City Campaign Openly Appeals To Muslims
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Pembroke Pines candidate David Tringo tells voters on Facebook that “he understands The Muslim’s issues.”
Huh?
Apparently this is a way to signal to Muslims to open their wallets for Tringo. The statement appears in a fundraiser invitation that is reproduced several times on Tringo’s Facebook page.
The significance of this is that Muslim’s are becoming a force in Broward’s communities, both as political donors and candidates.
County Commissioner Barbara Sharief demonstrated that a Muslim could be elected when she won a seat on the Miramar City Commission in 2009. A year later she won her County Commission job.
So Tringo’s embrace of Muslim’s is nothing new. Tringo is doing it in a major way. Muslim events are featured prominently on his Facebook page.
David Tringo at a campaign event this year. Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Jay Schwartz is on the right (from Facebook).
Tringo is running against veteran Commissioner Angelo Castillo in District 4, which is the far western stretch of the city. In his campaign against against Castillo, Tringo appears to be the creature of another Pembroke Pines City Commissioner, Jay Schwartz.
A company “consulting” on the campaign is run out of Schwartz’s home by a woman who appears on Facebook to be the commissioner’s wife, Stacey Schwartz. Blue Skies Management Group has received thousands to “consultant.”
Here is what Schwartz says on Tringo’s campaign website why he is running a campaign against Castillo:
“When elected leaders put their personal gain above the people they serve it becomes necessary to take action.
“When elected leaders choose to be politicians, not public servants it becomes necessary to hold them accountable for their actions. When elected officials lose their moral compass it is time for the people to set a new course.”
These accusations are simply a lot of sizzle and no steak!
Schwartz is the one who is choosing to be a politician. What is more political than running a campaign against a fellow commissioner?
What this campaign is really about is Schwartz’s political future. He wants to eliminate Castillo as a possible opponent for Pembroke Pines mayor in two years, according to two political observers.
So let’s look Schwartz The Consultant’s work. How effective is the tactic of a direct public appeal to Muslim voters?
My guess is that Muslim’s are a small fraction of the voters in District 4. Unfortunately, any turnout of these Muslim voters could be countered by bigoted anti-Muslims who will now vote against Tringo.
District 4 includes Century Village of Pembroke Pines, a community that is not known as place filled with Muslim voters.
I don’t see anything positive for the campaign in this naked religious appeal. Is it simply a way to raise a few bucks that could eventually find their way into Schwartz pocket?
Bottom line:
Open campaign appeals to religion are offensive. Campaign pleas for money based on religion should have no place in America.
February 12th, 2018 at 12:57 pm
And yet most palm cards of candidates running judicial and other offices try to establish their religious/ethnic bona fides by listing membership in Bnai Brith, Knights of Columbus, Calvary Chapel, etc.
Dog whistles aren’t just for goobers and crackers. Identity politics provide convenient guideposts to the narrowly-focused among us.
Hard to see the advantage in any of this — as you point out — there are as many voters who will be turned off as turned on by these so-called religious candidates rendering unto Caesar.
February 12th, 2018 at 2:32 pm
Jay Schwartz has been nothing but disruptive to this city. This is more of the same junk.
February 12th, 2018 at 2:34 pm
Facebook doesn’t lie. Angelo Castillo is a long winded self important politician. Tringo is a fool. What a choice.
February 12th, 2018 at 3:25 pm
Schwartz or whoever is responsible for kissing up to the Arabs is clearly and unmistakenly an idiot.
February 12th, 2018 at 3:36 pm
I thought Barbara Sharieff was muslim.
Castillo has done alot of good for the city. Has the re-districting by BCC term limiteds not been so convoluted,in 2012 election he would likely be on BCC.
February 12th, 2018 at 5:56 pm
I demand an answer! Who is going to represent Universalists, Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Buddhists, Jews, Episcopalians, Lutherans, warlocks, wiccans, agnostics, atheists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, redheads, dog owners, cat owners, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Italians, Chinese, Vietnamese …………………………… and on and on?
Politicians, please put your carving knives away, stop categorizing people, and work on issues that matter to everyone. Traffic, overbuilding, water supply, a fair tax code, public safety, code enforcement,……… and on and on.
February 13th, 2018 at 3:18 am
As an aside I see on that invitation Altaf Ahmed who claims to be the first Muslim candidate for Broward County Commission? Has he missed Barbara Sharief who ran a decade ago and has been an elected county commissioner since 2010?
To add to the insult and pandering here Jay Schwartz quotes himself on all of Tringo’s campaign materials with the line, “Dave Tringo is a name you can trust!” which doesn’t even make sense! Why can’t you trust the name Angelo Castillo? Is it because he’s Hispanic? I mean what else would he be referring to with a stupid tag line like that!
In any event, it sounds like after this election is over in a few weeks Jay Schwartz and his wife better not quit their day jobs for the world of political consulting just yet. That is if they even have day jobs. Any decent con artist can find a candidate foolish enough to give them their money once, but winning and doing it again can be a little tougher!
FROM BUDDY:
As I wrote, Barbara Sharief was indeed the first Muslim to run for County Commission in 2010.
Altaf Ahmed applauds the Democratic Party and writes on Facebook about turning Florida into a blue state. Yet he is running as an independent against Broward Mayor Beam Furr. Hmmmmm.
February 13th, 2018 at 7:26 am
Cities like Pembroke Pines have problems or questions for debate BUT WHAT HAS SOMEONE’s religion have to do with property tax rates, the.salary of a City employee or the times a committee meets? This candidate should be talking issues not this ethnic business.
February 13th, 2018 at 8:06 am
This could be the stupidest political idea for a place known for stupid ideas like Broward I’ve read about in a long time.
February 13th, 2018 at 7:49 pm
Jay Schwartz is now being seen for the untrustworthy bully that he has ALWAYS been. He wants to cry that he is being discriminated against because he’s Jewish but what he’s really trying to do is distract the people of Pines from all the dirt that is finally coming out on him. Tringo is a fool to associate himself with Schwartz and his pushy wife. He may as well kiss his political career goodbye!! But then we’re left with Castillo…..he’s not much better really. My question to him would be, how do you all of the sudden have so much time off from your day job at the Broward Sheriff’s Office??? You seem to be at so many city events lately, more than ever before. I hope that you are using your own time and not cheating the residents of Broward County?!?!
February 18th, 2018 at 10:55 am
In defense of Commissioner Castillo, who I do NOT know, his job description INCLUDES OUTREACH at Public Events. If he’s “all over” HE’S probably doing what we pay him for.
February 18th, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Count whatever your name is….
If you don’t know him, then how do you know what his job description says?? Did you request it? Do you also work for BSO? In addition, if it does say “outreach”…I’m pretty sure it doesn’t mean Pembroke Pines only and especially the month before your seat is up for re-election. How convenient would that be?!?!