But as we have noted, time after time in this blog, the Miami Herald often fails to help readers connect the dots and marginalizes, as a result, its impact.
“Strong-mayor vote draws big cash: plan attracts top contributors”, in Sunday’s paper, is a good example. The report identifies some representative contributors from both sides but is strangely skewed.
First, we read about a gas station owner who supports the strong mayor charter amendment.
The Herald story offers the reason why: after Hurricane Wilma, a county commissioner tried to cut a long line of customers and, also, refused to listen to gas station owners’ positions on standy-by electrical generators.
Fair enough.
The second example cited by the Herald: healthcare industry businesses. The report offers an explanation, through the eyes of the strong mayor critics who are suspicious that what the strong mayor referendum is about, is privatization at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
OK: no first hand account—but a repetition of a second hand account. An editorial opinion through someone else's eyes. It happens all the time.
But then we read about Shoma Homes, which gave $30,000 to defeat the strong mayor referendum.
Now where the first two examples were held up to the 'standard' of providing a motivation, there is no comment at all why Shoma Homes would contribute to defeat the strong mayor referendum, nor is there any motivation when uber-lobbyist Rob Book is asked why his wife’s flower shop contributed $20,000 against the strong mayor.
Book responded, “I don’t remember or when it was given.”
Double-standard? Yes.
As in most politics in America today, follow the money you will know where the issue is.
Why offer readers, for instance, a guess about healthcare donors to the strong mayor—through a second hand viewpoint—but in the case of Shoma Homes, a big Herald advertiser, offer no comment at all?!!!
Does the The Miami Herald pull its punches to protect advertisers/ production home builders or lobbyists, like Ron Book, who represent them, using a magnifying glass and comb to remove any nits from stories that could irritate either?
All you have to do is a quick google search, “shoma homes wetland” and you will see plenty of reasons that the Shoma Homes and lots of other production home builders and their lobbyists are defending the county commission: their bread and butter is getting permits and zoning changes for cookie-cutter developments in wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas of the county.
The Jackson Hospital/privatization issue is purely speculative: there is NOTHING speculative about Shoma Homes reasons for opposing the strong mayor except that its entire business model is based on speculation.
If the page B1 story made us sad, the coverage of the issue double-spaced in the Opinion Section front page made us glad.
Bruno Barreiro claims, “the focus of county government will shift from serving the residents of the county to keeping the mayor and his inner circle of supporters happy.”
"The charter amendment would strengthen the hand of those few lobbyists and special interests that have the ear of the mayor," Barreiro says, repeating what a legion of lobbyists and special interests have been whispering in his ear.
Our county government does not serve the needs of residents.
It serves the needs of special interests who play the thirteen member single member district structure of county government like a violin.
Wednesday morning after the vote, there is going to be another sound coming from the county commission.
8 comments:
Oh my!
I just wandered out to the mailbox to pick up 3 days of mail.... Guess what I got? 3 days of flyers/mailers from the anti Mayor bunch.
And they are full of lies.... How can a group publish lies and not go to jail? There is one dumb thing other than the lies, they used Mayor Penelas as a poster boy against the charter change... they misspelled his name everywhere on the flyer...(was that to avoid a lawsuit?)
But they made no mistake when they discussed the budget... They lied. They said the Mayor would have control of the Budget. That is a lie. He does not control it now, nor would he if he were a strong mayor....
The county commission sets the tax rates and makes the budget, The Mayor has no power over the numbers. The Mayor offers up his opinion (that may be required by law, I am not sure), and the commissioners ignore it.
Again... How can a PAC lie and not tell the truth? Why hasn't the Herald dealt with that?
Hi, Erin!
Why is a BIG lobbyist head of the Superbowl host committee? Does anyone see this as bad PR? I mean what kind of community is this where a Lobbyist and not a public official or someone with a positive image in South Florida representing our community. Why is this not an issue or at least recognized as a PR failure?
Barreto got a free pass by the mainstream media.
anonymous 2 Asks why a
Lobbyist and not a public official or someone with a positive image represents us at the Superbowl...
who do you suggest? How about Javier Souto...then they would call us a third world country FOREVER!
Gimleteye you said:
Does the The Miami Herald pull its punches to protect advertisers/ production home builders or lobbyists, like Ron Book, who represent them, using a magnifying glass and comb to remove any nits from stories that could irritate either?
I say: Well, of course they do! The above is so very accurate! Where the hell is that hard to spell new guy when you need him (the incoming managing editor).
I find it facinating in the mailed pieces that the commission is basically saying...Hi, we are pigs. Our friends are pigs. But things can get worse and you will miss our pig days if the strong mayor passes...
Only in MIami....
last anonymous...
very funny and very accurate!
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