Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Margaret Pass Loses Port LaBelle Election


Port LaBelle Candidate Under Fire In Miami Criminal Case


LABELLE, FLORIDA -- While official election results are pending the Hendry Supervisor of Elections' certification, in one of two Hendry county general election seats for the Port LaBelle Community Development District, Margaret Rose Pass apparently lost her bid for a board seat to Scott Wegscheid. Wegscheid is a long-time member of the district's board.


Pass, who co-owns a home in the Port LaBelle Ranchettes on Birchwood Parkway in Glades county, is the long-time Director of Building and Zoning in Coral Gables, Florida. Or at least was the director until a scandal broke in mid-September. She was suspended from her duties after the arrest of her administrative assistant on charges of corruption and fraud in the wealthy exclusive city-suburb of Miami.


Her assistant, Jorge Reyes was arrested in connection with allegations of time-sheet scams, fraud, and drug related charges according to news reports from Miami. The suspension of Pass followed an anonymous letter that accused both Pass and Reyes of a list of possible felony charges and alleged nepotism from both in the 80-person Coral Gables building and zoning department.


Nothwithstanding her current problems in Miami, Pass, who doesn't keep her feelings hidden, at a recent Glades county commission meeting argued that the Glades county manager should be fired after his past criminal conviction came to light. According to a news report. Pass told the county commissioners, "I'd like to see him fired, and if you don't, I'm going to check in to each and every one of you."


A second Port LaBelle Community Development District seat was won by Suzanne Gee of the Port LaBelle Ranchettes. Gee won over J. Michael Jordan, a longtime member of the Development District board.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:38 PM

    Hendry and Glades Counties are secret havens for all kinds of crooks and felons. There is a tax money collecting district for everyone's cookie jar.
    In one district around here it even allegedly pays for the protection of the Drug manufacturers and traffickers known to everyone by name.- just ask for the slumlords you will get their names.

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  2. Anonymous10:28 PM

    Margaret Pass is a classic example of the dirty games of politics as played out these days everywhere. I am mostly concerned that someone like her can be suspended in a large municipality, run for public office a few counties away, and no one knew anything about it!

    This last fact is astonishing and more disturbing not because she chooses to lie like a typical politician but because not one single media outlet reported about the mess Pass is in Coral Gables, not even those with a stake in the Gables to make sure she doesn't win for being a hypocritical, lying, two-faced person with a long, long, LONG list of possible felony charges.

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  3. Anonymous10:39 PM

    Margaret's an interesting creature of the corruption rampant in our society. While she's done some good, by far she's done more harm to most people than many may realize.

    In almost 20 years as a public official, (and I remember her when she started at a department called Public Works), Margaret oversaw the growth of a building and zoning department not out of leadership qualities she may inherently have but by setting up and then backstabbing those who helped her along the way. To her credit, she came along at the right time and then stayed in a position of power only by using and abusing anyone and everyone she came into contact with. Not once did she ever help anyone out of kindness. NOT ONCE. If she ever helped anyone, eventually there'd be a high price to pay for such, and often they did! Just ask her employees, many of whom are now runing for their lives because they don't know what's coming to them just they thought they could trust her.

    She didn't. Margaret stole a lot of money from the City of Coral Gables in the forms of kickbacks. She would often create ghost vendors hired by her lovers and then drain the City out of moneys for services never rendered!

    If the allegations against her NOW are true, then she should account for these things just like the group of thieves she represents-- from Harvey Eads, the previous City Manager of Coral Gables, to the present one and all those who are part of the same corruption network. I do know that if they don't retire soon then what's coming down on them will be merciless.

    There is a price to pay for the sordid past one tries to hide, forget and continue to perpetuate.

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  4. Anonymous12:32 AM

    who are these lovers and co-owners she is in co-hoots with? Do we know them?

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  5. Anonymous11:27 AM

    Jack Eads is a good guy. Any negative comments about him come from know-nothings, sickies, the lunatic fringe and other weirdos. I know the man and respect him.

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  6. Anonymous8:21 AM

    If you check the Glades County Property Records, Mrs. Pass and her boyfriend have two parcels which are adjoining.

    One is located at 1810 Cowgirl Way. It has a small barn with an apartment in it. They receive a $25,000 homestead exemption on this parcel.

    They also own a property at 2140 Birchwood Parkway together which is the main home in which they live. They receive a $50,000 homestead exemption on this parcel.

    Doesn't exactly seem right or legal does it?

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  7. Anonymous6:12 PM

    remember that guy from Brooklyn?

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