Mark Schumann

Howle’s post cards raise questions, need fact-checking

Who is picking up Richard Winger’s yard signs and replacing them with Howle’s?

Howle Report
COMMENTARY

“Today, a source requesting not to be identified said she saw persons removing Mayor Richard Winger’s yard signs and replacing them with signs for Harry Howle. At some point you would think Howle would stop and ask himself if winning election to the City Council is worth all of the compromises he appears to be making.”

MARK SCHUMANN

According to elections officials, candidates for public office in Florida are not allowed to buy advertising, printing or incur postage expense on credit.

Vero Beach City Council candidate Harry Howle has mailed out no less than five post cards to date, all of them with disclaimers indicating they were paid for by his campaign. Yet, as of today, Howle’s campaign reported total expenses of only $3,712, with $2,308 of that being paid to Quail Valley to host a fundraising event. Has Howle been able to blanket the city with five postcards for just $1,404, or $280 each? Not likely. 

Where has all the money gone?  Is Howle hiding his campaign expenses behind his consultants, Front Line Strategies, and is this legal?  If Front Line Strategies paid for the design, printing and postage for Howle’s post cards, and if Howle has yet to pay Front Line Strategies, then is his campaign, in effect, doing business on credit? And how can Howle claim his campaign paid for his post cards, if the mailers were paid for by Front Line Strategies, and if he has yet to pay them?

If Howle is trying to skirt around election law this year, it won’t be the first time. Last year, Howle was fined by the Florida Elections Commission for distributing a post card in which he made specific reference to party affiliation in a non-partisan election.

Now on to face-checking Howle’s latest claims. Howle’s post card included the following:

Howle 2

Howle’s claim: High taxes? Fact: Among more than 400 municipalities in Florida, at least 300 of them have higher property tax rates than the City of Vero Beach. In the coming fiscal year, Vero Beach will collect less in property tax revenue than it did in 2007.

Howle’s claim: Big government? Fact: Vero Beach’s employee count is down 25 percent from where it peaked in 2008.

Howle’s claim: Irresponsible big government spending? Fact: Even with significant increases in health care costs since 2008, Vero Beach’s General Fund budget has not increased in eight years.

Today, a source requesting not to be identified said she saw persons removing Mayor Richard Winger’s yard signs and replacing them with signs for Harry Howle. At some point you would think Howle would stop and ask himself if winning election to the City Council is worth all of the compromises he appears to be making.

6 comments

  2. Poor Harry The Historian ,doesn’t realize his hero Ronald Reagan raised taxes 12 times and the Debt ceiling 16 times . One needs only to look at the State of Kansas’s current financial situation the same mantra was bellowed there No taxes ! Out of control Spending ! Even with the very small tax increase Vero Beach has ,it is still the lowest in the area, helps pay for those extra police officers who protect us and lifeguards . The last of Harrys Ilk on the council demoralized our Police force with talented Officers going to other surrounding cities . Brian Simpson could very well be alive today if there was one extra cop on the beat on the island !

  3. We received a postcard from Citizens Alliance for Florida’s Economy. At first, I thought it was from Amelia Graves because it had her picture on it. Instead, it tears into her for being an Obama Liberal. As we know, the City Council race is supposedly nonpartisan. This post card included a letter to the PJ Amelia had published in Oct. 2012….explaining her reasons for being behind candidate Obama. Her reasons were all genuinely good ones, including bringing her friends home from war, reducing the interest rates on her student loans, women’s health care rights, and the rights of LGBTs. I am steamed by this last-minute attempt to throw a monkey wrench into Ms Graves being re-elected to VBCC. I feel there is a definite connection between the postcard and with Harry Howle and his attempt to be elected.

  5. Michael, Thank you for the information on the group behind the mailer attacking Amelia Graves. This mailer is clearly and effort help Harry Howle. I and others are researching the connections between the Tampa-based group,”Citizens Alliance for Florida’s Economy,” the “Committee for Progressive Values,” and “Floridians for Conservatives Values.” Money has flowed between them. The chairman of “Citizens Alliance for Florida’s Economy,” Anthony Pedicini, is the CEO of Strategic Image Management LLC, which is a “one stop shop for political and corporate campaigns.” You have got to wonder why this group has taken such an interest in Vero Beach non-partisan municipal election. I for one, wonder if this group isn’t doing a favor to Front Line Strategies, the Tallahassee-based one-stop shop handling Howle’s campaign. It will also be interesting to see if there are any FPL contribution to these groups.

  6. I do not know about any of these groups,but I do know Harry Howle campaigned door to door with the ALL ABOARD FLORIDA LOBBYIST. I do know he voted in favor of a boarding house on the barrier island.

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