I dug up this old photo of a May 5th 2008 press conference that Kendrick Meek and the County Commission held to announce that "They are working together to improve Miami Dade Transit’s financial and operational plans to improve the odds of securing funding for the construction of the Metrorail Orange Line." The Orange Line is approximately a 10-13 mile Metrorail extension, East-West, from the Miami Intermodal Center at Miami Airport to Florida International University and west of SW 137th Avenue. So why did they have this press conference again?
It is pathetic to note that the press conference was held May 5th, a little over a month before the Miami Herald's Award Winning Expose "Taken for a ride" hit the streets. That means the expose was thoroughly researched and pretty much written when the press conference took place.
I am amused by the earnest posture of Burgess in the photo. What could he be thinking? How about: 'This ain't never gonna' happen!' If the Herald knew there was no money and no chance of matching funds on May 5th, then County Manager Burgess had to know too. Why did he let this embarrassing press conference proceed? See what the Herald knew:
(Hit on images to enlarge them)
7 comments:
Why are my (and yours too) being used to pay George Burgess? I wonder what his future career holds - we know it won't be jail, though it should be.
He also misled the County Commission on how much the stadium deal would cost. He acts all surprised...but he isn't really when the truth comes out.
Burgess is the Dick Cheney of Alvarez's administration: pulling the strings while burying the truth.
Here is some more history for your Genius:
Do you also remember that the county got a failing rating on the North Corridor in February 08? That was before this bogus press conference you highlighted.
The usual racial -ethnic fears-and-loathing rumors -- the backbiting -- has been running rampant ever since.
Do you also remember, it was around this time that Barbara Jordan and Bruno Barreiro (two members of your unreformable majority) were looking desperately at ways to rescue the system's finances (Bruno, incredibly, turned to asking voters to increase the sales tax by another half penny and let everyone ride for free. Barbara, trying to get the finances in order so the feds wouldn't kill the North corridor, was pushing for a 50-cent increase and tying all future increases to inflation or cost-of-living instead of a political vote).
Ever since the Feds gave the negative rating in February, rumors were spreading like wildfire in the black community -- flamed by everyone from the transit workers union and former director Bradley and former commission Betty Ferguson and Victor Curry and others -- that Alvarez and the BCC were going to finally give up on the North (Black community) in favor of the East-West (Hispanic/Anglo). It wasn't true. But that doesn't really matter in the ethnically charged political arena of Miami-Dade, now does it?
To stop the rumors, one more time, they held yet another meaningless press conference at which Alvarez, Burgess and leading Hispanic commissioners sang Kumbaya with Kendrick Meek and the black commissioners (Moss - and the unreformable majority members Jordan and Rolle ).
The message: The North Corridor was still Priority numero uno. The county had some challenges but they weren't giving up on the North, and the black leaders were still ready to support the East-West as long as it remained Priority 2 behind North.
To conclude this history lesson:
Like many county government dog and pony shows -- it was all a crock of shit.
They started to come up with the idea of the daylong summit in November '08 where they would admit that they screwed the public so they could justifying taking all the money and doing whatever they wanted by the following spring. ie. "We'll get a 2.4 mile spur from Earlington Heights into the intermodal center and that's about it." The rest of the money is g-o-n-e...kaput.
The half-penny was supposed to be matching funds for Federal transit new start money.
The idea that the local funds could do everything is ridiculous. Without the Federal partner, the half-cent can do no more than plug holes in the chronically underfunded transit system.
The State has shown that it only cares about building roads and as demonstrated by the Tri-rail dedicated funds, they've proven to be a bad bet for Federal partnership on Transit too.
I have given up on Transit for Miami-Dade County in my lifetime, and I am 30! It is simply noise and a strategy to get money to do whatever they want.
To get to work in the future, we are going to have to get an independent Transit Board whose sole function is transit, or turn to the private sector for solutions, or move next door to our jobs. It is just that simple. These people just don't have the capability to deliver.
If I were to open up a medical supply company and take a contract to supply recipients of medicare for services but didn't, what would happen? Jail! If the county takes our money in a contract (obligation as set forth in their plans), and does nothing? Where did the money go? For other projects? The money WAS collected! So where is it now? Who is responsible? Why are they not going to jail for misappropriating tax dollars after they were proposed for a certain project?
I did not vote in favor for the half penny tax because I knew they would do nothing. The parking garage and metro rail stop promised at the old Don Carters site is not a mega shopping plaza. If they promised, or proposed, to make that a crucial stop, then why am i going to Walgreens and Pei Wei instead of parking y car to take the metro rail to the beach?
That is the problem with this city. No one is held accountable. And sadly, all we can do is blog to vent our frustrations because we have no say in how our tax dollars are spent!!! Don't believe me....who voted to have the Marlins stadium built? I know I didn't. And why didn't they take up the offer by the owner of the Miami Arena? He was going to pony up and build the stadium himself. And Honorable Carlos Alvarez said, "that is not an option. The stadium will be built on the Orange Bowl site or not at all.' WHY SO ADAMANT??? How much were you promised in the back door by Moss construction? Not even a bid for the contract? And theycontinue to get away with it!!!!!!!
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