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 It is going
to take an outsider to clean up the MCSO corruption. I will
offer you something no other candidate will. I will tell you up
front who will be fired if I’m elected, what programs get cut, what
programs I’ll implement and what favors no longer get delivered.
This isn’t a popularity contest, and I am not concerned with whom I
offend. I only want to correct the enormous $44,000,000.00
propaganda budget.
I have been
asked what I will do if elected and what qualifications I have to do
it. I will first address what I will do if elected. After 3 years
of investigating the Sheriff's Office, I have come to know some
practices that need to be changed. I will change the way it is
operated immediately. Below are my priorities.
We currently
have the Trauma Star helicopter and employ at least 2 full time
pilots. In 2006-2007, Sheriff Roth requested a budget increase of
$750,000.00 per year on top of what was already allotted. If we
scale down to 1 small helicopter and 1 pilot we can save over
$1,000,000.00 per year, if they even are necessary at all. The
hangar owned by MCSO at Marathon is reportedly housing David Rice's
plane at no cost to him.
I don't think
the taxpayers should be paying for this. The rental of the hangar
and the reduction in helicopter expense could save enough to hire
18-20 new deputies for street patrol.
Currently
we have between 60-70 deputies patrolling all of Monroe County.
Give them their days off per week and we have 43 deputies per day
patrolling our roads from Miami to Key West. Split this up in
shifts. We have 14 deputies per shift patrolling 120 miles. That
is 1 deputy for every 9 miles approximately. When you consider the
depth of each individual neighborhood, it is not enough. I want to
hire 25 new deputies for road patrol. I want every deputy starting
at $55,000.00 per year with a guaranteed $70,000.00 in 2 years.
That is an immediate pay raise of $10,000.00 per year starting
salary and would provide the deputies with an incentive to stay. I
can do this with the Trauma Star money and the positions and high
ranking officials I will fire immediately if I'm elected. The pay
that once went to the top will be delivered to the deputies who put
their life on the line for us every day. This is only just and
fair. They deserve it.
These deputies
will abide by our laws, enforce our laws and guarantee and secure
our rights. If the deputy uses force or tasers, the deputy needs to
be prepared to answer questions by a polygraph examiner if
necessary.
First and
foremost is our safety and our right to privacy in our homes.
 No
intrusion into our privacy will be tolerated without warrant.
A new philosophy will be initiated at MCSO. Gain the trust and
admiration of our citizens with your conduct and character. I will
not be looking for brute force deputies on steroids. I will be
looking for thoughtful individuals of all races, backgrounds, and
genders to become our deputies.
It is only
with the cooperation of our citizens that we can effectively reduce
crime and drugs in our neighborhoods. Citizens will not cooperate
if there is no trust. We need to earn their trust back.
 The
Sheriff's Office reportedly buys approximately 60-80 new cars per
year.
These cars are driven by seated office personnel, their families,
and volunteers for MCSO at $4.00 per gallon for gas, plus
maintenance, not including approximately $30,000.00 per vehicle cost
plus insurance. I would provide only patrolling deputies with
vehicles for work, which they could take home. All other cars would
be sold and no more purchased on a yearly basis unless necessary for
deputies. No office personnel, or rank not patrolling the streets
would be provided a car.
This would
save $2,500,000.00 per year plus hundreds of thousands more in gas
and maintenance.
 Ocean Reef,
a private gated community.
Has enjoyed having 8 of our deputies sitting at their welcome desk
making sure no person can enter without an invitation or ownership.
They have not written tickets, nor patrolled. Ocean Reef is a
non-profit organization that secured a grant to build for free a
brand new fire station and security center which houses their brand
new fire truck and ambulance and their 45 security personnel. Along
with which is their on site doctor. Their security are all trained
paramedics, firefighters or EMTs. Their grant also provided them
with a free fire hydrant system as well. They do not need our 8
deputies to ensure their privacy or security. I would take every one
of those deputies out of Ocean Reef and place them back on the
streets of Monroe County. We have only 60-70 deputies for all of
Monroe County currently. We cannot afford to ensure Ocean Reef's
privacy. They have figured out a solution all by themselves and we
don't need to be a part of it. This would save Monroe county
taxpayers $500,000.00 per year at least.
Currently
in Florida, an employee can retire, collect a pension, and continue
to work and collect a salary at the same time.
It may be legal but it will not be tolerated. Those that retire
will no longer have jobs. The cushioned jobs they are currently
enjoying will be gone. I will make room for those who are willing
to work and have earned the positions to advance. This will save
$500,000.00 per year.
 The current
Department heads
Will most likely resign if I'm elected which would be smart. No
longer will they have 4 assistants to process 20 reports per year.
Each Department head will have 1 assistant and employees to be
determined. Possible cuts are 20-30 personnel at an average of
$45,000 per year. Saves at least $1,250,000.00 per year.
I would
increase the current budget for training law enforcement personnel
By $500,00.00 per year and require mandatory participation by all
personnel. This money would come from the cuts above. I would also
require random drug testing for all MCSO personnel (as I did in my
own home) with the excess monies from above. Only if they are
within the law can they represent the law. Compliance to our laws
is a requirement I would ensure was met by our personnel. The
taxpayers deserve this. Home Depot drug tests their employees.
Certainly a badge, a gun, security, and authority should require the
same.
The no-bid
contracts
Currently awarded to David Rice's Guidance Clinic of the Middle Keys
in Marathon by son Mike Rice, MCSO 3rd in command in charge of the
budget, would be bid out as is required by law. No longer would no
bid contracts between the Sheriff's Office and friends exist.
This will save
the taxpayers $1,000,000.00 per year. Those who receive the
contracts for rehab and psychological services would earn them and
show progress. These contracts would be reviewed quarterly by an
independent counsel. Their success would be measured by how many
individuals were successfully rehabilitated back into society. This
will save the taxpayers more than money. But the monetary gains
could exceed $3,000,000.00 per year.
 Jail
programs
I would use these funds to incorporate art, literacy, and
educational programs in the jails. Currently there is a wait list
for all inmate programs. For every 15 in a program there are 45
waiting. Some never receive services. The libraries in the jail
are the poorest anyone can imagine. The atmosphere in our jails
creates hopelessness and dependency on drugs. There is a mandatory
requirement that inmates take the "meds" prescribed or be locked up
in solitary. Some inmates did not have a drug problem before they
entered jail. But assuredly they all come out with one. Our
current system ensures more and more of our population will be
locked away every year. The profit of $87.00 per day, I care
nothing about. I care about the lives lost inside the prison
system. I want this abuse of our fellow brethren to stop. Our
jails in Monroe County will become the model for the U.S. I promise
you.
No more
juveniles in jail unless they have been convicted of a violent
crime. And yes that means with a full hearing and a competent
defense counsel, unlike what is available today with our current
State Attorney.
Many accused
are forced to plea out because they never meet their public defender
until their day in Court and a plea is all they are offered.
They then must
choose to go it alone as a pro se litigant or hire an
attorney for $3,000.00 retainer which most can't afford. The system
currently in place guarantees the incarceration or probation of even
those that are innocent. For juveniles I want counseling and
intervention programs to be in place so they don't enter the system
in the first place.
If they do, I
want parent involvement, and a plan to put them on the right
track...monitored for a period by caring adult professionals.
 For the
adult offenders
I want the probation system curtailed. Do your time and you are
free. We cannot afford to monitor those offenders which most often
times violate probation and do the time anyway, or flee to another
location.
Work release
for all healthy, stable inmates. I toured the jail and heard the
success of the program. I would give the man in charge of that
program a pay raise and 5 additional assistants, as he is running a
successful program. Inmates are being rehabilitated, providing much
needed labor to the community, acquiring job skills and social
skills.
I'd increase
his job 10 fold. The cost of the care of inmates is drastically
reduced and I believe the program might pay for itself. This man
deserves a raise and assistance. I'd dedicate the jail in Marathon
to his program.
I want a
daycare facility at MCSO headquarters in Stock Island
To make the daycare situation easier to bear and give the comfort to
the parents their children are OK. They could eat lunch with their
children and see them during the day. This will open up the doors
to so many working families for employment with MCSO, and probably
will help to get the applicants I want. There is space that can be
re-appropriated to better facilitate the staff. This would be offset
by a payment for the daycare from the working parents but it would
be reduced and affordable, and give them peace of mind about their
children while they are at work.
 I want a
Citizen's Review Board
To oversee the Sheriff's Office from the Sheriff down. No ifs, ands
or buts, it's way past due. We have had the wife of a Captain
controlling the investigations for the past 10 years or so.
Unacceptable. Unethical. And the situation was never corrected.
Currently her
husband is running for Sheriff. What do you suppose might happen if
he were to be elected? I want a guarantee this travesty of justice
can never happen again. A CRB is needed.
I support
the unions.
Period. The End.
I want
health benefits for those that need them
But no duplication of benefits. If a person doesn't need them
because his/her spouse has them at their job and it includes them,
then they can elect a pay increase instead.
 Overtime
pay will no longer exist.
If a job requires overtime, then the job mandates hiring another
person. This is good for our community, to create a job instead of
padding 1 individual's pockets with 30 hours overtime per week; this
is currently happening at MCSO. Only certain individuals are
allowed overtime pay, and they are milking the system for all they
can get. All others are working 2nd jobs. If we raise the pay of
the deputies and the lowest wage earners to a living wage, no
overtime is necessary. If overtime is available, it should be
available for all.
Sorry Penny, I
won't pay you time and a half to paint the jail.
The approximate budget cuts
= $13,500,000.00
The approximate expenditures = $6,500,000.00
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Total savings to taxpayers
$7,000,000.00
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