Drivers Education class in Cooper City

What?                  AARP Driver Safety Class

When?                 Monday, November 14, 2011


Time?                  9:00 am to3 PM


Where?                Cooper City BSO District Office


                             10580 Stirling Road, Cooper City



More Information?


Participants who successfully complete the course will be provided with a certificate for their auto insurance agency. Most agencies will allow for a discount on auto insurance premiums for up to three years.




To Participate you must:                   

                                      Be a Senior 55+
        
                                      AARP members pay $12.00


                                      Non-AARP members pay $14.00


                                      Bring a bagged lunch

 Contact Larry Bitkower at  954-474-3343 to register

  Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.



2012 Cooper City Taxation: Is It moral? Is It Good Public Policy

- Bigger % increases on low income families than higher ones?

- Taxing champions --- AGAIN! When people are hurting?
   Leads all Broward tax authorities in the tax increases for residents!

- Bad economics--- how are people to increase spending and job
  creation locally if the Cooper City government takes more of their
  squeezed incomes?

Hard to believe? Yet that is what 4 commission members and some on the staff seem to be supporting.

1. Their tax/fee package will result in those with lower valued homes paying a bigger % increase than those of us with higher valued homes.

A sample of 13 homes shows the following % increases in Cooper City taxes

Market value per Tax Appraiser       % Cooper City                  % increase all other
                                                          tax increase                         Broward govs

$100,000 to $199,999                              6.9                                      (1.8)

$200,000 to $299,999                              4.4                                      (2.1)

$300,000 plus                                         3.2                                      (3.1)

So, Cooper City is raising taxes and fees while the others are decreasing them.

Taxing champions AGAIN! AND, hitting the lower income folks hardest.
Taxes include the normal property taxes and the fire assessment “fee”. Re: the
Fire assessment “fee’: to paraphrase Harry Truman.
"If it is on your tax bill, looks like a tax, is collected like a tax and you pay it with the same check, it’s a tax."

This form of taxation is called regressive taxation, where you hit the lower income people by a higher % than those with higher incomes.

I doubt that 5 % of Americans support this or believe it to be just and moral.


2. Bad economic policy. It is a form of Cooper City economic de-stimulus.
We all know the hard times many of our people face. Governments taking more purchasing power out of the hands of consumers will decrease consumer spending and job creation. It will add its bit to our economic problems. You can count on a major fraction of the tax increase resulting in lower local consumer spending, jobs and sales.

Broward Senior Hall of Fame

May is OLDER AMERICANS MONTH and isn't it lovely that the older residents are recognized and honored in the Month of May!



"The golden days of our lives should be celebrated with the respect and dignity merited by years of service and commitment toward building a beautiful America.


As pioneers of the past, today's seniors paved the paths
to preserve democracy. Many will be our Nation's
role models for the future. They are our heroes forever."


         Edith Schaffer Lederberg, author
         Executive Director, Areawide Council on Aging

This past Friday morning I had the honor and privilege to attend the Broward Senior Hall of Fame Breakfast at Diamante's Banquet Center. Eleven Broward County Seniors were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame started by Dr. Nan S. Hutchison. This was the twenty-eighth Annual Installation Breakfast. I have been very fortunate in attending a number of them over the years. It is so very moving to see those seniors as they approached the podium to receive their honor for their volunteering in their Communities.


One inductee, Maria Thereza Mayo, used a walker to the podium. A tiny lady with beautiful white hair and a great voice. At 92 years young, she conducts the water aerobic class in her community EVERY day--seven days per week! What a wonderful spirit!


Cooper City's SHINE Volunteer(Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), Bea Hedigan, was among the eleven who were inducted into this year's Hall of Fame. Bea could not attend, however, her beautiful granddaughter accepted for her. I know Bea was with us in spirit and I am very proud to know Bea and her great work with the Seniors in Cooper City.


Broward County Commissioner Lois Wexler was also inducted. I was very pleased to sit at her table with her, her daughter and friends. I have known Commissioner Wexler for many years during which she has helped me in my endeavors time and time again.


I have had Cooper City friends who were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame:


1983 Phyllis Werner
1989 Constance J. Senatore
1985 Lillian Hargan
1995 Eleanor Locascio
2011 Bea Hedigan




"And when we see their pride in life
Portrayed by deeds that touch our lives,
Hearts beat in cadence to their march
Into Eternity's Hall of Fame!"


 Edith Schaffer Lederberg, author


Posted by
Gladys Wilson

St. Patrick's Day Luncheon

The food was plentiful and delicious and everyone enjoyed their food. The fellowship is always tremendous, too. It was a time to greet all your friends and acquaintenances whom you do not often see.



Patti McGuire is the absolute best hostess we have had since Cindy Healy left. Patti was wearing the green as well as decorating her cheeks and forehead. Patti really gets into the occasion! This is what entertains and charms the folks. We like to see the hostess have fun along with us and Patti does. Her enthusiasm is boundless! And, we might add, since Patti has been our hostess, we have seen the attendance to the luncheons grow by leaps and bounds!! Thank you, Patti!

Senior Advisory Board

City Commissioner, John Sims, was able to put the item of a new Senior Advisory Board on the City Commission Agenda. The vote was unanimous to approve it.




The Mayor and each Commissioner was permitted to appoint two residents to the Board. The Mayor only had one appointment so the Board is short one member. Let us hope she appoints her second member at the next Commission Meeting.


The Senior Advisory Board will hold its first meeting at 6 PM on Wednesday, March 23, at the Swim and Tennis Center on Stirling Road.


The meeting is open to any residents to attend.


We are very happy that the Senior residents of Cooper City will have a group, The Senior Advisory Board, to work on their behalf to enhance their recreation, trips, educational opportunities as well as determine how to get the Shuttle Bus back into operation and the Meals on Wheels Program back on track. We have approximately 3,000 Seniors living in Cooper City therefore the City must provide them with activities to get them out of their homes and interested in other activities.


These twelve Board members will have plenty to keep them busy but they will have to establish an order of importance to these issues and go from there. They will absolutely do it!




We congratulate the Senior Advisory Board members for being so generous with their time and efforts on behalf of the Senior Residents of Cooper City. The rewards will be huge and numerous!


We look forward to seeing their achievements!

Palm Avenue Widening Project

Update:


Broward County will begin some tree removals next week on Palm Avenue.  This is part of the overall plan for widening Palm Avenue.  This will mostly be cutting down those trees that are not being relocated.  While there may be some minor impacts to traffic in the immediate work zone while removing a tree, do not expect any significant traffic concerns during this phase of the work.  

The widening of Palm Avenue is a County Project.  Trees that have orange construction fencing around them will be relocated to the property directly south of SW 55th Court.  This area is being developed as a drainage pond and passive park as part of the widening project. 

The trees that are being removed  have been deemed poor candidates for survivability or have root structure involvement with underground utilities.

If you need any additional information please contact Julio Gurrea, Project Manager, Broward County Highway Construction and Engineering Division at 954-577-4599.

Provided to the residents of Cooper City

by Commissioner John Sims, District #1

Attention Cooper City Seniors

Identity thieves target Medicare recipients – again
By Bob LaMendola, Sun Sentinel
3:20 PM EST, December 10, 2010


Florida seniors are again getting phone calls from scammers trying to steal personal and financial information, this time by claiming a Medicare HMO owes them a refund.
The callers in the latest scheme claim to work for insurance giant Humana or its CarePlus subsidiary, and say they need the senior's birth date, Social Security, bank account and Medicare numbers to arrange the refund, Humana officials said.


Scammers typically use such information to take out credit or debit cards in the senior's name and run up big bills. It's unclear if any seniors have given the callers their personal details or had any money stolen, company spokesman Mitchell Lubitz said.
In one case, a Medicare recipient in Hialeah arranged for the caller to come to her house to pick up money for a Medicare payment but notified Humana and summoned police, who arrested the person on the spot, Lubitz said.


The callers do not work for the health plans, and officials try to track them, Lubitz said. Medicare forbids insurers from making sales calls to seniors unless they ask in advance for a call, so an HMO sales agent on the phone should be a red flag, Lubitz said.
"Seniors are not going to get unsolicited calls from a legitimate health plan. And any legitimate caller is certainly not going to ask for their personal details," Lubitz said. "It's emanating from South Florida so far. This is the time of year when seniors have to be extra careful."


Like most U.S. seniors, Florida's 3.3 million Medicare recipients are in the midst of signing up for 2011 coverage through Dec. 31. Most are getting letters and invitations to promotional signup events and may be talking to agents from HMOs and drug plans.
Scammers have stepped up phony cold calls to seniors in the past five years, since Medicare started offering prescription drug coverage through insurers. Medicare has issued warnings about the problems regularly, including twice this year.


The government urges seniors to be skeptical when someone asks for personal details and to give the information only to people they are sure about.

Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4526.
Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Thank You Cooper City!

Thank You Cooper City! I would like to personally give many thanks to you, your family and your friends for all of your hard work and your support for my re-election campaign. The support from The People and business owner’s like you, gave us an overwhelming victory last night. The result is that I again have the honor to continue to serve as your ‘Go To’ Commissioner in Cooper City!

With your perseverance, resources, friends, neighbors, donations, dedication, time and faith in me, you made our vision a reality, which is getting Cooper City back on the right track. I never could have done any of this without you, and your generous support.

Now, once again, I will be able to continue the work of The People in Cooper City. Just as I have always maintained, my primary focus remains on reducing the burden of government on small business owners, to fight the fraud and waste at all levels of government that waste your hard earned taxpayer dollars, to continue to positively lead our city in a direction, and to grow the entrepreneurial spirit that will improve our local economy and in turn, create more local jobs.

Cooper City faces many challenges, but a new day has again come. Together, I know that we will continue to do great things with your support and your faith in my ability to lead us in a new and positive direction.

If there is anything you need or if you have any issues, please feel free to contact me, your ‘Go To’ commissioner.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Best regards,

Commissioner John Sims