The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 25

TE The Miami Herald IN MY OPINION FRED GRIMM In politics, legal but problematic' just doesn't cut it eith Wasserstrom was indulgK ing behavior in some among pretty local familiar elected officials looking to make an extra buck. The Hollywood city commissioner was busted on charges of illegal influence peddling two weeks ago. Five counts. But it takes a connoisseur of corrupt behavior to sort out the felons from the politicians who legally moonlight as paid lobbyists. The conceit is that state legislators and city and county commissioners who are not the target of the Broward state attorney's office get no untoward consideration when they appear before some other elected body.

They come to lobby for vendors wanting sales contracts or developers wanting zoning variances. Not as pols selling the auspices of elected office. STATING THE OBVIOUS What they really offer their clients is political torque. When a county commissioner comes before a city commission waving a waste-hauler contract or a state legislator comes before a city commission wanting extra units in his client's condo tower, neither needs to state the obvious. When County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion appeared before the city of Miramar in 2001 to sing the praises of Waste Management, the City Commission knew this was no ordinary lobbyist.

When State Sen. Steve Geller registered as a representative for developers pushing a highrise condo tower in Pompano Beach, the city commissioners felt the extra jolt of political power. Local pols aren't naive. No one needs to make promises or mutter threats. "With a state legislator, you know they can deliver money from Tallahassee or they can include something in a bill that you need," said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle.

"You wonder if you make them angry whether it will cost you." RELENTLESS ATTACK Over the last month, U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw has let loose a relentless attack on challenger Ron Klein, with two mailings, an Internet posting and a 23- day-long campaign of 30-second TV ads that pummel the state senator for moonlighting as a lobbyist before local governments. Shaw's advertisements intimate that Klein's lobbying is improper. But that's not the same as illegal.

Ben Wilcox of Common Cause Florida called South Florida's epidemic of lobbying by elected officials "problematic" but legal. Which means that Geller, Klein, State Sen. Mandy Dawson, Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman and a number of other South Florida elected I officials have been doing quite well with problematic but legal lobbying. Hey, there's nothing wrong, technically anyway, with our citizen legislators flexing their political muscles to pay the bills. Eggelletion strayed a bit over the line when he took $15,000 to hawk Waste Management in Miramar and then voted in favor of a Waste Management contract when it was up before his own County Commission.

The Florida Ethics Commission fined him $2,500, which still left him with a nice $12,500 profit in the deal. HIS BRAND OF NAUGHTINESS Wasserstrom must have thought, wow, anything goes in South Florida. Except for his particular brand of naughtiness. Apparently, the commissioner was taking money through a convoluted setup to lobby for a sewage treatment enterprise in other cities while the same firm was seeking a contract in Hollywood. Wasserstrom disclosed his conflict, sought legal advice from the city attorney and didn't vote on the contract when it came before the Hollywood Commission.

The state attorney's public-corruption prosecutors still maintain that he meddled illegally in the outcome. The contract went to Wasserstrom's client, and now Wasserstrom faces felony charges. But making an improper lobbying charge stick in South Florida is like trying to sort out a hooker in an orgy. The alleged crimes of Keith Wasserstrom look sadly familiar. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2006 EDITOR: MANNY GARCIA 305-376-3638 or 954-538-7150 F2 EDUCATION NEW creates Sergine VISIONS: a Villier, map of left, Sixth-grader Haiti, Hello, HAITI her parents' homeland, in North Miami Beach.

for her 'Celebrate Us' class Grove project Elementary at Oak School fall! Her teacher, Patti Ward, was awarded a grant BAHAMAS Below, learning projects. from Citibank that cultural enabled her to start Cool sixth-grader Carlton Stamp creates his map of Honduras. front WEATHER arrives BY NICOLE WHITE The sweaters and the jackets can be hoisted from their lonely shelf existence. Cool weather is officially on its way to South Florida, and with PHOTOS BY RONNA HERALD STAFF it a strong burst of wind determined to blow away a season defined by heat waves. GRANTS REWARD and it Open will the be front crisp, door in the this 60s, in morning the coastal neighborhoods of MiamiDade.

CREATIVE LESSONS and enclaves Open Miramar, of those Weston, doors and in it'll the Pembroke be Broward even Pines cooler: in the 50s. Fall has officially arrived in South Teachers throughout South Florida nostalgia, sketching maps of Florida. towns and villages familiar The weather change is typical for have been awarded grants by Citibank to their roots inside Patti late October, but "it will be a lot Ward's geography class. colder than what we normally see at to implement nontraditional teaching "I figured the best way to this time of year," said Kim Brabanteach geography was to der, a meteorologist with the methods in their classrooms. begin with where they're National Weather Service.

from," Ward said. "Once Temperatures will climb to the they appreciate their own mid-70s by the afternoon but will BY PETER BAILEY "That's where my heritage, they gain an slide into the lower 60s and remain grandmother grew up," said interest in other places." cool through Wednesday. Clutching a green pencil, the sixth-grader at Oak Grove And they'll return for an encore Nartisa Seals shaded in Cat Elementary School in North TURN TO GRANTS, 2B performance from Friday through Island's outer ridges, where Miami Beach. "She told me the weekend. the ocean laps at the about how they sang the CLICK ON Cooler weather will become a staboot-shaped Bahamian Conch Song." TODAY'S EXTRAS FOR MORE ple through year's end, said meteoparadise.

She then pointed to Nartisa, 12, and her peers INFORMATION ABOUT THE rologist Roberto Garcia. the dark blue coastline. sat drawing images of CITIBANK SUCCESS FUND "We start with one once a week, then we have them two to three times through the winter," said Garcia of the cold fronts. And with each dip of the therHURRICANE WILMA mometer, hurricanes are less likely. "We never say never in this business, but chances are pretty slim for Year later, Wilma's wrath still visible a hurricane under these weather conditions," Garcia said.

The cooler weather has its pitA year ago today, Wilma shade trees used to be. Nearly six million people falls. rolled through South Wilma was here. lost electricity in the most Boaters should be careful, as Florida. Evidence of its One year ago today, a storm widespread power outage in strong winds as high as 25 knots destruction is still around.

that at one point was the most Florida history some for (29 mph) are expected with the intense ever recorded in the more than three weeks. cold front and will make the seas BY TRENTON DANIEL Atlantic basin roared ashore The storm caused $14.4 bil- especially rough, Garcia said. south of Naples as a Category 3 lion in damage statewide, Homeless advocates were moniYou can still see it in the ply- hurricane. It struck Broward according to the Federal Emer- toring the weather, although wood covering the windows and Miami-Dade counties as a gency Management Agency. Broward County generally does not that used to show off an ocean Category 2 storm, although its Broward County estimated its open public shelters for the homeview.

ferocity varied from place to total damage at $1.2 billion. less until the temperature drops to In the shiny new fences all place. Miami-Dade put its figure at 45 degrees, said Cynthia Willis of the over South Florida's eastern Shingles and roof tiles flew. $2 billion. county's Homeless Initiative.

neighborhoods. Trees toppled. Forty people David Sandau saw Hurricane Miami asked its outreach teams to In the blue tarps that still died in Florida, most in the days Wilma smash the ocean-view have its homeless population seek still cover some rooftops. after the storm (three died pre- shelter, said Al Brown of the Miami In the naked swales where paring for it). TURN TO DESTRUCTION, 2B Homeless Assistance Center.

U.S. SENATE DEBATE Nelson, Harris spar and half the time agree on issues Bill Nelson and Katherine Harris squared off in a campaign debate, tackling issues such as Iraq, North Korea and windstorm insurance. BY MARC CAPUTO AND BETH REINHARD Trailing in the polls and campaign cash, Katherine Harris came into Monday night's debate against incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson ready to show that he's out of touch with the rest of Florida.

But after fielding an hour's age disasters? Nelson said it was his cussion of the federal Medicare worth of questions from journalists brainchild, and Harris said she program. Nelson voted against the and each other, the Republican fought for it. Both also said military legislation championed by Presicongresswoman action against dent Bush because of what he wound up agreeing North Korea described as a gap, or "doughnut," with the Demo- should be "on the in coverage for prescription drugs. cratic incumbent table" and that Harris retorted that the poorest about as often as global warming "is seniors get the subsidies they need she differed with a fact." They both him. agreed the nation TO ISSUES, 2B Withdraw needed to develop troops from Iraq? HARRIS NELSON more alternative MIAMIHERALD.COM: CLICK ON Neither favored the fuels.

TODAY'S EXTRAS TO HEAR THE idea. One of the clearest differences DEBATE BETWEEN KATHERINE Create a national fund to man- between them emerged during dis- HARRIS AND BILL NELSON SMUGGLING, 3B MIAMI-DADE, 3B EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, 6B U.S. CUSTOMS BOATS COLLIDE A NEW CHIEF FOR DADE'S JAILS FEMA TO AID DISASTER PLANNERS Four federal agents are injured in chase Appointee Timothy Ryan has run some of $4 million in funds will help the state get after suspected immigrant smugglers. the nation's largest jail systems. maps for Lake Okeechobee and Miami..