It must be hard to have a name like Hiaasen. It seems like Scott is making a reputation for himself emerging from the shadow of his famous columnist/author dad. Scott’s investigative reports have been excellent. He does annoy me though, he never answers my email when I give him a compliment. You could say thank you Scott.
I hope everyone has read the Herald 4 part series by now: "Poverty Peddlers" by Scott and Jason that the Herald has been running about the incompetence and favoritism on the Empowerment Trust. The part that galls me more than anything — more than Puff Daddy (P. Ditty) getting free airfare to the MTV music awards, more than Rolle's participation, or even more than giving money to relatives/pals of trust members and staff to fund restaurants -- the part that makes me want to puke, and makes my blood curdle: Is that Uber Lobbyist Rodney Barreto is in the article getting “a deal”. He has his sticky fingers in everything in this State and it has got to stop. Is this guy poison in Florida? And who thinks he should he be the head of the Wildlife Commission? I don't. He has a plane, condos, land -- he is rolling in dough, and he gets poverty funds? For shame.
I finally figured out what is wrong and how this whole corrupt mess could have been avoided. It is a lesson for all of you idiots out there that make appointments to boards: STOP ALWAYS APPOINTING THE SAME PEOPLE TO MULTIPLE BOARDS.
Again, Stop!!
Even if you are a good person, like I know some people are on the Miami Dade Empowerment Trust, if you are on too many boards you can't do a good job. End of story.
All these crappy lobbyists are on lots of boards. Heck, I am even on two boards and it is one too many. It is hard to keep track and be a good steward for the people of the county if you can't devote enough time to watch over what these damn board staff people are doing. Someone on the Miami Dade Empowerment Trust Board should have said: Why are we funding a Chili’s in Bayside? That is insanity. Why are we giving these lobbyists money? And finally, they should have said: LET ME SEE THE CHECK BOOK!!
11 comments:
I too find it disgusting how easily the idiots (or criminals) at the Empowerment Trust gave away the taxpayers money. It appears no one at the Empowerment Trust has any common sense or any business sense. Who hired these people? Did anyone do a background check? And where was the Board? And where was the County? And where were the Feds? I want to see investigations and arrests. And I want to see the money returned.
I agree arrest the whole lot of them!!!!
An aside to some, but what is nagging at me is how the appointed board could've given the trust carte blanche to pass out the funds without even consulting them. What are they sitting on a board at all for if they don't want to take the time for the over sight? Were they told from the gitgo to OK whatever the trust wanted? What gives? I think the appointees should be held equally responsible for any misspent money, but it won't ever happen because they are unpaid positions. Sigh!
Agreed. I read in the Herald that the Board never turned down a single sleazy request to give taxpayer money to a single insider or a single relative or a single lobbyist. And the Board even approved every request to give money outside the borders of the "Trust". Someone inform the Miami-Dade Police Public Corruption Unit.
did i get the puff daddy air trip wrong....was it sean combs?
Sean "p diddy" Combs Formerly Known as Puff Daddy. Same guy. He owns a $25 Mil house on Star Island. So of course, the idiots at the Empowerment Trust paid for his private jet for a night in Miami. Of course.
Thanks I hate not being accurate, glad I was. I am not up on our rap stars but I do like Shakira who also got free airfare from the Trust. I went to the awards...great fun.
Let me ask this:
What is the problem if the Empowerment Trust loaned money to a person like Rodney Barreto if he was willing to go into that neighborhood and build or expand a business?
I would rather loan the money to a person who has proven they can maintain a business that employs locals, than just give it to a local who has no business sense.
Don't you want a business that survives and thrives instead of one that flames out after a year?
he didn't hire people, he did a flip.
maybe Rodney did check the book... wait, wait, that was check with Book.
Is the export business still functioning? Dose it employ locals?
The point of my argument had nothing to do with it being Rodney Barreto, and neither should the Empowerment Zone Article.
If it wasn't Rodney Barreto's name on the loan, would that project have been considered a sucess stroy for the Empowerment Trust?
He obviously paid back the loan on time and in accordance with the terms. That would lead me to believe that if he sold the business, he must have made a profit, meaning it was a sucessful business in a community that is lacking sucessful businesses.
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