Political Sell Outs in Osceola County
For years Tim Salopek, lead man of Omni Waste, has been a seriously “concerned resident” of the areas he has moved to. As mentioned earlier, when Salopek moved to St. Cloud, he also set up in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County. After becoming involved in the Osceola County community and developing close ties to county commissioners as well as Fred Hawkins, Jr., Salopek pulled up the tent stakes and headed down to Charlotte County. While there, it is reported that Salopek and his fiancée, Pat Weitfeldt, became very involved in Republican politics and the community. Listed below are how involved and “community oriented” the waste group as a whole has become in Charlotte county since Osceola County:Aug. 25, 2006
-$5,000 to the Republican Executive Committee
Oct. 2006
-$3,196 in food for GOP picnic
2006 Elections
-more than $7,000 to candidates Suzie Hackett, Adam Cummings (won)and Dick Loftus (won)
Feb. 2007
-$3,500 in food and beverages for Republican function
May 2007
-$5,500 to the Republican Executive Committee
In all, the waste group has donated more than $23,000 to County Commission candidates and the Charlotte County Republican Executive Committee.
The waste group also contributed more than $10,000 statewide to Republican candidates in the 2006 general election.
Right now, the Charlotte County Commission is in arbitration with Omni Waste because of denying the waste group permission to turn part of a citrus grove into a regional landfill that would take trash from 16 other counties. This nearly 1,300-acre piece of property would contain a 300-acre landfill at a height of 318 feet. The catch is that the regional dump is basically next door to the Babcock Ranch, a 74,000-acre environmentally sensitive state preserve. So what are Charlotte County’s residents’ concerns: the hundreds of trucks a day on the highway, the odor of waste as well as the environmental impacts. The state’s acting director of state lands for the Department of Environmental Protection also noted the negative impact the landfill would have on the community.
Still, Omni pressed on. Fortunately the Charlotte County Commission turned down the request citing traffic, environmental and land-use compatibility requirements as well as drinking water resource issues. So, Omni threatens a lawsuit. Arbitration has been called for to see if it can be resolved before litigation ensues. Sound familiar?
Upon investigating the supporters of those that are also concerned and supportive of the candidates in the possible soon-to-be Charlotte County Regional Dumping Area, some surprising correlating contributors jumped right off the pages:
2006 to Charlotte County Commission candidate-Richard Loftus
-$500 Fred Hawkins
-$500 Pat Hawkins
-$500 Fred Brunson (Lundquist Excavating, Inc.-Kissimmee, Fl.)
-$500 William Lundquist (Lundquist Excavating, Inc.-Kissimmee, Fl.)
-$500 Kenneth Cargill (chief engineer for Omni Waste Inc.)
-$500 Timothy Salopek
*Received more than $2,000 from individuals involved with Omni.
2006 to Charlotte County Commission candidate-Adam Cummings
-$500 Fred Hawkins
-$500 Patricia Weitfeldt (fiancée of Timothy Salopek)
-$500 Timothy Salopek
-$500 Lundquist Excavating, Inc (Kissimmee, Fl.)
*Of the more than $28,000 Cummings raised, more than 12% came from Omni Waste affiliated individuals.
2008 to Republican candidate for the Florida House Dist. 71-Ken Roberson
-$250 RJ Whidden $ Associates, Inc (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Xentury City Development Co. (Orlando, FL)
-$250 Tupperware (Orlando, FL)
-$250 State Housing & Development (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Center State Bank (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Hanson, Walter & Associates (Kissimmee, FL)
-$100 Franklin Surveying & Mapping, Inc. (Kissimmee, FL)
-$150 Titan Land Company, LLC (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 101 Park Place, Inc. (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 McLane Company, Inc. (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Fred Hawkins, Jr.
2008 to Republican candidate for the Florida House Dist. 111- Rafael Perez
-$250 RJ Whidden $ Associates, Inc (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Xentury City Development Co. (Orlando, FL)
-$250 Tupperware (Orlando, FL)
-$250 State Housing & Development (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Center State Bank (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Hanson, Walter & Associates (Kissimmee, FL)
-$250 Timothy Salopek
-$250 Fred Hawkins, Jr.
We kept an open mind even though the Osceola News-Gazette implied that contributors will sometimes give through other people, but in fairness, we tried to list all of those from this area that we noticed who contributed and wondered why are they so concerned about the Charlotte County region’s elections?
So in being the candidate for “change,” is Fred Hawkins, Jr. really “listening to the people” like he claims? It is somewhat curious that although the people of Osceola County were against a waste dump, when time came to make it a bigger regional dump, Mr. Hawkins (former chair of Planning and Zoning Board) stated that the permission was granted with no fuss. So we wanted to see if Mr. Hawkins was interested in “changing” things in Charlotte County as well as he is here in Osceola County. Is he going to listen to the residents of Charlotte County as much as he was listening to the people here in Osceola County when they said “no dumping here?”
Upon further investigation into Mr. Hawkins’ financial report for his Osceola County Commission District 5 race, we found some amazing similarities between all of these concerned businesses and citizens as well as some potential new special interests:
-$500 Timothy J. Salopek
-$500 Patricia Weitfeldt (fiancée of Timothy Salopek)
-$500 Kymberly Brunson
-$500 Lundquist Excavating
-$500 WLFR LLC (managing members Fred Brunson & William Lundquist)
-$500 S2L, Inc. (Design company for Solid Waste materials)
-$500 Gus Nayyer (Planner)
-$500 Ann Nayyer
-$500 Russel Maynard (Land Designer/Owner of Central Fl. Land Design)
-$500 Mary Maynard
-$250 Turtle Creek Land Co.
-$500 State Housing Development
Altogether we calculated approximately $15,000 in contributions from companies and individuals that we believe will benefit from more growth in Osceola County as well as a generous $1,000 donation from Mr. Hawkins’ campaign to the Holopaw Homeowner’s Association’s Christmas party. Look familiar?
We feel that it’s going to be real hard for Mr. Hawkins to “change” the current established system as he claims with all of these interested companies and individuals tugging at his ear or wallet. If most of this money is coming from these special interests, who will Mr. Hawkins ultimately be listening to? If nothing else it looks like the developer crowd is ready for someone to say "Yes We Can" as they plan their way into dumping more growth into an area that can not afford it. We say: Follow the money!
Sources:
Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections
Candidates’ financial reports
Florida Department of State, Division of Elections
Sun-Herald News (sun-herald.com)
Sarasota Herald Tribune (heraldtribune.com)
15 comments:
Wow... The problem is they are all the same and they all have money hooks in them.
Why doesn't the Osceola Ad-zette cover stories like these news papers did. When we were fighting this thing in Narcoossee the Ad-zette barely covered the issues. It did not matter how hard we tried to stop this, they just pushed it through.
I guess you would focus on something like this but fail to see how much money he a has brought to our community as a whole. Waste Services pours a ton of money into non-profits in Osceola County that Mr. Hawkins himself has pushed for to serve the children of this community which if they did not do this, the tax payers would have to. Basically this site is stating "he (Fred) might" not represent the residents of Osceola County when he is a resident, father, husband and tax payer himselr unlike the other fellow (Tim Salopek) who moved into different communities as needed. Are you kidding me? Also when he does become Commissioner and something pertaining to Waste Services comes up on the agenda he will abstain from that vote as he is an honest man. I used to respect this site but see now in their silence for one candidate they show their support for them. Do you truly know Fred Hawkins and when will you look into Bill Lane and his shady contacts. You're speculating with Mr. Hawkins but if you look into Mr. Lane's affiliations you will see someone who has truly puts himself before the community.
I would ask anyone who doesn't know Mr. Hawkins to talk to those that do know him and ask them to tell them a little more about the man that works hard for the children of this community.
How low with this site go? I just ask that you touch on the positive as much as what "they" persume to be the negative you would have a different opinion.
I don't know who the whiny liberal is who ran to the distress of poor Fred, but the point Wayne Who is making is that Fred has the same type of financial ties that Bill Lane has-only different special interests. He is not the change he says he is and this proves it. Wayne Who called out Bill Lane and Paul Owen in their first article. It would help, though, if you actually read it and educated yourself before crying out on Fred's behalf. They said that everybody helps with the non-profits, everybody brings money in for those in need, and then they run for office or try to get some anti-community project through. We've seen this dog-and-pony show before. Fred has been vying for a poitical office just like Bill when he wanted kids to have safe shelter. It's a pattern of self-service not community service. You're argument is the same one Bill made when he first ran and then when he ran again. MORE OF THE SAME!
To the lady above, Fred has been running for commissioner for years. He takes different stands depending on who he speaks to. He wants to get on every board possible to add to his resume. One of those nonprofits is the education foundation.
We already have one of those members on the county commission. And that one got mad at their last meeting because the truth has been getting into print.
If Fred is elected you will be able to see the dump in Holopaw all the way in Orlando.
I think the person above who was defending Fred helped to prove WayneWho's point. You state that "Waste Services pours a ton of money into non-profits in Osceola County" which is exactly what this blog has been pointing out. Is it because they believe in out community or because they are trying to buy favors. Fred is in charge of governmental affairs for waste services, so he would be the guy who ok's the check to the non-profits, but it is not like he is giving his own money. Again, it looks like buying favors.
You also state that Fred works hard for the children of our community. Are you saying that he is owed the commission seat because of this? There are many people in our community who work very hard for the children of or community, so I think Fred campain needs to be a little bit more careful about throwing these type of lines around.
As far as your attacks on WayneWho, they do not make alot of sense considering that this blog sited their sources and put forward information that any good voter or community minded person should attempt to discover on their own. And as far as this site being Bill's buddy, they have written some hard hitting articles on him.
Thank you WayneWho for doing the research we are too lazy to do.
That is a glowing defense from Fred's people, but I would guess the people who supported Eliot Spitzer thought he was a great guy to. Corruption is corruption.
Just remember, Fred Hawkins is for the "Preserve Project", and Bill Lane was for it before he was against it.
I think we lose with both of these jokers.
Wayne Who,
I didn't get an email about this article. You should send out an email to everyone alerting them of this underbelly of local politics. I was wondering where this series was going until now. Thank you for opening our eyes. We've been brainwashed for years that "caring for the kids" and being "a great public servant" are all that qualifies a person for office. It's notBetween Wayne Who and the Gazette exposing the involvement of the special interests with these politicians and candidates in this area, I have seen the light, and others that I have talked to have as well. Thank you!
This site and some of you should have your own t.v. show. This is funny but in all fairness one of you mentioned whether or not the person defending Hawkins read the other two parts of this story and I kind of have to agree with him or her. Wayne needs to focus on the other candidates as well. 90% of all three stories combined kind of place a negative slant on Hawkins. I think Wayne make his point but I am sure he could write just as much about Lane and Robertson (sorry if I spelled it wrong). I mean unless you are extremely anti-Hawkins then in that case you should just start off this series with "I don't like Fred Hawkins" and I wouldn't waste me time reading the "possible" connection. I will say I love this site and think some of you are hoots. Thanks for the laugh but remember to be fair and just. Oh yeah and play nice.
Hey j.o.p., the Gazette already covered those stories. Again, Wayne said that numerous times in the three posted articles. Why would they recover a story that they said was already adequately covered?
Also, did you see the length of the three individual articles? If all of that had been posted at one time, I probably would not have read them. That's why they call it a SERIES! Wait and see what else they have before you accuse them of being "biased." Wayne Who has always reported the facts-fair and balanced, but when there's so much sleaze underneath most candidates, its hard to sum it up quickly. Give them time. Fred is new to running, apparently his sleaze is easier to find and report.
Hey j.o.p., the Gazette already covered those stories. Again, Wayne said that numerous times in the three posted articles. Why would they recover a story that they said was already adequately covered?
Also, did you see the length of the three individual articles? If all of that had been posted at one time, I probably would not have read them. That's why they call it a SERIES! Wait and see what else they have before you accuse them of being "biased." Wayne Who has always reported the facts-fair and balanced, but when there's so much sleaze underneath most candidates, its hard to sum it up quickly. Give them time. Fred is new to running, apparently his sleaze is easier to find and report.
Fred isn't new. He's been running forever. He has had his campaign material on his truck for over a year already. He shows up at any and every event and parks that truck every weekend at the eateries on 192 in St. Cloud.
Hopefully the voters will see through his bull. This community needs somebody that is going to stand up and say enough is enough. Who cares if a candidate is a non-profit lover and a generous giver, there are literally thousands of people in Osceola that fit that bill. Sitting on a board does not experience you in government. What have they actually done? Where are the results. We don't care if they are involved in nature or with children. So what? How does that translate into good government and less taxes?
I worked at JED landfill in Holopaw for 3 years from the day it opened until last year.I transferred to Charlotte county staying with Waste Services and working for Tim Salopek at a new Construction/Demo landfill WSI purchased there. In Tims defense,he is true to his word and definitly concerned about the environment as well as concerns from surrounding residents,I know him well and his intentions are real..as far as the Holopaw landfill,once WSI bought it,it was out of his control what gos on there and boy I can tell you some horror stories. When WSI brought in new management and thier posse from Okeechobee the rules changed as far as whats buried and whats not documented on Where it is buried,things such as untreated human waste,asbestos,medical waste,etc. and how much more money could be made doing things this way and someone running for a seat was sittin' pretty watching it all go on ...so nope,I won't be voting for this guy, its REALLY all about $$Waste Services$$ for him,not the PEOPLE.
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