(Of course he is not going to get rid of these jobs he is just trying to scare everyone into a tax increase. Under funding libraries didn't scare people enough and all these stadium deals just made us all angry.) Taxes and bonds and all the rest lay at our feet. If some of you idiots would stop voting for bonds and accept tax increases you would be paying less. Here is a bit of news for you: YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE BONDS for years and years and years.
Daniella Levine Cava, candidate for County Commission District 8 today released the following statement in response to the proposed slashing of the county’s public safety budgets:
“It’s ironic that in the same week in which another stadium deal is celebrated by County Hall, the Mayor announces a proposal to fire 450 public safety officers. As I have asked before, where are this county’s priorities? It is especially troubling to read that County Hall is willing to put our children at risk by slashing the unit that assists with child-abuse investigations. The bottom line is that we cannot risk the safety of our neighborhoods while mega-millionaires enjoy tax breaks or receive county incentives."
50 comments:
You can't support big salary increases and then complain later that there isn't enough money to pay everyone. We were warned this would happen when the commission voted to give everyone a 5% increase last year.
From my understanding, the funding of stadium affairs and paying for County services are not legally permitted to be taken from the same budget.
However, as a County employee, the simple question I and my co-workers have is this…
After 6 years of taking part of the County employees' income to balance the budget during the economic crisis and allow the County to maintain it's level of service to the County residents (of which are many County employees too), why does the media, the politicians and the majority of County residents feel that the only choice is to provide less County services (either by cutting services or personnel) or to continue to take part of the County employee's income to balance the budget. Why is it not right to ask the residents to chip in their fair share to maintain the desired level of service? Why is it so wrong to ask the residents of Miami-Dade County to pay a tiny bit more for the services they want to receive by requesting? The poor economy is everyone's problem.
I am flummoxed as to why people are afraid of taxes getting raised. If you are Homesteaded there is a cap. I can see businesses getting mad but why are regular homeowners? I don't care if mine are raised but not to fund stadiums.
That money earmark isn't it for convention centers and they stretched it to be for stadiums too? Why not stretch its use a little more? Use it for job training to work at stadiums or convention centers. Teach Spanish phrases to African Americans, who do not know Spanish, so they have an equal chance at the jobs.
And that 5% WAS NOT A RAISE. The cut the county employees took was supposed to be reinstated as was promised to them.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average pay for police officers in 2013 was $58,700. Last year, there were 1,308 Miami-Dade police employees, approximately one quarter of the workforce, who made more than $100,000 annually. That is outrageous. It’s time for the police union to make some concessions. My property taxes are already through the roof and I can’t afford to pay any more.
R…that is the big fallacy…employees were not given a 5% increase. Their part of sacrificing 5% of their income to fill in the shortage in the budget due to the poor economy had been completed. In addition to taking furlough days, employees have been contributing more than 5% of their income to fill in the budget shortage. This shortage has occurred because the residents contribution (taxes) is not enough to cover the cost of the services they are receiving. It's no ones fault…it's just fair that everyone be asked to help.
Were you not aware that County employees were required to contribute 5% of their income to balance the budget? Are you not aware that County employees are taking an average of 10 furlough days a year (thats working for no pay)?
$58,700. Who can raise a family on $58,700? Are you kidding? Who would put their life on the line for that? Stop being jealous of others salaries and work on your own instead. Be happy when they make a living wage don't make them scapegoats. I would watch what you wish for. Less police and that "more crime" might be in you neighborhood. 3% is not going to change much on your through the roof taxes. Look at your city taxes -- maybe that is where you should blubber. Go get your tax bill and read it.
Jorge everyone's taxes are too high including County employees…if you had 15% of your income taken away tomorrow, wouldn't that make paying your taxes even more difficult if not impossible? If some of the police are being paid an inappropriate salary…then it's probably because their is fault in the system which needs to be addressed. But what about the low paid police personnel that are struggling to make it like you? You should address your request for change from County management (Mayor, Commissioners, etc.) not the complete police department.
Jorge is the most popular name for Trolls on this blog and Maria.
The Mayor has been acting like some big dick genius who cut taxes in 2011 by streamlining government and stamping out waste. Bullshit. All he did was take money from the employees to pay for the tax break.
His consolidation of departments into 25 mega-departments has only resulted in greater inefficiency. It takes much longer to get a decision, because everything has to bubble to the top of a much bigger department bureaucracy. When a decision gets to a department director, they have to go ask the Mayor if it is OK - and that takes weeks, because the mayor is often golfing or traveling around the world talking about Miami being a "hot" place.
This idiot has known for three years that the concessions by the workforce had an expiration date. It is now time to make some tough decisions, and he just wants to hide behind Lynda Bell's skirt and chant that he will not raise taxes. What a wimp.
Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers - 2013 Annual Mean Salaries by Metropolitan area
Los Angeles, $86,280
New York , $74,450
Chicago, $74,190
Miami-Dade, FL, $72,810
Washington DC , $64,630
Philadelphia, $62,600
Boston, $59,170
Dallas, $58,320
Baltimore, $57,660
Houston , $54,530
Atlanta, $41,650
Source: USDOL Occupational Employment Statistics
Oye Maria, why don't you also put up cost of living numbers for these cities too?
No matter what you call it or how you slice it, county employees are netting 5% more than they were making last year. They need to start being reasonable and stop being greedy. Those of us in the private sector did not receive 5% more in pay this year.
This is not about how much we pay police to protect us in a metropolitan region. It is about the quality of life we want in this community.
This place needs the best and most competent law enforcement personnel we could possibly recruit. Miami-Dade has always had the highest standards and the most professional law enforcement agency in town. This global city, with so much at stake for trade and tourism, is about to become a high-risk zone, a place to be avoided.
Tell Gimenez to quit being so small-minded and grow a pair. If he explains why we need to invest in our personnel, instead of blaming the workers, the public will follow his lead. This man just does not know how to lead. He lets his pollsters tell him what he can do. What a waste of an office of strong mayor.
Ira, did your employer deduct 5% from your pay for the last five years, and ask you to give up another 16% for the last three years. I seriously doubt it. The people of this community should be grateful for the tax break that was given in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. That tax break was paid for by county employees so your services would not be affected. This year, the community will experience some service cuts in order to pay for the tax break. You decide if that is what you want.
Isn't it interesting that when county employees had a 5% health insurance deduction almost no one left for another job? Miami-Dade County employees are among the highest paid employees in our community with or without a health insurance deduction.
And yes, I am jealous. I would love to work on easy street, but I don't have any friends or family in the system. Everyone knows that the county has a rigged hiring system that is rife with cronyism and nepotism.
the salaries are high and no state income tax in florida.
If you can't have it, they can't have it? Did you ever apply for a job at the county? Maybe the nepotism Etc. Is just in the high ranking jobs. Jealousy is not a good trait.
No take home cars with free gas in those other cities. And police in those other cities pay a lot more than the measly 3% our police officers pay for their huge police pensions. In several of those cities, the police must live in the city limits (e.g., Boston, Philadelphia, etc.) while Miami-Dade police live in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Greedy, greedy, greedy.
Has this blog changed ownership? I remember when this blog used to rip on John Rivera and the Police Benevolent Association. I hope the bloggers are not being coerced or blackmailed into becoming a PBA mouthpiece. If someone at this blog is being threatened by police union thugs, please call the FBI. I am concerned.
Manny do you find this interesting? When I had my income taken as concessions via 5% health contribution, furloughs etc., I had to file for bankruptcy and fight foreclosure.
And...I applied for my job through a newspaper ad and after many levels of interviews and testing was hired over 350 other applicants.
Where do you people get information?
It isn't "you people" writing comments, it is the Mayors staff.
The MDPD and MDFR both have an abundance of supervision to a fault. This is where the cuts should be.
Keep officers and first responders where they are and maybe even hire a few more, unload and do not replace retiring supervisors. Too many chiefs and not enough indians.
I believe that is what Gimenez is proposing within the MDPD, I support it.
Read his full proposal it seems his words were edited to make a point.
We were warned? This type of saber rattling goes on every year. The fact is there was $100 million in employee funded reserves the employees wanted back so no budget impact to the public...the mayor refused to give it back as he wanted to leverage it to pay for his pet projects. now we see what he had in mind...$50 million to the Heat, $40 million to Ross. and now we're in a hole and Moody's lowers our rating...great leadership.
and the fact there has been few hires and lots of worker bee layoffs since 2011 means median pay is up because more remaining employees have seniority, a fact soon to change drastically.
lastly jobs are constantly outsourced to well connected firms to "save money" and layoff county workers.. the problem is often the county workers can do the job better for less but they are shut out of the process..the labor contract even forbid them from using the county email system to discuss these injustices yet the mayor has the whole 29th floor cranked up full blast (on county time) to demonize these same employees to the public.
currently the county's living wage ordinance says contractors must pay at least $14/hr to these outside contract workers, yet most openings at the county currently start at $11.05 part time and no insurance.
ya, do as I say, not as I do....come on down Manny you're going to love this place.
IRA! As a police officer mom, I want to know, if you get the opportunity to be shot at work?
Losing 450 police officers on top of this years retiring police officers is the equilivant to closing several police stations. Do you guys think that the bad guys don't know when the police staffing is short?
Ask the people who live in less affluent areas whether or not they feel the impact of changes in the station staff.
Ask the business owners if their crime instances go up.
Domestic violence calls and traffic stops are among the most dangerous calls to take. Is that where our smarty pants mayor is cutting?
Is the Mayor cutting fire personnel? Is he sending first responders in to fight fires without backup and training? How many fire personel have been hired in the past 2 years?
Take the money from tourism taxes, that is where the Dolphins got their stadium money. Without police there would be no tourism here. The probability is already high that they will be robbed, hurt or killed here. With fewer police you can rest assured tourists will become automatic victims and east prey. Imagine the Superbowl without police. It would be pure open season on poor innocent tourists. As for us, we will go home, lock the doors, and watch the disaster on TV.
Meanwhile, the governor just signed a bill to hand over millions in tax dollars to NASCAR.
Would love to see the draft planning report the HErald and others have referenced. Does anyone have it?
How about getting the 826/836 interchange construction finalized after five years of construction by one of the most corrupt Brazilian companies: Odebrecht. How much productivity is being lost by the mess? How much has it cost the county upto now?
How many people are going to die driving through that spaghetti once it is finalized sometime this century?
There are several contractors working at the 826/836 interchange. Odebrecht is NOT one of them . Check this fact for yourself. Disruptive construction ?, yes ! but I doubt any entity could have done this work any faster while maintaining traffic (app. 400k vehicles per day)
I say we eliminate 450 Police Officers, throw all the BUY BACK GUNS back on the street and subsidize gun ownership for all MD Residents. This would Accomplish the following:
-Balance the Budget
-Solve Overpopulation Problem
-Decrease Carbon Emissions
-Lower the cost of housing in MD
-Decrease Commute times
-Shorter lines at Starbucks
The Possibilities are endless! What are we waiting for?
For anyone that's a homeowner in Miami Dade please look at your tax bill how much did you really save? I saved $38. But I sacrificed 5% of my salary and gave up holiday time and health insurance increase. For those of you who work in the private sector a county employee pay more for Heath insurance per pay period that you pay a month. There is a lot of wasteful spending in the county. But it's not with the employees salaries. I believe in paying for the services that I want. Look at Broward and Palm Beach they don't have this problem. Because their residents believing in PAYING for what they want.. If the trash don't get pick up on time you call the MAYORS OFFICE to complain. If you visit a county office and the line is out the door you call the Mayor's Office. If you call 911 and the dispatch put on hold and the police or Fire Rescue take an extra 5 minutes to respond you call the Mayor's Office and Chanel 7, 4 & 6 . Well guess what the employee who would have been there to serve you was laid off.
"Isn't it interesting that when county employees had a 5% health insurance deduction almost no one left for another job?"
Manny, not true. I left working for the County for several reasons, and the propensity of the administration and BCC to balance the budget on the backs of the employees was a big one. An even bigger one was my observation that the local and state politicians were abandoning their responsibility act to ensure the future sustainability of Florida, but that's a discussion for another time...
Dear Mayor's Staff:
You must save your comments to copy and paste since I've read this sentence verbatim in past posts:
"Isn't it interesting that when county employees had a 5% health insurance deduction almost no one left for another job?"
To the person who believes "no one left" Miami-Dade County service, here is a posting on www.calmmiami.org's facebook page:
As I learned today of another strong, smart, vibrant librarian who has quit out of despair, I feel the need to remember who has left us...
A listing in honor of
"Gimenez's Smaller Government Initiative"
Below is a just a partial list of the Library staff who have quit, transferred or retired from 2011-2014. Please comment with more names if you see someone who was missed.
There have been no external replacements of the staff on this list.
Only four of these vacancies plus the Programming Asst. Director position, all in Outreach Services, were filled by the recruitment process. The rest have been filled by expanding existing staff’s responsibilities to cover the vacancy. They do not include the mass demotions of 2011.
Your public libraries, visited by thousands, are seriously understaffed. It's a devastation.
Manager - Coral Gables Branch - James Paul
Manager - Main Circulation Services. -Main - Julio Granda
Manager - Main second floor Reference - Candy Granda
Manager - South Miami & Virrick Park - Cynthia Bermudez
Manager - Talking Books- Barbara Moyer (retired)
Manager - Literacy Program (LEAD) - Nora Dominguez Rodriguez
Manager - Connections - Homebound Svs - Audrey Ryan (retired)
Manager - California Club - Lisa Davis
Manager - California Club - Sky King
Manager - North Central - Bill Adkins (retired)
Manager - Shenandoah - Yudit Lam
Manager - Hialeah Gardens - Esther Nibot (retired)
Manager - South Shore and N Shore - Lina Correa
Manager - Kendall Branch - John Heim (retired)
Manager – Coconut Grove - Sherrill Martin (retired)
Manager – Training Dept – Bonnie Rothschild (retired)
Manager - Bookmobiles - Janice Bell
Manager - Arcola Lakes - Christine Gallahar
Asst. Manager - Miami Beach - Arthur Liebhaber (retired)
Librarian 3 - Acquisitions - Kelly Rodriguez
Librarian 2 - N. Dade Regional - Kari Steinberg
Librarian 2 - Naranja - Irene Smith (retired)
Librarian 2 - Homestead - Mary Barmmer (retired)
Librarian 2 - North Dade Regional - Karen Allen
Librarian 2 - Jumpstart Outreach - Elena Vincent
Librarian 1 – Miami Lakes - Jennifer Jensen
Librarian 1 – Northeast Branch – Claudia Ortega
Librarian 1 – Miami Beach – Lori Zimmerman
Librarian 1 - Pinecrest Branch - Kathleen Bulger
Librarian 1 - Palmetto Bay- Anita Pintado
Librarian 1 – South Dade Regional - Amy Peterson
Librarian 1 - Hispanic - Jessica Mora (transfer)
Librarian 1 - Little River - Donna Smith (retired)
Librarian 1 - West Kendall - Robin Collier (retired)
Librarian 1 – Tamiami - Richard Cortina
Librarian 1 - Homestead - Venkata Madiraju
Librarian 1- Kendale Lakes -Justin King
Librarian 1- Kendale Lakes - Sebastan Abran
Librarian 1 - W. Dade Regional - Betty Rodriguez
Librarian 1 - California Club - Isabel Duque
Librarian 1 - Acquisitions - Bonina Garcia
Librarian 1 - Fine Arts, Main - Sam Readman
Librarian 1 - Fine Arts - Main - Deidra Garcia
Librarian 1 - International Mall Branch - Bianca Roig
Librarian 1 - Miami Beach - James Wargacki
Children's Services Specialist - Edwina Pace (retired)
Children's Services Specialist - Lillian Dunbar (retired)
Children's Services Specialist - Regina Weston (retired)
SMART Program Coordinator - Camille Grace
Outreach and Programming – Main Library - Vinora Hamilton
Public Information Officer – Main Library - Victoria Galan
LA3 - Palmetto Bay Branch - Mary Kirsch (retired)
LA3 - West Kendall Regional - Nei Sliva
LA3 - Main - Jaquira Wilson (transfer)
LA3 - Chikita Johnson
LA3 - Main - Zizi Vega (retired)
LA3 - Palm Springs North - Ebony Travis
LA3 – Sunny Isles - Jonelle Hinds
LA3 - Regina Weston
LA3 - International Mall - James Wargacki
LA3 - WDR - Duany Blanco
LA3 - Shenandoah - Ricci Yuhico
LA3 - N Dade Regional - Guilson Aurelien
LA3.- Civic Center - Janice Stevens (retired)
LA2 - SDR-Veronica McZeal (retired)
LA2 – Coral Gables – Nery Ruiz
LA2 - Miami Lakes - Israel Sanchez
LA2 - Main - Lakeesha Gordon
LA2 - Miami Beach - Dyanne Cardenas
LA2 - West Flagler - Maria Cuevas
Library Asst 1 - Pinecrest Branch - Adelina Figueras (retired)
Library Asst 1 – Pinecrest Branch -Maite Perez
Library Asst 1 – North Shore Branch - Arnold Chu
Library Asst 1 – Main - Dyanne Cardenas
Library Asst 1 – Bookmobile – Norma Pinera
Library Asst 1 – South Dade Regional - Dorita Guevara (Patti)
Library Asst 1 - Hialeah Gardens - Troiana Bethel
Library Asst 1 - Main - Aramis Alvarez
Library Asst 1 - Intl Mall - Anthony Servin
Library Asst 1 - Dandria Gray
Library Asst 1 - Monica Gallor
Library Asst 1 - California Club - Isabel Duque
Library Asst 1 - Pinecrest - Michael Bailey
Library Asst 1 - Hispanic Branch - Matthew Seelig
Library Asst 1 - Main - Guerda Francois
Library Asst 1 - South Shore - Carlos Szubartowski
Library Asst 1 - W. Kendall Regional - Abel Folger
Library Asst 1 - Hispanic Branch - Debra Hills
Library Asst 1 - Bookmobile - Norma Pineda
Library Asst 1 - Kendale Lakes - Maria Lam
Page - Homestead Branch - Shirley
Page - Pinecrest Branch - Kristina Tapia
Page – W. Dade Regional – Sandy Pozo
Page - Main - Danilo Castro
Page - Janet Buharte
Page - W. Dade Regional - Melissa Morales
Page - Pinecrest - Manny Pasos
Page - Main - Enrique Fernandez
Page - Miami Beach - Fabienne Lorent
Page - Pinecrest - Pia Traviaso
Page - Pinecrest - Karen Ballentine
Asst Director - Bill Urbizu (retired)
Asst Director - Phyllis Alpert (retired)
Asst Director - Lucrece Louisdhon-Louinis
Library Branch Supervisor -North Dade Regional - Stephanie Hope Cochran.
Library Branch Supervisor - West Dade Regional - Amy Rolnick
Library Branch Supervisor - Barbara Kirby (retired)
Acquisitions Administrator - Sheila Berke (retired)
Art Services - Curator - Gendry Bassou
Art Services - Curator - Denise Delgado
Business Office - Main - Amir Ali (retired)
Business Office - Main - Newton Blanc (transfer)
Business Office - Main - Lluis Gorgoy
Personnel - Main - Bobbie Lawshea (retired)
The first new outside hiring in two years has been advertised : four part-time Librarian 1s, no benefits. They fit into the 2014-2015 library model of four hour days, four days per week.
During the negotiations of 2011, unions gave the county $135 million from employees as furloughs and a medical tax concessions to keep property taxes artificially low. After draining reserves that were to offset future bond payments or to renovate and maintain county facilities,Mayor Gimenez has tied his own hands. His solution - blame the staff for earning the wages established by the county. So, he carved deeply into resident services with 250 library layoffs in 2011 and a quasi-three year hiring freeze leaving a skeleton staff. Services around the county are vanishing. Only as our needs arise do we notice what's been taken away and wonder, what happened to our county? The unions are the just the canary in the coal mine.
Cutting child abuse staff is the most ominous threat I have ever hear coming form an elected official.
Do it Mr. Mayor and the first child abused will be on your shoulders.
Can you live with that?
We got rid of the mayor preceding you and we can get rid of you too...don't push it.
How come the Miami Herald does not post this information about the devastating attrition at the Library? Speaking of Libraries - the Carlos Gimenez will be holding a Town Hall meeting at the Miami Beach Regional Library at 227 22nd St (22nd and Collins) on Monday night at 6PM. Everyone should attend to ask the mayor some questions. It is a public meeting. Let's see if he shows up this time cause he didn't the last time.
The county is a cesspool of nepotism and favoritism. Hundreds if not thousands of commissioners' and top administrators' friends and family get county jobs and promotions. Directors are chosen for their ability to cater to commissioners, lobbyists, political contributors, insiders. Everyone inside the county (like me) knows this. Someone has to pay the price, either through higher taxes or cuts like the mayor proposes.
No doubt there is plenty of waste and deadbeat employees working for the County, as is often the case with government bureaucracies. But the across-the- board pay cuts and decreases in services proposed by the mayor are a poor substitute for leadership and good management. Fire the deadbeats and cut the waste, don't place the burden on the backs of those dedicated and competent employees (of which there are also plenty) who work hard for the betterment of our community despite the bonehead actions of our elected officials. Instead, the mayor has destroyed the morale of both good and bad employees alike, who he appears to regard with open distain. The bad employees use the cuts and the mayor's attitude to further justify their lack of productivity and the good ones get tired of working so hard for less pay and no appreciation. Add to it things like the mayor's recent suck-up-fest to David Beckham and idiotic plan to fill the FEC slip (to name but one example), and most county employees have zero respect for the guy and his minions. The mayor confuses his ham-fisted treatment of county employees with leadership. If he really wants to lead and fix what ails the county bureaucracy, he should turn to the employees themselves. They know what and where the problems are and how to fix them.
The salaries also include off duty work that the officers do, The County charges the businesses to cover the officers salary and a fee that the county also keeps. When you see an officers salary remember this is NOT all paid for by the county... It includes pay from businesses or private parties that paid to hire off duty officers.. The county collects it and passes it on to the officer.
Plenty of time and money to give David Beckham and Steve Ross and layoffs for County librarians and police?
Gimenez and Bell are so obviously corrupt. Support OUR police and I for one don't know this Rivera union guy but at least he seems to have the balls to call these and other either corrupt or incompetent jerks out.
MDPD is charged with the safety of over 2.5 million residents who live within a 2,109 square mile area. In order to accomplish this formidable task, it utilizes the services of approximately 2,900 sworn officers and 1,700 support personnel.
http://www.crimemapping.com/default.aspx
We don't neeed no stinkn badges!
Additionally, we need X number of policemen to protect visiting tourists. Let 's raid the tourism tax to fund them, and let the billionaires find their own money for their playpens.
How many police is that per person to watch over per 8 hour day? I think that is a hell of responsibility.
Someone mentioned free take home cars. Not with the county, they pay for that privledge which involves up keep of the cars and being on "call" with everyone in the neighborhood who thinks that a police officer living in the neighborhood is equal to having a community 911 station 24/7.
Not many professions have strangers knocking on your door at weird hours expecting you to be just as nice and professional as you when you are working.
City of Miami taxpayers pay for 1,700 take home vehicles. Being a police officer is a form of public service. Nobody forces someone to join the force. Volunteers only. Gimenez should fire most of his yes-man staff.
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