CARIBBEAN TODAY


FEATU RE


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


 'My record says it all' ~ Salesman

~ Embattled Jamaican-born politician runs for office again


 DAWN A. DAVIS
Come Mar. 10 will former
 City Commissioner
 Fitzroy Salesman, 52,
run for Commission Seat #1 in
the Miramar, Florida munici-
pal election?
 Jamaican-born Salesman is
facing charges of aggravated
assault with a firearm follow-
ing an incident on Nov. 21,
2007 when he brandished a


Salesman


gun against a fellow shopper in
a crowded Miramar Winn-
Dixie supermarket. Then com-
missioner, he was suspended
from his post by Florida
Governor Charlie Crist in
December that year.
 It was not the first time
Salesman had been suspended.
In 2005 he was stripped of his
commission seat by former
Governor Jeb Bush for "flee-
ing or attempting to elude a
law enforcement officer in vio-
lation of Section 316.1935(1),
Florida
Statutes, and
driving under
the influence,
in violation of
Sections
316.193(1) and
316.1934(1),
Florida
'NIllII , Sharief
according to
the State of Florida Executive
Order. He was acquitted of
that charge.
 The embattled politician
has publicly claimed his inno-
cence, stressing that he acted
in self-defense against the 19-
year-old man he allegedly
pointed the gun at. His trial
started Feb. 23, 2009, just two
weeks before the Miramar city
elections in which he hopes to
take part. Earlier this month
the judged declared a mistrial,
so Salesman will likely be back
in the courtroom next month.
 If convicted, Salesman
faces a three-year sentence.
Before the mistrial decision,
Miramar city spokesperson
Gus Zambrano told Caribbean
Today: "If he wins (the elec-
tion) and is found not guilty,
he has to go through reinstate-
ment, then he can take office.
That governor reinstatement


has to occur because it's the
governor who suspended him.
 "Acquittal doesn't auto-
matically mean he takes back
his office," added Zambrano.
"If that occurs, then a certain
amount of back pay and bene-
fits are due to him."

UPHILL BATTLE
 Salesman faces an uphill
battle, but is determined to
prove his innocence and pur-
sue his political career in
Miramar. According to the
city's official website, Salesman
qualified to run for seat #1 on
Jan. 5, 2009. Also in the race
are incumbent Carl J. Lanke,
Joseph Romero and Barbara
Sharief.
 "I am confident,"
Salesman told Caribbean
Today. "You have to trust the
justice system; you are not liv-
ing a true democracy if you are
not willing to trust the justice
system. I am going to put the
facts out there with my attor-
neys, and I will let the jury
look at the facts, and I am sure
they will come back with the
right decision."
 The
upbeat
Salesman said
he was "still
serving,"
adding "my
absence from
the commis-
sion has never Romero
precluded me
from serving. I get more calls
as a suspended commissioner
than any other sitting commis-
sioner there right now.
 "I am letting the people
know that I am out here, I
don't plan on going anywhere.
And the most important thing
I want them to understand is,
regardless of the outcome of
this election, win or lose, I will
always be there for my fellow
citizens."
 Asked about his platform,
Salesman boasted: "I stand
squarely on my record, on the
premise that there has never
been, now or before, with the
exception of Vicky Coceano
who has been designated
'Mother of the City', anyone
who has done more individual-
ly as a commissioner to benefit
the residents of this city. My
record says it all."

STRAIN
 Incumbent Carl J. Lanke is
running on the platform that
put him in seat #1 last year:
Safety, foreclosures, and his
"green" initiative. In his first
year the commission has added
14 new tactical officers on the
streets of Miramar with a net
result of reduced criminal activ-
ities, Lanke said.
 The commissioner


bemoaned that lI'rl Is 'Ir s
are killing us," noting that the
foreclosure rate in Miramar is
10 percent. He added that the
resulting stress is causing a rip-
ple effect in the city's economy.
To help ease the crisis, the

"I am confident. You have to
trust the justice system; you
are not living a true democ-
racy if you are not willing to
trust the justice system. I
am going to put the facts
out there...and I am sure
they will come back with the
right decision" Salesman

commissioner explained that
the city will offer "forgivable
loans" to residents from the
$10 million the city received
from the Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). This,
along with other initiatives,
such as partnering with local
hospitals and mental health
institutions to help those who
are mentally affected by the
economic strain, characterizes
Lanke's objectives. Then he
takes his own subtle shot at the
ex-commissioner.
 "I've been there, I'm sin-
cere, I've been active within
the community, I'm not going
anywhere...Plus I have nothing
in the court system," Lanke
quipped.

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
 Contender Barbara
Sharief is campaigning on her
record of community activism
and business background.
 "Miramar has the highest
foreclosure rate in Broward
County," she said. "That is
why a large part of my cam-
paign and community activities
has been focused on stopping
foreclosures and helping peo-
ple find jobs."
 Sharief is adamant about
stemming increases in city fees
to residents and finding cre-
ative ways to cut government
costs. The successful business-
woman believes that support-


I www.casthelyortho.com


ing small business develop-
ment is key to the city's eco-
nomic development and said
she will, as commissioner, offer
free advertising
to small busi-
nesses through
the city's
newsletter,
commission
meetings, and
local television
station.
 Asked Lanke
about the legal
problems surrounding
Salesman, Sharief said: "We
are in a democratic country
where every man is innocent
until proven guilty."

PROTEST
 Romero, the fourth candi-
date for seat #1, called his plat-
form "compassion.
 "The drive for me is the
will to help, the will to have


transparency, the will to have
things fair," said the
Dominican Republic-born can-
didate.
 On Salesman, he said: "He
has his supporters, he's done
his work. He was a worker
when he was there. He is going
through a process, through the
judicial system and they will
render their verdict. So we
have to wait for that to hap-
pen. Everybody is entitled to
due process."
 In addition to the race for
seat #1, well-known Jamaican
broadcaster Winston F. Barnes
is vying to keep his position as
commissioner in seat #3.
Alejandro Casas is running
against him.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


 S THE ArlRICAt FWIS Of JAMlAICA, ItC.
: CELEBRATES THE 5T ANNIVERSARY

 PEACOCK

 A RAII -


4I KESlVL TDicTS, MEMAIL Imr.C.o l '.'
 SA0 7 JCAUZI1Z-IMZ*IaoSI VISITww.nami.ic WW Pf






 CASTHELY ORTHODONTICS
 "Creating Straight & Beautiful Smiles"

 DENTAL BRACES INVISALIGN
 Free Consultation Easy Payment Options
 Serving Miami's Caribbean Community for Over 9 Years


North Miami Beach Office
1400 NE Miami Gardens Dr., #101
 North Miami Beach, FL 33179
 305.940.4911


 Kendall Office
7887 N Kendall Dr., #103
 Miami, FL 33156
 305.275.1094


March 2009