Gimleteye and Geniusofdespair missed our Anniversary, it was November 6th! This is our 4th year of blogging about incredibly dysfunctional Miami Dade County. It has been a long, harsh road -- feels like a decade of reporting. Over a million and a half pages have been viewed on Eye on Miami but not a lot has changed since our first posts. We are still writing about Vile Natacha Seijas and the crappy Miami Herald. Coincidentally they were the subjects of our first posts, take a look back:
GENIUS OF DESPAIR'S INTRODUCTION AND FIRST POST NOVEMBER 6, 2006Welcome by Geniusofdespair
Welcome to Eye On Miami, the place to come to talk about wacky politics and ethically challenged politicians. Tomorrow is election day and the ads on TV have been non-stop. I look forward to Wednesday. Vote "No" for State Amendment 3 and please sign a Hometown Democracy Petition if you can. I am really angry at the Miami Herald all the time because they are short staffed and leave out so much. I toyed with calling myself "Angry Person In Miami" for this blog but, I am more depressed than angry. I don't have a lot to say right now, just want to start the ball rolling. I would rather hear from you.
Natacha Seijas - Vile Miami Dade County Commissioner. by GeniusofdespairNatacha Seijas is a particularly vile and sour woman who is a County Commissioner in Miami Dade County. She is built like a bloated fire plug and has a furrow of frown lines etched on either side of her mouth. She has contempt for people in general and even the manatees can’t escape her crappy disposition. She said: “I am not a lover of manatees, as far as I am concerned they are from Cuba, which was our original animal, and I am glad they are here [but] I want to know how big that herd is because if that herd is way too big it is time to find something else to do with it.”
If I had to rate hateful people: This woman tops the list. And what happens to people who are mean and vile and sour: They get promoted of course!
Here is a press release from her website dated September 30, 2005:
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natacha Seijas has been appointed by the president of the National Association of Counties to one of the organization’s influential steering committees. As an outspoken advocate for water and air quality and as chairperson of the Board of County Commissioner’s Infrastructure and Land Use Committee, Commissioner Seijas makes an ideal appointment to NACo’s Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee. (She probably wrote the part about her making an “ideal appointment.” Nothing could be further from the truth.)
GIMLETEYE'S FIRST POST - NOVEMBER 11, 2006
How the Herald wimps out: by gimleteyeTo know which stories the Herald editor and publisher know are important, but not important enough to warrant tough coverage that would threaten advertisers, just read the letters to the editor section closely.
Start with the two letters at the top of todays Opinion: "Restrict Developers" and "Old Cutler Headache".
The first letter: "Let government stop caving in to greedy developers who could care less about water shortages." Duh.
The second letter: "I challenge all (elected) officials... to join together to stop future development."
Now why it is time for a building moratorium in Miami and Miami-Dade county is a story worth reporting.
We have a county and city commission whose sole purpose is accomodating campaign contributors who need zoning changes and building approvals. Fair and representative govt? Give me a break.
But when it's election time, and the Herald could lead with stories that tell the truth about our communities and energize people to get involved: NADA.
Or, the paper prints a B section story that hints at the underlying corruption, and then go ahead and endorse the candidates the paper KNOWS are part of the great Miami destruction machine.
How nice to know that the Herald buries the BIG stories in the letters to editor. How comforting to know at least there's a hint of understanding.
WHEN did you ever read the Herald REPORTING about where all this traffic and problems with water quality could lead our communities?
Where did you ever read about the Herald dealing with a building moratorium story, or, how there's no difference between a developer and a big farmer any more. How about puff pieces on public officials or govt appointees that never even mention their land holdings out by Krome Avenue and the Everglades.
How every time there's an effort to manage growth for citizens who already live here, the overwhelming flood of lobbyists representing land speculators drowns city and county hall. Or taking commissioners to task for belittling citizens who have the guts to take a day to testify against decisions they know will go against them, their communities, and common sense!
Hard hitting stories? Not when the sacred cow of advertising revenues in the real estate section are on the line!
And WHERE is Miami New Times!!! At least we used to be able to count on New Times to write a story or two about what is important in our communities. Defede?
And to the letter writer, "Traffic on Old Culter Road is a nightmare." you should have gone to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce meeting, recently, so that citizens could give suggestions on how to "improve" traffic in Miami-Dade. The cost for a seat was $125.
Now there's a GOOD one! Pay $3 for gas, sit in traffic for two hours a day, and pay $125 to complain about it.
The Miami Herald: where nothing is printed without a dusting of sugar and one eye closed.
It is not unusual to see a $30,000 donation to a PAC (Political Action Committee). When you see Norman Braman's name, FPL or the Marlins you aren't surprised to see a large donation because you know they all have a lot of money to burn. However, I see other names that do make me pause and think, "Where did they get the money?". I assume they are collecting money from others and bundling it under their name to hide the real, less savory donors. I asked Maria Acosta of the Office of Governmental Affairs at Miami-Dade Elections if it was legal. She sent me an email which read:
