Monday, December 05, 2016

Philip Levine: Imperial Mayorship ... by gimleteye



No argument here, on Miami's 10 worst environmental scandals of 2016. I'm still shocked, living in Coral Gables, how few birds and insects there are after aerial bombardment for Zika.

When I ventured that observation to a Miami Beach native, I got a story back; on a recent morning when Miami Beach was being sprayed, the story-teller was in a TSA pre-approved line at MIA. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity and everyone made to aside by beefy security guards for a VIP.

Who was it? The Sheik of Abu Dhabi? Jay Z and Beyonce? No. Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine was leaving town.

On the same day I heard that story, I saw Mayor Levine at the opening of Art Basel in the main fair. He was surrounded by a retinue fit for a prince; two burly bodyguards, earpieces, plus attendant staff who looked dazed or bored.

Why does a mayor of Miami Beach need a security and staff team at Art Basel? His physical safety hardly seemed at risk. Still, the image of a local Medici popped into mind, or at least, a Manny Diaz.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Miami Beach is one of the most corrupt cities in Florida. The city government surrounds itself with lawyers, lobbyists and uses the police department as personal bodyguards. Not a normal city by any means. The residents should have requested the city be disbanded years ago. Absorbed into the county.

Anonymous said...

He has received death threats from people in miami dade county. Imagine if you were the elected official that received threats on your life, you would want security too....no wonder why we can't get good people to run for office - they always get criticized by folks who dont have all the information.

Also, Philip Levine has been a leader on all issues relating to the environment. And what does he get in return from the "environmental" blogger - nothing but criticism.

Anonymous said...

Miami Beach has a large population of condominium units. Lots of real estate holders who got stuck with worthless condominium property or mired in lawsuits when they found out state building codes are worthless. Lots of taxes in Miami Beach for flooding issues which buried properties below street level making them worthless. Crime is rarely reported to the public so many real estate holder got mislead by the police department. Building and code departments have a history of writing violations which are easily cleared by known technicalities (yet violations still exist). Pretty much all noise violations are voided because the city does not have an enforceable noise ordinance or nuisance abatement board. The list goes on and on. Which is why the city is on 24 hour lock down. We won't even get started on the tourist scams, parking scams or unlawful arrests which number into the thousands.

Anonymous said...

Could be the French train company the city and mayor duped. Building a loop around the city with no service yard was not going to work. Unless the mayor proposed putting a rail yard in the South Pointe / South of Fifth neighborhood. In which case the condominium owners in that neighborhood are all pissed at him. More bodyguards.
Dépôt de Tramways de Bordeaux-Bastide not in my backyard!

Anonymous said...

I just can't understand how Mayor Philip Levine can be accepting of the science of climate change one moment and then turn around and try to discredit FIU, UM and NOAA scientists, and a top Miami Herald reporter, who pointed out that the water he's pumping into the bay is filled with human excrement.

Science is science, and if this is how he reacts when science doesn't work for him, then he is no leader.





Anonymous said...

The other mayor who had bodyguards was Lucy Tondreau.
Hmm. She is still surrounded by guards...

Anonymous said...

Thin skinned. And what a mess, Purdy Avenue has become.

Anonymous said...

No surprise the former mayor and lobbyist to everyone but the small guy, writes a letter to the editor to the Herald yesterday. No mention of Dépôt de Tramways de Bordeaux-Bastide. It really is the businesses now that are taking the hit for the over development. The locals with money don't go out enough to support anything than the the top ten existing locations. Millions being lost by commercial investors who got tricked by local government. Always the promise of more parking garages and mass transit are the solution. You wonder why the City of Miami Beach doesn't even have a local paper? So many negative stories the local real estate agents couldn't advertise in it.

Anonymous said...

Ny Daily News: "Developers with projects along de Blasio's planned Brooklyn-Queens streetcar route throw cash at mayor's nonprofit campaign"

Miami Beach is trying the same business model to attract more development. This goes back to the Fee in Lieu parking scandal. As long as you could claim none of your guests were locals driving cars you could get almost unlimited expansion of your property without adding any parking spaces. The residents are stuck with the burden of these failed plans forever.