On the Trail of Dr. Hamilton

A reader sent me the list of lobbying clients of Dr. Hamilton. The reader was right on Broward but wrong on Marion County it appears. I infer the reader's being right on Broward because its board has not answered two emails I sent for public information.



I take it as a good sign that the inquiry to Marion had an attorney answer it. I think that means that the school boards are becoming more aware of the force of the open-records law.



When I first started asking for public records from the Hillsborough Public Affairs office, people told me I would not get the records, but I did pretty well. Sometimes I had to nag, but eventually I got what I asked for. Linda Cobbe handles this part of Public Affairs.



Now I have to find out the names of Dr. Hamilton's clients in addition to Hillsborough and Broward. This is an equal-employment opportunity case. They all claim to be equal-employment-opportunity employers. But they keep on hiring buddies, relatives, and sycophants without advertising the jobs. I need their admission that they did not advertise the lobbying job.



Then I have to see whether it is best to attack the scofflaws with Title VII or asking the federal government to pull their contracts because of their non-compliance with the equal-opportunity riders on the federal contracts. These contracts represent a lot of money. Money they understand. Ethics they don't. lee



lee



Mr. Lee Drury De Cesare 15316 Gulf Boulevard 802 Madeira Beach, Florida 33708

I serve as general counsel for the School Board of Marion County, Florida.
Florida Department of Education Associate General Counsel Paula H. Roberts forwarded me a copy of your February 21, 2009 email addressed to a "Dr. Smith." In that email you make reference to your two previous requests to the Marion County School Board for an advertisement for the "Iobbyist-for-the-county" job, "applications for the job that you gave to Dr. Jim Hamilton", a copy of Mr.' Hamilton's contract, the "secretary's notes on the board discussion of the job".

You state that you have received none of this information. In fact, on January 21, 2009 Kevin Christian, Public Relations Officer for the Marion County School Board, notified you that the Marion County School Board does not have a vendor by the name of Dr. Jim Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton is not an employee of the Marion County School Board nor does he provide services by contract to the Marion County School Board.

The Marion County School Board does not have a "Iobbyist-forthe-county" position. It has not at any time accepted applications for such a position. There is no contract between the School Board and Dr. Jim Hamilton. The current School Board has discussed neither the position nor Dr. Jim Hamilton.


Mr. Lee Drury De Cesare March 9, 2009
Page 2
There are no public records available which respond to your public information request.
Yours truly,
~1J.1JuvWJ
Beverly A. Morris
BAM/jlg
cc: Paula H. Roberts, Esquire, Associate General Counsel, Florida Department of
Education (via facsimile 850-245-9379)
James Yancey, Superintendent
Bobby L. James, Chairman
Kevin Christian

My informant has come through. I will continue with the list. lee

The Special Ed Concierge has left a new comment on your post "On the Trail of Dr. Hamilton": according to this website,Lobbyist - James P. Hamilton, this is what it says:Lobbyist:James P. Hamilton 119 E Park AveTallahassee, FL32301(850)222-2591 View by Year:

All Years 2009 2008 2007 11 Principals:Florida Association of School Administrators Lifelock Inc Marion County Public Schools School Board of Brevard County School Board of Lake County The School Board of Manatee County School Board of Sarasota CountySchool District of Hillsborough County School District of Osceola County Schoool Board of Lake CountySt Johns County School District Publish this comment. Reject this comment. Moderate comments for this blog. Posted by The Special Ed Concierge to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 1:55 PM