Lynda Bell and Steve Losner made an ethics complaint against Judy Waldman, about a "Citizen" petition that would have lengthened Waldman's term. Even Mayor Porter was behind it although he stated citizens initiated it:
We received a call on Tuesday from Mark Goodrich. He stated that he was working with the Mayor on an initiative petition and wanted to confirm the procedures we follow for signature verification. I told him that he needed to also contact you to assist him with the preparation of the package.I took out three pages from Lynda Bell's ethics complaint (the whole complaint is at the end). Goodrich ended up with an elections complaint against him. Not much else happened, except they said "Judy Waldman was the driving force behind the petition drive." But, this is excellent reading to see how Hudstead got its name. What a snake pit of fools. A loathsome lot to be sure.
Just in case he has not made contact, he stated that he already had 3,000 petitions ready for verification. I did not ask for the name of the petition, but it is an Initiative Petition.
Please make sure that when you prepare the cover letter that it includes how the signatures should be verified, since your City Charter does not specify. Just in case, I have attached the sample cover letter.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Respectfully,
Kimberly M. Keels
Registration Manager
Miami-Dade County Elections Department
k_15-39_waldman by geniusofdespair on Scribd
24 comments:
This was a constructive effort by two councilpersons Waldman and Porter to subvert the Charter Amendment process for personal gain. Homestead has a military base and under the "citizen petition initiative process" granted by the city charter they fraudulently obtained signatures using "military discrimination".
Sunshine laws, conflicts of interest were violated and approved by Homestead's City Counsel as both Porter and Waldman are on the record discussing and voting.
Porter used his own 2015 PAC manager to run this scam, his name was Mark Goodrich. Waldman solicited $40,000 from Rosen and Munz to pay Goodrich. Porter solicited $14,000 from MCM Construction and others to pay Goodrich, $10,000 was the MCM contribution. MCM built the Seminole Theater, City Hall, Police Station and West Homestead Elementary after getting $775,000 from the Homestead CRA.
Many of those signatures were given to police detectives ordered by higher ups to garner signatures. The incomplete and dropped Ethics inquiry is further evidence the Ethics Commission needs to go away. Disband, defund or sunset, whatever you want to call it. This charade came within a whisker of being voted on. Three questions were rolled into one for confusing purposes. When they had the meeting to place this on the ballot in a special election it was the City Attorney who pushed for a date just prior to CANDIDATE QUALIFYING, hence it became clear as to the intent.
Ethics never interviewed Porter, Waldman, Sewell, Weiss or his lieutenant David Wolpin who was intimately involved with the county's signature verification process. The police detectives and command staff were not interviewed, the administration of HPD housed Project SOS were not interviewed despite their involvement.
The investigation was more of a coverup than an investigation. The only conclusion is corruption succeeds when the right people compromise the integrity of voting processes. When a Mayor can place his own Charter Amendments on a ballot under a citizen initiative process, then it is discovered through an investigation and there are no repercussions the message is clear. The process is corrupt and the authorities do not care.
Just another day under the winking eye of Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Joseph Centorino.
Looks like Let 'em Go Joe has another notch in his belt.
Great comment thank you
If the council decided to amend the charter as a legislative body is one thing but this whole end around process was a sham led by Porter and Waldman. Homestead also needs to fire their City Attorney. How many lies has he now been caught in?
Recent examples,
I West Homestead Elementary got $775,000 versus his $175,000 claim.
II That money was earmarked for kid's computers when it paid for design and construction.
III The citizen initiative when it was two council members.
IV The qualifying date ballot rush when it could have been the primary.
V The county forced the date on Homestead, never happened.
VI State Ethics Board allowed Waldman to discuss and vote on her item.
VII The most egregious lie was pretending to work for the benefit of the "electors of the city" on the petition when actually working for two council members while misleading the other five and directing the city clerk.
Further evidence that this was fraudulent lies in the fact that the City Attorney was ordered by Council majority to draft and post on the City of Homestead official website a signature withdrawal form.
A day later Goodrich withdrew the petition falsely thinking that would stop the firestorm. The firestorm was instead stopped by another poor investigation.
City Attorney will never be fired, they have a dossier on every council member for the last 20 years.
The PDF indicates workers were paid $3 per signature. The circulators then state they would get 8-10 per day splitting the proceeds. They were disheartened, Good rich then paid them $10 per hour to work in the office and use webelect to verify and they were told to fill out voter information.
So from a maximum of $15 per day to $80 per day when you move into the office to (((collect))) signatures, really?
Hello RED FLAG!!!
Haiku
a snakepit of fools
a loathsome lot to be sure
how will it all end
The really scary part is that Judy Waldman was so necessary to Munz and Rosen that they bankrolled the petition drive. She denied any involvement on the record but witnesses tell another story. What was in the pipeline they needed her vote for or what was it she was being paid for her support in the past?
We will never know. This story evolved from being about the biggest political fraud ever perpetrated on Homestead to one of an inept and incomplete (to the point of being corrupt ) investigation to this story of cover up and double speak.
The Mayors consultant being involved, fraudulent certifications, on duty cops gathering signatures, a city not for profit corp (SOS) engaged in political activity in its own offices and on and on, free office space at 1 North Krome, the Chief knowing his command staff was involved. There were thousands of dollars paid to the Mayors consultant with no accounting of for what... just directly to the pocket of Mark Goodrich. Or was it ultimately destined for the pocket of an elected official ? We will never know, thanks to Let 'Em Go Joe.
A proper investigation would have opened Pandora's box!
An entire squad of detectives would have to lie or admit they were pressured to go out and get signatures on duty. Although some were mentioned by name, they were not the only foot soldiers "stomping" for the cause. Three police officers worked "The Shores" in their city vehicles. Although they know what they did was wrong they were acting as ordered by the bosses.
The real culprits are the powerful ones who pressure employees to do things they know are wrong and hide when the facts come to light. Even KFR couldn't keep her head turned if they did a real investigation!
You can't have that many low-level public employees using office space, vehicles and personnel to run a signature campaign without the participation of very powerful people!
Happy Thursday
This Friday June 5 2015 was a happy day for some as well.
Mark Goodrich said: "OMG! Three months of hard labor! Thank you...Thank you! Please send the final letter as soon as you can. I fully understand that it is Friday and you are under the weather but {I have a deadline of today}* (which I fully am aware is not your problem). If there is anything I can do to expedite I will including having the Mayor find Penny and beg her for the required signature."
Porter was an active participant, Waldman was an active participant and signed a petition benefiting herself, then she also had her mother, an out of town resident sign one, while hospitalized. Snakepit indeed. The City Attorney was an active participant, sad.
Rundle should be ashamed of herself and her good friend RICKY.
* Deadline was imposed by whom? Did anyone ask? NOPE!
Speaking of Hudstead/Porter/Rosen, here's the latest $10 million give away to him, this time with Miami Dade County funds. Porter thinks this is a great idea, according to the article and Rosen gets his property improved without spending a dime.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/homestead/article160887569.html
Didn't I read or hear something about Porters PAC/ Goodrich having an unpaid bill for a campaign event at the race track in 2015 ?
A den of thieves. Porter had one thing going for him, he was not Mark Bell.
You think at some point an example would be made of these crooks. When you jeopardize the integrity of process you jeopardize democracy.
These are violations of law.
There were no citizens pushing this they all lied it's admitted.
There is questionable signature gathering it's admitted.
There was illegal use of city resources it's admitted.
There was an illegal direction to staff it's admitted.
There was misuse of office for personal gain it's proven.
There was a cover up it's admitted and proven.
There were false pretenses the petition was pulled by organizer.
There was an attempt to rig an election according to investigators.
Where are the penalties?
Where are the multiple bar complaints? Where is the Ethics Commission? Where is the State Attorney? Where is the Miami Herald? Where are the local CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC reporters?
Their all busy with Spa month I suppose. We spend a lot of money funding law enforcement just once those enforcers need to apply justice to the dishonorable politicians gaming the system.
To the anon regarding Rosen, that's a big part of the problem he is recycling cash from deals he makes with places corrupt like Homestead and keeps the elected in office with all of that cash. Who would vote to change that legislation? Nobody in Homestead would turn him down. They'll take his $5,000 in their reports and their managers will take his $20,000 in their PACs, ECOs or CCEs and spend it. The incumbents have such an advantage because they are a known vote to guys like Rosen. Don't forget he bought one councilman a restaurant donating $250,000 to that councilman's American dream.
If the county turns this convention center $10MM down the Mayor of Homestead and the incumbents will raise a stink on Rosen's behalf why wouldn't they?
Another Mojito Kathy and Joe?
These are violations of law.
There were no citizens pushing this they all lied it's admitted.
There is questionable signature gathering it's admitted.
There was illegal use of city resources it's admitted.
There was an illegal direction to staff it's admitted.
There was misuse of office for personal gain it's proven.
There was a cover up it's admitted and proven.
There were false pretenses the petition was pulled by organizer.
There was an attempt to rig an election according to investigators.
Where are the penalties?
There are no penalties!!
The management team issues verbal direction to the subordinates, the subordinates carry out the orders. When it's all said and done no city employee will be disciplined because they're all following the illegal orders given from high above.
A lesson in honesty and integrity for public servants and public employees:
If the city manager was honest he would order an investigation and fire any department head who authorized or had knowledge of employees, equipment or city time being spent on this illegal endeavor.
If the Chief of Police was honest he would do the same within his organization.
If the mid-managers (Lt. Barker and S. Nanni) were honest and not involved, they would do the same within their divisions and report any subordinates who may have participated in illegal, activity or used city time to participate in political activities.
If Mayor Porter and fellow council members were honest
They would publicly admonish the city manager and demand answers for the illegal use of public facilities, vehicles and most importantly, the manipulation of public employees.
The unions need to wake up and demand action as the employees they represent are being put in criminal jeopardy!!!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Didn't I read or hear something about Porters PAC/ Goodrich having an unpaid bill for a campaign event at the race track in 2015 ?
The people who confirmed the illegal signatures attested to a Mayor Porter Campaign Fundraiser at the track. WTH?
The City of Homestead owns the speedway, no fundraisers should have happened there. Good job Ethics!!!
Florida Statute.
106.15 Certain acts prohibited.—
(3) A candidate may not, in the furtherance of his or her candidacy for nomination or election to public office in any election, use the services of any state, county, municipal, or district officer or employee during working hours.
(5) Any person violating the provisions of this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
Maybe this needs to go to the governor. to my knowledge the ethics board has done nothing in the past nor will they do anything in the future.
Read the documents, Goodrich lied multiple times contrary to other witness interviews. He protected Waldman and Porter both who misused their elected office. Former candidate Larry Meno worked the Villages Clubhouse for Waldman but claims she was not involved, multiple people indicate she was the leader as does the investigation conclusion. Roscoe Warren signed a petition, gave it to Merv Waldman yet it was witnessed by someone else who was not present??? Hello.
How can voters have any confidence in protecting citizens from these obvious crimes?
Kathy Fernandez Rundle needs to refer this to another agency if she is too close to these politicians and lawyers.
The Homestead Police Department and the City Council have all objected to purchasing body cameras for police officers.
Apparently, working for Council members while on duty is not to be recorded.
Make America Great Again!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
This was a constructive effort by two councilpersons Waldman and Porter to subvert the Charter Amendment process for personal gain. Homestead has a military base and under the "citizen petition initiative process" granted by the city charter they fraudulently obtained signatures using "military discrimination".
Sunshine laws, conflicts of interest were violated and approved by Homestead's City Counsel as both Porter and Waldman are on the record discussing and voting.
Porter used his own 2015 PAC manager to run this scam, his name was Mark Goodrich. Waldman solicited $40,000 from Rosen and Munz to pay Goodrich. Porter solicited $14,000 from MCM Construction and others to pay Goodrich, $10,000 was the MCM contribution. MCM built the Seminole Theater, City Hall, Police Station and West Homestead Elementary after getting $775,000 from the Homestead CRA.
Many of those signatures were given to police detectives ordered by higher ups to garner signatures
It was a constructive effort by more than two!
Porter and Waldman got it started but they had the willing help of plenty more. You cannot manipulate large groups of public employees without high powered help. Ms. Nanni at project SOS runs a mostly grant funded division of the police department designed to help the poorest people in our community. I'm quite sure she has better things to do than handle the Mayors petition campaign.
The sworn supervision in the police department had to know they were giving illegal orders to subordinates by having them get signatures on petitions that required certification. After all, the certification portion of the form was right in front of them. You have to ignore the obvious (wink) (wink) while your obtaining signatures and dropping them somewhere else for certification. (DUH)
How can Assistant State Attorney Perez not interview the employees who were out getting signatures?
Who were they reporting to? Who approved their time sheets? What were the instructions given to the officers to circumvent the certification process?
This is as bad as it gets folks!!!
This is some of what the City of Homestead dismissed prior to attempting to place the item before the voters.
1.Title not in English Spanish and Creole
2.Circulator not registered voter in Miami Dade County.
3.Notary non-compliance with FS 117.05
4.Notary was same person as circulator.
5.Signatures of circulator and notary were dated earlier than the dates on which the electors signed the petition.
Just left to wonder if the City Clerk will get blamed for errors made by those in authority?
Those five major items were determined to be legally sufficient.
Smells like bad fish? As soon as you see the names Mark Goodrich and Ernie Martinez you've found it.
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