Tax Collector

I was not able to visit Doug Belden, the Hillsborough County tax collector but, Jeanette brought me back a handful of brochures filled with information.

After reading them, I learned that the tax collector is responsible for a lot more than I thought. First of all, he is responsible for collecting taxes obviously, but it seems like Mr. Belden has worked hard to make the nauseating experience a little less stressful. He modernized two of the four branches which resulted in more parking and shorter lines. That is a step in the right direction because people hate to wait, so that elevates some of the tension. Belden managed to cut the wait time from 45 minutes to just 8 minutes. Tax payers also seem to appreciate the effort because 98% of people who have sent in comment cards responded positively. People can also pay their taxes over the phone or online through the website www.hillstax.org.

In addition to paying taxes, three of the tax collectors offices offer drivers licenses services. There is however a $5.25 charge for drivers licenses transactions processed by the tax collectors office. People can also get information about where to go to renew Class E drivers licenses, commercial licenses, ID cards, and how to go about changing your address.

Another service the Hillsborough County Tax Collector offers is license plate renewal and mobile home decal renewal.

As a journalist, the website www.hillstax.org can be a very valuable resource. For one you can find out if someone has paid their taxes…and you can also find out what properties people own. If you know what you are looking for, the Hillsborough Tax collector can be a very valuable resource.

Steve Andrews, Investigative Reporter

Visiting Steve Andrews, Chief Investigative Reporter for News Channel 8, WFLA, was a great experience. He is one of the most respected investigative reports in the area by his colleagues and one of the most feared by his victims.
Mr. Andrews demonstrated the patience and hard work that goes into pursuing a full-fledged investigation. After the tip is received there is a combination of interviews and many public records searches that are required to uncover the truth and ask for change.
It was definitely eye-opening to see the stack of records he received for the reservoir story. He had to comb though each one individually because hidden in all of the clutter there was the story he was searching for. Also, the interview questions that made air were hard hitting and impossible to avoid. I think that is what makes him so successful. Something I took away from this meeting was that sometimes it is not the question itself, but it is how you ask it. I actually has some practice with this, I was trying to find out if someone had been vaccinated against a disease they died from. While medical records do not fall under public domain, I needed to find a ways to get the answer. After asking the doctor straight forward, she explained she could not tell me. Then at the end of the interview I rephrased the question and she answered it.
I believe that the type of reporting that Steve Andrews does is what real reporting is all about. What is the purpose of being a reporter is you cannot provoke change. Although that attitude comes with its own price. Andrews reported on the Harry Lee Coe’s gambling. While that is not illegal, Coe was apparently embarrassed of his involvement and tried to have computer records destroyed. That is illegal. Andrews kept up with him, and when after the story aired, Coe committed suicide. Even worse, Andrews was the man that found him dead in his car under the Crosstown Bridge. While I do not believe it is Andrews fault that Coe is dead, I personally would find it hard to sleep at night. That to me brings up a dilemma. How do you know how far to take a story, or why pursue an investigation where no illegal actions are happening?
Nonetheless, I learned a lot about investigative reporting. This all from the father of one of my favorite ESPN sports reporters.

Midterm

1.

The PIO for the Department of Children and Families, Al Zimmerman was arrested on child pornography changes. If I was assigned to cover an in-depth analysis of this man there would be a multitude of records I would need to review.

I would start out by visiting http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us so that I can look up Mr. Zimmerman’s charge report. From this document I would find out the charges he was brought up on as well as some personal information such as his address. From the report I am also able to determine that Zimmerman was brought up on 8 counts of use of a child in a sexual performance. His arrest date and time would also be displayed. The amount of bond set and the status of the individual would also be on the report. In this instance, Zimmerman posted 120,000 dollars bail.

I would also talk to the PIO for the Tampa Police Department. I know that cases involving minors would be under an exemption of the Florida pubic records law, in fact, the Florida Public Records Handbook states that, "any criminal intelligence information or criminal investigative information which reveals the identity of the victim of the crime of sexual battery or other sexual offense; lewd, lascivious, or indecent assault upon or in the presence of a child; or child abuse is exempt from disclosure," but I would still try to find out a little bit about the victims without getting too personal. I would want to know if the children were in the DCF’s care, the age of the victims, how many there are for sure, and how many more there might be. I feel talking to the PIO can produce valuable information without crossing the unethical line because of the status of this crime.

To obtain the final disposition of Zimmerman’s criminal charges, I would contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Then I would go to https://www2.fdle.state.fl.us/cchinet/ to get a criminal background check to see what Zimmerman’s past criminal history looks like. Could this be a onetime mistake or does he have a history of child pornography or any other crime?

From there I would search the local newspapers, both the Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times for old articles that might give me more background information. To enhance this search I would use Lexus Nexus and type in Al Zimmerman into the search field under the news heading. I would first check the last year but then, of time permits I would go back even farther.

After doing all of my research on his criminal background, I would try to answer the question why and how. Why would a man, a former Bay Area reporter and a PIO for the Department and Family Services commit these crimes? The better question I would seek an answer for is How does this happen. To answer both I would need a character witness, and I would start at the DCF. Once I got there I would need to speak with the DCG Secretary Robert Butterworth. I would want to know what he knows about Zimmerman and his criminal activity. I would also ask about any unusual behavior or odd and quirky habits Mr. Zimmerman might have possessed. After speaking with Mr. Butterworth, I would try to talk to some of the DCF workers. They would have been around Zimmerman and have worked with him so they might have picked up on some abnormal behavior, or maybe he might have even confessed something to them. It does not hurt to dig around though. The more people I talk to, the more information I would get. And something someone says can easily be a tip to a whole new iceberg.

After that I would try to contact the News Director, Mike Gautreau at Bay News 9. Al Zimmerman was a reporter there in 2004, so maybe the News Director would have some more information. T.V. stations usually do background checks so it would be interesting to see if they found anything in their search four years ago.

Although this would not be records, I would want to talk to a psychologist to find out why something like this could happen. I would ask How does a man in a position such as Zimmerman’s commit this type if crime. Although they would not be at liberty to give me any of Zimmerman’s medical records including mental health records, they might be able to provide some insight.

2.

The Florida Sunshine Law, which deals with Public records and who is allowed to obtain public records, can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. It is every person’s constitutional right to review or get a copy of public records. There are however some exemptions. According to myflorida.com, “These essential laws afford citizens of our state the ability to see behind the curtain of government and remain involved in the processes that affect their lives. Without this access there is little accountability, and accountability is vital for good government.” Florida’s public records law relies on the principles of open government. This all started in 1909 when the first public records law was passed. It is now Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. To sum it up, basically any record made or received by any public agency is to be available for the public to review. There are some exceptions made by the Legislature. The real question is what defines a public record…it used to just be regular written documents and books, but with the boom of technology, that definition has changed. Tapes, pictures and even computer files now fall under public record.

The Commission of Open Government Reform was created by Governor Charlie Christ in June of 2007. Executive Order 07-107 says:

- “An open and accessible government is the key to establishing and maintaining the people’s trust and confidence in their government and its ability to effectively serve its citizens.”

- “The state of Florida has a long history of providing public access to the records and meetings of public entities.”

- “Florida must continually strive to be a national leader in open government reform.”

- “Streamlining and clarifying applicable laws and policies will result in making government more open, accessible, and accountable to its citizens.”

- “a formal review of Florida’s open government practices will promote consistency, eliminate redundancy and provide public servants the tools they need to serve the people of Florida with integrity and transparency.”

Section one says the commission should give recommendations regarding Florida’s public record and public meeting laws. Section two lays out how may members the commission will consist of, 9. It also lays out who is allowed to be on the board. Of those 9 commissioners, the governor appoints one to be the Chair. Sections three discusses some of the issues that the commission should deal with. Section four says the commission is not allowed to take any compensation for doing their job. Section five lays out what organizations are subject to executive order 07-107.

According to Governor Charlie Christ’s website Florida voters believe that open government provides the best assurance of government that is responsive and responsible to the needs of the people.

While public officials are constantly being monitored, there is a very fine line between the public’s right to records and information, and the public officials privacy. That is why certain information is not part of the public domain. For example, an agency such as the Sheriff’s office, would be protected. Some information that would be common public information such as an address would be redacted. This protects the agency worker and his family. While this may make it appear that public officials have more leniency in regards to public information, that is not true. The public deserves to know and in some cases needs to know where their tax dollars are being spent. It is their money therefore it is their right. So the Reform commission works with the public to make sure Florida’s public records law, and Article 1, Section 24 of the Constitution are being implemented in the way they were meant to be.

3.

If I were assigned to do an in-depth, documentary profile of State Senator Victor Crist of Tampa, I would start by researching his actions as a governmental official. I would want to see how he votes on legislation, who he donates money to, what contributions he takes and what lobbyists are supporting him. I would do this by logging onto flsenate.gov and clicking on the senators tab. From there I would find his name to get a reliable biography. Then I would go to www.sunbiz.org to research the corporate officers, when the corporation was founded and what corporations Victor Christ owns. Then I would follow the money. You can find out a lot about an official by simply following where the money came from….and where that money came from and so on.

To find out personal information about Crist, such as what type of car her drives, I would order an AutoTrack profile. Since Mr. Crist is a public official, this process is actually very simple. To get his voting record, I would go to the state of Florida government website because all votes are public record.

The website moneyline.cq.com is a very valuable website to learn about who has made campaign contributions to certain candidates. I would also visit opensecrets.org to find any additional campaign information. This website is great for showing what trends exist in campaigns, and what trends exist in the financing of a campaign. If most of the candidates money came from a certain company or group of companies I would want to research into those individual companies. I would search to find out why there is that vested interest, and who is benefiting from it. Usually there is a bigger reason.

Goodwill and the Juvenile Justice Department

People everyday are talking about how to change this country. They are debating which Presidential candidate to vote for come November, based on who can fix America’s ailing problems. But what people all over the country and even here in the Tampa Bay Area don’t realize is that the true future of America and the country’s foundation is our youth.
In Hillsborough County at the Juvenile Justice meeting on September 19, 2008, a group of citizens and board members gathered to discuss ways to help the county’s kids achieve success and stay out of trouble. In tough economic times it is very easy to worry about one’s self first, how to put food on the table, how to fill up the gas tank, but Stephanie Anna, a representative from goodwill laid out a plan to help struggling families not forget or ignore their children.
Goodwill has a program in tact for the areas troubled youth that focuses on three areas that include providing employment skills, increasing academic performance, and providing industry specific training. “The goodwill role in the project, we have case managers, we have counselors, and we have staff that go out specifically and engage employers because without employers this project can’t succeed,” says Anna.
From a parents point of view, submerging their children in these programs cost time and money, but the origination did consider that as well and they will provide financial assistance. Anna assures the group, “We pay for transportation, training, support. If they want to go to college we can help pay tuition costs. If they need appropriate interview clothes, work boots, things like that, we can pay for all of that.
Goodwill wants to keep kids engaged in the program so they offer them incentives. After they complete certain components of the program they are often awarded with cash to keep them coming back. What they don’t know is that they are given a much bigger reward, a second chance.
For a child to qualify for this goodwill funded project, they must be between the ages 16 and 21 and they much have a Department of Juvenile Justice background. But just because a kid started down the wrong path does not mean that he cannot turn around. One of the first steps the organization takes is to enroll the participant in job ready classes. The Boys and Girls club of America developed content to guide a three week program. It will teach the child everything from how to properly shake hands with an employer to how to correctly write a resume. “It’s a great program. It’s a building block for us. It’s the beginning, and it really sets the tone for the entire project,” urges Anna.
Stephanie Anna than provided proof. Jamal dropped out of high school in the tenth grade but his education level was significantly below that of a tenth grader. But after participating in Project Bridge, Jamal is now enrolled in college. Goodwill helped him graduate high school and taught him to drive a car. He completed an internship and was even offered a full time job. Anna said she ran into Jamal this morning and said “actually, he is happy.” That is what our country needs.
While the economy seems to be crumbling around us, it is imperative to help our youth. Once a child starts heading in the wrong direction, it is vital to intervene and give them the guidance they need to become an asset to the community and the country as a whole.

William March

William March, chief political reporter for the Tampa Tribune took us though the process to investigating public officials and documents. He gave us an array of websites to use to find profiles on certain people, and different reports to obtain information.

He spoke a lot about campaign contributions which I found very interesting. There is a limit on the amount of money a company can contribute to a certain candidate, but there are ways that sneaky and surreptitious company heads can get around that. The example Mr. March gave us was that the big boss might give a hundred employees a $1000 raise, but then they would turn around and say…well I am expecting to see a thousand dollar contribution to so and so’s campaign. So in reality the money is coming from the same place. We learned that in this case the employeers were not peanilized which I think is a good thing. With the economy the way it is today, people are desperate to hold onto their jobs. So if their boss says hey do this, it is ok, they are going to do it to prevent losing the position they hold.

I was also intrigued when Mr. March asked how many people think there should be a limit placed on the amount of money one can contribute to a single candidate. Most of the class thought there should but one guy said otherwise, and I really liked his argument.

He said that with the ease of access for public records and campaign contributions, it is very easy to spot something unusual. As Journalism students we should pounce on that, It would be pretty easy to determine which companies are getting some sort of kickback from the candidate or the party.

I really enjoyed listening to William March speak about political reporting because it is an area that I do not know a lot about. It was also very cool that the next day when I was reading the Tampa Tribune, I read a few of his articles about the 2008 presidential race.

County Clerk

Listening to Pat Frank speak to our Journalism class was an enlightening experience. The county clerk is responsible for a lot more than I though, honestly I didn’t really know whatthe county clerk does.

When I first walked in and saw this tiny elder woman at the head of the table, I was a little surprised. I was ever more surprised when I realized how much command she had over everyone in the room that was listening. She is very educated and committed to her job. It was actually refreshing and inspirational to see a woman her age inflicting so much change for the better. The best part is that she was just re-elected. I really loved the fact that Ms. Frank was completely in the loop with technology. My grandmother hates technology. She does not own a cell phone, has no idea how to use a computer and still owns her first black and white television set with the antenna. So listening to Ms. Frank talk about digitizing every court document was astonishing. I think she knows more about the computer age than I do, and I work with it everyday.

I also learned a lot about the court house. I know this is a silly thing to remember, but I always knew weddings were expensive…but I also thought is you got married in city hall or eloped, than it was, well, free. So I was a little shocked to find out that is cost close to $100 for a marriage certificate.

When Ms. Frank spoke about the economy and how it related to her particular field, I think I realized for the first time that no company or organization, even governmental ones are exempt from the distress. The e-recording process is taking quite a bit of time because there are a ton of documents and someone needs to be paid to digitize them. Also the economic crisis seems to be creating more and more documents for the county clerks office to handle. “As revenue goes down, foreclosures go up, Frank explained. The clerk is responsible for that document so it creates more work for the office. Frank also said “As the economy turns sour, you see things happening on a criminal arena, people will rob to get the money they want or think they need. It’s sad to see where society is going.” So it really is opened my eyes to the fact that governmental agencies are also feeling the ripples of the economic crash.

In all, visiting the Pat Frank and the county clerk’s office, really gave me a new perspective on so many things. I hate to think of how uneducated I am when it comes down to public affairs issues, but the knowledge I gained will definitely make me a better journalist.

Orient Road Jail

Major Robert Lucas took the class on a tour of the Orient Road Jail. It was definitely different than I expected. I have never been to a jail before, but I honestly thought that television and movies portrayed it the way it actually is. I was expecting tiny cells made from iron that are always locked. I was definitely wrong.

Our first stop was booking. That was unbelievable to me. People were walking around free. Before Major Lucas explained what was going on I though there were just a lot of visitors. I had no idea that everyone in that room (except the employees obviously) were actually all people that were recently arrested. It was incredible to me how different the jail actually was from what I was expecting. Another thing that was different to me was the phones. Major Lucas told us that as long as they behave, those who were “arrested” are allowed to be on the phone for as long as they want. As long as they are local phone calls, there is no limit. It is so weird how different jail is from television shows.

Walking around each annex and listening to Major Lucas and the other officers speak, I couldn’t help but draw the comparison of Jail to Preschool. Obviously it is very different, but the principle is the same, if you misbehave you have to sit in a holding cell (or time out). Honestly it is a little humiliating.

When we visited the cells that carry the inmates who are serving time for a felony there was actually one inmate on suicide watch. I found it pretty inappropriate that Mr. Lucas took the class in that room and shared her story. I doubt he did anything wrong, but it seems to me to be a little unethical. While I understand she is an inmate, she is still a human being and I would think her mental issues should be kept private.

But the jail wound up to be a completely different experience than I was expecting. The inmates had a lot more freedom than I thought they would get, and the stereotypical scene of a jail is very far off.