You write. These are questions I have on my mind (you have any):
What is happening with library funding?
Who will be taking over the second floor of the main library downtown? What did they do with all the microfilm and other stuff up there?
Why did they put silverlight on the Miami Dade webcam site so I can't see any videos of meetings anymore?
Why did Dick Bunnell have to give a part of his fine building illegal docks to NPCA? Why not Tropical Audubon or Sierra Club? Who made that decision?
Will Lucie Tondreau get that slap on her wrist or not for the absentee ballot debacle in North Miami? With Ben Kuehne as her lawyer, I doubt it.
As Lynda Bell and Mark Bell don't have well-paying jobs how are they affording that hotel in Homestead?
Who will win the District 8 (the only district with a viable opponent) election in AUGUST (not November)?
Why do people care more about dogs than their water supply?
What is the name of Lynda Bell's PAC/ECO?
Why is everyone losing hope with the Ethics Commission? Who picks the Commissioners there? I would like to be on it.
What is the status of the Soroka case appeal? I want to go watch that one.
If you can't answer any of my questions, pose one of your own. Not in the mood for nasty people so be warned. This is fact finding not an opportunity for back-handed comments.
33 comments:
Everyone in Miami Dade County should be concerned if they're on a well system because Bell, Diaz & Edmunson want them to now hook up to the County inadequate water supply. I guess the more customers, along with the rate increase will help pay for the boondoggle of our water/sewer system. And, you will be paying for this hook up, not the County. This is coming up for 1st read on 3/4/2014.
http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?matter=140386&file=true&yearFolder=Y2014
no, it didn't start my day poster No. 1. You were removed for the offense of attacking the blogger. How does that start your day?
The debacle/Saga in MDC 27th floor continues...Check and let us know the final outcome of this unheard-off "E13-WASD-01R - Responsibility Review Meeting"
It seems that one of the consultants, the chosen one, has lied and misrepresented themselves.nothing new there but we are talking $90 mil in fees that you and I both will pay for.
A little help please?!
Your friend "So close to the USA!"
Need more background.
From your series of blogs:
Dated: Saturday, January 18, 2014
The 2014 War of the Lobbyists--Big Stuff. By Geniusofdespair
The Herald reported on what I consider the bigger stories of the year ...And there was some hanky-panky on the part of lobbyist 'favorites' on the 29th floor that we will never truly know about not will the ethics commission.
Anyway, according the Miami Herald the 1.6 billion dollar contract awarded by the first selection committee to CH2M Hill was thrown out by the mayor. Another selection committee was formed and the other bidder, AECOM prevailed. Don't think this is the end of it...it is only the beginning of Lobbyist Wars 2014... (I don't like lobbyists on either side, Miguel De Grandy OMG awful guyand he represents AECOM).
The Library Funding is in extreme jeopardy as the Mayor has said he is not willing to adjust tax rates, and the current rate had to be subsidized with an infusion of every dime the system had in reserves to buy books and materials. There are no reserves, and there is no indication the Mayor will recommend an increase. They will pretend it will be all OK, and then ax hundreds of librarians and reduce hours of operations to the point that the system collapses on itself. The only hope is if the Commissioners reject the Mayor's dim view of the world and take it upon themselves to set the rational and reasonable tax rate required to operate the one-time nationally recognized system. We are holding our breath, or prepared to shut it down. The voters need to speak out on this one.
One of the chosen ones: The 29th floor Groupies? This is getting good.Those are the ones representing CH2M Hill?
The Ethics Commission is so lame! Sally Heyman is co-sponsoring an item on the agenda tomorrow that will directly benefit her commercial enterprise. If it passes, she will not have to post identifying information on her commercial coffee truck. She voted on this in committee, but will likely not be at the final vote tomorrow...as she is out of town on another junket. Ethics? Who gives a shit about ethics. Put your name right on the legislation and provide your business direct relief from regulations. Item 7B on the agenda, in case the six-figure ethics czar, Centerino, is interested.
The Battle Royale of Esq's and cronies from the 29th floor continues, to remind you this is between both CH2M Hill & AECOM...the word is that the chosen one AECOM, this time around, might be the new offender. At the meeting when asked direct q's it seems that they again evaded the answers with misinterpretations...It is just a hearsay, that is why the little help request!
Will Gimenez' association and support of Gov. Rick Scott spell the end of Gimenez' political career? The St. Pete Times editorial declared Scott the worst governor in Florida history for everything from voting rights to environmental protection to health care and education. Shame on both of them (and Lopez-Cantera, too).
Library funding should be restored to as it was when Gimenez took office. I am well aware of the Border's bookstore argument and counter that with Books & Books. We need our library's in place. I don't think evicting them and our archives was/is necessary and was just a hissy fit by the Mayor because he didn't get his way.
As to the Water & Sewer issue - If Miami Dade County/Diaz, Bell & Edmunson thinks it's going fly by demanding law abiding tax payers to hook up to a service they do not need, especially in Redland - two things are probably going to happen - lawsuits will by flying faster then drones and the public outcry will make the former proposed Redland Dump look like practice in bad PR for them.
We need to give serious consideration to removing the library system, the facilities it occupies, and their holdings from the county. If it stays with the county, they will surely destroy it. It has to be a stand alone independent agency with a governing board and a taxing district that no one other than that board can touch. That issue should be brought to the voters at the next election.
Last anon, I agree. We need to take the Mayor/BCC out of the Library and it's funding. It's already a separate line item on our tax bills, what you're proposing just takes those funds a step further to protecting them and the library assets. I don't like the rent shuffle game either. I would also put on the ballot question to restore the funding to where it was and also agree we need to look at staffing issues including salary's & where we can cut some positions (sorry but it has to be done) and replace with more technology which will pacify some of those screaming for it, who I believe are the minority of the voters who probably never use the library's in the first place.
Why are there 2 port directors, both with massive salaries, when we are firing salaried employees-librarians.
The Bell-Cava race is still a ways off to call, currently Bell is battling some unfavorables and Cava is putting up scary financials, which leads to my no brainer prediction, by August it will be raining "courtesy of District 8" book bags
From the Ethics Commission website:
The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as a result of a citizens' vote to amend the Home Rule charter. It is an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers. It is composed of five members, each serving staggered terms of four years at a time.
--The Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit has two appointments with the following qualifications: Former Federal Judge, or former U.S. Magistrate, or former State Court Judge; and
Former U.S. Attorney or Assistant U.S. Attorney, former State or Assistant State Attorney, former County or Assistant County Attorney, or former City or Assistant City Attorney.
--The Deans of the University of Miami School of Law and St. Thomas University School of Law have one shared appointment of a faculty member who has taught a course in professional legal ethics or who has published or performed services in the field of professional legal ethics.
--The Miami-Dade League of Cities has one appointment of a member who has held local elective office.
--The Director of the Florida International University Center for Labor Research & Studies makes one appointment.
Each member must be a resident of Miami-Dade County. While serving on the Commission, a member cannot hold or campaign for an elective office or hold office in any political party or political committee.
Great Rhonda, nice job proving how out of touch the Ethics Commission is. It's the behavior of the Ethics Commission that is the problem. It has zero to do with the Ethics Commission Theory of what it is supposed to do and who has qualified to be on it.
The bottomline is people are fed up with the Ethics Commission not doing enough to stop ethics issues from becoming criminal issues which is a fact in this county. If you have time to comment and copy and paste on blogs that means you don't have enough work to do.
Leave Rhonda alone, she is trying to educate the public.
Well, it looks like Palin wasn't that stupid, doesn't it?
And Romney wasn't confused, was he?
Guess you've been living under a rock since Friday, right?
She warned us about exactly was is happening!
Why did the absentee ballot scandal of 2012 where Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Commissioner Esteban Bovo and State Attorney Katherine Fernande Rundle were personally touched not end up in Newsweek or a major newspaper such as The New York Times as a sign of what is wrong with our political system? Did we forget the absentee ballot fraud was commited by the campaign manager for both Gimenez and Rundle? Did the fraud not occur in the office of sitting State Representative Rene Garcia and Commissioner Bovo? This piece of news had the makings of our own ABSCAM investigation and could have landed several large fish. Instead, Campaign Manager Al Lorenzo became a regent at FIU and all listed remain in office. Guess the general public does not get to choose on who is a bad politician. It is spoon fed to us by the media for their political purpose.
We need to stay out of this and watch it play out. Snowden took mostly military files and it is unclear what our position is.
She also predicted she would win the election.
No, as a matter of fact, she never did.
Q-What is the date for the next meeting of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Task Force? I cannot find it posted anywhere on your website.
A-The meeting is scheduled for March 19, 2014 at 9:30am in the BCC Chambers at County Hall. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Regards,
Alex Ferro
Director of External Affairs
Office of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez
Phone:305-375-1206
E-mail: aferro@miamidade.gov
111 N.W. First Street, 29th Floor
Miami, Florida 33128
The county mayor wants to put the library department's budget to a public vote as a straw ballot in August. This way he can forgo his leadership responsibility to set adequate budgets per department. Shall the public get his responsibity of setting the budget for all 25 departments each year?
He'll also add Parks and Culture to the wording, so it' won't be his "fault" that he had to raise the millage if it passes. This will fill in the $7.5 million he used from convention center taxes to fund the operating budget of PAMM, History Miami, and the Museum if Science this year. And, if the issue doesn't pass since only 10% of us cast ballots, he gets to say I told you so...so it's WIN WIN for a puny politician willing to destroy the county's library network that binds our community.
rel: ab ballot issues. what is a way to make the actual candidates have some kind of responsibility for these things? it's like the christie bridge scandal (in a way) - people below him do things and there is a culture of not telling him (for instance) so he gets off scott free. How about candidates who have managers etc that do this stuff - they claim ignorance and maybe even dont get a slap on the hand.... its late so my thoughts are not complete but is there a way to hold people accountable in a "dont tell me what you are doing" environment?
Back to the SECOND blogger; According to the CDMP, Water and sewer lines cannot be run out-
side the UDB,,,PERIOD
TAKE HEED COMMISSIONERS: & we hope you read, Eye-On-Miami:
John Hoblick,President of the
Florida Farm Bureau quotes a
statement made recently by Charles Lee of Audubon Florida:
"water storage on farm properties serve both natural ecosystems &
HUMAN NEED. Dade County leaders, protect the farmland outside the UDB
Unfortunately, that pesky
CDMP has stopped the BCC when they want to do something -NEVER! They just amend it, sometimes with the help of Jeffrey Bercow and Juan Mayol with their applications outside the UDB.
Everyone, except politicians taking campaign contributions from large land owners looking to cash out, not farm, are well aware of the need to protect our Farm Land. The Florida Farm Bureaus understand this. Unfortunately, the Miami Dade pave over Farms Bureau does not.
2nd to last anon and 2nd anon, there are two water & sewer hook up items. This is the 1st one dealing with the Ag Area, brought to you by those tree hugging (not) commissioners Lynda Bell & Pepe Diaz:
http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?matter=140385&file=true&yearFolder=Y2014
I don't know why more people don't pay attention to the BCC agendas. There's another item on there deferring road impact fees proposed by Edmunson. You have to ask, why on earth would you, once again, put the burden on the taxpayers in an area where a developer wants to put in a project which needs road improvements now they won't have to pay for. It's absurd.
Bell's goin' down, y'all!
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