Florida Keys News
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Scrutiny not new for Sawyer
Former land trust director faced mismanagement allegations in Ocala in 1986
The former director of a financially troubled affordable housing nonprofit in Key West's Bahama Village may feel like history is repeating itself. Norma Jean Sawyer, who Key West city commissioners...
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through the ringer

Time for the DA to ask her a whole bunch of questions and it ain't a racist thing...It's the corruption thing...The incompetence thing...The outright stealing and nepotism thing that must be addressed and then put her son in the chair

Your tax dollars at work…

This crap is going on all over the country. We just happen to have a Conch version of ACORN. Any time you have public money available you’ll find an endless supply of hogs at the trough. Don’t worry though, it’s someone else’s money if it comes from Tallahassee or Washington, right?.

What is with you and ACORN?

What is with you and ACORN? Do you even know what ACORN does? I know you are only a parrot repeating what you hear on Glenn Beck, but enough is enough!

Norma Jean, The People Don't Want Your Kind Of Help

Key West natives and citizens are tired of people who are supposed to be watching out for the "Common Wealth" of all. Everytime we turn around, money alloted for good causes or welfare of children simply disappears. Sloppy accounting - and no accounting - of monies granted by state or Federal agencies seems to disappear faster than a French border guard who was just given cigarette ration coupons. I think hard working citizens who hold down real jobs, be us taxi drivers, hotel workers, bartenders and waitresses, refuse collectors, truck drivers and so on are tired of reading how some outspoken Political Personality who has been milking the system for years always points the finger at others for the problems they created with their hoodwinking smoke and mirrors accounting. It's good to see the BCCLT under a microscope. But it saddens me to see the Key West Housing Authority, another insider boondoggle, wanting to take over where Norma Jean is leaving off. It's time to investigate all housing authorities and have 100% transpaency in their accounting records for all citizens to see. No more 6 figure salaries for people who answer a phone call here or there and who hide like pious "leaders" doing God's work for downtrodden people.

There's not many role models

in Key West or Monroe county in general.

Never felt good about her

She was always too arrogant to be a good person.Met her many times not once did I feel good about her.Lets see the system work ?????

Arrogant is a code word...

... like "articulate." Whether is would be racist to check Sawyer's background, as one writer submits that Carmen Turner said (I have no recollection of that comment), that is another matter. But there is clearly underlying racism in the comment which this response addresses.

Not arrogant?

How about what she really is, try "crook". I guess that is sort of racist too.

I'm Shocked! Shocked!

There's gambling going on here!!!

Captain, here are your winnings

remember when

Does anyone remember when Carmen Turner said it would be racist to check Sawyers credentials and past performance ?

remember when

I'd forgotten about it until I read the article. While I don't recall specific any more, I seem to remember CT pulling a race card on other occasions when race was irrelevant to the situation. When one is hiring a director, it is prudent to perform background checks on the candidates for the position. Just good old-fashioned sound business practice. Race has nothing to do with it. Just a shame that people succumb to the "race card" like that.

Ocala Bubba Connection

Key West's primary problem is that it has been under a bubba/conch hegemony for decades on end. In the case of Bahama Village it's been a black bubba/conch hegemony.

That’s not racist - it’s racial. And that is as it should be.

As Churchill said, “Occasionally it’s good to acknowledge the truth.”

Yep..sure do recall that

Sadly,the alleged Bahama Village representatives for residents of the area have historically used their positions as nothing more than a way to line their pockets with money. Now comes Norma Jean Sawyer and the list goes on and on. Pull out the race card and everyone backs off. Probaby time to revisit district voting and consider city wide elections.Make the candidates work for a position of power.

There Is Black On Black Racism

As far as I know, there were two seated commissioners who are also at fault for District 6. Where were they to support and help the only black housing group? Personalities should be second in the public service. All constituents should be represented in a District no matter the race. I guess Norma Jean did drop the race card alot but so did her seated commissioners. They two are at fault for the BCCLT arriving where it is today. If they pass the buck as you see the current Commissioner, you can only wonder where was he? Finally, has what is left of the board of the BCCLT had an opportunity to respond to these charges? I asked. The auditor did not speak to the CPA or the Bookeeper. This begs the question when is an audit and audit? How is the organization to know? Next, what happened to the $1ooK missing in the Gay and Lesbian Community Center? Who is responsible for that? Also, who is on THAT board and why aren't our commissioner ranting on that one? When will this end? Stay tuned but keep in mind others are involved and should take blame for their part in letting the organization go this far. If our City had partnered with this organization long ago, we would see a different picture. However for reasons soon to be released publicly, we will all know the truth.

Carmen Turner

A City Commissioner who made all others look brilliant

Another crook

Seems to me that no matter which way you look in Key West, there are more crooks out there ripping off the public. When are WE CITIZENS going to demand that this type of behavior be dealt with properly? Sure, we can vote..but in the meantime, pressure the powers that be to DO SOMETHING AND GET OFF THEIR REAR ENDS!! I am sick and tired of getting ripped off by people and organizations that have nothing but GREED. It's time for us to get investigations going from OUTSIDE Key West. THE TIME IS NOW TO ACT!

ok jf

we know thats you

Bring back the public pillory

locking these people up out in public for the citizens to berate and pelt with old fruit might change their attitudes, tar and feathering sounds like a good idea also.
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