When looking through contributions made to Victor Crist during his run for District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner, there are large amounts of similar contributions from relatable companies. The list ranges from agricultural companies to police and lawyers, bail bond companies to transportation services, and from green enterprises to manufacturing companies. Out of the monetary contributions of $151,675.71 only $5,880 was taken out by Crist in loans to help pay for his campaign.
A majority of the contributors to Crist’s campaign gave the limit of $500 while a large portion of the remaining contributors gave $100. Expenditures within the campaign remained along the lines of typical campaigning. Items like supplies, space rental, campaign development, advertising, and communication ranked among the top expenditures.
All the money paid off with Crist winning District 2 with 72% of the votes.
To better understand why there were so many contributions coming from similar companies one must look into the work Crist has done since his political debut in 1992.
Crist is not new to Tampa Bay or the political gamut. Crist’s family relocated from New Orleans, Louisiana to Treasure Island, Florida in 1968, and has lived in north Hillsborough since 1980. As a 1983 graduate of USF, Crist put his degree in Communications to work through his advertising business, Metropolitan Communications.
In 1992, Crist decided to make the adjustment from private citizen to public figure. Crist served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 until 2000. After eight year in the House, Crist was elected to the Florida Senate and re-elected to serve two full terms.
During his time as Senator Crist was extremely active in various committees.
Crist was chair of the Senate Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations. This position entitled Crist to design the Florida budget for both public safety and the court system. He spearheaded legislation involving “10-20-Life” and the “3-Strikes Violent Felony Offender Act.”
Crist actively served on the Committee on Commerce to improve communities and begin economic job opportunities.
Crist served as a member of the Policy and Steering Committee on Way & Means. Ways & Means committee supported education, strengthen and protect Florida’s children and families and protect the environment. He was also nominated to serve on the board of the Institute for Non-Violence.
Crist also reviewed the issues revolving around lethal injection and served on the Florida Digital Divide Council from 2002 to 2004.
Throughout his time in office, Crist worked diligently as president of the USF Area Community Civic Association. His work with the community and law enforcement was able to improve “Suit Case City.” In a recent article in the Tampa Tribune Crist’s work with the USF community was mentioned in their endorsement. “Crist has worked hard to improve neighborhoods around USF. He can be counted on to study the issues and advocate low taxes and efficient government. In District 2, the Tribune endorses Victor Crist.” Crist also was involved in the review of bills like Background Screening Legislation, Medicaid Buy-In Programs for Persons with Disabilities, Restricting Sexual Offenders, Locksmith Services Act, Mental Health Parity, and Protect Consumers from Unwanted Solicitation on Cellular Phones.
“As a legislator, he focused on the struggling neighborhoods near the University of South Florida in north Tampa. He is also a good retail politician: accessible, open, hard-working and committed to constituent service,” St. Pete Times, October 2010.
Crist has made sure that through his political endeavors he has made his mark. With endorsements from the Tampa Tribune, St. Pete Times, Florida Sentinel Bulletin, NRA, Unified Sportsman of Florida and his long list of public service it is hard not to see where his views lie.
Some public service positions have included: Chairman of the University Community New Image Revitalization Task Force, former Treasure Island Volunteer Fire Department, Hillsborough County Audit Oversight Committee, Bay Area Legislative Delegation etc.
For all the public service positions Crist has held there is a slew of awards and honors to follow: L. Clayton Nance Award in Appreciation for Devotion to Public Service, Legislature of the Year from the Florida Juvenile Justice Board, Outstanding Dedication and Personal Support Award from the Florida Holocaust Museum etc. The total awards and honors extend past 100 since 1991.
Like his list of honors, Crist has kept his background very honorable as well. He has never been arrested or charged with any civil or criminal acts. No political contributions have been made under Crist’s name or under his wife Angela S. Crist’s name. His driving record is clean as well.
Crist and his wife Angela, were married in 2005 and moved to Tampa Palms South Area in December 2006. They live in a five bedroom, three bath house that was built in 1992 on a corner lot. The house was purchased for $370,000 at the peak of the housing boom. At current market prices the house has depreciated in value to $241,940. Current taxes on the residence near the $1000 mark. Each year taxes have been paid diligently.
Being able to better aspects of people’s life has been a large focus throughout Crist’s career which has shown through in contributions made to his County Commissioner campaign. Those organizations that protect and serve readily supported Crist. As well as organizations that has felt the effects of Crist’s leadership while elected as Senator.
“…citizens… who respect the strong and efficient enforcement of our laws… support… Victor Crist,” West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association.
Sources:
Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections- Victor Crist 2010 Election Cycle
VC Campaign Contributions
VC Campaign Expenditures
Tampa Tribune- ref Crist's Character/Endorsement
St. Pete Times- ref Crist's Character/Endorsement
West Central Florida Police Benevolent Assc- ref Crist's Character/Endorsement
VictorCrist.com- Public Service
VictorCrist.com- Awards and Honors
FormerFlStateSenator.com- Victor Crist Bio
FormerFlStateSenator.com- Senate Bill Summary
HCSO- Arrest Records/DUI
HCSO- Sexual Offenders
Opensecrets.org- Political Contributions
Opensecrets.org- Contributors of Crist while in Senate (FL Bankers Assn.)
HCPA- Property Appraisal/ when purchased/ taxes/ general warranty deed
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Words that shouldn't be combined... True Enough
"...although I got annoyed with the stupidity it was a much appreciated emotion."
Ahhhh my sentiments about Farhad Manjoo's book "True Enough" from a previous semester. They still hold true too because I have had a semester to witness the world around me fall prey to the many topics covered in Manjoo's book.
Last semester I lambasted my fiancé for his choice of selective perception/exposure. His enthusiasm for Glenn Beck is not a trait we had in common, but I have grown to tolerate Beck in small portions. My fiancé, however, still remains blissfully ignorant that there are other news sources out their besides Fox News.
You don't have to be a mass communication student to realize that objectivity in news appears to be a lost art.
"It's this system- the multichannel, watch-what-you-want-to-believe world...that is now working against the sort of "objective" news..."
Ask anyone you know and they have certain news outlets that are their regular sources. It is generally the outlets that agree with their personal beliefs. It's not a malicious act that they are taking part in; it's human nature. Our brain seems to be programmed to accept the things we agree with and be content with only that information. It takes a particular mind to research beyond what they believe to see what else is out there. The lack of objectivity in news helps to propel the instinct of "biased assimilation" that is already ingrained in people.
“…people accepted at face value the data that aligned with their position.”
It is not shocking because of obvious bias in news that people have become skeptical of the news. But it has gone past just basic skepticism of what people write. It is now what they see as well in photos. Photoshop and a few bad photojournalists have changed the outlook that “a picture is worth a thousand words” to “is that real.” It is a sad realization for those in the industry that are still true to the art of written word and photos, but a battle that has become common.
This semester I had the pleasure of working as an intern with Creative Loafing in the News and Politics department. On orientation day with my “boss” Mitch Perry (the only paid person in the News/Politics department) I was given a run-down of CL’s daily activities.
A day begins by reading the newspapers. I tried not to spit venom when he told me that because I am just old-fashioned enough to love reading newspapers. So you get the information from the newspapers to either help begin a story or to do a follow-up story. From there you do the reporterly duties etc etc. When the writing process begins, let creativity flow.
“We are a news source so we must have our stories BASED in truth but because we are TECHNICALLY a blog, we can add in some OPINION.”
That statement irked me to the core because I had already read Manjoo. A news outlet that I thought was new but reputable just sank to my “skepticism” list. How the mighty have fallen.
So I was sent on assignments to write about important events. Events I wanted to look at objectively because that is what I have been taught. I hoped my stories came out without bias and with as much concrete evidence as possible. But as I wrote my final article for CL, I could see that my agenda had shown through. I had broken a critical rule for journalists. My objectivity and bias, like my naivety, had ended with this internship.
How could reader’s who are not aware of CL’s opinion based reporting completely believe what they write? It’s a question asked about any blog someone reads. As one of my professor’s for beginning reporting Dan Ruth once said, “Blogs are like assholes. Everyone has one.”
There is actually a new superhero show coming out sometime on some channel I can’t remember, but the superhero’s object of affection is an investigative blogger!! I guess the producers were going for a high-tech Lois Lane.
Blogs along with technology in general have changed the way news is received. Everyone is trying to get their opinion out there and pass it off as real news. This makes it harder for those that still believe in the institution of researching and un-bias delivery. One begins to constantly question the expertise of the journalists and anchors. Who are they to say that this is correct or even news worthy?
It’s a part of life. Journalist will just have to work twice as hard to help re-create the expertise that has been lost through technology.
Ahhhh my sentiments about Farhad Manjoo's book "True Enough" from a previous semester. They still hold true too because I have had a semester to witness the world around me fall prey to the many topics covered in Manjoo's book.
Last semester I lambasted my fiancé for his choice of selective perception/exposure. His enthusiasm for Glenn Beck is not a trait we had in common, but I have grown to tolerate Beck in small portions. My fiancé, however, still remains blissfully ignorant that there are other news sources out their besides Fox News.
You don't have to be a mass communication student to realize that objectivity in news appears to be a lost art.
"It's this system- the multichannel, watch-what-you-want-to-believe world...that is now working against the sort of "objective" news..."
Ask anyone you know and they have certain news outlets that are their regular sources. It is generally the outlets that agree with their personal beliefs. It's not a malicious act that they are taking part in; it's human nature. Our brain seems to be programmed to accept the things we agree with and be content with only that information. It takes a particular mind to research beyond what they believe to see what else is out there. The lack of objectivity in news helps to propel the instinct of "biased assimilation" that is already ingrained in people.
“…people accepted at face value the data that aligned with their position.”
It is not shocking because of obvious bias in news that people have become skeptical of the news. But it has gone past just basic skepticism of what people write. It is now what they see as well in photos. Photoshop and a few bad photojournalists have changed the outlook that “a picture is worth a thousand words” to “is that real.” It is a sad realization for those in the industry that are still true to the art of written word and photos, but a battle that has become common.
This semester I had the pleasure of working as an intern with Creative Loafing in the News and Politics department. On orientation day with my “boss” Mitch Perry (the only paid person in the News/Politics department) I was given a run-down of CL’s daily activities.
A day begins by reading the newspapers. I tried not to spit venom when he told me that because I am just old-fashioned enough to love reading newspapers. So you get the information from the newspapers to either help begin a story or to do a follow-up story. From there you do the reporterly duties etc etc. When the writing process begins, let creativity flow.
“We are a news source so we must have our stories BASED in truth but because we are TECHNICALLY a blog, we can add in some OPINION.”
That statement irked me to the core because I had already read Manjoo. A news outlet that I thought was new but reputable just sank to my “skepticism” list. How the mighty have fallen.
So I was sent on assignments to write about important events. Events I wanted to look at objectively because that is what I have been taught. I hoped my stories came out without bias and with as much concrete evidence as possible. But as I wrote my final article for CL, I could see that my agenda had shown through. I had broken a critical rule for journalists. My objectivity and bias, like my naivety, had ended with this internship.
How could reader’s who are not aware of CL’s opinion based reporting completely believe what they write? It’s a question asked about any blog someone reads. As one of my professor’s for beginning reporting Dan Ruth once said, “Blogs are like assholes. Everyone has one.”
There is actually a new superhero show coming out sometime on some channel I can’t remember, but the superhero’s object of affection is an investigative blogger!! I guess the producers were going for a high-tech Lois Lane.
Blogs along with technology in general have changed the way news is received. Everyone is trying to get their opinion out there and pass it off as real news. This makes it harder for those that still believe in the institution of researching and un-bias delivery. One begins to constantly question the expertise of the journalists and anchors. Who are they to say that this is correct or even news worthy?
It’s a part of life. Journalist will just have to work twice as hard to help re-create the expertise that has been lost through technology.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Traffic Court
Between classes, work and an internship my schedule is very hectic. So when looking for a court experience, my options were very limited. I was actually talking to a friend about my difficulties finding a time when I could get my court experience when the mentioned traffic court. It may not be the most glamorous experience but it is definitely a common experience among many people.
I have known people who have gone to traffic court as well as almost going to court myself, but the need to drive an hour for the court session made fighting the ticket less important.
Getting into Tampa Traffic Court was slightly difficult so I used my connections back home with police officers to get into the Brooksville Traffic Court. The appearance of our courthouse is less than awe-inspiring. It’s an old brick building that has all the appearances of an old-time courthouse with the white columns and statues. An annex of the courthouse that is the newest building in downtown Brooksville is where the Traffic Court was held. It is a moderate size 3-floor building that was built about 18 years ago. However, the inside has all the modern updates of 2010.
Like I said before, traffic court is not glamorous. You sit and wait for your name to be called. If your last name is towards the end of the alphabet you are going to be sitting there for awhile. Many times, cases get dropped because the officer who wrote the ticket does not show.
The area that encompasses Brooksville, Ridge Manor, Hill N Dale and Spring Lake is notorious for traffic stops. I went two months in Tampa without a headlight and never got pulled over. I was in Brooksville for 10 minutes and got pulled over. Luckily my car is a 1993, and water was in the headlight so bulbs blew out when turned on, so I only got a warning.
Traffic tickets can be issued for violations of traffic laws and other non-traffic offenses. Some people were at court not because they were speeding, head-lights weren’t turned on or broken etc, but were there for infractions they made on bicycles.
When I heard the case about the bicycle, I wanted to laugh. Apparently the bicyclist failed to follow protocol when crossing the street. This led to an officer pulling them over and giving them a $100 ticket. I couldn’t believe that they got a ticket and that it was $100!! I felt like the officer was just trying to get their quota. Ironically, the officer was not in attendance once the person’s name was called and the ticket was dropped.
There were more interesting cases for speeding where people chose to bring a lawyer. Speeding in excess of 120 mph is obviously frowned upon, but this motorcyclist thought he was king of the road. I should mention that this was on a 50 mph back road. His lawyer put up a fair fight about the motorcyclist needing to be somewhere important, but the judge wasn’t buying it. The motorcyclist had to pay his $700 ticket along with taking safety courses.
I was shocked to see so many people in attendance at traffic court, but growing up in the area I knew why. Some officers in the area make a name for themselves by pulling over so many people. A few people at court that day had indeed been pulled over by those officers. Unfortunately, for the offenders those officers are strict about their tickets. They were in attendance and the tickets did not get dropped.
Traffic Court may not be as glamorous as a murder case, but the hilarity of some people made it worth it. I am glad that I was able to do it in my hometown too because it made it all the more amusing.
I have known people who have gone to traffic court as well as almost going to court myself, but the need to drive an hour for the court session made fighting the ticket less important.
Getting into Tampa Traffic Court was slightly difficult so I used my connections back home with police officers to get into the Brooksville Traffic Court. The appearance of our courthouse is less than awe-inspiring. It’s an old brick building that has all the appearances of an old-time courthouse with the white columns and statues. An annex of the courthouse that is the newest building in downtown Brooksville is where the Traffic Court was held. It is a moderate size 3-floor building that was built about 18 years ago. However, the inside has all the modern updates of 2010.
Like I said before, traffic court is not glamorous. You sit and wait for your name to be called. If your last name is towards the end of the alphabet you are going to be sitting there for awhile. Many times, cases get dropped because the officer who wrote the ticket does not show.
The area that encompasses Brooksville, Ridge Manor, Hill N Dale and Spring Lake is notorious for traffic stops. I went two months in Tampa without a headlight and never got pulled over. I was in Brooksville for 10 minutes and got pulled over. Luckily my car is a 1993, and water was in the headlight so bulbs blew out when turned on, so I only got a warning.
Traffic tickets can be issued for violations of traffic laws and other non-traffic offenses. Some people were at court not because they were speeding, head-lights weren’t turned on or broken etc, but were there for infractions they made on bicycles.
When I heard the case about the bicycle, I wanted to laugh. Apparently the bicyclist failed to follow protocol when crossing the street. This led to an officer pulling them over and giving them a $100 ticket. I couldn’t believe that they got a ticket and that it was $100!! I felt like the officer was just trying to get their quota. Ironically, the officer was not in attendance once the person’s name was called and the ticket was dropped.
There were more interesting cases for speeding where people chose to bring a lawyer. Speeding in excess of 120 mph is obviously frowned upon, but this motorcyclist thought he was king of the road. I should mention that this was on a 50 mph back road. His lawyer put up a fair fight about the motorcyclist needing to be somewhere important, but the judge wasn’t buying it. The motorcyclist had to pay his $700 ticket along with taking safety courses.
I was shocked to see so many people in attendance at traffic court, but growing up in the area I knew why. Some officers in the area make a name for themselves by pulling over so many people. A few people at court that day had indeed been pulled over by those officers. Unfortunately, for the offenders those officers are strict about their tickets. They were in attendance and the tickets did not get dropped.
Traffic Court may not be as glamorous as a murder case, but the hilarity of some people made it worth it. I am glad that I was able to do it in my hometown too because it made it all the more amusing.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Hunt for Political Information
You hear it time and time again. It seems to be the mantra of every reporter. "Follow the money." When you are a political reporter like Windy March, money can lead to a variety of stories.
In the instance of Mark Jimenez, the money he contributed to the Clinton campaign led to a story of money laundering.
It was very interesting to see the many different sites used in order to comprise a story. While the FEC website seemed to be a given, I was surprised to hear that March uses the IRS website too. It makes sense though once you consider the work the IRS does.
When writing a story about a political candidate, those who give money to a campaign etc the steps are very similar to those of any other sotry.
Pick the subject of interest and research them.
Look for any anomolies in transactions or those surrounding them.
Follow the money. See if people donating money have donated before, if they are registered to vote, if they are donating money to the party they are registered. Also, check to see when/if they have voted.
Use your sources (many of which can be found online for a political reporter). Sites like: http://www.opensecrets.org/, http://moneyline.cq.com/pml/home.do , and http://thomas.loc.gov/ can prove to be very useful.
Opensecrets allows the public to track federal campaign finance records. Moneyline also allows the public to check federal records but can sometimes prove to be easier to use. Thomas.loc.gov can be used to research federal legislation by topic. With loc.gov, you are able to see who voted for what bill and which side of the line they fell on.
There are many sites available not only to reporters but also the public so that people can be aware of what is happening in politics. It helps though as a reporter to have the vast amount of information available regularly so that a story can be written well and useful to the public.
I still marvel at how much information you can find online.
In the instance of Mark Jimenez, the money he contributed to the Clinton campaign led to a story of money laundering.
It was very interesting to see the many different sites used in order to comprise a story. While the FEC website seemed to be a given, I was surprised to hear that March uses the IRS website too. It makes sense though once you consider the work the IRS does.
When writing a story about a political candidate, those who give money to a campaign etc the steps are very similar to those of any other sotry.
Pick the subject of interest and research them.
Look for any anomolies in transactions or those surrounding them.
Follow the money. See if people donating money have donated before, if they are registered to vote, if they are donating money to the party they are registered. Also, check to see when/if they have voted.
Use your sources (many of which can be found online for a political reporter). Sites like: http://www.opensecrets.org/, http://moneyline.cq.com/pml/home.do , and http://thomas.loc.gov/ can prove to be very useful.
Opensecrets allows the public to track federal campaign finance records. Moneyline also allows the public to check federal records but can sometimes prove to be easier to use. Thomas.loc.gov can be used to research federal legislation by topic. With loc.gov, you are able to see who voted for what bill and which side of the line they fell on.
There are many sites available not only to reporters but also the public so that people can be aware of what is happening in politics. It helps though as a reporter to have the vast amount of information available regularly so that a story can be written well and useful to the public.
I still marvel at how much information you can find online.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Wonderful World of Budgets
Budgets- something the federal government has forgotten about...
Is it bad that that is the first thing I thought of when I heard Preston Trigg say the word budgets? Oh well...lets try again.
Budgets- a surprising wealth of information for journalists when researching government's revenue and expenses
Budgets may be a wealth of information, but knowing how to read and fully understand a budget can be complicated. Like many other students, I am part of an organization on campus. Like businesses and state government, my organization has a budget. Each semester we adopt the budget after thorough deliberation. There's the typical arguments of why funds are being transferred, why more money is allocated to one area over another etc. It is the same situations every semester, and after 2 1/2 years of it I'm used to budgets.
But there is a key difference between the budget of a school organization and a government office. Government affects more than the 50 or so people involved in it!
As Trigg so aptly put it "Budgets are the heart of a government entity." One of the best ways to get a story out of a budget is to follow the money. Almost all budgets are balanced. Although the federal government is not required to balance the budget.
Budgets may include information like growth projection, population, number of employees or an organizational chart. Budgets also cover all aspects of revenues and expenses including debt which is usually in the form of bonds.
When looking through a budget check for noticeable decreases and increases. Those changes can lead to stories much larger than the projected number. Under the expenses section there are 3 sub-sections: personnel, capital and operating.
Capital means a one time purchase over $1000. If you see that there was an increase in capital, check out why the government is paying over $1000 for the specific item. The item may be necessary or it may be a frivolous expense. In relation to that item see if there was supposed to be budget cuts for the fiscal year. How does that capital expense effect the budget?
If you don't understand the budget ask someone. There are a million clues to look for in a budget that can lead to a bigger story.
Is it bad that that is the first thing I thought of when I heard Preston Trigg say the word budgets? Oh well...lets try again.
Budgets- a surprising wealth of information for journalists when researching government's revenue and expenses
Budgets may be a wealth of information, but knowing how to read and fully understand a budget can be complicated. Like many other students, I am part of an organization on campus. Like businesses and state government, my organization has a budget. Each semester we adopt the budget after thorough deliberation. There's the typical arguments of why funds are being transferred, why more money is allocated to one area over another etc. It is the same situations every semester, and after 2 1/2 years of it I'm used to budgets.
But there is a key difference between the budget of a school organization and a government office. Government affects more than the 50 or so people involved in it!
As Trigg so aptly put it "Budgets are the heart of a government entity." One of the best ways to get a story out of a budget is to follow the money. Almost all budgets are balanced. Although the federal government is not required to balance the budget.
Budgets may include information like growth projection, population, number of employees or an organizational chart. Budgets also cover all aspects of revenues and expenses including debt which is usually in the form of bonds.
When looking through a budget check for noticeable decreases and increases. Those changes can lead to stories much larger than the projected number. Under the expenses section there are 3 sub-sections: personnel, capital and operating.
Capital means a one time purchase over $1000. If you see that there was an increase in capital, check out why the government is paying over $1000 for the specific item. The item may be necessary or it may be a frivolous expense. In relation to that item see if there was supposed to be budget cuts for the fiscal year. How does that capital expense effect the budget?
If you don't understand the budget ask someone. There are a million clues to look for in a budget that can lead to a bigger story.
The Thrills of Voting
I have been registered to vote since I graduated from high school, but I will admit in the last four years; yesterday was the first time I voted. I drove an hour to my hometown to vote because I wanted to make sure that my opinion was counted. I even wrote an article for my internship "Younger voters still excited in 2010" that was posted yesterday morning about voting.
I voted with my mom. It was a moment of nostalgia because as a child she would bring me with her while she voted in hopes to instill patriotism in her young daughter. My story of accomplishment in my vote is minimal to what I saw yesterday at my local voting station.
The lines were not long but the people coming in and out was in a steady flow. The people weren't angry. Even the police officer watching the polling station was in plain clothes. On a cloudy day in a small church in Brooksville, Republicans, Democrats and Independants alike said hello and held doors for each other. I saw a grandmother, mother and son (no older than 19)walk in to the church together to vote. Three generations came together to vote. What and who they voted for I don't know. But it was the fact they were there together that made an impression.
Happy volunteers greeted people and directed them to their voting stations. Thank you and have a great day was heard throughout the small room. A man brought his young daughter with him to vote. It made me smile thinking of all the times I went with my mom. I thought maybe she'll come here when she's my age with her dad again.
Many of my friends told me how they were excited about voting and making themselves heard. I know though that not all college students have the same mentality, but to know that there are some people out there my age that care enough to try is uplifting. I've been told before by strangers at political events old enough to be my grandparent that "it brings them joy to see so many young people invested in their country. Because when they are gone, they have hope that things will carry on."
The results of voting obviously made a huge statement, but it was people watching that gave me the most satisfaction. Maybe it was the small town atmosphere and the cordial people, but I felt proud to be apart of something bigger than myself in an place that makes you feel small.
I voted with my mom. It was a moment of nostalgia because as a child she would bring me with her while she voted in hopes to instill patriotism in her young daughter. My story of accomplishment in my vote is minimal to what I saw yesterday at my local voting station.
The lines were not long but the people coming in and out was in a steady flow. The people weren't angry. Even the police officer watching the polling station was in plain clothes. On a cloudy day in a small church in Brooksville, Republicans, Democrats and Independants alike said hello and held doors for each other. I saw a grandmother, mother and son (no older than 19)walk in to the church together to vote. Three generations came together to vote. What and who they voted for I don't know. But it was the fact they were there together that made an impression.
Happy volunteers greeted people and directed them to their voting stations. Thank you and have a great day was heard throughout the small room. A man brought his young daughter with him to vote. It made me smile thinking of all the times I went with my mom. I thought maybe she'll come here when she's my age with her dad again.
Many of my friends told me how they were excited about voting and making themselves heard. I know though that not all college students have the same mentality, but to know that there are some people out there my age that care enough to try is uplifting. I've been told before by strangers at political events old enough to be my grandparent that "it brings them joy to see so many young people invested in their country. Because when they are gone, they have hope that things will carry on."
The results of voting obviously made a huge statement, but it was people watching that gave me the most satisfaction. Maybe it was the small town atmosphere and the cordial people, but I felt proud to be apart of something bigger than myself in an place that makes you feel small.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Information and Curiosity
The amount of information that can be found through one outlet is incredible. I have already had experience searching through property taxes purely out of curiosity; a trait passed on from my mom.
It was actually my mom who introduced me to the Hernando County Property Appraisers website. I was curious about a historic house in the Spring Lake area of Hernando County that had been uninhabited for years that I had fallen into renovation love. I found out the house had been built in the early 1900’s. It was a two story, two bedroom, two bath house with a fireplace in the living room. The current owners came into possession of it when a trust was transferred into their names. The cost of the transfer was only $1000 which was thoroughly shocking. The owners however never lived there. In fact, they currently live in Georgia (GA address can be found on the website.) The house is in considerable dilapidation but still holds its historic charter.
I then proceeded to look at the worth of my moms house, my fiancés parents house, my sister’s house, my fiancés brother’s house, and anyone else I could remember full names and general location of their home. It was sickeningly compulsive. My curiosity had gotten the best of me. Consequently, all those numbers were pointless.
Even though I am familiar with the Hernando County Property Appraisers website, I never thought to look more deeply into the owner’s of the historic house. Mainly for the fact, the only time in the last 20 years the house had changed hands was when the trust transferred.
In a sense, having the ability to see if the person owning a house is delinquent on taxes, when they bought the house, names on the deed etc seems very voyeuristic. While that information can be pertinent for people running for public office, who cares if John Doe down the street owns a $250,000 house that was originally worth $500,000.
It was funny to see the look on the class’ faces when Trigg began to divulge all the information that can be found on the site. There were looks of shock, puzzlement and even a few dropped jaws. The information is out there. All it takes is an inquisitive mind.
As a journalism major I understand the importance of public records, but sometimes wonder if there is too much personal information out there. My line of thought is going towards identity fraud. I am fully aware how controversial my public records comment was too.
People are allowed to know what is going on in the world surrounding them especially if it affects their safety, and I am a full supporter of the Sunshine Laws. If I wasn’t a full supporter I would be graduating with the wrong degree in December. My question from Trigg’s presentation is when is the amount of information on the internet too much?
Maybe I’m just getting soft, but it seems like sometimes personal identities are not valued enough.
It was actually my mom who introduced me to the Hernando County Property Appraisers website. I was curious about a historic house in the Spring Lake area of Hernando County that had been uninhabited for years that I had fallen into renovation love. I found out the house had been built in the early 1900’s. It was a two story, two bedroom, two bath house with a fireplace in the living room. The current owners came into possession of it when a trust was transferred into their names. The cost of the transfer was only $1000 which was thoroughly shocking. The owners however never lived there. In fact, they currently live in Georgia (GA address can be found on the website.) The house is in considerable dilapidation but still holds its historic charter.
I then proceeded to look at the worth of my moms house, my fiancés parents house, my sister’s house, my fiancés brother’s house, and anyone else I could remember full names and general location of their home. It was sickeningly compulsive. My curiosity had gotten the best of me. Consequently, all those numbers were pointless.
Even though I am familiar with the Hernando County Property Appraisers website, I never thought to look more deeply into the owner’s of the historic house. Mainly for the fact, the only time in the last 20 years the house had changed hands was when the trust transferred.
In a sense, having the ability to see if the person owning a house is delinquent on taxes, when they bought the house, names on the deed etc seems very voyeuristic. While that information can be pertinent for people running for public office, who cares if John Doe down the street owns a $250,000 house that was originally worth $500,000.
It was funny to see the look on the class’ faces when Trigg began to divulge all the information that can be found on the site. There were looks of shock, puzzlement and even a few dropped jaws. The information is out there. All it takes is an inquisitive mind.
As a journalism major I understand the importance of public records, but sometimes wonder if there is too much personal information out there. My line of thought is going towards identity fraud. I am fully aware how controversial my public records comment was too.
People are allowed to know what is going on in the world surrounding them especially if it affects their safety, and I am a full supporter of the Sunshine Laws. If I wasn’t a full supporter I would be graduating with the wrong degree in December. My question from Trigg’s presentation is when is the amount of information on the internet too much?
Maybe I’m just getting soft, but it seems like sometimes personal identities are not valued enough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)