How government is run, Central FL style: political appointments, public $ distribution to cronies:
It's hard to believe that public figures who should have faced professional ethics scrutiny twenty years ago, still play a large role in this part of Florida. This article explains how you get top jobs, and why you get them. To connect the dots for you, the main requirement is padding the budget to filter the money down to the right cronies:
At Orlando airport, public money takes flight
Unfortunately, to get on the airport board, you don't have to demonstrate interest in spending tax dollars wisely. Nor do you need any aviation experience — which virtually none of the board members have.
Instead, you need political connections. Many times, you must raise money for the governor, who appoints you. That's what several current members have done: host fundraisers for Gov. Rick Scott.
Then you get to hand out fat contracts to construction companies, consulting firms and lobbyists.
snip
Meanwhile, board members squashed proposals for stronger ethics laws and better transparency, while ignoring their own rules for lobbyists.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-scott-maxwell-oia-orlando-airport-growth-20130730,0,924281.column
