A recent article in the Miami Herald noted that businessman Claudio Osorio filed for bankruptcy. Gimleteye also reported on his own adventure with the political mover and shaker. However, there is a Miami-Dade County connection (as always) to this bankruptcy. Claudio and his company were recipients of a 6/3/2010 bid wavier which offered up the POINCIANA INDUSTRIAL CENTER project to them. Ironically, they were given the bid in spite of the fact that one of their partners in the bid had criminal actions pending. InnoVida was allowed to replace the partner, instead of the county tossing the bid process and rebidding the RFP.
The best aspect of the whole county legislative recommendation was staff’s observation:
“InnoVida’s proposal meets the requirement for creating jobs, provides for a viable business and real estate plan and is presented by a firm with good experience and financial ability.”
Need I mention that this legislative item was sponsored by Commissioner Rolle and was seconded by Commissioner Jordan. It passed by a vote of 9-0. (Commissioners Diaz, Sosa and Seijas and Chairman Moss were absent). Our new county manager, Alina Tejeda-Hudak, was the county staff person assigned to this item.
InnoVida was deemed a solid company with a viable business plan in June 2010 by the County, but by March 19, 2011, it is bankrupt and according to the Miami Herald, ”Their Chapter 11 filing in Miami’s federal bankruptcy court capped a series of lawsuits that accuse the Osorios of duping investors to put tens of millions of dollars into Claudio Osorio’s once-fledgling business venture, InnoVida, to pay for the couple’s lifestyle.”
How much money did the county taxpayers contribute to their lifestyle? Don’t you think we have a right to know?
16 comments:
The answer is yes, and it should be public record - if anyone has the stomach enough to try to strong arm the County to provide them.
In regard to Tejeda-Hudak, I have a zero confidence in her because she's too tied to the hip with Alvarez & Burgess and their bad decisions, leaving us with their mess, which she was a part of creating.
Wasn't this the STACKHOUSE project? Fraud on top of fraud. Where is the Miami Herald when these no bid contracts are awarded?
This is disgraceful especially after the Stackhouse mess. Anything sponsored by Comm. Rolle & even Comm. Jordan should be questioned.
But especially, shame on county administrators for not doing their due diligence in signing off on the recommendation. Where was the office of inspector general. Does he get a chance to review these purchasing awards? He should have a satellite office next to the procurement director.
The staff recommendation was made by Alina Hudak. So is she corrupt or just incompetent?
That Poinciana project is like a bad penny!!!
I think county administration was just rubber stamping anything in the county commission's playbook of who to hire. We need term limits to get these rascals out now. If we don't get them out now they will stack the deck against us again. It takes a Norman Braman to finally settle the score between voters and a very corrupt county commission. Watch for Thursdays special commission meeting. If you can view mtg live go to miamidade.gov and click on webcasts and go to county commission meetings listed under Thursday's date. If you have the right software you can watch the meeting in real time. Watch these discussions and you will see who the hot air ballons are.
Alina Tejeda Hudak and Procurement Director Miriam Singer are bad eggs who need to be thrown out the door by the next mayor.
Why is no one talking about the fact that these Commissioners are now going to place a STRAW BALLOT on Charter Change, than real Charter Change?? Why are we waiting?? The iron is hot, we need to strike right now!!!
Let me clarify, the Commission is going to ask our opinion on Charter Change, resulting in no ACTUAL CHANGE, through this so-called Straw Ballot. All we need to do is wait 3 weeks for the Mayor's Special Election, and we can have a VOTE ON CHARTER CHANGE that counts, NOW, rather than a year from now!!
Any Commissioner who even thinks a "straw vote" for charter change will fly with the voters and in our current mood, are going to be looking for jobs with VNS.
CHARTER CHANGE NOW - ON THE BALLOT, NO STRAW VOTE.
If the BCC cannot put on their big girl/guy panty's and actually let the damn voter vote - they can all go as far as I'm concerned.
WE PAY YOU AND YOU STAFF AND YOUR SLUSH FUND! You work for us, not special interests as you're so used to.
Okay, I'm just furious at the thought and the concept of any type of straw vote means nothing but lip service.
The BCC sure has a short memory, I don't!
That is the thing! Braman himself is taking a softball position on this, saying he is fine with straw ballot. The media has missed the story completely!!! The BCC needs to know that the people disagree, we want Charter Change NOW!!! I will be at County Hall on Thursday with a CHARTER REFROM NOW sign. WHO IS WITH ME????
Braman could really care less about Charter Change. He just needed to play up that angle so it didn't look like a personal vendetta against Alvarez (which it was). His whole talk about Charter Change is just lip service. He is in cahoots with Julio Robaina for Mayor, along with some pretty shady characters.
They will not allow signs in the chamber, unless the rules have be amended...
the thing I have trouble with is, that Braman says he wants charter changes and has his OWN list of changes. He says the people have spoken. The people have NOT spoken; Braman has. All the changes need to be put up for a vote.
I like some of his ideas, but not all of them. I wouldn't cut the number of commisioners ...small districts (ie: Haitians) wouldn't have a chance for representation.
We need charter change, but it is important to put this proposed change through a rigorous process. No such changes should be easily made due to the pitfalls of unintended consequences (i.e., recaling a mayor and falling into worse circumstances). No straw vote, obviously. How dare anyone presume that such an important thank go be handled in such a off-handed way.
I agree. Rigorous process for all changes; Braman wants this done in less than 45 days. No Way!!!
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