Yesterday Daniel Shoer Roth wrote about the Stoddard victory in "Dade Excels at Squandering Taxpayers' Money":
So when Phillip Stoddard, a biologist and unknown political neophyte, ran for mayor against the longtime incumbent -- who was an FPL defender -- voters broke free and elected the newcomer last week.
About time for voters in the rest of the county to free themselves from the same old pols conducting business as usual.
And even Jackie Bueno Sousa made sense yesterday, sort of, while advocating for term limits, she said:
That desire for change is seeping into the local level as well. Note the solid victory in South Miami of biologist Philip Stoddard over incumbent Mayor Horace Feliu.
I hope the South Miami victory is a sign of bigger changes to come.
5 comments:
You should have included that she, Bueno-Sousa, also wrote about candidate Albert Harum Alvarez:
Harum-Alvarez, for example, has been active in a wide range of community issues for more than a decade. Among other things, he helped plan the concept for a downtown Kendall.
A SERIOUS REALITY
``I've been doing community work for free for 15 years,'' he says, ``so a $6,000 [commissioner's] salary would be a raise for me.''
Harum-Alvarez, who has yet to file the paperwork to run for Sorenson's seat, is joking, but he represents a serious reality: talented local leaders -- from municipal mayors to community activists -- rarely have a realistic shot at a county-wide platform.
There are other grass roots candidates besides Albert. Albert is a nice guy with no political experience and no countywide exposure. His time on the Kendall charrette is no different than a dozen other communities who were forced into charrettes during the county's "charrette crazy" days. What has he done except join a local group?
Gene Flinn is part of the establishment; not what I would call grass roots. He may turn out to be the "builder's" candidate with political/lobby connections.
Pam Gray is a leader with a proven track record (via her public time on the Planning Advisory Board, including chair). She has a finance background with lots of community boards under her belt. She is the informed grass roots candidate. So far, she seems our best bet.
It makes a big difference when a candidate like Philip Stoddard gets elected. I agree, let's hope this is just the start, although watching Obama give an $8 billion guarantee for new nuclear doesn't fill me with optimism about stopping Turkey Point. FPL, if they can't finance it with ratepayers, will be looking to federal taxpayers for help. Look who's lunching with the president.
Yes I called the White House today to voice my concern for the new nuke funding.
To reduce Albert's years of involvement in his community to participation in a charrette and his character to that of a "nice guy" is to mislead readers about this most qualified candidate. Born and raised in Kendall, Albert has been contributing to the well-being of Miami for decades as a public school teacher, local business owner, musician, urban planner, environmentalist, historian and active participant in government on the local, county and state levels. He is the founder and President of SmallCo., an international software design company based in Miami, and Albert teaches software design for FileMaker world wide as an expert in this field. Albert is a former public school teacher with a Master Teachers Degree from the University of Miami, who taught music in Overtown and other neighborhoods having earned his undergraduate degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of music. Also, he and his sister are partners in the ADR practice of Harum and Harum, a firm established more than 40 years ago in Miami by their grandfather and father, a former judge here. This experience combined with his consistent involvement with advisory committees, community boards and true grassroots efforts to better Miami, make Albert much more than "a nice guy" who spent some time on a charrette. Take a serious look at Albert Harum-Alvarez when making your decision for the next County Commissioner.
Post a Comment