Commissioner Juan C. Zapata, whose district includes part of Kendall and western Miami-Dade, slammed the proposed agreement as too generous to the Heat. He cited one provision that would end the county’s ability to collect more revenue if the arena’s naming rights sell for more than $2 million a year once the current agreement with American Airlines ends in 2020.
“It’s a horrible deal,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything so ridiculous.”
I found it interesting that he was briefed by the Mayor's assistant and not the Mayor. Zapata apparently never sees the Mayor.
Gimenez is saying we have a $208 million budget gap but this year he is/was entertaining deals with Billionaire Mickey Arison (Heat), Billionaire Simon Fuller among others (Soccer Stadium) and Billionaire Steve Ross (Dolphins). He should lock his door for sports teams. There should be a sign on his door: No welfare for Billionaires. County Broke. Go elsewhere.
What the hell is wrong with this community? Who can even afford to go to these games? Broward Residents.
Here is the Heat deal proposed or agreed to (depending on who you speak to):
Taking into account the increased subsidies minus the rent the team would pay between now and 2040, the agreement would cost Miami-Dade an additional $121 million through 2040. That’s on top of the $6.4 million the county must pay yearly for the next 15 years under the terms of the 1996 agreement in which Arison financed construction of the $240 million arena. The yearly subsidy would increase to $12 million in 2031 — the first year of the extended lease — and hit $17 million nine years later.
After 14 years of profit sharing with the Heat we collected $300,000. Don't you think they cooked the books. Would you enter into another deal with cheaters? We are talking about funding billionaires when our County is strapped for basic services and Librarians are cast as devils for getting $60 to $70 thousand a year when they have Master's degrees.
Where are our priorities? Why isn't the Mayor talking to County Commissioners? What the hell is going on? $21 thousand a year from the Heat as profit sharing? I don't think so. How can the Mayor do a deal with a team that has been paying us that? It is the Heat bilking the County. I can make a better deal. We are Stadium rich and service poor in Miami Dade County. And I don't like these sports teams trying to blackmail the county with "we will take our team elsewhere". Well go or collect the money from your stupid fans.
16 comments:
Each group of money suckers has their own priorities. Maybe the Beckham group will go home once the Miami police start giving demands on how they need to be paid.
Yesterday, at County Hall, a group of library advocates gathered to talk to the Finance Committee. It was Wednesday at 9:30am. Most of us had to take off from work, pay the $12 parking garage fee and wait until noon to finally speak at the podium. During this five hour meeting, there was no Mayor. There was no Chief of Staff. They were out making a deal to lose more tax payer money for sports reasons. Mayor Gimenez had ordered the Finance Committee to review the library's "situation" in their April meeting deeming it an emergency. Yet, his priorities took him elsewhere.
Most people in Miami-Dade County pay less than the County Garage's $12 parking fee for one year of library services to their entire household.
After this very public reversal by Gimenez (Chairwoman Sosa apparently expressed her doubts about the deal passing the BCC), I would not expect Micky Arison to ever deal with him again. Arison will wait until a new Mayor is sworn in next term to conduct his business. In the meantime, Go Heat!
At least the mayor did to the HEAT what he has done to labor and others-making a deal then backing out without notice.
Gimenez is holding out for additional kickbacks. He'll get and we'll pay for it
What a disaster Gimenez has been as mayor. And now his lobbyist buddy and alter ego Lopez caught in the middle ... This is the gang who can't shoot straight... Stadium on port property .. Casinos on the bay ... A shake down by the heat.
Yet they have screwed the libraries .. Employees.. Pet trust .. Had duel
Port directors . Beat goes on ..And yet his arrogance leads him to believe he is ALWAYS right .. He doesn't know what he doesn't know ..and his staff is a disaster ..
This group couldn't manage munchkin land ..and he ain't no wizard even behind the curtain.
Who will step up and run against this guy..even the scarecrow had more brains than this guy ..
Simon Fuller is the billionaire using Beckham as a walking billboard. More bailouts for billionaires?
From The Miami Herald (4/23/13): "Zapata said he left his briefing with Gimenez chief of staff Lisa Martinez believing the term sheet would be presented to commissioners for a vote, and Arison told ticket-holders to expect commissioners to decide on the agreement at a May 6 meeting. But Martinez said she told Zapata she was there only to update the commissioner on the negotiations, and collect commission feedback for the mayor".
In reality, Martinez was there to update the commissioners as Lopez scripted her. Let's not forget, she was promoted to Chief of Staff by Lopez .
http://wpbt2.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=048e5adcac9e962dd182f06d0&id=20168588f6&e=f2aa49cc72
PLEASE watch this tomorrow!
The mayor is a scam. Que mentiroso y descarado es ese viejo, con su cara dura.
People are supposed to read my links to the Herald. You don't have to so it for them
To quote Cutler Bay Mayor Ed MacDougall on another prominent blogger site in Miami, the Mayor might be on "psychotropic drugs" and this would certainly explain a lot of his statements lately. I'm sure it has nothing to do with lobbyists and potential campaign donations.
Juan Zapata is one of the best commissioners on the BCC.
He is honest and has nothing to hide. He votes his conscience and, he is not afraid to say what he thinks and call names. From his days in Tallahassee, he has always looked after the people to the distress of his party.
I love that man!
People need to contact Gimenez and Barrerio and tell them not to support another bailout for another billionaire. (Arison or Fuller or Ross).
More bad news for the residents of Miami Dade County. People need to wake up and vote all of the incumbents out. Gimenez is an egotistical maniac hell bent on destroying the public perception of County employees while he and his cronies wreak havoc on the budget, all the while blaming the hard working employees who put up with their crap every day.
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