In his book “Sins of South Beach” the former, 3 time, Miami Beach Mayor Alex Daoud talks about the day Lucia Dougherty told him she was leaving her Miami Beach position. Lucia Dougherty was the Miami Beach City Attorney before she was the Miami City Attorney which was before she became a land-use attorney for Greenberg Traurig (where she currently works). Daoud lamented the loss of Lucia as Miami Beach Attorney in the late 80’s. He said:“I wanted her to stay for selfish reasons, to protect me from politically dangerous votes with her legal opinions. Supported by the right legal opinion, a politician could vote any way he or she wanted with total immunity. A city attorney’s opinion could even save a politician from going to jail, and manipulated correctly, help make him a lot of money as well.”
Hmmm. And I though the attorneys were working on behalf of citizens. Stupid me.
Daoud describes a meeting with the next City Attorney, when he told him that he had the votes to fire him, and suggested he quit, which the City Attorney agreed to do. Daoud wrote about what he thought, after the meeting:
“Finally I was rid of this thorn in my side. There was just one little problem. I had violated one of the strongest commandments of the political code: Thou shalt not destroy a dangerous political opponent when thou art politically corrupt.”
Finally, Daoud also looked back on the free union labor he had at his house, dubbed by him “The Mayor’s Mansion”:
“After a while, the unions stopped sending free laborers to my house. Then the free carpenters stopped coming and finally the electricians. The vote I had cast to award millions of dollars in contracts bought only so much goodwill.”
Thus ends my read of the “Sins of South Beach.” Dozens of examples of sunshine violations, bribery, money laundering, hits at Cousin/Lobbyist Chris Korge and tricks of the trade are all a blur now. The Book has left me exhausted and disheartened because I know without a doubt: Nothing much has changed here in Miami.
10 comments:
I just finished reading this book, and im left with the fact that Alex Daoud is an unrepentant dirtbag politician who blames everything and everyone for his fall, when he has no one to blame for himself...
Nice to see him take a shot at Korge..dirtbag of all dirtbags...
Daoud was pretty open about blaming himself, although he did share the blame, but he did take a turn of self righteousness during his trial recounting...which I found pretty strange.
Above Anon...paint with a broader stroke. This book isn't just about one particular man,Daoud, and the 80's this is about corruption and how it works. I learned a lot about the pulse of our town today from what he wrote. Just as Daoud used free labor on his house in the 80's, Commissioner Joe Martinez did it too just a year or two ago. Votes for labor??
One is for certain, the man can't write his way out of a paper bag. The sentence about Lucia Dougherty basically makes no sense.
Blogger ALEX said...
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about why my book Sins of South Beach was written. There is a lesson to be learned from my story, a valuable lesson, not just about corruption but about police violence, murder, Mariel Refugees and the making of Miami Beach. If someone wants to attack my veracity, or me have the courage to print your name and not hide behind anonymous. If anyone would like to talk to me directly or has a problem with what I have written my cell number is 786-970-0061. I have it posted in the back of my book along with my e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you.
ALEX DAOUD
Author Sins of South Beach
3-Time Mayor of Miami Beach
Alex, I think you were pretty truthful, I can't imagine why else you would have written the stuff you did about yourself.
That you did good things as well, gets lost in the shuffle. It is like Pete Rose. You scarred your legacy of developing South Beach with your other shenanigans. Take the hit on that.
Yes there was a lot about police violence but in the book it appeared that you were viewing it as justified because of the violent criminals your city was dealing with. You admitted you were actually participating in the violence. So what is the lesson?
We should go for the eye for an eye...judges sucked for letting the criminals out so fast...I am not clear on the lesson. You obviously liked the police in the book, so I don't see "a lesson" on police violence...
And reader above, read the whole book, don't just take a sentence apart. I recommend the book. It is a lesson on (Alex pay attention because this is the lesson your book taught me):
POWER CORRUPTS.
Another lesson I learned: The need for adulation becomes an addiction for politicians:
“When I entered, the crowd applauded me....for the first time in my life, I knew the thrill of adulation.”
alex daoud is the us department of justice poster boy for scum sucker of the world-convicted of hobbs act violations- bribing jurors during his criminal trial-falatio with biscayne street walkers and travelling pimpfor us doj fbi seminars ''i am a scum -rat for hire'' the feds gave him a 90%cut of his prison time -put him on the billboard off the MacArthur causeway approching miami beach
""KING OF THE RATS""
AS A MATTER OF FACT I TESTIFIED AGAINST THIS CREEP IN FEDERAL COURT IN FRONT OF THEN FEDERAL JUDGE TOM SCOTT. I AM THE ONE WHO TURNED HIM IN TO THEN ATTORNEY GENEAL JANET RENO. I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK AND JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. MY LIFE WAS THREATENED BEFORE THE TRIAL. MY KIDS HAD TO LEAVE SOUTH FLORIDA. I WONDER IF HE METIONS ALL THE ELDERLY WIDOWS HE RIPPED OFF, AND LIVES HE DESTOYED NOW I CAN SUE YOU, YOU PRICK
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