Boys' club? Parties with free cigars, liquor draw fire from women leaders - Orlando, FL DU the POLL!

[ddeclue]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-men-only-parties-20100316,0,4154204.story

Boys' club? Parties with free cigars, liquor draw fire from women leaders

Fred Leonhardt — Republican fundraiser, big-time lobbyist and top attorney at the GrayRobinson law firm — has long been a key mover and shaker in Orange County's business and government circles.

And for more than a year he has invited fellow movers and shakers — including elected officials such as Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and County Commissioner Bill Segal — to bimonthly private parties featuring free liquor, cigars and catered food for as many as 140 people.

But what makes these gatherings truly distinctive is that they're invitation affairs for men only.

And women are beginning to notice.

A woman was invited to a recent gathering — the owner of a model agency who was asked to bring a trio of models to greet men at the door and handle a raffle.

"It's unfortunate you still have this good ol' boy network, and you have to be a man to get invited or a woman who works for a modeling agency," Orange County Commissioner Linda Stewart said. "I thought we were beyond that."

Now, what Leonhardt said started out as an informal gathering of friends at a downtown cigar bar may be morphing into an issue in the county mayor's race. Both Stewart, a Democrat, and former Commissioner Teresa Jacobs, a Republican, are questioning whether a third mayoral candidate — Segal — may have run afoul of a county ordinance that bans acceptance of gifts worth more than $35.

"After a two-year battle to pass ethics reforms, how can we trust elected officials who seem to thumb their noses at them?" asked Jacobs, who spearheaded the reforms in 2008. The parties have "perpetuated the appearance of a pay-to-play system," she added.

But Crotty, who attended two parties, and Segal, who attended three, say they never stayed long or consumed enough freebies to cross that $35 threshold. Segal said he "never did anything I would be embarrassed about" at the gatherings — and would not have attended if he knew they were for men only.

.. more at the link..

COME ON... what is this the 1950's? an episode of the Sopranos? :wow:

Please post some comments against this good ol' boy crap at the blog and DU their poll!

[Warpy]

1. Good work on the comments

They reminded me why I sold my dad's house in Florida in a big hurry and returned to my funky little house in a bad neighborhood in NM. The accommodations might suck here, but by god, my neighbors are Democrats.

[Gaedel]

2. My political benchmark

If a politician can eat it or drink it (or in this case smoke it) in one sitting, it isn't a bribe.

[Bunny]

3. They're not talking about what can be consumed in one sitting.

They're talking about exceeding the threshold of $35 for 'gifts'.