffic violations), of course they will eventually find something. Many African American males are arrested for long periods of time for drug trafficking. Don’t get me wrong, trafficking is against the law, but there are some people who MURDER people and get the same amount of time as a drug-trafficker; I just don’t see the similarity.

On Tuesday our class went to the Hillsborough County Sherifff's Operations Center in Ybor City. We received a tour and important information concerning public records related to law enforcement. Our main speaker was former University of South Florida graduate J.D. Callaway. He is often the spokesman for the sheriff's office.

Callaway spoke extensively about public records in our meeting. Once again, PUBLIC RECORDS was an important aspect of our meeting.

There are numerous important public records that can be obtained through law enforcement. As explained by Callaway, many of these documents are being made available electronically. Callaway stated that one of the most common public records is a document related to law enforcement.

Many may not know, but arrest records are considered a public record and may be accessed by anyone. If an individual is looking for arrest records in Hillsborough County, one may go on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's website: www.hcso.tampa.fl.us. One can access arrest records as far back as 5 years. If a record is not available online it doesn't mean that the person has never been arrested; the 5-year time span may have already passed.

Another important document that one might think is obtained through law enforcement is a search warrant. Search warrants are actually viewed through the courthouse, not the sheriff's office. A search warrant can include information such as (but not limited to): pictures, recordings, emails, witness testimonies, etc. Law enforcement is required to turn these records over to the courthouse within 10 days. Once that 10-day-window has passed, the documentation is readily available to the public at the courthouse.

A search warrant may be a very pertinent piece of documentation for a reporter to view. It can give one a "heads up" on which direction the investigation is going and provide the news outlet with an advantage over competition that may not have this information yet.

Public Meeting #1

I attended the Hartline board meeting on September 8th at 5:30 p.m. It was held at the county center on Kennedy boulevard. According to the interim vice chairperson Ms. Alison Hewitt, the hot topic of discussion at this public hearing/budget meeting would be the discussion of whether or not to increase the millage.

According to Ms. Hewitt, increasing the millage from the current .4 to a .5 would provide almost five million extra dollars in the budget. As far as citizens are concerned, it would add about five dollars more to everyone's tax bill. This millage increase would fund Hartline so the transportation system wouldn't have to lay off workers and could provide more rides to citizens.

Employee of Hartline Philip Hale, attends the Hartline meetings regularly and uses the transportation system to go to the office. He stated that his focus of the meeting would be the discussion of whether or not to buy 28 new buses ( the buses never officially got discussed in the meeting).

During the meeting, the public was given an opportunity to voice their opinion pertaining to the millage change. What I found most peculiar is that before each individual came before the committee to speak their mind, they talked about how disappointed they were because all of the board members weren't in attendance. It sounded as if this happens frequently.

Most of the citizens who spoke in the public hearing portion of the meeting felt that increasing the millage to .5 would be a reasonable decision and not too much of a burden on the citizens.

Hartline CFO David Persaud provided a financial breakdown at a millage of .4682, .4853, and .5000. He stated that he is in charge of the budget process and the tax approval process.f

The committee finally agreed to accept the millage at .4682 for the moment. They decided to make their final decision at the next meeting. Commissioner Al Higginbotham did not agree to the decision because he wanted to see a more thorough breakdown of the effect the increased millage would have on the budget and where the money would be spent. The statutes allowed them to proceed this way.

David Persaud agreed to provide a more thorough breakdown at the next meeting.

A copy of the budget was provided, and there was a motion passed to adopt the current budget. Per Alison Hewit, the statute requires the board to hold at least one public meeting per year to discuss the budget.

There was much valuable information provided in this public hearing that concerns me and people I know. It was encouraging to see citizens at the meeting who apparently know that they have a right to be there!

Investigative reporting

Our meeting with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's investigative reporter, Matt Doig, was very informative. He provided us with numerous detailed accounts of his professional life as an investigative reporter. From the information I gathered in class, investigative reporting seems to be very time-consuming and extensive but also very enlightening and exciting.

Although he has a print background, I can still relate his tasks to my future field of work (broadcast). In my opinion, investigative journalism is one of the most important types. This type of journalism really delves into deeper layers of matters, subjects, people, etc. The average citizen may receive information from a source and just take it for what it is; investigative reporting digs deeper...it searches to prove or disprove the truth that citizen just took for face value. Investigative journalism is informative for citizens who may not have to time to devote to seeking the truth, or who may not know how to go about seeking the truth.

One of my favorite types of investigative journalism on t.v. is the "To Catch A Predator" series. It exposes these shameful people who would have otherwise gone on with the same unacceptable behavior had it not been for investigative reporting.

Matt Doig did emphasize the importance of using those readily-available public documents. Public documents help support our findings and are necessary in any kind of reporting.

I learned a lot from our session with Matt Doig. Whether print or television, many of the same rules apply. One of the major commonalities is that we as journalist need to check our facts. We have so many resources to use, such as: datatbases, public records, personal accounts, etc. It's our job to get the story to the audience:)

The presentation by Adria Harper from the First Amendment Foundation was very resourceful. There are so many rules and regulations regarding the Sunshine Law and public records. It's good to know the ins and outs of  law concerning one's rights so that an agency won't deprive you of information that is supposed to be readily available.

Each person has the right to attend public meetings and access records in Florida.

Article 1 section 24 of the Constitution grants one the right to access public records. One doesn't have to be a citizen to access public records in Florida, just a person. Under Chapter 119, any document that is made or received in regards to public business is considered a public record. One can actually request to see a draft.

A public record can be requested in various ways. One can request a public record by walking into an agency or office, by telephone, or any other way. An agency doesn't have to be provided with an explanation of why public record is requested. The agency may in fact ask one to fill out a form though.

Although there are generally no fees for accessing public records, agencies can charge 10 cents per copy.

Whether one wants to become a reporter or is just an involved citizen of his or her community, it is vital to know what one can and can not find out about. Many agencies try to test one's knowledge by giving them false information.