Michael Putney asked yesterday: Where did the Miami Dade tax money go during the boom?
For starters: The terminal at Miami Dade Airport is now $1,000,000,000 over budget. That is great management don’t you think? The Performing Arts Center just got $4,000,000 more to add to their $217,000,000 over budget. County is spending $130 million for furniture. The county wasted at least $12,000,000 on affordable housing (House of Lies). The police are $7,000,000 over budget. That is $1,370,000,000 with just these few things. I didn’t even touch on the seaport.
The county still needs a few billion to build the water and sewer infrastructure (desalination plants and wastewater treatment plants included) in the near future or development stops cold, thus, you know it will happen. And these big ticket items are unbudgeted.
The County signed a consent order with the department of Environmental Protection to get them off their back. In the agreement the Commission has to build a treatment plant in South Dade where they are injecting millions of gallons per day of partially treated wastewater underground in (documented) leaking wells. The wastewater plant: has it even been started yet? It was suppose to go online in 2008. Right, that’s going to happen!
So Michael Putney, that is where some of our hard earned money is being wasted. And these commissioners have the nerve to threaten us with cuts to essential services? They should all hang their heads in shame over all this waste. And, how does County Manager Burgess escape it all?
Now, there is a bright spot:
Commissioners Rebecca Sosa and Carlos Gimenez voted in Committee not to award an Opa Locka Airport contract (no bid) to the Carrie Meek Foundation. Get a grip you other Commissioners that voted on it. We need to bid this very large contract out TO PROFESSIONALS. Stop giving lucrative contracts as perks (Willie Logan had the contract prior). Carrie Meek is a very nice lady born in 1926 – what is she 81? Come on! Besides, Rick Glasgow, on the Meek Corporate papers, is (or was) Assistant to the Director, Office of Community and Economic Development, of Miami-Dade. This deal smells of cronyism and thank God that two commissioners, at least, have noses.
What happened to you Barbara Jordan? You make Rolle look good, almost. At least he is up front with the crap he pulls. You play the innocent. It doesn’t suit you. You are too smart. Do the best for your district, not for selective powerhouses in your community.
Why oh why does lining the pockets of friends keep happening over and over at County Hall?
8 comments:
Bing Boom Bam - man you are fast with the documentation!
Re Sosa and Jiminez - would it be cynical of me to think that they voted against the Opa Locka thing because they wanted the bid to go to one of THEIR friends or family members? Hmm..Dade County Commissioners always hard at work for themselves.
Of course they work for themselves. Why else would they run for a job that pays only $6,000/yr. Not because they wanted to serve the community. Becoming a commissioner is a business-savvy decision.
Without arguing any of the points made, Carrie Meek's age hardly seems relevant.
Her Non Profit corporation is tackling a long range plan...it is not a year or two. They are getting consideration for being awarded the contract based on Carrie --- you know that and I know that. If she is gone... they would not award this contract to her non profit. Her name is the draw.
Her age is relevant because she retired from congress because of her age. That made her age relevant...at least to her it was. Now I guess it isn't?
Watch the Miami Art Museum try to con the politicians out of $2 Mil in June 2007 for its no collection no membership scheme to get themselves a new building on free waterfront parkland. Another PAC Center disaster in the making...
You know what, some people really should think before they allow knee-jerk reactions to think for them. What tangible proof can you find that either Commissioners Sosa or Gimenez have any interest in mind when they push for a competitive process other than the best interests of the County. If you don't give the "good" or at least "honest" Commissioners the benefit of the doubt before you levy baseless acusassions their way, why would any "good" or "honest" person try to act that way? I haven't seen one allegation of impropriety ever associated with these two individuals. It is easy to throw mud at public officials, especially under the cloak of secrecy, but, knowing the facts are beyond some in our society.
Furthermore, as to the poster who claimed that being a County Commissioner is business savy, that may be true, but only to those like Seijas and Rolle that do not have real jobs and/or pensions that can serve to fund their lifestyles. I know for a fact that Commissioner Gimenez, for example, has a pension from his exemplary service while at the City of Miami as a firefighter, the Fire Chief, and ultimately as City Manager. Again, baseless, blanket accussations which may arouse passions in the uninformed, but, relegate the uninformed to that status.... Shame on you all!
Last anon (and Gimenez fan....)
I didn't say anything bad about Gimenez or Sosa. If you listen to the commenters, you could be in trouble. They can get mean and nasty. Base your responses on the posts. If you want to comment on the comments make sure you make the distinction. You are calling commenters posters and that is incorrect.
Genius, I see your point...
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