County Commissioner Lynda Bell Exposed. By Geniusofdespair

Lynda Bell, your District 8 Commissioner, held a Town Hall Meeting March 3, 2011. Do you think her sign has her name big enough?

It was a setup. The only people who came were mostly in Dennis Moss's District, not hers. Most were from the 8 1/2 square mile area with the exception of Lynda's friend John DuBois from Palmetto Bay (he build a mansion on the waterfront and didn't like DERM telling him what to do) who held Lynda's Victory party at his home. Attendees of the victory party tell me that Natacha Seijas showed up there at 11:30 pm with an entourage. DuBois is running for Vice Mayor of Palmetto Bay and was appointed to the International Trade Advisory Board by Lynda Bell.

And who is up there on the left end of the dais, it is none other than James Humble. What a crock of shit this panel was. The other guy next to Humble is a Derm staff person and the heavy guy is the County Ag Czar. The guy not shown to the right of Lynda was the head of DERM. He quit soon after this meeting. He knew what would lie ahead for him with Lynda Bell as Miami Dade County Commissioner and he wanted no part of it. The guy on the far left, James Humble, doesn't work for the County. What the hell is he doing on this panel? All he does is make trouble in my view.

See my Lynda Bell video at right at the top of this page....

Patricia Ireland What the Hell Happened to You? From Hero to Mute. By Geniusofdespair

Patricia Ireland, do you believe in anything anymore? 
 

Patricia Ireland was once the President of the National Organization of Women (NOW), from 1991 to 2001, Now Patricia Ireland is living in Homestead apparently laying low engulfed in her husband James Humble's shadow. Her days of preserving a woman's right to choose are sooo over!

Ireland's hubby, James Humble is much more active in the community. In fact I caught up with him in Homestead where he was having a meeting with the Mayor and with, of all people, his County Commissioner Lynda Bell. You have to get the irony of this. Lynda Bell is a commando against 'choice' for women while Ireland was one of the country's loudest voices for choice. Abortion rights is ghastly to Lynda.  In fact, Bell was the President of the State group Florida Right to Life. When she had extra campaign funds from her Mayoral campaign in Homestead, Lynda sent them off to the group in Altamonte Springs instead of giving it to needy groups in her City. According to their website Lynda Bell is still the President of the Miami chapter of Florida Right to Life. Lynda has been governing Patricia for years, first as Homestead Mayor and now as County Commissioner. Have you heard a peep out of Ireland? I would move or slit my wrists if I were Ireland -- but it appears she doesn't care!!

Patricia Ireland actually campaigned against Katy Sorenson at one time. Katy was one of the most supportive politicians in Florida of a woman's right to choose. What is wrong with Ireland? Her husband's doing? Is she a "stand by my man?"  I would think that if Ireland had an ounce of her old self left in her she would have done anything she could to keep Lynda Bell out of the County Commission. But ONLY being the good wife apparently is paramount for Ireland now.

I fondly remember having a drink with Betty Friedan and Frances Lear. Thank God they aren't here to witness the deafening silence of Patricia Ireland in Miami-Dade County on choice.

 The last time I saw Patricia Ireland was in a courtroom, she was trying to stop the Natacha Seijas recall. Ick.

More on Ireland.

Are You a Dignitary? I am not. By Geniusofdespair

Dignitary: A person considered to be important because of high rank or office.

I went to Mayor Gimenez's Meeting held last night in Homestead. Apparently there was a meeting BEFORE the meeting that no one knew about. I asked a Gimenez Aide, standing outside the closed doors (guarding them?), who was in the room. He said there was a meeting of "Dignitaries". I am thinking to myself, in Homestead, is he kidding? Geez, that is an oxymoron if I ever heard one: Homestead Dignitaries.

Well it turns out there was friggin' Lynda Bell in there, some Farm Bureau folks -- big farmers -- and the Frick and Frack of Homestead: Bill Losner and James Humble. Talk about NOT dignitaries, how about a big "L" on those foreheads? If I remember correctly James Humble gave $500 to Julio Robaina's campaign. Anyway, most if not all of the dignitaries left BEFORE the Mayor's presentation -- too imperial to hear the Mayor's spiel? The rest of the farmers, feeling like riffraff, sat dutifully waiting for the presentation. Worse - the riffraff, as they waited outside in the hall, were hushed by a burly cop, during the 'dignitary only' closed-door meeting.

Remember people that about 70% of Maimi Dade farms are 9 acres or less so in the future, lets give everyone the same respect.

I didn't stay for the Mayor's presentation, instead of leaving because I felt imperial - I instead felt immaterial. If you don't have money to throw around, you are nothing in Miami. The aide should have said, when I asked who was in the room:

"Some rich guys and a couple of politicians."

What is the point of anything I write anymore? I come back from vacation and it is the same old shit. Wait let me find an appropriate song lyric:

He's a real Nowhere Man / Sitting in his Nowhere Land / Making all his nowhere plans / for nobody.

The farmers I admire are the ones like Sidney Robinson, proud of their produce, fighting for their way of life and the future of farming in Miami Dade County.

I am adding this observation from one of your comments readers:

My definition of dignitary would not fit this pre-meeting crowd. I think of a dignitary as either an elected official or someone who has distinguished themselves in word, deed, and hard work, leaders of the community. Humble and Losner are destructive forces all about making money. The Dade County Farm Bureau is an insurance company not interested in the betterment of anybody. Charles LaPradd is a county employee. Other than Bell (who is also destructive), I did not see any dignataries who have true dignity. On the other hand, I saw true community leaders standing in the hall like second class citizens. I saw world renown, published orchid growers, Mary and Martin Motes. I saw Tropical Fruit Grower President, Louise King. I saw past Tropical Fruit Grower President and real farmers, Lee and Dewey Steele. I saw avocado grower and Redland cheerleader, Sid Robinson. - Anonymous

Everything is Connected to Florida in a Bizarre Way. By Geniusofdespair

One of the most controversial figures in South Florida, James Humble, will be speaking tonight at 19316 SW 380 St. in a last minute panel change. In an odd twist, James Humble was a driving force in the women’s movement by influencing his wife’s feminism, she admits.

Humble’s wife, Feminist Patricia Ireland, was the longest-serving president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), a position she held from 1991 to 2001. According to http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/:

“It was Ireland's second husband, James Humble, who helped spark what she now recalls as her slowly "budding feminism." The artist and fruit farmer followed her to Miami from graduate school. After living together for awhile, they married in 1968. Ireland says that Humble helped open her eyes to the "disrespect" she was "subjected to on the job" every day.”

He is an odd one to be sure, but smart. He co-sponsored the Shiver fundraiser for Mario Diaz Balart. The "Homestead is Home" blog calls the sponsors: The “Axis of Evil.” Humble supports "property rights"...and appears on the right on a lot of issues.

Perhaps Ireland is not the traditional feminist we all imagined?