Senator Paula Dockery is calling on Governor Crist to veto the legislation or stall signing it until there’s further investigation into the emails and influence of CSX on the legislation
We just learned that Sun-Rail proponents at F.D.O.T. and CSX have been found to be in VIOLATION OF Public Records Laws regarding Sun-Rail!
F.D.O.T. and other entities used “key words” to replace key words which are used to identify email correspondence that is subject to public records requests. Instead of Sun-Rail, they used the word “pancakes” and other breakfast foods!
PROTEST scheduled for 12:30pm at 55 West Condos (moved from Church Street Station location) where Governor Charlie Crist will be staging a photo op with Buddy Dyer (D) signing Sun-Rail into law (for the 3rd time; he is hop scotching all over Florida)
We have an opportunity to ruin Charlie Crist’s “photo op” with Buddy Dyer (D) for Sunrail!!!!
Alex Sink decried it and called for F.D.O.T. resignations but didn’t ask for any type of investigation. It is unknown whether any further investigation into F.D.O.T. will take place since the Sun-Rail bill already passed in both the House and state Senate. Senator Paula Dockery is calling on Governor Crist to veto the legislation or stall signing it until there’s further investigation into the emails and influence of CSX on the legislation.
PRESS RELEASE from DOUG GUETZLOE of Ax The Tax
Florida Grassroots Group Demands Resignations from Florida Department of Transportation Participants in Email “WaffleGate.”
With the discovery of a systematic effort to deprive Florida taxpayers and the elected officials of vital information concerning the financial and tactical details of the Sun-Rail project, Florida grassroots organization – Ax the Tax – is demanding the resignations of any and all FDOT officials that participated in the now public “WAFFLE-GATE.”
“Florida has broad public records laws – so says the statute that give us the right to obtain public documents – not so with the Florida Department of Transportation,” stated Doug Guetzloe, Chairman of Ax the Tax. “This entire project has been cloaked with secrecy and now we discover, belatedly, that CSX and FDOT were intentionally and deliberately hiding vital information about this boondoggle with code words like “waffle; bacon; pancakes, etc. The FDOT hierarchy must resign immediately due to potentially illegal violation of Chapter 119 Public Records laws – so much for Government in the Sunshine,” Guetzloe concluded.
WAFFLE-GATE has been discovered in public records requests just made public that intentionally masked over 8,600 emails dealing with the Sun-Rail boondoggle. This is a clear violation of the public trust and could endanger the feasibility of this ill-advised project.
Ax the Tax has led the fight against rail boondoggles for twelve years and is active in opposing the current proposal.
News Article from WDBO Local News
DOT used code words to discuss commuter rail with CSX
By Drew Petrimoulx December 14, 2009 1:55 PMNow, Dockery is calling on Governor Crist to veto the legislation or stall signing it until there’s further investigation into the emails and influence of CSX on the legislation.
Emails show government officials and the CSX rail company used secret code for conversations regarding commuter rail legislation.
State Senator Paula Dockery, one of the bills most ardent opponents, spoke with WDBO Monday afternoon about the latest developments.
Sen. Dockery said she knew something was up before the last special session when she asked for email correspondence between DOT’s top brass and representatives of the CSX corporation.
“We were sent 100 emails which were supposed to take their word for were all the emails that existed over an eight-month period,” she said.
But the day after commuter rail passed, Dockery’s office was notified that there had been a mistake.
“We received a letter of apology stating that there was a computer glitch, and here are our 8,000 emails,” she said.
In those emails, corporate bosses and government officials use code words like “waffle,” “pancake” and “French toast” – possibly to disguise them from public records requests.
Linked article http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/20...