THIS MEMO WENT OUT TO COUNTY (and a similar one to City of Miami) EMPLOYEES:
The Florida Marlins are offering up to four complimentary tickets to this Wednesday evening's 7:10 p.m. Marlins vs. Phillies game at Land Shark Stadium for every Miami-Dade County Employee. This is part of the Marlins’ thank you to the many organizations in South Florida that make this a great community. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to baseball@miamidade.gov and indicate how many tickets you would like reserved no later than 2 p.m. Wednesday.
THIS IS THE PART I REALLY DON'T LIKE (was told City of Miami employees didn't get this):
Also, the value of these tickets falls below the gift reporting threshold under the County Code, so you don’t have to report it as a gift.
WELL F--K THIS!! They should be sending all citizens a free season pass because we are paying for the stadium...and for the salaries of the County employees they are comping.
12 comments:
Gee, do you suppose it has anything to do with the fact that the game was televised nationally and it would be a huge embarrassment for the owners to show the usual skimpy crowd that Marlins game attracts? Do you think others would wonder why they need a new county- and city-funded stadium when there are plenty of seats going begging at their current facility?
But the memo says the free tickets are a "thank you" from the Marlins. No other motive. Right.
I got the email yesterday and you are correct there was no mention of the gift threshhold.
I found the timing offensive as the whole City is tense with worry over budget issues .It has not gone unnoticed that our City participated in a giveaway of land and opportunity to a private owner yet now demands that civil servants surrender salary so that Manny can leave with his reputation more or less intact.
It was also a double whammy to get the email yesterday and then to see a Riptide article about the continuation of "special friends" having continued access to jobs they don't deserve.
My vote says to bring back the oversight board ASAP!
It would be interesting to count how many actually go to the game. I really think that the Marlins can't get a good turnout even when they give the tickets away.
tom
I saw on another blog somewhere today about how the Marlins are getting so many benefits out of the stadium deal, at the expense of the taxpayer, but now the City is having to cut the NET offices because of the drastic budget cuts.
The City of Miami NET offices are a very real part of each neighborhood they service, the commission is set to elimintate them all.
Would you give some time to the coverage of that issue? The NET offices are the only sensible thing that government has done, there isn't enough focus on what is being cut in this respect.
Virginia Key Beach is a very bad cut too, but I'd venture to say the NET offices do more for the minority communities each and every.
I won't shed a tear for NET (more like NHT Neighberhood Harrassment Team), and this ticket giveaway is just more proof of how the public sector dominates this country at all levels. Wasn't suppose to be that way. We are headed for a financial meltdown of a proportion never seen before the Great Depression will look like a sunny day at the park.
WHY because the public sector has become a grab bag (no longer about service) get it while you can scam (300K+ Firefighters etc etc etc). The current system is unsustainable and will collapse (I can't say it enough), unless drastic changes are made now (highly unlikely).
When I grow up, I want to be a government employee in Miami. At least you have the chance to make a six figure income with benefits. Better than the private sector and more secure! AND you get free tickets to professional baseball games.
I'm surprised a county employee hasn't purchased a major sports team yet. Maybe the Marlins are looking for civil servant investors.
Not all County employees received the e-mail. First I've heard of it.
Taxpayers got screwed. The Mayors who pushed the bailout of the Marlins get massive pensions. The pensions are also paid by the taxpayers.
The City of Miami might be forced to fire 120-150 police officers and 200 employees so that Manny Diaz will have enough money to pay for the garage for the Marlins. Oh, and by the way, the City of Miami does not get any of the revenues from the Marlins.
The last statement is not factually correct.
The City will get revenue from the Parking Garages that will be used to pay off the bonds issued to build the Garages.
The city is not putting up $100 million from their operating fund to fund the construction of the garages.
The Parking Garage construction money would not be able to close the cities $118 million gap, as it is going to be bonded, and you can't use bonded money for operations (Salaries).
If you are a police officer in the City and you are worried about getting laid off, talk to your Union Leadership. The reason they don't want to accept any salary reduction is because it would lower their average salary figure which is used to establish their pension benefits. The ones within 3 years of retirement are the ones who refuse to take a 5% (or less) pay cut, because it will exponentially lower their pension benefits for the next 20-30 years.
The old timers would rather the younger officers get laid off than have their pension effected by a 5% pay cut.
m
The last statement is not factually correct. CORRECTIONS IN CAPS.
The City will get revenue from the Parking Garages that will be used to pay off the bonds issued to build the Garages.
THE PROJECTED PARKING REVENUES ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE EXPECTED $110 MIL BOND ISSUE. FURTHER, BOND PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE IMMEDIATELY AND THERE WILL BE NO PARKING REVENUES FOR YEARS.
The city is not putting up $100 million from their operating fund to fund the construction of the garages.
WHERE WILL THE CITY GET THE MONEY TO COVER THE DEBT SERVICE? PARKING REVENUES ARE YEARS AWAY?
The Parking Garage construction money would not be able to close the cities $118 million gap, as it is going to be bonded, and you can't use bonded money for operations (Salaries).
THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT THE CITY SELL BONDS AND PAY DEBT SERVICE. THE CITY IS BORROWING MONEY BECAUSE THE CITY IS BROKE.
If you are a police officer in the City and you are worried about getting laid off, talk to your Union Leadership. The reason they don't want to accept any salary reduction is because it would lower their average salary figure which is used to establish their pension benefits. The ones within 3 years of retirement are the ones who refuse to take a 5% (or less) pay cut, because it will exponentially lower their pension benefits for the next 20-30 years.
The old timers would rather the younger officers get laid off than have their pension effected by a 5% pay cut.
TRUE.
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