Busted! Now She's In Jail! Maybe...

First off, a lot of what I'm writing here consists of what I've been told over the past day or so. In some cases I've heard conflicting facts and various versions.So she might not be in jail.

Here are a couple of shots I made this morning of some campaigners holding signs for North Miami City Council candidate Marcellus,and they were at a polling place at a school. Sunday they had been at the North Miami Public Library. In these shots one lady is hiding her face under a piece of cloth while another is hiding behind the sign she's holding.

Now, the question is "Do these actions constitute voter intimidation?" I got a call from a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Protective Operations.He, another agent, and myself met up to discuss what I'd seen at the polls. They'd already seen the photos of the fist striking me via the internet.

Since a lot of their work is undercover they requested that I not use any names or photos that might identify them. I agreed. It seemed a reasonable request.

Do those glowering faces across from the polls constitute "voter intimidation"? Does watching me getting pummelled constitute it? Is just hearing about or reading about it count as intimidation? Since I'd already voted was I intimidated? Would it have constituted intimidation if they'd beat the crap out of me before I voted? Where does calling me "Whitey" fit intio the overall scheme of things, or screaming at me that "North Miami is a Haitian city"?

If you scroll down you'll see the photos I made of her lunging at me and her fist coming directly at the camera as she cursed and screamed that I didn't have the right to take pictures of her, that I didn't have her permission. I told her that I don't need her permission. I was photographing an event at a public place. I posted them here on thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com, filed a police report, and showed the prints to the police. They said that it would be up to the State Attorney's Office as to whether or not to arrest her.

A friend found out her name, her address, even her license tag number. Somebody even found me a civil attorney to sue her for damages. Thanks! Today I got a call telling me that the State Attorney's Office had arrested the woman and she was in jail for assault and battery on a senior citizen. Here in Florida punching a senior citizen is a greater offense than punching a younger person. They told me that I'd get called to testify at her trial. There were lots of witnesses and the pictures tell the whole story. I was very surprised to see her out there this morning.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to Dr. Katz's office so he can check out my head where she clobbered me, then going to the dental lab to get my false teeth repaired because the punch cracked them, and the the attorney is suppposed to be calling about getting together with him. Exciting times! I really don't need it, thank you very much. And like I said, this is largely just hearsay at this point. What isn't hearsay is my sore head from being slugged and the $115 I spent getting my teeth fixed. She broke them when she slugged me.

Al Kaplan Endorses The Following Candidates In Tuesday's North Miami Election:

I've known and worked with Frank for decades. We served together on the Planning Commission and most of the time we felt and voted the same way on the various items on the agenda. He has the experience! He's seved as mayor in the past, spent a bunch of years on the city council, and most recently was North Miami's elected city clerk. There have been some rumors spread around town recently about things that all turned out to be untrue. You can vote for Frank and know that he's the right man for the job, our next mayor.

Michelle Garcia is not in my district but I'd love to see her on the City Council. When I first met her a few months ago I was impressed by knowledge and enthusiasm. She was appointed to the Board of Adjustment, and the time that we've served together was enough to convince me that this was a woman I could work with, a person with ability to make decisions in the best interests of our citizens and our city. I can't vote for her, but if you can then DO IT!

Carol Besade Preger wants to replace Frank as City Clerk. Again, it's somebody that I've known for years, someone capable of doing a great job because she loves the city and cares about our citizens. She's not a person on an ego trip. She's somebody I trust and so can you.

And that leaves Bonnie Schwartzbaum. I've worked on several campaigns over the years, from city council to congressional. I've always managed to pick winners to back and I'm backing Bonnie. Without doubt she's running the best organized campaign possible. Everything is well thought out, carried through with precision, and she has her people motivated and enthusiastic. She's got my vote!

Citizens from any part of the city can take part in early voting at the North Miami Public Library at N.E. 8th Ave. between 132nd and 133rd streets. I did that this morning and it was nice to not have to spend an hour waiting in line. Tuesday, May 12 is the day where you can vote at your regular polling place. Make your voice heard. GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!