Two Candidates and an Empty Chair
On Monday at the meeting of the Palm Beach County Tea Party in Wellington, two of the three candidates for State Attorney answered questions posed by moderator David DiCrescenzo and described themselves as professional prosecutors – not politicians lacking relevant skills in the courtroom. The empty chair, intended to be occupied by former State Senator Dave Aronberg (the “politician” to which the others referred on occasion), did not have a lot to say. Even Clint Eastwood would have had a hard time with that one.
Robert Gershman
The candidates, Republican Dina Keever and Independent Robert Gershman sounded similar themes. Neither had a political axe to grind and would enter the office without strings. They considered protecting the community and obtaining fair and just outcomes as the primary role of the office. Both highlighted their extensive courtroom experience on high profile cases – Keever as a federal prosecutor in Florida and Pennsylvania, Gershman as both a prosecutor in the SA office as well as a defense attorney. They distanced themselves from Aronberg who has described himself as a “CEO” who “doesn’t have to know how to make coffee to run Starbucks”.
Dina Keever
They were asked about 12 questions, on topics ranging from their approach to corruption fighting, relationship to the Sheriff’s office, attitudes towards the death penalty, low conviction rates in the county, and their attitude towards the Constitution.
On the issue of qualifications for the office (CEO vs experienced prosecutor), Dina Keever said flat out that “Dave Aronberg is not qualified” for the office. They both thought that political experience (although necessary to obtain the office) would not be the tool of choice while on the job.
Each was asked what was the most difficult or memorable case in their experience. Robert Gershman listed his role as the defense on the Dunbar Village rape case and the turnpike killings. In each case, although the defense lost, a fair and just verdict was reached and the trial was fair. Dina Keever listed her work on the prosecution of a bank robber in Philadelphia who had escaped justice twice before. She was able to get a conviction mainly based on a witness identification of the defendant’s voice.
This race has received a lot of media attention in the past few months given the allegations of behind the scenes activities by Mr. Aronberg and his party, raised by the Palm Beach Post and others. Given the importance of the State Attorney’s Office in fighting corruption in the county, any suggestion of impropriety that is not immediately answered should be disqualifying. Either of these two candidate would pass muster in that regard.
For the Post view of the event, see: Keever, Gershman debate issues, experience at forum on State Attorney’s Office race; Aronberg a no-show
Some pictures from the event:
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What’s on the Ballot on November 6?
There is a lot on the ballot coming up on November 6. Besides the Presidential race, there is a long list of federal, state and local races as well as 11 state constitutional amendments and 2 county ballot questions, and the ballot will consist of multiple double sided pages. Look over the list below, then go to our Voter’s Guide to learn about the candidates and questions, and view the district maps.
Keep in mind that presidential elections are high turnout affairs, so your vote is important. In 2008 for example, about 590,000 people voted for President in Palm Beach County, a turnout of 71%.
Federal Races
- President (Barack Obama* (D), Mitt Romney (R), Gary Johnson (LIB), ….)
- U.S. Senate (Bill Nelson* (D), Connie Mack (R))
Plus the following if you live in these districts:
- Congress District 18 (Allen West* (R), Patrick Murphy (D))
- Congress District 20 (Alcee hastings* (D), Randall Terry (NPA))
- Congress District 21 (Ted Deutch* (D), Cesar Henao (NPA), Mike Trout (NPA))
- Congress District 22 (Adam Hasner (R), Lois Frankel (D))
State Races
Justice Retention
- Supreme Court Justice Fred R. Lewis
- Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Pariente
- Supreme Court Justice Peggy A. Quince
- 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Burton C. Conner
- 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Carole Y. Taylor
Plus the following if you live in these districts:
- Senate District 25 (Joe Abruzzo (D), Melanie Peterson (R))
- Senate District 27 (Jeff Clemens (D), Write-In Candidate)
- Senate District 32 (Joe Negron* (R), Ray D’Amiano (D))
- Senate District 34 (Ellyn Bogdanoff (R), Maria Sachs (D))
- House District 81 (James O’Hara (R), Kevin Rader (D))
- House District 82 (Mary Lynn Magar (R), Write-in Candidate)
- House District 85 (Pat Rooney* (R), David Lutrin (D))
- House District 86 (Mark Pafford* (D), Tami Donnally (R))
- House District 89 (Bill Hagar* (R), Tom Gustafson (D))
- House District 90 (Lori Berman* (D), Sean Kaspar)
County Races
- County Commission District 1 (David Levy (D), Hal Valeche (R))
- County Commission District 3 (Shelly Vana* (D), Cliff Montross (R))
- County Commission District 5 (Mary Loise Berger (D), Paul Tocker (R))
- School Board District 1 (NP) (Christine Jax, Michael Murgio)
- Tax Collector (Anne Gannon* (D), Write-in Candidate)
- Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District Seat 5 (NP) (Stephen Engel, Tom Thayer)
- Indian Trail Improvement District Seat 2 (NP) (Gary Dunkley, Carlos Enriquez)
- Indian Trail Improvement District Seat 4 (NP) (Michelle Damone, Kenneth Hendrick)
- Northern Improvement District Seat 4 (NP) (John Cohen, Peter Stein)
- Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation Group 2 (NP) (Stephen Jara, Drew Martin)
- Port of Palm Beach Group 1 (NP) (Wayne Richards* (D), George Black (R), 2 Write-in Candidates)
- Port of Palm Beach Group 3 (NP) (Jean Enright (D), Write-in Candidate)
Ballot Questions
- #1 – Health Care Services
- #2 – Combat Disabled Veterans Discount
- #3 – State Revenue Limitation
- #4 – Property Tax Rules Changes
- #5 – State Courts
- #6 – Abortion Funding Prohibition
- #8 – Religious Freedom
- #9 – Surviving Spouse Exemption
- #10 – Tangible Property Tax Exemption Increase
- #11 – Low Income Seniors Exemption
- #12 – Board of Governors Changes
- PBC#1 – Slot Machines
- PBC#2 – Continuation of Business Exemptions
An Evening with Dina Keever
Join us, Tuesday, September 4th at Boca Greens Country Club in Boca Raton, for an exciting evening with State Attorney Candidate Dina Keever, brought to you by the Boca Raton Chapter of the Palm Beach County Tea Party.
About Dina: Dina Keever has spent most of her legal career prosecuting crime. She entered law school at Florida State University College of Law in 1991, not because she wanted to be a lawyer, but because she wanted to be a prosecutor. Dina believes victims must be vindicated and individuals must be held accountable for their actions. Dina is a tireless advocate for criminal justice and ethics in government.
Doors open at 5:30pm, Dinner is from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. Dinner price is now $20, includes full meal, coffee, tea, tax, and gratuity. Speaker introduced after brief announcements, around 7:15pm.
Please RSVP on the button below!
AFP Phone Bank Competition
Americans for Prosperity Phone Banking
Join us as we phone bank spreading the message of economic freedom. Our phone bank system is night and day different than the phone banks of years past. We are using a predictive dialer to help us maximize our reach and efficiency of the phone bank. With each person dialed into the system, on average 3 – 5 calls are outbound. For every additional phone banker logged into the system, it exponentially increases the number of dials and number of connections with a live person. When a call is connected, you will speak to a live person with the exception of a voice mail or fax every so often.
Phone Bank Competition
Beginning September 3, we will start a phone bank competition. The top 3 phone bankers with the most answered calls with receive a prize – a gift certificate to the restaurant or gas station of their choice. 1st place: $30, 2nd place: $20, 3rd place: $10! A NEW WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED EVERY WEEK.
Scores will reset every Monday at 9am! You can call from home or at one of the AFP offices. If you call from home, you can call from 9am – 9pm. If you are interested in participating, please see me, Kathy, for your own personal PIN. You can reach me on my cell phone 954-815-4307 or email KSalerno@afphq.org.
Hours and Locations:
Boca Raton: 3200 N Federal Highway, Suite 215, Boca Raton, FL
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10am – 8pm (Located across the street from a Denny’s)
Palm Beach Gardens: 3970 RCA Blvd Suite 7003, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Wednesday: 2pm – 8pm (We are across the street from the Hampton Inn. Our office is tucked behind in the corner behind the American Flag.)
**Times subject to change**
Wellington Chapter Meeting with State Attorney Candidates
Join us for a candidates forum with Dave Aronberg, Robert S. Gershman and Dina Keever. Learn their qualifications and why they want to be your next State Attorney. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner price is $15, includes full meal, coffee, tea, tax, and gratuity, and is from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. BE THERE!
| DATE: | Monday, September 10, 2012 |
|---|---|
| TIME: | Doors open 5:30pm. Buffet at 6pm. Meeting starts at 7pm, $15 per person (tax and gratuity included) |
| PLACE: | Binks Forest Golf Club, 400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington, FL 33414, Click HERE for Directions |
Candidate Biographies
Dave Aronberg
Dave Aronberg was born in 1971 in Miami and grew up in North Miami. He attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School, receiving his Law degree in 1996.
As an attorney for a large South Florida law firm, Dave was involved with then Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson, investigating European Insurance companies that refused to honor World War II-era policies sold to victims of the Holocaust. In 1999, he became a Florida Assistant Attorney General for economic crimes, investigating Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the prescription drug Oxycontin, for its marketing practices and led the State’s lawsuit against “Miss Cleo,” the “Jamaican Shango Shaman Psychic,” who had become an international celebrity. In 2000, Dave served as a White House Fellow and later served in two presidential administrations as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury for international money laundering.
Elected to the 5-county Florida Senate District 27 in 2002, with 69% against Republican Frank Mann, he was re-elected with little opposition by 86% in 2004 and 71% in 2008, and served until term-limited in 2010. As a Senator he worked to secure federal funding for Everglades restoration, worked on consumer protection legislation and restrictions on the diversion of perscription drugs.
In 2009, he ran for Attorney General, losing the Democrat primary to Dan Gelber with slightly under 41% of the vote, but going on to work for the winner in the race, Pam Bondi, as Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking, where he worked against pill mills.
Robert Gershman
Robert Gershman was born in 1966 and lives in Boca Raton. He received a BA in Accounting from George Washington University in 1988 and a law degree from Nova Southeastern Law School in 1991. In his final year, he interned at the PBC State Attorney’s office and was then hired by then SA David Bludworth as a full time prosecutor, and he served as assistant State Attorney under both Bludworth and Barry Krischer.
During his tenure, he prosecuted all types of crimes, up to and including death penalty cases, and served as a division chief, managing high profile cases. Upon leaving the State Attorney’s office, he entered private practice in criminal defense litigation, and has managed his practice for the last 15 years. He is one of a small group of attorneys certified under Florida State Statute to serve as lead trial counsel in death penalty cases, and has contributed many hours in pro bono work in the community.
Robert is running as a Non Party Affiliate because he believes the Office of Palm Beach County State Attorney should be fair and independant, without favoritism to any person or entity. As the next State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Robert intends to enforce the law, end corruption, prevent crime, and be an effective voice for the victims of crime. As the highest ranking law enforcement officer for Palm Beach County, he will represent the residents of Palm Beach County with zeal and integrity and will focus his efforts on ensuring justice for all.
Dina Keever
Dina Keever was born in Danville, Illinois in 1962. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Journalism, she worked in advertising at the St. Petersburg Times prior to earning a law degree at Florida State University where she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review.
After law school she served as a law clerk for Peter T. Fay of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami, then as a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s office in Miami, where whe worked on drug trafficking cases and later in Philadelphia where she prosecuted corruption, fraud, immigration, narcotics and violent crimes.
Dina has prosecuted over 250 federal cases and has extensive courtroom experience. She has written over forty federal appellate briefs and successfully argued numerous appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Third Circuit. Dina has received awards from both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Customs Service for her courtroom contributions to federal law enforcement.
In 2009, Dina joined other former federal prosecutors at the law firm Lewis Tein, P.L., as of Counsel. Dina took an indefinite leave of absence from Lewis Tein on April 20, 2012, in order to concentrate full-time on her campaign for Palm Beach County State Attorney. If elected, Dina will be the first female to serve as State Attorney in Palm Beach County.
We Fight!
PBC Tea Party and SF 912 jointly host Candidate Roundup
As elections approach, there are many venues in which to see and hear the candidates. Many of these, such as the network of political clubs of both parties, have rules that don’t allow non-party members to speak, even in non-partisan elections like Sheriff or Supervisor of Elections.
District 82 Candidate Forum with Senate Candidate Dave Weldon
Last evening’s joint event with Palm Beach County Tea Party and South Florida 912, kicked off with a visit by Senate candidate Dave Weldon.
Connie Mack – Impressions of the Presumptive GOP Challenger
The Senate race has produced a number of interesting candidates, many of whom see the value in grassroots support and have reached out to our various groups. Of those that dropped out, Mike Haridopolos, an early favorite, met with 912 state leaders in Orlando, and made the trip to Wings Plus for a DCWFUS session. Adam Hasner, who won the CPAC-FL straw poll, made the rounds of all the meetings and took time to get to know grassroots leaders personally. George LeMieux made multiple appearances at Tea Party events and valued our input. Those that remain – Mike McCalister, Marielena Stuart, Ron McNeil, Dave Weldon and others, started from the grassroots and have maintained their relationships.
Early Voting Begins August 4th for the August 14th Primary
Early voting for the August 14th Primary begins tomorrow, Saturday August 4th. Hopefully – you’ve had a chance to meet the candidates and review them in our Voters’ Guide. There still remain a few opportunities to interact with candidates early next week at two joint efforts between South Florida 912 and the Jupiter/PBG Chapter of the Palm Beach County Tea Party – Fl District 82 Forum and Senate Candidate Dave Weldon on Monday, and at the Boca Raton Chapter Candidate Round Up on Tuesday.
Early voting times are from Saturday, August 4th through Saturday, August 11th from 10am to 6pm Daily.
See the Early Voting page for the early voting locations and driving directions. There are 12 locations so there’s no excuse – go to whichever one is convenient for you! As you know – during early voting you can vote anywhere in the county.
You should have already received your voter registration card as well as sample ballots. If you didn’t receive a new card – look up your precinct at the Precinct Finder which will also bring up a link to your sample ballot. Please recall that there are Open Primaries and Non-Partisan races in which No Party Affiliation registered voters can participate. So check out the tool no matter your affiliation.
It is still possible to request or pick up an Absentee Ballot – see the Absentee Ballot information page of the Supervisor of Elections on how to do so.
There are a lot of important non partisan elections on the ballot that affect you and your family!
Please Vote – even if you don’t usually participate in primaries!
