Monday, April 29, 2013

What Kind of Scheme is Being Hatched at the County? By Geniusofdespair

Lynda Bell is one of Mayor Gimenez's new BFF's. As I reported Recently Gimenez is holdling a fundraiser for Lynda Bell, the Commissioner in district 8. Why does Gimenez 'owe' Lynda? Do Mayor's usually hold fundraisers? They might endorse...but a fundraiser?

Lynda Bell was instrumental in getting rid of Frank Nero from the Beacon Council -- a hatchet woman of sorts. For the Mayor? For herself? I don't know. I think it was Nero's stance against gambling that finally did him in. Helping Lynda Bell with the character assassination on Nero was Carlos Gimenez's other buddy, Jorge Luis Lopez. He was a confidant of Gimenez during Gimenez's Mayoral campaign.

Bookends: Jorge Luis Lopez and Mayor Carlos Gimenez
Surprisingly (to you, not to me) Jorge Luis Lopez, an oft critical board member of the Beacon Council's former head, came out with a Miami Herald OpEd about the Beacon Council. Is he getting ready to take the reigns or will it be Jack Osterholtz that steps in? Anyway, I was expecting this to happen, just not so soon after Bell's trip to see the Genting casino in Singapore.

It all ties together.

Lopez says, in the Herald article, that the $90 million Economic Development fund should be used to refurbish the urban core and make infrastructure improvements. The $90 million economic development fund was supposed to be used as a catalyst to induce job producing private sector investment. Guess that isn't going to happen now.

One warning to Luis about predicting that Miami Dade would become an innovative hub, not sure this will happen. When Luis talks about building on successful technology and innovation he should also take into account that these sort of start-ups fail most of the time and those that do make it do NOT usually provide the type and number of jobs our community currently requires. The start-up technology businesses that do succeed take years to develop and are few and far between. Also, if they are successful, they are bought by larger companies and relocated.  How many long term jobs can we count on?

Lopez says that "new ideas in economic expansion must take root in government led by new expertise in the county mayor's office with increased focus on these strategies." So does that mean the Mayor's office is taking over the Beacon Council? When has government ever been the innovator for "new ideas" for economic development? Are we giving up on business recruitment to our County?

When did Lopez become an economist and strategic thinker? What next? Lynda Bell running for Governor? Eddie Borrego pit boss at the new Genting Casino?

23 comments:

Gimleteye said...

From a reliable source deep inside county government, I hear that the toxic atmosphere is worse than it has ever been ... and that is saying alot.

Anonymous said...

I'm hearing the same thing. It's been worsening, if that's even possible, the past six month. Egg shell walking is putting it mildly as quoting someone inside the "hall". Who is running the County behind the scenes of the actual elected officials is even more alarming, again, if that's even possible.

Anonymous said...

If she has that lobbyist in her stable we should all be very afraid of what's in the pipeline.

Anonymous said...

Lopez is a first class d-bag con artist. Gimenez' stock continues to plummet..... The company you keep, golden boy!

Anonymous said...

As long as Mrs. Linda Bell is sitting as a county commissioner it will become more toxic. That is what happened in Homestead, now Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay. Now she is headed to the Kendall citizens area. These communities are being destroyed by her and her ideas and a few supporters who she will eventually become to dislike and destroy as friends.
Gimenez is scared of her and all of her commissioners are afraid of her including Moss and Mrs.Sosa.
Therefore, the county staff is walking on eggshells.
It will take years to undo the damage of Bell. Now since she is the vice chair she has her nose in all the commissioners business.
Lynda Bell Is the new mayor and chair all rolled into one.

Anonymous said...

Not liking the Mayor anymore? I thought the fundraiser was over the top. He thinks he is invincible or else he wouldn't have plunged into dangerous territory.

Horacio said...

I have never heard of a mayor holding a fundraiser for a commissioner. Now, more than ever we need to get her out of office. I won't vote for Ginenez again. I was fooled by him once.

Geniusofdespair said...

Not liking some of the things the mayor is doing. That is correct.

Anonymous said...

Keep your eye on EB-5 - the immigrant investor regional center. Bell want that supported. Maybe she wants to name that after her mother too. Do we want to make it easier for foreigners to invest in Miami? Let's start with Cuba.

Anonymous said...

Miami can never be an innovation hub. Our schools are sub-standard. Hasn't anyone read Arnold Toynbee on warm climates lead to lack of innovation?

Anonymous said...

Mayors all help raise money for commissioners. Clark did it, Penelas did it, only Alvarez shied away from it. Penelas was a very prolific fundraiser for his friends on the commission.

M

Anonymous said...

Mr. M:

Don't they usually do it behind the scenes?

I have never seen an invitation with a Mayor's name on it. Maybe because the Miami Herald does not report such things?

Anonymous said...

EB-5

http://www.thecrespogramreport.com/Site_10/MIKKI_CANTON_WAIVER.html

Anonymous said...

The City of Miami and county Mayor both have a love affair with gambling. Nikki Canton has no more qualifications to be a policy advisor than Jorge Luis Lopez. They are both boosters for gambling giving their mayors cover. Gambling will be expanded the only question is when.

Anonymous said...

E B 5 is all about Genting.

Al Crespo said...

I see that someone has linked to my site.

First, Mikki Canton has been part of Regalado's staff now since 2011. One of the first things that it appears that she did was arrange for Regalado - a long time anti-commie rabble rouser - to have lunch with the Chinese Counsel General. (Scroll down to last story.) http://alturl.com/xmqsh

There has been speculation for several years about this sudden reversal for Regalado, and after Genting showed up, there were questions as to whether the semi-secret trip that Regalado, Canton and Regalado's daughter took to Tawian was in any way related to the way that Regalado came out in support of the casino project.

Of course, once Norman Braman had a talk with Regalado he did a 180 on the casino issue, but this issue, like a lot of other issues could see another 180 if Regalado is reelected.

The problem with all the fancy rhetoric about the future of downtown is that that rhetoric has to be measured against the players at the table.

Sarnoff is not to be trusted. Francis Suarez has collected far too much big money from the usual collection of suspects looking to enrich themselves at the public's expense to be considered anything other than a sock puppet for their schemes should he be elected Mayor, and the DDA has managed to go through a sizable amount of money in the last 10 years and very little seems to have changed as to the look of Flagler Street after 6 PM.

Miami was, is and will remain a 2nd rate city with diminishing opportunities to rise above it's many problems in the years to come.

Chief among those problems will continue to be a sub-par educational system, an inability to look past tourism and the grip that the schemers and scamers have on the body politic.

al crespo

Geniusofdespair said...

Thanks Al-- it is good to see the parallel course of the County and City. Our readers need to look holistically at how they are being manipulated.

Anonymous said...

I gave to Gimenez's campaign. I feel like a fool now. What happened to him?

Anonymous said...

Carlos, what are you thinking??? I was one of your biggest supporters and cheerleaders and I must say I am very disappointed. The quality I liked most about you was the fact that I though you were always your own man, always standing up for what you believed was in the best interest for our citizens.

Please don't forget why you were voted into office. Carlos, you have some explaining to do.

Anonymous said...

Singapore, Fla City?? HHhhmmm....
"Sunday, April 28, 2013
STILL WISHING FOR GAMBLING
Developer still working on gambling permits for Florida City By Patricia Borns pborns@MiamiHerald.com Florida City leaders plan to extend indefinitely a deadline for a developer to get state gambling permits before building a jai-alai fronton and casino on U.S. 1. A majority of the city commissioners said Tuesday night that they would support an ordinance rezoning two parcels totaling 23 acres belonging to Ft. Myers Real Estate Holdings LLC."
http://homesteadishome.blogspot.com/2013/04/still-wishing-for-gambling.html

Anonymous said...

"Posted on Sun, Apr. 28, 2013
Developer still working on gambling permits for Florida City
By Patricia Borns
The Miami Herald

Industry watchers expect Florida gaming legislation to resume in about a year, after a study of gaming’s economic impacts has been conducted by Spectrum Gaming Group to better guide law makers’ decisions."
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/28/v-print/3366551/developer-still-working-on-gambling.html#storylink=cpy

Anonymous said...

Al Crespo is right on all points.

Anonymous said...

Carlos Gimenez is stumbling. What a disappointment.