Midterm

Question 1
There would be several public documents I would look into if I were assigned to report on Al Zimmerman, the PIO for DCF, being arrested for child pornography charges. I would begin by going on to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office website and search to find the records regarding booking as well as the jail logs. According to our text book, jail logs provide a lot of valuable information. The logs list inmate numbers, the charges brought against the offender, the date brought in, as well as bond information. Once I know the charges brought against Zimmerman I can then go to the HCSO and request public records of any search warrant as well as affidavit which will give me a lot more information. When we visited the HCSO, J.D. Callaway informed us that a search warrant provides you with the law enforcements credentials, as well as every exhibit brought before the court that stated probable cause to obtain the warrant.

Depending on what information I get from these sources, I would then also decide to check out the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s webpage to get information on how to obtain a statewide criminal background check. There may have been some charges brought against Zimmerman not listed in the local sheriffs office because it didn’t occur in their county and may have been expunged due to when it occurred.

The public record resources I have used up to now would have provided a lot of information, and one crucial piece of information is his employer. Zimmerman was the PIO for DCF, which is a government agency, and thus all his employment records are also public records. Knowing this, I would use the MyFlorida website and search their 411 directory to get the number for the department in which Zimmerman worked. Once I have reached his employers department, I would ask for copies of his personnel records. Personnel records would have his employment application, any letters of recommendations he provided, his resume, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, or awards he may have received. After reviewing these documents, I would know how to proceed on whom to interview regarding his position at DCF. I would definitely ask whoever hired him at DCF, whether a thorough background check had ever been conduced on Zimmerman. I would also like to interview whoever signed off on any of his performance evaluations or awards he may have received. Other worthwhile people to interview would be those who gave him any letters of recommendation, they attested to his character so it would be interesting to see what they would have to say after the charges were brought to light and Zimmerman’s character flaws were made evident.

Being that Zimmerman was employed by a state government institution, his emails could be reviewed. It may be that he was engaging in misconduct while at work, emailing underage teens or getting their contact information through DCF. This could raise a lot of questions not only in Zimmerman’s guilt, but also to the level of responsibility in the DCF agency as to where they are missing an employee misusing his authority and access to information. In the same manner, the resume included within the DCF personnel record would also give light to previous employers that could be interviewed and held accountable in much the same way as DCF for perhaps not conducting an adequate background check. The resume would also list employment in other states which could then open the door to other public records that might involve criminal activity in a different state.

Once I have searched all the public records listed above I would be concerned with other people that I could interview, and this leads me to yet another public record. According to our sunshine manual, a marriage license provides the date of birth, the birth place, the bride’s maiden name, home address and the ministers name as well as the two witnesses present. This then leads me to find out where he lives, and then gives me access to neighbors who I could interview. I would ask neighbors what they thought about Zimmerman, and if they ever saw any teenagers or children enter his home. I would also be interested in interviewing the two witness’, some may be family of Zimmerman or perhaps have access to the family which I would also want to interview for my piece.

Overall, I realize that a lot of crucial information for this kind of story could be easily obtained through some investigation of public records. I think that the steps that I have taken would provide enough information for me to present a thorough piece to my editor and one that would hopefully inform readers without leaving any questions unanswered.

Question 2

Florida’s Sunshine Laws were created to ensure the publics accessibility to governmental meetings and records. Florida has one of the most open forms of government and the First Amendment Foundation helps to monitor our government officials so that we can continue to have our open government. The Sunshine laws provide the means for the public to be as involved as possible in governmental action and do so through several of their statues. The sunshine laws require that in any place where two or more elected officials are congregated or discussing a public issue, the public has a right to be there. This then means if two elected officials were to be having lunch and debating any of the topics brought up in a meeting, then journalists and any member of the public have the right to be there. The public is also to be provided with notice of the meeting, and the meeting hour needs to be at a reasonable period so the public can attend if they would like to. The downfall to the Sunshine laws however, is that the legislative body that created the laws, also happened to exempt themselves from it. Their argument being that if there were to be too much public involvement then tasks would not be accomplished and in order to keep things running smoothly they would need to be exempt from this. This argument seems irrelevant in questioning then why they would think that other governmental bodies could be able to accomplish anything even while having to deal with the public’s participation.

The public’s accessibility and involvement is not highly favored among many elected officials and there have been efforts to limit the public’s access. However, with organizations like the FFA and The Governors Commission on Open Government Reform our Sunshine laws are monitored. The Governors Commission on Open Government Reform was started by Charlie Crist, and according to its website it was created to “review, evaluate, and issue recommendations regarding Florida’s public records and public meeting laws.” The commission works only to review the laws and makes no efforts to try and change them by amending them. This commission understands the value of maintaining open government in order to create a public trust, and to continue to be a leader because other states do not provide as much accessibility as Florida. The commission’s oversight on other agencies will serve to look into whether there is any overlap of laws, and to create a clear and consistent view and enforcement of the Sunshine laws.

The commission understands that although these Sunshine Laws are in place, they have not been perfected and even with the creation of the commission there is a lot left to do. Several issues have been brought to light regarding these laws and whether the commission can fulfill their duties. One issue raised in the commission’s website is adequate training. According to Charlie Crists’ Executive Order 07-01 the office will “provide training to all executive agencies under my purview on transparency and accountability.” In order to be able to strive towards educating its agencies the website provides materials for the individuals to learn from such as: an online training course, a sample public records request, the sunshine manual, and opportunities to take part in seminars.

Executive Order 07-01 also states that the commission will be responsible for ‘assuring full and expeditious compliance with Florida’s open government and public records laws.” This can be a difficult challenge for the commission due to the tremendous effort that needs to be put into enforcing the Sunshine Laws on small and local governments. Often these small and local governments don’t have the resources needed to comply with the Sunshine Laws. For example, documents may have been stored for over a decade in a warehouse, but the documents are so dated they weren’t imprinted in the sort of system where they could be readily accessed. This was something that we learned of when we visited the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. Pat spoke to us that it has been especially difficult to try and now sort these documents that we’ve had before the internet, and try to imprint them to a catalog in which we could locate them when needed. It is a large task, and one that would require a large budget. Pat relayed that in a time of economic crisis such as the one our nation is facing now, there have been continuous budget cuts and the progressions of many programs have been put on a backburner.

While the lack of resources for adequate technological advancements is leaving behind some agencies, it is new technology that can create problems for other agencies. The introduction of cell phones and computers in the workplace is hindering the public records process because it is hard to distinguish when it is being used for personal matters or business matters. Therefore when a member of the public requests to see copies of emails that their local elected officials have recently sent out, the issue becomes allowing that official proper time to sift through and take out what is not business related. This seems unfair because those private uses can show some misconduct and an individual requesting the records will not be able to prove the misconduct. Al Zimmerman sending emails proposition the underage teens to pose nude for example, is more of a private email, but if conducted within the office and during office hours then it should be considered a public record. It is the separation of public and private use of things like a cell phone or computer that create a difficult challenge for the commission who is not there to amend any laws, but simply to review and try to recommend courses of action.

The Governors Commission on Open Government Reform have quite a large task before them and are limited in their powers. However it is the creation of a commission such as this one that will lead us in steps forward to provide better services and an even greater open government.

Question 3

Whenever a candidate announces his decision to run for office, he will in essence be giving journalists the permission to search out every detail about his life. Vetting the candidates will happen with or without the candidates consent and is truly in the publics interest in regards to letting the public know more about the candidate without being limited to what they would like to portray. This process of researching an individual would be conducted if Victor Crist were to announce his candidacy for Congress.

If I were assigned to do an in depth documentary profile of Crist concerning his campaign finances, I would begin by researching on the moneyline.cq.com site which allows me to search by candidate name and under the tab of candidate as recipient. This would then show me who has donated to his campaign and therefore gives insight on his supporters and possible lobbyists he will be dealing with. Campaign contributions list organizations that are in support such as NRA which will then lead you to believe that a candidate with the NRA’s support will probably be voting in their favor, and listen to their lobbyists.

Another resource available to journalists is the opensecrets website which also allows you to search for individuals who have donated to political campaigns. This website lists the name of the individual, their occupation, the date the donation was made, and which candidate received the donation. These types of databases are very important because they can lead to bigger stories on fraud and illegal donations. William March can attest this as his investigation led to the shutdown of a company, as well as imprisonment for Mark Jimenez for his illegal contributions to the Clinton campaign.

When William March spoke to our class he also let us know of an extremely valuable resource, whose only downfall is cost. March introduced us to AutoTrac, which gives a lot of insight into whoever you’re searching and I would definitely use this to research Crist. AutoTrac is a national comprehensive report that includes such information as: assets, driver licenses, professional licenses, real properties, vehicles and more. This resource allowed March to check out the assets and properties of the people he felt were making illegal contributions. He was able to question if a person wasn’t driving an expensive car, or had very many assets, how could he then afford to make large campaign contributions. In our current presidential election John McCain was asked about his assets and wasn’t able to give a specific number on the amount of property he owns. An AutoTrac on him would provide a journalist this information which could then be presented alongside his quote or sound bite and would make McCain look foolish. This is a perfect example of how this resource could play a part in an election.

Yet another aspect of a candidate that voters are interested in is their voting record. Voters want to know what the candidate stands for, and if what he’s saying is agreeing with his actions. This information is also critical to analysts and the opposing party who thrust it into the public spotlight. Being that Victor Crist is a member of the state senate I would research the Florida Senate website to try and obtain voting records from there. However, many of the records are not accessible on the website and therefore I may have to refer to the Senate or House Journal. The Florida Senate website provides a phone number to call the Clerk of the House, or the Secretary of the Senate in order to retrieve this information.

In regards to politics, the media truly has the power to claim to be the fourth estate. It can monitor our elected officials through the resources I’ve listed and hold them accountable to not only to their words but actions as well.

Steve Andrews

Steve Andrews began his presentation speaking about the role of the internet in media and saying, ‘The game’s changed, it’s no longer just newspaper, its no longer just television”. He went on to say that in his 23 years of working in the field, this last year has been the most filled with change. Being that Andrews began like this, I assumed we would hear more information regarding the shifts in media and preparation for the field. Instead, Andrews gave us insight to some of his bigger and more rewarding investigations.

The Palmetto Guest Home story, on Mr. Larson was a heartbreaking piece that really attests to the power of quality journalism. Andrews’ investigation led to the Palmetto Guest Home being shut down, and its owner being jailed and held accountable. Seeing stories like this really put my faith in the field again, because Mr. Larson had a story that needed to be told and who knows how many other people are now out of harms way as a result.

On the other hand, the firefighter piece was more of a disappointment. Andrews put together a good piece that brings to light the misuse and abuse of a contract stipulation. The exchange of time rule is in place to help firefighters in time of trouble, such as a death in the family and it shouldn’t be continuously abused. However what was really disappointing was the fact that after Andrews put in the time and work into this investigation, and in the end it just simply went away.

Another aspect of this presentation that I found to be interesting was the piece that Andrews did on Coe. I was shocked when Andrews revealed that Coe had committed suicide and that Andrews himself, had found his dead body. I know that there is a need to pursue a story, and to pursue justice, but at the expense of a human life seems like a high price. I don’t think that Andrews made the wrong choice, I just don’t know how I would feel if I were to be in his position.

Andrews and Doigg were both very interesting speakers and I enjoyed hearing about their work and their process in attaining the information for the stories. Investigative journalism is an important field that I value so much more after hearing their presentations.

Tax Collector's Office

I was unable to attend our field trip to the tax collectors office and instead, I reviewed the website to get my information for this blog. Not having any real prior knowledge about the tax collectors office or what they do, I learned a lot from just reading different sections of the website. I was unaware of the fact that ‘tax collectors are elected for a four year term in the presidential election year’. I also didn’t know that the tax collectors office issued hunting and fishing licenses.

In the field trip prior to this, we learned that the clerk of the circuit court is responsible for handling millions of dollars. The tax collectors office however, handles over a billion dollars each year. The enormity of that figure suggests that there is a vast amount of work and responsibility that come with being part of this office. I also found it interesting that the tax collectors office isn’t actually funded by our tax dollars, and it seems a little bit ironic that they are instead funded by other fees.

There were several things I found very interesting the tax collectors website home page. First of all, on the home page there is a little disclaimer informing you that the accuracy of the information provided on the website is not guaranteed for legal purposes. I think its funny that this kind of organization, which handles so many public records and needs to be as accurate as possible, has this little disclaimer. I also found it interesting that is informs you that your email address becomes a public record if you request a public record electronically. Something else I noticed was that the Hillsborough county tax collectors office must be doing fairly good work, because this year they received a Sterling Award from the governors office.

William March

William March, a political reporter for the Tampa Tribune, represents a diminishing group of reporters who specialize in politics. He spoke of his position allowing him to retain knowledge of many issues others may not know too much. March has to know a little about several different things in order to understand what politicians are speaking about.


His presentation primarily focused on political campaign contributions, and this is why he resorted to speaking of his piece on Mark Jimenez. This piece allowed him to demonstrate various resources to the class, as well as give us a better understanding as to how they work. Although March introduced us to moneyline, which provides information on national level campaign contribution, I found opensecrets.org to be much more useful. The website's mission statement reads, "Whether you’re a voter, journalist, activist, student or interested citizen, use our free site to shine light on your government. Count cash and make change". I found this site particularly interesting for the search engine that March had us use to look up those who have contributed in our area. While in class I entered in my political figure’s name and found an extensive list on contributions, and was also surprised at how much you could really learn from just this one website.

Another aspect of March’s presentation that I was interested in was the impact of his piece on Jimenez. March started the piece on a small tip from his editor who just suggested he look into Mark Jimenez after he read a piece the New York Times ran. Once March began to look into it, he found that one door after another was opened and there was much more to the New York Times story. Once his piece was published it led to criminal actions brought against Jimenez, and March’s piece was also picked up by other newspapers who followed it up to other big names and companies. The importance of public records in his line of work reminded me of Doig’s presentation in which he explained how vital it is to investigative reporting as well.

Public Meeting 2

I attended the East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership Subcommittee Meeting. It was a very small meeting located in the Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union which is in the heart of the area the committee focuses on.

The Committee in itself is focused on revitalizing the area in order to lead it in a move forward from its current standing. The subcommittee is in place in order to help the committee move forward in its efforts. The chair of the subcommittee is Ernest Coney, and he works closely with Juan Davis who is a local business owner of Tampa T-shirts. Davis informed me that he got involved when his business relocated to East Tampa, “I knew it was a redevelopment area and I wanted to be involved with that process and the subcommittee allows us to take a little legwork out of the committee”.

Ernest is the Chief Operations Officer of the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, also known as the CDC. The corporation works to provide affordable housing as well as commercial housing and does a lot of work in East Tampa. “It’s an area that is surrounded by small businesses and many of them consist of pawn and cash now shops so we actually own the building Suncoast is in, and we lease it to them. This is in an effort to educate the people in the community on legitimate banking and provide other options for them.” The CDC is working to bring in other institutions to continue their effort, and Fifth Third Bank will be opening in the area soon.

Throughout the meeting they discussed many of the programs they are currently working on and how several of them are no longer on schedule due to much beauracracy and the need to have city administrators finalize everything. However, they saw this as an opportunity to do workshops to inform businesses of the revitalization in an effort to bring other new businesses in as well.

Overall, I got the feeling that many people are leaving behind the area because of its current condition and viewing it as a priority. In this economy it is hard enough for people at the top of our county government to get what they need, and projects like these may continue to be put on the backburner.

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Our trip to the clerk of the circuit court provided a lot of insight into the workings of our county's office. It was described as the office with the lowest visibility and the highest responsibility, because people know the least about it.

The clerk's office handles millions of dollars, they are responsible for paying all the employees which add up to around 6,500 people. The office also invests the county's money, and does so following different criteria. In order to invest the county’s money they judge the liquidity of the investment, the return of principle, and the rate of return.

Something they spoke about that was very interesting was the loss of revenue that is going hand in hand with our nation’s economic standing right now. We learned about the county’s revenue drying up as a result of the higher amounts of foreclosures, and less people buying or selling homes, this means the taxes off deeds aren’t coming in anymore and the county’s budget is a mirror of what’s happening in the economy.

Another aspect that is a result of the economic crisis right now is crime, people are undergoing higher amounts of stress and therefore domestic violence can rise and theft can go up as well as people result to stealing to get what they need.

The clerk of the circuit court’s office has recently opened up services to issue passports as well as helping people not have to hire attorney’s. The people helped by this attorney services generally have a relatively small charge against them, and now they can file a case through the self-help office. The legal aids in this office provide services for a small fee, this helps to expedite the process as well as avoid a loss of time and money.

The wide array of tasks handled by the clerk of the circuit court range from handling traffic citations, keeping county records and handling jury summons. This office truly does handle a great amount of responsibility and isn’t really recognized for it.