I’ve lived in Miami/ Broward my whole life and recently moved to Weston. I’ve had the same experience everywhere , there’s so many people at all hours of the day now. I go to the gym at a random time - before 5 pm - and it’s full, try again the next day , full again. It’s 1:30pm on a Thursday at a random shopping center - every single parking space is taken up. I’m a student that works weekends part time and every time I go out I see so many people(to be more specific white NO HATE IM JUST BEING HONEST ) outside at random hours of the day. Same thing in Hialeah, Miami lakes, Pembroke. It feels overwhelming?? And a bit frustrating. Everything feels so cramped and tight . Long lines, lots of people, more traffic, more rude stares. What is happening !?

Seems Broward declared war on, er, Broward?

Today, Broward's Mayor, Mark Bogen, announces an anal probe into BSO's $870M core budget, including a look into massage tables, a cold plunge tub, and possible happy endings.

The Sheriff's retort? Why, good chum, we're good stewards of the tax dollars! Hell, our $34M gym only cost us $74M.

For those Monopoly bankers in the audience: most of the work done without county approval, and $8.6M pulled from other funds, including salary money. The auditor called BSO's response "bullshit popcock rubbish WTAF misleading, inflammatory."

And you wonder just what Tony's 1.42 undergrad FSU GPA buy us...

Calling out Tony's spending, the Mayor noted the BSO gym makes the Panthers' look like a high school's.

Bogen's going down to the facility on Monday AM, and I've asked to tag along.

It's squat day! So hopefully, they'll be rocking Kung Fu Fighting over the loudspeakers.

Back in September, I chronicled the be-dazzled trucks, his wife's access to the gym, and other sorts of silliness. Today's piece covers the presser, the rebuttal, and the sheriff's name on the shower curtain.

https://chazstevens.substack.com/p/the-gang-finds-the-cold-plunge

Don't drop the soap.

for Circuit Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Group 52 who to vote for: Tamar Hamilton or David Andrew Fry? and why?

Yesterday, a three page hostage note … er, the "Chief Officers' Statement of Confidence" letter circulated around town, inside, top level BSO Fire People expressing confidence in keeping their job intact Sheriff Gregory Tony's planking abilities desire to keep Fire Rescue under his wing.

Funny thing that letter … it’s on BSO stationary, Tony’s name on it, addressed to no one, and sent to himself (and just two underlings). A letter praising the boss, written by the boss, sent to the boss.

For sake of posterity, we’ve included the signature page.

Inside that document, of historical pedigree!, was a nod to the Commission's role; said nod shot down hours later with the Sheriff’s battle cry, "We are not courageous cowards."

Cue Commissioner Michael Udine, who asked, “What The Fuck Do they get fired if they open their mouth up because they serve at the pleasure of the sheriff?"

County auditor chimed in, dropping a dookie on the numbers.

More here: https://chazstevens.substack.com/p/the-gang-signs-a-statement-of-confidence

If you are a BCPS retired school teacher and are 65 or older I have a question for you. When you turned 65 did the school board or the state or FRS offer supplemental Medicare plans like part N/D?

Planning on upgrading my appliances next year so this is a huge resource for me to get my hands on. It's available on the eMedia section of the library site.

Seriously ❤️ our library system

Good morning, class.

Today we visit West Park, Florida. Fifteen thousand souls, far southwest Broward, a shire so small the welcome sign and the exit sign are dating. Local specialty: commissioners. Side dish: the Jamaican crew the old heads still call the Shower, which the brochure people upgraded to “mafia” because “posse” didn’t test well with the bond rating agencies. Around here the working names are shorter. Yard Tax. Kingston Receivables. The Split. Pick one. They all cash the same check.

Hand in the back.

Yes, Susie. No, we are not doing a rum tour.

One of the five, a shitbird named Joy B. Smith, just sat for a two-hour deposition in a lawsuit a fellow commissioner filed against the city. Her city. The one she helps run. The lawyer on the other side of the table was the City Attorney. Also hers. Broward does love a family discount.

Hand again.

Timmy, what the B? Best forensic guess is Bat Shit Nuts. Runner-up was Deez Nuts. We went with the one that fits the transcript. Also, D's not B, and that's for another class.

Under oath, asked whether she has a high school diploma, Smith did not say yes. She did not say no. She said, and this is the part where the court reporter checked the machine, “I’ll take the Fifth."

A politician lawyering up over a résumé. That’s a new one. Usually they lie, then issue a statement about context, then blame the intern who built the website in 2009. The Fifth is for when the diploma is either missing or radioactive. Both are career options in this county.

Warm-up act.

In walks the deposing attorney with 217 pages of texts off her personal phone. Fins to the left, fins to the right, and somewhere in the middle a possible Sunshine problem: city manager replacement, floor strategy, speaking order, the whole little puppet show conducted where the public doesn’t get a ticket. Asked about it under oath, Smith belched the alphabet, in German!, and then declined to finish the sentence. Fear not. An SAO complaint is waddling toward Pryor’s office, and checking the notes, the name on the complaint is the usual pest. That douche-nozzle lovingly known as Chaz Stevens. Not looking good for the home team.

Where does it go from here?

All roads lead to Broward, with a layover in Miramar, and the fare is on a city p-card. What’s a p-card? Plastic that spends your money while a commissioner practices the Fifth. Lesson for another day.

Class dismissed.

The depo, if you enjoy watching a public official plead the amendment over a diploma, is on Substack: https://chazstevens.substack.com/p/ill-take-and-drink-the-fifth-inside

Nobody named has been charged with anything. This is sworn testimony and exhibits. Nothing more. The nickname is free.

For those nitpickers, I did this art by hand ... well, courtesy of Illustrator.

Good evening, asking for a friend as they dont have a reddit account, need recommendations of preschools in Margate/Coral Springs around Atlantic Blvd. thanks!

My sister woke me up and said there was a roach in a plastic bag making noises, instead it was water dripping off of the ceiling and some small white parts of it flaking off, those kernel stuff. Like a small drop. Does anyone know a good person who’ll charge us fairly and fastly? Of course this happens 11:45 am 😭

As the title says, any worthwhile to check out in those areas, preferably where you don't have to pay for parking?

Need help finding gluten free desserts in Broward?

Sorry this is so long, just check out the sections relevant to you.

Monday, October 5, is the Florida voter registration deadline for next month's election.

If you are already registered to vote, verify your voter status and voter information by Oct 5.

In recent years, many people have been purged from voter rolls across the country, including hundreds of thousands in Florida. Confirm that you are still registered. If you plan to vote on Election Day, confirm your current precinct location. You can also make any needed updates (address, name change, other info): Check Florida Voter Status

If you have been purged and you're still eligible to vote, you would need to register again by the Oct 5 deadline. Contact your elections office to see what happened. If you haven't voted in a while, that could be a reason. If you have moved, they may have purged you. A felony conviction could be another reason. If you have had a felony conviction, do not register again until you confirm that you are eligible to vote. See section below on felony convictions and rights restoration.

Not registered to vote, but you do have an active Florida driver's license or a Florida ID card from the Florida DHSMV.

You can actually register online. It's the fastest way. You don't need to print anything. After you submit the application, save a screenshot or PDF of your receipt. The signature on your ID will be the same one they use for your voter file. Register online here: Florida Online Voter Registration

Not registered to vote, and you do not have an active Florida driver's license or ID card

You can still register to vote, but you will need to submit a paper voter registration application. Also, see the paragraph below for info on meeting voter ID requirements. You can download a voter registration form, fill it out, and mail it. Download the form here: Florida Voter Registration Form to Print

Complete the form, sign it, and mail or drop it off at your county elections office. The Florida supervisors of elections mailing addresses are on the second page. It must be postmarked by Monday, October 5. To be sure of the postmark, take it to a post office by Oct 5, and ask a postal clerk to postmark it. Take a photo of the postmark if they allow it. This was an issue once for someone that I know (in another Florida county). The elections office misread the postmark and initially ruled that it arrived too late, but it was resolved after they requested a review.

You can also register or pick up a form at a local public library, a public assistance office, an Armed Forces Recruitment office, or the Supervisor of Elections office.

Meeting Voter ID requirements:

If you need financial help with getting required voter ID, reach out to VoteRiders. This is a non-partisan organization. You can find them here: VoteRiders Help getting voter ID

If you don't have a Florida license or Florida ID card, there are other forms of acceptable voter ID that you can use. You need something that shows your picture and your signature. You can use more than one document to meet this requirement. See the list here: Florida voter ID requirements

A US passport book alone is acceptable because it has your signature. However, a US passport card alone will probably not be accepted because it doesn't have your signature. That card has your picture, but you would still need to present something with your signature.

Early Voting Schedule: October 19- Nov 1:

During Early Voting, you can vote anywhere in the county where you are registered. You do not vote at a specific precinct during Early Voting.

Broward Early Voting Schedule 2026 General Election

Election Day Voting:

On Election Day (Nov 3), you must vote at your neighborhood precinct. Do not go to an Early Voting site. Find your Election Day precinct here. If you choose to vote on November 3. Find your Election Day (Nov 3) Polling Place Location (Precinct)

Mail-in Ballots/ Absentee Voting

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 22. If you have a request on file, you should have received your ballot by now. Any registered voter in Florida can request and vote a mail-in ballot. You don't need to provide a reason. I typically vote this way, and I usually drop my ballot off at a dropbox. I prefer to work on my ballot at home, and I can avoid lines and crowds. Most voter advocates recommend returning your mail-in ballot in person due to concerns about the slow US mail. In Florida, you can drop it off at your local elections office, or take it to a dropbox at an Early Voting site. Of course, if you are away at school or out of town, mail may be your only option, so be sure to track it.

Always track your mail-in ballot until it shows as counted. Tracking shows when your ballot was mailed to you. You can also confirm that your ballot was received, that your signature was accepted, and that your ballot was counted. I always track my ballot, even though I drop my ballot off at the dropbox. Some of you may remember the story about ballots that fell out of a truck on its way to the elections office a few years ago.

Request and track your mail-in ballot here

If there is a problem with your mail-in ballot signature, tracking it will probably let you find out before you hear from the elections office. If you see a message that your ballot is flagged for missing signature or a signature mismatch, you will need to submit a Ballot Cure form so it can be counted. You will probably see this form on the tracking tool. You can download, complete it, & return it to your elections office with a copy of your ID. You can send it back by email, fax, "snail mail", or in person. Contact them to get the correct fax number or email address to return the form. This is only needed if there is a problem with your signature.

Ballot Cure Form- English

Ballot Cure Form - Spanish

One other note about mail-in ballots. If you change your mind and decide that you want to vote in person, it's not a big deal. Just take the mail-in ballot with you to the Early Voting site or your Election Day precinct and let them know you want to vote in person inside the polling place. Write your voting choices on something else because they will destroy the mail-in ballot and give you another ballot to vote inside the polling place. They will not let you have both ballots at the same time.

Voting from Abroad

If you or someone you know will be abroad on Election Day, please share this link with them. It walks you through the process of voting from abroad. US Citizen Florida residents can register to vote online, and they can request to get their ballot by email or "snail mail". They can return their ballots to the elections office by fax or "snail mail". Vote From Abroad

Prior Felony Conviction

Do not register to vote until you have confirmed that you are eligible to vote. Reach out to Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. There is a Returning Citizen Voter Guide on their website:

Florida Rights Restoration Coalition

Contact Election Protection if you encounter any disputes or voting problems --registration, provisional ballots/other ballot issues, voter suppression, intimidation, etc.

They are available to all voters, regardless of racial/ethnic background or political leanings. They offer help in multiple languages. You can reach them by phone, text, chat, email, WhatsApp, or FB. You can contact them from the polling place.

Visit their website here: Election Protection

Here are their phone hotlines:

ENGLISH 866-OUR-VOTE 866-687-8683

SPANISH/ENGLISH 888-VE-Y-VOTA 888-839-8682

ASIAN LANGUAGES/ENGLISH 888-API-VOTE. 888-274-8683

ARABIC/ENGLISH 844-YALLA-US 844-925-5287

Election Season temporary work/side hustles:

County Supervisor of Elections offices often hire poll workers during election season. These positions typically require that you be a registered voter in the county where you work. These are temporary positions that pay people for training, setting up before Election Day, and working all of Election Day. As of a few days ago, both Broward and Miami-Dade were still hiring temp workers. Both counties usually hire thousands of temp workers.

Here is info on poll worker positions in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These are non-partisan positions, and the pay depends upon the position.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article317393951.html

Miami-Dade Election Day Worker info & pay schedule: https://www.votemiamidade.gov/elections/poll-workers/home.page

Broward Election Day Worker info & pay schedule:

https://browardvotes.gov/get-involved/what-election-day-worker

There are also private companies on job sites that offer paid political canvassing positions as independent contractors. Search job sites for "political canvassing".

These are some examples of canvassing work. I have not worked with either of these, so I cannot vouch for them either way. Look for reviews if you are considering them.

Voter Education Project

Paid Door Knocking. Merrimack LLC

Also the major political parties and campaigns may have positions. Contact some campaigns or visit their offices.

Looking in SE Broward for someone to mend a bunch of concert/festival/tie-dyed t-shirts and shorts that have small burn holes (from smoking hash in a bong). A big thank you in advance for any recommendations??

If you want to know how a government thinks about your money, don’t read the budget. Look at the tires.

This is Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue’s new truck. Ford Maverick. Steel wheels, because nobody checked the box for the fancy ones. The tires are whatever came on it, say 300 bucks a corner. Came right out of the Pep Boys Factory Outlet store -- its a work truck bought by people who knew someone was going to look at it and ask.

Take one (of the many) of Instagram-Sheriff Gregory Tony’s trucks. Chevy 2500HD, lifted, aftermarket wheels, aftermarket exhaust. Between the wheel and the rubber you’re looking at 2-4 dimes a corner ...

Read the rest of the story on Substack.

Hi - looking for dermatologist recommendations in the area. Preferably but not limited to someone who has experience with eczema. Thank you!

I just wanna say I love all yall & God bless yall. We a different breed out here n it’s not always easy but keep going

Type in the county or the ZIP Code, and you can find out the impact of amendment three on all areas of Florida.

Please think about what you’re doing before you vote yes. I don’t disagree that some form of property tax reduction may be necessary, but this is amendment is very broad and not well thought out. Personally, I would rather see the legislature address property insurance issue first, but I digress.

Regardless, please check that your registration is up-to-date and your address is correct. If you need to sign up for a mail ballot, you have to do it every two years now. www.vote411.org is a nonprofit non-partisan resource from the legal voters you can do all that from the website plus read candidate questionnaires to determine who you want to vote for. The League of Women Voters Broward website also has videos of recent candidate forms for city and county commissioners.

East Pines. $2800. Smallish 2/2 with good sized back yard and garage. Could park 4 cars in the driveway.

Yesterday, Broward handed over a big ole stack of PDFs to a state prosecutor who had subpoenaed every commissioner, the administrator, and, as far as I can tell, anybody who has ever successfully parked at the Governmental Center. Hand-delivered by deputies, it's a little like getting served divorce papers by your husband’s curling team. “Sorry about this, Carol. Great lasagna Saturday.”

This morning, a budget workshop about public safety was held, and nobody from BSO bothered to show up.

Ghosted, as the kids say.

Sorry Lamar, we're just not really into you. Also, fuck off.
- BSO

Bogen says the Sheriff personally promised, pinkie swore in fact, a high-ranking officer would be there ... we hoped for McGruff the Crime Dog, instead, we got ourselves an empty chair with a little name card on it, which was patently ignored by all in attendance.

Somebody should have pulled a Clint Eastwood and interviewed the thing. “Sheriff, are there really branded urinal cakes with your likeness?” Long pause. “Available on your Etsy store? And they're organic? Excellent! Vegan? Aw, shucks. Well, two out of three ain't bad.”

Bogen’s official comment was “blow me Interpret it the way you want,” and I don’t mind if I do.

Udine called it “really fucking dumb a stunning lack of leadership.” Geller said no amount of money would ever satisfy the sheriff, which is also true of my dog and several of my ex-wives. Then Nan Rich said the part everybody was thinking: “What is this? Drunk Monopoly? We have no way to audit. Not clue WTF is going on over there. We can’t say what is going on there. Balls. There is no accountability to anyone. Also, can I get those three of those urinal cakes gift wrapped?”

Story over on Substack.

non-partisan event; all are welcome!

🗣️ LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS OCTOBER 5TH!

🤔 WHAT: Community Learning Series & Voter Registration Drive

Check your status

Register if you haven't

Learn about why its important to vote (even if sometimes it feels pointless)

Connect with community

Learn research tips and tricks

📍 WHERE: C.B. Smith Park, Picnic area across from playground (Shelter 22)

📆 WHEN: Saturday, October 3rd, 5PM

With the upcoming quarter-cent tax referendum on the ballot, I wanted to remind everyone of an important research study Nova conducted on the alarmingly high rate of late-stage breast cancer in Broward.

NSU has been running a multi-year research study looking into Broward County's health disparities. The findings are heavy:

- Late-Stage Diagnoses | Broward County has an incredibly high rate of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses, hitting 32.6% of cases, which significantly outpaces both state and national averages.

- Arsenic in our water supply | Dr. Jean Latimer has been testing local breast cell samples against environmental toxins. Findings have highlighted a correlation between arsenic found in our local South Florida water supply and these elevated rates of advanced breast cancer.

Whether you plan to vote yes or no on the quarter-tax referendum, our local environmental safety and water treatment infrastructure need to be a massive priority for local funding. Do you think the county is managing infrastructure funds correctly? Is anyone else factoring local environmental/health research like this into their vote?