Dignitary: A person considered to be important because of high rank or office.
I went to Mayor Gimenez's Meeting held last night in Homestead. Apparently there was a meeting BEFORE the meeting that no one knew about. I asked a Gimenez Aide, standing outside the closed doors (guarding them?), who was in the room. He said there was a meeting of "Dignitaries". I am thinking to myself, in Homestead, is he kidding? Geez, that is an oxymoron if I ever heard one: Homestead Dignitaries.
Well it turns out there was friggin' Lynda Bell in there, some Farm Bureau folks -- big farmers -- and the Frick and Frack of Homestead: Bill Losner and James Humble. Talk about NOT dignitaries, how about a big "L" on those foreheads? If I remember correctly James Humble gave $500 to Julio Robaina's campaign. Anyway, most if not all of the dignitaries left BEFORE the Mayor's presentation -- too imperial to hear the Mayor's spiel? The rest of the farmers, feeling like riffraff, sat dutifully waiting for the presentation. Worse - the riffraff, as they waited outside in the hall, were hushed by a burly cop, during the 'dignitary only' closed-door meeting.
Remember people that about 70% of Maimi Dade farms are 9 acres or less so in the future, lets give everyone the same respect.
I didn't stay for the Mayor's presentation, instead of leaving because I felt imperial - I instead felt immaterial. If you don't have money to throw around, you are nothing in Miami. The aide should have said, when I asked who was in the room:
"Some rich guys and a couple of politicians."
What is the point of anything I write anymore? I come back from vacation and it is the same old shit. Wait let me find an appropriate song lyric:
He's a real Nowhere Man / Sitting in his Nowhere Land / Making all his nowhere plans / for nobody.
The farmers I admire are the ones like Sidney Robinson, proud of their produce, fighting for their way of life and the future of farming in Miami Dade County.
I am adding this observation from one of your comments readers:
My definition of dignitary would not fit this pre-meeting crowd. I think of a dignitary as either an elected official or someone who has distinguished themselves in word, deed, and hard work, leaders of the community. Humble and Losner are destructive forces all about making money. The Dade County Farm Bureau is an insurance company not interested in the betterment of anybody. Charles LaPradd is a county employee. Other than Bell (who is also destructive), I did not see any dignataries who have true dignity. On the other hand, I saw true community leaders standing in the hall like second class citizens. I saw world renown, published orchid growers, Mary and Martin Motes. I saw Tropical Fruit Grower President, Louise King. I saw past Tropical Fruit Grower President and real farmers, Lee and Dewey Steele. I saw avocado grower and Redland cheerleader, Sid Robinson. - Anonymous
64 comments:
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Who one earth is advising him?
This is such a sad column. I don't think I can blame you for leaving. It sounds insulting. It was probably Lynda Bell who planned the earlier meeting. That is her guest list if James and Bill were included. Perhaps the Mayor should have someone who knows the area make his plans. He has a lot of supporters in that area.
The "dignitaries" look like fat old balding men. They must be V-E-R-Y R-I-C-H.
Mayor Gimenez I am sure did not take that Dignitary Meeting before the meeting with the voters seriously. He knows just what Missy Linda is doing. He is totally aware of the people on his side. Mr. Gimenez is a smart man. If you remember Missy Lynda Bell was angry at him because he did not support her in her quest for
District 8. Its count down for Missy Linda Bell RECALL. Linda still up to your tricks. I cannot believe Losner is in your corner. You are Not in his league. Stop picking the food out of your teeth with a toothpick when you go to lunch. Your staff is laughing at You behind your back.
I love your perspective its always spot on! Thank you! You're not just an eye on Miami, you remind us there's a heart there too.. Thank you! Keep it up!!!!
Who is advising him? Her name is Alina Hudak.
I'm sorry but I am unclear. Are you saying that you made a major mistake by endorsing Gimenez and that in spite of your assistance to his campaign you are just one of the very little MDC people.
The "dignitaries" look like beached whales.
Sad commentary, but nothing new from the nation's fraud capital: Homestead. Instead of being in jail, these guys get promoted to fancy boards. I hope Humble and Losner feel very important and really good about how they wrecked Homestead, filling it with their version of Kendall while they cruise the Bahamas or vacation in Europe. Alvarez? Feh.
I went there and my barf meter went off the charts. When I walked in and saw everyone in the hallway, the "secret" meeting with Loser & the Farm 'we sell insurance' bureau and Bell I left. Talk about the people who were at the forefront of our housing crash and all of the sudden they're in the know of all "agriculture" while the people who actually farm, including members of the tropical fruit growers were left out in the cold.
What was even worse, I went inside for a few minutes to look around. An aide was talking to someone and said "he hasn't been down here in 40 years" speaking about Gimenez and the Ag area (other than having a fundraiser at Capri held by Katie "lap band" Edwards). Even the Vile one used to bus the Seniors in to Redland!
Gimenez sucks, or his aides suck, but what he did to disenfranchise a lot of people who supported him stinks.
Instead of incorporating Redland, we need to chop South Dade off around SW 184 or SW 200 and form a new County!
Disgusted in Redland (and I do farm)
This is where I see a key difference between Carlos Alvarez and Gimenez - Alvarez understood Redland and the politics down here, Gimenez doesn't.
Alvarez was at the 1st Hold the Line press conference at Bayfront with Katy Sorensen, Nancy Liebman and the original organizers of the group. He was out front, not behind a group of aides.
I'm only speaking on the narrow issues of Redland and the UDB, but Alvarez was a champion of both. Gimenez has a huge learning curve.
It is not surprising that pre-meeting was full of farm bureau folks... As you may have heard at some point, they "represent" 3000 growers.
Except, what they don't quote to us is the fact those growers ARE NOT people who all feel that the FB represent their interests -- those 3000 are members because to get insurance from the company you HAVE to pay dues to the organization and be a member. So in reality the "membership" is part of the policy cost. I am offended that I have no choice in the matter.
Far as the invitee list... Gimemez's staff only knows about the community what they learned during the campaign. Which is not much.
G.o.D.
is there a difference between big farmers and BIG land owners
Bell was only there because she had to be. It is in her district; otherwise, she and the ag establishment despise each another.
Were the farm boys there to save the job of their boy Charles La Pradd ? As for a "secret" meeting, dont you think that the Mayor, all Mayors, regularly meet with special interest groups from across the whole spectrum ?
To the person who said: I'm sorry but I am unclear. Are you saying that you made a major mistake by endorsing Gimenez and that in spite of your assistance to his campaign you are just one of the very little MDC people.---
I endorsed the best candidate for the race and that will never change. I will always be one of MDC little people. That will never change. I just get pissed when it is so in my face that people I know and respect in the county feel slighted.
To the last anonymous -- I heard the topic of wetlands was discussed at the meeting. That is Lynda's jhihad against DERM. So Lynda didn't just go and listen she steered. Yes I know there are meetings--but the special interests were out there with me...the 70% of farmers and their group heads - like Louise King were in the hall.
With the exception of Humble, I doubt anyone at the meeting before the meeting, except Bell cares what happens in the swamp slum known as the 8.5 sq mile area. So, my take is teh talk was not about wetlands but consumptive use permits and "in the field" produce washing equipment....you know, the pesky DERM stuff
The Imperial Banker who was not there is the one you need to be concerned about. His surrogates were out in force.
The 8 1/2 square mile woman was there last night. Don't know if she was counted as a dignitary.
Was Mayor Bateman there? Or Councilman Elvis Maldonado? Don't think so. I saw them at the CHI Imaging Center Grand Opening last night. Bateman was a tad late but... He was there. So exactly who was so important if not the electeds of Homestead to meet with Gimenez? Oh, I've got it now. Donors
It is okay for the mayor to have such meetings but that was a blatant disregard for the public. The meeting should have been held elsewhere.
Conspicuously absent were Epling (Community Bank) and Alger(being sued by the Air Base)............Their proxy's were not though!
Oh, and 8 1/2 sq mile Alice Pena was there. I thought they did enough damage with the we want to do whatever we want regardless of zoning and we'll let the fed's (you and I) pick up the tab on clean up and FEMA rescue!
Damn DERM and let the cock fighting continue out there! Who needs a building permit, we have Lynda to fight for us!
Oh, and those pesky Everglades and potential run off of animal excrement and pesticides, we'll drink the water anyway!
Councilman Elvis Maldonado and Jon Burgess were there
So was soon to be former Mayor Steve Bateman
Bateman was at the imperial meeting as was Dunagan -- farm bureau president. Yvonne Alexander pres. elect was also there.
In response to my post regarding your support of Gimenez and your response: you didn't support the best candidate..you supported the SAME candidate. It's always the same political agendas, speeches everyone wants to hear, yada, yada, yada. I for one think Carlos Alvarez looks better every single day.
"I for one think Carlos Alvarez looks better every single day."
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I didn't like a lot of what Alvarez did with the budget, raises and Marlin's. However, as I wrote earlier, he was a friend to Redland and used his veto pen when it came to the over riding the Commission on breaching the UDB. I will forever be grateful for that.
I did not support his recall, and GoD has repeatedly written didn't either. However, between Gimenez and Robaina, I too supported Gimenez and he has proven to be a friend of the same old crap Farm Bureau with the DERM polluters from 8 1/2 sq mile, not a friend to Redland and the people who make up this community.
I hope Gimenez considers a new Ag Manager not so in bed with the above or we'll have more of the same, let's change the master plan to breach the UDB from the inside out.
In 2012, I hope there is a third option other than "I'm not a crook" Martinez or Gimenez (if he doesn't start getting it soon).
Don't look back. Fruitless.
Instead, can we make a dent in Gimenez or is he too full of himself to learn? He seems to be like a human tooth - you need a carbide drill bit to get through the tooth and the same could be said of him; you have to employ extraordinary measures to reach him and changing his mind is a losing battle.
Then there is the problem that he only goes to very rich dentists.
That closed unadvertised meeting needed a little sunshine.
Homestead is a shark tank. Gimenez was caught off-guard. He needs people in the community to warn him when the sharks are circling. Unfortunately for him, he has no soldiers in the field he trusts. His aides can't know everything. He met with the worst people before the budget meeting. He would have been better off if he said he couldn't do it when asked about the earlier meeting.
His aides have been warned. His campaign was warned. No one "hears".
yah that "business roundtable" had numerous elected officals
Did you notice there was a back door where the elite could have exited? Hispanics will never understand homestead with it's good old boys that have to swallow their disdain for Hispanic elected officials.
So next time, he will meet where no one can see who he is with rather than out in the open where you all knew something was going on. Which way do you want it, make up your mind.
Yes he will go underground,but now folks know where to dig.
One last warning since everyone is giving advice. Lynda is 2 faced.
I think the slap on the face...i.e. You out here be quiet, important people are meeting, made it worse. Meet in private at least people wouldn't feel demeaned. The meeting was private anyway.
My definition of dignatary would not fit this pre meeting crowd. I think of a dignatary is either an elected official or someone who has distinguished themselves in word, deed, and hard work, leaders of the community. Humble and Losner are destructive forces all about making money. The Dade County Farm Bureau is an insurance company not interested in the betterment of anybody. Charles LaPradd is a county employee. Other than Bell (who is also destructive), I did not see any dignataries who have true dignaty. On the other hand, I saw true community leaders standing in the hall like secod class citizens. I saw world renown, published orchid growers, Mary and Martin Motes. I saw Tropical Fruit Grower President, Louise King. I saw past Tropical Fruit Grower President and real farmers, Lee and Dewey Steele. I saw avocado grower and Redland cheerleader, Sid Robinson.
Robinson. These are the dignataries I admire. Not the developers in overhauls.
Shame on Gimenez for allowing this premeeting to happen. He is listening to the wrong people. BTW, I did not support the recall of Alvarez either. He was not perect and made some big mistakes but Gimenez is making him look real good.
Gimenez is out of touch with our community and its needs. That was obvious when he threw the libraries under the bus in his proposed budget. Hiring the expensive "deputy" mayors was another tone-deaf move. And then he defunded the agriculture department, ignoring the fact that agriculture is one of our community's economic engines. This is a time when we need to feel government (and our tax dollars) work for us - not special interests (those special people in the secret meeting). Isn't that why there was a recall?
The farmers claim their business brings in billions of dollars. So why do they want my taxes to go for their agriculture manager? If the farm industry is so successful, let them fund their own agriculture manager. They can't have it both ways.
"...in Homestead, is he kidding? Geez, that is an oxymoron if I ever heard one: Homestead Dignitaries."
-Geniusofdespair:
You must not have, nor are you seeking, many friends in Homestead and the Redland.
These folk in agriculture toil with the land, work with their hands, and take great risks with all they have against all manner of adversity and the weather.
There are no weekends in agriculture.
They rise with the sun, laboring in South Florida having to endure exposed with all they have to tropical humidity and heat, rebuilding after storms, and with a production from their sweat and toil we all need to subsist, they are generally more industrious and productive than us who type on key boards in air conditioned South Florida.
To comment #38 regarding 'farmers claim their business.....'
Our farming community generates about 40% of surplus revenue in Miami Dade County. Not only does Redland produce enough revenue to keep the Ag center and manager, the rest of our revenue goes to the the County, hence, we have no choice in how the County spends it.
Believe me, we'd love to keep all our revenue, but since we can't incorporate and do just that, the Mayor and Commission gets to decide how to spend OUR money.
This is a whole other issue and my barf meter has had enough today.
.....They rise with the sun, laboring in South Florida having to endure exposed with all they have to tropical humidity and heat, rebuilding after storms, and with a production from their sweat and toil we all need to subsist, they are generally more industrious and productive than us who type on key boards in air conditioned South Florida......
I don't think GOD has an with the growers... I think the issue is with the politics of it all. And Genius does have friends in the AG community and the Redland. Hence this post.
I certainly don't have an issue with growers. Thank you last commenter for pointing that out. The third commenter from the bottom...sit in a quiet room and read my post again. You are not understanding. I assume you are not stupid but you have missed the sarcastic humor/pathos in the post. Others took no offense as they understood my point. To be clear: I don't like the word dignitary. It shouldn't be applied to anyone unless you are a King or a Queen. Even then I prefer Royalty. Homestead's pistol carrying banker sure doesn't measure up to the title nor does Lynda Bell and a host of others at the meeting.
We're so deep in "it" that it's going to take a long, long time to get out. For the past 20 years, I have felt like Diogenes. And how do you like the latest Michelle Spence-Jones triumph? Ray Samson, David Rivera, and now Michelle! The way we're going, pretty soon we won't need any jails! All the crooks get off. I hope Kathy doesn't get re-elected. I had the greatest trouble trying to believe Gimenez, Insiders always know who is who in this community.
"Good looking Lady".... sorry
Don't be so shallow, all you see is the back of her head.
Did you note that the dignitaries in your pictures all have name tags and the rest of the people didn't. I wonder who paid for the name tags. Someone should do a public records request.
I wonder if Lynda Bell and Mayor Gimenez violated the Sunshine Law.
Mr.Gimenez I was shocked at the way this meeting was handled. A meeting before the meeting which was not announced and the big burly Homestead Policeman which has announced he is just waiting for retirement. Lynda Bell requested that this was her choice.
Also he came out and yelled for the nobodies in the hall to be quiet. I looked at the people in the hall and those citizens had more brains and class than the dignitaries. Enough of all these private meetings with Mr. Gimenez that did not even support him. Friends of Lynda Bell.
Love Syd. As for the Dignitaries, it all comes down to the Mayor's actions. The Dignitaries probably requested the meeting - ya think??
I'm not shalow, I know she is, I was there. just wondering
Gimenez can meet with any one commissioner without violating the sunshine law. They are not on the same board. However, the Homestead council members that were present for the secret meeting do appear to have violated the law.
One of the dignitaries looks like Erik from Pine Island Nursery. True?
There were no Homestead Council members in the meeting before the meeting. Burgess was out in the hall and Bateman and Maldonado strode in at the last minute. The nice looking lady discussed above is a member Bells staff and at one time worked for the City of Homestead.
Yes, that is Erik Teitig from Pine Island Nursery. (see, also, surrogate for the other banker)
Making fun of someone for having gastric bypass surgery says much about the level of pettiness in South Dade.
Johanna faddis ? Is that bells staffer? She was relieved of duty.
Yes, she was removed form her City of Homestead position and later got the job with Bell
Johanna Faddis was the former Homestead Deputy City Manager. She was dismissed after her inappropriate relationship with City Manager Shehadeh came to light.
I don't think she had a relationship...he was pursuing her but I didn't read that she reciprocated.
Shehadeh sent Faddis numerous "romantic" texts and emails. There were apparently no written responses from Faddis which only indicates to me that she didn't want anything in writing. If Shehadeh's affections were unrequited, wouldn't Faddis at least write back that his comments were unwanted or inappropriate?
Here is just some of what Shehadeh wrote to Faddis:
"I can never imagine that I will ever love anyone like I love you. I was looking at you when you left and felt so much nostalgia. Te quaro mucho mi corazon." (mispelled Spanish meaning "I love you very much, my love.")
"I have a problem!! I can not entertain another woman in my mind beside you. I'm deeply in love with you girl. I'm getting deeper and deeper into it!"
It sure appears to me that the relationship was personal, but you be the judge.
Faddis and Shehadeh had NO relationship. She was let go three months before the city alleged such a relationship.
Apparently no beautiful woman can be promoted to a position without sleeping with her boss as per the Chitty of Homestead logic.
Ask the investigators and all the council members who were deposed, they all denied having any knowledge of any relationship between Faddis and Shehadeh. The City gave Shehadeh a letter to clear all charges against him
I know both of them very closely, and they are like a brother and a sister, but too bad Johanna is Mexican American and Beautiful, so that does not play well with Redneck Judy and Bateman.
Homestead paid Shehadeh more what he originally asked for and spent $800,000 on attorneys, investigators and auditors, and they could not find a single thing against the man.
The only mistake Shehadeh did was to work against the corrupted city council with the federal government, and trusting the federal government.
I NEVER met a man how has more ethics honor or integrity than Mike Shehadeh that is why they accused him of wrong doing and four of them never worked with him for one minute
she did ask him to stop in the text messages, some how that did not make it in the newspaper. I guess that part wasn't news worthy.
If you worked for the chitty of Homestead you will know the truth. Shehadeh started working for the city in 94, and since then some people talked about him having affairs with several women throughout the years. I know it was all fabrication, because I’m one of those women.
To Mike’s credit, these women were all GOOD looking. Mike haters even referred to them as (his Harem). And Mike jokingly always said, I did not know I was such a hot man for all these women to have affairs with me.!!!!!
If Shehadeh was such a bad man, why did all the special interest ganged against him, and Johanna? Why did all the prior and present corrupt elected officials ganged against him?
Mike was the only manager who promoted people based on their knowledge, including minorities and women. He was criticized for it, but stood up for his values. It is not a coincident that all the people he hired or promoted were fired and replaced with white people only.
Ask you self the question, and you well get the answer. Mike never had, or wanted to have a relationship with any woman working with or related to his job.
I talk to him very frequently and now and after three years after his divorce, he is not dating or having any relationships with any woman at all. It is his religious and cultural values not to have relationships without marriage. Very hard for some of you to swallow, but that is the man I know. I actually call him “Mi Hirmano”
So stop expressing your opinion without knowledge, or because you have a vendetta against Mike or Johanna. Search for the truth.
Judy had all of the women fired, she did not want competition so she brought back Volkert.
Bateman is the harem man, he had Sergio hire many women, some of them neighbors of Bateman. Don't believe it ask Elaine and Carrie. The Fairways is hosting humpfests as is city hall.
My opinion is that Shehedah succombed to the power trip that Bell was on and took the fall. He failed to play nice with Waldman, you know keep your friends close and your enemies closer....
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