In my last post I mentioned Miami unsung hero, the late Mary Nesbitt. Gimleteye in an earlier post mentioned Miami Mayor David Dermer. A reader mentioned Paul Novak, former mayor of Surfside.Since the TV show “Heroes” is on hiatus (What can I say, I watch dumb shows on network TV) -- It got me thinking about some of mine. Pictured above are a few of my heroes in Miami. I like them because they do a lot all around...they are not stuck in one thing: County Clerk Harvey Ruvin – Global Warming work and he is a humanitarian (although I think he is afraid of the vile Natacha Seijas); Former School Board head Janet McAliley who is on the Police Oversight Board; Dan Paul saving public lands and the brains behind the Dan Paul Amendment to our County Charter - Article 7; Gene Tinnie head of the Virginia Key Trust – a true Renaissance man and Fulbright Scholar - I love his art on the Middle Passage; and finally Federal Judge Federico Moreno. I am partial to Judges, remember my Hoeveler post, where I said: "I have been in Judge Hoeveler’s Court Room. He is a towering man. A giant among men. I wish everyone could have such a hero." That is how Federal Judge Moreno got on this list. I liked his Big Sugar ruling.
Who do you admire (BRIEFLY please)?
31 comments:
My hero in Miami is Mayor Carlos Alverez because he doesn't let the County Commission bully him.
I would suppose that Jim Defede is the person I think tells the truth in Miami. Other reporters would be Michael Putney and Carl Hiaasen. I have to admire the people who tell us the truth.
Novack saved Haulover Regional Park from commercializaton and selling out to gambling operations. As courageous, idealistic, and productive as we have ever had in public office. Research it for yourself!
I think the heroes in Miami-Dade County's public service arena are the activists, and the folks who support them by helping them with their everyday responsibilities, so they have time to take on our battles.
It takes an activist (or just 'a community member') more guts to take on the commissioners in public meetings and before them at the dais, than it would ever take another politician to do...
Think about it, if you or I take-on the dragons, we are not looking for anything but to make our community better and we don't get paid for it.... if a politician takes on a dragon, it is more than likely for his/her own agenda...be it re-election, future higher political office, or lining us up for their future initiatives which will take us back to fulfilling their political agenda.
So, I will continue to praise those folks who interrupt their family's lives to cover meetings when I have to work.
The REAL heroes of Miami-Dade County are our Military and their loved ones Thank you!!!
Miami-Dade; see it like a native. Incredible, but true.
Will it ever change for real?
It'll take lots of activists and lots of luck.
Sure, way different, hah!
What a place this is!
So there really are public service heroes in South Florida. They just don't get the attention or thanks they deserve. Could it be that there are too many 'players' working above and below board to try to thwart what the heroes do?
Whenever there has been an honest public official in South Florida it hasn't been long before he or she gets targeted by creepsters to try to diminish their reputation and credibility. These heroes have been few and far between, but the creepsters are many and have networked together for many years. They have a big problem with public service getting in the way of their gravy train.
The purveyors of selling out Haulover were busted in NY. Search the NY Times for the details.
Their "agents" and "backers" in Miami-Dade are still at it, wrangling for new angles all the time.
It certainly makes me sad to see the corruption and self-centeredness in government service. It may be the NEW IMPROVED version of public service is being an activist…rather than being an elected official. As much as special interests dominate both sides of that fence… I would still rather come down on the side that allows me to feel like I am not being purchased or expected to give-in, where there should not be any wiggle room for giving anything.
Being an activist in Miami is a full time job. You can't do it without neighbors to pick up the kids at school and feed them and without a spouse that is willing to put up with being alone while the activist does meetings and research. You better be independently wealthy or on a good retirement if you undertake the opportunity.
I would much rather spend my time enhancing the livability of people’s lives in this county rather than having to be a “mean mommy” and watch the behavior of our trusted elected leaders. My time would certainly would be better spent, and I would feel a whole bunch better thinking that someone has a better life because I was involved in it. It doesn’t bring much joy to me thinking someone is going to jail because I was looking for them to be corrupt.
Anonymous said...
Yes, but rarely, a person in political office really can do outstanding work that is meaningful for present and future generations alike.
Examples do exist.
These days Surfside is governed by officials who idolize Sunny Isles and examples of overdevelopment. They hide behind phony concocted PR images and publicity stunts while they masquerade as "preservationists" -- they are just building a Trojan horse to fool people and to destroy one of the last remaining posts of public service oriented home towns. The new town government has already begun changing rules to favor developers and variances, passing larger and more wasteful budgets to siphon off public money for special interest gains, and turning the tide to sell out Surfside's future. Looking back in the recent past though Surfside and its former officials stood up for the public interest and proved themselves worthy of holding public office. Just look at the facts of the County's effort to bring commercial development to Haulover Regional Public Park and Marina, and figure it all out for yourself.
see the haulover development plan --( I wanted you to be brief so I cut the whole thing out -- too long sorry Genius)
This website is not about Surfside. We link to the Surfside site. Please don't post these long surfside posts that have nothing to do with what the orgininal blog was about.
Anonymous said...
Miami Herald told a few small parts of the story. Yes its true the whole thing never got published but it can all be verified.
Herald Story from Feb. 26, 2002
Overhaul of Haulover gets county vote today
by Daniel A. Grech
Please read it somewhere else...(I removed the whole article because it has nothing to do with heroes).
My Hero (thank you for stopping this Surfside takeover) is Max Romeau. He is trying to help the people who most need help: The Homeless thank you Max.
Because this is Memorial Day -- I am going to say thank you to all the Miami Miitary men and women. they are my heroes.
stop with the surfside posts. we have a link to your site. this is about HEROES!!!!! Not surfside, not Novack etc.
Sad you deleted things we were all learning from. There was some fascinating info on line today for a while until it was deleted. Censorship rules, we got it. Whatever, its up to you. Miami is a big place, big enough for us to benefit from knowledge about many things that impact our quality of life. We can look elsewhere for info, that's ok.
Thank you to everyone who has ever served our country.
And thank you who have served in public positions honorably.
Those who sacrificed and defended our country did so for the very purpose of preserving democracy and the chance for making our country and our communities better.
Genius, you do good work, but maybe missed the big picture today.
Carry on.
Activists like Steve Hagen, Greg Bush and Nancy Lee are my heroes for all they have done to save the waterfront, parks and Everglades.
Marvin Dunn gets a nod too for his work greening the side of the highways off 195.
Let's not forget the work of Comm. Katy Sorenson on fighting HABDI and fighting moving the UDB line. She has unquestioned ethics and integrity.
Finally, to all the caring moms, dads, spouses and kids of service men and women, thanks for lending us your loved ones. Let's hope they all come home safe and sound.
yes resonate, i realized it was memorial day after I did my post, so i thanked our military heroes in my comments. My father in law was a doctor during WW2 and he would never talk about the war. He was one of the first one's in at the concentration camps...
can't even imagine it. But I was thinking about heroism this week so I am not all that scattered.
The weekend taken up with redesigning the blog...do you like it?
Genuis, You are OBSESSED with this blog. Your preoccupation with the number of comments and people's response to your redesign of the blog is SCARY.
Do you ever leave your home? Do you not have anything better to do with your time, like volunteering at a homeless shelter or visting the elderly and shut-ins?
REALLY, when you die, do you think your maker is going to ask you how many comments you got on your precious blog??
Annoyed said:
When I die they will say nada...and I don't care because I will be dead.
Then blog away while you burn for all eternity.
Posting comments is easy. Maintaining this blog, doing the research and writing is all the work. Let's hear it for freedom of expression.
It is easy to insult people when one is nameless. Next time sign your name and stand up to your insult.
Thanks for the blog--Genius of Despair.
Keep the columns coming.
My heroes have honor and integrity. They aren't just politicos but folks like Alonso Mourning, Andre Agassi, Gloria and Emilio Estafan and others who give back to their communities. They are successful yet they remember their roots. We need more of them!
My hero is genius of dispair! For doing such a good job here and may he or she keep that thin skin and sense of outrage so needed in public life in Miami today.
It goes without saying that our military families are the true heros. Their dedication makes it possible for us to blog away from the comfort of our homes without being hauled to jail.
On a local level: My heros are those who stand up to the commissioners who have a problem with freedom of speech and democracy; Mayor Alvarez, Mayor Dermer and all the committee members involved with the Seijas recall! We need more of those people.
I loved the poster that said a blogger should burn for all eternity. He must be a very good christian huh? Annoyed, why do you keep coming back if you find this blog so distasteful? What scorn what wrath....what turkeys you are!
I admire Dr. Barth Green, the doctor helping paralyzed people with research. He is a real hero. I also admire Nick and Marc Bouniconti for their work with raising money for the Miami Project.
These are real heroes!
One of my heros is Max Rameu who has always confronted power with intelligence and guts.
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