Public Funds for a Private Party
The City of Marco Island through its City Manager is proposing to donate $5,000 to a commercial enterprise for the purpose of hosting a private party.
Yes, its a private party when only 200 select people - out of the 15,000 citizens - are invited by a commercial organization. The Chamber of Commerce, notwithstanding the propaganda, represent commerce - not the citizens.
Read the below noted law, and just one case. Hence expect the fallout to be yet another criminal investigation of the City.
Enjoy the party.
Article VII, section 10, Florida Constitution, provides in pertinent part:
"Neither the state nor any county, school district, municipality, special district, or agency of any of them, shall become a joint owner with, or stockholder of, or give, lend or use its taxing power or credit to aid any corporation, association, partnership or person [.]"[7]
Also, in State v. Town of North Miami, the Florida Supreme Court stated:
Our organic law prohibits the expenditure of public money fora private purpose. It does not matter whether the money is derived by ad valorem taxes, by gift, or otherwise. It is public money and under our organic law public money cannot be appropriated for a private purpose or used for the purpose of acquiring property for the benefit of a private concern. It does not matter what such undertakings may be called or how worthwhile they may appear to be at the passing moment. The financing of private enterprises by means of public funds is entirely foreign to a proper concept of our constitutional system.
Yes, its a private party when only 200 select people - out of the 15,000 citizens - are invited by a commercial organization. The Chamber of Commerce, notwithstanding the propaganda, represent commerce - not the citizens.
Read the below noted law, and just one case. Hence expect the fallout to be yet another criminal investigation of the City.
Enjoy the party.
Article VII, section 10, Florida Constitution, provides in pertinent part:
"Neither the state nor any county, school district, municipality, special district, or agency of any of them, shall become a joint owner with, or stockholder of, or give, lend or use its taxing power or credit to aid any corporation, association, partnership or person [.]"[7]
Also, in State v. Town of North Miami, the Florida Supreme Court stated:
Our organic law prohibits the expenditure of public money fora private purpose. It does not matter whether the money is derived by ad valorem taxes, by gift, or otherwise. It is public money and under our organic law public money cannot be appropriated for a private purpose or used for the purpose of acquiring property for the benefit of a private concern. It does not matter what such undertakings may be called or how worthwhile they may appear to be at the passing moment. The financing of private enterprises by means of public funds is entirely foreign to a proper concept of our constitutional system.
posted by Mario R. Sanchez, Ph.D. at
7:04 AM
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Number of Comments: 5
CLICK HERE TO VIEW&POST COMMENTS
5 Comments:
February 18, 2007
Dear Councilors;
The celebration of the tenth year of City hood for Marco Island should be a festive event, and the community jazz night planned by the Chamber of Commerce promises to be just that. However, asking for taxpayer funds for this event I believe is problematic.
On the surface it would appear that a community celebration would be an appropriate candidate for community funding, but the limitation of 200 persons is either a mistake or the Chamber has a much smaller view of our community.
Additionally the request for $5,000 to reduce 200 tickets from $40.00 to $20.00 is also troubling. The last time I ciphered 200 into $5000 I came up with $25.00 not $20.00 but maybe I’m missing some of the Harrisonian fuzzy math or a commission to the Chamber or something. Also since the $5000 will actually pay for 125 tickets at full price, the statement “keep ticket prices affordable” actually amounts to paying 62.5% of the whole bill.
Maybe what we should consider is having the city buy those 125 tickets and hold a lottery with all Marco Islanders names in the hat and keep drawing until all the tickets are gone. That would be fair, but by leaving only 75 tickets for the Chamber to sell, some of the elite of our island might be left out, and that just wouldn’t do.
So in order to assure a ticket for each of the real leaders of our community, I think it might be necessary to have them pay for their own tickets, all forty bucks that is, and leave the commoners’ tax subsidy for more necessary uses like the clean up of Site “C”.
So I urge you to remove Item 5(G) from the consent agenda, vote NO! on it, and allow the upper crust access to all 200 tickets assuring that none of the beautiful people are left out in the cold when this festive event goes off on that most appropriate April Fool’s Day.
Respectfully;
Butch Neylon
By
Anonymous, at Monday, February 19, 2007 7:38:00 AM
the lottery would not work since 3 councilors and the city manager would sue to have the lottery process invalidated and therefore get held up in our wonderfully corrupt legal system long enough to make the matter moot and thereby give fodder to the village idiot of the ndn.
By
Daring to Speak, at Monday, February 19, 2007 7:40:00 AM
Send the "legal" re:the Chamber party to Roger Hall. Perhaps it should be added to our Recall Petition?
By
Anonymous, at Monday, February 19, 2007 9:24:00 PM
good idea! since its yet another example of misfeasance at the minimum and malfeasance at best - and therefore validates the recall....
By
Daring to Speak, at Monday, February 19, 2007 9:59:00 PM
THis City and its City Manager and the Council are above the law. THey have nothing to fear.
By
Anonymous, at Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:58:00 AM
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