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| I don't think we want to fill this in, it never looked so good!!!! |
Saturday, May 10, 2014
FEC Slip. By Guest Blogger
The renovation is FINALLY ALMOST DONE, and inviting to the public. You can't say it is not used when it has been blocked off. All these plantings are new.
Filling of The FEC Slip: City of Miami Resolution 7/1/2011 Against Miami Dade County And Manny Diaz Letter … by Gimleteye and G.O.D.
In the absence of credible sources, anything passes for a reasonable idea in Miami. When the Miami Heat arena was pushed through the sausage grinder by then mayor Alex Penelas, Parcel B was a piece of adjacent property held out to the public as "a future park". It mollified critics until the deal was signed, then promptly ignored by both city and county officials.
Breaking the compact made made with the public of Parcel B by former Miami mayor Manny Diaz and city commissioners including Johnny Winton, makes the holy tone of their recent letter expressing concern for Miami's waterfront a parody. The issue: whether elected officials ought to approve or reject a plan for a David Beckham Soccer Stadium on the bay.
"Let us not purge this gift by building a stadium where it does not belong. Let us keep the waterfront in public hands."
Miami's waterfront and water quality was lost a long time ago by these self-same authorities who stained Miami by turning their backs on Biscayne Bay.
Here is what they ought to have pointed out.
There are some insurmountable problems with filling the FEC slip, as matters of regulatory authority. But the most practical problem is they made horrible mistakes piling traffic gridlock around and into their "world class" museum and cultural venue investments on Biscayne Bay.
"We apologize for creating the traffic nightmare of Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenues," they should have written. "And now it is time to back off until you voters and taxpayers fork over more money to build subway lines in the Biscayne aquifer to move people around like they do in Tokyo or Boston or New York City."
There ought to a special law, then enforcement, trial and prison for past elected officials who impose traffic nightmares on Miami residents and visitors with thoughtless zoning and permitting decisions. And a cellblock for lobbyists and the Great Destroyers.
Instead, they give each other awards and buy plaques on buildings to imprint their names.
Miami, according to a recent survey, is one of the most stressful cities in the US. Why? Because the Great Destroyers fomented so much development without planning or investing for either protecting quality of life or concern for mass transit. Great cities provide for their citizens. They don't just build colosseums. This is plain common sense.
We don't feel sorry for David Beckham, who is just another wealthy guy flying into town in a spiffy squirrel suit. (And by the way, Gimleteye loves soccer and played NCAA Division 1 for four years. Go Liverpool.)
David Beckham said the boat slip is a great stadium site:
"The site, formally known as the Florida East Coast Railway slip, falls under the city of Miami’s jurisdiction, as does the adjacent Museum Park. The county only owns Parcel B, the waterfront property behind the basketball arena. Gimenez asked Beckham’s group to turn Parcel B into a park and connect it, perhaps with a bayfront promenade, to the museums."
Filling in the slip is such a bad idea, even the City Commission thought so:
An open letter from Former Mayor Manny Diaz:
During the early part of the last decade, a professional sports team came to us requesting that we turn over Bicentennial Park (now Museum Park) to build a baseball stadium. We refused to hand over one of the few remaining public waterfront locations to them because we wanted to safeguard public access to Biscayne Bay.
Today, we are shocked to hear that another professional sports team wants to build a soccer stadium on the same waterfront. A sports stadium no more belongs on the scarce waterfront today than it did in the year 2000.
With thousands of new urban dwellers and thousands more on the way, the need for green space has never been greater. There is no reason that Miami, a city graced with unrivaled natural beauty, should not also be graced with great civic and green spaces, with public parks, plazas and museums.
Great cities, large and small, are all embracing the opportunity to enhance the public realm by creating the zones, spaces, and buildings that create pride, areas equally owned by the people, irrespective of economic or social circumstance.
Through the efforts of many, we are creating an unrivaled public space, with museums, an opera house, a symphony hall and a beautiful park all set against the background of the beautiful vista that is Biscayne Bay. This work must continue.
We have done this because we owe a lasting legacy to those who will call Miami home long after we have gone. Miami has become one of the world’s leading urban centers, fulfilling its long awaited destiny. This is our gift to the future. Let us not purge this gift by building a stadium where it does not belong. Let us keep the waterfront in public hands.
Manny Diaz, former Mayor, City of Miami
Johnny Winton, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Joe Sanchez, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Angel Gonzalez, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Breaking the compact made made with the public of Parcel B by former Miami mayor Manny Diaz and city commissioners including Johnny Winton, makes the holy tone of their recent letter expressing concern for Miami's waterfront a parody. The issue: whether elected officials ought to approve or reject a plan for a David Beckham Soccer Stadium on the bay.
"Let us not purge this gift by building a stadium where it does not belong. Let us keep the waterfront in public hands."
Miami's waterfront and water quality was lost a long time ago by these self-same authorities who stained Miami by turning their backs on Biscayne Bay.
Here is what they ought to have pointed out.
There are some insurmountable problems with filling the FEC slip, as matters of regulatory authority. But the most practical problem is they made horrible mistakes piling traffic gridlock around and into their "world class" museum and cultural venue investments on Biscayne Bay.
"We apologize for creating the traffic nightmare of Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenues," they should have written. "And now it is time to back off until you voters and taxpayers fork over more money to build subway lines in the Biscayne aquifer to move people around like they do in Tokyo or Boston or New York City."
There ought to a special law, then enforcement, trial and prison for past elected officials who impose traffic nightmares on Miami residents and visitors with thoughtless zoning and permitting decisions. And a cellblock for lobbyists and the Great Destroyers.
Instead, they give each other awards and buy plaques on buildings to imprint their names.
Miami, according to a recent survey, is one of the most stressful cities in the US. Why? Because the Great Destroyers fomented so much development without planning or investing for either protecting quality of life or concern for mass transit. Great cities provide for their citizens. They don't just build colosseums. This is plain common sense.
We don't feel sorry for David Beckham, who is just another wealthy guy flying into town in a spiffy squirrel suit. (And by the way, Gimleteye loves soccer and played NCAA Division 1 for four years. Go Liverpool.)
David Beckham said the boat slip is a great stadium site:
"The site, formally known as the Florida East Coast Railway slip, falls under the city of Miami’s jurisdiction, as does the adjacent Museum Park. The county only owns Parcel B, the waterfront property behind the basketball arena. Gimenez asked Beckham’s group to turn Parcel B into a park and connect it, perhaps with a bayfront promenade, to the museums."
Filling in the slip is such a bad idea, even the City Commission thought so:
KEEPING MIAMI’S WATERFRONT IN PUBLIC HANDS
SOCCER STADIUM WOULD ESSENTIALLY DESTROY VISION OF
MUSEUM PARK
During the early part of the last decade, a professional sports team came to us requesting that we turn over Bicentennial Park (now Museum Park) to build a baseball stadium. We refused to hand over one of the few remaining public waterfront locations to them because we wanted to safeguard public access to Biscayne Bay.
Today, we are shocked to hear that another professional sports team wants to build a soccer stadium on the same waterfront. A sports stadium no more belongs on the scarce waterfront today than it did in the year 2000.
With thousands of new urban dwellers and thousands more on the way, the need for green space has never been greater. There is no reason that Miami, a city graced with unrivaled natural beauty, should not also be graced with great civic and green spaces, with public parks, plazas and museums.
Great cities, large and small, are all embracing the opportunity to enhance the public realm by creating the zones, spaces, and buildings that create pride, areas equally owned by the people, irrespective of economic or social circumstance.
Through the efforts of many, we are creating an unrivaled public space, with museums, an opera house, a symphony hall and a beautiful park all set against the background of the beautiful vista that is Biscayne Bay. This work must continue.
We have done this because we owe a lasting legacy to those who will call Miami home long after we have gone. Miami has become one of the world’s leading urban centers, fulfilling its long awaited destiny. This is our gift to the future. Let us not purge this gift by building a stadium where it does not belong. Let us keep the waterfront in public hands.
Manny Diaz, former Mayor, City of Miami
Johnny Winton, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Joe Sanchez, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Angel Gonzalez, former Commissioner, City of Miami
Friday, May 09, 2014
Fear The Camel: MERS update and climate change … by gimleteye
The battle to contain the spread of a new virus called MERS bears comparison with past events that successfully limited SARS and has so far stopped the spread of dangerous viruses transmitted to humans by exposure to il chickens and pigs.
Scientists believe that camels in the Mideast -- in Saudi Arabia, in particular -- are a reservoir for MERS.
The application of mass culling techniques used to limit the spread of other highly contagious viruses is not available in the case of camels, because they are revered in the Mideast.
So we can't kill the camels, and the annual Muslim Hajj -- the pilgrimage through which millions from different parts of the world will converge on Saudi Arabia -- is about to begin. If that's not worrisome enough, there is more.
Consider emergent viruses in light of climate change: right now we know from news reports that health care workers in the Mideast are being overwhelmed by MERS. Parts of the world that are already struggling with the impacts of global warming are becoming incubators for deadly viruses.
If we can't adapt and reverse C02 emissions quickly, the ensuing economic chaos will not just jeopardize critical food supply, wider and wider parts of the world -- because the financial resources and political will have vanished -- will be open to our viral predators.
People who are watching the shorelines, to count the inches of sea level rise, may be watching the wrong thing. (for "Fear the Camel" by flu tracker Helen Branswell, click 'read more'. For an update on the Indiana MERS patient and the CDC / state response that appears to have successfully contained the only case in the US so far, the LA Times has an excellent report.)
Scientists believe that camels in the Mideast -- in Saudi Arabia, in particular -- are a reservoir for MERS.
The application of mass culling techniques used to limit the spread of other highly contagious viruses is not available in the case of camels, because they are revered in the Mideast.
So we can't kill the camels, and the annual Muslim Hajj -- the pilgrimage through which millions from different parts of the world will converge on Saudi Arabia -- is about to begin. If that's not worrisome enough, there is more.
Consider emergent viruses in light of climate change: right now we know from news reports that health care workers in the Mideast are being overwhelmed by MERS. Parts of the world that are already struggling with the impacts of global warming are becoming incubators for deadly viruses.
If we can't adapt and reverse C02 emissions quickly, the ensuing economic chaos will not just jeopardize critical food supply, wider and wider parts of the world -- because the financial resources and political will have vanished -- will be open to our viral predators.
People who are watching the shorelines, to count the inches of sea level rise, may be watching the wrong thing. (for "Fear the Camel" by flu tracker Helen Branswell, click 'read more'. For an update on the Indiana MERS patient and the CDC / state response that appears to have successfully contained the only case in the US so far, the LA Times has an excellent report.)
What is beneath County Commissioner Lynda Bell's treachery: the Everglades … by gimleteye
EDITORIAL COMMENT: As the result of our posts yesterday, a former senior scientist with the South Florida Water Management District clarified the stakes in the drama -- unreported by the Miami Herald -- of a county commissioner, Lynda Bell, doing the bidding of industrial agriculture in Miami-Dade. Back in the old days, the Herald would have had a reporter on the scene to help untangle the issues.
The following, by Larry Fink, is reprinted from a Sierra Club list serve mainly monitored by agency staff, lobbyists, and environmental groups. For purposes of clarification, I have added some parenthetical explanations.
The bottom line is that to understand what is driving the Florida politics, you have to have some understanding of water pollution, regulations, and the specific financial interests trying to avoid accountability.
Mr. Fink stays mostly to the science, and we are appreciative of that. But the politics -- our beat -- are infuriating. If you would like to untangle one piece of this unnecessarily complex puzzle (complexity being the friend of polluters), look at our archive on Palm Beach Aggregates; a rock mining company whose property in the western reaches of Palm Beach (then owned by a Miami-Dade entrepreneur) was purchased by then Gov. Jeb Bush's administration for the highest per acre value ever guaranteed by taxpayers, thus setting the benchmark for extravagant land values on behalf of speculators close to the GOP establishment.
I raise the issue of land speculators -- and what they want -- because the underlying story of what happened the other day at the county commission, is Lynda Bell lying to do a "solid" for her land speculator campaign contributors. She claimed she had environmental support for her resolution to strengthen flood protections in West Dade for agriculture. She didn't. Not a single county commissioner had the guts to pull the resolution that had been inserted without giving adequate time to review. They could have. They didn't.
The Herald could still report this story. It hasn't.
"The original purpose of CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, signed into law by President Clinton and then Gov. Jeb Bush in 2000) was to provide a more natural quantity, quality, timing, and routing of water to the Everglades, Florida Bay, and Biscayne Bay.
It included projects that had a high likelihood of success, such as the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project, which became one of SFWMD’s (South Florida Water Management District) accelerated projects outside of the glacial pace set for translating design into infrastructure by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Jacksonville (Corps), and the Tamiami Trail Skyway, which became one of the decelerated projects under Corps control.
The following, by Larry Fink, is reprinted from a Sierra Club list serve mainly monitored by agency staff, lobbyists, and environmental groups. For purposes of clarification, I have added some parenthetical explanations.
The bottom line is that to understand what is driving the Florida politics, you have to have some understanding of water pollution, regulations, and the specific financial interests trying to avoid accountability.
Mr. Fink stays mostly to the science, and we are appreciative of that. But the politics -- our beat -- are infuriating. If you would like to untangle one piece of this unnecessarily complex puzzle (complexity being the friend of polluters), look at our archive on Palm Beach Aggregates; a rock mining company whose property in the western reaches of Palm Beach (then owned by a Miami-Dade entrepreneur) was purchased by then Gov. Jeb Bush's administration for the highest per acre value ever guaranteed by taxpayers, thus setting the benchmark for extravagant land values on behalf of speculators close to the GOP establishment.
I raise the issue of land speculators -- and what they want -- because the underlying story of what happened the other day at the county commission, is Lynda Bell lying to do a "solid" for her land speculator campaign contributors. She claimed she had environmental support for her resolution to strengthen flood protections in West Dade for agriculture. She didn't. Not a single county commissioner had the guts to pull the resolution that had been inserted without giving adequate time to review. They could have. They didn't.
The Herald could still report this story. It hasn't.
"The original purpose of CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, signed into law by President Clinton and then Gov. Jeb Bush in 2000) was to provide a more natural quantity, quality, timing, and routing of water to the Everglades, Florida Bay, and Biscayne Bay.
It included projects that had a high likelihood of success, such as the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project, which became one of SFWMD’s (South Florida Water Management District) accelerated projects outside of the glacial pace set for translating design into infrastructure by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Jacksonville (Corps), and the Tamiami Trail Skyway, which became one of the decelerated projects under Corps control.
Thursday, May 08, 2014
County Commissioner Lynda Bell caught red-handed petting the monkey … by gimleteye
Petting the monkey, feeding the shark: Lynda Bell -- beleaguered county commissioner facing a tough re-election -- was caught in the commission chamber this week pandering to the constituency that most cares about her reign of petty jealousies at the Miami-Dade county commission: wealthy farmers and developers whose main goal is and has always been their own bank accounts.It was a sly little move that Bell pulled, a resolution asking for an increase in flood protection in an area where flood protection has already been locked down by special interests, as a state and federal matter. Likely, she was given the task in return for "support" during this last phase of her campaign against challenger Daniella Levine Cava.
EOM guest blogger, Ann Hinga, details the action below in Part 2, but here is a quick interpretation.
Miami-Dade's industrial farmers and developers pay lip service to the environment. Lynda Bell pays lip service to the environment. The big industrial farmers and Lynda Bell see eye-to-eye.
What they really want is to control regulations: in particular, they want to control whatever flood control measures are implemented by regulatory agencies in state and federal government. When they can't get what they want, their fall back position is to delay, delay, delay.
Big industrial farmers who have taken taxpayers to the cleaners get whatever they want. What Lynda Bell did the other day is the best example how they do it; the best example taxpayers and voters have had in a long time. In putting a resolution outside the four day rule, Lynda Bell straight out lied.
She lied when she claimed to have gotten support from the environmentalists. That's utter, complete bullshit. (In fact, it serves the Everglades Foundation right -- that's the one group Bell called out -- they were taken advantage of. But Bell had reason to believe they would be her patsies because she used the photo op they created for her on a recent Everglades "tour". When she used the photo op to claim her environmental credentials, the Everglades Foundation did not complain. Her thinking: why would they raise a fuss, now?)
The intent of the Bell resolution to INCREASE flood control for farmers shows that the incumbent county commissioner is willing to go to bat for them -- despite the fact they already dominate water supply in South Florida.
So, yes. This is about politics. It is also as Ann Hinga -- our guest blogger -- points out, about Jim Humble, the South Dade multi-millionaire from the Frog Pond hijacking (another story) -"ringing the Bell" just like reviving the engines at a drag race.It is also about Bell's colleagues on the county commission. Any one of them could have pulled this item from the county commission agenda because it hadn't been properly noticed within the required time frame. The public could have been given the chance to speak.
Who knows why the county commissioners turned a blind eye: was it ignorance, cowardice, or simply the privilege of incumbency being offered to one of their own, so that when it is time for their own re-election, they can pull similar tricks? (Remember then county commissioner Joe Martinez -- now running for Congress -- and the egg lady from the 8.5 Square Mile Area performance? Check our archive.)
As for voters in District 8, we expect they will know what to do when their elected representative is caught petting the monkey and when there is a good challenger to do the right thing by them and not for special interests.
See Part 2 BELOW or hit link
The most recent pandering by County Commissioner Lynda Bell: THIS SUCKS … guest blog by Ann Hinga
Part 2 also see Part 1:
In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to restore the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Among the conditions placed on CERP by Congress, CERP implementation required the maintenance of then-current flood protection levels.
Since CERP was authorized, some agricultural interests, some development interests, and some elected officials have sought to misrepresent the authorization and claim that CERP is meant to provide enhanced flood protection. This is untrue. Yesterday, Miami Dade County Commissioner Lynda Bell actively participated in this misrepresentation by putting forth a resolution she claims was in support of full implementation of the C-111 CERP project and the Modified Waters Delivery Project (which is a foundation ecological restoration project that was meant to pre-date CERP). If her intention was truly to forward these critical CERP projects for ecological restoration, LYNDA BELL would not have included the language highlighted below:
You can view the webcast of the hearing here, it comes at 3:28 on the counter:
Some things to keep in mind as you review the resolution and video…
1) This resolution did not go to a Board of County Commissioners committee and thereby avoided public hearing.
2) This resolution was on the 4-day rule portion of the agenda, meaning Commission Lynda Bell's colleagues did not get the required four days needed for adequate review. Any of the other Commissioners could have asked for a deferral for the simple reason they did not have enough time for review. Unfortunately, the other Commissioners are not fluent enough in CERP and did not recognize the bait and switch Commissioner Bell was pulling.
3) Commissioner Lynda Bell claimed she contacted environmental groups prior to putting this forward. Another lie. Only one group - the Everglades Foundation - acknowledges they were contacted, but their representative gave public comment earlier in the day that they could not support the project because it created false expectations of flood control. (see 1:48 min. on the webcast link for the comments by the Everglades Foundation.)
4) The only non-elected person that spoke on the item was MDC Agricultural Manager Charles LaPradd. No professional staff from DERM, nor anyone that could speak about the environmental issues, provided any testimony.
5) Commissioner Bell acknowledged right at the beginning of her comments that this was related to discussions she had with the Farm Bureau and some of the South Dade growers.
Ironically, as if a well-choreographed dance, south Dade resident James Humble was at the combined Water Resources Advisory Committee / South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting also asserting that south Dade is entitled to enhanced flood protection under CERP. This meeting was at the same time as the Commission meeting; one reason why the environmental groups were not present in Commission Chambers when Bell's item was heard.
If Commissioner Lynda Bell and the south Dade agricultural interests really want to advocate for full implementation of CERP, it's time for them to get real and start developing strategies to help them adapt to restoration - if adaptation is really even needed. It's more likely that full implementation of CERP is needed to protect ground water resources for their benefit and the benefit of the ecosystem.
 |
| Lynda Bell at May 6th County Commission Meeting. |
In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to restore the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Among the conditions placed on CERP by Congress, CERP implementation required the maintenance of then-current flood protection levels.
Since CERP was authorized, some agricultural interests, some development interests, and some elected officials have sought to misrepresent the authorization and claim that CERP is meant to provide enhanced flood protection. This is untrue. Yesterday, Miami Dade County Commissioner Lynda Bell actively participated in this misrepresentation by putting forth a resolution she claims was in support of full implementation of the C-111 CERP project and the Modified Waters Delivery Project (which is a foundation ecological restoration project that was meant to pre-date CERP). If her intention was truly to forward these critical CERP projects for ecological restoration, LYNDA BELL would not have included the language highlighted below:
RESOLUTION URGING THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT AND OPERATE THE MODIFIED WATER DELIVERIES PROJECT AND THE C-111 PROJECT TO END FLOOD IMPACTS TO AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CAUSED BY WATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
The full resolution language is available here.
You can view the webcast of the hearing here, it comes at 3:28 on the counter:
Some things to keep in mind as you review the resolution and video…
1) This resolution did not go to a Board of County Commissioners committee and thereby avoided public hearing.
2) This resolution was on the 4-day rule portion of the agenda, meaning Commission Lynda Bell's colleagues did not get the required four days needed for adequate review. Any of the other Commissioners could have asked for a deferral for the simple reason they did not have enough time for review. Unfortunately, the other Commissioners are not fluent enough in CERP and did not recognize the bait and switch Commissioner Bell was pulling.
3) Commissioner Lynda Bell claimed she contacted environmental groups prior to putting this forward. Another lie. Only one group - the Everglades Foundation - acknowledges they were contacted, but their representative gave public comment earlier in the day that they could not support the project because it created false expectations of flood control. (see 1:48 min. on the webcast link for the comments by the Everglades Foundation.)
4) The only non-elected person that spoke on the item was MDC Agricultural Manager Charles LaPradd. No professional staff from DERM, nor anyone that could speak about the environmental issues, provided any testimony.
5) Commissioner Bell acknowledged right at the beginning of her comments that this was related to discussions she had with the Farm Bureau and some of the South Dade growers.
Ironically, as if a well-choreographed dance, south Dade resident James Humble was at the combined Water Resources Advisory Committee / South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting also asserting that south Dade is entitled to enhanced flood protection under CERP. This meeting was at the same time as the Commission meeting; one reason why the environmental groups were not present in Commission Chambers when Bell's item was heard.
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Fox News and Rupert Murdoch on climate change report: their perverse inoculation … by gimleteye
The so-called news organ of the far right, Fox News, bears primary responsibility for its role for propaganda on behalf of climate change deniers. Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire Australian media magnate, earned immense personal profit by advancing the anti-government, anti-regulatory agenda of corporate advertisers.
On this issue alone -- climate change -- so much money has been thrown at the task of persuading Americans to vote against their own interests that one hopes -- someday -- the scales will be balanced. By what, though? The melting East Antarctic? The melting permafrost? The evidence of real impacts, as the White House noted yesterday, is here now.
Last summer I went to Greenland with a group of childhood friends. We were all curious what we would see. What surprised -- beside the anxiety of Greenlanders whose way of life is disappearing much faster than our own (cushioned as we are by industrial supply chains) -- was not just the spectacular beauty of the place but the inability to put in any kind of historical context what, exactly, we were seeing.
You are in Greenland for a short visit. Three or four days. What you see are glaciers collapsing and hear the sound of massive movements like shotgun blasts from far away. The process is violent, accelerated, and you have never seen anything like it before nor has anyone else for that matter. It has been hundreds of millions of years since C02 emissions in the atmosphere were so high.
The ice that is melting before your eyes is tens and hundreds of thousands of years old. It melts into the same water you splash on your face from the faucet. How do you put that in perspective of time and consequence?
On this issue alone -- climate change -- so much money has been thrown at the task of persuading Americans to vote against their own interests that one hopes -- someday -- the scales will be balanced. By what, though? The melting East Antarctic? The melting permafrost? The evidence of real impacts, as the White House noted yesterday, is here now.
Last summer I went to Greenland with a group of childhood friends. We were all curious what we would see. What surprised -- beside the anxiety of Greenlanders whose way of life is disappearing much faster than our own (cushioned as we are by industrial supply chains) -- was not just the spectacular beauty of the place but the inability to put in any kind of historical context what, exactly, we were seeing.
You are in Greenland for a short visit. Three or four days. What you see are glaciers collapsing and hear the sound of massive movements like shotgun blasts from far away. The process is violent, accelerated, and you have never seen anything like it before nor has anyone else for that matter. It has been hundreds of millions of years since C02 emissions in the atmosphere were so high.
The ice that is melting before your eyes is tens and hundreds of thousands of years old. It melts into the same water you splash on your face from the faucet. How do you put that in perspective of time and consequence?
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Next, Tuesday Governor and Cabinet to decide on FPL high voltage transmission line down US 1: make your calls to Governor's Cabinet Office today -- 850-717-9239 … by gimleteye
"You can't take politics out of politics", former Miami mayor and Miami-Dade county commissioner Maurice Ferre told the assembled crowd of citizens last night objecting to the plan by Florida Power and Light to erect enormous high voltage transmission lines along the US 1 corridor. People's concerns include the expectation of severely diminished property values once the high voltage lines are erected, health concerns related to radiation from the lines in the economic heartland of south Florida, and environmental issues including sea level rise. FPL dismisses these objections as "esthetic concerns".
Tomorrow, the Governor's Cabinet staff meet to discuss the FPL proposal. Representatives from South Florida municipalities, including South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, who has led the opposition, will be testifying. Final decisions will be made next Tuesday by the Governor and Cabinet.
At last night's Town Hall meeting in Coral Gables organized by Florida state representative Jose Javier Rodriguez (D), the outlines of what speakers refer to as a David versus Goliath battle were clear. Normally, Florida's biggest utility is only opposed by citizens, civic groups and environmentalists. In this case, municipal governments are on their side against FPL. Coral Gables, South Miami and Pinecrest are actively opposing the power lines, through advocacy and litigation.
Representatives from those municipalities spoke at last night's meeting. They will travel to Tallahassee today to address staff. Next Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott -- in the middle of a difficult re-election campaign -- and his Cabinet will decide on key issues related to the siting of two new nuclear reactors that FPL wants, including the toxic issue of putting massive overhead high voltage lines down the US 1 corridor.
Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, one of the leaders of the effort to halt FPL's plans, said that FPL is more powerful today that government. "FPL literally dictates all energy policy and law and through its stamp of approval to members of the Public Utilities Commission."
One example she highlighted is the burying of high voltage cables. South Florida municipalities have tried to engage the Republican led state legislature on changes to law that would be necessary before FPL could consider the under grounding of the power cables, which Mayor Lerner trenchantly noted is a legally approved option "all over the United States but not in South Florida". According to Lerner, FPL lobbyists in Tallahassee have blocked all discussion of putting cables underground. According to Lerner, "A new governor could change all this."
Lerner also singled out Miami-Dade state senator Anitere Flores for criticism.
Flores, a Republican and chair of the Senate Communication, Energy and Public Utilities Committee has endorsed the power lines mounted on towers with a five foot diameter, reaching more than 105 feet overhead and spaced as close as 200 feet apart. A spokesperson for the City of Coral Gables noted that the corridor rights of FPL include a "one mile" right of way, meaning that the power line route could be located anywhere within one mile of US 1.
FPL's over-reach was also highlighted at last night's meeting by several speakers. By antagonizing municipal government, FPL is jeopardizing the power franchise agreements providing it with exclusive, monopolistic rights to supply customers with electric power.
Former Mayor Ferre focused on the practical politics and urged citizens to reach out to any Republicans with influence in the Governor's Office. Ferre noted that Jeb Bush lives in Coral Gables, but that Jeb has not weighed in on the issue.
The only person in the last night's audience to speak in favor of the power lines was Ada Bill, identified in the Miami Herald as "a Coral Gables resident". The Herald failed to add that she is a FPL public relations employee, a fact Ms. Bill disclosed to the audience. Ms. Bill said that Florida needs to upgrade its transmission grid, but the Sierra Club representative at the meeting, Jon Ullman, highlighted the problems of sea level rise, anticipated to significantly affect the South Florida economy during the service lifetime of the nuclear reactors, and said that the Governor and Cabinet will also be voting on the siting for the reactors at Turkey Point at next Tuesday's meeting. "The best way to stop the power lines is to kill the new reactors", said Ullman.
Although the new power lines could be built as early as 2015, FPL claims it would not begin construction until it had secured federal NRC approval for the new reactors, perhaps as early as 2016. Meanwhile, early cost recovery, funded by FPL ratepayers, is fueling the current plans, the FPL marketing blitz, and consuming enormous quantities of civic energy.
Citizens are urged to call the Governor's Cabinet Affairs Office today: 850-717-9239
Tomorrow, the Governor's Cabinet staff meet to discuss the FPL proposal. Representatives from South Florida municipalities, including South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, who has led the opposition, will be testifying. Final decisions will be made next Tuesday by the Governor and Cabinet.
At last night's Town Hall meeting in Coral Gables organized by Florida state representative Jose Javier Rodriguez (D), the outlines of what speakers refer to as a David versus Goliath battle were clear. Normally, Florida's biggest utility is only opposed by citizens, civic groups and environmentalists. In this case, municipal governments are on their side against FPL. Coral Gables, South Miami and Pinecrest are actively opposing the power lines, through advocacy and litigation.
Representatives from those municipalities spoke at last night's meeting. They will travel to Tallahassee today to address staff. Next Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott -- in the middle of a difficult re-election campaign -- and his Cabinet will decide on key issues related to the siting of two new nuclear reactors that FPL wants, including the toxic issue of putting massive overhead high voltage lines down the US 1 corridor.
Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, one of the leaders of the effort to halt FPL's plans, said that FPL is more powerful today that government. "FPL literally dictates all energy policy and law and through its stamp of approval to members of the Public Utilities Commission."
One example she highlighted is the burying of high voltage cables. South Florida municipalities have tried to engage the Republican led state legislature on changes to law that would be necessary before FPL could consider the under grounding of the power cables, which Mayor Lerner trenchantly noted is a legally approved option "all over the United States but not in South Florida". According to Lerner, FPL lobbyists in Tallahassee have blocked all discussion of putting cables underground. According to Lerner, "A new governor could change all this."
Lerner also singled out Miami-Dade state senator Anitere Flores for criticism.
Flores, a Republican and chair of the Senate Communication, Energy and Public Utilities Committee has endorsed the power lines mounted on towers with a five foot diameter, reaching more than 105 feet overhead and spaced as close as 200 feet apart. A spokesperson for the City of Coral Gables noted that the corridor rights of FPL include a "one mile" right of way, meaning that the power line route could be located anywhere within one mile of US 1.
FPL's over-reach was also highlighted at last night's meeting by several speakers. By antagonizing municipal government, FPL is jeopardizing the power franchise agreements providing it with exclusive, monopolistic rights to supply customers with electric power.
Former Mayor Ferre focused on the practical politics and urged citizens to reach out to any Republicans with influence in the Governor's Office. Ferre noted that Jeb Bush lives in Coral Gables, but that Jeb has not weighed in on the issue.
The only person in the last night's audience to speak in favor of the power lines was Ada Bill, identified in the Miami Herald as "a Coral Gables resident". The Herald failed to add that she is a FPL public relations employee, a fact Ms. Bill disclosed to the audience. Ms. Bill said that Florida needs to upgrade its transmission grid, but the Sierra Club representative at the meeting, Jon Ullman, highlighted the problems of sea level rise, anticipated to significantly affect the South Florida economy during the service lifetime of the nuclear reactors, and said that the Governor and Cabinet will also be voting on the siting for the reactors at Turkey Point at next Tuesday's meeting. "The best way to stop the power lines is to kill the new reactors", said Ullman.
Although the new power lines could be built as early as 2015, FPL claims it would not begin construction until it had secured federal NRC approval for the new reactors, perhaps as early as 2016. Meanwhile, early cost recovery, funded by FPL ratepayers, is fueling the current plans, the FPL marketing blitz, and consuming enormous quantities of civic energy.
Citizens are urged to call the Governor's Cabinet Affairs Office today: 850-717-9239
Monday, May 05, 2014
Miami Dade County: Each Commissioner Governs All of Us. By Geniusofdespair
On vacation till further notice. Pass this post on, it is chock full of information. We have too many bad apples on the County Commission and it is time, time to clean house. Even if it is one district at a time, show the lobbyists we mean business! We need someone with common sense -- like we all have, like Daniella Levine Cava has.
Read this , my last post and use the links, I don't put them in for my health, if you have read them, thank you:
Read this , my last post and use the links, I don't put them in for my health, if you have read them, thank you:
Sunday, May 04, 2014
District 8 Commissioner Lynda Bell Submitted Petitions Like Her Opponent Daniella Levine. By Geniusofdespair
Daniella Levine is qualified by petition. Lynda Bell Awaits the results,
she has also submitted petitions said Doug Hanks of the Miami Herald.
When Lynda Bell comes to your door with that smiling face, don't let her off easy (and don't let her in). Question her. Or, better yet, say you are going to vote for her and she will leave in 5 minutes. If you don't, you will have to endure at least 20 minutes of convincing: I am a mother of 3 daughters I have 8 grandchildren with Hispanic last names, I was the first woman mayor of Homestead and was hated, only serving one term, I am a fiscal conservative (tea party), my husband and I teach Sunday school, we are business owners; I am the National Delegate of Florida Right to Life.
What Lynda Bell won't tell you at your door -- that I believe is all true: In redistricting I took out all the people that would not vote for me like parts of Homestead and all of Pinecrest; My daughter is living in a trailer in my backyard for over a year; While Homestead Mayor, I changed a towing law in Homestead so the Former Mayor of Sweetwater (in jail) could get the contract; I was the only commissioner to vote to put Pink Slime in meat served by the County to people; I think arsenic is no big deal and said it at a commission meeting; I got help from David Rivera in my last campaign and shared his office for awhile; To the dismay of the whole environmental community, I voted to lift a 30 year deed restriction after only 5 years; I misrepresented Audubon of Florida waving a paper not about the subject at a May 6th, 2014 County Commission meeting and I claimed I did outreach before I rushed through a resolution the Everglades Foundation told me was bad for Everglades restoration - in other words I lied; I single handily dismantled DERM with no help from the other commissioners and tried to water down wetland protection with a task force; It is rumored that I am strong-arming big companies for campaign donations with the veiled threat of retribution by county investigations and withholding county services; I got thousands of dollars from rock miners for my campaign and over a hundred thousand from Wayne Rosen in both ECO's and my campaign account; I voted not to give unions back their temporary 5% cut; I didn't vote for the help libraries needed; A rich guy I am tight with (He held my victory party at his home) formed a mortgage company and gave my husband a mortgage to become a business owner, the Redland Hotel, before that he was on disability and he was a plumbers helper; I stole Frank Nero's geo-spatial website idea and called it my own after I helped get him fired from the Beacon Council; I proposed a chain link fence ordinance not telling the rest of the County Commission there was a chain link fence company registered to my address and owned by my daughter; I claimed I protected the Environment on my website when it was untrue; I was endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition - a gay hate group; I voted to move the Urban Development Boundary for the racetrack; My husband's failed campaign for Mayor is being investigated by the State's Attorney's offfice for Absentee Ballot Fraud; I named an affordable housing building with $10,000,000 of your tax dollars in it, after my mom who never did anything of note in Miami Dade County but raise me; I went to Tallahassee trying to make an end-run around the local government on the CRA; I sue people a lot and they sue me in feuds my former staffer Lois Jones and my neighbor Elaine Navarre as examples; I moved my office from the Government Center where the rent was free to Palmetto Bay during the down-turn when money was scarce - with the rent, the renovation and furnishings you the taxpayers are paying about $63,137 a year to keep me close to the coffee shops or $252,550 over four years; I was called a bigot by Save Dade, etc. LYNDA BELL won't tell you things like that. But don't ask. Just give her a thumbs up and let her go on her way or she will talk your ear off.
If you see Daniella Levine Cava at your door, ask her if her husband is truly cranky, why she moved into the district, why she does not have 8 grandchildren, what she did at Catalyst Miami and does she really speak Spanish or is she just faking it for the campaign. After all, Lynda's grandchildren ALL have Hispanic last names, that is what she tells everyone.
Lynda Bell is very good at door to door, don't kid yourself, she knows
how to mask her devious side and her vindictive behavior to get your
vote. You will see her sign on your neighbor's lawn. Go over there and
educate your friends.
When Lynda Bell comes to your door with that smiling face, don't let her off easy (and don't let her in). Question her. Or, better yet, say you are going to vote for her and she will leave in 5 minutes. If you don't, you will have to endure at least 20 minutes of convincing: I am a mother of 3 daughters I have 8 grandchildren with Hispanic last names, I was the first woman mayor of Homestead
What Lynda Bell won't tell you at your door -- that I believe is all true: In redistricting I took out all the people that would not vote for me like parts of Homestead and all of Pinecrest; My daughter is living in a trailer in my backyard for over a year; While Homestead Mayor, I changed a towing law in Homestead so the Former Mayor of Sweetwater (in jail) could get the contract; I was the only commissioner to vote to put Pink Slime in meat served by the County to people; I think arsenic is no big deal and said it at a commission meeting; I got help from David Rivera in my last campaign and shared his office for awhile; To the dismay of the whole environmental community, I voted to lift a 30 year deed restriction after only 5 years; I misrepresented Audubon of Florida waving a paper not about the subject at a May 6th, 2014 County Commission meeting and I claimed I did outreach before I rushed through a resolution the Everglades Foundation told me was bad for Everglades restoration - in other words I lied; I single handily dismantled DERM with no help from the other commissioners and tried to water down wetland protection with a task force; It is rumored that I am strong-arming big companies for campaign donations with the veiled threat of retribution by county investigations and withholding county services; I got thousands of dollars from rock miners for my campaign and over a hundred thousand from Wayne Rosen in both ECO's and my campaign account; I voted not to give unions back their temporary 5% cut; I didn't vote for the help libraries needed; A rich guy I am tight with (He held my victory party at his home) formed a mortgage company and gave my husband a mortgage to become a business owner, the Redland Hotel, before that he was on disability and he was a plumbers helper; I stole Frank Nero's geo-spatial website idea and called it my own after I helped get him fired from the Beacon Council; I proposed a chain link fence ordinance not telling the rest of the County Commission there was a chain link fence company registered to my address and owned by my daughter; I claimed I protected the Environment on my website when it was untrue; I was endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition - a gay hate group; I voted to move the Urban Development Boundary for the racetrack; My husband's failed campaign for Mayor is being investigated by the State's Attorney's offfice for Absentee Ballot Fraud; I named an affordable housing building with $10,000,000 of your tax dollars in it, after my mom who never did anything of note in Miami Dade County but raise me; I went to Tallahassee trying to make an end-run around the local government on the CRA; I sue people a lot and they sue me in feuds my former staffer Lois Jones and my neighbor Elaine Navarre as examples; I moved my office from the Government Center where the rent was free to Palmetto Bay during the down-turn when money was scarce - with the rent, the renovation and furnishings you the taxpayers are paying about $63,137 a year to keep me close to the coffee shops or $252,550 over four years; I was called a bigot by Save Dade, etc. LYNDA BELL won't tell you things like that. But don't ask. Just give her a thumbs up and let her go on her way or she will talk your ear off.
If you see Daniella Levine Cava at your door, ask her if her husband is truly cranky, why she moved into the district, why she does not have 8 grandchildren, what she did at Catalyst Miami and does she really speak Spanish or is she just faking it for the campaign. After all, Lynda's grandchildren ALL have Hispanic last names, that is what she tells everyone.
 |
| Lynda Bell: Nice Smile, But Bad History. |
On Miami Today's Economic Enemy #1: Traffic … by gimleteye
Michael Lewis, publisher of Miami Today, agrees with the point we have made at EOM since we started this blog: that traffic is the number one enemy of our economy and quality of life. EOM, though, has never shied, unlike Miami Today, from identifying the source of traffic: decision makers and elected officials who never turn down a permit or zoning change that could interfere with the profit motives of the Great Destroyers.
We do, moreover, contest Mr. Lewis' point that traffic has only recently "exploded". During all the years when the building boom acquired momentum -- in the late 1990's straight into the early 2000's -- not a single county commissioner with the exception of Katy Sorenson was willing to hold up a zoning decision allowing more housing or commercial space based on traffic. Miami Today was mostly silent.
Finally, even Commissioner Sorenson was swayed against the requirements of traffic concurrency as a guiding principle of state growth management planning. Well so much for that: Gov. Rick Scott axed growth management as a foundation for planning.
Who bears responsibility for mitigating traffic? If you can find any elected official willing to bear responsibility, let us know. Please raise your hand.
We do agree with Mr. Lewis that "variability" in travel time dominates the traffic scene. You literally have no idea whether a 20 minute drive will become a 30 or 40 minute drive. This is crippling not just for business, but puts significant additional strains on families.
Mr. Lewis and I share the same amazement -- as I am sure many of our readers do -- at the sheer impossibility of navigating across Biscayne Boulevard from ANY direction when the Performing Arsht Center and the Heat Arena are in action. And the Museum of Jorge Perez? Who can get there? (And when did the Miami Herald ever editorialize about this facet of our torpedo'd civic life?)
Lewis writes, "we need to get priorities, and get them straight". But hasn't Miami Today been part of the media aristocracy that incessantly highlights the good work of job boosters like the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, or Neisen Kasdin/ Latin Builders, and the relentless optimism of pro-growth policies?
Perhaps Mr. Lewis anticipates our criticism by noting, "in the past eight years, Miami Today has written about "gridlock" 58 times. We've written about "traffic congestion" even more."
That very well could be the case. However, there comes a time when staying inside the circle of Miami's status quo is no longer a viable option for a critic. In our opinion, we crossed that threshold a long, long, long time ago.
We do, moreover, contest Mr. Lewis' point that traffic has only recently "exploded". During all the years when the building boom acquired momentum -- in the late 1990's straight into the early 2000's -- not a single county commissioner with the exception of Katy Sorenson was willing to hold up a zoning decision allowing more housing or commercial space based on traffic. Miami Today was mostly silent.
Finally, even Commissioner Sorenson was swayed against the requirements of traffic concurrency as a guiding principle of state growth management planning. Well so much for that: Gov. Rick Scott axed growth management as a foundation for planning.
Who bears responsibility for mitigating traffic? If you can find any elected official willing to bear responsibility, let us know. Please raise your hand.
We do agree with Mr. Lewis that "variability" in travel time dominates the traffic scene. You literally have no idea whether a 20 minute drive will become a 30 or 40 minute drive. This is crippling not just for business, but puts significant additional strains on families.
Mr. Lewis and I share the same amazement -- as I am sure many of our readers do -- at the sheer impossibility of navigating across Biscayne Boulevard from ANY direction when the Performing Arsht Center and the Heat Arena are in action. And the Museum of Jorge Perez? Who can get there? (And when did the Miami Herald ever editorialize about this facet of our torpedo'd civic life?)
Lewis writes, "we need to get priorities, and get them straight". But hasn't Miami Today been part of the media aristocracy that incessantly highlights the good work of job boosters like the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, or Neisen Kasdin/ Latin Builders, and the relentless optimism of pro-growth policies?
Perhaps Mr. Lewis anticipates our criticism by noting, "in the past eight years, Miami Today has written about "gridlock" 58 times. We've written about "traffic congestion" even more."
That very well could be the case. However, there comes a time when staying inside the circle of Miami's status quo is no longer a viable option for a critic. In our opinion, we crossed that threshold a long, long, long time ago.
Sunday, May 04, 2014
Eye On Miami: your source for news on MERS … by gimleteye
This week, EOM wrote on MERS; the virus that had been mostly dormant in Saudi Arabia until it began to spike in April. On Friday, news of the first case to appear in the United States made nightly news. A patient in Indiana contracted the virus while on a visit to Saudi Arabia and became ill with symptoms when he returned last week.
No reason to be alarmed because the virus is not easily transmissible between humans, offered a physician to nightly news audience. Reassured.
It will be worth paying attention to what steps the CDC is taking to track passengers who traveled on the same planes and bus ride with the ill victim.
This, from today's Washington Post: "“MERS is now in our heartland,” said Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, during a briefing Friday. But she stressed that the viral disease does not appear to be easily transmittable. “It represents a very low risk to the broader general public.”
And then? Everything above the surface calmly moves as dancers in a water ballet, but under the surface the action is roiling.
"It’s a very active investigation," (Schuchat) said. "This situation is very fluid."
Very active investigation means that the CDC is tracking down every person the Indiana victim may have come into contact with on the long trip home from Saudi Arabia. Interesting. We'll post the latest updates so keep checking back.
No reason to be alarmed because the virus is not easily transmissible between humans, offered a physician to nightly news audience. Reassured.
It will be worth paying attention to what steps the CDC is taking to track passengers who traveled on the same planes and bus ride with the ill victim.
This, from today's Washington Post: "“MERS is now in our heartland,” said Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, during a briefing Friday. But she stressed that the viral disease does not appear to be easily transmittable. “It represents a very low risk to the broader general public.”
And then? Everything above the surface calmly moves as dancers in a water ballet, but under the surface the action is roiling.
"It’s a very active investigation," (Schuchat) said. "This situation is very fluid."
Very active investigation means that the CDC is tracking down every person the Indiana victim may have come into contact with on the long trip home from Saudi Arabia. Interesting. We'll post the latest updates so keep checking back.
District 8 Commissioner Lynda Bell Submitted Petitions Like Her Opponent Daniella Levine Cava. By Geniusofdespair
Daniella Levine is qualified by petition. Lynda Bell Awaits the results, she has also submitted petitions said Doug Hanks of the Miami Herald.
When Lynda Bell comes to your door with that smiling face, don't let her off easy (and don't let her in). Question her. Or, better yet, say you are going to vote for her and she will leave in 5 minutes. If you don't, you will have to endure at least 20 minutes of convincing: I am a mother of 3 daughters I have 8 grandchildren with Hispanic last nameseven though I don't, I was the first woman mayor of Homestead and was hated, only serving one term, I am a fiscal conservative (tea party), my husband and I teach Sunday school, we are business owners; I am the National Delegate of Florida Right to Life.
What Lynda Bell won't tell you at your door -- that I believe is all true: In redistricting I took out all the people that would not vote for me like parts of Homestead and all of Pinecrest; My daughter is living in a trailer in my backyard for over a year; While Homestead Mayor, I changed a towing law in Homestead so the Former Mayor of Sweetwater (in jail) could get the contract; I was the only commissioner to vote to put Pink Slime in meat served by the County to people; I got help from David Rivera in my last campaign and shared his office for awhile; To the dismay of the whole environmental community, I voted to lift a 30 year deed restriction after only 5 years; I single handily dismantled DERM with no help from other County Commissioners and tried to water down wetland protection with a task force and town hall meeting; It is rumored that I am strong-arming big companies for campaign donations with the veiled threat of retribution by county investigations and withholding county services; I misrepresented Audubon of Florida at a May 6th County Commission meeting and I claimed I did outreach before I rushed through a resolution the Everglades Foundation told me was bad for Everglades restoration, in other words, I lied; I got thousands of dollars from rock miners for my campaign and over a hundred thousand from Wayne Rosen in both ECO's and my campaign account; I didn't vote for the help libraries needed; I voted not to give unions back their temporary 5% cut; A rich guy I am tight with (He held my victory party at his home) formed a mortgage company and gave my husband a mortgage to become a business owner, the Redland Hotel, before that he was on disability and he was a plumbers helper; I stole Frank Nero's geo-spatial website idea and called it my own after I helped get him fired from the Beacon Council; I think arsenic is no big deal and said it at a commission meeting; I proposed a chain link fence ordinance not telling the rest of the County Commission there was a chain link fence company registered to my address and owned by my daughter; I claimed I protected the Environment on my website when it was untrue; I was endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition - a gay hate group; I voted to move the Urban Development Boundary for the racetrack; My husband's failed campaign for Mayor is being investigated by the State's Attorney's offfice for Absentee Ballot Fraud; I named an affordable housing building with $10,000,000 of your tax dollars in it, after my mom who never did anything of note in Miami Dade County but raise me; I went to Tallahassee trying to make an end-run around the local government on the CRA; I sue people a lot and they sue me in feuds my former staffer Lois Jones and my neighbor Elaine Navarre as examples; I moved my office from the Government Center where the rent was free to Palmetto Bay during the down-turn when money was scarce - with the rent, the renovation and furnishings you the taxpayers are paying about $63,137 a year to keep me close to the coffee shops or $252,550 over four years; etc. LYNDA BELL won't tell you things like that. But don't ask. Just give her a thumbs up and let her go on her way or she will talk your ear off.
If you see Daniella Levine Cava at your door, ask her if her husband is truly cranky, why she moved into the district, why she does not have 8 grandchildren, what she did at Catalyst Miami and does she really speak Spanish or is she just faking it for the campaign. After all, Lynda's grandchildren ALL have Hispanic last names, that is what she tells everyone.
Lynda Bell is very good at door to door, don't kid yourself, she knows how to mask her devious side and her vindictive behavior to get your vote. You will see her sign on your neighbor's lawn. Go over there and educate your friends.
When Lynda Bell comes to your door with that smiling face, don't let her off easy (and don't let her in). Question her. Or, better yet, say you are going to vote for her and she will leave in 5 minutes. If you don't, you will have to endure at least 20 minutes of convincing: I am a mother of 3 daughters I have 8 grandchildren with Hispanic last names
What Lynda Bell won't tell you at your door -- that I believe is all true: In redistricting I took out all the people that would not vote for me like parts of Homestead and all of Pinecrest; My daughter is living in a trailer in my backyard for over a year; While Homestead Mayor, I changed a towing law in Homestead so the Former Mayor of Sweetwater (in jail) could get the contract; I was the only commissioner to vote to put Pink Slime in meat served by the County to people; I got help from David Rivera in my last campaign and shared his office for awhile; To the dismay of the whole environmental community, I voted to lift a 30 year deed restriction after only 5 years; I single handily dismantled DERM with no help from other County Commissioners and tried to water down wetland protection with a task force and town hall meeting; It is rumored that I am strong-arming big companies for campaign donations with the veiled threat of retribution by county investigations and withholding county services; I misrepresented Audubon of Florida at a May 6th County Commission meeting and I claimed I did outreach before I rushed through a resolution the Everglades Foundation told me was bad for Everglades restoration, in other words, I lied; I got thousands of dollars from rock miners for my campaign and over a hundred thousand from Wayne Rosen in both ECO's and my campaign account; I didn't vote for the help libraries needed; I voted not to give unions back their temporary 5% cut; A rich guy I am tight with (He held my victory party at his home) formed a mortgage company and gave my husband a mortgage to become a business owner, the Redland Hotel, before that he was on disability and he was a plumbers helper; I stole Frank Nero's geo-spatial website idea and called it my own after I helped get him fired from the Beacon Council; I think arsenic is no big deal and said it at a commission meeting; I proposed a chain link fence ordinance not telling the rest of the County Commission there was a chain link fence company registered to my address and owned by my daughter; I claimed I protected the Environment on my website when it was untrue; I was endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition - a gay hate group; I voted to move the Urban Development Boundary for the racetrack; My husband's failed campaign for Mayor is being investigated by the State's Attorney's offfice for Absentee Ballot Fraud; I named an affordable housing building with $10,000,000 of your tax dollars in it, after my mom who never did anything of note in Miami Dade County but raise me; I went to Tallahassee trying to make an end-run around the local government on the CRA; I sue people a lot and they sue me in feuds my former staffer Lois Jones and my neighbor Elaine Navarre as examples; I moved my office from the Government Center where the rent was free to Palmetto Bay during the down-turn when money was scarce - with the rent, the renovation and furnishings you the taxpayers are paying about $63,137 a year to keep me close to the coffee shops or $252,550 over four years; etc. LYNDA BELL won't tell you things like that. But don't ask. Just give her a thumbs up and let her go on her way or she will talk your ear off.
If you see Daniella Levine Cava at your door, ask her if her husband is truly cranky, why she moved into the district, why she does not have 8 grandchildren, what she did at Catalyst Miami and does she really speak Spanish or is she just faking it for the campaign. After all, Lynda's grandchildren ALL have Hispanic last names, that is what she tells everyone.
Lynda Bell is very good at door to door, don't kid yourself, she knows how to mask her devious side and her vindictive behavior to get your vote. You will see her sign on your neighbor's lawn. Go over there and educate your friends.
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