Wednesday, March 28, 2007

On Mayor Carlos Alvarez by gimleteye

Michael Putney is one of the brightest observers of Miami Dade County politics: he’s seen and heard it all.

In his column today, "Strong Mayor, weak politician", he expresses frustration with Mayor Carlos Alvarez. “The fact is, Alvarez has not only failed to acquire any political skills in the two-plus years he has been mayor; he seems to have gone out of his way to not acquire them,” Putney writes.

That’s not quite fair.

The truth is closer to what follows in Putney's words: that Alvarez abhors the example set by Alex Penelas—his predecessor—who never found an issue that he couldn’t milk for political advantage, private profit, and fostered the corruption that pervaded County Hall when Alvarez arrived.

As a result, Mayor Alvarez set out a pragmatic and limited course based on accountability of county department managers.

The column takes Mayor Alvarez to task over his lack of sensitivity in the recent firing of the transit chief, Roosevelt Bradley. Why didn’t Mayor Alvarez reach out to the African American county commissioners who, everyone knew, would be angered by Alvarez’ actions?

We’d ask another question. Why hasn’t the mainstream media ever criticized the leadership in the African American community for trading unassailable incumbencies so long as they play the game of the dominant Cuban American majority on the county commission, controlled by lobbyists and developers? (The last African American leader to try to resist was Art Teele in the 1996 mayoral election, and the Miami Herald never once acknowledged what he was trying to do...)

As we have noted in this blog, African American county commissioners stood by while the Housing Agency was being pilfered under the supervision of individuals they trusted and who owed them loyalty. Instead of paying attention to the needs of their own disadvantaged constituents, these commissioners lead the charge to assist zoning and permitting changes sought by big production home builders in places like Florida City.

It is a shame that the mainstream media wasn’t vigilant to reporting the set of alliances that defined an unmovable political reality at County Hall.

These are not Mayor Alvarez’ supporters, and that is putting it politely.

It is a tough road that Mayor Alvarez is following.

In the absence of any model of governance that he can trust—because the county commission is so dysfunctional—Alvarez is relying on the skill set that served his career in the police department and the people of Miami-Dade County: he is straight and to the point.

The biggest change, since he became strong mayor, is that county department chiefs no longer have to listen to the shrill and insistent commands emanating from the offices of county commissioners like Natacha Seijas, who ran rough-shod and unchallenged over professional managers like Bill Brandt, Miami Dade Water and Sewer chief who took the fall when the State of Florida called out the county for avoiding any significant improvements to its water management programs.

Mr. Putney’s concludes: “Mr. Mayor, stop issuing orders like you’re still the police chief, stand in front of the commissioners—and the people of the county—and explain what you’re doing and why. Yes, you’d look like a politician. But, like it or not, that’s what you are.”

For the time being and until proven wrong, he is trusting the chain of command, lead by county manager George Burgess, to provide professional government services. Is he being too quiet, in terms of media exposure?

Perhaps. But how does Mayor Alvarez advance his leadership by crashing into that wall of indifference?

Mayor Alvarez does not have a history in which to trust the Miami Herald or the Miami business elite which stood by and cheered while Alex Penelas and his predecessors turned Miami Dade County into an indescribable mess.

And, in the first part of his political life, Hispanic TV news ignored Mayor Alvarez, as did bought-and-paid-for Spanish language “commentators”.

So we are sure that Mayor Alvarez and his staff ask the question, daily, what is to be gained by exposures to battles in the media, where the portrayal of a contest between opposing political forces is not going to improve the situation?

Mayor Alvarez is governing, by reinforcing professionalism in the ranks of one of the largest county governments in the United States. That message does need to be reinforced, with the public, at every opportunity.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Usually agree with Putney but not on this issue. I think he was too hard on the mayor.

Anonymous said...

I really like your blog!

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you. I like Mike Putney too, but maybe HE has been around too long. So far, I have great confidence in Mayor Alvarez - he is something different ( Obama is trying the same message ) and in the cesspool that is MiamiDade county politics, I hope the Mayor doesn't play the same game we've seen over and over again. Penelas was a weak little weasel, and as far as the leaders of the African American community - they need to quit already with the reflexive cry of "discrimination". They should be ashamed of themselves - they've been given tons of money over the years to improve their neighborhoods and those neighborhoods are still plagued with problems. As for Teele, slimeball coward who couldn't face the music he was about to be hit with. He was a pompous ass. Did you ever sit in on a Comm meeting when he spoke? Argh.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Alvarez is trapped, the commission is beholding to those who keep them there. We already know what they think of most residents for giving Alvarez the strong mayor mandate.
County Hall has management performance issues. His only choice is to quietly and pragmatically eliminate the performance issues.
Support ethics strengthening and let the County Commissioners eventually hang themselves, be assured that they will. They can't help themselves as they love the ride they are on, but it will end. When, that is up to the Ethics Commission, please hurry!!!

Anonymous said...

Why should Alvaeez even waste his time trying to make nice with the wacko 13? Remember how they treated him before the strong mayor passed? They were brutal and degraded him each time they had a chance and if they did not have a chance they made one. Read Alvarado in Miami New Times of 3/29 and you will have a glimmer of what the mayor is doing right. Alex Penelas, Rey Villar, Seijas' back deals; O'Quinn let them all in the door.
I respect Putney but he is dead wrong on this one.

Geniusofdespair said...

Mocha...i wouldn't wait for the ethics commission to solve anything. you will be waiting a very, very long time.

Anonymous said...

Is Putney the guy who writes on the editorial page for Miami Today? If so, I'll join the others by saying I usually agree with him but not this time.

This town will never rise above the ashes if it's business at usual at County Hall. And that includes pandering to the commissioners, black or whatever. Alvarez didn't owe them anything, and had he gone to them, he would have been sending a message that it was, in fact, a black issue. I like the fact that Alvarez is not afraid to turn his back on the status quo, it's about time someone in charge of this god forsaken place did.

Anonymous said...

To the Anonymous above me, you're thinking of Michael Lewis.

Michael Putney is the political reporter for WPLG Channel 10.

lunkhead said...

Penelas was a weasel. You forgot slimeball.

Anonymous said...

If anyone out there is under the impression that the mayor (Carlos Alvarez, that is) is "different" then stay tuned to find out otherwise. He's as corrupt and vengeful as any politician you can find out there. The problem is, he's just getting started.

Wait a while and see the havoc that he's leaving behind. He's taken this "strong mayor" crap to new heights. The truth is that he's totally incompetent and "impotent" to exercise the serious role of a true leader for the Miami-Dade County citizenry.

What now appears to be a "genuine" effort to make positive change is nothing more than the same old corrupt tactics we've become so accustomed to in local government. This mayor is acting out of personal interest, don't be fooled.

Anyone with the gutts to stand up to him will be sacrificed at the drop of the hat. Who in their right mind could have conceived of a cop being worthy to rule anything? I have a clear conscience, knowing that it wasn't my vote that helped make this already very troubled community a worse place because of Mr. Alvarez.