My Two Cents - DECEMBER 10
"My Two Cents!" is a place to speak your mind about what troubles (and inspires) you about Florida's juvenile justice system and the Department of Juvenile Justice, in particular.
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29 comments:
Looks like Gov Scott is going to make a sweeping change at DJJ. Word around DJJ is that everything is going to be turned over to private providers and run along the model that foster care is now run in Florida. Basic premise that one provider is responsible for providing probation and aftercare services for each circuit. Goal is to provide more front end services to youth and cut down on residential and detention placements for the kids. Non violent offenders would be handled within community resources instead of being sent to a residential program. Might be a while before it is implemented ie 2012 but looks promising:)
Thank you Joe Klock, for the update you are a piece of work. Yep I'm sure you are licking your chops at the idea that you can squeeze D.J.J. for sa'more moohlah soooo easy. Now why don't you tell everybody about why that plan is really being discussed - to get rid of Frankie Peterman and his little team. Couldn't keep his hands out of the cookie jar with his friend Sheree Keeler running the checks scheme so once you found out you couldstretch this whole lawsuit you've got out long enough and keep those checks coming through Sheree so you could try to get the next governor to sing your song. Guess what he ain't gona do it. Rick Scott will be sure Pastor Peterman first coughs up another big check to the state for his ethics commission fines and then show him the door faster than you can say Back To St. Petersberg and Take Your Cronies Witch Ya.
What was the outcome of Frankie Peterman's ethics violation hearing? I don't find anything in the news media about it yet. The hearing was set for Dec 3.
Glad Wack a hut has finally lost some contracts!! yay yay!
action taken last week will be in the media before the week is done.
Per a newspaper article I read-Peterman has resigned.
That's only the courtesy resignation that every leadership member is supossed to send in to the new Governor in an administration change. The kicker is that Peterman asked to stay and would be "honored" to keep being Secretary at DJJ. He's been smoking apparently... Deputy Sec. Love needs to quit saying he's sticking around too because he's not.
December 8, 2010
Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman accused of misuse of state funds
-----by Florida Ethics Commission
By Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Ethics commissioners cite the Juvenile Justice secretary's travel at the state's expense.
TALLAHASSEE - The state Commission on Ethics has found that Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman Jr. may have "corruptly" misused his position or state resources to pay for frequent taxpayer-funded trips between the state capital and his home in St. Petersburg.
The watchdog agency found probable cause that Peterman violated the code of ethics, which could subject him to a fine. With a new governor set to take office next month, Peterman has resigned as chief of the Department of Juvenile Justice and is likely to be replaced.
Peterman, 48, is a former Democratic state representative from St. Petersburg and a minister who preaches at the Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church in his hometown. Gov. Charlie Crist appointed him to run the department in February of 2008.
The investigation was triggered by a citizen's complaint based on a Times/Herald news story in November 2009 that showed Peterman had spent $44,000 on travel in his first 18 months as a state official. Many trips were airplane flights between Tallahassee and Tampa, and Peterman's family continued to live in St. Petersburg while he worked for the state.
The probable cause action against Peterman was somewhat unexpected because the agency's staff recommended a finding of no probable cause, saying there was a lack of evidence that he acted with corrupt intent as the law requires.
"(Peterman's) actions could be categorized as mismanagement or waste in government," advocate or prosecutor Diane Guillemette wrote in her recommendation, "but as the agency head it was part of his position to determine if the travel was necessary. … Consequently, the 'corruption' element of the charge cannot be sustained."
In addition, Peterman has reimbursed the state $25,630 for travel that an internal investigation by the Governor's Office considered excessive or not a justifiable government expense.
With five of the commission's nine members in attendance in a closed-door session last Friday, the panel voted 4-1 to fully pursue an inquiry of Peterman, said Kerrie Stillman, a spokeswoman for the Ethics Commission.
A more thorough review could take months to complete. If the violation is upheld by the commission, the panel recommends a penalty to the governor, who makes the final decision.
Peterman declined to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Mark Herron, who said of the decision: "It doesn't seem to be an appropriate use of the state's resources, when the case has already been adjudicated and the penalties have been paid."
Last January, Crist's chief inspector general, Melinda Miguel, issued a critical report that recommended Peterman repay the state as a "corrective action … for travel not fully and completely justified as official state business."
Crist declined to criticize Peterman over the Ethics Commission's finding.
"I want to reserve judgment because probable cause in and of itself doesn't reach to the level of a determination. While it's not a great step, to say the least, it's not a conclusion," Crist said. "We're innocent till proven guilty."
Peterman has remained on the job, earning $120,000 a year, but he switched to commuting by car between the two cities after the story appeared.
Peterman's travel bills included $2,848 in parking charges, $7,430 for hotel rooms and $1,600 in fees to change flight times. The report criticizes his frequent use of short-term airport parking and notes he charged the state $785 for five hotel nights and a rental car for two conferences in Tampa.
Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.
The Governor-elect should accept all of the "courtesy" resignations from DJJ. It's time to clean house!
Commission on Ethics, Report of Investigation - 10/14/10 - pg 15 -
Secretary Peterman explained that although he did not agree with all of the Chief Inspector General's report, he reimbursed the State the amount of $26,810.57 in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety ($24,344.58 for the costs incurred while traveling between Tallahassee and St. Petersburg, $1,578.99 in airfare penalties, and $887 in luggage fees). He continued, "This is very new to me, [allegations of impropriety] very very new to me. Anybody that knows my life and my walk, and my work, my service to the public, public service, this is foreign to me. . . I've never, never been a part of anything like this. And so, my family and all of us got together and we talked about it and we said, look, you know, we don't want anybody to say that, you know, well look what he did. He walked away. We're going to, even though it's becoming a great sacrifice to me and my family, I've got four kids and a wife, we had to do it."
Executive Office of Governor, Chief Inspector General report - 1/26/10 - page 1 -
BACKGROUND
Peterman completed the 2008 Commission on Ethics Form 1, Statement of Financial Interests, which indicated his employment with the Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church at an annual salary of $29,000 and that he owns three homes. Property appraiser records also indicated that he owns two houses in St. Petersburg, Florida and a townhome in Tallahassee, Florida.
I think what Peterman meant to say was being held accountable was new to him
Where is this posted?? Someone please post the web site link so we can read the whole thing. Thank you.
"Commission on Ethics, Report of Investigation - 10/14/10"
The report isn't posted on any website. Anyone can get a copy of the report from the Commission on Ethics. The report is public record.
And you don't have to identify yourself to get the documents.
Peterman is out as DJJ Secretary. Scott accepted his resignation. Hallejuah!
Ah, Peterman is out. But what new bench warmer will take his place? Remember: New boss same as the old boss. And the kids?; They take whatever the bureaucrats who infest DJJ---long after bosses move on---dish out to them with little or no accountability from the boss or the boss's boss: the governor.
Frank Peterman, Jr., Respondent.
Based on the preliminary investigation of this complaint, the Commission on Ethics rejects the recommendation of its Advocate and finds that there is probable cause to believe the Respondent, as Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, violated Section 112.313(6), Florida Statues, by incurring excessive travel costs between St. Petersburg, Florida and Tallahassee, Florida, after receiving reasonable notice and admonition from the Governor's administration that the travel was excessive.
~Sate of Florida Commission on Ethics Order Finding Probable Cause, 12/8/10.
READ THE COMPLETE REPORT at Justice4Kids.org
[http://www.justice4kids.org/Peterman%20Order%20Finding%20Probable%20Cause%2009-153.pdf]
It is not tough to tell what is the most shocking in reading through that report---- Peterman is a complete lunatic who thinks he is God. To anyone who supports or defends him you are as crazy as he is. You can't make this stuff up!!!!! The state should invoice him for the rest of the travel money he didn't have to pay.
I believe Governor-Elect Rick Scott should sit down and talk with Mr. Michael Cantrell who went to Dozier and has done a tremendous job of stabilizing the facility and taking a no nonsense approach to how the juveniles in the facility will be treated. He has zero toloerance for any type of neglect or abuse of the juveniles. He has interviewed with the Governor of Oregon about being the Director of the Oregon Youth Authority. He has worked in Arizona, Kentucky, and Ohio, so he is not just a Florida re-tread. The rumor is that he is looking at going to California or Tennessee in a leadership capacity. It would be a real shame if Florida allows this up and coming leader to get out of our state. SOMEONE PLEASE GET RICK SCOTT TO TALK TO MR. CANTRELL. Florida needs a leader who does not have any hidden political agendas, but simply wants juveniles to get the care and treatment they need to be productive citizens.
Well, there is a Santa after all...Peterman was essentally FIRED by Scott, something that his weak-kneed predecessor just didnt have the #$&% to do---after all, they were neighbors down there in St. Pete. And how very TRAGIC that "this was all new" to Peterman and What a SACRIFICE it would be for him to pay back a mere smideon of what he bilked the state out of---for "sleeping late and having to rebook his flights" for Pete's sake. Let's call a spade a spade here folks--and I am a black person so Pleassse dont even try to play that one wit me---Peterman like so many of my bruthas is just another charlatan who is looking for the fast dime on the affirmative action train. You go, man and help the rest of us have to do double time to make up for the image you give to the public. I don care if Scott puts a jellyfish in this stinkin' agency it will be far better than watching this scumbag anymore.
Whoever the poster was who wrote praising the apparently astoundingly qualified Mr. Cantrell sounds oddly just like another poster a few yera ago who ALSO was praising Mr. Cantrell and recommending him for a position in the DJJ hierarchy. Assuming the poster is not Mr. Cantrell himself, let the poster be advised that it would be best if Mr. Cantrell ACCEPPTED any one of the numerous offers across the country that he apparently is sitting on, because very few others share the sentiments of the poster regarding Cantrell's ethics, work performance, extracurricular activities, etc etc. In fact some claim to have some well not so glowing accounts regarding this candidate for the agency head that would surely come to light. Detention under his region has not exactly flourished. So, Mike, Oregon is a great place to live, why settle for the same ole' FL digs? And havent you learned by now that unless you are a real insider you aint going nowhere in this agency.
Thanks Frank Panela but no one cares what you think. Go back to trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the press trying to protect Peterman. You'rre an empty suit.
Whoops. I guess I should at least spell your name right - Frank Penela. Protector of Peterman.
Well here's hoping you're next. We don't need your kind. Who knows how you lasted so long doing so bad.
Scotts transition team is recommeding privitzing all state run facilities. Also wants to turn detention over to counties. Turn probation over to private providers. Of course the report was written by private providers so what do you expect.
Scott wants everything privatized and also wants the unemployed to do volunteer work just to receive their unemployment checks!!! I just wonder how people can afford to drive to work at 3.00 a gallon for gas on 275.00 per week then pay for food and rent? People of Florida you really picked a loser this time!!
Don't freak out yet over Scott's privatization plans. Even if they turn out to be the case in DJJ, we will probably have better pay--except for the layers and layers of fat in supervision and just plain non-productiveness.
Privatization is very bad for the kids! Different standards and private companies only care about the big bucks they get not about helping our children!!!
We need to send our concerns to the Scott transition team. I agree with him that some of govt would be better off "if it were run like a business." However there are some things such as social sservices where this has been shown not to be the case. My guess is that the workgroup on juvenile justice was heaviliy influenced by private providers and if that is the case you can be sure that Sexy Rexy will reign again at DJJ because he has been in bed with the private guys all along. WWhat an opportunistic creep.
Remember Scott made millions by being a private provider for Medicare. So he will probably use his new office to continue that business!!!
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