PRESS RELEASE
Hackworth Qualifies for November Ballot by Petition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Darden Rice
April 28, 2010
(727) 560.2479
Dunedin, FL—Just eight weeks after announcing his candidacy for Pinellas County Commission, Bob Hackworth's campaign collected the required 1684 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot. Hackworth personally collected over 1100 signatures by knocking on doors and attending community events; dedicated campaign volunteers were staged throughout the county and collected the remaining petitions needed to reach this goal.
On March 9th, the Hackworth campaign began the first phase of this grassroots effort; on April 26th, the campaign celebrated its first accomplishment as the last signature was collected and submitted to Pinellas County's Supervisor of Elections.
Candidates for Pinellas County Commission can qualify for the ballot either by collecting the required 1,684 signatures of registered voters residing in the District or by writing a check for $5,450.22 as a filing fee. Rather than pay the fee, Hackworth knows the value in meeting voters and asking for their support for his candidacy. "This is a tremendous achievement, but it's only the beginning of a true grassroots campaign. We are excited to be moving forward with the same energy that will carry us to a victory in November," said Hackworth.
Bob Hackworth is a Democrat running for Pinellas County Commission, District 4, against ten-year incumbent, Susan Latvala. Hackworth is a small business owner and resides in Dunedin with his wife and two children. Hackworth was elected Mayor of Dunedin in 2006 and was elected twice before that to the Dunedin City Commission.
PRESS RELEASE
Bob Hackworth calls Susan Latvala's Fundraising Report
Exhibit 'A' for Why New Leadership is Needed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Darden Rice
April 8, 2010
(727) 560.2479
darden.rice@mac.com
Dunedin, FL—Today the Bob Hackworth for Pinellas campaign released a statement responding to Susan Latvala's latest fundraising report.
"Susan Latvala's list of contributors is Exhibit A for what I believe is wrong with our County Commission. The report shows a total of 52% of her money comes in the form of $500 checks written mostly by developers, contractors, LLCs, and PACs," says Pinellas County Commission candidate and former Mayor of Dunedin, Bob Hackworth. $44,000 of her total is made up of 88 of these $500 checks, including checks from individuals doing business with County government.
"This raises the public perception question of who Susan Latvala is really serving on the County Commission," says Hackworth. "Perhaps even more stunning is how quickly Susan Latvala seems to have forgotten the public's anger over the Jim Smith land deal scandal and the perception of conflicts of interest and coziness at the Commission level."
Latvala's report shows a $1000 contribution from the fired Pinellas County attorney in that land deal scandal and her husband, a $500 contribution from the current Property Tax Appraiser's husband, contributions from two other current county Constitutional officers whose budgets the Commission will set this summer, as well as numerous checks from developers and contractors with pending business before the Commission.
"Although it is legal for businesses and individuals with professional dealings before the Commission to write $500.00 checks to any candidate, it is ultimately up to the candidate to exhibit the good judgment that determines if these pay-to-play contributions show an insensitivity to voter concerns and perceptions," Hackworth says. "The Jim Smith scandal cost taxpayers over a million dollars, a million dollars sorely needed in the current budget crisis. This type of ethical quagmire and fiscal irresponsibility on the part of elected officials is a waste of taxpayers' hard-earned money, and worse, continues the erosion of our public trust."
"When you look at the contributors listed in Latvala's reports it seems clear she learned little from the Grand Jury report that addressed the public's distrust and disappointment in the way the County Commission conducted the people's business in the Jim Smith scandal. For example, soon after Latvala's receipt of contributions from the fired former County Attorney and her husband, that same attorney was rehired by the county for work with the County Charter Review Commission. And just this week a $50 million road-building contract was awarded to one of her biggest contributors."
The Bob Hackworth campaign officially kicks off its fundraising campaign this month with a video appeal to supporters who want to put an end to pay-to-play contributions and prove real campaign finance reform can work to elect a true citizen legislator who will represent all the people of Pinellas County. Hackworth has pledged to accept campaign contributions from individual donors ONLY and will self-limit those contributions to $100 or less. He will NOT accept $500 checks from corporations, LLC's, or developers and others with business before the Pinellas County Commission.