"Getting Florida Back to Work", or, Shorting Florida: how much damage can Rick Scott do? A lot. By gimleteye

Government can't get Floridians back to work. All government can do is create incentives for employers and specific industries. Sadly the very industries that warped Florida's economy-- turning the state into a land speculator's bonanza with pump and dump schemes for millions of mortgages-- are firmly entrenched in the administration of a new governor who has zero experience in public policy or history, beyond what he observed from the inside of a private jet and personal wealth generated from gaming health care reimbursements.

The announcement, yesterday, that an executive of St. Joe Company, was appointed to head the state's growth management agency-- the one slated for demolition by the GOP led legislature-- provoked instant outrage in some quarters. Like this one. St. Joe, a publicly traded company has a long history in Florida as a major land owner and land developer. The corporation was hit extraordinarily hard by the recession/depression and its own ill-timed investments in large scale land developments that had been championed by the Jeb! Bush administrations. Under Bush, St. Joe blew through community concerns and secured rights from the state to build a vast community in the Panhandle centered around a new commercial airport no one needed or wanted in the middle of pristine wetlands.

Take it from someone who knows: Linda Young, of Clean Water Network, who spent years fighting the Panhandle disaster. In a press statement yesterday, Ms. Young noted that St. Joe has been a terrible investment, unless you were betting short the market: "St. Joe’s development schemes are so flopped that famed hedge fund manager David Einhorn from Greenlight Capital told Bloomberg TV that “The company has negative profits with no means of generating ongoing cash to service debt.”

“…there’s no ongoing business,” Einhorn said. “Ten years ago they had twice as many acres. All they do is sell acres. They take in cash for selling the acres. Most of it goes to the operating expense of the company so there’s not a lot of profits left for shareholders. And so basically, this isn’t an ongoing business, it’s basically a run-down of the assets. And my feeling is that if they continue on their current course, it’s going to take them a few decades, but, by the end of the day, there just won’t be anything left." There won't be anything left of Florida, either, when Rick Scott is done with our state.

Ms. Young notes: "There’s irony in the fact that Scott’s press release announcing Buzzett’s appointment uses the Bay County airport as a primary example of his accomplishments: “As vice president of strategic planning for the St. Joe Company, Buzzett helped lead the development of the new international airport in West Bay Florida, along with the largest master planned community in the United States.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General released a report on improper payments that were made by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In a 16-month period during 2007-2008, they found over $13 million (more than 5 percent) of payments made to 17 grantees reviewed were improper. Topping the list of illegal payments was almost $7 million to the Bay County Airport Authority in Panama City Florida. No other project came close to this level of graft."

Using government policies as "leverage" to speculate is a theme close to Governor Scott, who used federal Medicaid programs to leverage hundreds of millions in personal wealth-- and finally, cause a federal court to levy the largest civil fraud fine in US history. Only a week into the new administration in Tallahassee, and an extraordinary picture is emerging: getting Florida back to work is a scheme to short Florida. A Scott spokesperson dismissed the criticism in an AP report today, "They have an agenda." Yes, the agenda is an attempt to explain from the sinking ship: the life rafts have all been commandeered by insiders, and the special interests inside who are telling us all to just swim by ourselves until help arrives are lying. (click 'read more' for the full press statement by Clean Water Network)



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Linda Young
(850) 322-7978

January 6, 2011

NEW PLANNING CHIEF IS FAILED DEVELOPER
Once rural lands now ‘ghost towns,’ North Florida counties’ predicted
windfalls are broken promises

Billy Buzzett – the man incoming Gov. Rick Scott picked to head the state’s land planning agency – presided over a series of failed development projects across North Florida, including pushing a sweetheart-deal international airport that wiped out massive amounts of wetlands and filled an estuary with mud, and now struggles for customers.

Buzzett was St. Joe Company’s point man during the real estate bubble, when the company got the Legislature to weaken planning rules and persuaded rural county commissions to allow natural destruction in the name of developments, many of which now sit empty.

St. Joe’s development schemes are so flopped that famed hedge fund manager David Einhorn from Greenlight Capital told Bloomberg TV that “The company has negative profits with no means of generating ongoing cash to service debt.”

“…there’s no ongoing business,” Einhorn said. “Ten years ago they had twice as many acres. All they do is sell acres. They take in cash for selling the acres. Most of it goes to the operating expense of the company so there’s not a lot of profits left for shareholders. And so basically, this isn’t an ongoing business, it’s basically a run-down of the assets. And my feeling is that if they continue on their current course, it’s going to take them a few decades, but, by the end of the day, there just won’t be anything left."


In a presentation before the Value Investing Congress in October, Einhorn summarized St. Joe’s troubles:

“- JOE’s developments are full of lots that former speculators or their banks would like to sell.

- There is little evidence of how JOE spent so much money on these developments.

- Many developments are ghost towns.

- Little value remains.”

“This is the man they pick to preside over planning in Florida? He’s a well-connected developer whose projects mostly flopped, and he wrecked the public’s resources to try to make a profit.” said Linda Young, director of the Clean Water Network of Florida.
As St Joe’s lead advocate for the new Bay County Airport and West Bay Sector Plan, Buzzett promised local politicians that St. Joe would donate 41,000 acres of its land to Bay County in exchange for relaxed development standards and public subsidies. Years later, this land has yet to be donated to the public.

“After watching Buzzett for years spin carefully crafted tales about purported land donations that never transpired, I can just imagine the grandiose promises he will provide us as he carves up Florida’s remaining resources for St Joe and for Scott’s other business supporters,” Young said.

There’s irony in the fact that Scott’s press release announcing Buzzett’s appointment uses the Bay County airport as a primary example of his accomplishments:

“As vice president of strategic planning for the St. Joe Company, Buzzett helped lead the development of the new international airport in West Bay Florida, along with the largest master planned community in the United States.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General released a report on improper payments that were made by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In a 16-month period during 2007-2008, they found over $13 million (more than 5 percent) of payments made to 17 grantees reviewed were improper. Topping the list of illegal payments was almost $7 million to the Bay County Airport Authority in Panama City Florida. No other project came close to this level of graft.

The report shows that the Florida DOT falsified records to cover-up the Bay County Airport Authority’s misuse of funds. One example given in the report says the airport received over $4 million for construction work on temporary pollution and erosion control, but couldn’t produce documentation showing that the completed work met FAA and contract requirements. In fact, airport construction sent massive amounts of silt into once-clear waterways, destroying wildlife and habitat.

“Appointing a man who obviously believes that environmental destruction is OK in the name of profits to head the state’s land-planning watchdog is a clear signal that Rick Scott intends to plunder Florida worse than any governor before him,” Young said. “He’s not even trying to pretend that he cares about the environment.”

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County Commission Committee Assignments. By Geniusofdespair

Here are some committee assignments:
Infrastructure and Land Use Committee: Natacha Seijas (13) Chair; Barbara J. Jordan (1) Vice Chair; Commissioners Bruno A. Barreiro (5), Jose "Pepe" Diaz (12), Jean Monestime (2), and Rebeca Sosa. Economic Development & Social Services Committee: Rebeca Sosa (6) Chair; Jean Monestime (2) Vice Chair; Commissioners Bruno A Barreiro (5), Lynda Bell (8), Dennis C. Moss (9), and Natacha Seijas (13). Internal Mgmt. & Fiscal Responsibility Committee: Lynda Bell (8) Chair; Audrey M. Edmonson (3) Vice Chair; Commissioners Jose "Pepe" Diaz (12), Carlos A. Gimenez (7), Barbara J. Jordan (1), and Natacha Seijas (13). Regional Trasportation Committee: Chair; Bruno Barreiro, Vice Chair; Carlos Gimenez, Edmonson, Moss, Heyman and Souto. Recreation and Cultural Affairs Committee: Javier Souto Chair; Dennis Moss Vice Chair; Monestime, Gimenez, Heyman and Sosa. Public Safety and Healthcare Administration: Pepe Le Pew Diaz Chair; Sally Heyman Vice chair; Souto, Jordan, Bell, Edmonson.

Notice who Martinez is punishing with NO chairmanship: Heyman, Moss, Edmonson, Gimenez and Jordan. He gives newcomer Bell a Chairmanship to rub the old-timers noses in the slight.

Look what Carlos Gimenez put on the agenda (2 resolutions) for Vile Natacha Seijas' Committee. Does he have a death wish because she is going to go bonkers, I will have to watch this broadcast on Wednesday just to see her reaction:


102596 Resolution Carlos A. Gimenez, Prime Sponsor

RESOLUTION CALLING A COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, [ ], 2011, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE HOME RULE CHARTER SHALL BE AMENDED TO: SPECIFY THE EXCLUSIVE PROCESS, FORM, CONTENT, AND METHOD FOR CERTIFICATION OF CITIZEN INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL, AND CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITIONS, REPEAL ALL PROVISIONS IN CURRENT ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS THAT REGULATE CITIZEN INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL, AND CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITIONS, AND PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SHALL NOT ADOPT ANY RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE THAT REGULATES SUCH PETITIONS

102597 Resolution Carlos A. Gimenez, Prime Sponsor

RESOLUTION CALLING A COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO AMEND THE HOME RULE CHARTER TO PROVIDE THAT, EFFECTIVE WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS IN 2012, NO PERSON ELECTED FOR MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE FOUR-YEAR TERMS AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO QUALIFY FOR, NOR SHALL BE ELECTED AS, A COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE NEXT SUCCEEDING TERM

If these make it out of committee I would be shocked.

David Rivera: the GOP Congress starts ethically challenged the Miami Way... by gimleteye

The first test of the GOP pledge to ethics is Miami-Dade's own David Rivera, who possibly will have the shortest tenure in the history of the US Congress. The Miami Herald has detailed Rivera's twisted finances. The mess calls into question what Rivera, best buddy of now US Senator Marco Rubio, talked about, when they discussed politics and money.

Somehow-- don't ask me because I don't have a clue-- Rivera was elected without disclosures of any kind about his personal finances, that apparently included using a straw company run by his mother to hide his involvement in passing an initiative to allow parimutuel betting by his client, the Havenick family in Miami. The young Miami Republican turks who rushed to Rivera's side certainly look like young Miami jerks. Rivera also fabricated key parts of his resume. That also made no impact, apparently, with voters. For insiders in favor of betting, everyone must have known Rivera was involved, yet kept his involvement secret. It's the Miami way: no one spoke up. No one had the guts.

So David Rivera is now compounding the deception, according to the Herald, through a December real estate transaction -- again with mom-- to provide cash to paper over his debt with mom. Do Republican voters have a clue? Do they care? What is rattling around in their heads, to elevate a character with Rivera's ethically challenged credentials? Just like Governor Rick Scott, Rivera is now refusing to answer questions by the press. "I've said all I'm going to say about that," is exactly Scott's line to reporters who during the gubernatorial campaign wanted to learn more about Scott's involvement in the fraud that ended up costing the company he founded the largest civil fine in US history, $1.7 billion.

Well the buck stops here: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor needs to be definitive about Rivera. He doesn't belong in Congress.

Your Congressman David Rivera. By Geniusofdespair

Looks like this is sleazy David Rivera day here at Eye On Miami.

Here is a look at infighting at a Republican campaign event in West Miami. This was filmed during the primary, Paul Crespo was running against David Rivera. Apparently Crespo asked that Rivera resign as Chairman of the Repugnant party since he was also running for office. Doesn't seem to be an unfair request. Someone (Crespo camp believes it was the Executive Director of the Miami Dade Pubs, J.C. Hernandez) called the police to remove Crespo. In the video it shows Rivera watching Crespo and the police confronting Crespo and escorted him out. His offense: he spoke longer than the time limit, you can hear the bell for a few seconds while he was speaking.

If it doesn't work try this link.

Let's read the Constitution in Congress! ... by gimleteye

Governor Scott Inauguration: How much will the press let Gov. Rick Scott get away with?

Jeb! Bush tolerated the press. He was quick to lash out at questions and reporters he deemed impertinent. Not even Jeb! imagined he could get away without talking to the press at all. Governor Rick Scott challenges that assumption. Scott won the office of Florida's governor despite refusing to grant a single interview to a state newspaper editorial board. I watched the Michael Putney TV interview with Scott in Miami, on the Scott Victory Lap Tour. The experienced interviewer failed to pierce Scott's thinking.

At his inaugural events, the press were personas non grata and even yesterday, amidst high security befitting the Manchurian Candidate, the press were delegated to certain events through a "pool" representative. One thing is for sure: inaugurations are the personal statements of the candidates we elected. This one was all about preening Florida's corporate interests in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Depression. It was created from images of prosperity as though those images could stimulate real demand. In the absence of real demand, Floridians appear ready to let a governor deliver changes to Florida's protections-- for our air, water and environment-- to serve polluters and land speculators straight out of a powerpoint presentation.

It must have been fun in Tallahassee for big business, kind of like when Enron took its "Liquid Gold" party to the state capitol in 1999-- to persuade Gov. Bush, whose staff were already on board the Enron train, to privatize Florida's water management districts (and to put campaign contributions in every water pipeline in the state of Florida, like water spigots). Enron then collapsed, and Jeb! skittered away from the carnage that still took down $350 million in state pension funds directed to purchase Enron stock as it slid. But what does Rick Scott know about policy history, or anything else about the struggle to maintain balance and equity between the public and private interests? It's a blank slate and high security all the way, protecting him from us. My prediction is that Scott will use mainly the Fox News-like entities, like Sunshine State, that project radical extremist views to get his messages out. Why? Because he can and because Florida's business elite-- who are smart enough to know how damaging this all is to our state-- don't have the courage to stand up and to voice their objections. It is Miami, times one thousand.

The New Miami Dade County Commission Seating Chart. By Geniusofdespair

Little La Silla Joe Martinez has spoken:



Jordan got dumped in a worse seat. Moss got his old seat back. Seijas likes to be next to the County Attorney. Poor Gimenez he is next to Seijas.

Seijas has Filed Suit to Try to Stop the Recall Election. By Geniusofdespair

Natacha's lawyer Stephen Cody has filed suit to try to stop the recall of Vile Natacha Seijas.

Grim Details Emerge on Scott SuperAgency Plan ... by gimleteye

Fast report here. A Governor Rick Scott powerpoint presentation is making the rounds, that was used by the Scott Transition Team on Regulatory Reform, dated December 20th. It is a fascinating glimpse into the condensation of GOP strategy for Florida and perhaps the nation, guided as we were given to learn, by the foremost conservative foundations who were invited, by Governor Scott, to fill up his clean slate.

The Rick Scott Transition Team powerpoint is George Orwell 2.0 You can almost imagine Governor Scott having his eureka moment, we have to "restructure the company!" Honestly, it's in the powerpoint slide.

Here are some highlights: "meaningful change will require flawless management, sequencing and focus on: purpose, strategy, objectives, leadership, structure and execution (in that order)"

The point about "flawless management" is emphasized a few times and notable. I expect that "flawless management" will be the first victim of the Rick Scott administration, not because Governor Scott doesn't mean well. If there is one thing you can take to the bank, it is that government doesn't do anything flawlessly. In fact, Scott had such a hard time finding candidates for top positions in his administration that he asked the previous administrators, whose resignations he had already accepted, to stay on. Wonder why, if "flawless management" was in the job description.

The conservative premise of the powerpoint presentation: "While the cornerstones of our regulatory framework swelled and entrenched, Florida changed. Now, many policies, agencies and jurisdictions overlap or are redundant. It has even contributed to many of the challenges that we face today." Ah: so it wasn't insiders, lobbyists, and thieves at the public till who are responsible for the problems, it is government itself. Government is the problem. Sound familiar?

This is exactly the same re-tread tires that the Jeb Bush administration ran on, all the while fostering the set of conditions that the Scott administration expects to address: "inconsistent regulatory process, over built real estate, overburdened debt, behind the water supply curve, urban sprawl, etc. etc." Doesn't Government Scott realize this was EXACTLY the outcome that the prior GOP administrations and their supporters, sought?

Now, instead of "balancing the environment and the economy"-- the earlier canard-- it is "from growth management to growth leadership". Excuse me for throwing up a little in my mouth.

Apparently, Governor Scott is focused on "what can have the greatest impact, the fastest." In the GOP gunner's eye: regulatory barriers to job growth. Name one job that has been inhibited because of regulatory barriers. But here are the real objects of desire, as we have written about on Eyeonmiami for years: the Department of Community Affairs and Environmental Protection. After the Governor's promised 60 day "road show" (sound familiar, Growth Management Review is a perennial favorite), now there will be a Plan of Action: "launch regulatory framework work process" that targets the water management districts and DEP.

It's a mish-mash of historic proportions: "Florida's greatest challenge right now is not regulatory red tape...", one slide says, and then a few slides down, "Redesign and reshape Florida's regulatory policy, leadership, culture and structure to align with, and drive towards, Florida's optimal strategic position." Then, "Report DOT, DEP and DCA to common leader with one common mission" and "Combine DOT, DEP and DCA into one organization".

We all know how this is going to turn out, don't we?

Type the rest of the post here

Carlos Migoya wants the Public Health Trust Post. By Geniusofdespair

According to the Ricker Report and Miami Today, Former Miami City Manager Carlos Migoya said he is considering taking the job vacated by Enedia Roldan. I wonder what George Burgess thinks of his competition? Out of the two, I vote for Migoya. He would stand up to Governor Deadhead Scott and the County Commissioners. Burgess would just try to broker a deal...as always.

Apparently in Miami Dade County, you need NO hospital experience to run a hospital empire.

Pepe Le Pew Diaz: His Campaign Report Close-out. By Geniusofdespair

Pepe Diaz ran that County Commission campaign for District 12 with vigor. He faced a candidate with $600. Not to be outdone by the challenger, he raised $325,549.55.

He paid Maranon & Associates $57,760 for advertising and Marin & Sons $42,550 for same. Whereas most commissioners spread around their excess dough, Pepe made one donation to Kids and Families Foundation to the tune of $12,000. There was a lot of money reimbursed to the Fuentes Group. Aren't they the lobbyist group trying to get a rail line or some transportation thing going out of Japan...and isn't Pepe the man to see for that? Why were they charging Pepe the use of their Computers? Anyway, we all missed the big bash at the Intercontinental Hotel in Doral...it cost Pepe $14,000 for the victory party. What was he celebrating? Trouncing a candidate that wasn't actually running isn't much to celebrate. To give you some idea just how excessive $14,000 is, Javier Souto, running against a REAL candidate, spent $1,300 for his victory party. Even the little bully, with sky high aspirations, Joe Martinez (also running against a REAL candidate) only spent $8,867.03 for his victory party in 2008.

Time for Mayor Alvarez to Act on Looting of Environmental Task Force Trust Funds ... by gimleteye

Now that the final report of the Inspector General is out, what will Mayor Alvarez do to fix the looting of the Environmental Trust Funds by the Miami Dade Police Department? The Police Department has decided to wash its hands, completely, of the deeply embarrassing mis-administration of Florida Environmental Task Force (FETF) and South Florida Environmental Task Force (SFTETF) Trust Funds. "The MDPD does not intend to continue accepting new/incoming funds."

Why not? Because it doesn't trust itself to use the funds for the directed purpose instead of buying fancy SUV's or cell phones, DirecTV subscriptions, boats, laptops and video cameras? The Miami Herald broke the story in early February, 2010. The release of the Dec 21 audit report dryly notes; "we consider this audit closed with exceptions." What are those exceptions?

In its report to the OIG, the Miami Dade Police Department explains why it cannot reimburse the Trust Fund that was looted for inappropriate purposes: "Over an eight year period, from the inception of the Environmental Trust Funds in 2002 through 2009, the MDPD paid the salaries plus fringe benefits and overtime expenses for multiple sworn officers and supervisors conducting environmental investigations at a cost of approximately $27 million."

In the Herald report, Alvarez long-time friend and division chief Frank Vecsin was singled out for criticism. "Vecin had asked the Chevy Tahoes be purchased for environmental investigators to respond to crimes in rural areas. But after giving those SUVs to top brass instead, he told The Herald in an earlier interview that the cars weren't given to ``little investigators'' because command staff is integral to fighting environmental crimes."

Unfortunately, the Inspector General did not close the loop. The final audit should include what cases were investigated, and the results of those cases including the number of cases resulting in prosecutions with fines, and the percentage of those fines that were finally collected. Why stop being embarrassed, now?

Campaign Consultants: Are They Worth It? By Geniusofdespair

I guess if you win, the consultants are worth it but Annette Taddeo paid Steve Marin $31,0000 for mailers and another $24,980 for consulting fees and she lost. That doesn't seem worth it, does it? Remember, Marin was also working for other candidates at the same time. Some say half a dozen but who knows, I know only that he was working for Pepe Le Pew Diaz at the same time he was working for Taddeo.

Steve Marin is also generous. He gave to Javier Souto, Ronda Vangates, Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall and Raquel Regalado. While looking at school board campaign reports I found one odd thing in Marta Perez's campaign report. She had under event food, $1,000 to the Pretzel Factory, located at a residential apartment building in Aventura...Hmmm. I went to the website to see what the cost was for a party tray of pretzels--no prices. I would think $1,000 buys a hell of a lot of pretzels. Very odd, for instance why wasn't the bill $1,243.94, how could it be a round number? And, why was it lumped in with end of campaign donations? Richard Rudow of Aventura has a tie to the address and the corporation.


Both Marta and Sally Heyman transferred excess money from their campaign accounts to their office accounts (about $10,000 each). Why does that bother me?

My Definition of 'Gall': Bruno Barreiro's 2012 Election Filing. By Geniusofdespair

County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro filed his campaign papers for the 2012 County Commission election the last week in December 2010, within days of the petitions that were submitted to recall him!

His papers were filed prior to the date that County Clerk Harvey Ruvin announced the group, Miami Voice, failed by 35 votes to get a recall election. You would think he wouldn't run if he was facing a recall and you might assume he would give the electorate time to forget he was almost recalled before running. There were 3,420 valid signatures to recall him and he decides to kick off his campaign??? There was no need to file now, almost 2 years before the election. What a complete asshole this guy is. He signed all the papers on December 23rd, as you can see above, the date is hard to read, I think it says the 27th. Ruvin announced the results on the 28th.

Someone run against Barreiro PLEASE!! The most important reason to run against a sitting commissioner is so the lobbyists and developers have to spend money. That is a fun thing to do: Make them give to these losers. It only costs about $360 to run, you don't have to be a serious candidate and you don't have to pay the fee for months -- you can drop out before the fee kicks in so you can virtually run with no money. I would at least do a website for show or get some business cards but it is not a requirement. Filing the papers is a piece of cake - I will help you. We should get 10 or 15 people to register to run against Bruno...it would make him crazy and it would be so amusing. Elections have turned into a joke so why not enjoy them.

No New Year's Resolutions, what about you? By Geniusofdespair

I'm not looking for disappointment. Just going to take it as it comes this year.