Yes we have about 1000 days until we can vote in a presidential election. But there is a very critical election coming in a little more than 30 days. You have to pull the rug from under him in every single race. Show your collective muscle.
Miami Beach and Brickell:
This is an election you cannot ignore. Alex De La Portilla and Zorida Barreiro, both established Republicans in a non-partisan race, think they can win because Miami Beach and Brickell will ignore the election.
It is the County Commission seat District 5. WE NEED THIS SEAT TO CHANGE. Bruno Barreiro has held it for almost 80 years (feels like it). All of you in the district must vote on May 22nd for Eileen Higgins. She is a Democrat. A really great activist. If I could hit you all over the head and drag you to the polls I would. We have fought too many County Commission battles over the years. PLEASE vote and put some sanity on the County Commission so we don't have to fight so hard.
We need everyone here to vote.
It isn't all about Trump. We have to vote in every election we can - local elections too - AND WIN, AND WIN, AND WIN. This is a total long shot, but if you know someone who lives in Brickell or Miami Beach get them to vote for Eileen Higgins. Word of mouth, Facebook, just get this information around.
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.
Aerial applications of naled can drift up to one-half mile!!
Ann Scott has multi-millions invested in the mosquito eradication business Mosquito Control Service LLC...don't get too excited the company is not a vendor for the State...yet.
Meanwhile we are being sprayed with toxic pesticides. Miami Dade County (Mayor Carlos Gimenez) is spraying the dreaded Naled pesticide for zika. It is a spray that has been said to be more harmful to humans than mosquitoes according to my expert friend, whom I don't know what she does for a living. But my expert friend also confirms that Ann Scott might have money invested in a company breeding Zika infected mosquitoes and Ann Scott may be releasing the bred mosquitoes in Democratic stronghold areas: Hence Wynwood and Miami Beach.
Rally against spraying this morning in Miami Beach:
My friend also said there is a rally today at Miami Beach city hall at 9 am, in protest of the spraying. Further she said some Miami Beach commissioners are on board protesting Mayor Gimenez issuing the quick order for widespread toxic spraying of scads of people (and I suppose mosquitoes) without full consent.
Like the people on Miami Beach aren't challenged enough with Mayor Levine leading them?
Like all organophosphate insecticides, NALED (DIBROM) Naled is an insecticide in the organophosphate pesticide family used primarily for mosquito control. Dibrom is a common brand name for naled products. About one million pounds are used annually in the U.S. Like all organophosphates, naled is toxic to the nervous system. Symptoms of exposure include headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. Naled is more toxic when exposure occurs by breathing contaminated air than through other kinds of exposure. In laboratory tests, naled exposure caused increased aggressiveness and a deterioration of memory and learning. (I think I must have been sprayed)
"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has written that “adulticiding, application of chemicals to kill adult mosquitoes by ground or aerial applications, is usually the least efficient mosquito control technique."
Remember that awful Miami Beach Commission meeting I posted about the scientific studies and how Miami Beach "experts" debunked the study published by 4 scientists with a combined experience of 113 years as Scientists in their fields of study and Mayor Levine trashed the reputation of a renowned scientist, Hal Wanless -- well here is a rebuttal to the Miami Beach experts and South Miami Philip Stoddard asks the right questions and he addresses directly the Miami Beach "Experts" claims trashing the study (Power Point of FIU and NOAA Joint Study is at the end of this blog). Stoddard KNOWS what is bullshit, we would just listen to the Miami Beach "Experts" and nod like idiots.
Really listen-up. What else do you have to do? Do you think I like writing on a Sunday. NO - so why the hell should you have fun when I am not? Listen to the damn podcast. I moved it up to 12 minutes (you can move it around as you want if you get bored Phillip comes in at 15 minutes. He is a professor so he is very easy to understand, he makes it easy). I URGE YOU TO LISTEN.
Here is the video again so you can refresh your memory of what transpired at the Commission meeting BUT YOU ARE NOT TO WATCH THE VIDEO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST -- LINK ABOVE.
As it says on ONLY IN MIAMI BY GRANT STERN (quoted from article by Zac Cosner):
Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen-Gonzalez is waging a lonely fight against her own city, because it refuses to admit that the island’s vaunted pump system is creating serious environmental hazards in Biscayne Bay.
Miami Beach installed pumps to fight sea level rise, but without proper filtration FIU and NOAA scientists found nutrients and bacteria consistent with human waste in coastal waters while the pumps are in use, in a report you can see below.
“Miami Beach took some bold steps to invest a lot of money in trying to keep their streets dry,” according to South Miami’s Mayor Phil Stoddard, who is also scientist and professor at Florida International University.
The city is holding a public hearing on pump issues Wednesday, June 8th at their regularly scheduled Commission meeting that starts at 8:30, so you can listen to the complete podcast if you’re planning to attend and be well informed right here:
The City is currently acting on plans to invest upwards of $500 million to combat the imminent peril of mass flooding by raising roads, building on seawalls and constructing a system of 80 new storm-water pumps to remove excess water.
“The high levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorus are also a bad sign,” claimed Stoddard, “Perhaps the most worrying element of this pollution is the presence of bacteria associated with human waste. The study’s authors found concentrations of live fecal bacteria well above state standards, reaching heights of up to 600 times the state limit.”
Twenty of those pumps have already been constructed, with 60 left to complete.
“The deterioration of the bay is going to affect all of us and our economy,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen-Gonzalez whose efforts to first document and then obtain a scientific study of the problem have been rewarded with little more than political, unprofessional distrust of science from her fellow elected officials, “While it is important that the city of Miami Beach takes proactive steps to combat the impacts of climate change, we must not allow ourselves to sacrifice the health of our citizens, the vitality of our tourist economy.”
“We must not sacrifice the integrity of our natural environment in the present in order to do so.”
Unfortunately, according to recent studies by scientists from FIU and NOAA, the storm water pumps which dry streets have created some significant, and unexpected consequences.
The City of Miami Beach’s leaders have certainly proven themselves to be cognizant of the threat of sea level rise driven by climate change.
In fact, Miami Beach has been quite proactive in its response to increased flooding.
“It has been an impressive success,” Stoddard said discussing the effectiveness of the pumps, which have dried the island city’s streets.
And according to Commissioner Rosen-Gonzalez, the city of Miami Beach is “writing the playbook” on sea level rise response right now.
It’s one of the sad ironies of life, that in trying to solve the problems set before us, we all too often end up creating even greater dilemmas with which to contend like these Miami Beach pumps spewing human waste where residents swim, boat and fish.
The City of Miami Beach and its surrounding community are currently feeling the brunt of this tragic irony first hand, according to recent research by scientists from FIU and NOAA.
The scientists concluded that the storm-water pumps the the tourist mecca has been installing to combat sunny day flooding, brought on by global sea level rise, have been leaking massive amounts of nutrient pollution into Biscayne Bay while they are in use, as well as massively elevated levels of Fecal Coliform.
“The authors of the study used a technique known as “Polymerase Chain Reaction” (which is used to create many individual copies of a single piece of DNA) to establish that while some of the bacteria came from the intestines of dogs, human waste accounted for the majority of the pollution. (SNIP)
THE JOINT STUDY OF THE MIAMI BEACH POLLUTION POWERPOINT
Miami Beach Stinks and Mayor Levine Trashes Hal Wanless.
Levine is such an ass saying Wanless just wants to sell books. How idiotic is that?
I knew this was going to happen if they allowed pumping into Biscayne Bay. And look at how combative they are for doing the wrong thing: The tests are wrong, the newspaper is wrong, the Scientists are not to be trusted. Bullshit. This sucks. I know Levine is a Dem but I hate bullies and he is one Big Bully.
"Full video of the discussion on pollution in Biscayne Bay. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez sponsored the item, to engage the scientist whose study found over 600x the legal limit of fecal matter coming from the new Miami Beach pumps. The rest of the Commission rejected the study and the Miami Herald article, and directed the administration to ask the Herald to retract the story.Full video of the discussion on pollution in Biscayne Bay. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez sponsored the item, to engage the scientist whose study found over 600x the legal limit of fecal matter coming from the new Miami Beach pumps. The rest of the Commission rejected the study and the Miami Herald article, and directed the administration to ask the Herald to retract the story."
Miami May 16th Miami Herald Article
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article77978817.html
Stephen Bittel is one of those really powerful people in Miami Dade County who keeps a low visibility; He is a commercial real estate maven and owns Terranova Corporation. According to Politico Florida, he has a "$1 billlion dollar portfolio full of retail and office buildings". His own office is in an unassuming building on Miami Beach which is nicknamed "The Fortress of Democracy" by Democratic consultants who use offices there.
Bittel can give money in a flash. If it suits him. He likes to highlight his influence: "The County Commissioners come to me when I call, I don't go to them." But his sphere of influence is not really local. He gives plenty to Democrats and their causes.
Unlike fellow billionaire Norman Braman who spent millions on the failed presidential bid of presidential candidate Marco Rubio, Bittel keeps a low public profile. Power brokers come to him.
This video is from 2013. This is exactly why we should NOT BE DEVELOPING OUTSIDE THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY. The flooding is ongoing...the developers of the new communities really did not protect the people.
The photos below are from this particular flood incident Zapata is warning about:
SHOOT EM' UP MIAMI BEACH:
The perp had a razor he picked up in the barbershop. He came out without a hostage.
The numerous cops surrounding him couldn't just taser him? Or at the very least shoot him in the arm or leg? You can see he is not wired with a bomb, he took off his shirt. They had to kill him? The woman cop: Why didn't she taser him or spray some pepper spray? I do know that she is standing at a distance (she is on the yellow lane lines) but geez he didn't deserve to die. What are the police now, judge and jury?
Why didn't they shoot up the woman with the X-acto knife who punctured another woman twice at Art Basel? Same thing: armed with a razor. Same Miami Beach police department and this Art Basel attendee woman actually attacked someone. They should have shot her up too. That would have been the end of Art Basel in Miami.
Jimmy Morales: get your police force in check. They need more training.
Start Getting Accustomed to the Miami Herald Saturday Editorial Page Lite. Mine is on its way out.
RUMORS AND TRUTH
WHAT?? Jorge Luis Lopez has City BFF's Too? That is Marc and Teresa Sarnoff
Jorge Luis Lopez was BFF of the two former Miami Dade County Mayors Alex Penelas and Carlos Alvarez, not just Carlos Gimenez. He is a latcher oner. Some call him a parasite who feeds at the public trough and is the BFF of anyone he can leach onto. Some call him a lobbyist (insulting to lobbyists). He will do anything to insure his current BFF stays in power. Lopez cloaks his political activity in ”charitable work” paid for by his work for his BFFS. He is the puppet master. As they said in the movie about the Watergate scandal, “All the presidents Men”, ”follow the money”. Speaking of money, I didn't see him registered lobbying for Wayne Rosen for that Palmetto Bay thing in January. But then I didn't look in Palmetto Bay records...duh.
From Jorge Luis Lopez's website. What better way to butter up a Mayor: have a ball in his honor.
No way can Carlos Gimenez compete with this.
Former Steve Shiver came in as Opa Locka City Manager and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi quit as Opa Locka City Attorney. Was it forced out, bad blood, not enough bucks? I guess I should have asked Pizzi. But those two surely are oil and water. Meanwhile Pizzi has more troubles, this time with the insurance company. According to Ben Kuehne:
Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi learned today that the Town’s insurance carrier is refusing to pay the legally required claim for litigation costs arising from Mayor Pizzi’s federal court exoneration and his successful fight to resume the Office of Mayor to which he was elected to serve until November 2016. “For many years, the insurance company charged the Town’s taxpayers premiums to cover claims just like this one, and the Town duly paid every premium for what it believed was the insurer’s contractual coverage,” remarked Mayor Pizzi. The insurer’s denial is absolutely unjustified under the terms of the policy and Florida law.
This is an all-too typical ploy by insurance companies. They charge high rates to be paid by the Taxpayers, and when obligated to pay claims, they defer, delay, and deny. Often, insurance companies will only pay claims – legitimate claims exactly like this one -- when courts order them to pay.
MIAMI BEACH FLOODING AT A GLANCE
The City got in trouble this week with DERM (the County) for pumping into Biscayne Bay without permits. You can pretty much see the water in the Bay.
OTHER FLOODING AROUND TOWN DURING KING TIDE
Matheson Hammock
Matheson Hammock
Rickenbacker Causeway
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (MAYBE THE YEAR):
"I don't want to operate anything." Mayor Carlos Gimenez
FIU STUDENTS GET CLIMATE CHANGE
(Didn't Marco Rubio teach here?)
DON'T MISS
Trailblazers: The Perilous Story of the Tamiami Trail at the Coral Gables History Museum -October 2, 2015 - May 22, 2016
I went to the opening and I was very impressed with the exhibit. It was very cool to read a letter with an address of the Kampong on it signed by David Fairchild (his winter home). You will learn a lot about Florida's History in connection with the trail:
The Tamiami Trail's history, culture, its devastating impact on the Everglades and plans to mitigate that damage are all featured in this multi-media interactive exhibit featuring images, artifacts, historic documents and film. Curated by Jon Ullman.
LUNAR ECLIPSE SEPTEMBER 27TH
I don't know what happened in my best photo, but I like it.
BREWERIES, BREW PUBS, DISTILLERIES AND WINERIES ORDINANCE This ordinance's prime sponsor is Miami Dade County Commissioner Pepe Diaz, accused of a DUI late last month. Hmmm.
THE REAL HILLARY CLINTON vs. THE OVER-REHEARSED HILLARY CLINTON
Yes the question in the first video is painfully long (I skipped a lot of it) but the answer by Hillary was actually given by a genuine Hillary for once. You can see how smart and likable this woman is if she would just be herself and not that rehearsed Hillary.
All a man has is his reputation, and in my humble opinion the best George Lindemann could do is cease the SLAPP suit against Maggy Hurchalla in Martin County. Basta. Enough. Once I thought I knew George, but so much money, time and energy has been spent, it defies rational explanation except that his lawyers have everything to gain by keeping the matter open and active.
To the very wealthy, the cost on continuing a SLAPP suit is a nuisance. It is not so trivial to his opponent; Maggy Hurchalla. That is one of the points about SLAPP suits, and it one of the reasons that The Herald should get involved.
There is another reason, too. If one strips away the legal technicalities it appears that Lindemann's goal -- to secure a right to privatize Florida's water supply, through a contract to sell water on his property to a local municipality -- is patently to benefit Florida's shadow government: Big Sugar and rock miners.
This is more than a nuisance lawsuit, and The Herald should be all over it. Here is the latest:
Big wins give hope to keeping Lake Point developers in check
Sally Swartz
Palm Beach Post
September 13, 2015
Sally Swartz
Victories in the ongoing battles between Martin County residents and governments and Lake Point — plus an unrelated win upholding Martin’s protective growth plan — gave county residents reason to celebrate last week.
Forbes 400 billionaire George Lindemann Sr. and his millionaire son, George Lindemann Jr. are developers of the Lake Point rock pit in western Martin, involved in lawsuits agains the county, South Florida Water Management District, and a SLAPP, or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, against former Martin Commissioner Maggy Hurchalla.
Watch out Stephen, Philip Levine just loves the SLAPP suit. I know you are a trained, albeit suspended lawyer, so I am sure you are expecting one. One suggestion: Don't use those computer generated babies. Don't like them. But I think you have a second career as a satirical videographer. Do one on Gimenez and his speech on climate change --- Talk about a fish out of water, a speaker at a Climate Change Conference in Los Angeles. I wish I could be there. Note: Philip Levine I did not say you are corrupt.
In Miami Beach, if you are going to have something heard before the Commission you cannot give a campaign contribution. This PAC was formed to circumvent the rules. Shameless boys!
Political corruption is like pregnancy. Either you are. Or you aren't. There's no in between. Jonah Wolfson and Phil Levine shook down Miami Beach vendors, developers, hotels, and lobbyists for $1.5 million. These are folks who can't give directly to Beach candidates. Levine and Wolfson's goal was to elect three candidates so that Levine would have a rubber stamp commission. When the people realized how corrupt their PAC was, Wolfson said they were giving the money back. But only really half of it. You can't be half pregnant. And you can't be just half corrupt.
Miami's answer to Comic Con was held this weekend at the convention center in Miami Beach. Teenagers showed up to see their favorite heroes and dress up in imitation of them. Autograph sessions were available. Anyone go? I was going to go as the Walking Dead but was told this was a different thing. The highlights of the event included an opportunity to meet the popular "Game of Thrones" actor Jason Momoa, who plays Khal Drogo, and actress Esmé Bianco, who plays Ros. Never watched the show. A lot of merchandise was for sale...look at the last picture. T-Shirts for Everybody!
We go where the Miami Herald will not...on Saturday
Rock Mining - They clear the dirt and trees to get to the rock.
The rock miners dynamite the rock and make a bundle a ton -- and they make a lake as a byproduct. Remember our aquifer is very close to the surface, and it moves like a river under the lakes.
Miami Dade County wants to cut Rock Miners fees by 83%, that would be millions of dollars, they now pay to protect our wetlands (that they are destroying). Look to two nitwits Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. and Sen. Rene Garcia. If carpet bagger Rock Miners weren't already making a killing, I could understand but their profits are higher than ever and they are endangering our water supply working very close to our Northwest wellfields, just to send our rock to faraway places. One of the biggest rock mining companies is from Mexico.
Against the miners, SEN. Miguel de la Portilla (what??) and REP. Jose Javier Rodriguez. Where are you SEN. Gwen Margolis? Do you have any clout on this? Vote against this reduction. They are already making a windfall strip mining our Western edge. And we all remember the now famous pink water incident...our water could be contaminated in an instant. Read the New Times Article I linked to on pink water. A very good read.
After a toxic plume of benzene appeared in 2006 in the county’s Northwest Wellfield, highlighting the wellfield’s increasing vulnerability from the expanding pits, a 15 cent fee per ton was added to improve water treatment.
Contamination can also move more quickly through water, said University of Miami hydrologist David Chin, so the lakes can act as giant mixing bowls spreading pollution even faster.
The rock miners have asked the Army Corps of engineers to EXPAND their mining area.
Will it never end?
OP ED: CORAL GABLES ELECTION TUESDAY, UPDATE BY FORMER CORAL GABLES COMMISSIONER MARIA ANDERSON:
I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant. – H.L. Mencken
Coral Gables is at a crossroads in 2015. The present course with current Mayor Jim Cason is one that is littered in lies, conflicts of interest and poor judgment. That’s not what I want for my hometown, a place my family has lived in for 55 years, since we arrived from Cuba, and one that I served as Commissioner from 2001-2013.
Jim Cason continued to support Pat Salerno, the former City Manager who lied about just about everything, but most especially with the crime statistics, our safety.
In December 2012, the Manager falsified crime stats to the City Commission.
In April 2014, this same Manager was “retired” for lying again about the reporting of traffic accidents.
Jim Cason also approved an increase to Salerno’s retirement plan in September 2013. Taxpayers footed the bill, when Jim voted to increase the city’s pension contribution from 15% - 39%, and also added an additional 20 weeks of salary should he leave the city. And to add insult to stupidity, it was retroactive to January 2013. Just seven months later, the Manager left with a suitcase full of money, for lying. And still Cason called him a friend!
Jump? How High?
On April 2, Cason voted on first reading to allow a massive 1 million plus development that exceeds the current 16 stories allowed by code. It’s 19 stories and approved with a shortage of 600+ parking spaces. Considering the cutbacks in Fire Department staffing, the issues of public safety go truly unanswered. The developer has padded Cason campaign coffers, with $8000 dollars in the last quarter of 2014.
Wake up Coral Gables!
Cason has not had a single original thought in four years, and his arrogance is only exceeded by a poor command of the truth. Vote on Tuesday, April 14 and send Cason into retirement for good!
RUMOR, TRUTH AND GOSSIP:
The 3rd District Court of Appeal put additional sanctions on Johanna Faddis and her Attorney a few weeks ago. The Court found evidence of vexatious conduct and bad faith on the part of both Faddis and Mr. Patterson her attorney. Johanna Faddis worked for Former Commissioner Lynda Bell for years. She might still work for the county.
Bill "the Banker" Losner, who once pulled a gun on Lloyd Miller, has new digs in the keys.
If you just don't call it taxes, you can get away with anything. All the Bonds, they are out of your pocket. The Stormwater fees in Miami Beach Jumped 84% but the property taxes are the same. How dumb are you all? Services cost money no matter how they disguise it. School bonds, hospital bonds, payments to sports billionaires, subsidizing museums, etc. All in the budget with all the interest. Don't demonize unions, that is a diversion. You are just stupid, that is the real problem.
"Another top aide is leaving the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Deputy Mayor Chip Iglesias will head to the private sector after July 31. He resigned just a week after Chief of Staff Lisa Martinez said she too would step down."
In
his book “Sins of South Beach” the former, 3 time, Miami Beach Mayor
Alex Daoud talks about the day Lucia Dougherty told him she was leaving
her Miami Beach position. Lucia Dougherty was the Miami Beach City
Attorney before she was the Miami City Attorney which was before she
became a land-use attorney for Greenberg Traurig (where she currently
works). Daoud lamented the loss of Lucia as Miami Beach Attorney in the
late 80’s. He said:
“I wanted her to stay for selfish reasons, to
protect me from politically dangerous votes with her legal opinions.
Supported by the right legal opinion, a politician could vote any way he
or she wanted with total immunity. A city attorney’s opinion could
even save a politician from going to jail, and manipulated correctly,
help make him a lot of money as well.”
Sins of South Beach - what a great book written by Alex Daoud. In today's Miami Herald they report he is in a legal tug of war with his daughter over ownership of the house he lives in. He is penniless except for Social Security he says.
Get involved buy his book. For example he writes about his cousin Chris Korge (calling him a bag man) and just about everything else going on at the time when he was mayor of Miami Beach. You will read about dozens of sunshine violations (we all know go on). It will give you a window into the life of a politician who went really bad but the people who voted for him over and over really liked him, they kept reelecting him (Like the residents of Pepe Diaz's district keep reelecting him). Go figure.
You will learn a lot about government in South Florida, what staff does to help the politicians, law firms, etc. -- the worst of it -- if you read it. He needs the money and you will become a more informed voter, I hope. I wrote about this book in 2009 when I read it.
Alex and Daughter Kelly in better days.
I believe we have a dozen politicians in power or running for office now that are almost this bad. David Rivera come to mind?
The half billion repair job to hold back the rising seas on Miami Beach has tested the patience of residents and visitors for what has been a necessary but unpleasant traffic experience on Alton Road. My God, when the Heat are playing, when the Performing Arsht Center is tuning up, and the Miami Art Museum: the traffic on 195 can be mind-numbing.
God forbid anything else should happen to make driving worse on Miami Beach. Oops, it did!
Recently a Miami-Dade bus nearly fell through a hole in the bridge, causing a temporary repair (think, band aid made of sheet iron) and a plan to shut the entire Venetian Causeway bridge system down, in pieces.
Sophisticates of Miami who travel to or from the beach will appreciate that dealing with traffic requires a strategic mind and quick thinking. Depending on direction and time of day, one could figure on three possible avenues of entrance / exit: 195, 395, and the Venetian Causeway. Traffic tries to squirt out through the path of least resistance, but the hope to squirt a little faster just got stomped on with news of the Venetian Causeway planned closure.
Finding the fastest way to South Point, or the middle beach, or north beach, did not always mean taking the straight line or nearest bridge. For example, getting to South Beach from the south, in the early evening, on the causeway by the old Miami Herald site (gone!) could be a nightmare and has been, with the river tunnel project creating massive backups. Combined with the Heat and Performing Arsht Center crowds, sometimes you just wanted to be anywhere but Miami. Sometimes I've gone as far as the bridge at 40th street to get down to South Point instead of the bridge that drops you right at the Point.
This betting sometimes worked. Sometimes not. Now the closure of the Venetian Causeway, plus the limited access on Alton Road because of repairs everywhere, means that about half the options for avoiding traffic delays getting to South Beach are pretty much gone for the foreseeable future.
Drivers, start your engines and hold them in park … and park … and park.
I suppose you could call Mitchell Bierman an attorney as well.
CH2M Hill, with a big bid for over a billion dollars, has Mitchell Bierman as a lobbyist. He is with Weiss Serota Helfman (bla bla) lawfirm. He is also on the Board of the Miami Foundation and a Trustee of PAMM. So he has Social creds as well. They don't want you on their board only these types. Anyway he has work pending before the County Commission but he is giving campaign contributions. It is my understanding, if memory serves me, that in Miami Beach you cannot give campaign contributions if you have work coming up before the board of City Commissioners...not so in the County.
Mitchell Bierman has donated to Lynda Bell ($500) and Miguel De Grandy has donated to her. He represents the other firm. Pepe Diaz, Sally Heyman ($1,000) also got Bierman donations (Weiss Serota has donated to Monestime not Bierman directly), Rebeca Sosa has Miguel De Grandy for $1,000. So all the commissioners that are running have financial ties in their campaign reports to stuff they are voting on in the near future, including that $1.6 Billion dollar contract.
Looks bad to me.
From Pepe Diaz's campaign report. I think the first 5 are all from the same lawfirm (don't make me check)
Same goes for Mitchell Burnstein (pictured above) and Michael Popok also with Weiss Serota. Although not registered lobbyists, their giving is tied to the clients of the firm (you can see their names above on Pepe Diaz's financial disclosure) and the Commissioners know it. Or are they lobbying without registering? Don't know.
There
are MANY other lobbyists representing both CH2M Hill and AECOM and also
their many, many team members who are making lots of campaign
contributions also.
Here is what Miami Beach has to say about Miami Dade County's policy....
Late afternoon: Nothing yet. But thinking positive.
Looks like Jeff Porter will beat Mark Bell for Mayor
In Homestead Mark Bell got 451 absentee ballots and 414 early voting. Jeff Porter got 518 absentee ballots and 257 early voting. In early and absentee's Bell is winning by 52.74% (Bell's 865 votes to Porter's 775 votes). Rumor has it Bell's money was buying Haitian votes in early voting. UPDATE 9 pm: Mark Bell and Jeffrey Porter - with 4 of 16 precincts reporting, 6 votes separate the two. 9:27 - 4 votes separate the two. 9:56 Porter has 1,220 votes and Bell has 1,096 with 10 of 16 precincts in. It is 10:26 and the final numbers are still not posted on the elections website. 10:30 with 13 of 16 precincts in Porter has jumped to 1,647 to Bell's 1,341. Porter has 55.12% of the vote.
In Miami Beach Philip Levine got 1,952 in absentee ballots and 1,498 early voting for a total of 3,450. Gongora got 2,458 between the two. Steve Berke got 598 or 9.09%. 9:23pm: Looks like Phillip Levine is the winner. With 23 of 36 precincts he has 50.7%. There could be a runoff if he dips below 50%. Gongora has 36.89%. Mickey Steinberg is leading in early voting and absentees with 2,194. Jorge Exposito 2,913. Matti Bower is in the lead with 2,867 in early voting and absentees. There will be runoffs in all 3 of the Miami Beach Commissioner seats.
Keon Hardemon has 1,550, 42.59%. 9:19pm: Hardemon now has 45.42% with 23 out of 36 precincts reporting. It looks like he will be in a runoff with Dunn.
The damn bond: 10,252 in early voting and 51,643 in absentees: 65.67% support the stupid thing. 9:20 the damn bond is at 83,260 - 65%.
There is a bad group of candidates in Miami Beach. Can't support Gongora after businessman's Leroy Griffith's admission:
You see, I supported Mr. Gongora in his bid for the City Commission 4 years ago. I thought he would make a positive addition to City Hall. But I have since become very discouraged by his misconduct as a Commissioner.
While at a lunch with him in July 2010, he told me that unless I hired his campaign manager, he wouldn't introduce a legislative matter I asked him to bring before the Commission.
I refused this shake-down -- this extortion attempt one which was witnessed by a business associate of mine.
Mr. Gongora also failed to list in two successive campaign reports contributions I made to his 2009 campaign. I reported these violations of state election law to the authorities.
I don't like Levine for bullying the press and others, I guess the comedian is the only one left.
Mayoral Election Homestead:
MARK BELL: When asked how he garnered an animal ordinance violation arrest and conviction, and a fine, Bell said he didn't remember what he did. The Miami Herald reported:
Bell says he can’t remember what it involved. “This was what, in ’77?” he said. “It could have been anything from my dog getting out of the yard, or I didn’t get his rabies shot.”
Boys and Girls, when you have to go to court and pay a fine YOU REMEMBER. He was 21 years old. I remember vividly the only time I even shoplifted and I wasn't caught. I remember the store even. I was 13. Bell's minimization of this event raises red flags. First offenses usually only get you warnings, not fines, on the kind of violations he referenced.
Mayoral Election Miami Beach: Phillip Levine's chilling instructions to the press and ban of bloggers from his press conference, plus his lawsuits, marks him as a bully in my opinion. I HATE bullies. I am glad we found out before it was too late. SLAPP suits are a tool of the rich. Too bad Levine follows suit. I would rather have more of the same with Gongora than be surprised with public figures doing lawsuits and intimidating the public and the press. I got enough of a surprise with Gimenez's behavior, don't need more.
City of Miami:
Jacqui Colyer was endorsed by the Miami Herald for District 5 in the city of Miami.
A strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.
The typical SLAPP plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. The plaintiff's goals are accomplished if the defendant succumbs to fear, intimidation, mounting legal costs or simple exhaustion and abandons the criticism. A SLAPP may also intimidate others from participating in the debate. A SLAPP is often preceded by a legal threat. The difficulty is that plaintiffs do not present themselves to the Court admitting that their intent is to censor, intimidate or silence their critics.
I am very disappointed in Levine's tactics. It makes me afraid he will be a bully in office. That is the worst thing that can happen. These are public figures, there shouldn't be a lawsuit. This article has shook my confidence in the candidate.
The reporter got this response from Levine's campaign, another red flag, who does this?:
You are only authorized to write the answers below, verbatim. You are NOT allowed to edit or paraphrase these on the record answers. You can reference the responses as, "Philip Levine’s campaign responded in writing for the record citing concern that The Miami Herald’s bias in this election would result in a distortion of his answers."
