“From
Justice As A Foundation All Rights Flow”
OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR
CHARLIE CRIST
January 5, 2009
Re:
Governor’s Letter
Regarding the 2008-09 General Revenue Budget
CONDO TRUST FUND
Dear
Governor Charlie Crist, Dear Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp,
Governor Crist, with all
due respect, raiding the Condo Trust Fund for another $15 million just
adds insult to injury. Not only is the dysfunctional Department of
Business and Professional Regulation under your direct supervision
-- you are the one who could personally order the much needed
changes -- now you are proposing to raid the remaining funds, paid by the condo owners in good faith, hoping that they could
trust their elected officials. That money is desperately needed
for the purpose intended: Protecting Florida's condo owners and
time share owners!
Please give me one good
reason why condo owners and time share owners should pay their $4
dues in
2009? They are getting absolutely nothing in return. Why should
they pay extra taxes?
What's the penalty for not
paying the $4 in the trust fund? Increased maintenance fees and/or
more foreclosures? The money is paid into the trust fund for a
specific reason, definitely not to be used as a piggy bank for government
executives who desperately need some money -- a desperate need
caused in part by financial mismanagement -- and PORK!
We
already visited the issue Condominium
Trust Fund in 2007, when the legislature raided the trust
fund for the first time. All the pleas of Florida's condo owners
and time share owners went unheard -- the trust lost the money --
and Florida's citizens lost their trust in our elected government
officials.
That
was in 2007 -- now it's 2009 -- and Florida's condo owners are
much worse off. The economy is down the drain, the real estate
market is non-existent and many of Florida's families are fighting
for financial survival -- trying to keep their homes. Many of the
problems are caused by the lack of consumer protection, a service
that should be provided by the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes,
paid for by the condo trust fund. As we all know, the Division is
failing to do its job and is one of the reasons why Florida made
it to the NUMBER ONE SPOT of the NATION'S FRAUD LIST, a
very dubious honor! I guess that's why we call it FRAUD
FRIENDLY FLORIDA?
Florida's condo owners are
desperate to save their lifestyle, but our government obviously
feels free to raid their funds, paid by these owners to help
protect their rights and their finances that are very much under
siege!
Recently a well-qualified
candidate for the vacant position of Condo Ombudsman didn't accept
the job, because he was offered "peanuts" as pay. It is
a very demanding job, very helpful for condo owners if occupied by
the right person. Since his salary is paid from the condo trust
fund that leaves only two conclusions: Either our government
officials don't want qualified people for the job -- we already
had one condo ombudsman who made the whole Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile
Homes look like a kindergarten -- or they want to save the money
in order to sweep it for other purposes. What is it?
Warm Regards,
Jan Bergemann
, President
Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.
http://www.ccfj.net/
IN
ALLIANCE
WITH:
League
of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Property Owners Association in the Villages (POA)
Service Employees International
Union
(SEIU) Local 11 (CleanCondos.Org)
Fair
Housing
Center
of the Greater Palm Beaches (FHCGPB)
Attachment
2: "SWEEP" AVAILABLE RESERVE BALANCES
General
Government
1 |
BPR |
Sweep
Florida Land Sales, Condominium and Mobile Homes Trust
Fund to GR |
15,000,000 |
15,000,000 |
|
15,000,000 |
2 |
BPR |
Sweep
Hotel and Restaurant Trust Fund to GR |
7,000,000 |
7,000,000 |
|
7,000,000 |
3 |
BPR |
Sweep
Professional Regulation Trust Fund to GR |
4,450,000 |
4,450,000 |
|
4,450,000 |
|
Total
Business and Professional Regulation |
26,450,000 |
26,450,000 |
0 |
26,450,000 |
CLICK
HERE FOR COMPLETE MEMORANDUM
JANUARY
2009
--
OPEN LETTER TO
GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST
--
CYBER CITIZENS FOR JUSTICE, INC. |
|