I reported on a magnetic Calendar mailing Lynda Bell made to her constituents. I did a public records request and here are the answers:
1. Did it go out to every resident in District 8?
No
2. If not who did it go out to? Super Voters? Registered Voters? Everyone?
Addresses provided by the Office of the Property Appraiser of District 8 Residents with a property tax exemption and residents who live in Unincorporated Miami-Dade County within District 8.
(G.O.D.: property tax exemption means they are probably voters because non-exemption means they live elsewhere or rent the unit. Why only residents with a property tax exemption if it is only a goodwill gesture??).
3. How much did the calendar cost each and total?
Each magnetic calendar was .47 cents. Total cost for the magnetic calendar was $9,400
4. How much was the postage for the mailing?
Total cost for postage was $4,895
More than $14,000 of our tax dollars to mail out 20,000 magnetic refrigerator calendars that don't work on stainless steel appliances. Could that have been a welcome donation to libraries? I think so.
32 comments:
so bad....
According to Center for Responsive Politics majority (more than half) of Congress are millionaires, that obviously does not reflect the populace, perhaps Jimmy Carter was right for once saying recently US "has no functioning democracy". How about Miami politicians, what is their net worth now and before they entered office?
The answer to question #2 is a blatant lie. There are more then 20,000 homestead exempted household in District 8. I'd say it's at least double that if not triple that number. I live in the district, unincorporated area and have a homestead exemption. I have not received my campaign gift from Bell. I believe this was probably a targeted piece to Palmetto Bay & Cuter Bay district 8 voters. I'd love to see the list of 20K households because I doubt there will be many if any in the southern unincorporated end of this district.
I'd suggest voters start paying attention to the commission when they allocate District funds in general, not only District 8. These are notorious slush funds and now they are clearly campaigning using tax dollars because they didn't go to ALL resident households or ALL homestead exemption households in the District. Ethics complaint anyone? And, shame on the BCC for rubber stamping this enormous expense but it's too common because no one pays attention and they move these "requests" so fast, no one knows what's been approved by district.
Out of 100,000 or more residents how these 20,000 got picked is a mystery. Too bad ethics dept. is so useless.
It did not go out to the residents without a homestead exemption because they live somewhere else and can get their magnets from their own commissioner.
To all of you lucky people who received the Bell Calendar, mark August 26th as the date to vote her out of office.
Even state ethics board says the $8k deal is unique in Dade and very very sketchy. Remember Katy S. wouldn't use hers and gave it back to the general fund?
Anyway if you missed your SWAG, rumor is she's planning a photo op/grip and grin at Redland's Fruit and Spice Park this weekend handing out more SWAG (tote bags I think)
Curious all this campaigning in January? Wonder why?
My wife and I are both super voters and R's in her district in Homestead and we did not get one.
I would rather have a calendar than a dumb holiday card from someone on the commission. Since the other commissioners send out holiday greetings perhaps you can see how much that has cost taxpayers.
Considering the ENTIRE budget this year for buying children's books is $35,000 for the Miami Dade public library system that serves 2.5 million people, yes a $15,000 donation to the libraries would have really helped.
Miami-Dade library materials budget was already among the lowest in the country thanks to drastic budget cuts under Mayor Gimenez administration the past few years. This year we've hit rock bottom.
"I would rather get a calendar?" How about I'd rather they keep the chotskies and send me a lower tax bill?
"THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW" for fiscal responsibility
Bell is using my tax money to buy me something I do not want or need. If I want a calendar, or a shopping bag I'll buy it myself without her name or face plastered all over it.
This is just one very, very small example of what is wrong with County Hall and why it's so difficult to out an incumbent. The larger examples would be the depleting of our library funding and essential services while they go on vacation courtesy of slush funds in other departments they allocate! Disgusting.
I certainly hope that the 20% of the district 8 population who were "chosen" to receive the calendar mark August 26th with a NO MORE BELL!
I also hope there is some explanation from ethics as to how this is okay, but won't hold my breath because according to ethics long winded nonsense, everything Bell does is okay.
I would also hope the BCC pays a little more attention when doling out our tax dollars from the district offices. It's not free money, it's off the backs of us taxpayers.
Is it really true that the ENTIRE budget this year for buying children's books is $35,000?
What a disgrace that the county library director is spending millions and millions on the bloated salaries of overpaid librarians and skimping on children's books.
Since the average salary of a county librarian is $70,000, let's layoff one librarian and triple the budget.
Registered voter, property tax exemption, live in unincorporated District 8. No calendar. I'll call her office on Monday and request one. Just to see what the answer is.
"A typical Librarian makes $70,000 per year."
Is this true?
And only %35,000 for books?
No wonder the librarians were screaming bloody murder during the Budget Hearings.
Salaries, not Books, were they trying to protect.
Shame!
Gimenez and the county HR department documented the librarian’s average annual base salary of $70,300 (without counting benefits) at the budget meeting in September. It was reported in the Herald on September 11th.
You can also check the salary records yourself on the mayor’s open government webpage. Some county librarians make even more than $100k, such as James M. Power who grossed $ 101,144.91 last year.
It definitely is a disgrace that only $35,000 is being spent on children’s books, while greedy unionized county librarians rake in tens of millions of our hard earned tax dollars.
http://www.miamidade.gov/transparency/salaries.asp
Time for District 8 to move on. Her campaign manager is the same one her husband used to "work" the absentee ballots that he's under investigation for. She continues to use "her" budget for her "personal" campaign instead of what's good for her district. When can we go back to the good old days of ethics and honesty and government about the people?
With a little Super Glue, sticks just fine to my stainless steel kegerator.
It's only going to get worse. Just watch how creative she will be. She will take credit for every positive thing possible and blame everyone else for anything that goes wrong. Her husband and kids are going to be baggage to since she opened the door and brought them to the party. God bless us all.
Thank you for mentioning libraries. It's been such an after thought for the mayor's office until the financial crisis caused by the mayor's office. www.calmmiami.org
"Greedy unionized county librarians". hahahahahaha!! Ignorant bloggers are pathetic followers of surface information. I read the trash talking of librarians who've worked their 25 years or more in the library system as ignorance of what is required of librarians. The 70k would reflect a salary that masters degreed professions receive earlier in their careers - not after decades. Oh, and the transparency report is inaccurate - Mr. Mike Powers retired last year, But before he retired, except for most of the Commissioner's aides and all of the Jackson executives, Mr.Powers and thousands of others took home pay that was 10% to 15% less than the amount on the transparency report. The object of this mayor is to provide half truths. You fuel you nasty rant with misinformation.
I live in Palmetto Bay, am a super voter, and have a homestead exemption. I got mine.
I live in Palmetto Bay, am a super voter, and have a homestead exemption. I got mine.
"It's definitely a disgrace that only $35,000 is being spent on children's books." from the above anon. The Mayor has said on the dais that children will be using tablets and not need books. I don't think Ms. Bell paid attention to his "the future is here" speeches which is his reasoning to gut libraries. Isn't it quaint and retro thinking to create calendar magnets when we ALL have iPads, tablets, cellphones? Were these made in China?
Children far and wide, from all parts of this nation, dream about amassing great piles of wealth and riches by becoming librarians...but only a few, the proud, make the cut. Then, those few, get to buy season court side Heat tickets, cigarette boats, Maseratis, penthouse condos on Fisher island... Yes, damn librarians raping and pillaging and crippling this economy.
Where can I buy the rake that rakes in millions of hard earned tax dollars?
Hope it's gold plated!
With a little Super Glue, sticks just fine to my stainless steel kegerator.
Why are you ruining a perfectly good kegerator?
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