According to a 2004 article in BNet, Raul Masvidal said he and Armando Codina were the first Cuban Americans to join the “Non-Group” (Miami’s power elite in the 80’s). In (disgraced Miami Beach's) Former Mayor Alex Daoud’s tell-all book, “Sins of South Beach”, he said Union Leader, Ed Stevens, named some of the members of the Non-Group during a meeting they had in 1984(5?):
Ted Arison, CEO of Carnival; Alvah Chapman, CEO of Knight Ridder; David Paul, CEO of CenTrust; Arthur Courshon, CEO of Jefferson National Bank; Stephen Muss owner of the Fontainebleau (Muss calls himself a "third generation developer" according to BNet).
Daoud said Stephens also said rumor had it that auto giant, Norman Braman was affiliated with the group, and: “Several Cubans have been allowed to join, but they’re the leaders of the Latin Builders Association.” Stephen’s said (Daoud’s recollection) of the group: “They’re a very secretive organization, and it’s impossible to get a complete list of the members.”
Daoud asked Stephens why, if the Non-Group is so powerful, hasn’t the Miami Herald written about them. Stephen’s told Daoud: “The Herald isn’t going to write about them. They control the newspaper. Never forget that the Miami Herald is a moneymaking corporation with no social conscience. They only care about advertising dollars.”
So, when Gimleteye emphasizes the power wielded by certain individuals, think about the Non-Group. Miami is pretty much still run by developers and a select few. Names might change but the power structure is still there. Frankly, I was surprised at the power of bankers to manipulate our political system, that Daoud describes. Bankers get off easy on our pages.
11 comments:
Genius, watching your eyes open, albeit through rather old news, is like watching a kid see It's a Small World for the first time.
Wide wonder.
the non-group is now called the miami business forum and they are pretty open about who is in it, tho they are also pretty impotent as a group, while often individually influential
Nonee...I don't get what you are saying in your comment.
Is it that I am surprised at the power of the bankers in the mix?
That is the only thing that I reported on that was something I never really thought
about...although banker Bill has always been a force that we all have had to deal with in the South. I am not familiar with the Bankers on the Beach who are the power brokers now.
The power of the Herald (at one time), Codina, Braman, Arison, Muss, etc. is not news to me.
The Jewish Miami Beach Developers keep a lower profile than Coral Gables Hispanics; like Armando Codina, Sergio Pino and Jorge Perez. That is why some of the Miami Beach names are not as familiar to us. I never heard of Muss before reading this. I did know there are a slew of Miami Beach deveopers who are very powerful, I just don't know any of their names except Kramer and I don't think he is that powerful.
Anyone have names?
Thanks reader, here is some info on the Miami Business Forum:
http://www.miamibusinessforum.com/
The Miami Business Forum shall provide a venue for concerned leaders of Greater Miami to consider issues of importance for economic development to our community and to act on those issues in accordance with the will of the members.
The officers are:
CODINA, ARMANDO P
355 ALHAMBRA #900
CORAL GABLES FL 33134
Title D
ARSHT, ADRIENNE
2720 CORAL WAY
MIAMI FL 33145
Title D
ARTECONA, MARIO
6525 SW 55 LANE
MIAMI FL 33155
Title D
HERNANDEZ-TORANO, JORGE
701 BRIKELL #3000
MIAMI FL 33135
The Non Group is old news. Has the Miami Business Forum ever done anything?
Isn't old news called HISTORY? I like learning about how the power elite control us. These are the same people that fund campaigns and who knows what else.
Reader you asked if they have done anything, the business forum:
I think they do a lot under the radar, however, here are two examples I found on line:
Miami Today 6/7/2007:
Former school board chairman Paul Cejas to focus on education as head of Miami Business Forum
When Paul Cejas was elected in October chairman of the Miami Business Forum, the successor to the influential Non Group, he made it clear that both the group's and his own objective was to work toward making Greater Miami an even better community. -snip-
Miami New Times 7/15/04
Miami's business leaders vowed to yank MIA from the clutches of politicians, but the politicians yanked back
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2004-07-15/news/down-in-flames/
The Business Forum will never attain the clout the Non Group had, but maybe this is a good thing. The non group was formed at a time where 8 people could , behind closed doors, run this town. These days, there are no Alvah Chapmans to call the shots, and what we are left with is a couple of dozen successful mid-sized companies and their CEO's. Couple the dilluted corporate structure with single member districts in our politics, and you have the makings of a castrated business community.
That said, I have seen either members of the forum or its president appear on behalf of the business community and more often than not call for changes which would benefit the community as a whole. They seem to have some good and well meaning people in the group, but have made very little to no impact, at least on the surface.
What they, the Business Forum, were trying to do at the airport seemed totally positive: trying to pull it from under the County Commission's thumb. The New Times article of 2004 (I provided the link above) reminded me how things have not changed one iota with the County Commission.
Miami Herald writer Celia Dugger wrote a big piece on the Non-Group that ran on Page One of the newspaper, back in the 80s. It named names and quoted members. The Herald newsroom was not under the thumb of big business -- and struggled mightily with the public perception.
Post a Comment