Democrat drops House bid for likely 2010 primary challenge of Palm Beach County Commissioner Santamaria
by George Bennett | July 28th, 2009
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- Pearl
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- Santamaria
Pearl, 37, is a relative unknown in local politics. But she is expected to hire well-connected Neil Schiller and Eric Johnson as her consultants. Attorney Schiller has handled several successful legislative campaigns and Johnson is the chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton.
Santamaria, 71, represents western District 6 on the commission. A longtime developer and businessman in Royal Palm Beach, Santamaria entered politics for the first time in 2006 and won the seat as a reformist outsider after former District 6 Commissioner Tony Masilotti resigned in a corruption scandal.
Santamaria has not announced whether he’ll run again in 2010, but is widely expected to do so. With the primary more than a year away, Santamaria this afternoon reiterated his distaste for lengthy campaigns.
“Let an elected official do his job and let the people decide on his or her performance. There’s no need to be campaigning all the time,” Santamaria said.
Santamaria said he hadn’t heard of Pearl and “all I can say to her is ‘Good luck.’ “
Pearl was one of three Democrats running for the state House District 89 seat of term-limited Rep. Mary Brandenburg, D-West Palm Beach. Pearl lives in unincorporated Lake Worth about half a mile outside Santamaria’s district.
In a statement this afternoon, Pearl said that “as a mother of two small children I am worried about the future of our community and think we need a county commissioner who can not only understand our problems and fears, but do something about them.”
Pearl’s announcement, circulated by Schiller, notes that Santamaria hasn’t opened a 2010 campaign and calls District 6 “essentially….an open seat.”
“With all due respect to the incumbent,” said Pearl, “my decision is not based on whether he runs or not, if he chooses to enter the race the I will welcome him into this contest and I will look forward to debating the County’s issues with him.”
Tags: Elissa Pearl, Jess Santamaria
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July 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Sorry sweety, but being a labor lawyer without dediciation or invovlement in your community will not get you elected even if you retain hired guns for consultants. We know and follow our politicians in the western communities and a nomad poltician like yourself will get nowhere.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Isn’t Neil Schiller a registered lobbyist who represents clients before the County Commission? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? Manage someone’s county commission campaign, then bring your clients before them for approval of their projects….sounds like same old business as usual.
July 28th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Since Santamaria made a campaign pledge and promise that he would not seek re-election, this is an open seat.
I know Elissa Pearl. She is my friend, neighbor and she is absolutely qualified. I know her to be a great Mom and a long-term community activist.
I find the negative comments of the writers to be more reflective of the writers’ lack of knowledge of the candidate than an accurate description of the candidate herself.
July 28th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
What issues in the county has she fought for? How many times has she been engaged with government in a capacity other than an attorney? What does she know about district six? Popping up at social events does not make someone qualified to carry out the daily business of running a government. We need someone in there who knows how to get things done in government.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I don’t get what the issue is. This is America. We’re a democratic republic. People are entitled to run for office if they feel they are good enough to serve.
The fact that she is a political outsider is appealing to me. I am tired of seeing the same old faces running for office and just switching the deck chairs around.
I’ll keep an open mind and see what the lady has to say.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
WillTymner: you better see what the lady knows about government, otherwise she will be just as ineffective as a soccer-mom.
July 28th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Several months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Pearl at an event in Lake Worth. I am not easily impressed with politicians, which is why after getting to know to her and understandig her commitment and dedication to our needs I decided to support her candidacy. I am an animal lover and I have seen her selfless commitment to local animal rescue organizations. I also know that she works tirelessly for the betterment of the community. We will be lucky to have her represent distict 6.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I met this lady at an event recently and she has a pretty impressive resume.
According to this flyer, she is on her kid’s Wellington school SAC committee, member of Kiwanis, on the State Instructional Materials Committee for Mathematics, K-5 and she works pro bono for several local animal rescues places.
My favorite this is the type of labor law she practices. She goes after employers who try to screw employees out of wages and overtime.
There’s a lot more but I don’t feel like typing it but those were the ones that stood out to me.
Just because she has never been a political and government insider doesn’t mean she is stupid or she can’t do something good for the district.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Some of you people are a laugh. Weren’t we the geniuses that elected the three into office who went to jail?
Sounds to me like having all that government experience is what gave us these convicted clowns in the first place.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
So Pearl is going to have a lobbyist as her consultant?! Sheez. Santamaria wouldn’t even accept contributions from lobbyists.
Take a look at Neil Schiller’s client list on the county’s web page. It’s amazing Pearl would hire a lobbyist as a consultant. Talk about sleaze.
Santamaria has made the remaining “old-guard” pols – Aaronson, Marcus and Koons – more transparent and honest. Pearl will bring back the politics of Masilotti, Newell and McCarty.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
The FEDS are making the others more honest. Not Santamaria. Fear is a great motivator.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Great, just what we need. A commissioner being supported by lobbyists and lawyers. Take a look at the criminal commissioners and see who the enablers were. And already Pearl’s supporters are trying to sling mud. AcreageMom, who is a shill for Pearl, says Santamaria made a campaign pledge he would not seek re-election. Not so.
Great way to start folks.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:25 am
As a registered lobbyist, I look foward to Pearl’s election to the commission. People do not understand the importance we play in government. We have knowledge on issues that many elected officials rely on because they don’t have the time to research each and every issue. How else are they going to know and understand all the details and benefits of proposed real estate developments? They are complex matters.
And if it weren’t for us lobbyists committing a huge amount of time and effort to raising campaign contributions, the candidates would be spending most of their time raising money and would not have time to campaign “with the people”.
And the voters should appreciate our pain and suffering from attending all those boring fundraising events and eating the awful food.
We work hard and deserve commissioners who will appreciate and reward us for our hard work. Pearl will make a great commissioner.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
You can’t make this stuff up. So Palm Beach County is finally in the process of cleaning-up the criminal and unethical county commission and reduce government decisions based on favoritism and cronyism, and Ms. Pearl is going to retain Neil Schiller!? He’s with Becker & Poliakoff, a law firm that has dozens of clients they represent before local governments.
Also, they have a contract with the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority, for which Schiller is listed as a lobbyist so Pearl will have the ability to vote him a pay raise.
Her candidacy already smells worse than a SWA dump site.
The B & P clients for which Schiller is listed as a county lobbyist include:
- Oracle USA, Inc.
- Becker & Poliakoff, P. A.
- Avalon Estates of Boynton Beach
- Mobile, USA, Inc.
- Gulfstream Atlantic Development LLC
- Biscayne Housing Group
- KLAS Management LLC
- Equa Terra, Inc.
- Shiraz Management
- Westchester Square, LLC
Ms. Pearl should go back to the planet she came from. She’s trying to re-infect ours with the type of politics we’re trying to eradicate.
July 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
These posts are amusing….the shills give you a hint of what the candidate is planning. Peal wants to be considered an outsider as Willtymer claims but at the same time will pay Schiller et al to become an insider. Not a well thought-out strategy and it will be exposed.