MUST SEE VIDEO:
(Video Link)
Although Katy Sorenson advocated for the Office of Sustainability for years, Natacha Seijas officially asked for it in the end so it wouldn't end up on a shelf like everything else Natacha doesn't like. Remember the Watershed Study? In short, I believe Sorenson wisely stood aside on the issue so it could flourish.
The Mayor's appointment in 2008 of Mr. Devesh Nirmul to head the Office of Sustainability, the one person who actually had expertise in the field, was quickly replaced with Natacha's picks. Seijas stacked the office with her friends (Suzy Torriente and Maribel --- That is in Maribel, Natacha Seijas' Chief of Staff, Terry Murphy's new wife).
Here, in a bold move, County Clerk Harvey Ruvin thanks Katy for her role in creating the office of Sustainability -- only after thanking Seijas and others. The Green-Washed Natacha Seijas - furious - quickly corrects Ruvin in this February 1st video clip of a County Commission Meeting. God forbid that Seijas should share ANY glory with her arch enemy Katy Sorenson. Ick and Ouch, Harvey! This is in such poor taste, even for VNS, I am aghast, and the snickering of those in attendance should tell you something.
Hasn't Natacha already shelved the 60 recommendations that Harvey Ruvin spoke of that the Climate Change Advisory Task Force came up with?
12 comments:
Once again, you are right on target. The Office of Sustainability is a cesspool of cronyism that needs to be flushed when a new mayor takes over. As soon as the county received a huge federal grant for sustainability (about $10 million), County Manager George Burgess moved the unqualified Torriente gang in and pushed Nirmul out the door. Not one current employee in the Sustainability Office had sustainability experience prior to joining it, and not one went through a competitive selection process to obtain their job.
My God you have a handle on what Ruvin was saying! The last two blogs point out that what they "say" is always cloaked for the TV audience, you have to know the issues. Natacha Seijas was not missing Ruvin's drift and her cheery response was laced with anger. Thanks for the clip.
Thanks, good to know what is going on over there in the county cesspool.
AND their bloated salaries, including Ms. Torriente's $200K+ per year, are being paid for through a federal grant intended to support sustainability efforts. Seems to me that the money could and should be much better spent.
Using Miami Herald's datasleuth's outdated 2008 salaries this department is getting 3/4 of a million just in salaries with
at least 7 employees. Who knows what it is now! Probably a million in salaries.
Torriente's salary is a scandal and tragic waste of those scarce federal funds. Even if a qualified person were appointed, it would still be considered inflated on anyone's scale, unless we are in the category of a US president or a law professor... This scandal needs to be publicized more. There are plenty of qualified people who have studied and dedicated their careers to helping the environment, and it's sickening that our tax money is overpaying someone who, if anything, is harming & politicizing the cause and undermining the county's ability to be a leader in local strategies to achieve sustainability. Siejas must go, Torriente must be axed, and Sorenson should be appointed to lead the Office of Sustainability. (I dont know what she is doing now but she would be great)
That woman is wicked. she can not give one inch to anyone except to her pals.
Office of Sustainability Director Susy Torriente's FY 2009-10 salary was $214,367. The salary of her assistant Maggie Fernandez for the same period was $113,639. Neither had to go through the inconvenience of job interviews or a competitive selection process to obtain their cush jobs. The next mayor/manager needs to gut this office of political hacks and start from scratch.
Sorenson passed a county ordinance after a recommendation from the CCATF that requires all county departments to reduce use of electricity by 10%.
Wow.
Great job of investigating done by Eye on Miami.
Where is the Miami Herald? This scam should get more exposure.
The difference (well, one of the thousand differences) between Seijas and Sorenson is that Katy would not really care who got the credit as long as the job got done, whereas Cruella would take credit for creating the Home Rule Charter if she somehow could.
I agree that the torriente salary is inflated, and her assiatant's is as well. That said, Ive seen Ms Fernandez in action in the community talking to groups large and small about sustainable products, light bulbs, windows and the effects of power usage in the grand scheme of things. She is at least trying to do her job. What Torriente does for 200K plus is a MAJOR mystery.
Eye on Miami - give me a call, I would like to fill you in on all the work the office has accomplished over the past year. We have a great record, I'd like to share it with you and your readers. Susy Torriente
Post a Comment