It's almost better than watching American Idol, -- the May 20th meeting of the Monroe County Commission (BOCC 5/20/2009, #2) where Pepe Diaz, Miami-Dade County Commissioner and Santiago Echemendia, of the Miami-based political and legal shop, Tew Cardenas, pleaded and were on the losing side of approval of a development agreement regarding Calusa Campground, a 367 unit trailer park where Diaz owns a lot. The issue will come again, at the mid-June meeting of the local county commissioners.
There has been an enduring, multi-year controversy surrounding the campground. There are issues of code violations, numbering the high hundreds, of calls to the Monroe County Sheriff's department-- in the past two years, more than 400, overcrowding of adjacent canals in violation of US Army Corps of Engineer rules, and most importantly a question of legal access from US 1 to the campground on Florida Bay, through property separately owned.
I recently wrote about the Calusa Campground. There is more to come. Why is a big law firm, best known for its close association to Jeb Bush through the name partner's role as campaign finance chair, Al Cardenas, wrapped up in a zoning issue with a RV park in Key Largo? It's costing Tew Cardenas' clients a lot of money to keep the powerhouse law firm commuting back and forth from Miami to Marathon and Key Largo. Why is the former mayor of Monroe County, now county commissioner, Mario DeGennaro running point for Diaz? Why did Tew Cardenas recruit state representative Ron Saunders to its cause? Roman Gastesi, a former Miami-Dade County water official and lobbyist for Tew Cardenas, is now county manager for Monroe County. What is Tew Cardenas' role in Monroe County? These mysteries tie, one way or another, back to money.
Diaz bought his unit as the housing bubble was reaching its top, in 2004. One aspect of the videotaped meeting that is particular delicious: Pepe Diaz blowing through the clock / buzzer at the speakers podium and alloted time for him to speak "as a private citizen" in the losing cause before the Monroe County Commission on May 20th. When Pepe, Miami Dade County Commissioner, commandeered the dais on behalf of Lowe's Corporation and its application to move the Urban Development Boundary in Miami-Dade, he often used the clock to cut critics short.
I'm going to expand on components of this story related to Calusa Campground. (Pepe Diaz didn't like our last post very much, telling whoever would listen that "no one reads this blog". Hmmm. Whoever would listen is also reading this blog.)
3 comments:
The whole thing stinks. I am watching it now...don't know if I can stomach the whole thing, especiall watching Pepe bullshit. And since when don't you have a neutral party do the translation. They need to have a professional translator. Someone should ask if the people have been coached. Hated that lawyer too.
Unbelievably painful, what a circus. I had no idea Pepe was such a transparent phony.
To me a Rep politician represents accountabilty of tax payers money and overall political accountability.
The Miami Cubans deserve what they get because they are lucky if they have 1 real Republican politician/official out of 20 here.
Most Miami politicians are self serving .
Anyone who calls himself/herself a Republican gets the vote.
Miami has corruption off the charts. Tax payers money is used like it grows on tree's, no accountability ,etc.
Yet the tittle of Republican is all that is needed to get elected/reelected here.
If Raul Castro called himself a republican he would have a great chance getting elected in Miami.
There are NO Reps/Dems here and people need to stop that self defeating block voting based on tittle and bogus speeches.
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