A “slush fund” to pay for cultural and sports events, to be controlled by individual county commissioners in Broward.

Free money for politicians to spend as they like.

What could possibly go wrong? Everything.

To the public’s relief, most commissioners are openly hostile to a proposal to allow each of them to decide how to spend up to $25,000 a year from the county cultural affairs budget.

As proposed, politicians also could ignore a rule that applies to everyone else, that any grant application must be submitted to the county at least 90 days before an event. This is an open invitation to shenanigans of all kinds.

Resounding rejection

First-term Commissioner Alexandra Davis of Miramar proposed the idea, and it landed with a loud thud Tuesday as only three commissioners voiced support.

We salute commissioners Lamar Fisher, Beam Furr, Steve Geller, Nan Rich and Michael Udine for raising valid questions.

Furr cited a possible violation of the county charter, which prohibits any commissioner from “giving orders” to county employees (Section 2.07, the “non-interference” provision).

“I don’t even want to touch it,” said Fisher, who foresaw political problems if staff members deny a commissioner’s proposal. “Do they fear their jobs? It just doesn’t make sense.”

The fear is justified.

Here’s why: A new state law (SB 1134) prohibits local officials from spending public money to fund or promote diversity, equity or inclusion. Publicly funded cultural events tailored to any ethnic group are obvious targets of the new law, which awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.

In a worst-case scenario under the law, the governor could suspend elected officials from office for violating it. In this highly repressive environment, politicians should be putting greater distance between themselves and the handling of cultural money. This proposal does the opposite.

A similar slush fund program has led to much controversy in Tamarac, where commissioners get $25,000 a year for vaguely defined “initiatives.” It looks like buying voters’ support with taxpayer money. The public hates it, except for those getting politically motivated handouts.

The county proposal is not a lot of money; that’s beside the point. Every program grows over time. Next year it could be $50,000, then $75,000.

There’s a saying in Jamaica

Davis, elected unopposed in 2024, vows to keep pushing the issue.

“They have a saying in Jamaica, ‘Time longer than rope.’ And I’ll be here,” said Davis, a Jamaican-American (the saying is also the title of a song by reggae singer Jimmy Cliff). Watch the YouTube video of the meeting at the 3:28 mark.

Davis said she was “glad for term limits,” because it brings new commissioners with new ideas, so that “we’re not stuck in the same-old, same-old.”

If this is any commissioner’s idea of a new idea, then give us more of the “same-old” thinking, and keep political hands out of Broward’s cultural cookie jar.

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman, and Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.