Three news reports in today's Miami Herald show why the majority of Miami Dade county commissioners are incapable of reform: overwhelming traffic congestion, the Homestead Air Force Base fiasco, and the bile of one county commissioner, Natacha Seijas.
Overwhelming traffic is the result of massive infrastructure deficits, as improvements for roads, parks, water and sewer failed to keep up with population growth.
The fault is squarely with the county commission, a majority of whom make it their daily business to foist the full costs of development on taxpayers and citizens while driving the changes to zoning and permits that big developers want.
Our traffic is among the worst in the nation because successive generations of county commissions--but especially this one--have failed to fully account for the costs of development.
The county commission is the reason why the infrastructure backlog the county alone is close to $10 billion.
These are real deficits created because there is no governing authority over a dysfunctional district commission system. And so it is no suprise that businesses and the middle class are choosing to evacuate.
The Homestead AFB is further demonstration: what commissioners did was give away rights to a military base with no competitive bids--before the military had decided what to do with the facility--, to turn it into a private commercial airport for the benefit of a few campaign contributors who play the county commission like violin virtuosos. They assumed they could do the same with the White House.
Commissioner Natacha Seijas became the HABDI battering ram, light and torch burning untold millions of taxpayer dollars to benefit campaign contributors and members of the Latin Builders Association.
HABDI is a shell corporation, a group of politically influential, production home builders and mortgage bankers. Ten years ago, as their plan was hatched, their only aviation experience was the extent to which they had learned, from lobbyists plundering Miami International Airport, to turn a public asset into a private pinata.
No one has ever asked, or demanded, a full accounting of the fiasco. It would be useful to total how much time, energy, and money was wasted.
So these stories from today's Herald are two examples why the county commission cannot be reformed: take your pick. Shifting infrastructure deficits to taxpayers to benefit developers, or, just giving the store away to developers outright.
But the Herald editorial page and executives have consistently failed to make this connection or the case to its audience.
In the third story, the Herald reports that Commissioner Seijas wants to cut the salary and office of the Miami Dade county mayor, an idea that allows her to pour more bile on the public.
As the feared chair of the county infrastructure and land use committee, Seijas sits astride the public interest like the talent agent on Borat.
The strong mayor she objects to would lighten the load and might, just might, ensure that the public interest is protected from the self-dealing that characterizes so much of this county commission's "work".
Hialeah voters have a chance to recall Seijas and we hope they do, in December.
Voters have repeatedly rejected salary increases beyond $6000 a year—not because the job isn’t worth more—because the majority of these county commissioners are not doing the work they were elected to do.
The Miami Dade county commission is institutionally incapable of reform. To restore the purpose of government, there has to be a clear line of authority from a strong mayor, to the county manager and department heads, and to staff.
When citizens approve the referendum for a strong mayor, what they will be approving is a measure to hold a single public official accountable for the dysfunctional aspects of life in Miami Dade county, perpetuated by a majority of thirteen county commissioners who are as useful to the public interest as parrots sitting in a tree.
Three stories in today's Miami Herald--all pointing in a clear direction--if only the Herald's executives and editorial board would read their own newspaper.
3 comments:
Gimleteye said:
"Seijas wants to cut the salary and office of the Miami Dade county mayor"
I say: Cut Alvarez's pay?? Pretty scandalous. It
smacks of disgusting political opportunism. Interestingly, I'm reading a biography of Cicero and can't help but notice that Seijas' MO is
similar to that of countless nefarious characters from Rome's shady political establishment of the late Republic. Haha, maybe I'll write my thesis about how the County Commission is like the Roman Senate circa 50BC.
Anyway, it's sad that some people haven't learned
anything about proper and ethical government from lessons of the past in 2,000 years!!
There is a Strong Mayor Kick-off breakfast and campaign headquarters opening this Saturday.
"HABDI is a shell corporation, a group of politically influential, production home builders and mortgage bankers. Ten years ago, as their plan was hatched, their only aviation experience was the extent to which they had learned, from lobbyists plundering Miami International Airport, to turn a public asset into a private pinata.
No one has ever asked, or demanded, a full accounting of the fiasco. It would be useful to total how much time, energy, and money was wasted."
How come no one is freaking out over The CHAIR ELECTS statement that he would consider speaking the HABDI guys? The Military is using that area... FEMA was looking into permanent quarters there... Coast Guard was down looking at space. What is the issue with a Homeland Security use of the BASE lands?
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