A controversy blew up on the pages of Miami New Times this week that will sink the incipient campaign for county mayor of current Hialeah mayor, Julio Robaina. "While Miami-Dade County residents paid higher property taxes last year, Hialeah Mayor and Miami-Dade County mayoral candidate Julio Robaina did not pay property taxes on a shopping center he owns in his city. In fact, it appears Robaina has avoided paying taxes on the building since 2006, when he and a business partner finished it." Say, what? Robaina did response to the report.
"Normally, when a builder completes a project and recieves a certificate of occupancy, the issuing municipality's building department must notify the property appraiser to reassess the value to include the structure, whether it is a house or a shopping plaza. In Robaina's case, that didn't happen. "We don't have a record that a certificate of occupancy was issued," says Deputy Property Appraiser Lazaro Solis. Although he told Banana Republican it was the property appraiser's office's fault Robaina's building value was not recalculated."
On the City of Hialeah's website, Robaina apparently wrote, "I look forward to a prosperous year filled with progress, where numerous initiatives will be set to continue to improve and expand on our existing programs and services. Furthermore, I hope to see you at our events throughout the year. We are the city of progress and we will continue to strive for excellence!" Of course, no progress is possible unless taxes are collected. Somehow honesty is a prerequisite but not apparently with Mr. Robaina.
On the New Times blog, Robaina supporters quickly leapt to the Hialeah realtor's defense: what good citizen, they say, would rush to the property appraiser's office to inform on himself? How about: dead beats, drug dealers, and scofflaws.
I wonder, the number of Miami political insiders in plain daylight who are not paying their mortgages much less property taxes. But to imagine that voters will elect a county mayor (and former president of the Northwest Dade Association of Realtors) for who has been 'outed' while gaming the system? I would say not even Miami-Dade voters would elect such a candidate.
10 comments:
"Of course, no progress is possible unless taxes are collected."
That's the entire problem. Not just in Miami, but in the entire country. Everyone wants more services but no one wants to pay for them.
Taxes = political death.
No services = political death.
We can't have it both ways.
This has been all over Spanish media, radio and TV. When is the "mainstream" Engligh language media going to follow suit?? This is a clear violation of the public trust, and a case of a Mayor protecting his own wallet, at the expense of his City and the County where he wants to become Mayor. He is a proven liar, and a cheat!!
Just wait till all the services get privatized and folks start paying 2 and 3 times more than what they're paying now in taxes.
Its not a matter on NO SERVICES and NOT PAYING for them but rather what services should government provide and how and how much should we be taxed for them.
When an everage citizen pays between 2 and 3 percent annually of his property value, over 7 percent on retail purchases and over 25% of his/her income to government and countless of other taxes added to utility and other bills something is wrong (at least if you consider the principles THIS country was founded on).
The chickens have come home to roost the government Largess and the FEDeral Reserves Ponzi scheme have blown up. We must pay the piper.
Robaina was caught on videotape lying about his Marlins stadium support. Robaina also received an undisclosed $200,000 private loan from one city vendor (providing city vehicles) and gave an undisclosed $300,000 private loan to another city vendor (providing towing services). Robaina is also closely associated with disgraced former state Rep. Ralph Arza who made those disgusting racist remarks to a colleague 5 years ago. Robaina is also reportedly under investigation for his business relationship with Luis Felipe Perez who the feds have criminally charged with running a $40 million Ponzi scheme.
Why would anyone vote for this guy?
Dear Cato
The founding fathers lived in a world where 2 and 1/2 million people were spread across the east coast from Maine to Georgia. We live in a world where 2 and 1/2 million live in Miami-Dade County alone.
We have more regulation because we have more density. Look around your house or street and you will see a vast amount of needed regulation. Imagine driving to work if the streets were not paved, maintained, signed, traffic-lighted and cruised by cops. And behind that a system of traffic engineers and a court system.
You may or may not understand this, but this system of government services is the basis of our business success. If you do not believe me, go try to conduct business in a third world country that does not have these things.
And there is much necessary regulation that you do not see. We have two and 1/2 million people living on top of our drinking supply. Businesses and individuals would have polluted our water and destroyed areas like Biscayne Bay long ago through ignorance or greed. (As it is, we will soon be drinking water that has already be drunk once, if you get my drift).
Hell it was only a few decades ago when we used to have rivers catch fire because of all of the pollution in them.
I wish we could trust individuals not to pollute, not to take advantage of others, to be fair and nice, to drive safely, to maintain their vehicles and houses, to build and sell only houses that are at least minimally safe. But, brother, people are not angels, and for this reason, as Madison (the Founding Father) noted so long ago, we need government.
And yes to pay for government, we must pay taxes.
Let's have a fair and honest debate of what government services we want to cut. But stop your horseshit that taxes are somehow against the values of our country. It was Ben Franklin (who signed the Declaration of Independence)who said only two things were certain: death and taxes.
Reasoning with Cato is like reasoning with your dog. Just pat him on his head and throw him a bone. Woof!
ANON you seem pretty bright but your reading comprehension skills leave a lot to be desired. I NEVER said not paying any taxes I may have hinted (guilty as charged) that government has become to cumbersome and draining and I think very few people who actually analyze the sittuation who are not enamored with Marx, Engels or Peron would agree with that premise.
I did not hint at anarchy or self rule or anything that resembled it but you attacked me as if I were the reincarnation of Mikhail Bakunin.
Let me guess you are employed or subcontracted by the government?
G.O.D. in this weather forget the bone just crank up the A/C and keep the water bowl fool (and ad some ice).
Dear Cato
Re-read your comments. Your only response to my argument was drop three names and make three personal attacks. You have been listening to Newt Gingrich too much.
But let me take a wild guess about you. You are sure you are a patriot who loves this country and you want to save it by cutting taxes and reducing government spending by (1) cutting medical care for poor kids and families; (2) cutting spending for public education both K-12 and universities; (3) lowering environmental protections on clean air and water; (4) ending social programs for all those foreigners and racial groups that you view as minorities.
Am I right? You know damn well I am. Please have the courage of your convictions and come out say so.
It seems that politicians argue very well about people wanting services but not wanting to pay for them. They don't seem to understand that people might not mind paying for services given to them but not for luxury cars, gasoline, foreign travel, expensive restaurants, pay increases to personal friends, etc; all at the tax payer’s expense!!!
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