District 8 County Commissioner Lynda Bell has indicated that free speech is not allowed in public facilities. As a result the county venue is getting sued. More tax dollars will be used to fight it. In Saturday’s Herald, Lynda bolsters my suspicion that she has been drinking too much Kool-Aide while hanging out at County Hall with VNS and friends. To quote the paper:
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Lynda Bell told Miami’s Radio Caracol (1260 AM) on Feb. 7 that the appearance of Cuban artists in Homestead would be painful to South Florida’s exile community. "I would be 100% opposed and I would do everything in my power to stop that,” she said. “We understand free speech and defend free speech but not when public facilities and funds are being used.”
"Civil rights advocates say that public events are precisely where free speech must be defended."
How can a sitting commissioner who uses public facilities to pray with staff be opposed to free speech at Homestead Speedway?
20 comments:
As to your question: "ha ha ha ha ha"
This is Miami-Dade County, after all, where the will of a few old, tired and frustrated extremists and their methods of silencing those who disagree with them have been influencing politics and the American way of life for decades.
Lynda only believes in free speech for confederates.
Bell took an oath to uphold the Consitution - now I have to ask, for what Country or does she even know it!
You know which commissioner(s)who put her up to it because they didn't want to.
This is so backwards. I've never known looney Lynda (I make up names as I go along) to be so supportive of the Cuban American Community. Who knew! Nor, did I hear anyone in Deep South Dade complain about the event. The "protests" were pure fiction in the minds of those still living in the 50's! (which are the same commissioner(s) who prodded looney Lynda to voice her "outrage"!
It will be interesting how this plays out.
The venue is owned by Homestead, but the private corporation is the one who contracted for the event. I'm not sure how public dollars were going to be used if the City wasn't a party to the contract, unless they were, but they don't seem to be named in the suit, so that's another Lynda lie, if I'm right.
Don't blame me. I vote for Taddeo, then Flinn. I also voted for Garcia for Congress over Rivera. I bet Rivera would still win in a rematch. Some very misguided voters out there. It appears that integrity and virtue is shunned by the voters.
Using tax dollars to fight a lawsuit for this??? When living creatures are doing without and there's no money to help them? No, no, get the county lawyer to clarify just what is or isn't permitted and that's it. Judges need to start throwing these lawsuits out immediately. What are the real damages? Animals are being put to death daily for lack of funding. That's life, not financial gain.
The track canceled the event because they do not want to have extra security for the event. The county did not cancel it nor did the city.
The operator is being sued and the promoter is being countersued.
youbetcha is misleading the viewers of this blog....but then again this is the standard.
Hey anonymous.....why do you think they need extra security? Who do you think is a threat to the security of this event?
And anyone who can't put their head around how moronic this statement is...
“We understand free speech and defend free speech but not when public facilities and funds are being used.”
...deserves a boat with a motor and enough gas to go 90 miles south of Key West.
Bell won an election via absentee ballots, for the most part. However, I think Flinn mis judged the unincorporated areas, where the Commissioner is sorely needed.
Bell used the Churches, as well, to get the African American vote, who I guess totally forgot the Confederate Flag fiasco, because the G-d squad called upon them in Goulds, which is an area she won that still baffles me.
Her statements to the Herald were absurd and either show a total lack of understanding the contractual situation itself and our first amendment - freedom of speech & expression.
One can only hope, one day, we'll get a County Prosectutor who will go after absentee ballot fraud, as I truly believe was the case here with Bell (my opinion). I think the last time anyone actually did anything about this was way back in 1996, when Suarez was elected, than removed as Miami Mayor.
I also hope there's more separation of Church & State in campaigns (another one of those Constitutional issues Bell forgot about).
Election law is clear on both, but not really enforced, at least not in this Banana Republic called Miami Dade County!
Broward, here I come. At least you arrest and prosecute there.
Let us first remember that speech is free so long as it does not deviate from the agenda of Lynda Bell; otherwise, forget it. However, this issue is not about free speech. It is about a very small but vocal group of exiles whose opinions about what constitutes support for Castro make the views of El Bell seem almost liberal. This is political pandering... she knows to stay in office she has to play the Cuba card because the anglo vote in her district is shrinking in relevance each and every day. Her statement is classic Bell. TO the average voter, it may make sense but this is a private matter between the venue and the promoter. I hope there is proof that she used her office to influence the cancellation. The people of the City of Homestead paid about $55,000.00 in attorneys fees for her right to run her mouth about some city litigation. She just does not get it, sometimes you just have to know when to shut your trap. She did not create the Confederate issue in the Veterans Day parade but she sure blew it when her deep seated need to try to have the last word and impose her views on others got in the way. This is a loosing battle commissioner. Move on.
Hmmmm... "no free speech when public facilities are used", would that include Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Commissioner ?
Here in South Dade, we do have a large hispanic population, it's all over from Mexico, Latin America, etc. And, some of the younger generation Cubans do not have the older hard line. That particular group is not the average voter down here in Dist. 8, nor even a small minority.
Whoever she was pandering to, intolerance is never the way to go, which is what she just proved and proves time & again!
I can't wait until November 5th to start a recall, unless the absentee fraud issue actually gets investigated and she gets removed, rightfully so!
Hey, Lynda, when you're buddy VNS gets recalled, you can always move to Dist. 13 and run for her seat, or just ask the Unreformable Majority to annoint you. Then, we can get a REAL and perhaps INTELLIGENT Commissioner in Dist. 8.
I'm sure there would be another free for all for the seat, but hey, it cannot be worse than you and your stupid mouth!
Thanks in advance for moving out of our Dist., in fact, I'm sure a bunch of us in Dist. 8 could & would fund raise for your expenses!
To the anonymous about my misleading readers:
I believe that the statement by Bell that "We understand free speech and defend free speech but not when public facilities and funds are being used" points directly to where she stands on the Constitution.
Over the years, I have heard some pretty pathetic statements come out of local politicians mouths, but none as scary and menacing as this one to the rights of the people.
It is irresponsible to be pandering to one ethic group which directly encourages divisive behavior at a time when the county (and world) needs unity of spirit.
In a community and country as diverse as ours, we will always have someone offended if they continue measure everything they don't like as a personal affront. It is time to get over it.
Why can't the commission be leaders in getting beyond the obvious and nurture the mosaic of ethnicity in this county? They can't do it simply because of individuals such as Bell and Seijas.
Good grief! More of the same! I can't remember but didn't something similar happen with forced cancellations of Cuban related events because of threats?
Unity of spirit? WTF is that, don't you read this blog? Unity of spirit? Don't make me laugh!!!
Exactly right. Miami has no unity at all. It is every man, woman and child for themselves. And the lobbyists and politicians seem to get the most of cream.
Lynda is no different apparently. She is kissing up to her benefactors.
Sorry that I voted for her.
What scares me most is the fact that we have a woman who probably couldn't pass an 8th grade civics class and does not understand the most basic Constitutional right (that being of free speech).
She needs more intelligent staff and a handler to keep a muzzle on her.
I just finished Shoer Roth's column this morning about the Vile One! It was great writing, once again.
Bell is certainly the mini me of VNS. The sooner she goes, the better for the County (and Country too).
I hope those who supported Bell who didn't know her when she was the dictator of Homestead, now understand why she was a one term, two year mayor. In that short time, she left a blaze of destruction with the remnants still being felt today.
If you don't want another VNS on the Commission, be prepared to recall her as soon as legally possible!
The less time she has on the Commission, the easier it will be to oust her. Don't be fooled again Dist. 8 voters!
To Commissioner Lynda Bell:
1. Your stupidity (re: US Constitution inalienable rights) offends me to the core of my D.A.R. roots.
2. You have the right to spew this nonsense (afforded to you by your freedom of speech), but this underscores that we have a job to do in removing you from office via recall or the next election.
To District 8 conservatives who voted for Commissioner Bell:
I say this with all due respect for your consideration. and reconsideration. I respect that you also take your roles as voters very seriously and thank you for voting, even if we did not agree on the best candidate. The Commissioner will never vote on right to life issues as a county official, but she has the power to trample all over freedom of speech in her county dealings. I am standing on the blood of several dead ancestors to say that this is not the way we do things in this country.
I believe this is a teaching moment for our children as well. We need to research before we vote, we need to vote, and we need to preserve what our founding fathers put in place. Commissioner Bell had better that this straight or she needs to be shown the door.
Freedom of speech cannot be taken for granted for one second in Miami Dade County. Look at the oppression going on in Surfside where government employees are instructed to go after anyone who dissents from what the elected officials want to do! Waste or fraud or corruption or selling out zoning or doling out dozens of no-bid contracts --- whatever the criticim it gets attacked --- check it out:
www.whocontrolssurfsideflorida.blogspot.com
Watch the videos on YouTube and also see www.savesurfside.org
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