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| Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - Richard Fain -- Marginalized by Mayor Gimenez. |
Carlos Gimenez missteps are so numerous I can't even highlight them today. The one going on now, I think will be his downfall. Let's go back to his fundraiser at Richard Fain's house on May 9th 2012, I video taped it. Richard Fain is the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and his line is a member of the newly formed MIAMI SEAPORT ALLIANCE.
At 37 seconds on the video's counter he said "His guiding principle is what is best for the citizens of Miami Dade County." A soccer stadium Carlos? Really?
In this video he talks about the port and the stadiums:
Watch him talk about the port at about 3:27 on the counter.
Hasn't he learned his lesson about stadiums from Mayor Alvarez: Stay away from stadiums. He talks about the Port of Miami here. Saying it is our number 2 economic generator but he has no problem making unilateral decisions about the port, dismissing the giants that are there churning out the money and the day to day business.
Port interests (see their ad) should not be treated with a dismissive tone by him - like he is treating library interests. The Miami Herald reported about Gimenez on a radio show, where he took a rather odd and rude position against the Miami Seaport Alliance dismissing them as he has been dismissing all of us:
While Gimenez has not declared himself a proponent of the port stadium location, he made some of his strongest remarks yet against opponents on sports talk radio on Friday morning. Royal Caribbean and its industry supporters have formally organized a Miami Seaport Alliance in opposition, running a full-page ad in the Herald earlier this week welcoming MLS but calling a port stadium short-sighted for future growth.It appears sports stadium appetites for perks at our expense are the thorn that never goes away for Mayors. If we can't afford libraries and staffing them, we certainly can't afford sports perks or subsidizing anything new. Don't we have about 100 billion or more in infrastructure cost just waiting? Let's catch up. When Gimenez only has one commissioner solidly behind him -- Lynda Bell, who he has to fund-raise for to keep her -- he had better look back and examine his behavior.
On the Joe Rose Show on WQAM-AM 560, Gimenez dismissed the alliance as hardly representative of most cruise and cargo companies.
“One advertisement in the Herald doesn’t make a coalition,” he said. “Most of the people that I’ve talked to have been either neutral or in favor of it.”
A strong Hispanic that can appeal to his fleeting Democrat support will win the 2016 race. And there is always recall if Gimenez gets hard-headed enough. I am sure Richard Fain or someone else with deep pockets like Norman Braman can step up to that plate. I am sure Richard Fain ain't feeling the love with the mayor's disrespect in the paper today. That is why a candidate should get ready now. We might be seeing an election sooner than you think if enough feathers are ruffled, and mine are ruffled big time from what happened to DERM, the libraries and the support of ultra-conservative Lynda Bell. Let me leave you with one thought:
STADIUMS DON'T NEED WATERFRONT LOCATIONS.
And as always, watch the damn videos.
And as always, watch the damn videos.
36 comments:
The land under discussion was the property of the city of Miami. It was turned over to the county with the stipulation that it be used for port activities only, otherwise it reverts to the City. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has said this repeatedly over the past few months.
There is one person with the knowledge of our community, a vision for the future while keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground, the wisdom and leadership to bring the needs of our community to the forefront while protecting the legacy for future generations; his bi-cultural life, background and education bridge the ethnic great divide of our county:
Xavier L. Suarez
Recall. He has put his friends interests before the peoples. Osterholt is a bully. That Moon girl need to go. We need to clean house.
Not sure it will take a "strong Hispanic that can appeal to his fleeting Democrat support" to beat Gimenez. A strong Democrat that can appeal to Hispanics might also do the trick. The Mayor's Office does not belong to a particular ethnic group...and it should not be occupied by a Tea Party Republican.
Someone needs to step up to this small-minded bully and challenge him, for sure. He is so out of his depth it is embarrassing the entire community.
The group pushing soccer on the Port of Miami site really just want to control 36 acres of public waterfront land. They are speculators. They hired lobbyists to get the taxpayers money and they hired lobbyists to get access to Carlos Gimenez. The Heat never paid a penny of rent in 16 years. These clowns have the same business plan.
The stadium at the port site is not the real issue, it is the development at the site of the hotels, office buildings and retail that the Beckham group really want. That is where the money is. This is just another land grab at the residents expense to make a few people very rich.
RECALL!!!
Xavier Suarez put up his own slate of candidates for the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee. His slate won, but they tried not to seat them. It took a court case and an appellate court to get the members who had been elected actually sworn in. Since then, Suarez changed his political affiliation to independent and he's taking all the right steps to challenge Gimenez in 2016 or sooner if a recall happens. There's nobody else on the political horizon who is thinking that many chess moves ahead.
It would be nice if Xavier Suarez and his son (little Francis) spoke out agressively against this land grab. That would make both appear smarter and it would set them apart from typical Miami pols who go along with every slimy scheme that crosses their desks.
The energy needs to be put into getting rid of the strong mayor position, not constant recalls... go back to commission based mayor.
The strong Mayor form of government is OK, not great, just OK. The problem is we need a better Mayor. On the flip side who would want the 13 commissioners to have more power? They make horrible decisions every week. They gave away over $3 Billion in tax dollars to the Marlins and they routinely make dumb decisions.
Glad to see that people are finally opening their eyes and realizing the horrors Mayor Gimenez has committed since he was originally elected to office. His Hialeah benefactor, Mayor Carlos Hernandez just admitted his role as a loan shark a few days ago.. Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Munoz who procured the team of boleteras who collected ballots for Gimenez at nursing homes was also part of the conspiracy. Mayor Gimenez has insulated himself in the last three years and continues to benefit from handouts provided by lobbyists and consultants. Enough with all the corruption. Send this greedy politician packing.
Suarez????? You must be smoking the peace pipe! I say Carvalho for Mayor in 2016.
Previous comments here and on other blogs link the mayor's family to million dollar contracts.
"Munilla Construction and MCM-Dragados JV are one and the same. They are commonly referred to as the Munilla Brothers...and all seven (7) brothers are related to the wife of Mayor Gimenez. They seem to be doing pretty well under the Giminez Regime"
And
“Julio Gimenez got the job at Facchina in August, about a month after the commission gave Mayor Gimenez the okay to give up to $5 million for the repairs.”
- See more at: http://www.politicalcortadito.com/2014/02/21/carlos-gimenez-sons-firm-got-4-million-pac-repair-job/#sthash.nWPzVksF.dpuf
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/08/rafael_garcia-toledo_is_a_driv.php
Garcia-Toledo says he would never use his close friendship with Gimenez for personal gain. "I really enjoy the relationship I have with the mayor," Garcia-Toledo says.
The mayor also insists there's no conflict in having his finance chief work on millions in taxpayer-funded gigs, saying Garcia-Toledo's role gives him no bidding edge. "I've never asked anyone to hire Ralph," Gimenez tells Banana Republican. "He is successful in his own right. He doesn't need me."
Indeed, his Coral Gables-based G-T Construction Group has earned $7 million as a subcontractor on four projects since 2000, including two ongoing contracts: a $2.9 million bid on work at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and a $1.7 million deal to help build the new people mover at Miami International Airport.
City of Miami fire fee. Gimenez has gushed endlessly during his campaign how he left the city of Miami fiscally sound when he resigned as city manager in 2003. But he always fails to note that he was the chief champion of the city's controversial fire fee, which was instrumental in balancing Miami's books during the years it was in place. But in 2002, the Florida Supreme Court deemed a similar fire fee unconstitutional. The decision meant Miami had wrongfully collected as much as $90 million from taxpayers. Indeed, two years later a Miami-Dade circuit court judge deemed Miami's fire-fee ordinance illegal.
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/06/five_times_carlos_gimenez_scre.php
Miami Parking Surcharge. In another failed attempt to shore up the city's finances without raising property taxes, Gimenez was a strong advocate of the city's 20 percent parking surcharge. For years, anyone parking in the city had to pay the additional tax which generated $13 million a year to the city. At one point, Gimenez and Miami elected officials wanted to extend the surcharge for 40 years to help the Florida Marlins build a stadium. Imagine that? Thankfully the surcharge was also struck down as unconstitutional.
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/06/five_times_carlos_gimenez_scre.php
Down, down, Gimenez!
Gimenez and the experts he brought (flunkies) are way in over their heads. He has morphed from the bully to the absent mayor. My bet is that he cashes out and doesn't run again. A good decision considering all the damage he has caused...
Divided community
Divided commission
Divided workforce
Brain drain
Lack of services
Ruined libraries
Cut parks
Soccer giveaway
Dolphins giveaway
Heat giveaway
All bad decisions from a bad leader.
He was just a lucky guy when he ran for office. Right time, right place. The luck runs out eventually.
Gimenez dismissive attitude is representative of his "my way or the highway " philosophy of governance.
His arrogance is based upon his might makes right approach. He is not the same person he portrayed in 2012. His true personality has now emerged.
Gimenez and his lobbyist cronies and incompetent staff do not know what they don't know ..well sorry his lobbyist friends know at least how to squeeze money out of the public trough they feed at.
Soccer stadium at the port .. Nail clipper tower on public land subsidized with tax money .. Large casinos on the water front, this is our mayors vision of what makes a great city?
Yet he does battle with his own employees ..guts libraries .. Renegs on public votes..
Now he has taken on one the the few mayor corporations left in the community. An excellent corporate citizen that also provides tens of millions of dollars in economic impact to this community .. To say nothing of the thousands of jobs they support!
Gee who know more about ports .. David Beckman... Joe Rose ?.. Commercial brokers who loath competition ., Gimenez . Osterholt (that was fired from Broward over a shady land deal at their port..Sound familiar ) or RCCL .. One of the worlds leading cruise lines
Hey mayor Can you hear Broward calling RCCL for their ships and headquarters? Arrogance plus lobbyist greed plus stupidly equals is the mosaic of the Gimenezites.
How about Carlos Gimenez's buddy Francois Illias? Fired from Gimenez's 2012 campaign for absentee ballot fraud yet still lurking around Gimenez. Gimenez's buddy Jeff Berkowitz? Wants public waterfront land? Heat owner never pays rent YET Gimenez is flirting with giving him a lease extension?
And just why are we waiting for re-election time? So that MORE damage can be done? At the moment, damage control is the best we can hope for, so RECALL, NOW!
Bring your questions and comments for the Mayor on Thursday 4/24 at 7:00
Kendall Pavillion behind Bahama Breeze on North Kendall Drive
8625 SW 124th Avenue Miami, FL
8625 SW 124th Ave is a 45 minute drive south of County Hall. Is he planning a meeting closer to County Hall? Many educated people live north of SW 86th Street.
Isn't this Lynda Bell's district? He wouldn't do anything for Xavier Suarez or Juan Zapata's districts.
It does appear to be Zapata's district.
People:
The Kendall Homeowners' Association invited him, and he said yes. Why don't the rest of you, self-proclaimed. "educated people" living north of Kendall invite him?
KFHA NEWS ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Rosenberg April 20, 2014
305.439.3571
kfhanews@gmail.com
Mayor Carlos Gimenez is Coming to the KFHA
The Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations will have as their featured guest, Mayor Carlos Gimenez, on April 24, 2014.
This will be an opportunity for the residents of Kendall to ask questions of our Mayor and to make suggestions or address the Mayor personally about the State of the County.
Mayor Gimenez will make some general comments and then it will be an open forum for public discussion.
The program will begin at 7:00 pm at the Kendall Village Center Civic Pavilion, 8625 SW 124 Avenue, in front of the Regal Theater.
The KFHA takes positions on issues of public concern and brings government officials to meet the people.
The Board Members of the KFHA are all volunteers with a passion for community service. At this time, the Board has two openings for anyone with a desire to become involved.
The KFHA is a community-based, watchdog organization that identifies and addresses quality-of-life issues in the Kendall area.
"Little House in Kendall"
8625 SW 124 Avenue
Miami, FL
(in front of the Regal Theater)
Meet the mayor, ask him a question this Thursday in Kendall. See post above.
corrupt mayor will only tell more lies.
It is most instructive and enlightening to consider that when Gimenez was considering a run for country mayor, you guys couldn't get on your knees fast enough to worship the second coming. Since the day he was elected, EOM has done nothing but bash the shit out of our mayor. Is anything in Miami-Dade County worthy or your exalted stamp of approval...besides treee huggers, sugar haters, FPL bashers, and the like?
Another reason the county budget is a mess:
Instead of a $5 exit toll at our shiny new port tunnel, the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County get to supplement that portion of the county's bond debt deal. There was supposed to be a toll.
http://tunneltalk.com/Miami-Port-Tunnel-Jul10-Groundbreaking.php
It mentions a company hired to "maintain the toll road" tunnel route. From 2009 grand opening with Miami Dade Mayor Alvarez.
Why won't your child have toddler times with a librarian, library poetry contests, open mic nights, access to books, access to downloadables, etc?
It's because the little tykes get to drive through the tunnel for free! It's like taking them through the car wash! They just love it.
Hot damn!
When can I buy postcards with a photo of my tunnel and a WELCOME TO MIAMI sign!
Anonymous two up
What was our choice a known criminal or Gimenez? Get real. I told him that if he kept supporting Lynda Bell I was going to bash him. I have been true to my word.
Gimenez ran against an overweight Hialeah loan shark. Gimenez barely won.
As long as Gimenez opposes those greedy, overpaid, lazy union members, he has my support.
Don't forget Gimenez made his first $3 Mil working as a union fire employee.
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