Slade O’Brien, Florida Director for AFP, To Address Boca Chapter June 5th!
Posted by Alex Berry on May 13, 2012 · 3 Comments
Slade O’Brien is an accomplished grassroots organizer and public affairs professional with more than 15 years of demonstrated success in public policy communications, project, campaign & issue management, media relations, community outreach, coalition building, fundraising, event staging & management, grassroots advocacy and third party recruitment.
A third generation Floridian; Slade double majored in college receiving both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
After spending 7 years in advertising and marketing, Slade began his political career working for the Republican Party of Florida where he served as Special Assistant to the Chairman for Victory ‘94.
An early leader within the conservative grassroots movement, Mr. O’Brien was tapped to be the first ever Florida Director of Citizens for a Sound Economy in 1998. Long before there ever was a Tea Party Slade built the grassroots organization from scratch and turned it into a 45,000 member grassroots powerhouse, with clubs in 11 local markets which played a key role in passing such issues as tort reform, educational choice, and reducing the intangibles tax in Florida.
Mr. O’Brien also served as the Executive Director of Florida Stop Lawsuit Abuse, a grassroots organization dedicated to challenging those who abuse our legal system and educating the public about the costs and consequences of lawsuit abuse.
Most recently, Slade worked in the private sector as the President of the Florida Strategies Group where he specialized in public opinion strategies, campaign and coalition management, strategic consulting and grassroots organizing.
| DATE: | Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 |
|---|---|
| TIME: | Doors open 5:30pm. Buffet at 6pm. Meeting starts at 7pm, $15 per person (tax and gratuity included) |
| PLACE: | Boca Greens Country Club, 19642 Trophy Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498, Click HERE for Map |
who is Slade O’brien?
John:
The description above is fairly comprehensive- but it does leave out that he is the State of Florida Director for Americans For Prosperity, a conservative political action group. There website: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/national-site
School personnel defending DROP
ByBOBO
Gary Shiffrin, principal Merritt Island High School and candidate for school board defends Florida’s big give away. The legislators came up with a DROP, Deferred Retirement Option Program, to lower the cost of state employees.
The objective was to get rid of high salary employees and replace them with fresh blood that can work their way up the ranks. However it is being abused by thousands of employees in the state retirement program.
An employee nearing retirement can sign up for DROP and each month his retirement money is put in a trust fund and receives compounded 6.5% plus 3% COLA in interest. There are school district administrators that can put $5,000 a month in the account or $60,000 a year. After 5 years there is $300,000, plus the compounded 9% interest, lump sum waiting for them at retirement.
Gary complained his starting salary in the 70’s was just over $7,000, but gas was 45 cents a gallon and a loaf of bread 14 cents.
The employee didn’t have to pay a dime into the program.
When the administrator reached his DROP date he went out, got a big chunk of cash, drew ONE standard retirement check and returned to his old job at his old 6 figure salary.
The comment made by one administrator “We are worth every penny”. If Brevard had a TRUE 92% graduation rate with ALL graduates receiving a diploma and if the county did not socially promote thousands of students every year I would agree.
Police and fire are eligible for the DROP program but their salaries are better controlled and I have not learned of abuse outside of the school district.