These two cases sound the same. Are they?
Miami Dade County: When Lynda Bell ran for Mayor, a PAC called Citizens for Reform for Miami Dade was formed to raise money to run commercials to help now mayor of Homestead Bateman and Councilwoman Waldman and smear opponent Lynda Bell.
Broward County: Developers contributed $21,000 to a PAC to help Tamarac Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco and smear her opponent.
Miami Dade County: Charles Munz's Corporation gave at least $25,000 to this PAC favoring Bateman and Waldman.
Broward County: Developers contributed $21,000 to a PAC helping Flansbaum-Talbisco.
Miami Dade County: Munz's Company got a favorable vote from the Homestead Commission that saved him millions.
Broward County: Mayor also gave PAC donors a favorable vote that enriched them. NOW HERE IS THE KICKER:
Miami Dade County: Nothing happened.
Broward County: Prosecutors indicted the Mayor of Tamarac.
What is wrong with Miami Dade County? See details of the Munz vote:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Homestead Sucks With Bad Deals Aplenty. By Geniusofdespair
The city of Homestead had to spent $5.5 million as a result of the inept digging (30 feet too deep which caused salt water intrusion) done at a city owned lake by the Redland Co., but the agreement made yesterday means the company only has to repay $1 million, losing the cash strapped city millions. The bulk of the money the city spent was to replace the excess fill the company removed. These rock pits are a danger to our water supply.
The Miami Herald reported:
Homestead taxpayers will lose more than $4 million under a lawsuit settlement approved by the City Council on Friday with a local businessman who donated thousands of dollars to several council members' campaigns. AND:
Redland owner Charles ``Pinky'' Munz, his relatives and his companies donated about $2,500 to Mayor Steve Bateman's 2009 campaign kitty. They also gave more than $2,000 each to Vice Mayor Judy Waldman and Councilmen Elvis Maldonado, Jimmie Williams and Stephen Shelley, plus another $25,000 to Citizens for Reform for Miami-Dade County, a political action committee supporting the same candidates.
This is why we look at campaign contributions folks. The two candidates who didn't get the contributions voted against this bad deal. This is an example of a boondoggle Homestead and it gets my "sucks" rating.
16 comments:
FBI! FBI!
"What is wrong with Miami Dade County?"
3 words,
Katherine Fernandez Rundell
There are more than a few people in HUDstead right now looking at brochures for Costa Rica real estate.
I read your blog post and read the Tamarac story last night. The City of Homestead has passed 22 resolutions favoring campaign donors in various degrees of financial contribution limits and to the PAC.
Do take note the Tamarac incidents took place in 2006. There are active investigations ongoing right now in Homestead, including past CRA transgressions. Are we looking at two more years before Frank May, Munz, Rosen and the rest could get handcuffs? I hope not.
There is more than enough similar evidence in Homestead for arrests to be made.
The people of Homestead know it.
Bateman Waldman, Shelly, Williams and Maldonado are the ones who got the benefit of negative smears against their opponents.
This is the same group who voted and gave away millions, gave away city owned land, settled lawsuits for their friends benefits reduced the mayor's own development fees and gave away free city generated electricity and water.
There are now all kinds of suspicions about how cash is being funneled to the council.
There are printable messages between developers, contractors and council members discussing gifts dinner meetings and trips.
The Homestead elections this year will once again show who runs Homestead. Newsflash it is not the city council or city manager you know you have to follow the money always.
If anyone ever investigates the HPD and the political relationship to the PBA you will be shocked at what is going on there. Then there are city pensions and health insurance benefits that need a closer look. If anyone is looking into Homestead sweetheart deals they will be very busy for a long time.
jtl
It is almost impossible to describe what is happening in Homestead.
Just too much to talk about. Here is about ten percent.
Every PAC donor has been given at least two city paid contracts. This includes the PAC chair and treasurer.
Munz is doing the work on a $10 million project honoring a former Mayor.
That Mayor named Roscoe Warren and his group of development at any cost city council approved all of the cookie cutter tract homes. Close to half are in foreclosure.
Rosen is now set to receive the infamous Stave Shiver $2 million shotgun house land for get this $1 per year. Rosen also had land holdings rezoned for agriculture which is reducing his tax burden by Mayor Steven Batemman and this current council.
Homestead Concrete has been getting city business and even has an open ended contract to repair sidewalks on an as needed basis.
This is the company that generates change orders up the wazoo to pad their bills.
Finally a partner of the mayor and brother of a former councilman is in control of construction at a 100 acre school site. He does whatever he wants without any accountability and has the MVRT firm doing all of the site work. That contract will mean big bucks to all of the mayor's buddies.
There is so much money being wasted and given out no organization for law enforcement can possibly keep track of it. It is a flood of dirty deals.
I hate to disagree with a previous comment but the reality is there were much more than 22 resolutions passed in favor of the council's cash donors, try fifty or sixty.
The meetings at city hall are like a lottery drawing with a twist. If you know the mayor or his slate of four you automatically win. The city manager is powerless to stop it.
There was talk of a recall but it faded last year.
Rundle needs to move her office to Homestead city hall.
I was told by close associates of Bateman that he is so rich since he became a mayor to a point that he said he does not care if he goes to jail, because it is worth it financially for him
When you know Homestead, you know why the mayor and his new associates and the PAC targeted the last manager and some staff member who were know of eliminating special deals. They cooked charges against them without working with them for ONE day
The mayor hired a manager who was fired from Doral for corruption to run Homestead. what does that tell you?
I read all the above, but there are a lot of other deal that were not included.
Frank May, the chairman of the PAC in homestead was given consulting contracts from this council. Now the NEW treasurer of this PAC is Tom David, we all know how sleazy this man is. He moved his law practice to Homestead!!!
Tom David’s boss and friend got so much money from the Warren / Ivy administration, he is still free even though investigations are ongoing for more than four years.
The utility fees that Judy and Bateman waved for political supporters and friends are in the millions.
Everyone is talking about the authorities watching and investigating, BUT I believe it when is see it.
They say some council members and staff are working with the authorities against Judy Bateman and company.
And the reason the recall stopped because the person who was going to do it (Steve Losner) a prior council member was bought by the council. check and you will know why.
Dear Postmaster,
You are so skilled at getting information that is not easy for us to get. Since I was introduced to your web site I stopped reading all the local news papers. I love this blog as a one stop shop.
Can you investigate and give us more info about Bell's Castillo's relationships.
is it a conflict of interest for Castillo’s wife to be working Bell while he is lobbying Bell?
she uses another last name, Alard. and if you know her, she has a lot of Lard in her.
Bought by Council ? Losner couldn't lead a class of first graders to the bathroom much less a recall effort. He is a nobody in Homestead, they ( the Council)would never waste any effort or concern on him.
There is nothing better than Homestead politics to keep the rest of us amused.
No way would I defend Bateman and his crowd but before you bang on Homestead Concrete, take note that under the Bell reign of terror, her cronies and patron saints over at ACI had the same sidewalk deal.
there is nothing amusing about any of this... you don't know what to believe down here....
Bell isn't any saint either,,,, And Lobos was running for office when she wasn't even allowed to... they had to scramble to correct that "mistake"
If Shehadeh signed off on it guaranteed it was a good deal for the city.
FBI, FBI, FBI!
ACI contract was signed by Curt Ivy before Bell was a mayor.
NOT, that was a Bell deal.
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