Flap over pancakes won’t stop Crist from signing rail bill
by Dara Kam | December 15th, 2009Gov. Charlie Crist ordered an investigation into “Wafflegate” but his concerns about transportation officials’ possible violations of the state’s Sunshine laws aren’t keeping him from signing the bill they were writing about into law tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Crist will hold ceremonial signings in Tampa and Orlando of the sweeping rail bill passed during a special session last week.
Today, Crist acceded to Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink’s request for the inspector general investigation.
But he rejected Sen. Paula Dockery’s suggestion that he delay signing the bill that paves the way for SunRail.
Dockery’s fought for three years the deal in which the state will pay CSX at least $430 million for 61 miles of track in Central Florida for a commuter rail project. The state will share the rails with CSX, which will continue to operate freight on the line for less than $4 million a year.
The Palm Beach Post reported on Sunday that CSX played a major role in the crafting of the bill.
“For three years, the agency has been stonewalling citizens trying to examine this back-room deal. Given the secretive code words used to hide its communications, the agency has violated the public trust. Until the investigation is completed, I would encourage the governor to delay signing – or better yet, veto – the legislation we’ve now learned was authored by CSX,” Dockery, R-Lakeland, said in a statement.
Orlando Ax the Tax chairman Doug Guetzloe also asked Crist to hold off on signing the bill into law. Guetzloe and the state Tea Party Chairman Fred O’Neal have asked Leon County State Attorney Willie Meggs to investigate the matter they coined “Wafflegate.” Guetzloe also said he will file an ethics complaint and ask Attorney General Bill McCollum’s office to look into it.
The e-mails exchanged by Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos and Deputy Secretary Kevin Thibault with “pancakes” and “French Toast” in the subject lines came to light after SunRail opponent Dockery made a public records request of transportation officials for messages regarding the rail transaction.
Kopelousos said Thibault tagged the messages with the breakfast terms as an “eye-catcher” in the hundreds of e-mails she receives each day.
A separate e-mail from DOT lawyer Bruce Conroy asks DOT general counsel Alexis Yarbrough to “discuss in lieu of e-mails” a chain of messages about whether the department needed a change in state law to broaden its powers of high speed rail projects.
Dockery was dismayed when she initially received just 121 messages from Kopelousos, Thibault and Yarbrough over an eight month period ending in late November.
After Dockery complained to Crist’s Office of Open Government – and after the rail bill she opposed passed – DOT officials handed over more than 8,000 e-mails. They blamed the preliminary short stack on human error.
Tags: Alex Sink, Alexis Yarbrough, Charlie Crist, CSX, FDOT, Florida Department of Transportation, Kevin Thibault, Paula Dockery, special session, Stephanie Kopelousos, SunRail, Wafflegate
December 15th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Disgraceful!
December 15th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Paula Dockery, keep up the great work and hold their feet to the fire. They broke the law and it looks like the Gov is facilitating it.
December 15th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
It is so WRONG!
December 15th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Do you think if the Governor knew that SunRail was orchestrated by a very large land owner along the CSX corridor do you think he would postpone the bill signing?
December 15th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Of course he will sign it he is a big government big spending RINO. Go Rubio
December 15th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Good job Charlie ,you make it easy not to vote for you. You’re proving that you really don’t care about Florida. Just a step up the ladder. see you in the unemployment line.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Has everyone overlooked the fact that the General Counsel, Alexis is married to Charlie’s chief of staff. She knew exactly what she was doing and how to get around it. Stephanie is not the big problem, she does as she is told.
December 17th, 2009 at 10:18 am
O’Neil and Guetzloe are frauds. They have nothing to do with the Tea Party. http://www.floridateaparty.org
December 19th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
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December 22nd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
#7 – Interesting, they use different last names, and according to Strum’s on-line bio in November, he, “oversees a portfolio of Governor’s agencies vital to Florida’s economic grouth that includes the Departments of Transportation . . .” He oversees his wife? So much for nepotism in our state government.