Our Generation Column by Michael Weimorts

No secret that I am not in favor of Customary Use, as it is currently being defined. I support the idea of private property, just like the guy in the DeFuniak Harold editorial that talks about "trespassing" on his property up North in the county. Same thing folks.

Why do we need a business license? If the cost is only 35 dollars then there will be little in the way of enforcement because that amount will not generate enough funds to pay for the resources necessary to enforce the ordinance. We cannot manage to enforce ordinances that we have enforcement funding for such as the beach activities ordinance. Google will provide the information the Chamber or the fire department may need. To me this seems like just another paper-pushing inititative for the government to indulge in. Maybe this will be a good project for the new city government but we do not need more government and more fees and more paperwork in the county.

Do you not think he posted information valuable to voters to know and learn ?

I am trying to imagine a world where Our Generation was supporting candidates that people on this bulletin board didn't like and support...and how you probably would have posted the research done by Mr. Wiemorts a month ago.....now that is pot and kettle!

No, I read it...you do not have to be a member to read this website. There wasn't much in that thread about how Our Generation has been accused of scamming older people...that's not information that seems to be well known until now and I think it's creepy.

By your method of thinking...people should never write news opinion pieces or articles because everyone should "do their own research" ? I'm not criticizing you...simply trying to point out that in your dislike of Mr. Weimorts you may have taken things a bit too far...

So it's OK that an organization allegedly scammed older people and is now spending what looks like a small fortune to get two people elected to the Walton County Commission....because you like those two people? I am so confused....

What about what Mr. Weimorts wrote is not believable? I find it great that he did this research and put it in a newspaper...I can tell you that probably three quarters of the innuendo I read on this site wouldn't make it past a junior newspaper editor because it's gossip and would trigger a libel suit...which by the way applies to the Internet too

Biz licenses are part of the evolution of a community. They are like dog licenses. They are implemented not because of the good dogs but because of the bad dogs.

And because of a few dog haters don't know the difference between the good ones and the bad ones and won't shut up about it.

Key words and you used the term yourself "allegedly"! I'm not defending Our Generation, I have my own issues with how things were done in regard to the ads against Imfield and Chapman but at the end of the day, the majority of what the ads said are true!

The Better Business Bureau listed 5 complaints regarding advertising/sales issues. From what the BBB reported those issues have been resolved. One would think if Our generation was guilty of all these alleged scams someone would be in prison.

Threats of libel don't scare me. The burden of proof is on the person or persons filing the suit and you just can't get blood out of a turnip. Weimorts knows this.

www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/business-reviews/lobbyists/our-generation-inc-in-washington-dc-203617416

Don't start flexing your chest there lawyer man. Everyone is free to think any one else's opinion is wrong,, you can't make or forbid anyone to think anything. That's America. Ever time I go to washington DC, someone is standing in front of the whitehouse with signs that say Obama is a murderer, Obama is radical muslim, Obama is a co***Suc*** even one time. You know what the pres can do about it? Not a damn thing, it's that persons opinion. Same thing happened to bush and its been happening at the whitehouse since the 60's almost every day. You choose if you believe the opinion or not. When the supreme court makes a decision, are they right? Maybe, Maybe not,,,,but they are last and that's what counts.

I was making the point that it's easy to write something on the Internet and post it because there is no filter or review process to ensure that something is "believable," but there is a higher bar to jump when you publish in a newspaper because they review those things before they get printed.

Nobody threatened you...but why would you want to libel someone and why do you gossip about people so much, including private citizens?

Not the same thing. A lot of residents around here believe some bureaucrat decades ago illegally told some beachfront owner that they could sell the beach. To us it's like telling you now you own the road in front of your house so feel free to add it to your deed legal description.

People across Walton County are scratching their heads about who is “behind” the election advertising being placed by the shadowy Washington, D.C., group “Our Generation.”

We’ll probably never know. But do we need to?

Our Generation’s history as an organization should have Walton County voters very uncomfortable about trusting anything that this group has to say — regardless of who is paying for the mailings, online videos and spam emails and text that are bombarding Walton County voters.

Specifically, Our Generation has been rocked by allegations that it runs complicated schemes to “scam” senior citizens of their retirement money — with proceeds totaling millions of dollars. Newspapers in the state of Washington, Tennessee, California and Illinois have all written about Our Generation’s tactics. According to these reports, the group sends official-looking mailers to senior citizens asking them to send donations to save “the senior center,” or to pay to complete a “National Census” survey — with all proceeds apparently going right back to the organization’s coffers, not to a local senior center or government entity.

One newspaper described these tactics as a “financial scam.” Another called it a “mail scam.” And yet another called it a “scam target(ing) senior citizens.” The Better Business Bureau has reported that these mailings are alleged “scare tactics,” and has given Our Generation a grade of “F” for horrible behavior.

Federal lawmakers have sharply criticized the group. One member of Congress described Our Generation’s mailers as a “poorly veiled attempt to trick seniors into providing their credit card information,” while another Congressman described the organization’s activities as a “scam.”

Why would an organization do this? The answer is: It’s all about money.

Publicly available financial reports show that the organization uses funds from their mailings simply to raise more money. Money raised by a mailing goes directly to fundraising companies that are owned by individuals who serve (or served previously) on Our Generation’s board. For example, one company that is owned by a leader of Our Generation was paid $2.3 million by the organization in just one year. They raise money from seniors so that they can keep making money for the purpose of raising more money. A vicious circle that generates an endless money loop with very little public policy involved.

A review of Our Generation’s “Changing the World” blogs on its website shows some of the only public policy changes the group advocates are giving clemency to imprisoned drug dealers and advocating senior citizens’ use of marijuana. Is this the sort of Washington, D.C., group we need “informing” us how to vote in Walton County?


Given this information, Melanie Nipper and Bill Fletcher, the Walton County Commission candidates who are benefiting from Our Generation’s largesse, should consider sending cease-and-desist letters to the organization demanding that they stop their activities and they should publicly renounce the organization’s advertisements — both the positive advertisements about themselves and glut of negative hit pieces on their opponents.

It’s time to look out for the next generation — not to believe the propaganda from “Our Generation.” Walton County voters will prove they won’t be scammed when they vote on August 30th.

Michael L. Weimorts, Esq., is a resident of Point Washington.

(Guest Column appeared in today's Sunday Paper by the NWFL Daily News.)

Mr. Weimorts says people in Walton County are scratching their heads about who is behind the advertising by Our Generation and suggests we don't need to know. He then eviscerates their veracity by attacking their motives and stating the BBB gives them "a grade of "F" for horrible behavior". Actually, the BBB gives them a rating of "C-" and never mentions that it was because of "horrible behavior". While not outstanding, a "C-" is a whole lot better than the "F" rating Mr. Weimorts is erroneously stating. Personally, I would like to know who is funding Our Generation because I would like to thank them for the mailers they have sent on my behalf and ask them to end the negative ads. However, I spoke to our Supervisor of Elections shortly after the mailers started appearing (and before the negative ads started) and expressed my concern the it could be done without my input or approval. I was informed that, if I communicated with them, I would be breaking the law as it is illegal for a candidate to communicate with an outside group. Not sure I understand the rationale of that, but certainly do not plan on breaking the law. In fact, an article in today's Northwest Florida Daily News contained the following, "Under Florida election rules, contact between candidates and outside groups is not allowed". My assumption is that Mr. Weimorts was encouraging me and Mrs. Nipper to contact the group so we could be charged with a crime. In the August 4, 2016 issue of the DeFuniak Springs Herald, I placed a full page political ad; the following paragraph is a verbatim section from that ad;
"Most of you have probably seen the negative ads being run against Commissioners Imfeld and Chapman by a group called Our Generation. I emphatically and categorically deny any knowledge of the folks funding this group. Although I appreciated the mailers supporting me (something that was a complete surprise) I am strongly opposed to negative ads and wish they would cease. I'm not running against any of the other candidates, I'm running for all the citizens of Walton County!"
Lastly, some of the Candidates and others on social media are saying this election is about the Customary Use issue; nothing could be further from the truth! I've been to many Candidate Forums over the past several months and assure you that every County Commissioner candidate is for the public's right to the beach. Unfortunately, failure of the BCC for many years to address poor code enforcement against those abusing beachfront homeowners property and strict regulations on beach vendors has escalated to the point where this issue will be decided in the courts and will cost Walton County taxpayers a great deal of money. Finally, absolutely no special interest group or individual has asked me to commit to anything. Anyone that knows me understands I don't operate that way.