Terrific is all I have to say about Anti-foreclosure bid is a textbook on county's deficiencies. Michael Lewis says:
No single issue embodies everything that's wrong with Miami-Dade's government, but a bid for a $62 million federal lifeline for homeowners facing foreclosure sure comes close. In that one proper effort, the county nonetheless managed to act parochially, misjudge the situation, wander leaderless, grandstand, propose a bait-and-switch, mishandle a contract and ignore the public's interests.
Read his analysis...I loved this editorial for hitting all the nail heads! And, he says of Vile Natacha Seijas:
And finally, as to public interest, what could ignore it more than commissioners Martinez and Natacha Seijas voting against what they acknowledged was desperately needed aid to homeowners in distress because they wanted more for their own districts? If they couldn't have it, why should anyone?
In the end he sums up the County Commission:
The problems in the county, though, aren't a matter of good guys or bad guys. Some officials are better, others worse. But the system, not any individual, is the villain. Voter toleration of parochialism, lack of knowledge, a leadership void, grandstanding, perpetual bait-and-switch, contract manipulation and trampling on the public's interests. Could it be that we're just getting what we're willing to put up with?
Hardly any voter pays attention to the county, unless they have a pothole, after they cast their vote for their Commissioner. That is the problem Michael.
4 comments:
Great Editorial.
But he forgot the strong mayor component: when Burgess speaks, he speaks for the mayor. Burgess, the mayor's advisory staff, and the mayor have control of the contracts these days. I bet there are some really interesting ones out there.
Gimleteye writes:
Michael Lewis has been right, all along, about the county commission, but he is not above reproach: what we are witnessing is not just a dysfunctional county commission, but the playing out of the housing asset bubble that Mr. Lewis and his colleagues in the mainstream media refused to criticize as the pot was boiling over the past decade.
Let's read Mr. Lewis attack the Parkland DRI and its 18,000 purported future residents in land where crops are now grown in West Dade.
If there had been a greater clamor from the mainstream press against the excesses of the real estate boom, civic activists might have had a fighting chance.
And by the way, why aren't there any civic activists among Mr. Lewis' "newsmaker" series? People like Pat Wade surely deserve as much space to voice their views as children of the Parkland principals.
Here we go again... I was just looking at the Transit Committee Agenda, and a huge part of the PTP is up for award, Phase 1 of the Orange Line, which will connect the Metro to the airport, through the MIC. Who is being recommended for award: A joint venture between one firm that delivered the PAC 2 years late, and $218 over budget, was part of the POJV for South Terminal, which is overbudget, still has about 900 punch list items outstanding, and has a $98 million dollar law suit pending with sub-contractor Hensel Phelps, already has the contract for the MIC/MIA Mover (initially $112 million, now $212 million) and whose Ecuadorian counterpart was expelled from the entire County, Odebrecht! The other JV partner, Tower (OHL) is currently working on what was a $30 million (now $46 million) dollar South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, already a year behind schedule. When are we going to stop hiring these contractors that low-ball estimates to win a bid, and then change order them well beyond the estimated cost, and, don't even deliver the project on time?? See for yourself:
http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?matter=083444&file=true&yearFolder=Y2008
Never is the answer.
Watch how they tie all future development to job creation and infrastructure improvements. It was a very good article but as usual light on details, name names, who used the PTP first, somebody had to propose it, WHO??? WHO signed off the change orders in the last comment??? HOW many foreclosures are in all thirteen districts and does the fed pie correlate percentage wise, so we can see WHO the chief gluttons are???
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