Sunday, June 28, 2015

From the Coalition Against Causeway Chaos: The Stench of (Miami) Corruption

Find online, here: The Coalition Against Causeway Chaos

The stench of corruption is overwhelming..

Since our last update here’s what’s happening and why you need to be alert and concerned:

Tomorrow’s Rip Off

Tomorrow, Monday at 5 pm the City of Miami—without notice, without discussion, and without a vote is likely to approve a gigantic, monster 633 foot billboard trashing both Miami and Miami Beach.

That’s right. Miami City officials are likely to approve it. Without public input. Without discussion. Without debate.

To add insult to injury they’ll also hand over $100 million plus to the developer. No questions asked.

The LED billboard is just one more example of the City of Miami and its Commissioners run amok. Caring not one wit for its own citizens let alone its neighbors.

Just imagine 2 acres of beaming lights flashing commercials from mid-Miami to Biscayne Bay, the Venetian Islands and Miami Beach. Vegas here we come!

The best hope of stopping this glowing monument to corruption s at this point is to send a message to Miami’s Mayor Tomas Regalato urging him to stand up against it, or to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenz who’s declared all this billboard stuff illegal but so has failed to act.

There's More. Much More.
Not only are the Miami Commissioners handing out millions of Community Redevelopment Authority funds to their favorite private developers by giving away taxpayer money for the Sky Rise Development… the World Center… they’re destroying our marine environment to boot...

What a bunch of bumble headed, greedy losers.

No wonder there’s a tsunami of lawsuits against this outlaw behavior by folks Miami voters elected to serve ‘we the people” not the billionaire developers.

But then, money talks. The Commissioners of Miami listen.

Watson Island.

For 14 years The City of Miami, in conspiracy with a developer, has attempted to pull the same trick.

Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of caring donors like you our organized efforts have been able to effectively oppose them. The Flagstone Island Gardens project is wrong, corrupt and will be stopped.

An update:

We won a major victory when Judge Thomas Rebull ordered the City of Miami to make key City employees available for depositors. We’re told that his is quite a rare order. Now we’ll be able to seek the truth—under penalty of perjury—about why the City lied and withheld critical information while he Commissioners were voting on the Watson Island project. Stay tuned.

We’re also awaiting the Traffic Study commissioned by the City of Miami Beach and that is likely to prove one more enormous speed bump in the path of the flawed and anachronistic Flagstone project.

Meanwhile, Miami officials, blind and deaf to public concern about traffic on either side of the Bay, keep lying their way toward zoning changes that will enable them to do whatever they want. You can get a taste of the talent Miami officials have avoiding the truth by watching this video of their latest attempt at lying before the Board of Planning and Zoning Appeals here.

Fortunately the Board was not in a mood to buy the lies. The City will try again in September and we’ll alert and let you know what you can do to stand up against the City’s attempts to pillage Watson Island.

Speaking of Lying...

There’s good reason why the members of the Key Biscayne Neighborhood Association rose to their feet and cheered the other night at their annual meeting. And unequivocally shouted out “You lied to us!” to Brian May, Flagstone’s high-paid lobbyist.

No doubt about it. Smooth talking, fork-tongued Brian, was caught lying outright! Trying as best he could to put lipstick on the Flagstone Pig.

Poor Brian tried to convince folks that Flagstone and their Watson Island monstrosity was a model citizen, living up to its financial commitments to the City. Poor put upon developer forced to meet the harsh terms of a touch Miami Commission. Only problem is it’s not true. Flagstone is behind millions and millions in payments as you’ll see when out Attorney Sam Dubbin reveals the truth.

Brian, have you no shame?

If you want a first-rate civics lesson in lying by one of the smoothest talking lobbyists on the developers’ payrolls you should take the time to watch this video filmed courtesy of Al Crespo.

Brian’s lies are captured in their entirety and the truth laid bare by our Attorney Sam Dubbin. Frankly if you’re into finding out more about the truth it’s worth your time to watch this video of the Association meeting. You’ll find it here and you’ll be disgusted.

More importantly, for the arguments of why this project endangers us all –including its very real threat to Art Basel—go here and listen to Bob Goodman, Art Basel’s Representative say why Watson Island threatens this most significant cultural –and economic—event.

Everyone’s Organized But the Citizens.

Make no mistake. The developers and their lobbyists and lawyers spend big bucks to get their way. They do this knowing that the citizen/taxpayer really doesn’t have the money to fight them and City Hall.

While we sure don’t have to match them dollar for dollar we really do have to put lawyers in court and organizers on the ground to oppose them.

So , if you really care about prevailing against the big money corruption of thoughtless development please do your part and contribute today to help support or fight. Just go online, or click on the bar below to do your part.

Thank you.

In early July we take the depositions of key City employees about what they knew and why they withheld disclosing key information on the vote to approve—or not—the Flagstone development.

Our Investigative Taskforce finishes report on campaign contributions, “pay for play” and other scum-laden findings about how Miami’s elected officials are fighting the very citizens they’re elected to serve. All to put money in their own pockets.

Onward!


Roger Craver, President
The Coalition Against Causeway Chaos

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The reason Mayor Carlos Gimenez declared lighted billboards illegal but has not acted is because his allied lobbyists represent the billboard industry. If you want to make a difference come to the County Commission on Tuesday morning where hundreds of citizens are expected to be in attendance to call the mayor on his Special Taxing District cover up. If you care about this community, stand up and expose the corruption.

Anonymous said...

There are no links to the referenced videos. Please post. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

coalition? you mean one person?

Anonymous said...

The Coalition Against Causeway Chaos is supported by the Mayor of Miami Beach and unanimously by all the commissioners. Citizens in Miami and Miami Beach oppose corruption. Paid lobbyists for corrupt developers will always lurk in the shadows. Citizens need to say No to corruption.

Anonymous said...

Miami Beach businesses are worried about competition from Waston Island and the city of Miami. After all the YouTube videos showing Ocean Drive as a wasteland of crime. Tourists will flock to privately controlled resort spaces. Miami Beach conducting traffic studies on Miami projects has to be one of the greatest jokes in history of Miami Beach.

Anonymous said...

The links are in the highlighted article at the top of the story.

Anonymous said...

Tourists will always go to the beach. Miami Beach has more business than it needs. Look it is kicking the boat show out. Miami pols even let the boat show trash Virginia Key. Miami Beach residents are sick of Miami politicians making corrupt decisions.

Anonymous said...

THROW the bums out. ALL OF THEM. No more Sarnoffs.

Anonymous said...

The Sarnoffs should open a bed and breakfast with Johnny Winton.

Anonymous said...

How about disgraced ex-Mayor Manny Diaz? That dude is selling space on billboards. Seriously, he works for a billboard company.