A quarter century ago, welterweight boxer Roberto Duran held up his gloves against Sugar Ray Leondard and told the ref, “No mas, no mas.”
We read today in the Miami Herald today that Johnny Winton is testing the waters for a return to the political arena, after being suspended by Governor Jeb Bush for two felony counts of battery on a police officer and disorderly intoxication during a May 2006 altercation at Miami International Airport.
On the web, I found these comments from a speech to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce—before Winton assaulted a police office while drunk.
Here's what Winton said, presumably to rounds of applause from the business organization that couldn't keep its check book balanced (less than two year earlier, the Chamber executives found that the group had been defrauded by employees of $1.9 million.)
"... CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LET’S GO ON THE TOUR BY THE YEAR 2020 I CAN WALK TO ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES AT THE PAC – I CAN WALK TO A WORLD CLASS MUSEUM PARK AND VISIT A STUNNING MIAMI ART MUSEUM OR A SPECTACULAR STATE OF THE ART SCIENCE MUSEUM. I CAN WALK OUT AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE GARDENS AND REGULAR GARDENS. I CAN SIT AT THE WATER’S EDGE AND ENJOY THE BAY, THE BOATS, THE SHIPS – I CAN WATCH CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER, BASEBALL AND OTHER SPORTS. I CAN WALK ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY AND VISIT THE EVER ENGAGING CHILDREN’S MUSEUM AND PARROT JUNGLE. I WILL STROLL ALONG THE WATER’S EDGE AND CATCH A BITE TO EAT AND ENJOY THE SHEAR EXCITEMENT OF VIEWING SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST IMPRESSIVE PRIVATE YACHTS AT THE MEGA YACHT MARINA. IN THE EVENING I CAN WALK TO THE AA ARENA AND CATCH THE HEAT, THE LATIN GRAMMYS OR A GREAT CONCERT."
You can walk to these places, if you can find a place to park.
But there's no place to park, not for the $500 million Carnivorous Performing Arts Center, not for the Bicentennial Park-whatever it becomes.
You can park, if there is parking, and if the roadway network allows traffic to flow. It doesn't.
All this talk about walking has been a smokescreen from which the new downtown Miami is emerging: the greatest land use speculation to the benefit of the builder lobby since the 1920's.
No mas.
12 comments:
Johnny Winton. Please. He is on probation. What happens if Winton is reinstated and he violates probation? Many criminals violate probation. Would Crist have to suspend him again?
Does anyone like the traffic and the out of control development? Does anyone like the over budget no revenue PAC Center? Built with no parking? Thank Johnny Winton, it was in his District.
Winton should do the overtaxed taxpayers a favor and just go away.
There is something about Winton needing to complete his term as commissioner in order to secure a lucrative retirement/pension payment from the city?
It is not bad enough that Winton has robbed us blind and done his part to make our area close to a slum, but now he wants some extra time in his old job,despite being a registered criminal, so that he can take more money from us and retire richer on us. Hell no! Please no more Winton.
I think Jack Luft wrote that for Winton. It sure sounds like Luft's vision.
The vision is OK: it's the way it has been used as a smokescreen that rankles so much... and the extent to which the mainstream media has failed to show the public that the nature of the smokescreen is to obscure bad zoning and permitting decisions that leave taxpayers holding the bag for real costs and a declining quality of life.
Darn it , I grew up near Jack Luft.
We are still there, but Jack is long gone to Sanibel.
Must be a long distance vision.
Miami Herald Wed, Jun. 20, 2007
Governor makes Winton's removal permanent
By MATTHEW I. PINZUR
The temporary removal of Miami City Commission Johnny Winton became permanent Wednesday as Gov. Charlie Crist signed an order removing him from office.
Winton was suspended a year ago after being arrested during an alcohol-induced fight with police at Miami International Airport. His legal team argued that he deserved to serve out his term because he pleaded guilty only to misdemeanors.
Crist rejected that plea, clearing the way for replacement commissioner Marc Sarnoff to hold office. His order, largely a recitation of applicable law, shed little light on his reasons.
Shortly after signing it, however, he issued a brief written statement:
'The very essence of our democracy rests on elected officials' honoring the sacred trust of the people they represent,'' it said, in part. ``The people have chosen Marc Sarnoff to complete the remainder of Mr. Winton's term, and the will of the people should prevail.''
Had Winton regained office, even for a few months, he would have been eligible for pension of around $38,800 a year, plus city-subsidized retiree medical, dental and vision coverage.
Want to see Johnny Winton's legacy? Look at downtown. What a disgusting ugly third world mess. The homeless rule. The $11 Mil tile job on Flagler was chipped, filthy and ruined before it was finished. Guess who owned properties downtown? Johnny Winton. Guess who was the Chairman of the DDA? Johnny Winton. What a dump. Thanks to Johnny. High rises with no parking? Thank Johnny Winton.
Thankfully the usual suspect lobbyists could not sway our new Governour. Crist did the right thing.
Yeah - Jack Luft comes to Miami and tell us what we should have and then he gets in his car and drives back to Sanibel.
Ya gotta love it.
Johnny Winton must be disappointed he can't come back and give Manny Diaz another $53,000 raise? And another $4,500,000 to Jorge Perez? (As if Perez needed another $4,500,000?) It must be so sad not having full access to the taxpayers money?
Gov. Crist must be reading this blog! Yeaayyy!
Watch Bicentennial Park worth hundreds of millions get taken over... Watch the lobbyists convince weak politicians to give away our money and our land...
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