When a resident addresses his or her elected officials at City Council, one would expect to be taken seriously and even receive a response. However, when Joshua Paladino addressed Orlando City Council at the end of January, he never expected Commissioner Sam Ings to lash out and attack him.
But as Paladino, who is part of the Orange Renters Community Association, described deplorable living conditions in Washington Shores Village, he clearly struck a nerve. On January 28, several residents from the Washington Shores community sat through the hour long council meeting waiting patiently for their turn to voice concerns and ask for action. As is customary for Orlando, general appearances by the public are not broadcast or detailed in the minutes, even though they are part of the official meeting.
“What brings me here today is the Orange Renters Community Association,” Paladino began his public comments. “Starting last year, we were made aware of a situation in the Orange Center Boulevard area, Washington Shores Village. This neighborhood is more of a blight on the community than anything else. We have tried to do the best we could to create a more dignified living situation over there because people have to live there.”
He included a simple request to the Commissioners. “What is the city going to be doing about this problem? What can we do for our tenants out there?”
According to official campaign finance disclosures, Commissioner Ings received maximum campaigns contributions from Washington Shores Village Apartments owners Jimmy and Solomon Yuken, the slumlords in question.
At the meeting itself, Commissioner Ings had the opportunity to respond or at least talk with several of his constituents. Instead he ran out of the Council Chamber ignoring everyone who showed up. Rather than leading, Ings took to writing a letter where he twisted what was said in public comments and decided that attacking residents was the better option.
“In your comments, you explicitly expressed that I was a corrupt politician,” Commissioner Ings’ letter states. “The purpose of this letter is to inform you that you should choose your words carefully and publically retract them. To openly and publically proclaim and defame my character as not being an honest person is irresponsible and reckless. You purposely uttered false charges and misrepresentations to defame and damage my reputation. You must immediately cease and desist from harming my name, reputation and standing as an elected official by libel or slander.”
Wow. With a defensive and snarky response like that, the public would sure love to see what public comments Paladino made. But they can’t. Orlando City Clerk Alana Brenner does not include public comments in the minutes, only summaries. And an attack on a sitting Commissioner should be detailed if it was as serious as Ings claims.
The official city minutes describes what happened: “Josh Paladino, spoke on behalf of the Orange Renters Community Association, with regard to renters and the undesirable living conditions at Washington Shores Village. (Mr. Paladino presented a handout to Council members).” That’s it.
But the attempt to intimidate residents who speak out and inform their elected officials of their concerns does not appear to be working.
“I find it sickening a commissioner would make such false accusations without even checking the public record first,” said Paladino.
Paladino also responded directly to the Commissioner and the rest of the Council with a letter of his own. “When any citizen exercises his first amendment rights to address an elected official in a public forum, it is the essence of the free speech which is the foundation of this nation. I am proud to be able to speak about my views whenever I can.”
West Orlando News decided to request the actual recordings from City Council and here is exactly what Paladino (and others) had to say about living conditions in Orlando: watch the Public Comments here.
Paladino simply wanted answers from his elected officials. He and the other residents are still waiting.
The attempt to suppress public comments is widespread in the city of Orlando. Elected officials seem more interested in belittling residents than addressing their concerns.
This issue continues, I was at the city commission meeting yesterday, Feb. 25, and a resident of the area in question addressed the commissioners yet again. The resident was prepared, described the conditions, asked when code enforcement would do something about the blight because it was bringing the resident’s home value down and was very unsanitary as well and commissioners, Lynum, in particular, in her so soft voice, tried to console the resident with the BS that apparently was spewed in the past few commission meetings on this same agenda item. I am a member of a national organization that is involved in foreclosures, underwater mortgages and DETERIORATING PROPERTIES….this organizationb specializes in bringing attention to the blight caused by the mortgage bust and works to solve the problems. I am also going now to look at the areas in question and to take pictures….then to the Home Defender’s League offices to tell this story….
Paladino the liar who has nothing more than this to show for himself? That Paladino? And what is Orange renters whatever? There is no website or any record of them anywhere.
Woop dee doo
The sooner that failure leaves Orlando the better off it, and everyone else, will be.
Hmm, obviously someone has nothing better to do than to throw around baseless accusations knowing good and well the accusations they invention are unsubstantiated. At least have the respect for yourself to publicize who you are, otherwise grow up and get on with your meaningless life.
Baseless? what have you done in Orlando? What do you have to show, besides burning every bridge you come across? Nothing. You have nothing to show, except that everyone of value hates you and the only people who like you are equally worthless & hated. and Also, as soon as “Sources” stops hiding I will. Until then, it must suck to suck. lolololololol
[…] the people. There has still been NO action from City Commissioners or the Mayor in regards to the slumlords operating at Orange Center Boulevard. Worse than that, Mayor Dyer made his gentrification efforts more blatant as he started buying up […]