Jose Felix Diaz in the House (introduced HB4041) and Rene Garcia in the Senate (introduced SB1362). Both bills remove the provision prohibiting federal, state and county or municipal office holders from serving as employees of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Now why would two Miami politicians introduce these bills? There is only one person I know of that these two bills would have a bearing on: Patrick Fiore. Isn't he an employee of DCFS and isn't he an office holder on the Palmetto Bay Village Council? Talk about really bad policy. Some people must really owe some favors to get these two bill manufactured. Remember he was flipping properties and had deals with Lennar while he was voting on Lennar issues when he was on the Kendall Community Council. Who knows who else owes him a favor.
As far as I am concerned, you can't do this after the fact so all this maneuvering really stinks on the part of Rep. Jose Felix Diaz and Senator Rene Garcia. They should know better than to do something that smells so bad. Senator Garcia, exactly how many people are you changing this provision for? I think if this rule change is for Fiore's benefit he should be a man instead and either quit his job or resign as councilperson. You can't have it both ways fella, you knew the rules of your job. You already violated the rule -- no going back. Didn't you also violate it when you were on the Community Council in Kendall or is it true you had a letter from your superiors allowing you to run for office? Did you file the letter with your paperwork to qualify? Heard you were MIA on the meetings up in Tallahassee set up by your Village lobbyist. What were you doing, pushing the 2 bills?
32 comments:
These guys get away with it, because they CAN. No one should vote for ANY incumbent especially in the state legislature!
Fiore in 2006 was doing deals with Lennar and voting on their issues while on the Community Council. Maybe it is why they DCFS have that rule in the first place.
Why hasn't he been removed from office under the current laws? What am I missing here?
You gals are a bunch of wussies.
Ever consider that he just might have had approval from the dept. before he ran.
Signed a Fiore Fan.
Is the story an attack on the law that needs to be fixed, or is it a beat down on the two guys trying to help, or is it just another attempted slam on Fiore, orchestrated by those sore losers down in Palmetto Bay.
Or maybe all three , plus more. I just love politics.
When are you guys going to do your stuff about the missing computers surrounding a local private school in Palmetto Bay.
Btw, this post isn't about Palmer Trinity.
Posts like this are the best purpose of EOM. The deal-making for ambitious politicians start with little seeds of corruption. Unfortunately, the Herald has never picked up on how readers are attracted to this level of detail. But I'm going to guess that there are 100 similar stories to tell about Marco Rubio in his rise from West Dade political hack to US Senator. These moments need to be all reported out, because as we have proven time and again, Florida surfaces candidates for national office who the wider American public will have NO CLUE about when they surface.
Complain to:
ig_complaints@DCF.state.fl.us
Dawn Case - Inspector General
Don't insult the blogger. And, Beth Gerald has nothing to do with this blog. It even isn't so much about the favor bestowed upon Fiore so he could get his pension. It is all about the outrageous behavior of two elected officials: Rene Garcia and Jose Felix Diaz, to propose a bill to HELP ONE PERSON.
Don't the workers at DSCFS have enough to do over there? Why would they need such intensive outside activities.
For Patrick Fiore, it's all about if you support me, then I'll support you. Just like his recent vote on the Palmetto Bay Council. He voted for a 5 year tennis contract for Jane Forman because in his words "she endorced me in my bid for Palmetto Bay Council so I voted yes on the contract for Jane." This was a bad contract for the Village of Palmetto Bay and every other council member (council members looking out for the best interest of Palmetto Bay) voted against the contract.
Why were any of the council members up there for Dade Days? You can buy paella locally, you certainly do not have to travel at taxpayer expense, travel, room and board, for a taste. The event is nothing but one big party. Everyone knows that there is no money up there. The council does not have any stated policy initiatives.
Councilman Tendrich received a standing ovation at the Palmetto Bay Business Association when he announced that he did not attend in order to save taxpayer money. There was no purpose for him to go considering the state of the budget in Tallahassee. Good for him. Good fur the taxpayers. Mr. Tendrich is apparently the only fiscal conservative on the council.
There are far too many little politicians taking advantage of the Tallahassee party without purpose at public expense.
The truth will come out when the final budget is announced. How well did this council do in Tallahassee? Did they cover the costs of travel, lodging and per diem as well as the cost of the lobbyists? How about just picking up the phone and talking with our representatives. Why do they all really need to be there live? WHAT A JOKE!
We shall see. The other shoe is about to drop for more than just Mr. Fiore on that council. What a crazy little town.
BTW, the democrat from Palmetto Bay is Fiore. How did Gerald get into this discussion?
Now I am insulted Geniusofdespair. Please delete the offending comments about Bev Gerald, even if true and not really an insult, but there were many other inmportant points I wish you would have allowed to be posted, especially the point that public service should be open to all who work, regardless of public or private sector, and that we would have a much larger and qualfied pool if service to public office was open to more that just the retired or non-working spouses.
We have to be consistent. We can't take on the far right and their birther attacks against Obama, yet fall into that same behavior just because we are from the left.
I CANNOT TAKE OUT FROM YOUR COMMENTS EASILY. You accused someone of being part of this post who wasn't, and you insulted me in the process. Anyway, here is your comment above and my response below.
Some jobs are too intensive to serve two masters. I wouldn't want an air traffic controller moonlighting in politics. Same token, the DCFS is too intensive for safety of children and families for this guy to be wheeling and dealing on the side. Outside employment/holding office is a problem when it is banned. Do you want someone from DERM on the County Commission? You have to draw the line somewhere. He should have fixed the legislature before running not after winning.
All of thisw about Patrick Fiore doesn't supprise me. Patrick is an oppurtunist. He has fooled us all into thinking he is a conservative republician. In 2000 he stood at early voting for two weeks holding an Obama sign. He had an Obama bumper sticker on his vehicle. If you heard him talk back then, it was Obama this and Obama that and we need CHANGE. Now that he can get more payback from the republicans, he has decided he is a conservative republican. Fiore fooled Gene Flinn into thinking he had Fiore support in his run for county commission while all the while he was cozying up to Linda Bell. Fiore has always been an oppurtunist and we all were too blind to see it in the past.
My mother taught me that a dog who will take bring a bone will take a bone. Fiore supporters, take notice. There is always a cost involved with associating with the likes of people who will compromise their morals for their personal gain. Unfortunately, they often take people down with them in the process.
If you are a rose in a bucket of shit, you still smell like shit.
Call to action, Palmetto Bay. At your next public meeting, ask Fiore which meetings he attended in Talli. Ask others as well, if appropriate. Make it a part of public record and then take measures.
If he didn't attend the meetings, make him pay his own damn expenses. Slap his hand, at least. Come on guys!
This is more about State Senator Rene Garcia and State Representative Jose Felix Diaz. You can't blame Fiore for asking but you can blame these two for granting his request.
LInda, I think it is about four things: Garcia, Felix Diaz, Fiore and a population of residents who have the ability to deal with this thing in a very straight forward manner. They can deal with Fiore in a public meeting. They can also start a petition or a letter writing campaign to these two guys in Talli who deserve to get a lesson in how not to get re elected.
Linda, when did you think that taking the oath of office and signing the ethics form to run for office, swearing that you are available to run meant you can take care of the details later? He was not eligible to run. The law says he must give a written request and receive approval 55 days before qualifying for office, not winning. He was counting getting out of it somehow or he knew he wouldn't get the approval or he was denied. He asked for and got the approval when he was on the Kendall Council.
So, previous anon, are you saying that Fiore did not have the authority to run for this office and, therefore, should vacate it immediately? If so, then perhaps the Residents of Palmetto Bay should be doing more than passing around petitions.
Enough with him making his own rules. This is his second strike.
If Wilkins asked the Freshman to do this, I don't think you spit in the eye of a guy like him. He goes back to Jeb days.
You gotta love the passion over in Palmetto Bay.
Has anyone asked Fiore if he had permission from his bosses to run for office?
Betcha the answer is yes!
It is clear that those that attack him without having the facts had it in for him anyway and just needed a reason to let off some steam.
I am quoting from the other blog:
DCF Employee said...
Complain to:
ig_complaints@DCF.state.fl.us
Dawn Case - Inspector General
Check out Rep. Jose Felix Diaz's bill HB4041 and Sen, Garcia's SB1362. Also, DCF rule CF60-05 revised as of 2000 clarifies the situation. The entire DCF employee manual as well as the quoted portion is available on line (google). The Bills are available on Bill Tracker.
You can also Google will also take you to the articles and reports on his activities regarding the conflicted voting. However, he contends the $'s were $200,000 while the news reports $180,000.
Gossip I don't do.
FIORE IS TELLING PEOPLE HE HAD PERMISSION. I LOOKED UP THE STATUTE:
Florida Statute:
(4) As an individual, each employee retains all rights and obligations of citizenship provided in the Constitution and laws of the state and the Constitution and laws of the United States. However, no employee in the career service shall:
(a) Hold, or be a candidate for, public office while in the employment of the state or take any active part in a political campaign while on duty or within any period of time during which the employee is expected to perform services for which he or she receives compensation from the state.
However, when authorized by his or her agency head and approved by the department as involving no interest which conflicts or activity which interferes with his or her state employment, an employee in the career service may be a candidate for or hold local public office. The department shall prepare and make available to all affected personnel who make such request a definite set of rules and procedures consistent with the provisions herein.
HAS ANYONE SEEN A COPY OF THIS LETTER WITH THE RULES AND GUIDELINES IN PALMETTO BAY VILLAGE FILES?
So the issue is one of timing. If he did not do the right things, than he should be asked to leave elected office. In essence, he took office illegally. The bad thing about this is that this might disenfrachise voters and I am not for that. So, would he then be able to rerun for the same position? This is a tough one. You have to watch that conflict of interest stuff. Just ask his boss, Wilkins.
I'm getting more concrened that this is another instance of DCF sweeping under the rug issues that affect the quality of work they do. I'm with God that the work is intensive and do we really want people leaving work during the day and making the time up (maybe) when the issues need to be addressed during business hours. I take time off to go to my children's school but I am a lowly beancounter and can make the time up later. No body gets hurt on my watch.
I've filed my complaint to the Inspector General regarding Fiore.........have you?
Post a Comment