So I ask based on this data, why is the County Commission made up of 7 Hispanic seats, 4 Black seats and 2 White seats? The numbers don’t add up. Either way you look at it, White folks seem to be getting a bad deal. They need at least one more seat. It should be 6 Hispanics, 4 Blacks and 3 Whites. Or 7 Hispanics, 3 Blacks and 3 Whites. I guess the Whites are afraid to make waves. But a legal challenge might be interesting -- 2 Whites -- Sorenson and Heyman -- just don't cut it based on these numbers. Do we need Redistricting or Charter Change? If they count illegal aliens in the numbers for population, they shouldn't be counted for representation so numbers could be skewed even more. If we count registered voters, Whites actually number more than Blacks and the Hispanic majority narrows considerably. Miami Dade Elections: Date Last Edited : Mon Jul 2 14:32:50 2007
On another note, did you know that 12% of the population of Miami Dade County reports a disability?
14 comments:
You are right....
It should be, however based on voters:
6 Hispanic (twice as many voters)
3 White
3 Black
1 at large.
Do you think its impossible that a person of color could represent the desires of a white person? I think it makes sense to say that the vast majority of white people have no idea what it's like to be a person of color in this country and therefore are ill equipped to handle their issues. However, I don't know what special issues white people have (besides oppressing people of color and a failure to recognize their privileges) that they need their own officials up there for.
Does Dorrin Rolle represent even blacks???
Audrey??? Come on they don't even represent their own color. How could they represent other groups?
As I have always said: Rolle throws crumbs to the community. As long as you are separating based on race and ethnic background == it should at least be fair. However, I am not against at large. I have news for you, person of color, whites are not oppressing the blacks. Look at recent arrests in Opa Locka, look at the phony bio tech deal. Look at the Housing scandals? Those were engineered by people from within the community. If you didn't put Rolle in office again, I might listen. But a community that would return Rolle to office has a lot of splainin' to do.
I don't care what color a commissioner is or ethnic background, but if you are going to put crooks in office, i care big time and will then protest in any way I can -- a race card is a two way street. There have been 4 black commissioners for a long time. What have they done in their community? What? Umoja Village? Hope project? What can you point to...I drive in Liberty City, in Opa Locka, In Little Haiti, I don't see anything great going on to help the people. You are getting an attitude with the messenger, Wrong! I am trying to fix a broken system any way I can and if means grabbing a seat from a misfit, I will try. Get the attitude with the commissioners, all of them -- I am but a messenger.
When you have a black commissioner, Barbara Jordan, who votes on something put before her by her brother, who is the mayor, and who has a sister who is a paid lobbyist for the developer of the project....and that commissioner Jordan doesn’t voluntarily recuse herself, something is wrong in Miami Dade county. Bad ethics laws that allow anything to happen and ethically challenged politicians is not working.
Anonymous 3 asked: Do you think its impossible that a person of color could represent the desires of a white person?
If that white person desires honesty....NO!
Aren't they supposed to represent their communities without regard to race?
Ah hem. I do not think that race has anything to do with being a good public servant or even a person. Let's not go there.
If it is in your heart to be kind, honest, fair or whatever, your heritage will not matter one iota. Just as the world is filled with bad folks that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so is Miami Dade county filled. We are a microcosm of the world.
You can have any combination of races and heritages on any board and still have unfairness and corruption... It is not the wrapping of the person, but the content of that person's soul that makes them a honorable politician.
Please do not go into the race issue, it will not address the corruption of the souls that run for office.
We have got to be smart voters and know that 'what you see is not what you always get.
Pay attention. Do not take words for just their printed value. Sometimes it pays to look between the lines, follow the money, and look at their friends. It is all there. You have study a bit and connect the dots.
I think we need all at large members, just some that overlap larger areas. However, remember, it will not matter what district they represent, if they are corrupt.
We must go back to all at large and then try to clean out the croooks after that.
Don't go there:
Then why are we using race as a criteria? The seats are set up for ethnicity and race. If that is what we are doing, then we might as well be fair about it. I wouldn't have brought the subject up at all if I weren't so frustrated with what we have. And, the newspaper will never open the subject up so we might as well discuss it here. I like picking at scabs. Both Moss and Rolle get paid to work for non profits that get money from the County. There is just too much monkey business going on.
The smart voters don't vote...haven't you figured that out. These commissioners have a slew of old folks they get free lunches for and they have their base. They manage to get them out in numbers...
Meeting after meeting you hear these lunkheads commissioners say: I have to defer to the Commissioner of the district.
Districts rule. They won't give them up because then they won't win. At large won't happen unless we add another seat. If anyone is serious about running against these commissioners, they had better start now. I think you only need $100 to open an account.
Bruno Barriero's seat, with a few changes to the boundary, could become an anglo seat and that certainly wouldn't be any loss on the Commission.
I have a good commissioner. But, I can help other folks run against others.
BTW, maybe the courts need to revisit the issue. Maybe we need to collect hundred dollar bills to do a group action suit in federal courts.
May as well challenge the definition the federal government uses for minority. What is an minority in Cleveland, Ohio may not be the same as in Hialeah, Florida. Maybe we need to sue the Feds so they use a definition that reflect the community. At least, the set asides would be fairer and maybe the districts would look different too.
Single + At Large, with commission salaries and term limits = Better Government
We are our own worst enemys. As long as we have the menality of "yes, he's a crook, but he's my crook", we will never get the crooks out of office. Ethnic voting, perpetuated by districts, supports the worst form of chronyism. At large seats would go a long way. Look at Mayor Alvarez; probably the most honest elected official we have and he was elected countywide. I am Anglo and voted Hispanic for mayor because I thought that was the best candidate. Ethnic voting is a bad idea, but ethnic candidates love the ethnic districts. Look at the bigot card Seijas played against the people (black, white and Hispanic) who tried to recall her. Her first response was to condem the recallers as bigots who are against Hispanics. Too many commissioners have learned to win by polorizing. It works; we keep buying it!
Most of our Hispanic leaders are not doing such good job at representing us (in fact, they often embarass us), but I'm of the opinion that elected officials represent everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, education or economics.
I look at a person and not the color of his/her skin, or whether he/she is rich or poor, college educated or not. I want to know you're honest, care about our community and that we have more in common than not. These are the things that really matter to live at peace with one another.
Of course, a fair balance is a good thing and I do feel that the commission would benefit from an equal share - say of 13 commissions, we can have:
4 Anglos (2 Native American Indians & 2 3rd generation USA born)
4 hispanics (2 Cubans / 2 others)
4 blacks (2 3rd generation USA born & 1 Haitan & 1 other)
1 Other (maybe European or Asian)
Hmmm, how about religion? Does it make a difference? Anybody laughing yet?
Milly Herrera
Hialeah, FL
herrera101@aol.com
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