Sandra Bernard-Bastien, the Chief Communications Officer for the Children’s Services Council of Broward County (CSC) authored a highly partisan book defending President Barack Obama. In 2011 Arrow Publications published, “Yes We Can: Obama And Clinton Walk The Talk,” at the time, Bernard-Bastien was the Children’s Services Council Director of Public Affairs, Government Affairs and Organizational Development. This book appears to be another example of the highly-political atmosphere at the Children’s Services Council of Broward County.

The book, co-authored by Elliot Bastien and H. Michael Bastien, is divided into two parts. First, Bernard-Bastien offers analysis of speeches by President Obama and President Bill Clinton. The second half of the book is partisan defense of Obama’s first term. Bernard-Bastien explains why “deranged” Republicans were wrong to question Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bernard-Bastien claims the world breathed a “sigh of relief” at the departure of George W. Bush. She wrote, “President Obama qualified for a Nobel Peace prize if only for preventing the continuation of such an approach to foreign policy, which would ensure an absence of peace.”  Then, she attacks the intelligence of those who questioned Obama winning the prize. “But this qualification will certainly not appease Mr. Obama’s detractors,” she wrote, “Displaying their ignorance…and awaiting any opportunity to celebrate his failure, Obama’s detractors eschew history.”

On the economy, Bernard-Bastien wrote Obama’s attempts to “restore the economy can be seen as continuing the tradition of a democratic administration having to clean up the economic mess left by the previous Republican administration.” On job creation, she calls the American Jobs Act a “piece de resistance” which “Republicans have place every obstacle in the way to prevent this most important bill from being passed.”

On foreign issues, Bernard-Bastien claims, “During the Bush years…the U.S. military fell into disrepute worldwide.” She claims President Obama corrected this by “restructuring of the military to cope with modern threats and technology.” Bernard- Bastien says Obama ended the Iraq War “which was by his Republican predecessor…under false pretenses….” Bernard-Bastien mentions increased troop benefits and reform at VA Hospitals as examples of Obama’s first-tern achievements.

Bernard-Bastien was a staunch Obama supporter long-before she authored this book. In 2008, Bernard-Bastien hosted an Obama fundraiser with Broward Commissioner Stacy Ritter. According to a local fashionblog, the fundraiser was an “extremely elegant affair” with a “greater purpose than just selling garments and had a variety of noteworthy attendees.”  The blog reported Bernard-Bastien quoted Obama, “Years from now, you’ll look back and say this was the moment-this was the place where America remembered what it means to hope.”

Evan Goldman, then the CSC Manager of Public Affairs and Organizational Development, touted Bernard-Bastien’s fundraiser on his personal blog. Goldman wrote the fundraiser was “one of the most creative and down-right different political fundraising events in the nation.Tea for Change was the brainchild of Sandra Bernard-Bastien. In addition to being a community activist and author, she’s a reallybig fan of Barack Obama.”

While officials can certainly have personal political views, evenly highly-partisan ones, some wonder if the these views affect the decision making process at the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. RED BROWARD documented the formation of a political committee to push for the reauthorization of the CSC on the November ballot. RED BROWARD revealed the Children’s Services Council appears to be the biggest source of funding for Hispanic Unity of Florida, a local affiliate of the controversial “La Raza” organization. RED BROWARD obtained a May 2012 copy of La Raza literature which lauded Hispanic Unity of Florida for using social programs, funded by Broward taxpayers, as a way to register voters. RED BROWARD exposed how Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, is a frequent visitor to Hispanic Unity of Florida offices in Hollywood. In January 2014, Wasserman Schultz announced Hispanic Unity of Florida would receive Federal dollars to help sell Obamacare to south Florida.

RED BROWARD reported CSC President/CEO Cindy Arenberg Seltzer was the Chief of Staff to Connecticut House Democrat Majority Leader Thomas S. Luby. On the CSC website, she touts her time as a district field coordinator for Sen. Chris Dodd and the Clinton campaign.  She has made numerous contributions to Democrat candidates such as Lois Frankel, Alex Sink and Nan Rich. RED BROWARD showed the CSC paid $5,000 for advertising to Community Access Center, a non-profit organization tied to Broward Commisoner Dale Holness. Magaly Prezeau, president of Community Access Center, is a Democrat candidate for the Miramar City Commission.

Do partisan politics play a role at the Children’s Services Council of Broward County? Do politicians and well-connected allies benefit from Children’s Services Council’s control of more than $55 million in taxpayer dollars? Instead of mailers from a political committee, Broward taxpayers deserve answers and transaprency from Cindy Arenberg Seltzer and the Children’s Services Council of Broward County before the November election.

The Children’s Service Council of Broward County paid the CEO of local non-profit organization for television advertisement just days before it terminated the group’s contracts for a “substantial and insurmountable cash flow crisis.” On March 10, 2014, the Children’s Services Council paid $2000 to the Haitian Broadcasting Network of America to produce television commercials. According to State records, Francois Leconte is the president of the Haitian Broadcasting Network Of America, Inc. Official State records show Leconte is also the president/CEO of Minority Development and Empowerment, Inc. (MDEI). On March 20, 2014 the Children’s Services Council of Broward County terminated its contracts with MDEI.

Children’s Services Council of Broward County entered into two contracts with Leconte and MDEI worth $346,976 of taxpayer dollars. MDEI received $246,976 for a “Youth Force” program at Pompano Beach Middle School. At the March 20, 2014 Children’s Services board meeting, several council members “expressed concern about alleged failure of MDEI to pay staff hired pursuant to their contract with the Children’s Services Council.” According to the meeting minutes, Leconte called on March 18, 2014 to formally request the “early and immediate termination” of the contracts with MDEI. CSC board members were told “a series of non-CSC contract circumstance have created a substantial and insurmountable cash flow crisis that has left agency unable to meet payroll and other financial obligations.”

The Children’s Services Council terminated the contracts with MDEI and transferred them to HANDY and Hispanic Unity of Florida. The agreement with Leconte for television advertisments was never mentioned.

The “substantial and insurmountable cash flow crisis” at MDEI might be related to the actions of the City of Fort Lauderdale Community Services Board. On December 9, 2013, the Community Services Board voted to defund MDEI as “quickly as possible.”  MDEI had received $118,000 to assist in HIV/AIDS testing and housing for people with HIV/AIDS. According to the board meeting minutes, City of Fort Lauderdale staff stated monitoring of MDEI was “problematic.” The Housing Administrator said, “Invoicing issues occurred when some receipts did not match the amounts requested, and payments were stopped. MDEI was instructed that canceled checks must be submitted with all reimbursement requests; however, some vendors did not have canceled checks, which resulted in rejection of those invoices. Other difficulties include receipt of incorrect documents and MDEI staff issues.” Staff stated, “The City Attorney’s Office has been made aware of MDEI’s issues since July 2013. He clarified that the $118,000 provided to MDEI was for assistance in staffing: none of these funds went toward a financial housing subsidy.”

The decision to pay Leconte for advertisements mirrors the Children’s Services Council’s decision to pay Community Access Center for media advertisements. Yesterday, RED BROWARD revealed the Children’s Services Council agreed to pay $5000 to the Community Access Center to purchase television advertising. This local non-profit organization is tied to Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness.

Why did the Children’s Services Council decide to purchase airtime on an obscure television station? Was this purchase part of Bitner Goodman’s $55,000 media plan? Were Children’s Services Council officials aware of Leconte’s involvement in Haitian Broadcasting Network of America? Were the commercials produced? Did the commericals actually air? Did CSC officials attempt to cancel the agreement after the MDEI contracts were terminated? Were CSC officials aware of Leconte’s partisan political activities?

In 2012, Broward Clerk of Courts Howard Forman paid Leconte $600 for campaign work. Last April, MDEI hosted a press conference for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. RED BROWARD reported how Hispanic Unity Of Florida, also supported by CSC, hosts Wasserman Schultz press conferences.

In 2009, MDEI hosted the “Spirit of the Caribbean Awards” at the Signature Grand in Davie. MDEI gave the “Government Leadership” award to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. The group gave its “Inspirational Leadership” award to Sandra Bernard Bastien of the Children Services Council of Broward County. Leconte said, “Florida is one of the most diverse states in the Nation, and we feel these individuals and organizations go above and beyond to celebrate and appreciate the pluralism in our community.”

Now, Children’s Services Council President/CEO Cindy Arenberg Seltzer needs to go “above and beyond” by answering questions about how the CSC is spending $55 million dollars of taxpayers’ money. She needs to give answers before voters see the CSC reauthorization question on the November 2014 ballot.