Friday, March 08, 2013

Frank Nero Gone. By Geniusofdespair

Robin Reiter-Faragalli

Robin Reiter Faragalli is the interim President of the Beacon Council. The county commission and the Mayor must be happy. Happiest of all should be Lynda Bell who was gunning for Nero. Now the Commissioners can divide up the funds that go to the Beacon Council for their loser Mom and Pop grants in their districts, that curry them favor.

How many of the those Mom and Pop businesses that we give grants to are still in business? We will know that soon enough. More important are they creating jobs?

I don't think Kulture Klothes by Isis, Freedom Wings, or Kemistry Hair Gallery will be doing any hiring soon. Kulture Klothes has been an inactive corporation since 9/22/2000, Freedom Wings, has been inactive since 9/24/2010 and Kemistry Hair Gallery has been an inactive corporation since 9/26/2008 according to Sunbiz. All 3 were recipients of a 2009-2010 Mom and Pop Grant. As I warned a reader, be careful what you wish for.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't sad I'm sad he's gone. Good riddance. I do object to Beacon County funds going to the Commissioners. Those Mom & Pop grants need audits. I'd like to know how many of the past businesses who were recipients are still in business & how many local people they employ. I'd also like to know how each commissioner selects the recipients. A full audit needs to be done. If not these should be done away with as a whole. The commissioners are already freely spending our tax dollars as THEY personally see fit. I hope mayor Gimenez can stop this bleeding of tax dollars sooner rather than later. It serves no real public benefit to the county tax payers. It's actually shameful that the majority of the BCC are GOPer's or in Bells case Tea Party voting against their own party's belief's in regard to use of tax funds. We can add hypocrites to their list of no good deeds done for the community - just lobbyists need apply for an appointment.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think he was prepared for it. 17 years in one job is a long time. Sometimes people stay too long. His board released him, and with the global economy in full swing, he will have plenty of opportunities. The real challenges for us are maintaining funding, expanding operations on national and global levels, and finding a world-class productive leader to replace Nero.

Anonymous said...

Ummm ... so explain what the Beacon Council has actually achieved?

Anonymous said...

Agree with above.

The major economic development at the Beacon Council has been Nero and Co.'s salaries.

Nor am I surprised with the post's knee jerk reaction. Commissioners are at least beholder to voters. Beacon has been a quasi-public waste engine for two decades.

We continue to lose out on meaningful economic development opportunities because of the infighting in local government. Need a better executive, in my humble opinion.

Anonymous said...

There is money available for mom and pop businesses. Let commissioners have complete control of those funds in their districts, and leave the Beacon Council alone. In addition to government operatives, we need the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and the Visitors and Tourism organization on the search committee. We need a leader who already has extensive relationships around the country and in key places around the globe.

Outofsight said...

Is everything going back the commission? Stroller fees and beacon council development money?

What do the commissioners know about bringing big businesses to the area? Are they going to start bidding against each other for the attention of a proposed business?

Anonymous said...

The Beacon Council funding should be greatly reduced with those tax payer funds given back to the tax payer and the private sector businesses.

These Commissioners are literally taking funding away from other things for their own commission coffers, which is worse than what the Beacon Council did with those high salary's without a substantiation of their work.

To the BCC, reduce taxes before filling your district office funds with "My money" as Bell would say because "My money" is real tax payer money, not yours!

I don't believe using these funds for a different organization will do much good or make such a difference except fill the pockets of another Nero type of character.

And to the Beacon Council - Genting? Just because Nero the nemesis of your organization on the gembling issue is gone, doesn't mean the voters and tax payer who pay are. We will be watching this too.

Anonymous said...

Whatever Nero did or didnot do is history now. What we now have to be concerned about is our future. When Nero started years ago, the global marketplace was a theoretical concept. It is now a fully developed operational environment that we find ourselves in. We can't afford to fumble the ball here. And leaders in this community must stand up and provide leadership for this community in the face of petty small-minded little politicians looking for 'fish sandwiches'.

Anonymous said...

I am one of those small businesses trying to get a grant. I will kier one employee. I will use the grant to try to expand my business advertising budget. We are talking about a couple of thousand dollars that the government is offering. You could only apply once a year

Anonymous said...

I thought there was a division of power at the county level. It seems to me, the more money that is given directly to commissioners, the more there is an invasion into administrative responsibilities. Does the Home Rule Charter make a clear division between legislative and administrative powers and responsibilities, or is it fuzzy? Or are the commissioners, mini-mayors in their districts? Do they have both legislative and administrative powers and responsibilities? Exactly why are they looking for money, instead of focusing on legislation?

Anonymous said...

The commissioners are voting back the slush funds one resolution at a time. They did with the baby carriage permit and now with. Beacon Council funds. Soon they will have that $600,000 back again. The Mayor has to put a stop to this.

Anonymous said...

Lynda bell must be very satisfied. She grabbed a big quote in the paper.

No casinos said...

I hope Nero hangs around long enough to do an anti casino campaign. That was neros problem, he flew in the face of the casino money.

Anonymous said...

I don't think so as they have tons of enemies who will fight them to the death. It is interesting to think that one person has that kind of power, and if it were true, he would have been gone years ago. No, Nero did this all on his own.

Anonymous said...

Now Frank Nero can fight casinos and as a private citizen he can take his gloves off. Or maybe he will just slither back to New Jersey? Time will tell.

Anonymous said...

Nero has learned a lot and grown substantially over the years. There are many locations in the world, fighting for their place in the sun . I don't think he will be sitting around here looking for something to do!

Anonymous said...

Folks, small business grants need to go away. We aren't talking about a cure for aids here. I have seen the recipients come to the budget hearings. Do not tax me (do you hear me) and then give my money to someone else. If I want them to have it - I'll give it to them myself! No sir! Get them gone and use that savings to LOWER MY TAXES or fix my frigging sewer pipes.