ARREAZA KEEPS SWINGING
SUN SENTINEL BROWARD POLITICS BLOG
Public defender candidate: Incumbent misused office resources
"Broward public defender candidate Alex Arreaza has accused incumbent Howard Finkelstein of misusing office resources and staff to research his legal-advice news segment “Help Me Howard” on WSVN-Ch. 7.
Finkelstein has denied the allegation, saying he pays one of his supervisors out-of-pocket for legal research.
Income-tax records, dating from 2004 through 2007, show that Finkelstein paid Steve Michaelson a total of $27,880 for his work...
“Even if he reports it, he can’t be doing that work on taxpayer time,” Arreaza said Friday. “The public has a right to know if [Finkelstein’s] public defenders are doing work for him in the middle of the day.”
Finkelstein said he and his supervisors work “obsessive” hours that go beyond standard 9 to 5.
Michaelson does the “Help Me Howard” Work on his own time, Finkelstein said.
“Taxpayer time is time for us to get the job done,” he said. “[Michaelson’s] spare time is any time that doesn’t interfere with his doing his job.” ...
Finkelstein estimated that Michaelson puts about an hour a week into it.
“This is not legal brain surgery,” Finkelstein said. “It doesn’t take a lot of research to figure out that the landlord’s got to fix the leaky faucet.”
Cost of public defender candidate's records request: $101,584
"In June 19 letter, Arreaza wrote: “[You] continue to ignore the fact that your office answers to the citizens of Broward County and your answers to my requests are a clear attempt to intentionally skirt compliance with Florida Law by charging such ludicrous amounts, amounts which no ordinary citizen could afford.”
He’ll sue Finkelstein to get the information, Arreaza said Wednesday, but he has not yet filed a lawsuit.
Finkelstein says Arreaza is attempting to use public records -- supplied with taxpayers’ money -- to fuel a campaign lacking in supporters and contributions.
“It seems as though Mr. Arreaza is attempting to use the legal process and public records request for his campaign,” Finkelstein said Wednesday. “That’s not what the law was meant for.”"
DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW
Arreaza threatens suit over $100,000 records request bills
"Alex Arreaza, a Democrat challenging Finkelstein in the Aug. 26 primary, filed two requests for employment information on the office’s leadership team, employees who have left in the past year and any documents on Finkelstein’s television consumer action segment. 
The high price tag is technology driven. Catherine Keuthan, Finkelstein’s executive chief assistant, said a bill totaling more than $97,000 includes a computer consultant’s estimate of $96,000 for labor, hardward and software...
“Because the amounts requested by your office are so absurd and given in bad faith, I am therefore left with no choice but to pursue this matter in court,” he wrote Finkelstein last week. “I will pursue this abuse aggressively and without reserve.”...
“If I were to spend all that money, you would be writing a story about how I’m fiscally irresponsible,” he said in an interview. “It’s not a matter of not giving him whatever he wants. We don’t know what he wants. He doesn’t know what he wants either. It’s a fishing expedition.”...
In an interview, Arreaza said he would probably file suit within the next few weeks...
Arreaza argues his request is already specific and doesn’t understand why it should be so costly. He said there shouldn’t be any records about “Help Me Howard” because it would be illegal to do private work on public time.
“Why would they charge me almost $100,000 for information that is not supposed to be there to begin with?” he asked.
First Amendment Foundation president Barbara Petersen said she is baffled by the large price tag and calls it “ludicrous” that Finkelstein’s office doesn’t own software to search its e-mail.
“In my experience, high price tags usually mean either the agency doesn’t want to be bothered and they are simply hoping the requester will go away, or they don’t want to turn over what they are asked to turn over,” she said.
Finkelstein said Petersen’s statement does not apply in his case. He said his office barely has enough money to pay lawyers a living wage, let alone computer system extras.
Finkelstein said his office usually is able to easily comply with public-records requests but Arreaza’s are overly broad.
“He’s a lawyer,” Finkelstein said. “He should know how to focus and frame a question to gather what he really wants so he doesn’t cripple an agency that’s already been crippled by the budget cuts.”"
Arreaza's Public Records Request
boy, this is geting interesting. Arreaza doesn't quit easily, does he?
whats next Alex? I cant wait.
Alex, ask finkelstein and keuthan about their own high priced computer consultants in the public defender's office, she could get this information to you in no time. Sounds like you know what you are requesting, doesn't sound that difficult, sounds like they just don't want to hand it over. They pay her a fortune.
It is funny that howard says that he can barely pay his lawyers a living wage, maybe it is because he is paying the supervisors in excess of $100,000. a year, bob wills make largely in excess of $100,000. keuthan also michaelson also let us see? These supervisors do nothing but hang with howie and try to keep him standing>
Where is the state attorney, mike satz? Why is his office not reviewing the finkelstein matters? Finkelstein is now admitting that he pays his employees to perform the help me howard segment. When in a prior sun sentinel article he stated that channel 7 did all the leg work for help me how what other employees are doing the help me howard segments, how much, what hours, there are so many questions to be asked and the taxpayers need the answers, why isn't this being investigated? we are all tired of these cozy deals? They expect Alex who is running a small law firm with limited resources to do the investigation on his own? This cries out for the State Attorney to look into this, isn't this a perfect example of abuse of office? Wasting taxpayer money for private gain? And finkelstein's answers are basically lame, they don't respond to the heart of the issue. That being employees are performing help me howard work during work hours?, and everybody knows that it is a soft job to begin with, when Finkeltein says that his supervisors work obsessively that is a bogus argument, let's get statements from other employees and secretaries and everybody who knows the facts, do we expect Alex to perform that task? What official position does he hold that he can ask for statements from these employees? we need mike satz to investigate.
The Florida Ethic Comm. asked for more information from Alex, well he has more information, it is finkelstein's own admissions, his own quotes. Finkelstein states 1. "he and his supervisors work obessesive hours that go beyond the standard 9 - 5" does that mean that they can work during 9 -5 to perform help me howard work? Is finkelstein implying by the fact that they work beyond 9 -5 that they can work during 9 - 5 on the help me howard segement, is he setting up a defense by saying they work hard and work beyond 5 sometimes that they can work during the 9 - 5 schedule and do help me howard work? we all know that these supervisors have rarely if even ever worked 9 - 5, if statements are taken from other employees past and present it will show they are not there 9 - 5. This is a false argument and absurd argument, it is an absolute CONFLICT and how does howie supervise and decide when they should work on the help me howard segment and indigent representation? 2. "taxpayer time is time for us to get the job done, michaelson's spare time is anytime that doesn't interfere with his doing his job" this is the world according to finkelstein, his own set of rules, he is now telling the taxpayers that any spare time an employee has including during 9- 5 may be used for the help me howard segment, who is going to buy this argument, it is improper and unethical and may be a violation of the law. 3. finkelstein said "his office barely has enough money to pay lawyers a living wage, let alone computer system extras" this again is an untrue statement under the public information act you can review the salaries of his top brass, the salaries are over $100,000. count how many employees are making a good salary at his office, finkelstein again is being an obstructionist and doesn't want to provide the information, we need an agency to step forward and investigate, speciafically the state attorney's office. It is incomprehensable how these agencies are placing the burden of proof upon Alex, when the Florida Ethics Comm. and the State Atty office has the resources to investigate, Alex has presented a prima fascia case, he has met the threshold some agency now must bring it forward. Finkelstein's quotes are as his mental state is attacking and viscious and not informative and not responsive to the questions, again displaying his angry mood to hide the real truth.
Wow, this is unbelievable, first Alex asks for Michelson tax returns and they are released. When that doesn't back up his claim he next he files a 119 public records request. Howard gives it to him at 1/3 the cost of a similar request in the Jacksonville State Attorney race and Alex threatens to sue. As a taxpayer I am appalled that Howard would not charge as much as they are in Jacksonville and wonder why anyone would vote for Alex when he wants the taxpayers to pay for his fishing expedition. Now he wants the State attorney to waste their limited resource's to do his fishing for him. Broward County and the State of Florida should not let Alex get anywhere near a State supported budget.
Where is Michaelson? He is not only the weak link in this chain of events, but now he is the missing link? Let's look for his footprints in the Alaskan wilderness, will he retire? and take a long cruise to try not to answer any questions from the IRS Florida ethics comm. or possibly a state attorney's investigation. I's like to see his head now, his head must be spinning, he must look like the exorcist? Do you want this guy riding in the front seat when the wars begin?
Alex can I have a job? I cant wait to tell a judge who wants be back in trial @ 8:30 a.m. that I only work 9-5. Trial goes past 5p.m., no problem they can continue without me because I go home at 5p.m. No more night and weekend jail visits. You got my vote.
I work way more than 9-5. I have to run off to the jails all the time. I have over 100 cases. I have no supervisor and no mentor. Oh, and I barely make enough money to pay my rent. In fact, I think my secretary makes more than I do. Who am I? (hint: think of the letters PD).
Hey, Alex: Ask Ross and Co. about why they pulled the same game every time a Public Records Request was served to them. It happened every time more times than I can remember.
Better take a different tact. If this is all you've got, It ain't gonna get you any more votes than the one vote you get from your wife.
Get your 2 years of experience and run honey! The longer you stay the more comfortable you get. There are only so many comfy supervisor positions available.
The supervisors can you find them on a friday afternoon, supervisors are very rarely in a courtroom. The hardest working individuals are the asst. public defenders, who are in the trial divisions and actually trying cases. Everybody in that courthouse knows that the supervisors are semiretired, they are the same supervisors that schreiber had, they haven't worked a real days work in over 25 years. Finkelstein's comments about them being overworked is a joke. Now that finkelstein is up for reelection this is the hardest they have worked defending his improprieties and stonewalling any serious review of office policy. We need an agency to come in there and review the alleged wrongdoings. Who is going to step up to the plate, everyone is hoping that satz comes to the rescue.
Finkelstein says that michaelson works 1 hour a week doing the legal research for the help me howard segments, let's get michaelson under oath stating how much time he is investing in the research because other employees will challenge those conclusions, also how does finkelstein decide what salary he pays michaelson for the public defender's job when does he decide if a raise is do, or does he say that I am paying you so much money as chief asst supervisor that I can pay you less for your help me howard research, it just smells, it smells like rotten fish, this is why finkelstein shouldn't be serving two masters, the taxpayers as the public defender and channel 7 the producers. The ethics comm. the state atty need to inquire, because this is just what finkelstein admits to, so much more will be placed on view many in the courthouse for a long time have believed he is violating the public trust and now their thoughts are being confirmed by finkelstein's own statements and again if everything is clean and above board why isn't michaelson speaking for himself, why isn't one of the newpapers doing their due diligence. It will come out and those who have supported finkelstein in the past will be disappointed but those in the know and know the workings of the pd's office know that schreiber closed his eyes to finkelstein's time consuming work for channel 7 and state employees assisting finkelstein and now 4 years have past whereby finkelstein has been the public defender and the conduct and procedures that he used in the past are still the same, it smells like corruption at the highest level at the pd's office?
With all of these cluster posts Alex now has a lot more of his posting evidence to back his claims. When will he get some real evidence. Maybe someone will believe him if you keep posting without any evidence. You guys must be getting desperate as there are only 10 days left to come up with something, anything besides your own anonymous posts to back your cowardly claims.
By the way it's a beautiful day. Maybe you should go outside and enjoy it as it appears the nonsense is about to end in 10 days
ok, Howie Hater, answer the questions raised by job seeker. No trial past 5 p.m. or earlier than 9 a.m.? Oh, your honor, we need to stop by 3 today so I can consult with my client in jail and be out by 5. And if we go until 5, I'll need at least an hour in the morning to consult and prepare my cross, so can we start no earlier than 11, please? ROFL Take your 9 to 5 fantasy job and get a life. Oh, you're prepared to start paying PDs overtime? GREAT, I thought you sounded like the generous type of taxpayer that really appreciates the work of civil servants...
i work with dumm dumms. arreaza was making a point and was not referring to the actual hours we work. arreaza knows we work hard and logn hours. what he said is still true: to have any of us work for hmh while in the office is misusing state resources. and don't lie, several of us have worked on that bs show for howard for years. enough of that crap. howard can eat me. come on alex, help us out.
Mr. Finkelstein either your computer systems vendor is raping the county and us taxpayers or you are a liar.
I have been programming systems for more than 17 years and I can say that it should take no more than 20 hours to complete the task of querying records and printing them out.
At my rate of $85 per hour, I would charge you $1,700, not $100,000.
You are a fraud.
Gosh, ALex, you're up late! Better spend more time on the election trail and less time inventing ideas that won't fly. What in the world are you thinking, or are you?
thank you computer programmer, not to mention finkelstein has a very expensive, highly skilled computer programmer on the payroll maybe even two. She would be able to do this in no time.
It is very strange that the jaab would bury the story arreaza still swinging, it was put on at 9:30 p.m. and then so many stories went up right after that, how often does that happen? The jaab placed so much importance on ostrow and ufo's that as soon as you opened, there was that crazy picture. finkelstein, gelin ivaschuk keep burying finkelstein's negative stories.
Loved the UFO story. Areazza's story seems to me to be but an unregistered blip on a radar screen that's soon to have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. Check your screen come August.
Yeah. I wonder if Ostrow was seeing UFOs before or after doing the Blow?
Keeps swinging? Think you mean floundering, don't you?
Finkelstein says that Alex should know how to focus and frame a question, when was the last time finkelstein was in a courtroom trying a case, everyone knows his office hours, his leisurely approach to his public defender assignments, there is no reason why he should not be trying cases for the indigent, is he just supervising the supervisors who also aren't trying cases and aren't in the trenches, maybe finkelstein should seek a 3rd job, he has enough time, maybe a security job in the lobby.
Areazza focus on a platform for PD? What platform? He's never had one accept to be a pain in the butt to someone who's doing a good job. I haven't heard one thing he has to say about why he thinks he could do a better job than FInkelstein. As a matter of fact, I haven't heard him say anything other than this Lewis style attack that won't work. Maybe to settle things Ross ought to step up and debate Finkelstein. He's the one behind this Areazza anyway and there's no one that doesn't know it.
That's all the guy talks about in the courthouse is how he put Areaza up to running for PD. Sad but true Broward stinky politics at work again. They are going to fail anyway. These punks should get a life. And this is the former chief judge of this place? Doesn't he a a restaurant to run pushing sloppy Joes?
Alex's new campaign song:
"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton
I heard Schreiber put Areazza up to running against Finkelstein, it is as likely to be as true as Ross putting Araezza up to. Schreiber has big an ax to grind with Finkelstein as anyone, Howard had no life without schreiber and he stabbed schreiber in the back. Everyone knows schreiber can't stand finkelstein. You sound so crazy saying Ross put anyone up to this.
It's not Schreib's style to put up a candidate without letting everybody know he's the brains behind the operation. Besides, Lewis was telling the courthouse Alex was a candidate long before it hit the papers, and I don't think he and the Bossman consult on these things...
Alex.. Anne.. you guys find a legal gig yet? Gary you holding?
I read this guy in the Slum Sentnal this morning. Same exact posy. Gotcha Man !!! I told you before hamster testicle breath, you can run but you can't hide. Alex, go take some meds.
He was "luis" in the Sun Sentinal article. Now he is "Programmer". Alex.... stop it. Dad giving you money to support the kids?
Post in slum sentinal today..
Posted by: luis | June 28, 2008 8:57 PM
Mr. Finkelstein either your computer systems vendor is raping the county and us taxpayers or you are a liar.
I have been programming systems for more than 17 years and I can say that it should take no more than 20 hours to complete the task of querying records and printing them out.
At my rate of $85 per hour, I would charge you $1,700, not $100,000.
You are a fraud, sir.
Alex.... Is your dad helping feed the kids. You got a legal gig yet? What's your staus? I alwyas thought you were a square guy but you are hurting a lot of people who don't deserve it. I will remember buddy, count on it.
i second that motion, counselor.
How come Arreaza has a Howes sign in front of his office but nothing for his own campaign (for lack of a better term)?
WHO YOU WORKING FOR ARREAZA?
I know, I know.... Alex is workign for the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!
At least that's what Finkelstein says.... but wait, isn't the MAN a jew?
Hey that's not cool... "you spics need to go back to where you came from", just like Finkelstein said.
Damn that man is always right.