Terry Murphy did not transfer to a different job within the County as many Aides do without a Commissioner. Terry Murphy was Natacha Seijas's chief of staff and her replacement, Commissioner Steve Bovo, didn't hire him.
Terry's official lay-off letter was dated Jun 21st.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
What future for Miami-Dade? by gimleteye
Yesterday, WLRN hosted commentators talking about the future of the Miami-Dade economy. One made the point that unemployment is higher in South Florida because we have no economy other than suburban sprawl and tourism. The same point was made has been made as long as I've lived in Miami-- for nearly 20 years-- that we need to diversify our economy. The point was made about the lack of political leadership capable to the challenge.
My response ties into the guest comment, below, on the effort to expand rock mines in West Dade; eating the Everglades to provide cement for China. I flew into MIA over the Everglades the other day and I'm always drawn to the landscape at the edge: the rock mines, the water wellfield, the canals separating sprawl -- the true constituency of political leadership in Miami-Dade-- and the Everglades. And I always wonder, even flying down the coast before the final turn to the runway: what job creator is going to embrace this landscape? Florida politicians gave everything to the builders, the developers and their lobbyists. We sacrificed quality of life and the environmental attributes that actually drew millions of Floridians and visitors here, in the first place. Can we turn South Florida around?
My response ties into the guest comment, below, on the effort to expand rock mines in West Dade; eating the Everglades to provide cement for China. I flew into MIA over the Everglades the other day and I'm always drawn to the landscape at the edge: the rock mines, the water wellfield, the canals separating sprawl -- the true constituency of political leadership in Miami-Dade-- and the Everglades. And I always wonder, even flying down the coast before the final turn to the runway: what job creator is going to embrace this landscape? Florida politicians gave everything to the builders, the developers and their lobbyists. We sacrificed quality of life and the environmental attributes that actually drew millions of Floridians and visitors here, in the first place. Can we turn South Florida around?
A Victory for the Everglades…Sort Of. Guest Blog by Cara Capp
Lynda Bell on the Wrong Side of Yet Another Issue and Xavier Suarez a Pleasant Surprise. - Geniusofdespair
by Cara Capp, Clean Water Action:
Thursday morning the Miami-Dade County Commission held a zoning hearing to consider a mining application by landowner Santa Fe Haciendas, LLC (Masoud Shojaee,
pictured/Shoma Homes) and operator Cemex Construction, LLC. This application is especially heinous as the proposed mining site is just 700 feet from Everglades National Park and is directly adjacent to a residential community. A portion of the property is also within the West Wellfield Protection Area that helps supply Miami-Dade residents with clean water.
The meeting lasted well over three hours and included testimony from nearby homeowners, environmental advocates, and a handful of Cemex employees who showed up to sing praises of the company’s extensive safety operations and “good neighbor” policies.
After numerous members of the public and the County’s own planning staff warned of the risks associated with excavation activities less than a quarter of a mile from sensitive Everglades wetlands, Cemex’s attorney offered an amendment to the application that would approve only the easternmost portion of the property for immediate excavation, requiring the applicant to come back for further Commission approval before mining could occur on the western half of the property closest to Everglades National Park. Of course this offer did nothing to alleviate the concerns of dozens of nearby residents who showed up to request that the rock mine not be zoned in the agricultural parcel directly adjacent to their homes.
In the end it was a split vote: 6-6. Because the applicant was requesting an “unusual use” permit, a supe-rmajority of nine votes would have been required for approval. A standard majority of seven votes is needed for a denial. A re-vote will be needed to tip the scale for final decision; let’s hope we can count on absent Commissioner Audrey Edmonson to see through Cemex’s smoke and mirrors and put an end to this abominable application.
For now, the application remains unapproved. And given today’s standards, we’ll call that a victory.
The final vote will be taken on July 21, though not additional public comment will be allowed that day. For the record, the Commissioners who helped deny this application are Heyman, Jordan, Moss, Sosa, Souto, and Suarez.
by Cara Capp, Clean Water Action:
Thursday morning the Miami-Dade County Commission held a zoning hearing to consider a mining application by landowner Santa Fe Haciendas, LLC (Masoud Shojaee,
The meeting lasted well over three hours and included testimony from nearby homeowners, environmental advocates, and a handful of Cemex employees who showed up to sing praises of the company’s extensive safety operations and “good neighbor” policies.
After numerous members of the public and the County’s own planning staff warned of the risks associated with excavation activities less than a quarter of a mile from sensitive Everglades wetlands, Cemex’s attorney offered an amendment to the application that would approve only the easternmost portion of the property for immediate excavation, requiring the applicant to come back for further Commission approval before mining could occur on the western half of the property closest to Everglades National Park. Of course this offer did nothing to alleviate the concerns of dozens of nearby residents who showed up to request that the rock mine not be zoned in the agricultural parcel directly adjacent to their homes.
In the end it was a split vote: 6-6. Because the applicant was requesting an “unusual use” permit, a supe-rmajority of nine votes would have been required for approval. A standard majority of seven votes is needed for a denial. A re-vote will be needed to tip the scale for final decision; let’s hope we can count on absent Commissioner Audrey Edmonson to see through Cemex’s smoke and mirrors and put an end to this abominable application.
For now, the application remains unapproved. And given today’s standards, we’ll call that a victory.
The final vote will be taken on July 21, though not additional public comment will be allowed that day. For the record, the Commissioners who helped deny this application are Heyman, Jordan, Moss, Sosa, Souto, and Suarez.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Cutler Bay Election. By Geniusofespair
Can't say I am inclined to get involved but I did get two quotes from Suzy Lotzell running for Councilwoman. I wanted to wait to get campaign reports from both candidates but it looks like it is not going to happen. Too close to the election.
I took issue with 2 things that Lotzell did. She took a $100 donation from Natacha Seijas. She said "I am new at this, I don't share her views. I work with Natacha at the Y."
Apparently the woman works with vile Natacha Seijas for many years (over a decade) and apparently has no problem working with her. Lotzell wanted me to do my research to find out who Suzy Lotzell was "The whole person." I wish she had done her OWN research on Seijas, over the years she has known her, to see how Seijas has systematically done more to destroy the environment than any other county commissioner and to see how Natacha bullied residents that came before her. Did Lotzell do research to find that out? Did she know the whole person the whole "Natacha"? We have written 349 post on Natacha Seijas checkered past.
Lotzell said further, "I am very proud of the all the money coming to my campaign." I personally would have returned Vile Natacha's $100.
Second bone I had to pick with her was the hiring of Natacha's guy Jose Luis Castillo who also worked on Lynda Bell's campaign. Lotzell said she met with many campaign managers and he was the best choice. Castillo's wife works for Lynda Bell by the way. Lotzell also said she didn't know anything about Castillo or his long history with Natacha. That made me think again, she should have done as she told me to do -- do her homework. Yes, I may be ignorant of the whole person Suzy Lotzell whom I never met, but she is ignorant of people she actually knows.
I made the phone call wanting to like her, but she just doesn't get that these things could be looked at negatives by others as to her decision making process. Natacha Seijas is not a negative in her mind. They are co-workers after all. If Lotzell's opponent got a campaign contribution from Carlos Alvarez her campaign manager Castillo would be all over it. I have news for her, who gives to you is an issue in your campaign or else your opponent wouldn't be broadcasting it. Who runs your campaign is an issue too. Right now, Castillo is the worst of the campaign managers with the most baggage in my book. (Pictured: Castillo with Natacha Seijas's former Chief of Staff Terry Murphy.)
I took issue with 2 things that Lotzell did. She took a $100 donation from Natacha Seijas. She said "I am new at this, I don't share her views. I work with Natacha at the Y."
Apparently the woman works with vile Natacha Seijas for many years (over a decade) and apparently has no problem working with her. Lotzell wanted me to do my research to find out who Suzy Lotzell was "The whole person." I wish she had done her OWN research on Seijas, over the years she has known her, to see how Seijas has systematically done more to destroy the environment than any other county commissioner and to see how Natacha bullied residents that came before her. Did Lotzell do research to find that out? Did she know the whole person the whole "Natacha"? We have written 349 post on Natacha Seijas checkered past.
Second bone I had to pick with her was the hiring of Natacha's guy Jose Luis Castillo who also worked on Lynda Bell's campaign. Lotzell said she met with many campaign managers and he was the best choice. Castillo's wife works for Lynda Bell by the way. Lotzell also said she didn't know anything about Castillo or his long history with Natacha. That made me think again, she should have done as she told me to do -- do her homework. Yes, I may be ignorant of the whole person Suzy Lotzell whom I never met, but she is ignorant of people she actually knows.
I made the phone call wanting to like her, but she just doesn't get that these things could be looked at negatives by others as to her decision making process. Natacha Seijas is not a negative in her mind. They are co-workers after all. If Lotzell's opponent got a campaign contribution from Carlos Alvarez her campaign manager Castillo would be all over it. I have news for her, who gives to you is an issue in your campaign or else your opponent wouldn't be broadcasting it. Who runs your campaign is an issue too. Right now, Castillo is the worst of the campaign managers with the most baggage in my book. (Pictured: Castillo with Natacha Seijas's former Chief of Staff Terry Murphy.)
Will Miami's bond rating meltdown? Will the Latin Builders Association make up the difference? by gimleteye
Despite a freeze on hiring, Miami hires 200 employees. Despite a policy requiring commission approval of severance packages, severance packages get paid without approvals. Suddenly, a $54 million shortfall in the 2012 budget appears. So who should save us from Wall Street lowering the boom on Miami, because that is certainly what should happen and should have happened long ago, what with a CFO who, testifying before commissioners on the Marlins' stadium deal, sounded like a child explaining why a conch shell, held to the ear, makes the noise of waves. Investors Beware! should be posted on billboards on the interstate and leaving airports (and the side of the Miami Herald?)
There is a solution. The members of the Latin Builders Association can dip into their net worth to make up the difference. "Make Florida, whole" could be the motto of the wrecking crew that subdivided the state into platted subdivisions in wetlands and farmlands from Florida City to the state line. The Latin Builders Association that put its shoulder to the wheel of "what the market wants", to knock down environmental rules and regulations and kill off growth management because "construction and development has been flattened by too much regulation".
Then there is the LBA's political hit job on mayoral candidate Carlos Gimenez. Despite years of careful cultivation of a warm relationship with the builders, Gimenez was blind-sided when the group pulled a classic bait-and-switch by quickly endorsing Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina. All those hours on the county commission dais, with Gimenez never straying too far from the LBA reservation, came to naught. When Gimenez recently cancelled a number of remaining debates-- including one supported by the LBA-- the builders squealed like Nochebuena lechon at Cabrera's.
The Latin Builders Association oinking might remind voters that just as the recall of former county mayor Alvarez turned out to be a referendum on the stinky Marlins' stadium deal, the election of the next county mayor could be a public referendum on the Latin Builders Association itself. It is certainly way-past time for the public to know the names and faces of the political insiders and campaign contributors who helped push the local economy off the cliff. That's why the Latin Builders Association could redeem itself by dipping into its pockets and paying off Miami and the county's debt. It will help bond ratings and it will also prove that growth pays its own way.
There is a solution. The members of the Latin Builders Association can dip into their net worth to make up the difference. "Make Florida, whole" could be the motto of the wrecking crew that subdivided the state into platted subdivisions in wetlands and farmlands from Florida City to the state line. The Latin Builders Association that put its shoulder to the wheel of "what the market wants", to knock down environmental rules and regulations and kill off growth management because "construction and development has been flattened by too much regulation".
Then there is the LBA's political hit job on mayoral candidate Carlos Gimenez. Despite years of careful cultivation of a warm relationship with the builders, Gimenez was blind-sided when the group pulled a classic bait-and-switch by quickly endorsing Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina. All those hours on the county commission dais, with Gimenez never straying too far from the LBA reservation, came to naught. When Gimenez recently cancelled a number of remaining debates-- including one supported by the LBA-- the builders squealed like Nochebuena lechon at Cabrera's.
The Latin Builders Association oinking might remind voters that just as the recall of former county mayor Alvarez turned out to be a referendum on the stinky Marlins' stadium deal, the election of the next county mayor could be a public referendum on the Latin Builders Association itself. It is certainly way-past time for the public to know the names and faces of the political insiders and campaign contributors who helped push the local economy off the cliff. That's why the Latin Builders Association could redeem itself by dipping into its pockets and paying off Miami and the county's debt. It will help bond ratings and it will also prove that growth pays its own way.
My Paparazzi Moment at Mo's Robaina Event. By Geniusofdespair
Apparently the open house-free breakfast yesterday was actually a closed private affair in a back room at Mo's Bagels but I was in the mood for some galuptzi so I went anyway and sat in the main restaurant just to watch (and photograph of course).
Pictured below: Bay Harbor Islands Councilman J.W. Leonard, Julio, Laurie Lichtman, and Dan Wolf, Julio's body man.
Julio and staunch Democrat Joe Geller.
This picture below is particularly funny. We overheard Julio say to his handlers "I am going to get everyone in the restaurant to vote for me!" He walked over to 4 men sitting at a table next to us and said: "I am Julio Robaina running for Mayor, vote for me, I won't let you down, I won't let you down!" He turned and walked back into the private room after that one table, I guess he gave up on turning the whole restaurant. After he left a man at the table he visited said: "He might not let me down but he will fuck-up the whole county."
Looks like there is no love lost between CBS I-Team reporter Jim DeFede and Julio Robaina. Look at Julio's face.
There was plenty of love going around from Julio Robaina to Bay Harbor Islands Councilman Jordan W. Leonard.
I peeked in the room and Joe Celestin, the former North Miami Mayor, was speaking. That didn't impress anyone from Aventura to be sure.
Pictured below: Bay Harbor Islands Councilman J.W. Leonard, Julio, Laurie Lichtman, and Dan Wolf, Julio's body man.
Julio and staunch Democrat Joe Geller.
This picture below is particularly funny. We overheard Julio say to his handlers "I am going to get everyone in the restaurant to vote for me!" He walked over to 4 men sitting at a table next to us and said: "I am Julio Robaina running for Mayor, vote for me, I won't let you down, I won't let you down!" He turned and walked back into the private room after that one table, I guess he gave up on turning the whole restaurant. After he left a man at the table he visited said: "He might not let me down but he will fuck-up the whole county."
Looks like there is no love lost between CBS I-Team reporter Jim DeFede and Julio Robaina. Look at Julio's face.
There was plenty of love going around from Julio Robaina to Bay Harbor Islands Councilman Jordan W. Leonard.
I peeked in the room and Joe Celestin, the former North Miami Mayor, was speaking. That didn't impress anyone from Aventura to be sure.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Summer reading assignment: "Reckless Endangerment" ... by gimleteye
PS. I had a positive experience getting out of Miami International Airport FINALLY. The customs process was quick. The baggage arrived quickly in the new international concourse. I even forgive the airline for damaging one of my bags. After twenty years, imagine: something positive to say about MIA! Most tellingly, my flight was not on American.
More on Marco Rubio: "insider" or "outsider"? by gimleteye
There were a number of interesting comments on yesterday's post about Marco Rubio and my assertion that The New York Times made a significant error in quoting The American Spectator, that Rubio was pushed away by party insiders from running for the US Senate in 2010.
I will say it again: Charlie Crist never represented the inside of the Florida GOP. His original sin, as he stepped into the Governor's Mansion, was his blithe refusal to acknowledge his predecessor, Jeb Bush, or any of Bush's claimed achievements. Some of the commentators, yesterday, point out the fact that the humiliated state GOP chairman Jim Greer was a Crist appointee. That may be true, but in the pay-to-play political culture, the insiders were also strung along until the moment arose when they could knock down Crist. The Greer scandal gave an opening. I will concede the point about the national GOP quickly endorsing Crist. But here, too, there is detectable tension between who really controls state GOP politics and who controls national Republican money. Rubio was always the insider and not the "outsider". He is now being tended for the national stage as carefully as a prize, hothouse rose.
Charlie Crist was a strange character in the modern history of Florida politics, kept aloft by a public persona that was pleasing and sunny as it was shallow. He navigated the economic currents well enough but had nothing to do with altering or improving government to serve people. In his own way, Rick Scott is comparably strange. Unlike Crist, Scott has accumulated a group of managers who owe their allegiance to Jeb Bush, the same way Rubio does. These are the key insiders key to the state GOP fortunes: their ambitions are not just Tallahassee but for the nation. They needed Crist out of the way, and by golly, out of the way he is.
I will say it again: Charlie Crist never represented the inside of the Florida GOP. His original sin, as he stepped into the Governor's Mansion, was his blithe refusal to acknowledge his predecessor, Jeb Bush, or any of Bush's claimed achievements. Some of the commentators, yesterday, point out the fact that the humiliated state GOP chairman Jim Greer was a Crist appointee. That may be true, but in the pay-to-play political culture, the insiders were also strung along until the moment arose when they could knock down Crist. The Greer scandal gave an opening. I will concede the point about the national GOP quickly endorsing Crist. But here, too, there is detectable tension between who really controls state GOP politics and who controls national Republican money. Rubio was always the insider and not the "outsider". He is now being tended for the national stage as carefully as a prize, hothouse rose.
Charlie Crist was a strange character in the modern history of Florida politics, kept aloft by a public persona that was pleasing and sunny as it was shallow. He navigated the economic currents well enough but had nothing to do with altering or improving government to serve people. In his own way, Rick Scott is comparably strange. Unlike Crist, Scott has accumulated a group of managers who owe their allegiance to Jeb Bush, the same way Rubio does. These are the key insiders key to the state GOP fortunes: their ambitions are not just Tallahassee but for the nation. They needed Crist out of the way, and by golly, out of the way he is.
City of Miami: no accountability, anywhere ... by gimleteye
The first point: interesting that Herald journalists are reporting news and commentary that appears on the blogsphere. (Eyeonmiami ia part of this trend.) This is a positive development and a step toward convergence of print journalism and the blogsphere. I'm still not sure what the business model is (especially since we have NO business model). It was only a few years ago that Eyeonmiami received acidic letters from Herald attorney/s for quoting Herald news stories. Chalk it up, to an evolving environment for news.
On Rabin's report, there is no accountability for government malfeasance, especially at the level of elected officials who seem to endure despite the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Eyeonmiami gets a lot of the inside story, right, and so do readers who bring valuable commentary to the comments section. But there is plenty that goes on, undetected.
People in positions of power have been getting away with scamming in Miami-Dade for so long, there is an unspoken code: do it in plain sight, so long as you don't attract attention. It is the flip side of the Republican premise that no business would jeopardize the success of its enterprise and therefore, self-regulation is the best way to protect free markets. What the flip side says is "steal, but don't get caught". Attract attention either crossing or getting too close to the edge of the law -- and I don't mean prosecutions, because there are virtually none-- get off the stage and go away. There is a Tony Crapp side to the story: I'm interested to hear what it is, because I suspect he wouldn't have violated city policy without having a few dimes to drop on a few elected officials.
Best Quote On The Mayoral Election in the Miami Herald Today. By Geniusofdespair
...The negative campaigns of our leaders prove that we are dealing with political swashbucklers who are champions of word-mongering. Daniel Shoer Roth
Political swashbucklers...so polite yet infused with the image of swords lashing out words in a duel to the death.
Another reason to vote for Carlos Gimenez:
He voted for Alex Sink for Governor and Julio Robaina supported Rick Scott.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
New Miami Dade Ethics Commissioner Pick is Joe Centorino. By Geniusofdespair
Joe Centorino is slated to become the new Director of the do nothing ethics commission. He was in charge of public corruption in bungle-Rundel's office. Is he trading one job that can't get anyone indicted for another job that is actually guaranteed to never get anyone indicted? Looks that way, a good way to feel impotent don't you think?
I actually like Joe and I think he does a good job. It is just next to impossible to nail these sleazy politicians.
This is NOT okay Julio Robaina. By Geniusofdespair
Bad thing No. 1: These 3 signs are on South Dade Government Center/Police Dept. Property.
Bad thing No. 2: They were nailed to trees. With big nails. Take the 4 of them down please (one not pictured).
Bad thing No. 2: They were nailed to trees. With big nails. Take the 4 of them down please (one not pictured).
Florida Senator Marco Rubio: Setting the record straight for the New York Times ... by gimleteye
In a June 19th column, "Rand and Rubio", NY Times columnist Ross Douthat writes, "As The American Spectator’s Jim Antle pointed out last month, Rubio and Paul have followed similar paths to prominence. Both were discouraged from running for the Senate by party leaders." While Doughat's editorial doesn't amplify -- of now US Senator Rubio being an "outsider"--, quoting the Spectator in this case shows how the media can echo a false assertion until it carries the imprimatur of truth. Since Rubio is being cultivated by insiders to run on a presidential ticket, the point must not be lost in translation.
There is no evidence -- none-- that Marco Rubio was "discouraged from running for the Senate by party leaders." The opposite is the case, as our readers know. Heck, you don't have to be one of our readers: if you had read the mainstream media closely, you would have understood that it was then Governor Charlie Crist who ran as an outsider, carrying a moderate Republican wing that had been grafted onto the state GOP with baling wire and chewing gum. Rubio represented the core of the GOP that was biding its time until the dagger could be firmly inserted in the Crist campaign and twisted on the way out. Crist, the anti-Bush, got what was coming to him.
There are reasons right wing strategists prefer to paint Rubio as an outsider. For one, it positions him "to the rescue" of the party. To suggest Rubio is a populist coming in from the cold is rubbish. One thing the Republicans do well is get their message frames straight: Rubio not only plays well to the TV cameras, he delivers sound bites flawlessly (and without question by the mainstream press) and can garner the short attention span of the Tea Party that is, itself, moved by the GOP like a herd of cattle to the sound of a cannon.
Yesterday, I likened GOP positions to Russian nesting dolls. In Rubio's case, he fits in neatly somewhere in the middle where the doll he nests within would be a figurine of Jeb Bush. Outsider? Not by a long shot.
Note to NY Times: it is always perilous to "quote" The American Spectator.
There is no evidence -- none-- that Marco Rubio was "discouraged from running for the Senate by party leaders." The opposite is the case, as our readers know. Heck, you don't have to be one of our readers: if you had read the mainstream media closely, you would have understood that it was then Governor Charlie Crist who ran as an outsider, carrying a moderate Republican wing that had been grafted onto the state GOP with baling wire and chewing gum. Rubio represented the core of the GOP that was biding its time until the dagger could be firmly inserted in the Crist campaign and twisted on the way out. Crist, the anti-Bush, got what was coming to him.
There are reasons right wing strategists prefer to paint Rubio as an outsider. For one, it positions him "to the rescue" of the party. To suggest Rubio is a populist coming in from the cold is rubbish. One thing the Republicans do well is get their message frames straight: Rubio not only plays well to the TV cameras, he delivers sound bites flawlessly (and without question by the mainstream press) and can garner the short attention span of the Tea Party that is, itself, moved by the GOP like a herd of cattle to the sound of a cannon.
Yesterday, I likened GOP positions to Russian nesting dolls. In Rubio's case, he fits in neatly somewhere in the middle where the doll he nests within would be a figurine of Jeb Bush. Outsider? Not by a long shot.
Note to NY Times: it is always perilous to "quote" The American Spectator.
Meeting Tonight: Those Nasty High Tension Wires. By Geniusofdespair
WHERE: Florida International University's "Modesto A. Maidique" Main Campus @ the Stadium Club, 11200 SW 8th Street, MiamiAs told by Sierra Club's Jonathan Ullman: Florida Power and Light (FPL) is attempting to swap a utility corridor it owns inside the 109,000 acre East Everglades Expansion Area (Everglades National Park) for a new corridor on the east side of the park - but still inside current park boundaries. If permitted, one of Florida's unique natural areas will gain a new industrial horizon consisting of 3 sets of power lines carrying up to 500,000 volts of electricity across towers as
WHEN: Wednesday, June 22, 2011
5:30 PM (formal presentation at 6:30) - public comments to follow until 8:30 p.m.
high as 150 feet (15 stories tall). The lines would connect proposed new nuclear reactors at Turkey Point to points north. It is important you attend this scoping meeting..Genius.
More info received from Gene Flinn's South Dade Update:
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Mo's, the Jewish Version of Versailles Restaurant, Will Get a Visit from Julio Robaina. By Geniusofdespair
According to the South Florida Daily Blog Julio Robaina is headed to the the Jewish stronghold: Mo's Bagel & Deli Thursday. Robaina's special guest will be Luke Campbell, touts the invite.
I hate to disappoint you Julio but Jewish seniors are going to be put off by your special guest. Probably by you too. But they will like the free breakfast you are offering: Lox and Bagels for everyone! Free food? We all are Verklempt!
I hate to disappoint you Julio but Jewish seniors are going to be put off by your special guest. Probably by you too. But they will like the free breakfast you are offering: Lox and Bagels for everyone! Free food? We all are Verklempt!
Smear Campaign Against Carlos Gimenez. By Geniusofdespair
It isn't just the PBA giving to Keith Donner's Accountability Project that has been running a smear campaign, by inaccurate attack fliers and TV commercials, against Carlos Gimenez. This PAC - Citizens to Reclaim Miami Dade Government - also gave $25,000 on 6/02/20ll to the Accountability Project. These are the 'big' givers to this PAC:
40,000.00 LEON KENDALL HOLDINGS, LLC (Benjamin Leon - Owns/Manages Land and office Park at Kendall Dr. and SW 125 Avenue).
25,000.00 BRUNETTI JOHN J.
20,000.00 KARLTON FREDRIC N.
15,000.00 JOHN J. BRUNETTI, JR
10,000.00 D. R. INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR
10,000.00 LA ESTRELLA DE ORO JOYERIA
10,000.00 RC ALUMINUM INDUSTRIES, INC.
5,000.00 ADLER GROUP, INC.
Citizens to Reclaim Miami Dade Government made an expenditure on 3/31/2011 to Citizen's First PAC. That PAC in Jupiter- Citizens First - made an expenditure for almost the same amount on 3/29/2011 to Creative Ideas Advertising, Inc., Maritiza Gutierrez's company here on 8th Street. Why are these out of town PAC's so invested in our local election, and these two are obviously on the side Of Julio Robaina, as the Gutierrez couple is involved in Robaina's campaign and Brunetti is one of his biggest supporters.
40,000.00 LEON KENDALL HOLDINGS, LLC (Benjamin Leon - Owns/Manages Land and office Park at Kendall Dr. and SW 125 Avenue).
25,000.00 BRUNETTI JOHN J.
20,000.00 KARLTON FREDRIC N.
15,000.00 JOHN J. BRUNETTI, JR
10,000.00 D. R. INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR
10,000.00 LA ESTRELLA DE ORO JOYERIA
10,000.00 RC ALUMINUM INDUSTRIES, INC.
5,000.00 ADLER GROUP, INC.
Citizens to Reclaim Miami Dade Government made an expenditure on 3/31/2011 to Citizen's First PAC. That PAC in Jupiter- Citizens First - made an expenditure for almost the same amount on 3/29/2011 to Creative Ideas Advertising, Inc., Maritiza Gutierrez's company here on 8th Street. Why are these out of town PAC's so invested in our local election, and these two are obviously on the side Of Julio Robaina, as the Gutierrez couple is involved in Robaina's campaign and Brunetti is one of his biggest supporters.
Rick Scott: "laser-like" as in, you can't teach me anything I don't know ... by gimleteye
In high prose the Sunshine (of the Empty Mind) News writes, "Scott Stays Laser-Focused on Economic Development". By high, I mean the kind of high from pot fields augmenting income in Florida grow houses: the economic activity turning our state into the leader for cultivation of marijuana.
Sunshine, stoned buzz for Florida's right wing blogosphere, gloats over the decapitation of the Florida Department of Community Affairs without knowing a thing about the agency mission, or even that managing Florida's addiction to sprawl had once been a bipartisan goal implemented by state GOP leaders.
Sober analysis and incorporation of past policies in new government initiatives is not part of the Rick Scott Way. His way: smoke the splif and burn the place "with laser-like focus". History does not matter to the wrecking crew: everything must go, sold or stolen. Underlying Scott's enthusiasm for knocking down barriers to growth is his conviction that to breathe life back into collapsed real estate markets simply requires government getting out of the way; making it easier for developers to clear permits and zoning to plow homebuyers into fallow platted subdivisions.
Here is how Sunshine (of the Empty Mind) describes the Scott carelessness: "In a move designed to streamline Florida’s economic development efforts, Scott signed SB 2156 Tuesday, creating the Department of Economic Opportunity, and doing away with other state agencies. The new law gets rid of the Department of Community Affairs, an agency much-derided by businesses in recent years for imposing cumbersome regulations that impede growth."
Impede growth? Whoever believes that regulations governing growth caused the crash of real estate markets and the failure of the financial system tied to mortgages or "impedes" recovery, has been smoking something stronger than pot. Just read one of the investigative reports-- free from cant and bias-- that trace the collapse of jobs and the economy to policies embraced by previous Republican and Democratic administrations, like NY Times Gretchen Morgenson's "Reckless Endangerment". But you see, Scott won't be confused by facts.
This is how Scott most resembles Jeb Bush: they brought their knowledge to the Governor's Mansion as preconceived policies nested together like Russian dolls: states rights, "free" markets, right-to-life, NRA, and campaign contributions. Removing growth controls from state authority is like busting open the locks to the granary and letting the thieves in. That is Florida's future.
Sunshine, stoned buzz for Florida's right wing blogosphere, gloats over the decapitation of the Florida Department of Community Affairs without knowing a thing about the agency mission, or even that managing Florida's addiction to sprawl had once been a bipartisan goal implemented by state GOP leaders.
Sober analysis and incorporation of past policies in new government initiatives is not part of the Rick Scott Way. His way: smoke the splif and burn the place "with laser-like focus". History does not matter to the wrecking crew: everything must go, sold or stolen. Underlying Scott's enthusiasm for knocking down barriers to growth is his conviction that to breathe life back into collapsed real estate markets simply requires government getting out of the way; making it easier for developers to clear permits and zoning to plow homebuyers into fallow platted subdivisions.
Here is how Sunshine (of the Empty Mind) describes the Scott carelessness: "In a move designed to streamline Florida’s economic development efforts, Scott signed SB 2156 Tuesday, creating the Department of Economic Opportunity, and doing away with other state agencies. The new law gets rid of the Department of Community Affairs, an agency much-derided by businesses in recent years for imposing cumbersome regulations that impede growth."
Impede growth? Whoever believes that regulations governing growth caused the crash of real estate markets and the failure of the financial system tied to mortgages or "impedes" recovery, has been smoking something stronger than pot. Just read one of the investigative reports-- free from cant and bias-- that trace the collapse of jobs and the economy to policies embraced by previous Republican and Democratic administrations, like NY Times Gretchen Morgenson's "Reckless Endangerment". But you see, Scott won't be confused by facts.
This is how Scott most resembles Jeb Bush: they brought their knowledge to the Governor's Mansion as preconceived policies nested together like Russian dolls: states rights, "free" markets, right-to-life, NRA, and campaign contributions. Removing growth controls from state authority is like busting open the locks to the granary and letting the thieves in. That is Florida's future.
I Don't Get People Sometimes. By Geniusofdespair
Here is a part of the Miami Herald poll I just don't get. When people were asked what services they favored cutting instead of raising their taxes, almost 25% favored cutting Parks and Recreation services. Almost 60% of the people polled said they would rather raise the sales tax than property tax (29%) and 50% support more gambling, specifically in Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. Who are these people?
Monday, June 20, 2011
Are Miami's Own 'Hatfield and McCoy' Familes Involved in the Mayor's Race? By Geniusofdespair
I think it is no wonder the names of Diaz de la Portilla and Diaz Balart are popping up as lurking behind the scenes, and in front, on opposing sides in the Mayoral campaigns. U.S. Rep Diaz Balart is out stumping for Julio. Like bad pennies, this gaggle of brothers show up a lot behind the scenes in Miami Dade County. According to Miami New Times, Alex Diaz de la Portilla (pictured left) helped Natacha Seijas and Carlos Alvarez fight the recall.
Campaigns are dirty business filled with unsavory characters -- even Jeb Bush is involved in this one for Julio Robaina. I will be glad when this campaign is over.
Bad news bears and a double-dip recession: whose "narrative" do you believe? by gimleteye
Last week, economist Robert Shiller said there was a "substantial" probability the US will enter into recession again. Again? Wonder what the 17.3 percent of unemployed in Hialeah think about the narrative of a "double dip" recession. When, the question begs asking, was there a recovery? Americans on fixed income or who have squirreled savings into the stock market might also have a different narrative about the decade in which the best investment category was precious metals. But back to Hialeah. What, I wonder, is the true unemployment rate if the stated rate is 17.3 percent? Surely, adding the underground economy and long-term unemployed who have given up, it is considerably more: at least 25 percent. What does a double dip recession mean? For one, it is a better way to tell the news than a long-term decline through which our politics have been commandeered by charlatans. If a recession is "called", don't count on the limited benefits of federal stimulus. That has been politicked out. A decade from now, looking in the rear view mirror, will we be wondering: what in the world were we thinking?
M&M Liquors Latest. By Geniusofdespair
M&M Liquors is staying relevant, weighing in on the upcoming election.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Hialeah leads the State in Unemployment. by Geniusofdespair
1 Hialeah City 17.3
2 Miami Gardens City 17.0
3 Miami City 14.6
4 North Miami City 14.6
5 Cutler Bay Town 14.4
6 Fort Pierce City 14.4
7 North Miami Beach City 14.1
8 Palm Coast City 13.4
9 Titusville City 12.3
10 Homestead City 12.0
I just found these figure a glaring example of an economic failure in the city of Hialeah. Things aren't as rosy there as Julio Robaina claims. Jim DeFede reported:
Parks, pools and libraries have had their hours drastically cut. Jose Azze has been with the city’s parks department for 29 years. “They eliminated field trips, arts and crafts, ceramics, they eliminated our youth baseball league,” Azze said. “But more important they closed parks and when you close a park kids don’t have anywhere to go.”
POLL: Gimenez Takes the Lead!! By Geniusofdespair
Carlos Gimenez is now the front runner for County Mayor leaving Julio Robaina in the dust according to a Bendixen poll conducted for the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald:
"In the poll, 50 percent of likely voters picked one-time underdog Gimenez for the county’s top job, while 39 percent chose Robaina."
The PBA is going to be so sorry if Carlos Gimenez wins. Their attacks were over the top. They had better hope Gimenez is not the type to take revenge. But it isn't in the bag yet, the poll didn't factor in all those fraudulent absentee ballots.
Here is another reason to vote for Carlos Gimenez:
"In the poll, 50 percent of likely voters picked one-time underdog Gimenez for the county’s top job, while 39 percent chose Robaina."
The PBA is going to be so sorry if Carlos Gimenez wins. Their attacks were over the top. They had better hope Gimenez is not the type to take revenge. But it isn't in the bag yet, the poll didn't factor in all those fraudulent absentee ballots.
Here is another reason to vote for Carlos Gimenez:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)