Hillsborough County Assessment

No government is perfect. That's true for countries, for states and even counties. Hillsborough County is no exception.

Throughout this semester, I've followed the county school board and government by reading The Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times, and I've noticed that Hillsborough County dealt with two main issues: the budget cuts and public access to government.



Schools all over Florida are facing budget cuts.

Specifically Hillsborough County schools have had to deal with budget cuts and the next school year is not looking much better. The school board is seriously considering cutting back on spending by a total of $55 million (by approximately $26 million the first half of the year and $28 million the second half). The district has estimated another $30 million in cuts for the 2009-2010 school year.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia has said that Hillsborough County has made many of the same cuts as other school districts, except for some measures like massive layoffs. Hillsborough has cut 20 percent of its budget over the last few years.

Other cutbacks have included a hiring freeze, not filling vacancies, cutting supplies, cutting travel and reducing the number of school bus routes by 1,000. The district also converted to a 7-class period day. While it eliminated a planning period for teachers, it saved the district $38 million.

The second round of cuts may have more of an effect in the classroom. Students at Jefferson High School held its homecoming at the school this year to save money. In addition, the student planners that are usually given to all students were given only to freshman and sophomores because of the lack of funds.

The school board consider layoffs a last resort, but schools are being asked to look at their staff size.

Much is suffering during this economic crisis, but governments in the States have placed education below other issues for a long time--Hillsborough County government is not exempted. When schools are suffering while corporations are fighting for buy-outs and getting bailed out of the current economic crisis by the government, Florida's priorities seem a bit skewed.

Florida has long held a broad right of access. We have a consitutional right to access public records, whether it be e-mail, video, audio, paper documents or even Post-It notes. The

Sunshine Laws basically state that we have access to any public records or meetings, and public agencies must comply and let people access the records in a reasonable manner.

When I participated in the Florida Society of Newspaper Editor's public records audit, I had heard from many of our guest speakers about how accommodating an agency would be to those requesting records.

Florida in the Sunshine is a great concept, but it doesn't seem to be working in action. I went to the Hillsborough County School Board t ask for e-mail records, and I came out five minutes later with no records and no idea of when they would be made available. The people I spoke to were immediately suspicious of me and acted as though fulfilling my request would be big inconvenience.

I had to act like a regular citizen, meaning I only had a general knowledge of the Sunshine Laws. Now, I know what I would do if I were in this situation again and not a part of the audit, but I wonder whether a regular citizen would just walk out with nothing like I did and give up.

The governement needs to enforce the public records laws if they are to be followed. In addtion, citizens should be better informed of their right of access. Not all of them have the opportunity to take a Public Affairs Reporting class. People don't even show up to most public meetings. If the newspapers or the local news stations told people about public meetings tell them (in advance) when and where they will be held.

Hillborough County is not perfect, but it can be the best it can be if the public fully utilizes its right to public records and the governement fully enforces the public records laws.

Public Records Profile: Rep. Kevin C. Ambler

Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2002, and subsequently reelected, Rep. Kevin C. Ambler is a Republican in District 47.

According to his profile on the House of Representatives Web site, Ambler was born March 10, 1961 in Los Angeles. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1983. Ambler was a member of the Cornell Interfraternity Council and AFROTC. He was also president of the Phi Alpha Omega Fraternity and a Judicial Administrator. Ambler graduated from Southwestern University School of Law, earning a Juris Doctor degree, three years later and was part of the Moot Court Honors Board of Advisors.

Ambler served time in the military afterward. He started in the U.S. Air Force the same year he graduated from Southwestern University and has been a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve since 1991. That same year, the military named him Outstanding Judge Advocate of the Year.

Ambler is currently a Lutz resident and a Republican in the Florida House. He's married to Mindy Hanopole, who changed her name to Ambler and is a self-employed interior designer, and has two children: Jami and Jason. He enjoys sailing, tennis and traveling.

According to the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Ambler and his wife took out a mortgage on their house, 18617 Ave Capri Ave., in the Cheval Polo and Golf Club in Lutz August 30, 2002 with Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation in the amount of $432,000. The assessed value of the house is $441,221. The husband and wife previously took out a mortgage in 1992 with Crossland Mortgage Corp. for their Tampa home, 4169 Brentwood Park Circle, in the amount of $92,000.

Ambler and his wife have also rented properties. They filed a warranty deed with the Commerce Title Company in April 2003 to rent a property, 10210 Highland Manor Dr. #100, to Ashley Cuddy. In June of the same year, Ambler and his wife filed another deed to Ashley Cuddy for the same property to fix an incorrect legal description in the previous deed.

He also has a law office in Tampa, which is a tangible property at 400 N. Tampa St. It has an assessed value of $20,360, which he is not required to pay taxes on this year, according to the Hillsborough County Tax Collector.

As member of the House of Representatives, Ambler has spearheaded a number of legislative initiatives. For example, he joined Sen. John Carona and Rep. Will Hartnett of Texas, Reps. William J. Seitz and Scott Oelslager of Ohio and Delegate David Albo of Virginia in True's (an online dating service) national legislation campaign that seeks to protect online daters from interacting with sexual predators and criminals.

"Why should doing your business over the Internet be immune from government's obligation to look out for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens?" Ambler asked in a story for the St. Petersburg Times.

He also started the "Ought to be a Law” bill-drafting competition. Students in Hillsborough County Schools get a hands-on experience in lawmaking and have three minutes to present their own bill to a panel of Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation members. Ambler created the competition in 2004.

Ambler and his wife made donations to Sen. John McCain's campaign during this year's presidential election. They gave $2,150 and $1,150, respectively.

Ambler is reportedly unwilling to be open about issues with the citizens he is representing, according to Project Vote Smart. He has refused to take Project Vote Smart's Political Courage test.

The test is a key component of Project Vote Smart's Voter Self-Defense system. Major leaders of the media, major parties and Project Vote Smart repetitiously ask candidates one central question: "Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?" The Political Courage Test is administered to all candidates for presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative offices. The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose.

The Project Vote Smart Web site stated: "Representative Kevin C. Ambler repeatedly refused to provide any responses to citizens on the issues through the 2008 Political Courage Test when asked to do so by national leaders of the political parties, prominent members of the media, Project Vote Smart President Richard Kimball, and Project Vote Smart staff."

Nevertheless, Ambler's voting record on Project Vote Smart's Web site displays his dedication to saying true to his more Conservative beliefs, while not letting those beliefs infringe on all of his decisions.

Although he voted no on an amendment that would earmark $1 million from the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program to fund research grants on adult, umbilical cord and embryonic stem cell projects, Ambler voted yes on a Senate bill that would provide a protected right for teachers to objectively present scientific information relating to scientific views of the teaching of evolution.

Throughout his career as a lawyer and a politician, Ambler has won numerous awards, including:

Consumer Rights, Legislative Award 2004
Florida Chamber of Commerce, Honor Roll 2004
Moffitt Cancer Center, Outstanding Legislator Award 2004
Hillsborough County, "Have A Heart" Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2002
Achievement Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Medal

April 1, 2008 marked Ambler's announcement that he is going to run for the Florida Senate to take Sen. Victor Crist's seat. According to The Buzz: Florida Politics, he not only wants to win re-election this year, but also a seat in the Senate. Ambler said he wanted to be the first to file for the 2010 election to clear anybody's doubts about his future political ambitions.

Public Records:

Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court (four records used)

Hillsborough County Tax Collector (two records used)

http://www.myfloridahouse.com/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4272

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/ambler-to-run-f.html

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article446611.ece

http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/news2004/florida-true-safety.html

http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/otbal/

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Ambler

Budget cuts have a dangerous effect on education

Today, the St. Petersburg Times ran a front page story about the planned closing of five elementary schools due to the recent budget cuts in Florida as well as the United States.

The five schools that may be closed are Gulf Beaches Elementary in St. Pete Beach, Kings Highway Elementary in Clearwater, North Ward Elementary in Clearwater, Palm Harbor Elementary in Palm Harbor and Rio Vista Elementary in St. Petersburg.

This is not a sudden occurrence, however. Last year, Pinelles County managed to spare three of these schools from the chopping block: Gulf Beaches Elementary, North Ward Elementary and Rio Vista Elementary. Now they are at risk again, and the Pinelles County School Board is forced to make a decision as to whether the schools will remain open.

These proposed closings are the results of budget cuts as well as the decline in the amount of students in the Pinelles school system. During the 2005-2006 school year, the population of students from kindergarten to the 12th grade was 111,483.

It is expected to drop to roughly 98,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year, administrators told The Suncoast News.

Last week Pinelles found out that revenue needed to cover this year's spending will be cut, not by the planned $13.8 million, but by at least $21 million. In addition, $40-million will have to be cut next year.

An elementary school in St. Petersburg, Clearview Avenue Elementary, has already been closed, and students will be forced to find another school to attend. The same may happen to these five other schools, which will make other schools still staying open suffer.

The district released a list of seven schools that could receive "program enhancements" or "expansions" next year if the board closes the schools.

Jim Madden, an assistant superintendent, told the St. Petersburg Times that the school board will, if the five schools are closed, create more seats at Coachman and Southside fundamental middle schools and at Curtis Fundamental Elementary, establish gifted programs at three middle schools and turn Madeira Beach Elementary and Madeira Beach Middle into one school with grades kindergarten through eight.

More students at fewer schools will increase class sizes. Large classes have never been conducive to better learning. Education has been put below other issues for a long time, but when schools are suffering while corporations are fighting for buy-outs and getting bailed out of the current economic crisis by the government, Florida's priorities seem a bit scewed.

Although the proposed closures of the five schools would save about $4.2 million, some school board members and certainly parents of the schools' students are upset.

School Board member Carol Cook told the St. Petersburg Times that she would be fine with school closings if they served an educational purpose, but making cuts like these because cuts they have to make cuts is frustrating.

Midterm Essay Exam

Question 1

Al Zimmerman, PIO for DCF, has been arrested on child pornography charges and booked by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. I've received an assignment to do an in-depth report on Zimmerman.

This needs to be an in-depth story, so I have to think of what I want to know about Zimmerman: How long has he been PIO of DCF? How did he get close to minors? What sort of pornography was he arrested for (video, photographs, etc.)? Is he married? Does he have any children? Where does he live?

The first thing I'm going to do is take advantage of the public records available to me. I'll make sure to get the news release concerning the arrest as soon as the Sheriff's Office puts it out. I can then pick up the Zimmerman's mug shot and information. This is his charge report. I can also get a criminal report affidavit from the jail. Both a CRA and an incident report are not fully public record. Police must redact exempted information, but I can get the public information if I ask for it. Additionally, I would go to the courthouse to get any search warrant(s) used in Zimmerman's arrest. These are very valuable documents. In a search warrant, I would be able to see the angles that police are pursuing.

While I'm at the sheriff's office and the jail, I would speak with an officer to see if I can get more specific information or a timeframe as to when more information will be released.

Next, I would look for background information on Zimmerman. One way I would do this is by typing his name into Google and the archives of The Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times to find any existing news stories about him. This would be a way to also find out if Zimmerman has been involved in any corporate scandals or anything else that is suspicious.

I would also use the charge report to get his home address and cross reference it with the list of sex offenders found on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Web site, via the Sexual Predators/Offenders Information link. I would then be able to find out how many offenders are living in Zimmerman's area, and I would look at a map to pin point whether he lives near any schools.

Using the same Web site, I would look to see if he has been arrested in any other states. If so, I would go to the other state's police Web site to see what charges were filed against him. I would also enter his name and the state in Google to see if there are any news articles about his arrest.

To find out if Zimmerman is married and has children, I would access the Hillsborough Tax Collector's Web site to find a marriage license. I would also use the advice from Preston Trigg and find out about DCF via the department's Web site and by phone or in person, and I would request an organizational chart. This would show me where all of the employees stand in the department and help me figure out whom to interview.

I would interview his colleagues and his boss about Zimmerman's work performance, any projects he might have been working on and their perspective on his arrest.

I would also check out the Clerk of the Circuit Court to find out if he will be, or has been, released on bail.

In addition, I would try to get quotes from his neighbors to find out their opinion of the situation and of Zimmerman in general, and if they are willing, I would interview any of Zimmerman's family members: his wife, if he's married and/or his parents, if either of them are still alive.

Finally, I would try to gain access to Zimmerman himself and see if he would like to tell the public what happened from his point of view.

Question 2

Florida has long held a broad right of access. We have a constitutional right to access public records, whether it is e-mail, video, audio, paper documents or even Post-It notes. The FAF views public records as windows to the government. You don't have to be a citizen to access public records in Florida.

This is due to Florida's Sunshine Laws. According to the State Attorney General Bill McCollum’s Web site, the state began being open in 1909 when the government passed the Public Records Law, Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. This law made any records created or received by an agency available for public inspection.

It wasn't until 1967 that Florida's government took this openness a step further. It passed the Government in the Sunshine Law, Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law allows the public to attend or access the minutes of most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental authorities or agencies.

Because we have a broad right of access, there are many exemptions made. In fact, the members of the legislative branch of our government make their own access laws, which means they are sometimes operating in the dark and avoiding the Sunshine Laws, even though the laws apply to all three branches of government.

The Sunshine Law basically states that we have access to most public records or meetings, and public agencies must comply and let people access the records in a reasonable manner. A person can request a public record anyway they want to as long as it is a reasonable request. An agency cannot ask you to identify yourself and cannot require written requests. One problem is that agencies are frequently charging inordinate fees. The only fee that agencies are allowed to charge is for making copies of documents and, again, it must be a reasonable amount.

Many times, agencies have made accessing public records difficult. There are three ways that an agency does this: 1.) It will refuse to give up the record, and unless the worker the requester is talking to cites the exemption that allows the record to be kept from the public, the agency is breaking the law, 2.) The agency will wait the requester out, meaning it will not give up the record in a reasonable amount of time in order to discourage the requester from pursuing the record, or 3.) The agency will overload the requester with a large stack of documents, assuming this will discourage the requester from reading all of the records.

According to Gov. Charlie Crist's Web site, on June 19, 2007, the governor issued Executive Order 07-107, creating the Commission on Open Government Reform. This commission has been created within the Governor’s Office of Open Government to review, evaluate, and issue recommendations regarding Florida’s public records and public meetings laws. The Commission will review the public’s right to access government meetings and records according to Section 119, the Public Records Law, and Section 286.011, the Sunshine Law, of the Florida Statutes, as well as Article 1, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution. Their findings and recommendations will be presented to the Governor, the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives this year, by Dec. 31.

The Commission consists of nine appointed members. The governor wanted a broad spectrum of interested parties including, but not limited to, an attorney with experience in First Amendment issues, a private Florida citizen and seven representatives from the following: a state agency, the Florida Senate, the Florida House of Representatives, Florida law enforcement, city or county government, the First Amendment Foundation and the media.

The Commission will review all aspects of the open government laws that are in place and will hear complaints from the public. Some of the key issues raised to the Committee by the public were the right the people have to obtain public records, the difficulties that the requester encounters with some agencies when trying to obtain documents, the cost some agencies implement to actually obtain public records, the refusal of some agencies to give up public records to those who rightfully request them and the covert correspondence between officials via private e-mail accounts and backdoor dealings.

Gov. Crist, through the Commission's meetings, is showing that he is dedicated to keeping Florida government open and improving all aspects of the public records request system.

Question 3

State Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, has announced his candidacy for Congress. I've been assigned to do an in-depth, documentary profile of Crist concerning his sources of campaign finances, voting record and relationships with lobbyists.

I would start my preliminary research by looking into Crist's voting record using votesmart.com and I would read his profile on the Florida Senate Web site. It shows his committee memberships, legislative service and public service, as well as honors and awards, affiliations and biographical information. I would also check if he has a criminal record by contacting the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office.

I would also Google his name and enter it into The Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times archives to find any news story on him that could help me understand where he stands politically and to find out whether he has been involved anything untoward in government or in his personal life.

To find out how many properties he owns and where they are located, I would visit the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Web site and concentrate on whether he can afford them and if the locations of any of them are connected with his affiliations.

Then, I'm going to follow the advice of many of our speakers, including Preston Trigg and William March, and follow the money.

I'll start digging into Crist's affiliations, specifically with corporations. To do this, I'm going to access Florida Corporate Records online by going to the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. I would also check out CQ.com (Money Line). This is the official repository for contributions to federal campaigns (House, Senate and President). I could cross-reference the corporations with which he is affiliated with the sources of the campaign contributions. Maybe there is a connection. I would want to check out the Florida Supervisor of Elections Web site to see if I can connect him to any lobbyists that frequent Florida Legislation.

Additionally, I would look into the individual contributions made by employees of any of the corporations to which I've found him connected, as well as the contributing background of all of them. I would also want to check their voter registrations to find out if they are registered Republican, Democrat or Independent.

I can do this by accessing the Campaign Finance Database on the Florida Division of Elections Web site. It allows me to search for people who have contributed money to a campaign and the amount contributed.

To write an in-depth profile of Crist, I would need not only the public records and the good sense to follow the money, but also the ability to look between the lines and connect the dots.

Public Meeting #3: Human Relations Board

The Hillsborough County Human Relations Board met Oct. 14. The Board is made up of 13 members who serve three-year staggering terms, headed by Equal Opportunity Administrator Gail P. Williams.

Williams serves as the human relations liaison between the County and the community and is responsible for ensuring equal opportunity to County residents. The office implements the Human Rights Ordinance.

On November 1, 2000, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners adopted Human Rights Ordinance 00-37. It prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin, age, religion, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy and sexual harassment) and marital status in employment, public accommodations, procurement and contracting, and familial status with regard to housing.

The 13 members of the board hear discrimination cases brought up by Hillsborough County residents. The Board only operates in this county, as well as Plant City. The person who is complaining must file his or her case in writing. The Board will investigate the validity of the complaint and will serve as mediation between the discriminated person and the discriminating agency.

There are, however, exemptions to consider before bring a complaint to the Board. If a person feels that they have been discriminated by a separate governing agency, such as the School Board, that person must make a complaint to that agency since the Board has no juristiction. In addition, the Board is exempt from investigating cases involving an organization that requires membership, because that is not a public entity.

When the Board has cases to go over, the audience members are usually asked to leave the room and wait outside until the Board is finished. The reason being that the cases are unresolved and, therefore, not open to the public to respect the privacy of the complainant(s), said board member Raymond Reed after the meeting.

At the meeting today, there were no cases to discuss, and there were no public comments made from the audience, so the Board moved on to the third item on the agenda: appoval of the minutes. Board member Hunter Gambrell approved the minutes first, seconded by member Estelle Oar.

The fifth item on the agenda was explanations of absences at the last meeting. A couple of members explained why they could not be there, and the Board moved on to the discussion of the Ordinance, the intent being that the ordinance needs to be reviewed and updated. The discussion was opened up to the Board.

Ore mentioned that the staff should have enough time to work on cases and not be badgered. Board member Cindy Oster said that the Board should clarify its county role. She also mentioned that the ordinance limits getting punitive damages, citing a specific case (the Mercedes homes case). Gambrell talked about changing the rules and regulations to run a subcommittee meeting. Oster replied that requests for the change of rules and regulations must be made a month in advance.

Reed also encouraged more active participation from the newer members of the board, as his and Ore's last meeting with the Board will be in December.

"I would strongly encourage the newer members of the Board to participate (in forming) a specific subcommittee to review ordinance rules and regulations," Reed said.

Some duties would include reviewing the ordinance, bringing confusions and conflicts to light and working extra hours, including nights.

"It's not an undertaking to be taken lightly," he said.

New member Monique Pickett was concerned about not knowing about past problems and successes the Board has encountered, to which Reed replied that "sometimes fresh eyes are the best eyes" and that this could be a great opportunity for new members.

Reed also made sure to tell the newer board members that, although they are unpaid volunteers, they still must file financial disclosures. All boards of Hillsborough County have to fill out financial disclosures forms and give them to the supervisor of elections once a year, every year.

After the meeting was over, Reed told me and another attendee that a lot of the cases presented to them turn out to not be valid. Many complainants turn out to be angry ex-employees who want to save money by not hiring a lawyer to represent them. In many cases, the Board finds out that the firing was based on a bad performance rather than race, age, sex, religion or any other discriminatory factor.

Not all of the cases are like this, though. Reed said: “Every once in a while you get to see justice done, and that’s a good feeling.”

The Hillsborough County Human Relations Board will meet again Nov. 12.

Field Trip #6: The News Center

We trekked down to The News Center Oct. 14 and heard from Steve Andrews, WLFA's Senior Investigative Reporter.

Andrews presented the basic premise that broadcasting and the Internet are the future and that "the newspaper is a dinosaur."

Andrews then walked us through about five of his investigative stories.
Stories can take two hours to turn or 18 months, Andrews said. They all have their own idiosyncrasies.

He started with the Regional Reservoir story. The first thing he did was ask for records. The agency from which he requested the records sent him a very tall stack of documents to make him go away. The workers at the agency probably doubted that Andrews would read the entire stack--but he did. Andrews read through every document and found some valuable information.

This is the first time we had heard from any one of our speakers that agencies may overload reporters with documents in order to discourage them. At this point, we had only heard that agencies may try to wait reporters out or refuse to give them the documents in order to make public records requesting more difficult.

He eventually found out that Hillsborough County taxpayers were not getting what they paid for (in this case, inches of soil in the reservoir).

Andrews said it is very important for reporters to read through all of the records that they request, even if the amount is overwhelming.

"There's no telling what you'll find," he said.

Andrews also talked about the Ronald Larson/ALF/Palmetto Guest Home story and how he was able to gain access to medical records despite the fact that those records are exempt from the Sunshine Laws.

"This was a classic case of total neglect," Andrews said.

He was able to get Ronald Larson's medical records from his public guardian, Ashley Butler. She was so outraged by the neglect of Larson that she agreed to give them to Andrews. Without Butler, Andrews would never have gotten the records.

"She was the key in allowing this to come to fruition," he said.

This is an investigative piece that made a lot of impact and had significant results: the Palmetto Guest Home was shut down, and owner Jackie Doreleen was arrested and stripped of her license. However, no one else was held accountable for the neglect of Larson.

Andrews also spoke about a few other stories. In one of them he had a geologist read through a geological study, which contained a lot of scientific jargon, and got all of the information he needed about it straight from the geologist. This example proved that even if you know nothing about a subject but you have to report on it, you have options other than struggling through confusing documents on your own.

This was a great presentation becuase Andrews walked us through his stories and showed us the final product. This allowed us to understand how the research is done in between the first public records request and the story viewers see on the news.

Field Trip #5: Tax Collector

We went to the Tax Collector's office Oct. 7 at the County Center. We met with Preston Trigg, the Director of Administration and a former reporter for The Tampa Tribune.

Public records knowledge is essential if you want to be a journalist, Trigg said.

As a former reporter, Trigg was able to put things into perspective for us. He said that, while we have the right to get public records without requesting them in writing, the tax collector's office prefers the request be in writing so that they know exactly what we want. Trigg pointed out that it would be more beneficial for us to take that route because we would have a record of the request should the agency make a mistake or there is some other problem.

He also pointed out that the Tax Collector's office does not charge for any records.

"You're taxpayers...you shouldn't have to pay twice."

Trigg gave us an overview of a reporter's first week on a beat and what he or she should do to prepare.

First, a reporter should ask for the budget and an organizational chart (who reports to whom). The reporter should also look into the financial disclosure of reporting individuals.

"Always follow the money. It's all about the money," Trigg said.

The reporter should also get five years of any gift disclosures made by reporting individuals. Trigg used Pam Iorio's wedding as an example. Because she is a public figure working for the government, Iorio must disclose all of the gifts she recieved at her wedding.

The reporter needs to get one year of payroll records and all travel records for the 10 highest paid officials in that agency. In addition, he or she must get records of automobile stipends of all individuals driving public vehicles, as well as a listing of all written Ch. 119 requests made in the past year.

Trigg went through the Hillsborough County Tax Collector Web site to show us how to get public records, too. On this Web site, a reporter can get property tax information, which also shows whether a person has pain the tax or not, and homestead exemptions. A reporter can access the Web site to see business licenses.

You can tell a lot about a business by what type of licenses it has, Trigg said.

A reporter can then move on to the Property Appraiser's Web site. This is where a reporter can find out about those ten homes that McCain forgot about. He or she can also access the warrenty deed and the sales history, which is found on the Clerk of Court Web site.

Trigg supplied us with a lot of information and great perspective on public records searching since he used to be a reporter. Overall, this trip allowed us to find out more about access to public records as well as the work done at the agencies from which we can request them.

William March: The Tampa Tribune

William March, a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune, came to class Oct. 7 and spoke with us about the investigative reporting involved when covering politics.

"When you cover politics, you cover everything that politicians talk about," March said. "They talk about everything."

To cover politics, the reporter must essentially be a jack of all trades.

You don't necessarily have to have a lot of knowledge, he said, but when you cover politics, you cover everything from felonies to high finance.

The key to investigative reporting is to "follow the money."

March detailed how he broke an investigative story about a group of contributions made to President Clinton's campaign in 1997 from employees at a Miami company.

To start, March looked into Mark Jimenez, one of the largest contributors to the Democratic National Committee. Then, he found out what corporations Jimenez is involved with. March was able to do this using two resources: Florida Corporate Records from the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations and Money Line. Money Line is the official repository for contributions to federal campaigns (the House, the Senate, Presidential).

March proceeded to find out about the individual contributions made by the employees of the corporation. March looked into the donation background of the employees and narrowed the list down to 15 employees.

March was able to access National Comprehensive Reports, which provide information about a person's house or car ownership, deed transfers, licenses he or she holds to hunt and fish, possible Florida accidents and his or her name, address and listed phone number. These reports come from Auto Track and are expensive to access.

March eventually came up with the question: Why did these employees, many of whom have never contributed to a campaign, decide to give $1,000 to Clinton's campaign?

After all of his research and investigating, March found out that these employees were bribed by the CEO of the company they work for. Some of these employees were registered Republican and some were not even registered to vote at all.

March also told us about Campaign Finance Database on the Florida Division of Elections Web site. It allows someone to search for people who have contributed money to a campaign and the amount contributed.

OpenSecrets.org is another Web site he mentioned, which analyzes candidates and the contributions people make to the campaigns.

"This is the kind of records checking that you will have to do if you cover politics," March said.

All of the information March gave us was beneficial to those of us who want to cover politics and those of us who want to cover anything in depth. His detailed breakdown of the investigative story he wrote for The Tampa Tribune was also very helpful. It allowed us to see just how much research and connecting the dots goes into a single investigative story.

Public Meeting #2: Commission on the Status of Women

The Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) met Sept. 22 on the 18th floor of the County Center. The meeting was all about planning for the future.

The COSW started the meeting with budget discussions concerning the total budget and the amount of money needed to make brochures for an upcoming event. They have $300 to print brochures and a total of $2,347 in the budget after the upcoming event, group secretary Felicia Crosby-Rucker said.

"The budget period ends at the end of (September), so we have to spend all our money now, or we'll lose it," member Susan Leisner said concerning the budget cut that COSW is facing.

The County Commission has to approve the COSW's budget, but the COSW is not required to get the commissioners' approval on how the money is to be spent.

After budget issues were established, the members of the Commission discussed plans for 2009. The themes of the meeting were clear: connecting with the community and bridging the gaps between agencies and non-profit organizations and the people of Hillsborough County.

The members decided that they needed to put some goals together for the next year, 2009, because COSW will have no funding.

They could do this by identifying some areas that members are interested in and have workshops, Leisner said.

During the meeting, women's health, as well as children's health, was one such area. Members wished to take the recommendations and research from their reports and address issues affecting both women and parents, such as immunizations and the theory that immunizations cause autism.

Member Gealdine L. Twine spoke of helping women and children in the community by putting together workshops or small teaching sessions. These workshops could be designed to educate mothers, fathers and their children about preventative healthcare, as well as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and smoking.

The COSW could partner with other organizations, Twine said, to educate people about these issues and women’s health.

When Leisner questioned Twine, asking what value COSW bring to these issues, Twine answered that the value is awareness. Instead of just researching the issues, COSW can act on them to make the research work in the community.

“(This) could open more doors and reach more people who need health services,” member Dotti Groover said. It could also add more credibility to COSW.

The COSW plan to focus on women's healthcare during the first quarter of 2009 and then on children's needs in the second quarter.

The date of the next meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women is Oct. 27. Members will address the issue of affordable housing in Hillsborough County.

Field Trip #4: Clerk of the Circuit Court

We went to the County Center downtown Sept. 30 to meet the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Pam Frank. She was elected the Clerk/Comptroller in 2004 and has been in public service and elected positions since 1972.

Frank was able to give us a great deal of information in a short amount of time. This office is the most important office in Hillsborough County that people know the least about, she said.

As the Clerk/Comptroller, Frank is responsible for the county's funds, not just spending but investing, as well. She said that there are three criteria to keep in mind when investing the county's funds: 1.) Stability (return of principle), 2.) Liquidity, 3.) Rate of Return.

In addition, the Clerk's office is responsible for paying all 6,500 Hillsborough County employees. Only 11 people in the Clerk's office handle issuing paychecks to all of these people.

The office keeps records, too, such as board meeting minutes, voting records and official records. All of the official public records that the office keeps used to be available to the public only on microfiche. Now, Frank is working to get all official public records on the Web.

This work toward updating technology is very slow going, however, since there are millions of documents that need to be converted to the Web, Frank said.

JoAnne Constantini, the Director of Official Records Development, added to the talk of technology, citing a new project: e-recording. The project is a paperless system of getting records to interested parties quickly, with a seven-minute turn around.

While e-recording carries with it benefits, like not waiting too long to get records and the lack of postage fees, the people who have jobs as couriers would no longer be needed if the Clerk's office kept up this project.

I, like many people, didn't know have far reaching the Clerk's duties and responsibilities were. As with the other field trips our class has gone on, I found out more about public records that are available to reporters. I also learned that many documents are all reachable within this one office.

Field Trip #3: Orient Road Jail

Our class visited the Orient Road Jail this week. The visit was an interesting experience to say the least.

Major Robert Lucas has over 30 years experience in the field and gave us a tour of the facility. We visited three main areas: the booking center, the holding area and the lockdown area.

In the booking center, all those arrested, be it for a misdemeanor or a felony, are together. Separation, Lucas said, is based on behavior.

Throughout the tour, Lucas mentioned this phrase: "Our way or the alternatives."

If an arrested individual acts on irritation or aggression toward an officer, for instance, he or she will be put into one of the holding cells on the side of the room. If that person is still acting out inside the holding cell--Lucas cited banging on the glass as one example--and they don't stop when an officer orders, he or she will be placed in a confining chair. The chair itself looks hard and uncomfortable, with straps for arms and legs, a helmet, and a face mask. The mask, Lucas said, would be used if the person is spitting at officers.

The media play a large part in how we perceive jail, so people who have never been arrested or even stepped foot inside a jail might be surprised by what they see. For example, there is no 'one phone call' policy. Assuming that an arrested person is cooperative with officers, he or she can make as many phone calls as needed.

There is also no strip searching by federal law. Instead, arrested people are put in a body orifice scanning chair. It acts as a full body X-ray and detects the presence of any metal on or in the body.

We also visited the holding and lockdown areas. In the holding area, there are no barred cell doors as seen in many films and television shows. There are numbered doors with small windows instead. It was very quiet, surprisingly so. A few of the prisoners were playing basketball outside, and others were cleaning or just milling around.

Unsurprisingly quiet was the lockdown area. All of the prisoners are in their cells all day and night, except for the times they shower, which is once a day.

Lucas let us know what our rights are with regard to the public records we can get. We can get anything in booking except medical records. This includes mug shots and incident reports. Access to property is available, too. Lucas said that officers take jewelry, watches, wallets and all other material things from an arrested person so that those possessions don't become a form of extortion. The police network this information throughout the state to find stolen goods. The property report becomes available to everyone. The jail is under constant surveillance and constant scrutiny, Lucas said. Reporters can access the surveillance videos, as well.

Overall, the tour was an interesting experience. The goal was to learn more about public records available to us. I think that goal was met. Lucas also enlightened us about the reality of jail and that what the media portray is not always accurate.

Field Trip #2: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Operations Center

We visited the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Operations Center Sept. 16, and Public Information Officer J.D. Callaway showed us that there is a lot of information at our disposal in the form of public records.

Callaway is a University of South Florida alumnus and a former reporter for The Tampa Tribune, so he not only knows where to get public records, but also how to use them and mistakes that some reporters make when covering crime.

As he passed out hardcopies of public records (a news release, an individual's charge report, a criminal report affidavit and an incident report), Callaway told us how information is generally put out and gathered. Police start by putting out a news release, the timing of which depends on the circumstances of the crime or situation. Reporters can then pick up the suspect's mug shot and information. This is the individual's charge report. Reporters can also get a criminal report affidavit from the jail. Both a CRA and an incident report are not fully public record. Police must redact exempted information, but a reporter can get the public information if he or she asks for it.

Police will help reporters, he said, because they want the best story printed for the public, too.

However, the 'best' story may be difficult for reporters to write. As electronic media becomes more and more prevalent, reporters are faced with a conflict: verification versus speed. In 24-hour news networks, less value is being placed on verification and more is being placed on getting there first.

Some mistakes that reporters make can be a result of a work environment that demands speed. Callaway used an example concerning police scanners. If a reporter is listening to a police scanner, they are only receiving 30 percent of the information, which is not always accurate. The reporter could hear something, and he or she might have to put accuracy and verification on the backburner in order to break the story quickly and beat the competition.

Another mistake reporters may make is neglecting to pursue the information that is available to them. With such large workloads, reporters may forget to come back to the sheriff's office for the full report of a crime because they lose track of what documents they can get. Callaway cites search warrants as very valuable documents that reporters can get at the courthouse. In a search warrant, a reporter can see the angles that police are pursuing.

The tour of the office was an interesting experience. The part that stood out for me the most was walking through the dispatch center and noticing the amount of concentration employees must have when dealing with multiple computer screens and handling 911 emergency phone calls.

This trip was very beneficial. I learned more about public records and their availability with regard to crime reporting. I also gained a better understanding of how the police system works and the role that it plays in journalism.

Public Meeting #1: Traffic Calming on Field Lane

In Seffner, Fla., traffic control was the topic on the table Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Hillsborough County held a public meeting to discuss traffic problems along Field Lane from S. Kingsway Road to its end, near the intersection of Wheeler Road and Kingsway Road in the Brandon area.

Jerry Depkoski led the meeting at the Evans Park Recreation Center and offered three options to concerned homeowners: 1.) They can decide to do nothing if they don't like the process, 2.) They can choose selective enforcement, which is police assistance and patrolling, or 3.) They can choose to implement traffic calming.

Traffic calming is the practice of putting devices on the road to slow down traffic or lessen the volume of traffic. Placing two to three speed bumps along the road is what the County Commission has offered.

They are the preferred devices for Field Lane, Deposki said, but citizens should be aware of the delayed reaction time for emergency vehicles.

Hillsborough County did a recording of the activity on the road March 26 and found that speed wasn't the problem (the average speed of cars passing by was 24 miles per hour); it was the volume of traffic.

If the homeowners choose option one, Hillsborough County will not come back to the issue for three more years.

If the homeowners choose the third option, traffic calming, the county will not implement it until spring. A petition will be made, and it will need a 75 percent approval. Also, it's required that 90 percent of the people in the area see it and that it's returned to the county in 90 days.

The majority of homeowners at the meeting preferred the third option, and the County Commission will take their opinions into consideration when a final decision is made.

Matt Doig: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Matt Doig, an investigative reporter with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, talked to us about the importance of public records with regard to researching for investigative pieces. Doig knows how to make the most of the right we have to view public records and uses programs like Access and Excel to elevate his stories.

The beauty of database reporting, he said, is that it is comprehensive and statewide. Doig was even able to use Social Security numbers to research bus drivers' criminal records and to find out whether any of them had DUI offenses. He managed to get the numbers before a law was passed that required only the last four digits of the Social Security numbers of public officials to be released.

Doig also emphasized the benefits of having an inquisitive frame of mind. For example, Doig was curious about the archives at a police station. He asked an officer what the oldest piece of evidence was in the evidence locker. It was a rifle. Doig started researching it, found out about the unsolved murder of a family of four, and he wrote a story about it. Doig said he enjoyed having the opportunity to be a detective as he looked into this event.

Investigative journalism is something you think you may only find in large-circulation newspapers in big cities, like The Washington Post, The New York Times or the San Francisco Chronicle. However, Doig proved that investigative reporting can make a difference in small cities, too. If you want to distinguish yourself as a journalist, he said, public records must back up your facts. This is what will take a story from a news article to an in-depth, investigative piece.

Adria Gonzalez Harper: First Amendment Foundation

Adria Harper of the First Amendment Foundation spoke to the class about Florida public records and our right to view them. The FAF is a small, non-profit organization. It's workers are dedicated to enforcing our right to view public records and monitoring legislative activity.

Florida has long held a broad right of access. We have a consitutional right to access public records, whether it be e-mail, video, audio, paper documents or even Post-It notes. The FAF views public records as windows to the government. This is valuable not only to Florida citizens, but to non-locals as well. You don't have to be a citizen to access public records in Florida.
Because we have a broad right of access, there are many exemptions made. In fact, the members of the legislative branch of our government makes their own access laws, which means they are sometimes operating in the dark and avoiding the Sunshine Laws, even though the laws apply to all three branches of government.

The Sunshine Laws basically state that we have access to any public records or meetings, and public agencies must comply and let people access the records in a reasonable manner. A person can request a public record anyway they want to as long as it is a reasonable request. An agency cannot ask you to identify yourself and cannot require written requests.

One problem is that agencies are frequently charging inordinant fees. The only fee that agencies are allowed to charge is for making copies of documents and, again, it must be a reasonable amount.

Ms. Harper said that if we encounter a problem accessing public records, we should put it all in writing: the initial request, what happened and a request for the agency's public records and fee policy. Then, send it to the agency's leader(s). Contact the Office of Open Government or get mediation from the Attorney General's office if you need to.

A constitutional right of access is something that should be enforced, and we should not just roll over if an agency tries to deny us the public records we rightfully request.