Marco Rubio Self-Proclaimed Son of Cuban Exiles. By Geniusofdespair

The "essential facts" are that Marco Rubio: Son of Cuban Emigres is not as compelling a story as Marco Rubio: Son of Cuban Exiles - Esquire



Link to You Tube Video

From Esquire Oct 21to Rubio:
Your parents were not "exiled" from their home country. They did not leave because they "did not want to live under communism." Communism was still almost three years away. They came here because a much more conventional crook was pillaging the place, which is why there came to be a revolution in the first place. That they tried to return to Cuba is irrelevant to the discussion. They stayed here, apparently, because they made the not unreasonable decision that they were better off where they were. These are the "essential facts" of the story.

And are we to believe that, throughout his entire growing up, Rubio's parents got the year of their arrival in America wrong? That they didn't remember exactly which dictator it was that they fled? That they mixed up Batista and Castro? And that Rubio, in his lickety-split rise to national prominence, never bothered to check? Unless his parents were deliberately lying to him, a possibility even in the closest families, the explanation in his statement doesn't make any sense. And, even if they were, Rubio is awfully incurious about it, even including in his official Senate biography the tale of his family's flight from the Communism that hadn't yet arrived in Cuba.

Rob Stein: The Rise of a Grand New Alliance ... by gimleteye

Attached is a recent essay by Rob Stein, founder of the Democracy Alliance, on the Huffington Post describing what Stein refers to as the "Grand New Alliance" (“GNA”) of Libertarian-Christian Right-Tea Party forces that in the aggregate have a multi-billion dollar organizational infrastructure designed to inform, organize and mobilize 40-50 million of the most passionate right-wing political activists in the country. The backdrop to Stein's thesis is how political money will be raised for the 2012 presidential campaign. President Obama has, so far, a significant campaign war chest in comparison to the GOP candidates. The New York Times recently reported on the bundlers and lobbyists who Obama professed to stay clear of, in the 2008 election. What is clear, though, is that the more important contributors are those who can give unlimited contributions-- including corporations-- to Super Pac's; entities formed in the wake of the Citizens United decision by the US Supreme Court. I believe the Super PAC's will determine the outcome of the 2012 election. This week Politico reported, "THE OUTSIDE- MONEY CHA$E -- "Big Dem donors stiff super PACs," by Kenneth P. Vogel and Robin Bravender: "Initial pitches have been met with skepticism, even hostility, from some of the party's most reliable wealthy backers. ... [T]he apprehension has left Democrats at an early, but significant, fundraising disadvantage to Republican groups, causing widespread concern in liberal circles that if the pace of six- and even seven-figure checks doesn't pick up, the party could be in serious jeopardy of losing the White House and the Senate next year. ... in order for Democrats to come anywhere close to keeping pace with the Rove-linked groups, they're going to need to raise much more from billionaires such as investor George Soros and insurance magnate Peter Lewis. The $275,000 they gave to the super PACs this year pales in comparison to the nearly $40 million they contributed in 2004 to two liberal outside groups that boosted Democrat John Kerry's unsuccessful campaign against then-President George W. Bush." There are many reasons that big Democratic donors are staying away. And on the Democrat side, there is nothing even remotely resembling the Grand New Alliance as Rob Stein outlines here.

 THE RISE OF A GRAND NEW ALLIANCE By Rob Stein

A profoundly significant new political alignment within the right flank of the Republican Party is becoming entrenched in American politics. For the modern, somewhat more mainstream economic and neo-conservative Reagan-Bush-Bush-Cheney Republican Establishment, it is a threat far more dangerous to its control of the Conservative-Right than, in their time, were the rambunctious John Birch Society, the youthful Goldwater Rebellion, or the Lee Atwater upstarts who orchestrated the Reagan Revolution. For Independents, moderate Republicans and Democrats this new alignment should be a wake-up call that the foundations of Democracy are always fragile and the promises of America must never be taken for granted. History ultimately will judge its relevance and impact, but an harmonic convergence – a “grand new alliance” - is occurring among Libertarians, the Christian Right and the disparate legions of Tea Party activists that is transforming politics as we have known it. (For ease of reference, I will refer to this grand new alliance as the “GNA” or the “Libertarian-Religious-Tea Party Alliance”.) Tensions and fissures are clearly visible within this new alliance – for example, around the environment, the legitimacy of Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid, and gay marriage. Naturally deep disagreements exist and not every person or organization in each cohort of the alliance agrees with every tenet of other leaders or groups that comprise the GNA.

Absentee Ballot Ordinance Public Hearing November 9th. By Geniusofdespair

It is scheduled for a public hearing (You can speak) at the Nov 9 Infrastructure and Land Use Committee. The approximate time is not yet posted.

Adding a Penalty to an existing law prohibiting the routine pick up of Absentee Ballot by campaign workers will help stop the illegal action. The ordinance, proposed by Rebeca Sosa, also wound up with the following sponsors:

Sosa - Prime Sponser
Bell, Bovo, Diaz, Edmunson, Heyman, Jordan, Moss, Suarez -- that is 9 out of 13.

The Members of the Infrastructure and Land Use Committee are: Audrey M. Edmonson (3) Chair; Barbara J. Jordan (1) Vice Chair; Commissioners Bruno A. Barreiro (5), Jose "Pepe" Diaz (12), Jean Monestime (2), and Rebeca Sosa (6)

Will his loan from US Century Bank drag down Marco Rubio? ... by gimleteye

Marco Rubio is being staged by the Bush wing of the Republican Party to be a Hispanic vice presidential candidate on the 2012 GOP ticket. But the pile-up of bad news for Rubio points to limited effectiveness in the one place that counts: swinging the Hispanic vote to the GOP.

The hyperbole that plays in West Dade never played very well with non-Cuban Hispanics. Who forgets their family immigration story? "He is a laughing stock in the Southwest … because people discovered he wasn’t telling the truth about his political Cuban exile history,” said DeeDee Garcia Blase, founder of Somos Republicans, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based GOP group that backs a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants."

Then there is the role of the Miami Dade insider piggy bank, US Century, in Rubio's home mortgage. Rubio signed up for a loan at the top of the real estate market. According to the recent investigative report by ProPublica, "Rubio received a 2006 loan from the bank while serving as Florida's state house speaker. A story broken by The Miami Herald in April 2008 revealed that the bank gave Rubio a home equity loan of $135,000 shortly after he bought his house for $550,000. But a month after the purchase, the house was appraised at $735,000. The $185,000 gain in equity in just 37 days paved the way for the U.S. Century loan. Rubio initially failed to disclose the loan on his public financials. He and U.S. Century have consistently denied wrongdoing. According to a spokesman for the senator, the Rubios locked in a pre-construction price of $550,000 a year before the closing on the house, making the time between appraisals 13 months and not 37 days. ProPublica asked the senator's office for documentation of the transaction but has not yet received it."

Best 'Occupy Miami' Video I Found. By Geniusofdespair

FDOT and Art Basel Miami: The traffic nightmare about to unfold ... by gimleteye

Enough is enough on eastbound 195 between Interstate 95 and Biscayne Boulevard. For weeks I've been traversing the worst traffic nightmare in Miami-Dade County. This is the result of FDOT closing down the eastbound North Miami Avenue exit (marked in red) for "road work", leaving only the Biscayne Boulevard exit to handle traffic (in black). Disaster. If you have tried to get to Wynwood, the Design District, or Midtown from 195 eastbound, let FDOT know. And it is going to get worse. A monumental traffic disaster if FDOT doesnt wrap things up SOON. In scarcely more than one month, hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on Art Basel Miami. Many will be heading to the satellite shows in Midtown to the galleries in Wynwood, and to the Design District. Work (whatever is going on, isn't clear to me! And why aren't crews working 24/7?) is proceeding at a Miami-Dade glacial place. This blog post serves notice to Miami movers and shakers, get off your asses and push FDOT to finish whatever they are doing, because whatever it is, is already the county's worst traffic nightmare.

Last night it took twenty minutes to get off the Biscayne Boulevard exit from 195, while watching dozens of drivers cut in. Some of our readers take offense at our regular criticism of the PAC and downtown's hopeless exit (also Biscayne Boulevard) off 395 Eastbound. If FDOT can't wrap it up within the next month, I guarantee there will be hell to pay and it won't be just Eyeonmiami complaining. There will be accidents and traffic pile-ups and howling you cannot believe.

Homestead is Number 1 in United States for Home Value Loss. By Geniusofdespair

Homestead is number one for something: It has the "worst decline in home values in the U.S." according to Bloomberg Businessweek.  Zillow did a survey for Businessweek of the 1,000 largest cities nationwide and Homestead was the clear winner.

This is proof that sprawl does not pay because Homestead is ground zero for sprawl in Miami Dade County...and it looks like maybe the entire country!!

US Century Bank in El Nuevo Herald ... by gimleteye

EOM has tracked the US Century Bank story all the way back to the wild lands of the Homestead Air Force Base fiasco and the prominent role played by its directors, including Sergio Pino and Ramon Rasco, in the zoning and planning of sprawl. Now, a recent ProPublica news report on US Century is reprinted in El Nuevo Herald. While it is an amazing story, readers can't help but notice it is a story that the Herald entirely missed. Hopefully, the ProPublica report will also be published in The Miami Herald and that other mainstream media will explore the influence of this rogue bank and its board of directors in Florida. EOM asked the question before and we will ask it again: this bank received the largest infusion of tax dollar supported TARP money in the state of Florida at a time when it was failing. How did that happen? It either cooked the books, or, was helped along powerful friends in DC. There are many reasons that turning over this very big stone is unpalatable to either political party. It is not just Wall Street: it is also Main Street and the public has a right to know.

News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch faces laughter at annual meeting ... by gimleteye

The New York Times reports on the heated annual meeting of News Corp. in Los Angeles, where Rupert Murdoch defended his tarnished billion dollar empire. New York Times: "We’re fair and balanced,” Mr. Murdoch said, echoing the network’s catchphrase and drawing laughs from the audience." The point here? If you are motivated enough to attend an annual meeting of News Corp., you already learned the difference between fact and fiction.

My Field Trip to Early Voting in Hialeah Tuesday. By Geniuofdespair

I have to say there is no place like Hialeah for elections. Early voting was festive yesterday. It was noisy -- check out the video, the audio is from the blaring truck speakers. Political signs are everywhere. I saw most of the candidates except the current Mayor.

I said I would endorse the first candidate that fed me. I got a piece of vegetarian pizza at the Raul Martinez camp -- it had sausages and ham on it...with a couple of vegetables of course.

Here are some photos from my outing. As of 5 pm 490 voters went out on Monday to vote in Hialeah.

I was surprised to learn there was a 4th Candidate running for Mayor and here he is. His name is George Castro. He said he could win because he is not like the other 3. Okay.

Raul Martinez was standing around greeting voters. He is running for Mayor in case you live in a cave.

Rudy Garcia, running for Mayor, wins for best hair. It was perfect. Didn't move a bit. Since he was a term-limited State Senator, I asked him for some dirt on Rubio or David Rivera, he wouldn't say a word. He sort of backed away from me during my questions and was soon in the arms of his handler Al Lorenzo. Also working on his campaign is David Custin. Sasha Tirador is working for no-show while I was there, Carlos Hernandez. Both Custin and Tirador were mentioned in the absentee ballot fraud close-out memo from the State Attorney's office. Jeffrey Garcia is helping Raul. He was the one that made the complaint that prompted the investigation of the other two. I like Jeffrey.

Al Lorenzo, working for Rudy - also doing Carlos Gimenez's campaign.

There were plenty of signs in Hialeah.

And, there were even moving signs and really big, noisy moving signs...

Even though he didn't offer me food, I liked Frank Lago. He is running for Concejales. Yes, my Spanish came in handy when people were pushing palm cards at me from all directions:

"No vivo in Hialeah." And, they understood. The throngs of campaign workers parted like the Red Sea, to let me pass...to go find food.

Carlos Gimenez's PAC: Already has a Genting Contribution. By Geniusofdespair

On 8/29/2011 Gimenez's PAC Common Sense Now got a $10,000 donation from Getting New York?? What?? I did a little digging by address. Apparently the PAC had a typo mistake which I figured was the case so I looked by address. At 11000 Rockaway Blvd. is GENTING (not Getting) ...the gambling company.

Other $10,000 donations:
Kendall Properties & Investment - RONALD BERGERON OF PARKLAND DEVELOPMENT
Krome Mining Partners - RONALD BERGERON
Coastal Construction Group - THOMAS P. MURPHY
Ernesto A. Perez - EDUCATION
Argo-Industrial Management - FLORIDA CRYSTALS???
Nsoro Mastec, LLC - JOSE MAS
T.Y. Lin International - ENGINEERING IN SAN FRANSCISCO
Suffolk Construction - (Boston Company at a Genting Cocktail party in June)

$5,000 donors:
Blue Lagoon Associates LTD - MARC MILGRAM
Carlton Fields - LAW FIRM
Jeffrey L. Berkowitz Trust -
LSN Partners, LLC - ALEXANDER HECKLER MGR.
Lydecker, Lee, Berga - LAW FIRM
Waste Management - HERBERT GETZ IN HOUSTON
ARMAG II, LLC - SAME ADDRESS AS CODINA PARTNERS
The Related Group - JORGE PEREZ
Pictured: Steve Bateman Homestead Mayor with a Gimenez $10,000 donor, Ernesto Perez.

Copy and paste this link to your friends and family lists: how to fix Congress ... by gimleteye

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," Warren Buffett tells CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."  The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

The following has been making the rounds on the web:

*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present and future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Maybe it is time. If you agree with the above, copy and paste this blog and/or URL. http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com

The Homestead Run For Mayor. By Geniusofdespair

So far Steve Losner (pictured left) has raised $9,300 and he has spent $6,926.15. Steve Bateman the incumbent has raised $65,500 and he has spent $23,253.67. Bateman also has a committee called Better Florida Coalition. It has no contributions to date but it spent $7,200 on billboards. I don't know how that could happen, but it did. Ask the Chairman Ernesto Perez or the Treasurer Nancy Watkins how they spent money they didn't have.

The Dade County PBA gave Bateman $500 in October. He also got money from Bob Epling, Usually don't see gas expenses on campaign reports but this is Homestead so anything goes I guess. Bateman even charged his campaign for a $497.47 campaign meeting at Sailfish Landing -- but isn't this a liquor store? He also had Campaign Meetings at Longhorn, Applebees, The Big Cheese, Capri, Chilis, Royal Palm Grill, Sunny's Bar B-Q and Outback. This guy loves to eat. I wonder where he would bring his pal Rick Scott to eat.

Losner gave his campaign a loan of $2,500 last cycle and previously $2,000. He got a $500 donation from his dad's buddy over at Alger Farms and Rick Torcise (the family that bank-rolled Lynda Bell) also of Florida City Commons. Losner apparently doesn't cotton to eating like Bateman, didn't see any meals on the reports I looked at.

Waldman got money from some people that make me wince:
Demetrio Perez
Jose Fuentes Lobbyist
Wayne Rosen Developer ($2,000)
Wayne's Pal Michael Latterner
Prime Homes (Hollywood)
Alger Farms

For Marco Rubio, it's over ... by gimleteye

Another charismatic, seemingly made-for-higher office Cuban American (cf. Alex Penelas) blows up in full national view. This one didn't require bloggers or muck rakers or anyone else. Marco did it all himself. According to the Washington Post, Rubio, a freshman lawmaker "widely considered a potential vice-presidential prospect in 2012, falsely portrays his parents as exiles driven from their native Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power. The Post cites Rubio's public statements and the official biography on his Senate Web site as evidence." Rubio went on the attack instantly, but the Rubio narrative is now spoiled by facts. New reports as a result of the controversy bring to light even more variations from the truth.

The key feature of the reports is that Rubio misplaced the date of his parents' immigration in order to capture the fury of exiles forced out of Cuba after Castro seized power. This may be less egregious for Miami Cuban Americans who proudly identify with Rubio as it is for other exiles. As a child immigrants, I can attest to the importance of family narrative. No one-- and I mean, no one-- willfully fudges the dates or the circumstances of their parents' immigration.

That Rubio turned this history to embellish his political credentials is what I would call a defining event in his political career, like Penelas taking a business trip to Spain during the presidential recount in 2000. Rubio-- the Jeb Bush stand-in--is being cultivated for a role on a GOP national ticket for 2012. There is about as much chance of that happening as there is of Michele Bachmann winning the New Hampshire primary.

Ron Book, Yet Again. By Geniusofdespair

Moms and Dads who get stroller parking permits pay a fee. One third of the fees collected is suppose to go to private not-for-profit, non-denominational agencies providing services for severely abused or neglected children.

Barbara Jordan has on the agenda Tuesday that from this fund: Lauren's Kids, Inc. is scheduled to get $30,000, Center for Family and Child Enrichment, Inc. will get $35,000, and the YMCA of Greater Miami gets $35,000.  YMCA??

Lauren's Kids, Inc. was approved for $35,000 in February from this fund. The stroller fund money was always Natacha Seijas' to disburse and she was on the vote that happened in November of last year to disburse the February funds. I think that is why the "Y" also got the nod this time - a salute that Natacha's influence is still alive.  Additionally, Sally Heyman gave Lauren's Kids, Inc. $5,000 in September from her office funds. Didn't the State of Florida have some legislation that gave Lauren's Kids a big chunk of money recently? Anyone recall?

The reason Lauren's Kids, Inc. does well is because Lobbyist Ron Book is the President. Ron can raise money for this charity, all he has to do is pick up the phone. The charity is in his office. Who doesn't owe Ron Book a favor? I guess everyone in the county does because they are quick to help Ron's charity.  Lets not forget he is a master fundraiser that does NOT need to solicit County funds, he can go to the private sector trough. 

I wish he would just raise the funds somewhere else for his worthy charity -- besides from government entities because there are many deserving charities that don't have a Ron Book as President of them that are struggling and are in NEED of funds.  I hope the next time the County is distributing these parking permit funds that they share the wealth.  Notice to anyone giving out tax dollars: Don't worry about Lauren's Kids, it will NEVER be hurting for funds with Ron Book at the helm.  Here is a listing of county checks to Lauren's Kids:

On Gambling in Florida ... by guest blogger, Barry White

Well Governor Scott. The high rollers from Malaysia might just have solved your employment problem in Florida with their Cotton Candy Machine Casino in downtown Miami which should go very well with the Arsht Center; ugh!

So, run these numbers. Not finding the exact numbers on line but let's start with the number of croupiers in Las Vegas. Then we can find the related professions in Las Vegas and come up with a multiplier factor. So if we find there are 3500 croupiers and 20,000 prostitutes, we have a multiplier of 5.7. We can run the same numbers for pimps, pawn shops, extra police, bail bondsman, lawyers (oh happy day!), night courts, muggers, Gamblers Anonymous chapters, minimum wage jobs, homes for all of these people (mainly section 8), water (which we do not have) for all of these people, 24 hour establishments in the area (I know a great spot for a tattoo parlor near Braman Cadillac), noise in the area, laundries (I hear brothels use lots of towels). And don't forget the beauty parlors; our Ladies,and Men, and Children, of the night, day, afternoon, evening, lunch break, coffee break, must always look beautiful. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.

And it does not stop here. There are 29 legal brothels in Nevada. With a few well placed chips in Tallahassee, we should be able to get a bill to permit them here; if they can pass a bill to let brainless people ride motorcycles without helmets so they can smash their heads to pieces, they can pass anything; does improve the gene pool though.

So, The Shady Lady Ranch can open a branch in Miami, maybe in Coral Gables or maybe in fun loving Coconut Grove. More jobs. Are you loving this Rick? Shady Lady Ranch Orlando; has a nice ring to it. Great family fun. (click 'read more' please)

Occupy Miami and Occupy Wall Street: it's all about messaging ... by gimleteye

Click 'read more' and two news reports worth reading, for those interested in how the media is reporting Occupy Miami and how the OWS'ers need to think about their action and message to a wider audience. The first is a Miami Herald report about a group that "turned out" to the Society of Environmental Justice annual meeting. It is not a very focused picture. The second, is by George Lakoff-- whose work on message framing virtually covers the spectrum of modern American politics. Pay attention to Lakoff, OWS'ers. And if you want to find some sharper points of focus on the environment in Miami, there are plenty to be found right on this blog. Start with an archive search on "US Century Bank", "housing crash" and "UDB".

Just Watched the Dolphins Game. By Geniusofdespair

They really do suck and it is not for luck. This game was an exciting win...however not for the Dolphins.

Miami deserves whatever it is genting ... by gimleteye

In The Miami Herald, the president of Genting Americas, Colin Au, tells readers that Miami should embrace what it is: "He compared Florida to Singapore, a city-state historically opposed to casinos until the powerful former prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, determined in 2005 that the right "moment" had come to permit so-called “integrated resorts” to stimulate the economy."

Miami is a city-state. It has always inclined to the dictatorial. But our quality of leadership is far different from Lee Kuan Yew. We are already ruled by the dregs, thanks to a campaign finance system that makes our democracy the cheapest money can buy. Legalizing gambling in Miami is like putting a loaded gun in the hands of children.

Au says, “The key thing for Florida is to decide what I call the Lee Kuan Yew moment," Au said. “It is transforming. We are not talking about hiring 500 jobs or 1,000 jobs. We are talking 100,000 jobs.” PT Barnum is slapping his fat belly. At least in Singapore, not only are automatic weapons banned, you can't even buy a paintball gun.

It is going to be a spectacle watching the GOP-led Florida legislature -- that condemned gambling in 2005-- embrace Genting. The Miami Herald gives Au the final word, "At the end of the day we are a sin industry and the most important thing is to make the economic development benefits far outweigh anything else.”

HEADLINE: Florida GOP embraces sin industry. My, that will play well in the churches and synagogues. But Au is a patient investor. He may have to wait until the Democrats control Florida before he gets his casino. On the odd chance that Erik Fresen, head of the Miami Dade Republican Party, gets his way, Miami will deserve whatever it is genting. (click 'read more', for Herald report)

Shoddy Construction or Satanic Hieroglyphics? By Geniusofdespair

Here on Collins Avenue, in Sunny Isles Beach,  twin oceanfront condo towers built in 1999 appear to be experiencing some odd doings. Condos of about 3,000 square feet in these buildings were fetching $1,200,000 in 2000 on a high floor. Mysteriously, the surfaces of the 2 buildings are now marred with strange symbols.

I say it is some sort of satanic message to protect Sunny Isles Beach from the impending development of a casino project that the Dezer brothers want to build on 22-acres they own South of this building. Or could it be a sign from God that these semi-new twins are facing some major structural repairs?  From the water side there also appeared to be extensive work going on.

Actually it does make sense to have an ocean beach with a casino so these wacky Dezer brothers, who teamed up with "The Donald" on one of their recent projects, do have a point. And, Donald does have all that casino experience to share with them. Sunny Isles Beach is already a lost cause, it is the perfect place for one of the 3 casinos. Go for it Dezer boys!