05/10/06

Brian Gleason column

Buzz, bucks greet Bush in Ft. Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The Broward County Convention Center was abuzz with banter about Bush Tuesday. And while Florida's governor will open today's general session of the 20th annual Governor's Hurricane Conference, it was Jeb Bush's older brother who created the stir Monday.

Extra security, clogged traffic, motorcades, rooftop snipers, circling helicopters, bomb-sniffing dogs and snarled air traffic lanes accompanied a visit from President George W. Bush, who was in town for a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw. State officials flying into area airports talked of hours-long circling patterns as far away as Southwest Florida International Airport. Organizers had to quash rumors that President Bush would address the conference. He flew out Tuesday morning.

Shaw, a 25-year veteran of the House of Representatives, got an $800,000 boost to his war chest thanks to the presidential visit, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He faces state Sen. Ron Klein in the Nov. 7 general election. One sign of Shaw's standing in his district, which was redrawn by the Florida Legislature in 2002 to make it safer for him: the causeway crossing the Intracoastal Waterway is named for him.

Bush's visit wasn't especially popular with motorists forced to sit in stalled traffic jams twice on Monday and again Tuesday morning. As the motorcade sped around a corner on the famous Las Olas Boulevard, tourists and shopkeepers gawked at the dozens of motorcycle-mounted deputies, dark-windowed SUVs and cruisers. A few blocks away, as Bush made his return trip from a wealthy Fort Lauderdale car dealer's home on the Intracoastal, quizzical cabbies honked their horns and humorless motorists pulled mid-street U-turns to get out of traffic.

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Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Wayne Sallade arrives at the conference today. He is scheduled to participate in a Thursday session on public-private partnerships. Sallade, whose 19 years of service ranks him third in the state, said he will share his experiences, both pre- and post-Charley, with fellow emergency officials.

High on his list of partnerships is the county's All-Hazards Guide, which is now in its 18th year and is distributed in six counties. The guide is sponsored by PGT Industries, which frees up tax dollars for other efforts.

"It is recognized as the best of its type," Sallade said.

Charley gave Sallade plenty of material for his presentation. He still gets emotional when talking about the outpouring of support from businesses.

"Outback Steakhouse showed up at 2 a.m. asking, 'Where can we set up to feed your workers?' They served three meals a day for 10 straight days. They served thousands and thousands of people," said Sallade, noting that Outback received a Point of Light Award from Bush at last year's hurricane conference.

He said one of his current priorities is to coordinate with "big box" stores regarding their situations and reopening plans to avoid setting up relief centers where they are not needed.

"We don't want to set up a relief center across the street from an open Wal-Mart," Sallade said.

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/051006/ew5.htm?date=051006&story=ew5.htm