If I read the articles about me,
and I didn't know me, I would think I was Satan.
Some days I get up and sit at my computer to write a blog post and I say to myself, after 7 years, what is the point. Carl Hiaasen's column made me think about the
Miami Dade County residents disappoint, acting like lemmings, never learning from history. Some folks blindly follow a radio talk show host's manipulation. Those same hosts sometimes are paid to use lobbyists talking points or paid to support certain candidates. Voters often put a "good looking" guy or gal in office ONLY because they are good looking. Others return the very same people to office that voted in favor of the toxic Marlins deal, the deal voters claim to hate. Residents vote against their own interest and put bad and nasty people in office all the time like, Mayor Susan Gottlieb, Mayor Steven Bateman, Vice Mayor John DuBois, County Commissioner Lynda Bell, Commissioner Pepe Diaz, Commissioner Barbara Jordan, Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and State Rep. Erik Fresen just to name a few. Gets old after a while. I look at lobbyists who do volunteer work against abuse and then they abuse with no qualms, not recognizing their own behavior is abusive to the public's good. Makes you want to puke after a few years.
Al Crespo left this comment in response to one of our reader's who asked why we write about lobbyists. The reader said they like it when we criticize them, it only makes them more successful, because businesses will see what we write as a lobbyist's strength and success not as a negative (my words, for full comment: see read more):
"Knowledge, like water is a powerful thing. Do not underestimate the value of the daily reporting on the big and small assaults on the public's trust that bloggers can produce. Like drops on a rock, one day that rock might break into pieces because of the repeated drops.Verbatim comment from a reader that Al Crespo was responding to:
The efforts of Eye On Miami, The Straw Buyer myself and others, does have an affect. We're not going to change human nature, but in many ways, each of us had managed to make an impact on how the politicians in this county operate.
Some results have been good, and some not so good, but I signed on for the long haul, and I feel that every year I do this my voice grows stronger, as my knowledge and resources grow stronger.
The lobbyists are important but not as important as revealing just how the elected and appointed officials, who make the decisions that impact everyone's lives, do what they do.
If you think things are bad now, think back and ask yourselves how much worse would it be if all of us who spend our time and effort trying to educate, expose, and generally raise the level of awareness of what the politicians are trying to do had decided not to do anything.
In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, and I believe that each of us in our own way is trying to help more and more people see out of that one eye.
It's not easy, and we might not succeed in ways that will prove to be earth shattering, but I am personally encouraged by the almost daily messages I get from readers who appreciate my efforts, and most importantly, put their trust in me by providing me with documents, tips, and inside information on what is going on inside the City of Miami.
They feel they have no voice, and in my flawed way I try to be their voice because the Miami Herald, the TV stations, and much of what passes for the establishment watchdogs won't."
In all the years or writing about how they all wield their influence peddling and their unethical behavior, nothing ever changes. I venture to say the mere acknowledgement of their doings in fact help build their mystique and business.
In other words the more you write about the usual suspects the wealthier and more influential they become. Prospective clients are sent your blogs to showcase how important and critical they are are in the process, not too mention their names coming up on a simple Google search only to find bloggers advocating their disgust for their ultimate success in the process.
I have found that most clients (that do business in Miami ) do not care how ethical or unethical their influence peddlers are as long as they deliver. That is the key.. the ability to deliver a contract, a vote etc.
The joke on the street is to see who can get their names or firm mentioned on you blog as it will certainly generate much needed new business.
Keep up the good work and let's continue generating new business for the usual suspects!
10 comments:
Don't let that reader fool you, the lobbyists hate it when you print their photo and write about them.
I wonder when our lobbyists will see the light? Maybe a stint in jail would help like it did to Abramoff.
Here is another quote from Casino Jack:
"I was involved deeply in a system of bribery — legalized bribery for the most part" that "still to a large part exists today."
What always disappointed me about lobbyists is exploiting their own children by listing their names on campaign reports with contributions to candidates. What money does a 16 year old student have to give a candidate a $250 donation? It is the father's money and we all know it including the child. Good role model.
The Miami Herald editorial board gave lukewarm support to the stadium funding plan for the Dolphins although they at least called for Broward to pony up their fair share and the Herald called for a referendum. Why do they want it to be a non-binding referendum?
If more people would go to jail, some things will change or at least slow down. Notice that with all the Broward elected officials in jail, they are not going to get involved in the stadium deal. The officials here feel that they won't do jail time.
Al Crespo's crespogramreport.com is a must read. Al uses E-mails, documents and incident reports. His observations are often spot on.
I like The Crespogram, however it would be great if he could start to recommend candidates as well. We hear all the bad but never hear any of the good? He should at least interview candidates so that they can get their message out as well. I didn't know a damn thing about the group that ran against Sarnoff here in the grove last time??. Now we to 4 people running for Suarez!s open seat.
The only only who can do anything to change the culture here is Katherine Fernandez Rundle. Yet, unexplicably she is consistently endorsed by this blog. Yes, I would prefer any Bozo to her and then have the ability to vote him out in four years when a respectable candidate isn't scared away by Rundle's dollars. Until she is booted, the lobbyists and the Unreformable Majority will reign.
We never endorsed Rundle that I know of. Maybe she might have been better than 2 bad choices, but we never endorsed her.
Post a Comment