The jockeying and noise around the Homestead Air Force Base is never good news especially when connected to the fact that the county commission learns nothing from past mistakes.
The HABDI disaster, involving a "99 year no-bid lease" to insiders, was unprecedented in modern Miami-Dade history, and yet the details of the miscues and costs to taxpayers -- of the county defending the construction of the deal, the plan, and then the litigation -- was never disclosed. An accounting to the public was due but never happened.
Many of the principals have rotated from government to industry or been shuffled within the upper reaches of county bureaucracy, including the county legal department. New county commissioners, like Lynda Bell, appear blithely and willfully ignorant under the disguise of "let bygones, be bygones". They apparently want the new disasters to be their own.
What is generally missed in the mess surrounding the Air Force base re-use -- which is still an Air Force base -- is that the screw-ups were brought to a slow, slow halt, not by federal court but by the Department of Defense itself.
The idea that Miami-Dade insiders can re-open the record of decision a decade ago at excruciating cost to public confidence in government institutions is badly flawed. The jostling and jockeying, though, remind that very little is safe from the meddling by the unreformable majority.
Whatever happens at Homestead AFB needs to be in full public view. That is the LEAST that is owed to the public for the awful, horrendous process that led to the no-bid HABDI deal, now gone. As for the leadership of the air base itself: go back and do your homework. Learn who you are dealing with.
The HABDI disaster, involving a "99 year no-bid lease" to insiders, was unprecedented in modern Miami-Dade history, and yet the details of the miscues and costs to taxpayers -- of the county defending the construction of the deal, the plan, and then the litigation -- was never disclosed. An accounting to the public was due but never happened.
Many of the principals have rotated from government to industry or been shuffled within the upper reaches of county bureaucracy, including the county legal department. New county commissioners, like Lynda Bell, appear blithely and willfully ignorant under the disguise of "let bygones, be bygones". They apparently want the new disasters to be their own.
What is generally missed in the mess surrounding the Air Force base re-use -- which is still an Air Force base -- is that the screw-ups were brought to a slow, slow halt, not by federal court but by the Department of Defense itself.
The idea that Miami-Dade insiders can re-open the record of decision a decade ago at excruciating cost to public confidence in government institutions is badly flawed. The jostling and jockeying, though, remind that very little is safe from the meddling by the unreformable majority.
Whatever happens at Homestead AFB needs to be in full public view. That is the LEAST that is owed to the public for the awful, horrendous process that led to the no-bid HABDI deal, now gone. As for the leadership of the air base itself: go back and do your homework. Learn who you are dealing with.
15 comments:
Habdi is still an open corporation.
What is going on at the base? Is there any new activity? This should be converted to a movie studio.
You are so transparent last commenter.
Why transparent? Really is a ligitamate comment.
it is what Joe Martinez wants...
January 2011 - Miami Today
In 2001 a group of investors from New York and Palm Beach presented movie studio plans to the county commission in hopes of shooting a World War II film at Homestead.
At the time, John Corso, producer, director and co-author of Lone Eagle: Legend of the Red Tails, told the commission that based on his estimates, a studio could contribute $300 million to the local economy. He said the base had enough space to accommodate more than 140 sets and that South Florida's weather and professional movie crews made it an ideal location for filming.
Mr. Martinez worked to bring the movie studio to the 700-acre Air Force base and said he even had an architect design a rendering of the facility. While investors intended the base to become a permanent home for future film productions, in the end the commissioner couldn't garner enough support to move the project forward.
As he enters his second chairmanship, Mr. Martinez said he'd like to revisit the issue.
I didn't know that. I just remember that as an alternative to HABDI back then just like Lacey Hoovers aquarium. What's wrong with a movie studio? Less intrusive than an airport and creates jobs. Sounds like a win to me.
There were a number of alternatives proposed in 2001. The movie studio presentations seemed unrealistic. Another investor wanted to create a "Chinatown." I think some of these ideas were stalking horses for what some people really wanted to do -- put tract housing there. My favorite proposal at the time was a commercial space port. Geographically, it's the best launch site on the U.S. mainland.
There was a school of thought that the driving force for airport development was the anticipated opening of the Cuba market. LBA wanted cargo lift and lots of it, was the thinking. But I think they would have put lots of cheap houses and strip malls on the base land, ultimately.
Cutting bad deals is in Joe Martinez' DNA. He don't need no help.
It's always about Cuba in Miami isn't it? Is thats what's behind port of Miami deep dredge and Fanjuls inland port in the EAA (Everglades)? Why are Miami taxpayers always subsidizing these schemes? And destroying our environment for this future business with Cuba?
The Cuba market has been a top priority since 1902. Those who understand it, profit from it. Those who don't..... whine.
That's cool to profit from Cuba market china or Irish market. Whats not cool is using taxpayers Money and resources, damage environmental resources or harm national parks for personal enrichment.
I worked at HAFB before and after Andrew, and at the time a well planned, developed and commercialized movie studio seemed the best of all the ideas.
Just look at he other plans.
- Commercial Airport(Enviromental Issues)
- Industrila park (LBA piñata)
- Amusement park (idiotic)
That was in all probability Martinez's best idea for the county in his entire career.
U can't have active film studios with an active base. The sound and vibrations of the jets would hinder productions.i
They are sinking 40 million into base infrastructure as we type.
Any development that will bring jobs and tourism to Homestead is welcome! I would rather see Donald Trump than another Good Will store!!
I would rather see Donald Trump's stuio in Homestead or an airport rather than another Goodwill Store. We need jobs and commerce not poverty!
Post a Comment