Confederate-flag boycott shadows Melbourne budget talks (FL)

Rick Neale
2:14 p.m. EDT September 11, 2015

... United Third Bridge is organizing a public rally from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 25 outside Melbourne City Hall. The Melbourne-based Hispanic civil rights group wants the city to stop sponsoring events where participants fly the Confederate battle flag ...

... the lion’s share of discussion centered on whether the city should pay $1,000 to join the Florida Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ...

The couple told council members that the Hispanic chamber is neither participating in the Sept. 25 rally nor the potential boycott, and the chamber and UTB have different boards of directors. The chamber board has 13 directors and UTB’s board has seven directors, and three people serve on both boards.

... Councilman Mike Nowlin said Samuel Lopez serves as “the face” at the helm of both groups. Nowlin called to drop the $1,000 membership expenditure from the budget ...

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/11/confederate-flag-boycott-hispanic-melbourne-budget-chamber/72062214/