NO ONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE SARASOTA/MANATEE POLITICAL SCENE THAN THE SARASOTA PHOENIX
BENDERSON THE BILLIONAIRE CARPETBAGER FROM BUFFALO IS OUT TO RIP OFF THE PUBLIC AGAIN WITH TWO MORE SCAMS
BENDERSON FINANCED LOBBYISTS & POLITICIANS ARE CREATING A TAX FREE BENDERSONLVILE AND $MILLIONS FOR A BENDERSON BOATHOUSE
Randy Benderson is a poster child of how a billionaire from Buffalo can stuff politicians in his pockets be it in Manatee County, Sarasota County or politicians hanging out in the Tallahassee swamp, while making $millions turning the Sarasota/Manatee area into Paradise Lost.
For example, Florida state legislators are considering a bill that would allow Benderson to have his own independent taxing district with extremely broad powers. This bill authorizes additional taxes on businesses within the district. Those costs will not stay with businesses; they will be passed on to consumers.
Benderson is the same individual who is now beginning to build his residential and commercial project on Stickney Point Road and U.S 41, which will turn the area into a TOTAL TRAFFIC NIGHMARE. The same Buffalo carpetbagger, who wants to build hotels on Siesta Key, turning it into a another Miami Beach.
For Benderson stuffing politicians in the Sarasota/Manatee area and in the Tallahassee swamp in his pocket was quite easy having made $millions learning how to manipulate the political system in his former Buffalo home town, which is one of most corrupt mob-controlled cities in America.
Ramba
Benderson knowing how lobbyist controls what goes on in his former New York state capital city of Albany, Benderson hired the most powerful lobbyist in the State of Florida, David Ramba, who rules supreme in Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee.
Ramba is a multi-millionaire lobbyist, who from the shadows of his Ramba Consulting Group office in Tallahassee is the RINO (Republican In Name Only) titular head of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF).
Helmich/Ramba/Power
The RPOF has now become a major part of the Tallahassee swamp controlled by three Tallahassee based lobbyists called "The TALLAHASSEE TRIO", who are the “Big Dog” Ramba, the RPOF Chairman Evan Power and RPOF Executive Director Bill Helmich with Ramba allowing Power, Helmich and their cronies to operate the RPOF like a bunch of drunks.
Lobbyists like the TALLAHASSEE TRIO have influenced both Republican super majorities in Tallahassee, as Democratic super majorities in states like Illinois, place power in the hands of wealthy donors generating $millions in profits for them.
Ramba has recently come down from the Tallahassee swamp with a bill his firm drafted for Benderson to lobby local Manatee and Sarasota State legislators to approve a proposed University Town Center Improvement District. A District, which should be called Bendersonsovlle if approved by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The bill allows the new district to acquire property by any means, including condemnation. Since most of the land in this district is already owned by Benderson, public property is the most obvious target, rising concerns for surrounding neihborhoods, especially nearby communities like the Meadows.
With condemnation powers extending beyond district boundaries,the Meadows residents, who are considering a lease of its golf facility to Benderson should read all agreements very carefully and understand the long-term implications.
Connerly
This Benderson scheme to officially create Bendersonville lobbied by Ramba now has Manatee based State Representative Bill Connerly sponsoring Florida House bill 4091.
Connerly's ticket to the Tallahassee swamp-Jensen/Benderson/Beruff/Neal
Conerly said he was chosen to file the bill because of his experience with community development districts, not because Connerly sashayed into the Tallahasse swamp in 2024 with 40, $1,000 contriutions from "Pay to Play" trio of developers, Pat Neal, Rex Jensen and Carlos Beruff.
Pedicini
The $40,000 was among the over $226,000 raised to carry water for the friends of Benderson. Over $180,000 of the over $226,000 going to their political operative Anthony Pedicini to send Connerly on up to the Tallahassee swamp. No doubt Benderson will be joining this trio in 2026 to keep Connerly in Tallahassee, just as Ramba has put in $1,000 into Connerly’s re-election campaign.
The billionaire carpetbagger from Buffalo with the passage of this bill will create his own local government to finance and oversee allowing it to tap millions of dollars in tax-free municipal bonds, according to the Connerly bill.
If approved, Ramba’s packaged Bendersonville would be governed by a five-person board of supervisors elected by the largest landowners, with Benderson owning the majority share.
The board would oversee infrastructure, public safety , flood control, transportation, recreation, and economic development needs, allowing it to tap millions of dollars in tax-free municipal bonvds, according to the Connerly bill.
Florida state legislators are considering a bill that would allow Bendesonville to become its own independent taxing district with extremely broad powers. This bill authorizes additional taxes on businesses within the district. Those costs won’t stay with businesses—they will be passed on to consumers.
The new district could levy up to 3 mills of property tax or $3 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. For a property valued at $1 million, that would be an additional $3,000 added to a property owner’s annual tax bill in addition to other taxes already set by local governments.
Knight
While Bendersonville spans both Sarasota andManatee counties there is nothing in the bill that requires the new district to coordinate with other local governments, which had Sarasota County Commissioner Tom Knight stating that missing in Ramba’s bill for Benderson is the cooperation between this Ramba proposal bill and the Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
Knight asked and received no answer to how this bill would affect Sarasota County with public safety, Phillippi Creek drainage system, and how that all will come together.
Ramba has pitched the measure to fund storm water improvements following the catastrophic flooding in 2024. He said the special district would be able to bypass government bureaucracy by letting stormwater projects be funded and conducted directly through the district.
Schoetlle speaking at Sarasota County County Commission meeting
That is pure Ramba nonsense according to Susan Schoetlle,a former assistant Sarasota County attorney whose private practice focuses on land use. “The powers that would be granted to this new district as outlined in HB4091 are extremely broad and go way beyond what is needed to
address any stormwater issues that may exist,” she wrote in an email to
Sarasota County Commissioner Knight.
Ramirez
One of Sarasota's leading neighborhood activists Lourdes Ramirez, who has taken on Benderson expanding his fiefdom on Siesta Ket and turning his project on Stickney Point into a traffic nightmare points out this bill does not require coordination with Sarasota County on stormwater infrastructure. Ramírez states changes made without regional planning could increase flooding risks.
The other Benderson scam that is equally outrageous, if not more so is the public paying to build a boathouse on the Benderson Rowing Park which is part of a grandiose sports facility at Benderson's Rowing Park– with a price tag of up to $70 million. This is but another example of the public investing $millions, while Benderson's share remains near zero in comparison to the public's funding.
The Sarasota County Commission recently agreed to move forward to construct a boathouse, as part of a $70 million project on the public’s dime is just another part of the multimillion-dollar scam going on for years at the Benderson Rowing Park. Benderson, rather than the public, was responsible for funding the boathouse, grandstands, and other amenities.
Benderson did not pay for the grandstand, and now—with help from five Sarasota County Commissioners—is reneging on its promised private contribution in the 2013 Private/Public Partnership with Sarasota County to finance the building of the boathouse.
Benderson has made $millions in a 2013 Private/PublicPartnership with Sarasota County off the revenues he has received from the construction of UTC and his various strip malls adjacent to the Benderson Rowing Park, due to proximity to the rowing park.
While Sarasota County, Manatee County and the State of Florida have put in untold $million into Benderson scam on the lake, while Benderson has walked away from his promised commitment to be a equal partner in the Private/Public Partnership.
Walking away from commitments by this Buffalo transplantis just part of Benderson’s M.O. Back in 2012, Benderson promised affordable housing adjacent to the proposed UTC—DOES ANYONE SEE AFFORABALBE HOUSING ON BENDERSONVILLE? Leaving commitments is a typical move for this Buffalo transplant, Benderson.
One County Commissioner, who is one of the many over the years Commissioners stuffed in Benderson’s pockets, called the $70 million project, as a "stunning" opportunity for the county and community.
No mention what a “stunning” opportunity for Benderson to continue to walk away from his commitment to put in his $millions promised, as part of the Private/Public Partnership he has had with Sarasota County.
Zoller and Rounds
As Pat Rounds and Bill Zoller, who have been following and reporting on this Benderson scam on the lake for years stated, “What’s ‘stunning’ is that Sarasota County residents have been waiting since 2013 for the Benderson Park -Foundation/SANCA – now known as the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy – to finally deliver their $millions on this so called Benderson/Sarasota County Private/Public partnership.” Controversy behind Sarasota Rowing Park
Benderson's Private/Public scam on the lake also includes not a Benderson penny into the $millions of public dollars spent to build the infrastructure and expand Cattleman Road around Benderson Rowing Park.
Ever since 2013 when Sarasota had been chosento host the international rowing event this Private/Partnership has been scandalous – someone needs to go to jail over this Benderson scam, but no one will.
Jon Susce
The Sarasota Phoenix team is the last media guardian in the Sarasota/Manatee area and beyond laying bare for all to see how the Sarasota/Manatee area and beyond is controlled by a UNI Party financed by millionaires and billionaires turning Florida into Paradise Lost...
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