COMMISSIONER LYNDA BELL VOTED NOT TO RESTORE THE 5% TO THE UNION EMPLOYEES (they gave it voluntarily with the promise that it will come back):
Lynda: those are not big salaries you are reciting. Instead you should be embarrassed by the SMALL average salary of Miami Dade residents that you mention -- that is what you should be working on. Increasing their salaries. BTW, most of those people rent and don't pay property taxes so raising the taxes won't effect them it will more likely effect the county workers with the $60,000 salaries. Use some logic.
COMMISSIONER DENNIS MOSS VOTED YES TO RESTORE THE 5% TO THE UNION EMPLOYEES:
On the Moss video there is some interesting footage of Gimenez (starting at 7:37) and a Union Boss (starting 11:07 - please supply his name) replying. Very telling. (I thought it worth watching at 14 minutes as well)
This was a 12 hour meeting. I reduced it to 20 minutes. If you can't even watch that, I don't know what to do to help you readers. I had a hell of a time reducing it and watching it all.
WATCH THE DAMN VIDEOS -
THE VETO PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR NOON HAS BEEN POSTPONED. Maybe Gimenez doesn't have the votes to prevent an over-ride. At the same time this is going on we are TALKING ABOUT GIVING PUBLIC LAND TO A SOCCER STAR FOR A STADIUM. Where are the priorities? Don't we every get money?
Pepe Diaz is back to vote, out of the hospital looking frail...lets hope with a better attitude: Redemption for past misdeeds! I am still waiting on the miracle of an epiphany. He needs one...it will come I just know it, his health is too fragile. It came to Jack Abramoff (his motivation wasn't health, it was prison).
10 comments:
"BTW, most of those people rent and don't pay property taxes so raising the taxes won't effect them"
WRONG,
Rental property does not enjoy homestead exemption, there fore renters pay commercial taxes wrapped up in they're rent rate. Ask any land lord how the tax explosion 7 Years ago was hard to unload on the rental price.
Facit: Renters pay higher pass-thru real estate taxes then long time home owners ever do.
Everything is a pass through, sales tax, the Marlins Stadium, Chip Iglesias' salary...when will you stop?
Of course the rents will be raised but so will all the rest effect these people. They are screwed no matter what.
The land for the stadium is not going to be given away. There will be a market rate lease, so, guess what, we will actually make money off the development as taxpayers. What a concept!!!
If tourist tax money is going to help build that soccer stadium on fill land that will be overrun by Climate Change sea level rise within a decade or two, then it IS public money. The Tourist Tax money should be going to public facilities - like enhancing our public parks and library/cultural facilities.
The Miami Herald stories on this soccer stadium are once again getting it wrong and manipulating the facts - Tourist Tax money is public money because the Herald has given up on serving the public interest - it is serving its own interests. And by the way, why isn't anyone asking how the Port can afford to give up land - when it's supposed to be the cruise/cargo capital of the Americas after taxpayers shelled out hundreds of millions for its expansion.
If the Port really won't need that land because there is no real business prospect for expanded cargo operations and post-Panamax ships are really not coming after all, then replant the area with natives and open up a public park in the area.
The man speaking on behalf of the unions is Mark Richard. I believe he is (or was) President of the Miami-Dade College faculty union.
To the first anonymous,
If rents are so sensitive to taxes, why did rents continue to climb after the famous Gimenez $200 Million tax break? You would think those landlords would have passed on the savings to their tenants.
Oh, rents are only impacted when taxes go up, not down. I see.
Taxes have about nothing to do with the rents...this market has so many factors impacting rental rates that any minor adjustment in taxes is damn near insignificant.
The labor representative speaking is Mark Richard. The information below is from his web page.
Mark Richard first became involved with the labor movement in 1975 as the South Florida Boycott Organizing Director for Cesar Chavez' United Farm Workers Union (“UFW”). He was UFW coordinator for the grape and lettuce boycott in South Florida.
In 1980, Richard graduated from the University of Miami School of Law. Since then, Mr. Richard has handled multiple strategic and corporate campaigns as well as numerous NLRB, PERC and arbitration proceedings.
From 2003 to 2005 Richard was appointed by the American Federation of Teachers as administrator to coordinate the strategic recovery and restructure of the United Teachers of Dade (“UTD”). UTD represents over 30,000 educators serving Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the 4th largest school system in America. Richard was the chief negotiator for three rounds of bargaining with the school system and the lead strategist for the union’s contract campaign.
In 2009, he was appointed as an administrator for AFT healthcare local in Portland, Oregon which represents 3000 medical professionals employed at Kaiser Permanente.
Richard has also conducted strategic contract campaigns for many unions including TWU Local 556 (Southwest Airlines flight attendants), APFA (American Airlines flight attendants), IFPTE (United Airlines engineers), PFAA (Northwest flight attendants) and TWU Local 553 (Eastern Airlines flight attendants).
Mr. Richard's dedication to the law does not end at the courthouse steps. He is a professor of Paralegal Studies at a local college. He is also President of a union of college professors.
EDUCATION
University of Miami School of Law; J.D., 1980
Goddard College; M.A., 1976
Florida International University; B.A., 1974
BAR ADMISSION
Florida
COURT ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. District Court of the Southern District Trial Bar
U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Fifth Court
U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Court
Florida State Courts
MEMBERSHIPS
American Bar Association
Labor & Employment Section of the Florida Bar
Government Lawyer Section of the Florida Bar
Administrative Law Section of the Florida Bar
Lawyers Coordinating Committee, AFL-CIO
The mayor's veto message is out. After losing at the Commission, he is now willing to negotiate. He is offering a partial subsidy to lower paid workers, but still demanding the 5% mandatory contribution. The subsidy does not even cover the cost of the 5% contribution from the lower-paid workers. WTF?
Gimenez is doing the right thing. He must operate within the Budget passed in September 2012 and is trying to be fair to employees making $50,000 a year or less. Nonetheless, the taxpayers get screwed at every step. It is the taxpayers who are forced to pay the Rolls Royce benefit plans for County employees.
Soccer Stadium on public land? WTF? Remember we are still paying over $3 BILLION for the Marlins Stadium and Garages. The SEC is still investigating.
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