{"id":59981,"date":"2024-09-11T21:46:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T01:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/?p=59981"},"modified":"2024-09-11T21:46:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T01:46:49","slug":"letter-to-the-editor-by-david-sperry-renaming-lee-county-cook-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/2024\/09\/letter-to-the-editor-by-david-sperry-renaming-lee-county-cook-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter to the Editor – By David Sperry – Renaming Lee County Cook County"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LEE COUNTY TO BE RENAMED \u201cCOOK COUNTY CORRUPTION CENTRAL\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 150 employees, politicians and contractors in Cook County Chicago have been convicted on corruption charges since 1957.   Cook County has been a den of political corruption in for nearly a century.   Unfortunately, Lee County Florida, one of the largest counties in Florida, is now a den of political corruption.  Therefore, Lee County should no longer be named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, but will be renamed in honor of its sinful sister county of Chicago.  It will officially be announced Lee County Florida will be changing to the \u201cCook County Corruption Central.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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We just need to look at the notorious list of current and former officeholders who now have forced Lee County to change its historical namesake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Sheriff Mike Scott<\/strong> regularly allowing Lee (Cook) deputies to serve as protection for drug dealers.  No wonder, Mike Scott\u2019s best friend and political confidant was convicted drug trafficker Richard Spence, who once worked for the Colombian Drug Cartel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Lee County (Cook) Sheriff Carmine Marceno<\/strong>, who makes Bill Clinton look like Mother Theresa. He is the current ethically challenged all-star of Lee County elected officials.   Marceno twice falsified sworn documents, once to become a Collier County deputy, then later again to become a Lee County deputy.  Marceno then used his office to prey on crime victims for sex, later demanding his girlfriend abort his own child.   No surprise, a record number of Lee County Sheriff\u2019s deputies under are now being caught in ethical violations.   Now Marceno spends millions of taxpayer dollars on self-promotion, ego boosting projects and social media videos.   We have taken an unethical and immoral part-time Long Island park ranger and put him in charges of the eight largest police force in Florida. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amira Fox<\/strong> serves as the current chief prosecutor for the 20th<\/sup> Judicial Circuit of Florida, that includes Lee (Cook) County.  Fox gave a one-year plea deal to a serial rapist, all because the rapist\u2019s attorney, Sawyer Smith, was the largest single contributor to her election campaign.  In 2018 Fox was confronted by Conservative journalist Laura Loomer about Fox\u2019s family ties to the Palestine Liberation Organization.   Fox had Loomer forcibly removed from the building.   With one small exception of former Cape Coral City Councilor Patty Cummings, Fox refuses to prosecute any other elected official for misconduct.  It helps that Carmine Marceno raised tens of thousands for Fox\u2019s 2018 campaign.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Commissioner Brian Hamman<\/strong> served as the paid CEO & President of the Lee County Greater Chamber of Commerce.  He then awarded millions in Lee Government contracts to select members of the Greater Lee County Chamber of Commerce.  Hamman never recused himself from voting as a commissioner in awarding chamber members money from taxpayer funding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Commissioner Mike Greenwell<\/strong> used his power and influence to attain a three-million-dollar security contract with the school board, even though Greenwell\u2019s company did fit the minimum requirements required for the contract.  Now Greenwell uses his office to violate Florida\u2019s sunshine open meeting laws, working with lobbyist Terry Miller to set up private Commissioner meetings with construction developers and lobbyists.  The developer and Greenwell plan to make millions rezoning and developing the Alva neighborhood of Lee County, even though the residents of Alva adamantly oppose the plan.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clerk of Court and Comptroller Kevin Karnes<\/strong> improperly used his position to attain a significant promotion and pay raise for a woman he had a sexual relationship.   Karnes violated a witness protection law, negligently publishing a victim\/witness home address, where she had to flee her home in fear of her stalker.   Then Karnes improperly used the Clerk\u2019s official email list to solicit campaign donations.   Karnes now serves as the official auditor and watchdog of Lee (Cook) County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senator Jonathan \u201cTreetop\u201d Martin<\/strong> was selected in a backroom deal to get elected.   Former State Senator Ray Rogriguez dropped out of his reelection campaign a few days before the filing deadline, with Jonathan Martin quickly filing his candidacy paperwork before anyone else had a chance to run.  Martin cheated the voters out of having a real election.   Martin was very unpopular when he chaired the Lee (Cook) Republican Party, having assaulted a young member for recording a GOP meeting on his cell phone.  It was doubtful Martin would have won a truly competitive Republican primary.  Martin was selected by a backroom deal and not elected by the voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former State Representative Lal Spencer Roach<\/strong>.  When Lal Roach was mocked for wasteful government spending by local Conservative political activist Randy Scott, Roach called the Sheriffs office and demanded deputies respond to Scott\u2019s house.  Roach had three Lee (Cook) County deputies called to Conservative activist Randy Scott\u2019s home, all because Roach did not like what Randy Scott posted on Facebook.  Lal Spencer Roach will negatively attack any of his political opponents as \u201cholocaust deniers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Commission (Elect) David Mulicka:  <\/strong>Recently winning the Republican primary by repeated smears against his primary opponent.  Mulicka filed sworn documents in his recent divorce admitting he is one-million dollars in personal debt, losing a net six thousand a month after all of his expenses.  Mulicka\u2019s company has been fined thousands for toxic polluting, a claim he has never denied.  We just elected a commission who has an atrocious record on the environment and is in massive personal debt, but somehow we believe he will keep the voters interest before lobbyist and developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter<\/strong>, who was never elected, but was selected to fill the remaining term of the former mayor.   Upon assuming office Gunter quickly pushed through a new $5,000 a month additional stipend for himself, as well a $3,333 monthly stipend for each city councilor.  The voters were outraged at this shameless power grab, but Gunter could care less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Representative Tiffany Esposito<\/strong>, who currently has a conflict of interest, working as both a legislator and works as a paid executive for the Chamber of Commerce.  You can\u2019t be a lobbyist for a business organization and serve the best interests of your constituents, unless of course, you live and work in Lee (Cook) County.  Esposito takes her lead from County Commission Brian Hamman, serve in office to direct contracts to your employer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The one uniting factor all these local elected officeholders, they utilize the campaign services of notorious underhanded campaign smear-master political consultant Terry Miller.  Miller has made a fortune in defaming, dehumanizing, and lying about his political opponents.  No wonder the Lee (Cook) county corrupt establishment officeholders delight in partaking in his slander machine tactics.  Miller uses a web of political committees, especially his \u201cJust the Facts PAC\u201d to launch thousands in false negative attacks to install his corrupt puppets.  Lee (Cook) County faces a perilous road if we keep electing ethically bankrupt crooks.  We must grow out of electing folks who are \u201cestablishment\u201d endorsed, beloved by liberal reporters, and have the support of current corrupt elected officeholders.  No more backroom deals selecting candidates.   Above all, voters must reject any candidate who retains the services of smear master Terry Miller and is TM Consulting company.  The next time you get a nasty lying flyer from, \u201cJust the Facts PAC\u201d set it on fire and tell your neighbor to do the same.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LEE COUNTY TO BE RENAMED \u201cCOOK COUNTY CORRUPTION CENTRAL\u201d Nearly 150 employees, politicians and contractors in Cook County Chicago have been convicted on corruption charges since 1957.   Cook County has… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":36514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[2805],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59981"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59982,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59981\/revisions\/59982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}