According to the Miami Herald:Long-time political mover and shaker Joe Garcia -- who has been the voice a powerful Cuban exile group, chairman of the agency that regulates the state's utilities and an unsuccessful congressional candidate -- has been nominated for a post in the Obama administration.
Garcia, 45, a Democrat from Miami Beach, was named on Tuesday Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact for the Department of Energy. Garcia becomes the first Miami-Dade resident to land the highest ranking administration job.
This couldn’t make Manny Diaz too happy, he was slated for an Obama post. At least that is what everyone thought was going to happen. Now someone please tell me what the hell this post is. Sounds like something that was invented just to give someone a title. When will I get my appointment? I could become the Director of the Office of Majority Economic Impact for the Department of Social Networking any day now.
10 comments:
You'll get your post only if you worked for Obama's campaign. Imagine then changing your title to Czar of Despair.
You need to dig deeper. There is (are) other Miami Cuban(s) with very high positions in Obama White House.
I say how about the gig as the printer for all those new letterheads? Beats buying Marlins stadium bonds.
Genius National Under-Printer and Stationer-Engraver of Despair, Department of Under-Networking, Regional Division.
It does have a certain ring, and I am adept at photoshop. I think I am qualified Sparky. How did you get your name, were you hit by lightning?
Do you think Manny would have been happy with the 'Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact for the Department of Energy' job? The longer the title, the less important the job. Mayor of Miami sounds much more impactful.
Educated guess: the Obama transition team couldn't vet Mayor Manny Diaz because of the wide trail of bread crumbs.
Michael Lewis, in Miami Today, has just the kind of long memory that would make the appointment people in DC shudder: "... the partnership of Mayor Diaz with a no-bid leaseholder of the Monty's restaurant site, which is city bayfront land. Mr. Diaz was in office for years before exiting that deal, then remained the leaseholder's partner in other deals. A conflict seemed apparent..." and, " Mayor Diaz, then-Commissioner Johnny Winton and Mr. Arriola, who worked for both, were partners in a housing investment at the time Mr. Winton engineered a commission-backed raise for Mayor Diaz."
That's a no-no, for anyone expecting a high level political appointment.
Then there is the issue that Eye On Miami has been all over: "... developers received city OKs for condo tower after condo tower with seeming disregard for the cumulative impact. Planning for growth escalated only after most permits were issued, at which point Mayor Diaz, formerly King of Development, suddenly became Miami's Green Mayor."
"Mayor Diaz, still in charge as matters play out, just ended a year-long term heading the US Conference of Mayors, a post he won based on his city stewardship — recalling the adage that an expert is an ordinary guy 100 miles from home." So true.
The Obama people must have gotten better at venting. Maybe that's why Diaz didn't quite make it.
Obama people have gotten better at vetting. In November Manny Diaz will go back to being an ambulance chaser with a dank office in a Hialeah strip center.
Manny Diaz's policies might bankrupt Miami. Think overdevelopment, no-bid contracts, unsold condos, Monte's Restaurant, Jungle Island, Marlins bailout... Think Obama wants someone with that baggage in Washington?
No. No. No.
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