DAISY LYNUM AND HER POVERTY PIMPS UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

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Category: Justice

Published: Friday, 26 September 2014 02:55

Written by Earl Stanley Gardner

by Earl Stanley Gardener
Former Orlando commissioner Daisy Lynum is now at the center of a criminal investigation. Lynum who predicted her replacement Regina Hill would face legal challenges has fallen into her own hole. The one she dug.

The criminal complaint accuses Daisy Lynum of steering a city contract to benefit one of her poverty pimps. At stake was a $6 million contract. According to the complaint, one of Lynum's poverty pimps told a cleaning company that he was connected to the commissioner. And if they wanted the city contract, they would have to make him vice president of the company. They made him vice president of the company. Later the complaint says Lynum demanded her poverty pimp be made part owner.

Former Chief Judge Belvin Perry explained. "Where you do this for me, and I'll receive something in exchange." By making Lynum's poverty pimp part owner, Lynum was sure to get her pay-off. Some would use the word bribe.

The company won the contract even though they were four other experienced companies that submitted lower bids. Perry stated that if Lynum is convicted on such a charge, she could get fifteen years in prison.

This recent allegation has many in-the-know wondering how deep does this go. Lynum, who was a commissioner for nearly 16 years, surely did not start with this latest revelation. Many are questioning why the same Lynum connected people are constantly getting all the big contracts. They go from one major construction job to the next. Many of them do not even have companies that can do the work, but they are included in big deals anyway.

A pimp is someone who benefits off the work of another without having to do any of the work. In the street walking industry, a pitiful woman lays down for a dollar and the pimp collects. In the government contracting business, some poor company has to agree to making a poverty pimp part owners in order to do business. The company does the work and the pimp collects for self and the head Madame. In this case that Madame is alleged to be Daisy.

Poverty Pimp because they are taking advantage of progressive city goals to include minority and women businesses in city contracts. There is a history of depriving minority and women businesses from big city deals. Much of the poverty that exists in areas like Parramore come from historical exclusion. With no city contracts and few businesses, minorities can't hire their own and thus poverty is a reality.

Now that the city government has opened the door to minority participation, elected officials like Daisy Lynum have enlisted an army of poverty pimps to exact a toll. It is a dirty scheme to get a cut on as much as possible. In days gone by, politicians demanded a direct bribe. Today, it is the pimp game. My man gets paid, I get paid. And nobody need to be the wiser.

This kind of dirty dealing is tragic in two ways. One, it deprives honest minority and women businesses of the break the open door should provide. And, second, it is these kinds of schemes that non-minorities point too when they argue against minority and women programs. Why have these programs if they are only going to lead to public corruption. Jeb Bush used this argument when he was governor and wiped out state contract set-asides.

With a broader view, it is virtually impossible for a city commissioner to direct city contracts without help from other city officials. Who at city hall was steering contracts on Daisy's behalf? Investigators are tight-lipped, but the truth is coming.

When will this madness end? It has been word in the grapevine for years that if you want to play in district 5 you must hire one of the Madame's poverty pimps. No evidence has come forward to prove this allegation. Nonetheless, it is quite evident that only Daisy's poverty pimps have been eating from the public trough.

Many in the community are hopeful that this criminal investigation of Daisy Lynum will expose all of Daisy's poverty pimps and how they have abused the well-being of district 5.