The Miami Herald Editorial Aug. 25th (below) irked me. The paper has been looking the other way when it comes to Miami Dade Politics except when they are looking for a News Award. They scratch at the surface most of the time or pick at a scab. There is plenty there -- remember "House of Lies" by Debbie Cenzipur and the Larry Lebowitz Transit series "Taken for a Ride"? The problem is, once the Herald uncovers it, they disappear and never follow-up so nothing changes. We need a good Rottweiler-type-newspaper that will clamp down and shake and shake and never let go.
This Alvarez story is small potatoes but it happened at a bad economic time so it has snow-balled. I really think there is so much more to be concerned with. Yes, ALL the salaries at the County are inflated -- on the 29th floor especially. The Mayor played the game too rather than setting an example. Too bad. He will not recover from this because everyone has a tax bill coming. But, again I say, he doesn't deserve this much wrath when the Commission gets to look undeservedly good in comparison and they waste multi-millions and abuse their power.
Here is the Herald Editorial:
Posted on Tue, Aug. 25, 2009
Miami-Dade staff raises are obscene
OUR OPINION: Miami-Dade mayor's staff should set the example and cut back
Outrageous. Disgraceful. Obscene.
That's what comes to mind when taxpayers hear that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez handed hefty pay raises to a dozen people on his staff during a recession and as the county's housing foreclosure rate was sure to bring down tax revenue.
Even before the mayor knew the county would face a $427 million budget hole he was telling residents in February, during his State of the County address, that ``tough times'' were ahead and ``we are all in this together.''
As reported in The Miami Herald on Sunday by Matthew Haggman and Jack Dolan, 12 employees on the mayor's staff received raises of more than 10 percent since last year. But those raises didn't show up when Commissioner Sally Heyman asked the mayor's office for a list of salaries and executive benefits packages in July. Mrs. Heyman wanted to see if the mayor's office personnel's salaries are out of whack with the rank and file.
They certainly smell.
Why wasn't that information handed to the commissioner? Apparently, she didn't ask the right question. She asked for mayoral staff's salaries in January and currently.
Because some of the raises were retroactive and others delivered in the fall of 2008, those raises and perks didn't show up on the list.
The mayor maintains that the raises were necessary after voters approved a strong-mayor system, which was supposed to merge the county administrator's department with his office. Several positions were lost -- the county manager's office is down by three high-level assistants -- and other staffers took on more work. And some staffers who received raises, such as spokeswoman Victoria Mallette, still earn less than their predecesors by a considerable amount.
Mr. Alvarez has delivered about $1.7 million in savings in his staff budget -- now $7.9 million from $9.6 million when he was first elected. But his rationale to increase his top people's salaries to keep up with the county manager's staff's ever-escalating salary levels is irresponsible during this economic downturn.
Commissioners will want to see the mayor squirm during upcoming budget negotiations, as they try to please county workers and unions already complaining about a 5 percent proposed cut in their wages. But the County Commission's staff of about 200 also seems too big for the times.
Instead of pointing fingers at one another, everyone needs to suck it up and tighten the belt. That means the mayor's staff, the county administrator's staff and the commissioners' staffs, too, along with all county employees.
And it may mean that those making more than, say, $100,000 should take a 10 percent cut and submit their benefits packages for renegotiation. County employees earning less than $100,000 should take a lesser cut, somewhere between 5 and 10 percent. Those are the types of tough choices ahead.
``We have to be prepared to live with the funding our citizens are willing to support,'' Mr. Alvarez told employees when he released his budget recommendation this summer.
He can start by setting the example at the top.
© 2009 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
6 comments:
Genius, this is the tip of the iceberg with Alvarez, and frankley, your not looking hard enough at him. Just because you may dislike members of the Commission, and you probably agree with Alvarez's UDB position (at least 90% of the time), there is no doubt that the County Administration (led by him) has done nothing to improve the standard of living in this County. It is the same old system of rewarding cronies that Penelas was famous for. In many ways, Alvarez is worse than Penelas. Alvarez has unfortunately learned too much from George Burgess. Why, for example, were the pay raises retroactive to September of '08?? Think about it, if asked to disclose any increases during the 09 fiscal year, Mr. Alvarez could answer none. While technically accurate, it is definately an indication of the larger problem on the 29th floor, a complete and utter lack of honesty. I can't trust him. I certainly don't trust Burgess. Keep advocating against the nonreformable majority, but, don't for one second believe that Alvarez isn't a problem. He is!
Come on, lighten up. Let the good times roll. The recession is over. Haven't you heard?
LOL.... Good one!
So you are saying my bar is too low for acceptable behavior from our politicians? I can't raise it, it will make me nuts expecting more.
Recession? What Recession? I thought the Boom Never Ended.
Carlos Alvarez is another crooked politician.
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