by Paul Gallotta, Independent Community News October 23, 2005

It's a sad axiom that Florida is the only state in America to defy the laws of geography; the further north you go, the further south you get.

Living in the relatively tolerant part of the state, it's sometimes easy to forget. But starting with Tallahassee and trickling down to city hall in Fort Lauderdale, the Sunshine State might as well be Mississippi.

The progress that has been made locally can be attributed to a largely faceless grass roots movement of activists. But someone had to do the organizing. And in a movement that has practically redefined the concept of cannibalizing its leaders, thosewith the ability to cobble together a coalition of like-minded people would sooner convert to heterosexuality.

And somehow Michael Albetta thrives on the machinations of regional politics. Article continues



As the President of GLBT Democratic Caucus, Albetta might not exactly be a kingmaker. But engage him in a conversation about politics and you'd have to believe he'll get there eventually.

"Politics is no stranger to me," grins the New York-born Albetta. "I worked for the New York State Assembly since 1978 [when] I was a legislative aide to [House Majority Whip] Anthony S. Seminerio. Then I became his administrator, then I ran his district office. In 1986, I ran for New York State Senate and almost won. I lost by one vote, 4,191 to 4,190."

It was during that hotly contested election that Albetta learned some crucial lessons about American politics that aren't taught at any University level Civics course.

"My family owned newspaper stands in New York," he recalls. "My opponent took pictures of this little boy buying a magazine at one of them with Penthouse and Oui in the background on the side of the newsstand, and accused me of being a child pornographer."

The experience left Albetta bruised but wiser--and disinclined to re-enter the political forum. He relocated in South Florida in 1991 "looking to start a new life" and completely avoided his politics until 1997.

"I got a phone call from an old colleague, Marc Dickerman, who used to belong to my Democratic Club back in Forest Hills, Queens. He came out and he came down here and he told me about the Dolphin Democrats. I dove right in and became a member of the board."

The first order of business was to integrate the lessons he had learned back in New York. He started by altering the tenor of the club from that of a social group to a more business-oriented catalyst for change.

"It's not about me, it's about us," explains the 48-year-old who makes his living as the Business Development Manager for Maroone Ford. "It takes people to make the party. We don't have time for personal agendas. Once I felt that [an individual] wasn't interested in the overall good of the community, that there was no credibility in their heart, I told them to get out. They were wasting everyone's time. We didn't need yes men. I tried to bring in 'A' people, people who make things work. I tried to weed out the people who wanted to run the Dolphins like it was a social club."

Longtime community activist Derrick Hankerson recalls it was Albetta's unique combination of interpersonal skills and an honest desire to nurture change--even when he wasn't in the spotlight--that drew him in.

"When I first met Michael back in 1997 I was [withdrawing] from activism. I had recently retired from Viacom and, like many other people, I thought I was going to die soon. I was no longer on the Dolphin's board and I was backing away from many things.

"But Michael," he continues, "he has an ability like a magnet to attract people who have very specialized skills to help foster change for the GLBT community, more so than anyone I've ever met.

"He convinced me that when an individual has certain skills and abilities and a fire in the belly to create change and shape public opinion in a positive manner, then you've got to go for it.

"More so than anyone I've ever met, he puts his money where his heart is. I happen to know of many things that he's done to change our lives that he keeps a secret and doesn't tell anyone. His skills, his humility and at times his sheer goofiness all make him both unique and endearing. We're very lucky to have him."

"Michael was instrumental in the GLCC's obtaining a brand new Ford Mustang convertible for our car raffle," states Gay and Lesbian Community Center Executive Director Paul Hyman. "Michael voices strong support of the GLCC and makes himself available for events, both here at the Center and in the community. [He] possesses tireless optimism and a can-do attitude."

"He has helped to bring the Democratic Party to a new level," adds Wilton Manors City Commissioner (and himself a former Dolphin President) Dean Trantalis. "He has expanded the profile of the gay and lesbian community. Michael is a strong and honest voice for us. He's made some fairly important inroads with others for our benefit."

Albetta attributes the successful revamping of the Dolphins as well as the growth of the GLBT state caucus to a page torn out of his political mentor's playbook.
"Anthony Seminerio sat me down and drilled into me that this is a business, not a game. It all boils down to the MOE method-Mobilize, Organize and Energize. We did and now we have 10 chapters of the GLBT Caucus throughout the state-including some areas that we had practically written off.

"In fact," he continues with a none-too-subtle grin, "we're having our February meeting in Hillsborough County to let those homophobic legislators know we're alive and well."

"I truly feel that as an American, a Democrat, a gay man, that equal rights are for everyone, and our tax dollars are as equal as anyone else's. Even within our own party, people don't see that. They placate us, but we can see beyond that.

"We can put a Democrat in the Governor's mansion in Tallahassee. We can replace Clay Shaw. We're going to have to work very hard, we've got to keep fighting, but we can accomplish this. How did Jimmy Carter get [elected]? In '75, people had had enough of the Republicans. I'm a history major from Pace University and history will repeat itself. Our country is not as great as it used to be. [President Bush's administration] handled Katrina like the Three Stooges. I truly feel the Republicans will implode and people will say 'enough,'" he concludes with a grin that should be measured in kilowatts. "We just have to stay united and keep on fighting."

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With their strongest advocate no longer running, South Florida's small but powerful gay community is assessing which Democratic gubernatorial candidate will best stand up for their cause.

By Lesley Clark, Miami Herald

When Scott Maddox was in the running for governor, gay Democrats in South Florida say they had little doubt about which candidate to support: The former state Democratic party chief forcefully denounced Florida's ban against gay adoption and even backed gay marriages -- a rarity among politicians.

Now that Maddox is no longer in the race, the small but politically powerful gay community is up for grabs. And observers suggest it may serve as a barometer for a larger South Florida voting bloc: activist Democrats who make up the party's most loyal base, many of whom preferred Maddox's often fiery, unapologetically liberal approach. This article continues

"We were all Scott Maddox supporters and now we've got to make a choice," said Ken Keechl, president of the Dolphin Democrats, which bills itself as the largest gay political group in the state.

Maddox, a former Tallahassee mayor, dropped out of the race two weeks ago, narrowing the race to two and throwing his support behind U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa. But many gay activists said they don't yet know enough about Davis or his rival in the Democratic primary, North Florida state Sen. Rod Smith, to pick sides.

Both men have stressed statewide electability and cast themselves as centrist Democrats -- Smith in particular touting himself as the candidate who can bring conservative North Florida voters back to the Democratic party.

But information about the two and their stances on social issues was so sketchy, Keechl said, he felt compelled to assure club members at a recent meeting that neither candidate was "homophobic" -- hardly a ringing endorsement.

The gay community "really had a champion with Scott," said Kirk Wagar, a Coral Gables fundraiser and Maddox supporter who said he, like many others, has yet to align with either remaining candidate. "And we're talking about engaged Democrats. People who vote in every election, right down to the municipal elections."

The gay community could prove a critical element in a tight Democratic primary. And its influence in a race where more than half of Democrats say they are uncommitted is already evident.

Davis and Smith, whom gay-rights advocates said offered only lukewarm statements of support months ago, pledged last week to work for the defeat of a proposed anti-gay-marriage constitutional amendment. That puts them starkly at odds with their Republican rivals, Attorney General Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, both of whom have embraced the proposal.

"We're being courted," said Michael Albetta, the Fort Lauderdale-based president of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, who said the interest from the two candidates spiked after Maddox dropped out.

But how long the courtship will last is unknown. A coalition of conservative Christian groups is looking to ask voters in November 2006 to ban gay and lesbian civil unions and same-sex marriages in Florida, creating a potentially hot button issue.

Many Democrats have suggested the party's only hope of taking the governor's mansion is by appealing to moderates and conservatives who dominate communities from Orlando and Tampa to Pensacola.

That tension is evident among many who suggest Maddox's stance would have turned off conservatives. Both Davis and Smith have sought to strike a moderate stance, saying that though they oppose the marriage-ban amendment, they also oppose gay marriage, which is already illegal in the state.

"Anyone in Florida who says they're in favor of gay marriage probably has zero chance of getting elected," said Gregory Ullman, a past president of Miami-Dade's Democratic Lesbian & Gay Caucus. "So am I looking for someone who's going to make me happy or someone who's going to be our governor? It's been a perpetual tension in our community, but a lot of people believe it's more important to look for someone generally sensitive to our issues, rather than being out in front of the parade, waving a banner.''
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The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report today I requested with Rep. Henry Waxman and other Members Of Congress. In sum, the GAO found that "some of [the] concerns about electronic voting machines have been realized and have caused problems with recent elections, resulting in the loss and miscount of votes." GAO found that these concerns "merit the focused attention of federal state and local authorities responsible for election administration."

What does this mean? Much has been made about this issue during the 2004 Ohio election debaclehere on DailyKos and elsewhere, however, this is the first time Congress' investigatory arm has weighed in on the problems with our voting machines. The GAO studied the work of others and ultimately put their stamp of approval on it. That lends important credibility to the cause of election reform generally, aand more specifically to requiring that every machine have a voter verified paper ballot that is used in election days audits and, if discrepancies are found in those audits, becomes the official record for the election. This article continues...


On this site and elsewhere, there have been discussions and debates about whether this or that election was "hacked." I would like to suggest putting that discussion aside for the moment (or longer -- I understand some such discussions can result in a ban from this blog community). In this context, we should focus on what we all agree on, and what the GAO found: these machines have substantial problems. To me, in addition to being an issue that goes to the heart of our democracy, this is a consumer protection issue. There are certainly voting machine manufacturers who produce a good product. But by and large, when it comes to a voting machine, the average voter is getting a lemon -- the Ford Pinto of voting technology. We must demand better.

More specifics about what GAO found: Serious problems were identified regarding the security control system, access controls, hardware controls, and the voter-verified paper audit trail system. Among the security shortcomings identified by GAO:
1. Some electronic voting systems did not encrypt cast ballots or system audit logs, thus making it possible to alter them without detection.
2. It is easy to alter a file defining how a ballot appears, making it possible for someone to vote for one candidate and actually be recorded as voting for an entirely different candidate.
3. Falsifying election results without leaving any evidence of such an action by using altered memory cards.
4. Access to the voting network was easily compromised because not all digital recording electronic voting systems (DREs) had supervisory functions password-protected, so access to one machine provided access to the whole network.
5. Supervisory across to the voting network was also compromised by repeated use of the same user IDs combined with easily guessed passwords.
6. The locks protecting access to the system were easily picked and keys were simple to copy.
7. One DRE model was shown to have been networked in such a rudimentary fashion that a power failure on one machine would cause the entire network to fail.
8. GAO identified further problems with the security protocols and background screening practices for vendor personnel.

The suggestions made by GAO to ensure the security of machines barely scratch the surface of the problems what is needed to improve the national voting systems standards. Their report divulges that, despite the many official assurances that the problems of the past elections were isolated and few, the election system is indeed riddled with problems and flaws.

The bottom line is until we make a serious commitment to address the significant security and controls concerns we have regarding our voting machines, American citizens have no reason to have complete confidence in our democracy.


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Number of Pork Projects in Federal Spending Bills

2005 - 13,997
2004 - 10,656
2003 - 9,362
2002 - 8,341
2001 - 6,333
2000 - 4,326
1999 - 2,838
1998 - 2100
1997 - 1,596
1996 - 958
1995 - 1439

Source: "Downsizing The Federal Government" by Chris Edwards
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Katherine Harris...Darling of the Right Wing...Hero to Conservatives...Rubber Stamp for the Bush Family

FLORIDA'S NEXT SENATOR???

Katherine Harris wants to be Florida's next US Senator. The woman who engineered the 2000 election debacle that put George W. Bush in the White House wants to be a member of the world's most exclusive legislative body, and she and the Republican Party have pledged to raise $20 million to get her there.

But Katherine Harris' values are not your values. She's part of the far right wing that demonizes the GLBT community to advance their ultra-conservative political agenda. They're the ones who are trying to put an anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot next year to drive up Republican turnout, just as they did last year in the pivotal state of Ohio. It's just a political tactic that appeals to the lowest element of the far right wing. Don't let them impose their values on Florida.

What would Senator Harris mean for you? Just look at her voting record*:

Harris supported:

0%...The Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
0%... NARAL/Pro-Choice America
0%... American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
0%... Disabled American Veterans
11%... Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
20%... National Education Association (NEA)
15%**... League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
0%**... Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA)

That's whom she's against - but who is she for?

Harris supported:

100%...The Christian Coalition
100%**... Family Research Countil
100%... National Right to Life Committee
100%... Business-Industry PAC
100%... Concerned Women for America

Protect yourself - join the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus. We're working across Florida to ensure that your voice is heard by candidates and legislators and that your interests are forefront in their minds and campaigns.

We have chapters in every part of Florida. But we need your help to stop radical legislators like Katherine Harris. Join or make a donation today. You can do either, or both, on our website! Thank you.
________________

*2003-2004 legislative cycle unless noted

**2003 only

Source: Project Vote Smart collects performance evaluations from special interest groups who provide them, regardless of issue or bias. For more information contact Project Vote Smart at 1-888-VOTESMART or http://www.vote-smart.org/

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By: Eric M. Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer

Gay and lesbian leaders led a protest of the Millions More Movement yesterday after they accused event leaders of reneging on a pledge to allow a national gay leader to address the crowd.

Black gay and lesbian leaders had planned a separate "unity rally" to celebrate the inclusion of Keith Boykin, president of the National Black Justice Coalition, as a speaker at the march. But after Boykin said he was turned away from the podium yesterday morning, the rally at Freedom Plaza turned into an angry protest that decried what demonstrators called a double-cross by the Rev. Willie F. Wilson, the Washington minister who is the march's national executive director. This article continues...

Leaders said they were sure Wilson was responsible for the snub after their bizarre and angry meeting with Wilson earlier in the week.

"Ignorance, arrogance and back-stabbing will not be tolerated," said Sterling Wilson, a gay activist who addressed the rally. "If he wants a fight, he'll get a fight."

Gay leaders and protesters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue NW to the U.S. Capitol, where they tried to get close to the main march's podium as Jesse L. Jackson was speaking. But first, there was a familiar Washington moment: Protesters queued up to go through metal detectors at the foot of the Capitol grounds. They stopped chanting and patiently waited while their rolled rainbow flag, lavender banner and signs that said, "Black by Birth, Gay by God," were inspected for weapons.

March organizers and gay groups have been feuding for months about the participation of gays and lesbians in the event. Comments by Wilson this summer disparaging lesbians added to the anger and led to demands that Wilson step down as a march leader.

"It's a tragedy that one person stuck in the past can prevent our community from moving forward," Boykin said.

Boykin and two other leaders said they thought they had worked out their role after a meeting Wednesday with Wilson and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The meeting ended with hugs from Farrakhan and what they said was an offer to Boykin to speak during the Unity Tapestry section of the program.

Wilson denied that Boykin was guaranteed a speaking slot. "He straight-out lied. There were certain conditions that he had to meet in order to speak, and he did not," Wilson said. He would not elaborate on the conditions.

March organizers said a representative of the Black Men's Exchange, an all-male group from New York, spoke during the Unity Tapestry. Boykin and other leaders at the rally said the group does not represent mainstream black gays.

Boykin and the two other leaders who were at the meeting said Farrakhan appeared genuinely interested in working out a solution. But the three said Wilson refused to shake their hands and went on a tirade.

Boykin said Wilson said he was furious about hate mail and angry calls he had gotten since he was criticized for delivering a sermon at his Southeast Washington church that described gay sex in graphic and derogatory terms. He has since written about an "epidemic" of lesbianism among young black girls.

Donna Payne, an organizer with the Human Rights Campaign who also attended the meeting, said Wilson told them he had to change his telephone number and was worried about his family. He then pulled out a book, "The New Joy of Gay Sex," and accused gay leaders of sending it to him.

Payne also said Wilson accused gay leaders of not knowing what is happening in the community.
Boykin and Payne said Wilson then grabbed a white plastic bag and pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills and a G-string made from Pez candies strung together. He said black girls use the items to try to turn other girls into lesbians.

"We were stunned into silence," said H. Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, who attended the meeting. "What do you say to that?"
Wilson, interviewed after speaking about unity at the march, would not comment on the meeting.

Longtime Washington gay activist Phillip Pannell said he thought the offer of a speaking spot to a national gay representative was a ruse by march organizers to silence critics in the days leading up to the event.

"Farrakhan gives us the sugary rhetoric, and Wilson serves up the vinegar," Pannell said. "I think it was by design."

Staff writer Hamil R. Harris contributed to this report.
© 2005 The Washington Post Company



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The two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor made their pitches to a politically active group of gay Democrats in Fort Lauderdale

BY LESLEY CLARK mailto:CLARKlclark@herald.com

Florida's two Democratic candidates for governor told a gay political group Wednesday night that they would work to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages.
U.S. Rep. Jim Davis and state Sen. Rod Smith also said they support allowing gays to adopt children and extending legal benefits to gay partners.

Though they oppose tinkering with the state's Constitution to ban gay marriage, they both said they oppose allowing gays to wed in Florida -- a point that disappointed the crowd of about 50 people at the Dolphin Democratic Club in Fort Lauderdale. This article continues...

Their stances on several issues did little to differentiate the two from each other, but it did put them at odds with their Republican rivals on a hot button social issue: Both Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher and Attorney General Charlie Crist have embraced the proposed amendment.

''I'll speak against it; I think it's wrong,'' said Davis, who is from Tampa. `It goes far beyond marriage -- it could affect your ability to visit your partners in the hospital, to hold property.''
Smith, a former Gainesville-area prosecutor, said he believes the amendment is being used to increase turnout for next fall's election. He noted Florida law already bans same-sex marriage.
''Everywhere I go, I tell people I'm against it,'' Smith said in an interview after the talk. ``Gay marriages aren't legal in Florida. Are we going to have the Constitution banning what we've already said is against the law?''

A coalition of conservative and Christian groups headed by the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel is gathering petitions to put the issue before Florida voters in November 2006, when both Davis and Smith hope to be on the ballot as the Democratic nominee for governor.

Their visit to the Fort Lauderdale Democratic club marked the first time the two appeared together since the race for the Democratic nomination was winnowed down to those two. Former Democratic Party chief Scott Maddox bowed out last Friday, citing party unity.
Davis, who noted he had been endorsed by Maddox, said he had voted to include sexual orientation in recent federal hate-crime legislation and had voted against congressional proposals to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage.

Smith pledged to pursue a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would allow gay foster parents, in some cases, to adopt children. Florida is the only state in the nation with a complete ban on adoption by gays.

''These children need a loving home,'' Smith said. ``Certainly as a state we have an interest in seeing that children in need of love get it.''

Neither candidate said they would support gay marriage, with Davis calling marriage a ''religious sacrament established by the church.'' But he said he would work to extend to gay partners benefits, including visitation, adoption and inheritance. ''The same benefits should be established for all couples, for all families in Florida,'' he said.





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The Hillsborough panel rejects a proposal prohibiting workplace discrimination and makes it more difficult to put the issue on a ballot.

By Times Staff WriterPublished October 6, 2005

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor said she was only trying to repair Hillsborough's reputation as unfriendly to gay rights when she asked commissioners Wednesday to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation for private and public employees.

But the request backfired when commissioners, led by Ronda Storms, not only refused Castor, but voted 5-2 to make it harder for voters to decide the issue.

They required that the workplace protection of gays can't be put on a referendum ballot unless at least five commissioners approve it. Before Castor's request, only four votes were needed. Castor and Tom Scott dissented.

Protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation had been a part of the county's human rights ordinance until it was removed in 1995. Commissioners rejected adding it back in five years ago. Castor tried again Wednesday after a human relations board sent a letter to commissioners asking that they reconsider - especially after Storms and commissioners grabbed national attention this summer when they voted that the county abstain from recognizing gay pride events.

At the time, Storms and commissioners said they weren't discriminating against gays, but they just didn't want taxpayer money to recognize their lifestyle. Now was their chance to prove they didn't mean to discriminate, Castor said. Not so, said Storms, who said the board had already decided the issue a "long time ago."

Then she made a motion, seconded by Jim Norman, that required the extra vote to put the issue on the ballot.

"Don't be mean-spirited," Castor pleaded, but commissioners approved it with little discussion. Two South Tampa residents, Jeanine Minge and Melissa Lewis, waited all day for commissioners to vote, and when they did, shortly before 5 p.m., they shook their heads in disgust.

"It just shows that when they said they weren't discriminating against gays, they in effect were discriminating against gays," Lewis said. "They're doing everything they can to silence a community," Minge said. "It's appalling."
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