UPDATE:Benacquisto was part of 21st Century Oncology downsizing
An aide with Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, on Wednesday confirmed she was among the administrators laid off at 21st Century Oncology this week as the company deals with financial issues.
Benacquisto, hired about two years ago, made about $71,000 annually for her work in business development there. On Friday her Senate web page only listed her occupation as “corporate development.”
Legislators make about $32,000 annually.
The company released a statement Friday saying a limited number of positions were eliminated, but none of the clinical staff was impacted.
The cancer care company is dealing with debt that news reports put in the $1 billion range; in March it agreed to pay about $35 million to settle a Medicare fraud lawsuit involving unnecessary tests.
The company was also active when it came to campaign donations, although this year’s giving doesn’t match past years. 21st Century was among Gov. Rick Scott’s biggest donors in 2014, putting almost $400,000 in the governor’s account — part of the $613,500 state records show it gave dozens of legislative leaders around the state.
This year, however, those donations in Florida scaled back to around $50,000, mostly to local legislative candidates and those involved with health care legislation.
Dr. Daniel Dosoretz, the founder of 21st Century Oncology Holdings, stepped down as CEO and president earlier this month. William (Bill) R. Spalding, who was named to the board of directors in May, was named CEO and president. Dosoretz, 63, will continue as a director and will transition to serving as a full-time senior physician with the company.
Benacquisto won her primary race and now faces only a write-in in November.
Founder Dosoretz steps down as 21st Century Oncology CEO
Fort Myers minister stars in ad
Wayne Robinson, a retired minister in Fort Myers and outspoken Democrat, was chosen as the star of a TV ad by a national super-PAC that’s helping Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Robinson is now part of the “Local Voices” project, which has won national awards for its professional ads that feature members of a community speaking about their choice for president.
The group focuses on smaller communities where they think they can gain ground with moderate Republicans by using a local person who’s well-known and respected Instead of using actors as most ads do, Local Voices founder Lee Hirsch said, “we think it’s more authentic to find someone in the community and give them space to speak in their own words.”
The 60-second ad is already airing on some local TV cable channels, as well as on YouTube and Facebook.
Hirsch said they “discovered” Robinson through online research and talking with Democratic leaders in the area. After talking with Robinson, Hirsch said, they decided he’d be a good subject.
A professional video crew came to Fort Myers from NYC and Los Angeles about two weeks ago, Robinson said, and spent a day with him, visiting various locations, including a church and a child care cente, while Robinson talked about why he has problems with Donald Trump and will vote for Clinton.
No scripts were used; the day’s events and Robinson’s comments were boiled down to the 60-second ad.
Hirsch said they’re doing similar ads in a few cities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, as well as elsewhere in Florida.
All their “stars” are local people of influence, he said, and many are Republicans who talk about the reasons they cannot vote for Donald Trump and will instead vote for Clinton.
Photos with Trump
Donald Trump, meanwhile, had no trouble filling the Germain Arena when he flew into Fort Myers for a rally.
Among the 20 or so people who had a chance to meet Trump and have a picture made with him was Dennis Pearlman, who scored that and his front row seat because of his work with various Republican elected officials in Southwest Florida.
The photo with Trump — who was running late for the event — was very quick, Pearlman said, but he had more time to talk with Newt Gingrich, who was also early and helped warm up the crowd for the Donald.
Gingrich was “interesting, very chatty, very much at ease” as he joshed with the VIPs waiting for Trump, Pearlman said. “It was like listening to your grandfather telling stories.”
When Trump finally arrived, Pearlman said, it was obvious he was a pro accustomed to the crowds and limelight. “He was very much at ease, very much in control,” Pearlman said. “You could tell this was not the first time he’s been in situations like this. It’s how he rolls all the time, for years.”
Pearlman and Terry Miller, another Southwest Florida consultant at the event, said they were positioned so they could see the teleprompter as well as Trump, and Trump very rarely left the script.
Supporters: Trump didn't disappoint with his speech
His remarks — coming after bomb blasts elsewhere in the U.S.— were focused on national security and terrorism. While some people said they wished he’d taken some notice of a Southwest Florida issue such as zika, or water, Miller said it’s understandable that Trump stuck to remarks for a national audience.
And the instant communication aspect was made especially clear to Pearlman.
While he was at the event, he said, people watching on TV at home could see Pearlman in the front row. Some took photos of him on their TV screen, and texted it to him as he watched Trump live.
“So while I’m sitting there watching, I’m also looking at photos of myself watching that people watching sent me,” he said. “That’s something to get your head around.”
Quackenbush remains on GOP executive committee
Former Lee County Deputy Chuck Quackenbush, who retired earlier this month during controversy over Facebook postings some said were racially inappropriate, is still vice chairman of Lee County’s Republican Executive Committee.
Most members there don’t believe Quackenbush is racist, said REC Chairman Jonathan Martin, and at their last meeting the group discussed writing letters and taking other action to show Sheriff Mike Scott their support for Quackenbush.
The action wasn’t intended to be critical of Scott, Martin said; Quackenbush made his own decision to retire from the office. “We wanted to let that office know that Chuck has support, and he deserves consideration” from the sheriff’s office, Martin said.
Martin blamed the complaints about racial content on a Democrat who wanted to stir up controversy in the upcoming school board elections, where Chuck Quackenbush’s wife, Chris, is in a runoff with school board member Cathleen Morgan.
Lee deputy in Facebook controversy files for retirement
Chris Quackenbush has also said she believes the complaints about her husband were politically motivated and more about her bid for school board. They denied any racism; Chris said her husband did not create any of the content but shared posts created and shared by others.
Morgan did not file any complaint and refuses to comment on the matter, saying Chuck Quackenbush’s situation has nothing to do with the school board race.
The Democrat Martin referred to is Judy Piesco, a longtime vocal activist on school matters, who ran unsuccessfully for the board herself in 2004.
Piesco said Friday she made a complaint about racist material on Quackenbush’s social media, and she thinks others did so as well.
It had nothing to do with the school board race, Piesco said.
“When I saw that stuff I was horrified,” she said. “It was racist. My brother is a New York cop, and I know it’s not right for cops to be posting that kind of racist” content.
Piesco said she believes in freedom of speech; she herself filed and won a lawsuit on that issue in New York in the 1980s.
But racism is a different matter, she said. “I did file a lawsuit for my First Amendment rights, and I won,” she said. “What we’re talking about here is racism and law enforcement, and that’s not right.”
Chuck Quackenbush joined the sheriff’s office in 2005. But in the 1990s he was one of California’s highest-level statewide elected officials, serving as insurance commissioner and being mentioned as a possible future candidate for governor.
According to numerous reports in the LA Times and other media, Chuck Quackenbush came under scrutiny first for transferring money from his political accounts to his wife’s failed race for a state Senate seat. More questions followed regarding his other spending and financial dealings, which led to legislative hearings and threats of impeachment.
He resigned his post in the summer of 2000 and moved to Hawaii; California media at the time quoted Chris Quackenbush blaming his problems on Democrats jealous and fearful of his political success.
Meanwhile, Terry Miller, who was Chris Quackenbush’s political consultant through August, is no longer working for her as she heads toward the November election.
Miller, who has several other candidates on the November ballot, declined to say why he left Quackenbush’s campaign for school board.
Sawyer speaks
John Sawyer, an NPA candidate for Congressional District 17, which includes parts of east Lee County, told BUPAC members this week that details about his proposals can be found on his 94-page campaign website.
But he was happy to provide some highlights — and some laughs — to anyone who’ll listen.
“We really are a three-party system,” Sawyer said. “Republican, Democrat and incumbent….now we have the party of incumbents running the country right into the ground.”
The incumbent in this race, Republican Tom Rooney, benefits from all PAC money, and especially sugar money, Sawyer said. “It’s time to just throw all the incumbents out.”
A resident of Punta Gorda, Sawyer said he used to live in a large gated community, but “got tired of fascist groups like those HOAs” setting too many rules.
If he’s elected, Sawyer said, he’ll probably caucus with the Republicans because he’s still a registered Republican, while running as an NPA. “But I don’t want to caucus with one of those groups that just does nothing. I want to co-operate with people and get things done.”
He might be able to work with Democrats as well. Sawyer said he once ran for president as a Democrat years ago, but was unhappy with the news coverage he received, which mostly had the tone of “any idiot can run for president.”
He thinks jobs are the biggest issue facing the country, and said his background in retail — including ownership of book stores and Hallmark stores — would be a plus.
But more manufacturing is what’s really needed, he said, proposing to eliminate all corporate income taxes to encourage more manufacturing businesses.
After hearing Sawyer’s complaints about incumbents, one member of the audience asked him to name one person in politics he respects.
“You mean without a mirror in front of me?” Sawyer shot back. But then he mentioned Ben Carson. “He should have stuck around longer,” Sawyer said.
Upcoming events
A reception for school board candidates Jane Kuckel and Cathleen Morgan is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday Oct. 3 at Finemark Bank in Estero. The host list of about 30 people includes Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott, Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, Charles Dauray, Don Eslick, Sam Galloway, Joe Pavich, Wayne and Sharon Smith, Marjorie Rubacky, and several Bonita and Estero council members.
- A fundraiser for state Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers, is scheduled 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 4, at Suncoast Beverage in Fort Myers. The host list of more than 50 people includes Bruce Strayhorn, Tim Mitchell, Gary Aubuchon, Dan Delisi, Dennis Gilkey, Steven Hurley, Syd Kitson, Stephanie Keyes, Ric Pritchett and Howard Wheeler.
- A fundraiser for Tommy Doyle, candidate for elections supervisor, is scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 5 at Sam Galloway Ford in Fort Myers. More than 60 people are on the host list, including Sam and Kathy Galloway Jr; Sam and Jennifer Galloway III; Robert and Tracey Galloway; Tom and Katherine Dougherty; Luis Insignares; Rita Miller; Will Prather; Skip Mitchell; Cole Peacock and Warren Wright.
Betty Parker is a freelance writer specializing in politics. Her column runs in Saturday's The News-Press and at news-press.com. She can be reached at parkerspolitics@aol.com.