Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Natacha, Joe, and Audrey: Miami Dade county commissioners hiding from voters in plain view... by gimleteye

I don't understand how their constituents tolerate it.

County commissioners Natacha Seijas, Joe Martinez, and Audrey Edmunson are running for re-election. Their constituents are ignoring how county resources, your money and mine, are being squandered on behalf of private developers that give big bucks to political campaigns in exchange for zoning votes.

Most people don't understand how the web of obligations work or how much time, energy and money is dedicated to these efforts; especially moving the Urban Development Boundary.

For example, there was never a full accounting to the public of the true cost of Seijas's dismal effort to privatize the Homestead Air Force Base into a commercial airport that also required moving the UDB.

The effort-- judged to be illegal in state court and, also, a bald attempt to circumvent federal laws-- would have benefited political insiders who obtained a 99 year lease without competitive bidding. How much did that mess cost?

As much as $20 million of your tax money was spent on behalf of campaign contributors. It was never accounted for; vanishing down the black hole of Dade Aviation budgets.

But the true damage to the public interest can't be calculated.

You can't put a dollar value on the ways in which the operation of county government to privatize profit and to socialize risk has effected our quality of life.

The State of Florida has decided that the most recent decision by the unreformable majority, overriding Mayor Carlos Alvarez, to move the Urban Development Boundary violates the county's own rules, approved by the state.

Will the incumbents again get a free pass by voters to squander their own money?

Voters and challengers should ask the incumbents to defend throwing more good money after bad on these UDB votes.

But you really know the answer to all these questions: Commissioner Seijas, Commissioner Martinez and Commissioner Edmonson should be voted out of office at the very earliest, possible date.



6 comments:

Geniusofdespair said...

You forget Gimleteye:

Barbara Jordan belongs in this Package.....she is running against Linda Faye Stevens.

Anonymous said...

The Miami Herald has an entire section devoted to Elections 2008 and not one local Miami Dade issue is there. If you want to reform anything, if you want to move the people out into the streets, you need the media on your side. I keep reading in the Herald requests for reader inputs and their responses. A vast majority are begging for more local coverage but where is it? Any kind of attacked waged against the powers that be is going to be helped if we get the media on it. Maybe we need to inundate them with letters, phone calls, whatever.

There is just over one month to go. First goal needs to be to get as many of the county commissioners that are a little drunk with power and money out of their comfort zone. Either we get them elected out of office or at the very least, make it a narrow contest. Once the elections are done, you can focus on wider reforms I would think.

Geniusofdespair said...

Call Miami Herald's Metro section editor, Manny Garcia and tell him what you said, because I told him the exact same thing:
305 376-3445

Anonymous said...

Sad but true:

"the true damage to the public interest can't be calculated."

Anonymous said...

Not to worry were voting whilly bermudez for election day.

Anonymous said...

haha that whilly bermudez looks like he tries to hard to be cute!!!!!!!get over yourself you are in your 30s not teens