Saturday, May 30, 2015

Saturday Editorial Page May 30th. By Geniusofdespair

The Miami Herald Left it to Eye on Miami to Fill the Saturday Editorial Gap...

26 PAGE ITINERARY FOR THE MIAMI DADE COUNTY PARIS AIR SHOW TRIP, 21 PEOPLE ARE GOING INCLUDING LOBBYISTS:



There will be plenty of time for Gimenez to butter-up Monestime (they are both going). To hell with  Sunshine. This is disturbing to me. I can just see the ooze of love and manipulation over poor Jean. Don't buy it Jean, it is just bullshit. You are going to be played on the OOH LA LA Trip.   

SATURDAY SPEAK-UP

We wrote eloquently about Audrey Edmonson's power grab at the County Commission in "We Didn't Elect a Queen" on May 20th.

Unfortunately for us, Michael Lewis of Miami Today wrote even more eloquently on the same subject:
When our commissioners battle parochially, it’s not good guys vs. bad guys. Because each wins office via geographic voting, they face a dysfunctional dilemma about how to serve the public.

Assuming that they’re trying to do their best, commissioners elected from single-member districts face four possible choices:

• Act for my district.
• Act for the people who helped elect me.
• Act for the whole community.
• Act as my brain and conscience dictate.

All of these are valid ways of looking at how to serve, write legislation and vote. But some, to corrupt a line from George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” are far more valid than others.

Representative government works best when elected officials trust their conscience on what will best serve the whole community. It stumbles when they divvy up the pie so that each district’s share is equal, regardless of whether that is the smartest use of limited resources.

And it works absolutely worst when commissioners not only divvy up the pie by district but then try to erect walls around their districts and take control of whatever goes on inside those walls, telling other commissioners: keep out, this is mine.

That’s when commissioners on the dais talk about being collegial – a code word for keeping out of someone else’s territory and splitting the pot of resources equally rather than intelligently.

When commissioners are at their most parochial, they say they were elected to look out for their district, that that’s what the voters had in mind when they went to the polls – as though commissioners could read minds.

While all this sounds theoretical, it plays out poorly in practice.

As county commissioners last week discussed raising fees to use land beside American Airlines Arena that serves Miami Heat entities, Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, whose district bulges out to encompass the site, said that the plan sponsored by Juan Zapata would impact county property within her district and she should get deference to decide because it’s a local matter, not countywide.

“If this goes through,” she said, “then I think each one of us will now have to worry about each other crossing the lines and coming in and just doing what they want to do in everybody’s district. This is disrespectful.”

Out of respect for district lines or for whatever reason, commissioners did not raise the Miami Heat’s bill.

8 comments:

outofsight said...

The plane tickets and hotel cost enough. (maybe not, maybe it is free) The outlandish costs will be the special events we are hosting.... Ever plan a conference in a hotel? Or a wedding? That is where we, the taxpayer, gets soaked.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Suez Environment. Wonder what they do ... I thought this was an Airport Show. LOL. Me smells big money circulating down the drain.

Here's from the Suez N.A. website:

The world’s supply of fresh water becomes more precious with each passing day. At this time, we have come to accept that continued development, climate change, and increasing population growth will put significant stress on our finite resources and aging infrastructures. Stunningly, between now and 2050, our global needs for water are going to double.
Thankfully, there’s more to this story than statistics. There are empowered professionals who go to work every day to innovate and deliver sustainable solutions for overcoming these water challenges.
From the Canadian Rockies to the beaches of Cancun and in hundreds of U.S. communities in between, more than 4,000 SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT NORTH AMERICA employees
are focused on providing customers with water that is safe to drink and wastewater management that is efficient and environmentally sound. Their work sustains the physical and economic well-being of the communities they serve, benefiting millions of people
and thousands of businesses. They are rightfully proud of their service. After all, making the planet sustainable is not only the best job on Earth, it’s one of the most critical
jobs on Earth.
Ours is a unique business culture that focuses on integrating sustainable development throughout our operations and building lasting partnerships that are strong enough
to effect real change. Providing for economic growth while meeting stringent regulations that protect ecosystems requires a collective effort on the part of all stakeholders.
Yes, we know the unsettling numbers of challenges that lie before us. Yet, our achievements in solving water challenges make us ambitious optimists who know that real solutions are possible when we work together.

Anonymous said...

If the Mayor was worth his salt, he would not need to take extravagant trips to win over Commissioners. There is no Sunshine prohibition that stifles communications between the mayor and individual commissioners. He is only blocked by his own arrogance and ineptness. Any day of the week, he could work the offices of county hall to advance his agenda. Wait! What agenda? Maybe he is going to Paris with his lobbyists to learn what the agenda is for next year.

Anonymous said...

Looking over the list of losers traveling with the Mayor, it should be quite a series of embarrassing international moments. I can see "his driver" slurping soup and demanding more french fries. I am sure they will be shocked to learn Versailles is not a bakery and does not serve cafecitos.

Anonymous said...

Audrey Edmonson really screwed the taxpayers on the Parcel B rent scandal. People are asking if Edmonson is on the Heat payroll?

Anonymous said...

How quaint. The mayor is traveling with his bag men. If I could only draw. I have this image of Ralphie sitting atop a horse drawn carriage, with Hizzoner and spouse inside, while Heckler and Llorente follow behind with the bags.

Anonymous said...

The good thing about Monestime traveling with this crew is that there will be one member of the delegation who actually speaks French.

Anonymous said...

It will not take much to butter up Monestime. Just wait and see.