Seminole Commissioner Van Der Weide Phone Scandal Still Unresolved

Channel 9 in 2005 did an expose focusing on Seminole County Commissioners' uncontrolled spending. To this day, the citizens of Seminole County have not gotten answers. Although the report also focuses on Randy Morris' questionable expenses, it primarily hammered Dick Van Der Weide for charging our county taxpayers hundreds of dollars for "extra charges", including roaming charges that exceeded the already outrageous cost of a taxpayer-subsidized cell phone.

(Why he couldn't get his own damn phone is beyond me. The Seminole commissioners are the highest-paid such officials in Central Florida. In 2005 they made a $74000 annual salary, and today that has increased to over $80000. With such benefits as health insurance and retirement plans, compensation for Seminole commissioners totals more than $104,196 annually. What recession?)

At least Van Der Wiede was considerate enough to not use taxpayer money to call one of those expensive nasty sex lines, which would have really added up. No, instead, his county cell phone only called a 1-800 sex line: three times in one hour.

Well, Kudos to George Curcio for following up on this. He harmlessly asked the good commissioner if he had followed up on this wasteful spending, which he had promised to do. His response is both disappointing shocking. You can read it on George Curcio's blog. Or you could email Dick Van Der Weide directly at deswine@seminolecountyfl.gov and ask him yourself.

You could also call him at (407) 665-7207, but that is assuming you can get through. He does seem to like using his work phone for things other than county business.