Nothing new, kept repeating himself (just an observation). And, of course, the AB vote issue. Not that many of us with at least half a brain left wouldn't vote for him due to no other viable choice, it's just sad to think about.
The first class city is a pipe dream with our current BCC and home rule charter! Our natural resources will continue to be chipped away and Gimenez doesn't have totally clean hands on this issue either, but he's far better than "I'm not a crook"! He's never owned his bad decisions, which pisses me off as well and he's made more than a few affecting this County while he was on the BCC.
Oh well, it's Mother's Day and I don't want to aggravate myself much more with politics today. We get whoever received the most AB ballots in this County, not necessarily who we actually elect!
Carlos Gimenez has been a disappointment. He has been slow to reduce actual expenses at the County while he hired many lightweights giving them massive pay and benefit packages. Worse, he sits on his hands while the City of Miami allows 25+ illegal LED billboards to mar our views. What business will want to relocate to Miami if elected officials allow every surface to be covered by disgusting outdoor advertising? Aren't we selling our views and our scenery? We certainly are not selling a useful public education system. Why is Gimenez pandering to the outdoor advertising industry?
Norman Braman or Marty Margulies would make great Mayors. Start a campaign for "write-ins". Gimenez is too tied to the fire union and too influenced by lobbyists.
Carlos is the least of the Evils before us. The other choices are more pardonable thieves, because they are known thieves. Two should hopefully make Carlos a Good Mayor: Carlos should make a FIRM stand to protect the AG lands against Development and Rock mining destruction. and complete the rumored merger of the Fire Departments like BSO has done. The only choice for us is Gimenez. As far as Brahman he has done good, but lately his endorsements have been far less then impressive.
Norman Braman for mayor? Are you kidding me? I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The man is in it for himself. He supports Lynda Bell, but trying to drive off Comm Moss, one of the last commissioner to fight to hold the line.
Obviously, Gimenez will win. We just wish he would be a better Mayor. He should stop all proposals to cross the UDB. He should fight to protect the Everglades AND the Biscayne Basin. He should immediately take steps to abolish the City of Miami Fire Department and merge it with the County Fire Department. (The $300,000 per year City firemen, who live in Broward County, will object.). Gimenez should reduce government red tape and expenses. He should stop allowing illegal billboards.
To the Anon who said Gimenez is the least of our evils: I disagree because he is a wolf in lambs clothing. He will NEVER take a firm stand on anything because he gets $$$ from everyone! Check out his contributors. Big $ from developers, big money hiding behind PACs, etc. Why the five deputy mayors? Why at $250K each? Why the merging of depts. only to keep everyone on board? Why keep Alina Hudak? Why is Victoria Mallette still there? Why no action at Water and Sewer? Not one executive has been touched?
I disagree with a lot that is being posted. The reality of running for Mayor is you need at least a million dollars and I don't see any of you lining up with bucks. You have to do deals with the devil because dopey people will vote for the one with the most media, so the candidates need money to buy time on radio and TV, and pay for ads and mailers. I don't like everything Gimenez has done but I believe he is honest and he is far superior to Joe Martinez.
We wanted change, but instead Gimenez kept every last one of those incompetent overpaid Burgess/Alvarez cronies.
Why is Alina Hudak still there? Why is Mary Lou Rizzo still there? Why is Jennifer Moon still there? Why is Lester Sola still there? Why is Wendi Norris still there? Why is John Renfrow still there? Why is Cathy Jackson still there?
I could go on and on. Gimenez is a huge disappointment.
I'm voting for Joe Martinez, just because I'm in a throw the bums out mood. We need a leader, and what we got was someone who is acting like a manager. There's no fire, no heat. Only smoke. And maybe a few mirrors.
As for Norman Braman, he'd be a lousy Mayor and he'd have to give up the day to operation of his car business. (No outside employment.) I doubt he'd turn it all over to his wife or kids.)
Ah, politics. We hope for the best and the brightest, but we always end up with a choice of the worst and the dumbest.
Gimenez was a fireman and he has an IQ of 122 and he caves in to lobbyists. Joe Martinez was a policeman and he has an IQ of 106 and he caves in to lobbyists.
We gave Gimenez a chance. He wasted it. He hasn't done one thing. Furthermore, he insults our intelligence every time he mentions reducing the number of departments as an accomplishment. So what? He consolidated departments but kept all the directors, just shuffled them. He is arrogant. He is indecisive. He is in bed with every group he previously criticized. He has cut from the lowest earning employees and kept the top ranking staff. Therefore, time to give someone else a chance.
I have been writing about Martinez since we started this blog. He is wrong on all the issues Eye on Miami supports. You complain about Gimenez reducing the number of Departments - that was his campaign promise. I know that county staff that got salary cuts are angry and dumping here. All I can say is Joe Martinez is not the answer.
Take a look at the entry for Monday on Palmetto Bay. The cabal that is listed (England, David, DuBois, Fiore, etc.should include James Thomas. They are his supporters in PB and bragging about the Friends of Carlos Gimenez 15,000+ email list they control. They alone are the reason I would not vote for Gimenez. Lay down with dogs, get up with fleas. Political supporters who deliver always expect something in return. What does this group expect in addition to the destruction of Palmetto Bay?
The so-called reduction in departments was a hoax. I only wish Gimenez cut the bloated bureaucracy at county hall. Instead he just kept all of the the old department directors and their assistants and secretaries and folded them into the bureaucracy of the remaining departments.
G.O.D., no one is angry that Gimenez reduced departments. We are angry because he didn't reduce the bureaucracy as he promised and he kept all of the political hacks from the Burgess and Alvarez administration.
Hey! I'm confused... Are we talking about the same Gimenez that cut our taxes? I just read that he eliminated all executive benefits and demoted department directors... this is what is being reported as facts from the Miami Herald. Moreover, I recall that he has pushed for a tougher stance on the UDB, asking for a super-majority vote to move it.
Is he the most articulate? Not particularly. But his no BS approach is refreshing considering what we've been exposed to in the past. He's been there less than a year, people... Is he the perfect Mayor? No, but I'd place a friendly wager that most politicians can't do what his Gimenez has done given the cards that he's been dealt.
Guys like Martinez and Robaina are all talk and no walk... Gimenez is a break from that trend.
Some of you posting here don't have a clue about how to run a government entity or how politics work. Poor Gimenez! He got into office and began by keeping his promises and what do you do? You start trashing him from Day 1. Do you think it is easy sorting the chaff from the wheat at County Hall?
And you expect Gimenez to do it in less than a year? As one post said, it takes at least a million dollars to run for County mayor and yet you expect him to take money only from people you approve of. How much did you give him? And why don’t you send him a list of your family, friends and those you approve of so he can raise the money he needs from them? And by the way, give that same list to Martinez.
You have not even given this man a chance and now you are jumping all over him for Martinez? Getting ready to swap him for Martinez. Do you know anything about Martinez? But here you are ready to support the chaff instead of the wheat.
This is the reason the County is in such trouble. In politics you rally around whomever you think is the best candidate and if that person does not rise to your expectations, you meet with them and work with him to help guide them to a level that the voters can be proud of.
You don't start trashing him right off the bat and expect good things to happen.
And what will you do with Martinez if he ever wins? The same thing you are doing to Gimenez, because if you think Gimenez is bad, wait until you get a taste of Martinez.
You all need to understand that Mayor Gimenez is not God. He cannot work miracles overnight nor is he a witch that can shake his nose and make things happen.
County Hall did not get where they are overnight. So what makes you think it can be fixed overnight?
You are nothing more than a bunch of wannabees pretend political gurus without first understanding how politics work! Talk, talk, talk. That is all you do. Complain, complain, complain. Why don’t you try coming up with solutions just one time?
Not only will Gimenez have my vote and support, I will do everything I can to keep him in office and give him a chance to do his work.
Gimenez is a decent and honest man, but decency and honesty alone cannot win in politics. You have to play in a dirty game while at the same time keeping your morality and value system at a level you can live with.
Gimenez is the type of man I want representing me.
Gimenez was given every opportunity to reduce head count and get rid of the problem executives left from the George Burgess Administration and he punted. Why did Gimenez keep the 50 employees, including 10 County attorneys who worked on the Marlins Stadium disaster? That deal, cooked up by Burgess, and staffers still on the payroll, will cost taxpayers over $3 BILLION. Gimenez did not reduce head count. Plus Gimenez hired a bunch of his friends at huge salaries.
I agree with the anonymous poster 2 above that starts out with...
"Some of you posting here don't have a clue about how to run a government entity or how politics work. Poor Gimenez!"
A lot of you expect perfection and you will never get it.
And your views on campaign financing are unrealistic. I give MONEY to candidates. If you don't, there is no beef for you. They can't finance on good intentions. They need money. Send in $10 to the candidate of your choice. Don't complain and then not give.
G.o.D, Gimenez reduced departments in name only - all staff are still there! That is NOT keeping a campaign promise, that is trying to fool us with rhetoric! If YOU don't understand that, how can we expect the average voter to get it?
Gimenez promised me in mid-December that he would give me a call after the new year. Five months later and I am still waiting for that phone call. So much for his promises.
I am well-qualified, and I would love to get an executive job in the Gimenez administration. However, Mayor Gimenez has made all of his deputy mayor, department director, and assistant director appointments without job announcements and competitive interviews. Almost all of his executive hires appear to have a connection to ex-County Manager George Burgess and ex-Mayor Carlos Alvarez.
How is the public well-served by this blatant cronyism? Isn't hiring without job postings and interviews considered a worst practice? How can you condone this, G.o.D.?
The word on the street is: Norman Braman have found his next token to run for the County Commission District 3 Seat before he leave the country for his six months world tour vacation.
The fight for the Liberty City votes. will soon start between Allison Austin and Audrey Edmonson.
the sun rises, the republic stands, metro remains... well, . gimenez is middling, but middling ain't bad for metro when you put that in historical context.
for me, the fact that "peny" townsley is in charge of elections is just an abomination. i can stand X number of deputy mayors, and a lot of BS. because, as mentioned, this is metro, and middling without indictments is considered a good day.
but sorry. this women is just plain incompetent. the only thing i can say is that she fits in, because metro elections has been the dumping ground for incompetents since there was a metro.
Can't Norman Braman do better than Allison Austin? She is clueless and she lost to the morally and ethically challenged Richard Dunn. That dude has a 98 IQ. Edmonson needs to go. Her vote to approve the Marlins Stadium disaster is proof enough. How could Audrey take money from the ghettos and give it to a privately owned Canadian company? $3 Billion diverted.
Townsley has only been the supervisor of elections for 6 months during which time there have only been a few tiny elections, so how can you tell if she is doing a good job? Have you been following the recent reports of illegal aliens voting in our elections? Do you have the results of her recent rating by the Secretary of State's office?
People should know that Townsley was the secretary for the director of the Dept of Business Development before she hitched her star to Lester Sola and, like him, received several promotions without competition or qualifications.
G.o.D., don't you think there should have been a formal recruitment process for such a sensitive position? We know you are a Gimenez fan. But can't you at least encourage Gimenez to do a legitimate search for high level public servants?
Sour grapes. I think she is more open and transparent than Sola. Go forward. I will not fuel the flame to burn Gimenez. Little Joe would be my worst nightmare come true. I have met with Penny, I am happy so far. Your comment is borderline on an attack on me Btw.
Gimenez will win. It appears we all want Gimenez to be less of a disappointment AND we want him to be a much better Mayor. No Mayor can be great by pandering to lobbyists who only have their own self interests to promote. Do we want to be like Haiti or Cuba? We all deserve a better Mayor than Gimenez. We deserve a Mayor who has the courage to say No to sleazy lobbyists.
40 comments:
Nothing new, kept repeating himself (just an observation). And, of course, the AB vote issue. Not that many of us with at least half a brain left wouldn't vote for him due to no other viable choice, it's just sad to think about.
The first class city is a pipe dream with our current BCC and home rule charter! Our natural resources will continue to be chipped away and Gimenez doesn't have totally clean hands on this issue either, but he's far better than "I'm not a crook"! He's never owned his bad decisions, which pisses me off as well and he's made more than a few affecting this County while he was on the BCC.
Oh well, it's Mother's Day and I don't want to aggravate myself much more with politics today. We get whoever received the most AB ballots in this County, not necessarily who we actually elect!
Carlos Gimenez has been a disappointment. He has been slow to reduce actual expenses at the County while he hired many lightweights giving them massive pay and benefit packages. Worse, he sits on his hands while the City of Miami allows 25+ illegal LED billboards to mar our views. What business will want to relocate to Miami if elected officials allow every surface to be covered by disgusting outdoor advertising? Aren't we selling our views and our scenery? We certainly are not selling a useful public education system. Why is Gimenez pandering to the outdoor advertising industry?
Would the last Anon please tell us who they plan to vote for if not Carlos Gimenez?
Norman Braman or Marty Margulies would make great Mayors. Start a campaign for "write-ins". Gimenez is too tied to the fire union and too influenced by lobbyists.
Carlos is the least of the Evils before us. The other choices are more pardonable thieves, because they are known thieves. Two should hopefully make Carlos a Good Mayor:
Carlos should make a FIRM stand to protect the AG lands against Development and Rock mining destruction.
and complete the rumored merger of the Fire Departments like BSO has done. The only choice for us is Gimenez. As far as Brahman he has done good, but lately his endorsements have been far less then impressive.
Norman Braman for mayor? Are you kidding me? I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The man is in it for himself. He supports Lynda Bell, but trying to drive off Comm Moss, one of the last commissioner to fight to hold the line.
Anyone BUT Carlos Gimenez!
Obviously, Gimenez will win. We just wish he would be a better Mayor. He should stop all proposals to cross the UDB. He should fight to protect the Everglades AND the Biscayne Basin. He should immediately take steps to abolish the City of Miami Fire Department and merge it with the County Fire Department. (The $300,000 per year City firemen, who live in Broward County, will object.). Gimenez should reduce government red tape and expenses. He should stop allowing illegal billboards.
To the Anon who said Gimenez is the least of our evils:
I disagree because he is a wolf in lambs clothing. He will NEVER take a firm stand on anything because he gets $$$ from everyone! Check out his contributors. Big $ from developers, big money hiding behind PACs, etc.
Why the five deputy mayors?
Why at $250K each?
Why the merging of depts. only to keep everyone on board?
Why keep Alina Hudak?
Why is Victoria Mallette still there?
Why no action at Water and Sewer? Not one executive has been touched?
Please don't assume it is obvious Gimenez will win, he is much worse than Alvarez ever was.
You can't make up stuff person I deleted.
I disagree with a lot that is being posted. The reality of running for Mayor is you need at least a million dollars and I don't see any of you lining up with bucks. You have to do deals with the devil because dopey people will vote for the one with the most media, so the candidates need money to buy time on radio and TV, and pay for ads and mailers. I don't like everything Gimenez has done but I believe he is honest and he is far superior to Joe Martinez.
We wanted change, but instead Gimenez kept every last one of those incompetent overpaid Burgess/Alvarez cronies.
Why is Alina Hudak still there?
Why is Mary Lou Rizzo still there?
Why is Jennifer Moon still there?
Why is Lester Sola still there?
Why is Wendi Norris still there?
Why is John Renfrow still there? Why is Cathy Jackson still there?
I could go on and on. Gimenez is a huge disappointment.
I'm voting for Joe Martinez, just because I'm in a throw the bums out mood. We need a leader, and what we got was someone who is acting like a manager. There's no fire, no heat. Only smoke. And maybe a few mirrors.
As for Norman Braman, he'd be a lousy Mayor and he'd have to give up the day to operation of his car business. (No outside employment.) I doubt he'd turn it all over to his wife or kids.)
Ah, politics. We hope for the best and the brightest, but we always end up with a choice of the worst and the dumbest.
Cato II
You probably voted for Rick Scott too. Putz.
No one who reads this blog would vote for Joe Martinez, Cato. You must have a screw loose.
I am trying to educate myself on candidates before making a decision. Please explain the differences between Gimenez and Martinez.
Gimenez was a fireman and he has an IQ of 122 and he caves in to lobbyists. Joe Martinez was a policeman and he has an IQ of 106 and he caves in to lobbyists.
We gave Gimenez a chance. He wasted it. He hasn't done one thing. Furthermore, he insults our intelligence every time he mentions reducing the number of departments as an accomplishment. So what? He consolidated departments but kept all the directors, just shuffled them. He is arrogant. He is indecisive. He is in bed with every group he previously criticized. He has cut from the lowest earning employees and kept the top ranking staff. Therefore, time to give someone else a chance.
I have been writing about Martinez since we started this blog. He is wrong on all the issues Eye on Miami supports. You complain about Gimenez reducing the number of Departments - that was his campaign promise. I know that county staff that got salary cuts are angry and dumping here. All I can say is Joe Martinez is not the answer.
We have 96 posts on Martinez -- knock yourself out
http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/search/label/Martinez
Take a look at the entry for Monday on Palmetto Bay. The cabal that is listed (England, David, DuBois, Fiore, etc.should include James Thomas. They are his supporters in PB and bragging about the Friends of Carlos Gimenez 15,000+ email list they control. They alone are the reason I would not vote for Gimenez. Lay down with dogs, get up with fleas. Political supporters who deliver always expect something in return. What does this group expect in addition to the destruction of Palmetto Bay?
The so-called reduction in departments was a hoax. I only wish Gimenez cut the bloated bureaucracy at county hall. Instead he just kept all of the the old department directors and their assistants and secretaries and folded them into the bureaucracy of the remaining departments.
G.O.D., no one is angry that Gimenez reduced departments. We are angry because he didn't reduce the bureaucracy as he promised and he kept all of the political hacks from the Burgess and Alvarez administration.
Hey! I'm confused... Are we talking about the same Gimenez that cut our taxes? I just read that he eliminated all executive benefits and demoted department directors... this is what is being reported as facts from the Miami Herald. Moreover, I recall that he has pushed for a tougher stance on the UDB, asking for a super-majority vote to move it.
Is he the most articulate? Not particularly. But his no BS approach is refreshing considering what we've been exposed to in the past. He's been there less than a year, people... Is he the perfect Mayor? No, but I'd place a friendly wager that most politicians can't do what his Gimenez has done given the cards that he's been dealt.
Guys like Martinez and Robaina are all talk and no walk... Gimenez is a break from that trend.
Some of you posting here don't have a clue about how to run a government entity or how politics work. Poor Gimenez! He got into office and began by keeping his promises and what do you do? You start trashing him from Day 1. Do you think it is easy sorting the chaff from the wheat at County Hall?
And you expect Gimenez to do it in less than a year? As one post said, it takes at least a million dollars to run for County mayor and yet you expect him to take money only from people you approve of. How much did you give him? And why don’t you send him a list of your family, friends and those you approve of so he can raise the money he needs from them? And by the way, give that same list to Martinez.
You have not even given this man a chance and now you are jumping all over him for Martinez? Getting ready to swap him for Martinez. Do you know anything about Martinez? But here you are ready to support the chaff instead of the wheat.
This is the reason the County is in such trouble. In politics you rally around whomever you think is the best candidate and if that person does not rise to your expectations, you meet with them and work with him to help guide them to a level that the voters can be proud of.
You don't start trashing him right off the bat and expect good things to happen.
And what will you do with Martinez if he ever wins? The same thing you are doing to Gimenez, because if you think Gimenez is bad, wait until you get a taste of Martinez.
You all need to understand that Mayor Gimenez is not God. He cannot work miracles overnight nor is he a witch that can shake his nose and make things happen.
County Hall did not get where they are overnight. So what makes you think it can be fixed overnight?
You are nothing more than a bunch of wannabees pretend political gurus without first understanding how politics work! Talk, talk, talk. That is all you do. Complain, complain, complain. Why don’t you try coming up with solutions just one time?
Not only will Gimenez have my vote and support, I will do everything I can to keep him in office and give him a chance to do his work.
Gimenez is a decent and honest man, but decency and honesty alone cannot win in politics. You have to play in a dirty game while at the same time keeping your morality and value system at a level you can live with.
Gimenez is the type of man I want representing me.
Gimenez was given every opportunity to reduce head count and get rid of the problem executives left from the George Burgess Administration and he punted. Why did Gimenez keep the 50 employees, including 10 County attorneys who worked on the Marlins Stadium disaster? That deal, cooked up by Burgess, and staffers still on the payroll, will cost taxpayers over $3 BILLION. Gimenez did not reduce head count. Plus Gimenez hired a bunch of his friends at huge salaries.
I agree with the anonymous poster 2 above that starts out with...
"Some of you posting here don't have a clue about how to run a government entity or how politics work. Poor Gimenez!"
A lot of you expect perfection and you will never get it.
And your views on campaign financing are unrealistic. I give MONEY to candidates. If you don't, there is no beef for you. They can't finance on good intentions. They need money. Send in $10 to the candidate of your choice. Don't complain and then not give.
G.o.D,
Gimenez reduced departments in name only - all staff are still there! That is NOT keeping a campaign promise, that is trying to fool us with rhetoric! If YOU don't understand that, how can we expect the average voter to get it?
Gimenez promised me in mid-December that he would give me a call after the new year. Five months later and I am still waiting for that phone call. So much for his promises.
Call his office and make an appointment. He would never remember.
Joe Martinez... my father always said, if you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say anything. I have nothing to say about Martinez.
I am well-qualified, and I would love to get an executive job in the Gimenez administration. However, Mayor Gimenez has made all of his deputy mayor, department director, and assistant director appointments without job announcements and competitive interviews. Almost all of his executive hires appear to have a connection to ex-County Manager George Burgess and ex-Mayor Carlos Alvarez.
How is the public well-served by this blatant cronyism? Isn't hiring without job postings and interviews considered a worst practice? How can you condone this, G.o.D.?
The word on the street is: Norman Braman have found his next token to run for the County Commission District 3 Seat before he leave the country for his six months world tour vacation.
The fight for the Liberty City votes. will soon start between Allison Austin and Audrey Edmonson.
I said candidates aren't perfect. Gimenez is the best person running for Mayor---that can win.
the sun rises, the republic stands, metro remains... well, . gimenez is middling, but middling ain't bad for metro when you put that in historical context.
for me, the fact that "peny" townsley is in charge of elections is just an abomination. i can stand X number of deputy mayors, and a lot of BS. because, as mentioned, this is metro, and middling without indictments is considered a good day.
but sorry. this women is just plain incompetent. the only thing i can say is that she fits in, because metro elections has been the dumping ground for incompetents since there was a metro.
Can't Norman Braman do better than Allison Austin? She is clueless and she lost to the morally and ethically challenged Richard Dunn. That dude has a 98 IQ. Edmonson needs to go. Her vote to approve the Marlins Stadium disaster is proof enough. How could Audrey take money from the ghettos and give it to a privately owned Canadian company? $3 Billion diverted.
I disagree on Penny Townsley. I think she is doing a good job.
Townsley has only been the supervisor of elections for 6 months during which time there have only been a few tiny elections, so how can you tell if she is doing a good job? Have you been following the recent reports of illegal aliens voting in our elections? Do you have the results of her recent rating by the Secretary of State's office?
People should know that Townsley was the secretary for the director of the Dept of Business Development before she hitched her star to Lester Sola and, like him, received several promotions without competition or qualifications.
G.o.D., don't you think there should have been a formal recruitment process for such a sensitive position? We know you are a Gimenez fan. But can't you at least encourage Gimenez to do a legitimate search for high level public servants?
Sour grapes. I think she is more open and transparent than Sola. Go forward. I will not fuel the flame to burn Gimenez. Little Joe would be my worst nightmare come true. I have met with Penny, I am happy so far. Your comment is borderline on an attack on me Btw.
Gimenez will win. It appears we all want Gimenez to be less of a disappointment AND we want him to be a much better Mayor. No Mayor can be great by pandering to lobbyists who only have their own self interests to promote. Do we want to be like Haiti or Cuba? We all deserve a better Mayor than Gimenez. We deserve a Mayor who has the courage to say No to sleazy lobbyists.
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