Biggest Upset in Miami Dade County History: Eileen Higgins is County Commissioner for DiEileestrict 5. By Geniusofdespair

Eileen Higgins with Her Communications Campaign Manager. Eileen easily beat the favorite and better funded - Zoraida Barreiro.  We have now lost a charter member of the unreformable majority and replaced him with what might be the difference on all the shitty votes in the County. If only Sally Heyman would realize she is a Democrat, we might move things the right way with Higgins, Levine-Cava, Suarez and Monestime.

More photos from the victory party:

Happy Higgins.

Well funded Barreiro was trounced by Higgins.

Eileen Higgins and Cindy Lerner

As for the 836 Expansion:

Zoraida Barreiro pointed to pleas from homeowners for an alternative to Krome Avenue or Florida's Turnpike as a way to connect with the 836.

"This is something that is needed in that area. The residents of Kendall want it," Zoraida Barreiro said during the debate hosted by Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney. "They've been asking for it. They need it. It's been horrible traffic in that area. That's going to help."

Higgins said building new roads hasn't helped traffic in Miami-Dade yet, and pointed to warnings that low-lying areas in the west have significant risks for flooding from a rising water table.

"I worry very much about putting any sort of development, including roads, outside the Urban Development Boundary," she said. "Anybody that witnessed the horrific flooding in Houston, when they begun to encroach upon their wetlands, knows the danger of taking our protected wetlands around from us, given what's going on with sea-level rise."


Higgins will not be sworn in until Friday but the hearing on 836 is tomorrow. I wonder if she will be speaking from the floor? I wonder if the vote can be postponed.


MEANWHILE...

County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava has a motley crew of 3 running against her.

 

They are a bit behind on the fundraising front.

Daniella Levine Cava Speaks out on two of her votes at her first County Commission Meeting. By Geniusofdespair

I asked Daniella Levine Cava some of your questions that you left in comments on my last post, December 2nd. She was kind enough to get back to me. Let me assure you SHE WILL NOT BE DOING SPLAININ' on a regular basis. You have to trust her decisions are thoughtful ones. We can't all be Monday morning quarterbacks. This is an exception and you are lucky to be getting anything because I am sure you didn't watch the grueling 12 hour meeting on the 2nd (at least 12 hours). I only watched 5 or 6 hours and most of that was about actual living people professing that they were afraid to use public bathrooms because they might be trounced on by a transgender person, if the vote didn't go their way. "God deliver us from the dopey people in this county." The Gender Identity Rights ordinance passed 9 to 3 with Souto absent. I could be wrong on that but I am sure I would have remembered Souto jabbering on, if he were there. I didn't hear why Juan Zapata voted against it. That was the only surprise for me, his vote. He seems the type that can handle himself under any circumstances in a public restroom. Pepe Diaz still hasn't had his epiphany and I am getting less sure we will ever see one from him. If a Brain Tumor didn't scare him into sanity what would?

Daniella Levine Cava's feedback (if you haven't read my previous blog and the comments you might not understand this):

Airport: There are sometimes valid reasons for exceptions on a process, I believe, for extenuating circumstances. I spent a lot of time before and during the meeting getting the background on the no bid contract. I never expected I would be willing to do it but based on unusual circumstances felt it was vital or we would lose major American Airlines business, jobs and revenue.

I made them clarify in the resolution that Odebrecht was getting a smaller amount as the management fee (about $6 m I was told) and to spell out the reasons it was vital, and that almost all of the amount would be competitively bid through the subcontract process.
It was about 7-8 pm on the tape if you wish to watch it.

It is clear that I have no donations from anyone associated with these deals so clearly I made my decision strictly on the merits. And I will always do so, regardless of campaign donations. Just making that point as your readership may assume that is the motivation for BCC votes. As you know, I will be working to try to prevent those doing business with the county to donate to campaigns.

Further clarification: While the bid waiver is not well-timed or perfect language, I raised many questions and received on the record assurances from the Administration that the vast majority of the funding will go through a localized bid process. In the end, I had to balance the needs of our community, the residents and businesses who use our airport services and the desire to achieve greater accountability on this project and more importantly, future ones. I believe my position on Tuesday balanced these three objectives and the outcome will be measured by a decrease in rushed proposals and fewer bid waivers in the future.

Aviation says this is the first part of a larger $200 million overhaul and they assured me there would not be a repeat.

Badia Spices: It is a federal bond program that goes through the county but the eligibility and selection are managed federally (so I understand), with focus on local economic development and job creation.  I am going to be briefed further on the program so I can support promoting it to others. But it is apparently a well established national program. Jesse Trice Health Center was also got approved for one yesterday, so nonprofits and for profits are both eligible. They are not competing against each other. There is no cost to the county and thus the taxpayers. I told staff that in future I would expect greater clarity in writing on this and other items in the agenda itself, so that the public understands the rationale. Other commissioners agreed with me and the mayor said he would do it (during discussion on the airport). I was able to improve transparency on a few items yesterday including county transfer of property. I will work on legislation to prevent "no solicitation bids", others agreed with me, and the mayor agreed to have an open competitive process for the courthouse building if sold.

I thought I was able to make some good inroads and garner support for changes.

So there you have it. Satisfied or not, that is all you get. Next time watch the meeting. I have to say I felt sorry for Daniella having to sit through this particular meeting for her first one. It was absolutely painful listening to people say the same thing for 3 or 4 hours..."danger bathroom."

It is official Daniella Levine Cava is the County Commissioner for District 8. By Geniusofdespair

Link to video
Miami Dade County Clerk swears in Daniella Levine Cava as County Commissioner for District 8.

The Staff: Jason Smith, Johanna Cervonne, The Commissioner, Sean McCrackine, Maria Levrant, and Rick Morgan.

Ready to be sworn in.

Official Portrait

 

Trying out her seat on the Dais.

The Love of a mother and proud son, standing in Lynda Bell's previous downtown office..

The actual ceremony, you are all invited!!! Take the metro-rail.

Video of County Commissioner Elect Daniella Levine Cava's Everglades Trip. By Geniusofdespair

 (the video does not work on an IPhone)

I heard there were a couple of glitches (returning in the dark of night). We could have lost our  new County Commissioner  for District 8 to a gator, a python or marauding Roseate Spoonbills but she came back in one piece. (I hope her group did not leave litter behind)

I Just Got My Dream Job In District 8. By Geniusofdespair

I am the Chief Lobbyist Liaison for the Commissioner. I get to meet with them all to hear their bullshit and made-up crap about their projects jobs first and then I would recommend whether their projects are worthy to present to the Commissioner. Probably none are.

Don't you think this is a good idea? If only it were true but I am afraid it is a DREAM without the job part. The only problem for all of you would be, I would take bribes, plenty of them and they wouldn't fit in white envelopes. I would require those big post office plastic sack envelopes. But don't despair I would have lotteries for all of you with half the money each month. I would share my bribe money.

Be careful what you wish for.

Keys Gate Has No Key...Guest Blog by Tired of Being Locked Out.

 This is the continuing SAGA of the DRI gone bad in Homestead.  Read the  earlier 2 posts.

I would like to share with you some key points that were discussed at the Keys Landings Meeting on September 18, 2014. The meeting started at 7:00 pm and ended at 8:10 pm.

The homeowners are being bullied by the Master Association into accepting Mr. Wayne Rosen's plans for the golf course and new amenities; which would be financed by an increase of dues of a minimum of $43.00 dollars a month based on what North Gate is paying for their Clubhouse and Pool.

There was nobody representing Mr. Rosen or the Master Association which is controlled by the Latterner family. The meeting was ran by our  ONLY Delegate.

The problem the homeowners have with Mr. Rosen's Plan is the following:

1. There are no plans being shared with the membership; No Artistic Drawings of Amenities and No plans of the new design of the golf course showing location and types of New Homes.
2. There are no defined amenities being discussed.
3. The membership is being threaten to agree in theory to the new amenities or Mr. Rosen will build up to 3,000 homes instead of 900 homes. In Theory -- due to the membership having no real say due to the fact that the POA has never been turned over to the residents.
4. The amenities as far as we know will not be on land that belongs to the POA which increases the cost to the membership.
5. The Keys Landing Membership voted No to the new amenities by a show of hands.
6. The Keys Landing Membership make it clear that any new amenities added should be an option to join; this is the current policy for Keys Gate Residents to pay up to $800.00 a year to use North Gate's Clubhouse and Pool.
7. The Golf Course is losing money due to poor management. There is no reinvestment and there is a total lack of  maintenance; poor greens and cow pasture fairways.

The main problem that The Keys Landing Membership has, is the Latterner family has never turned over the communities after build-out of that community; they have maintained control from my understanding for the past 25 years or longer since North Gate and Center Gate were built. 

A Keys Gate Aside:

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed an emergency action charging that a deceased Florida man who once served as President of the South Florida AARP had been running an offshore Ponzi scheme that took in at least $4.6 million from dozens of investors.  In a complaint filed last week, the Commission alleged that Joseph Laurer, a/k/a Dr. Josef V. Laurer, ran the scheme through a company he controlled in the Turks and Caicos until his death on May 15, 2014. 

Laurer was a resident of Homestead, Florida, where he was a member of the City of Homestead's General Employee Pension Board (appointed by Steve Bateman) and he ran Former Mayor Bateman's strong Mayor PAC. Keys Gate has a monthly newsletter. The financial expert chosen by Keys Gate to write investment advice was  - You Guessed It - Dr. Josef V. Laurer.


Genius said: A DRI is so big it is deemed to have impact on our 3 counties: Monroe, Miami Dade County and Broward County. Once they approve it the Regional Planning Council should see that it is working.  Someone needs to bring this DRI before the council of the 3 counties. It has to be fixed as it is impacting the quality of life of these residents. Promises have not been kept.  County Commissioners Jean Monestime,  Xavier Suarez and Juan Zapata are on the Council as are 16 others.

Daniella Levine Thank You Video. By Geniusofdespair

A vote for Daniella Levine Cava is a vote for Miami Dade County. Guest Blog by Cindy Lerner

Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner

A vote for South Miami Dade

My first elective office was in 2000 as a state representative for ( the old) House District 119 which everything covered east of US 1 from Dadeland to Homestead. It was a wonderful district, which included much of the current County commission District 8. Even now as an Mayor of Pinecrest, I continue to have a broader South Dade perspective when it comes to state or county matters, and have been tremendously disappointed by the record of Commissioner Lynda Bell. She has been absent and unproductive in her role as a South Dade leader. So when Daniella Levine Cava decided to run for the District 8 Commission seat, I was thrilled. I first met Daniella in 1985 when we worked together at the Guardian Ad Litem Program in Juvenile court.

 Over the past almost 30 years, we have worked together on many other initiatives, and there isn't a better, smarter , more caring and committed advocate in this county than Daniella. Daniella brought many new community initiatives to address housing needs, access to healthcare, Increasing economic opportunity and growing jobs through her work with the organization she founded almost 20 years ago, Catalyst Miami. She is a tireless fighter for advancing quality of life issues. One of my fondest memories is when we coordinated a " Piece of the Pie " campaign before the county commission, many years ago, urging the county to provide the critically needed resources to the social service community, the non profits tasked with assisting vulnerable populations including much of South dade. Daniella has been an effective and articulate advocate for bringing attention to community needs for thirty years. Her reputation throughout Miami Dade County is stellar as a spokesperson for community needs, and as a visionary problem solver. That is exactly what has been missing from representation for District 8 ever since Katy Sorenson retired.

As long as Commissioner Sorenson was the Commissioner for District 8, she was a fierce advocate for all of south Miami Dade and she worked well with all the cities, and with the other community leaders and unincorporated activists. Since she retired and Lynda Bell became the commissioner, District 8 has been ignored. The commissioner is absent on all of the issues important to South Miami Dade. The proposed US 1 Busway conversion to express lanes, with a roller coaster or second story express lane generates tremendous opposition and every time there are public meetings on this issue, there is never any presence by commissioner Bell or anyone from her office. The FPL transmission lines is another issue with tremendous public opposition, and includes neighborhoods west of US 1 in District 8. Yet Commissioner Bell has been completely absent. The South Dade Economic Development Council , a critical job development organization for often ignored area of the county has lost almost all of its county funds in the past several years , under Bells lack of leadership. As a member of their advisory board, I have been alarmed at the loss of county support and potential that this organization will have to close its doors. In the past year alone, a county allocation of $75,000 was reduced to $5,000. How could the Commissioner for District 8 allow that to occur?

Daniella has proven her credentials over the past 30 years fighting for a better quality of life for everyone. That is exactly what the South Dade Community is desperate for. Someone who will focus on them and their needs, who commands tremendous respect from business and community leaders and who will be there on the ground for all of her district and will fight for South Dade.

Cindy Lerner

District 8 voters: why you must vote for Daniella Levine Cava … by gimleteye

The news is filled with predictions of low voter turnout, but there are excellent and compelling reasons TO VOTE on Tuesday if you haven't already.

1) To vote is to protest the mudslinging and lies whose purpose is to inhibit your free choice.

2) In District 8 there is one candidate for county commission whose experience and qualifications meet high standards for public office: Daniella Levine Cava.

3) Your vote in District 8 for Daniella Levine Cava will deliver a message to Mayor Carlos Gimenez: ignore the voters at your peril.

4) Your vote for Daniella Levine Cave is a vote to protect your families and quality of life.

5) Democracy doesn't happen on its own. Use the promise or lose the hope.

The Daniella Levine Cava I KNOW PERSONALLY. By Geniusofdespair

It has been long haul for Daniella Levine Cava. This might be my last post. I hope you all vote for her. Blast from the past...

I talked to a friend in Homestead yesterday and she said her friends knew nothing about Daniella Levine Cava so how could they support her for her candidacy in District 8? My friend said: "She had to come meet them." Like they all knew about Lynda Bell when they voted for her? Come on, gimme' a break! To humor my friend, I decided to write a bit about Daniella's background from my journey with her over the years.

Daniella Levine founded the Human Services Coalition of Dade County (HSC) in 1996. It is now renamed Catalyst Miami and it is still running but without Daniella's leadership. It has a staff of about 30 people (I was at the office a few times and saw them all buzzing about but I forget why I was there).  Her non-profit filled a niche, it was created to meet the needs of families and communities.  Her goal, as I saw it, was to make life easier for people, like trying to move low income people to the middle class by working with diverse groups such as the Chamber of Commerce (ick), and other such groups. Not an easy task.

According to Huffington Post on her self-created non-profit: "In 16 years the organizational has evolved to serve as a hub for innovation in health and human services and an incubator for new approaches to community and economic development. The nonprofit's major initiatives include the Prosperity Campaign and Imagine Miami which have received national recognition from groups including the U.S. Treasury, Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Ford Foundation. New programs include the Nonprofit Leadership and Training Institute and ReServe. The organization employs 30 with a budget over $2.5 million from a mix of public and private sources."

In other words Daniella was working out of the box trying to make the County a better place for its citizens.  She worked on child abuse, with immigrants, created new jobs, etc. She is a consensus builder. She even worked with the likes of Natacha Seijas on Social issues, that is someone Katy Sorenson could never work with.

I told you all previously that I knew Daniella for years before she initiated this run for District 8. My take on her was that she was a kind and gentle woman, easy to laugh, but a take-charge leader. I was impressed with her speaking ability and the success of her programs. I went to one of her workshops at Miami College. About 150 citizens were there. She led the meeting. I was hardly a blip on her radar screen at that time because she moved so fast and furious towards her goals and I was doing my thing...don't even remember what that was.

I was at her house once. She was holding a meeting about who remembers what, keeping her big dog at bay and getting her family situated with about a dozen people in her living room. She was a multi-tasker. What I think is, she is a born leader. Her programs helped everyone in the county but because her office was on the East Side of the City of Miami, most people did not get to know her work in District 8 but the results of it were there. She didn't advertise, she just got things done. She worked with the clergy, I remember that. She had a meeting with pastors and priests from all these denominations that I was at. She tried to get different groups to operate as one, to get things done.

I remember Professor Gregory Bush, a historian at the University of Miami, saying to me at yet another meeting when I first saw her, "That is Daniella Levine Cava, she is very powerful." Then I heard her speak and I knew why. She was brilliant. She was articulate and she offered solutions to whatever problem we were discussing. Aren't you sorry my memory is not better? Ask me who is on a Campaign Finance report and I can tell you, but this kind of stuff I forget because I am an activist on so many issues -- always putting out fires -- I never remember what issue I am working on. But Daniella and I were often putting out the same fires, that is why we always ended up in the same room.  I know Daniella's character, and it is squeaky clean and devoted to doing good. Sort of like mine except I am not squeaky clean and although devoted to doing good by writing this blog for 7 years and being an activist since 1995 (I can be nasty and a pain in the ass and that is not Daniella by a long shot).

I just know that Daniella won't be beholden to any special interests, she will be beholden to us, the people. Her only mistake, is not knowing me better. But, that might have made her more cynical and who needs that...just you readers. I asked Daniella how she remembered me over the years. She said she thought of me as an environmental activist, knowledgeable and passionate about my issues. She said she was not acquainted with our blog until the last year or two and hadn't realized how political I was.

Here is her official bio (read more).  So friend from Homestead, damn it, read the bio and stop asking me what I can't articulate but I feel in my heart. Daniella can't speak to and meet every person in the district, you have to help her do that because you have met her and you liked her. Spread the word.

The dreaded bio, read it:

Lynda Bell Sucks on the environment and then lies about it too- Just Read this. By Geniusofdespair

  guest blog by Ann Hinga- Don't vote for Lynda Bell

Part 2 also see Part 1:
 

Lynda Bell at May 6th County Commission Meeting.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--- May 6th
In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to restore the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Among the conditions placed on CERP by Congress, CERP implementation required the maintenance of then-current flood protection levels.

Since CERP was authorized, some agricultural interests, some development interests, and some elected officials have sought to misrepresent the authorization and claim that CERP is meant to provide enhanced flood protection. This is untrue. Yesterday, Miami Dade County Commissioner Lynda Bell actively participated in this misrepresentation by putting forth a resolution she claims was in support of full implementation of the C-111 CERP project and the Modified Waters Delivery Project (which is a foundation ecological restoration project that was meant to pre-date CERP). If her intention was truly to forward these critical CERP projects for ecological restoration, LYNDA BELL would not have included the language highlighted below:

RESOLUTION URGING THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT AND OPERATE THE MODIFIED WATER DELIVERIES PROJECT AND THE C-111 PROJECT TO END FLOOD IMPACTS TO AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CAUSED BY WATER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 

The full resolution language is available here.

You can view the webcast of the hearing here, it comes at 3:28 on the counter:

Some things to keep in mind as you review the resolution and video…

1) This resolution did not go to a Board of County Commissioners committee and thereby avoided public hearing.

2) This resolution was on the 4-day rule portion of the agenda, meaning Commission Lynda Bell's colleagues did not get the required four days needed for adequate review. Any of the other Commissioners could have asked for a deferral for the simple reason they did not have enough time for review. Unfortunately, the other Commissioners are not fluent enough in CERP and did not recognize the bait and switch Commissioner Bell was pulling.

3) Commissioner Lynda Bell claimed she contacted environmental groups prior to putting this forward. Another lie. Only one group - the Everglades Foundation - acknowledges they were contacted, but their representative gave public comment earlier in the day that they could not support the project because it created false expectations of flood control. (see 1:48 min. on the webcast link for the comments by the Everglades Foundation.)

4) The only non-elected person that spoke on the item was MDC Agricultural Manager Charles LaPradd. No professional staff from DERM, nor anyone that could speak about the environmental issues, provided any testimony.

5) Commissioner Bell acknowledged right at the beginning of her comments that this was related to discussions she had with the Farm Bureau and some of the South Dade growers.

Ironically, as if a well-choreographed dance, south Dade resident James Humble was at the combined Water Resources Advisory Committee / South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting also asserting that south Dade is entitled to enhanced flood protection under CERP. This meeting was at the same time as the Commission meeting; one reason why the environmental groups were not present in Commission Chambers when Bell's item was heard.

If Commissioner Lynda Bell and the south Dade agricultural interests really want to advocate for full implementation of CERP, it's time for them to get real and start developing strategies to help them adapt to restoration - if adaptation is really even needed. It's more likely that full implementation of CERP is needed to protect ground water resources for their benefit and the benefit of the ecosystem.

Lynda Bell ECO Financial Report for July and Expenses. By Geniusofdespair

Note all the money spent on www.jamestownassociates.com Jamestown Associates's list of clients spans the United States and has included Governor Chris Christie, Governor Jodi Rell, Governor George Pataki, Governor Linda Lingle, Senator Al D’Amato, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the U.S Chamber of Commerce, Republican National Committee, Congressmen, Richard Hanna, Tim Walberg, Lee Terry, Sam Johnson, Mike Ferguson, Chris Shays, Jim Saxton, Dick Zimmer, Leonard Lance, Connie Mack and Congresswomen Mary Bono Mack, Nancy Johnson and Susan Molinari.

50	7/4/2014	Duty Free Americas, Inc. 6100 Hollywood Blvd 7th Floor Hollywood, FL 33024	Business	retail	Check			$9,000.00
51	7/14/2014	Infrastructure & Jobs PC Floridians Supporting 2655 LeJeune Road Suite 323 Coral Gables, FL 33134	Political Comm. (Federal or State)	PC	Check			$7,000.00
52	7/18/2014	New Leadership Network PC 2655 LeJeune Road Suite 323 Coral Gables, FL 33134	Political Comm. (Federal or State)	PC	Check			$1,500.00
53	7/18/2014	PAH Acquisition Inc. 7031 SW 62nd Avenue South Miami, FL 33143	Business	Investments	Check			$1,000.00
54	7/18/2014	Armenia Court Investments, LLC 7031 SW 62nd Avenue South Miami, FL 33143	Business	R.E.Investments	Check			$2,000.00
55	7/25/2014	Limonar Development Inc. 260 Crandon Bvd. Ste 26 Key Biscayne, FL 33149	Business	realestate	Check			$5,000.00
56	7/25/2014	Air-Transport IT Services, Inc 5950 Hazeltine National Dr. Ste 210 Orlando, FL 32822	Business	ITServices	Check			$2,500.00
57	7/25/2014	CEMEX Materials, LLC 1501 Belvedere Road West Palm Beach, FL 33406	Business	constructionmaterials	Check			$5,000.00
58	7/25/2014	White Rock Quarries P.O. Box 15065 West Palm Beach, FL 33416	Business	rockmining	Check			$5,000.00
59	7/25/2014	Little Bongo, LLC 26401 SW 107th Avenue Homestead, FL 33032	Business	realestate	Check			$2,500.00
60	7/25/2014	Live Oak Partners, LLC 26401 SW 107th Avenue Homestead, FL 33032	Business	realestate	Check			$2,500.00
61	7/25/2014	Edward W. Easton & Co., Inc. 10165 NW 19th Street Miami, FL 33165	Business	realestate	Check			$500.00
62	7/25/2014	HNTB Corporation 715 Kirk Drive Kansas City, MO 64105	Business	constructionservices	Check			$1,000.00
63	7/25/2014	Bercow Radell & Fernandez, P.A 200 S. Biscayne Blvd. Suite 850 Miami, FL 33131	Business	law firm	Check			$2,000.00
64	7/25/2014	Native Tree Nursery, Inc. 17250 SW 232 Street Miami, FL 33170	Business	plantnursery	Check			$5,000.00
65	7/3/2014	Principles PC Veterans for Conservative 120 S Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32301	Business	PoliticalCommittee	Check		Delete	$-1,000.00
66	7/3/2014	Principles PC Veterans for Conservative 120 S Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32301	Political Comm. (Federal or State)	Pol. Committee	Check		Add	$1,000.00
						Total Contributions		$219,500.00
Campaign Treasurer's Report - Itemized Expenditures
Seq Num	Date	Vendor		Purpose		Expenditure Type	Amend	Amount
1	5/8/2013	Harland Clarke P.O. Box 660073 Dallas, TX 75266		checks/deposit books		Monetary		$135.34
2	7/2/2013	BYG Strategies,Inc. 950 Brickell Bay Drive Miami, FL 33131		Consulting		Monetary		$7,178.75
3	7/2/2013	Goldstein Schechter Koch 2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd,#1100 Coral Gables , FL 33134		Accouting		Monetary		$1,230.50
4	9/2/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy,Suie 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		Direct Mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
5	9/3/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie hwy,Suite 301 Palmetto Bay , FL 33157		Direct Mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
6	9/4/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy,Suite 301 Palmetto Bay , FL 33157		Direct Mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
7	9/17/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$775.00
8	9/17/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$775.00
9	9/17/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$775.00
10	10/7/2013	BYG Strategies, Inc 950 Brickell Bay Drive Miami, FL 33131		consulting		Monetary		$3,502.50
11	10/9/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
12	10/9/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
13	10/9/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail		Monetary		$2,875.00
14	10/24/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail postage		Monetary		$800.00
15	10/24/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail postage		Monetary		$800.00
16	10/24/2013	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		direct mail postage		Monetary		$800.00
17	12/13/2013	Goldstein Schechter Koch 2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd Suite 1100 Coral Gables, FL 33134		accounting		Monetary		$953.50
18	1/13/2014	BYG Strategies, Inc 950 Brickell Bay Drive Miami, FL 33131		consulting		Monetary		$720.00
19	3/26/2014	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy, Suite 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		consulting		Monetary		$2,500.00
20	4/10/2014	BYG Strategies, Inc 950 Brickell Bay Drive Miami, FL 33131		consulting		Monetary		$12,854.06
21	5/21/2014	BB&T 2000 Ponce de Leon Blvd Coral Gables, FL 33134		bank fee		Monetary		$15.00
22	6/2/2014	Jamestown Associates 5 Mapleton Road Suite 300 Princeton, NJ 08540		media		Monetary		$20,060.00
23	6/9/2014	BYG Strategies, Inc 950 Brickell Bay Drive Miami, FL 33131		consulting		Monetary		$4,401.25
24	6/20/2014	Goldstein Schechter Koch 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., 11th Fl Coral Gables, FL 33134		accounting		Monetary		$1,926.75
25	6/26/2014	Green Point Group 15715 South Dixie Hwy Ste 301 Palmetto Bay, FL 33157		Direct Mail		Monetary		$6,125.25
26	6/24/2014	Jamestown Associates LLC 5 Mapleton Road, Ste 300 Princeton, NJ 08540		Media		Monetary		$15,060.00
27	7/9/2014	Jamestown Associates 5 Mapleton Road Suite 300 Princeton, NJ 08540		media		Monetary		$20,689.00
28	7/15/2014	The Campaign Super Store Inc. 13899 Biscayne Blvd Suite 130 North Miami Beach, FL 33181		mailer		Monetary		$4,203.14
29	7/16/2014	Jamestown Associates 5 mapleton Road Suite 300 Princeton, NJ 08540		media		Monetary		$10,638.00
30	7/18/2014	BB&T 2000 Ponce de Leon Blvd Coral Gables, FL 33134		bank fees		Monetary		$220.00
31	7/25/2014	Jamestown Associates 5 Mapelton Road Suite 300 Princeton, NJ 08540		media		Monetary		$20,618.00

Daniella Levine Ad.

Is Farm Share Food Being Wasted? Food found rotting after the LYNDA BELL event where she had a melt-down. Guest Blog by Youbetcha

Farm share food rotting. Was it really about distributing food (you had to register) or about getting votes:

These Farm Share Photos were taken at the South Dade Government Center.

Lynda Bell had one of her famous food giveaways on Saturday, July 19, at the South Dade Government Center. Unfortunately, she can't stop talking about it. So, far she has mentioned it at two public campaign debates and in one campaign email.

Food giveaways are not new, Lynda has done them before. Many other politicians at the county take advantage of the local food banks to build voter affection. Of course, the timing of her event (and the other events she has been having) is questionable. The best time for food giveaways, tree giveaways, book bag giveaways, and ribbon cuttings is always directly before the election, just like now. No doubt she will be able to add-on to her database by having people fill in forms certifying they qualified for her gift.

Anyhow, Lynda managed to find time to have a food giveaway on a busy campaign Saturday with the election weeks away. Having this event on a Saturday required having county employees who aren’t usually scheduled to work (is that overtime?) to the support event. Cutler Bay had people there on overtime. Budget shortages do not seem to be an issue when it comes to Lynda’s events.

Lynda went all out for this event. Along with the enough food for a complete meal (a chicken, veggies, etc), she had multiple banners with her name in giant letters, and county funded handouts touting her smiling self. Even the gifted food was bagged in purple plastic bags with Lynda’s name in big letters. Nothing said “vote for Lynda Bell”, but then, everyone knows that when they vote "Lynda Bell" after being bombarded with her name at this event, they reap the benefit of commission slush funding.

In addition to the scheduled food giveaway, Lynda also had an unscheduled melt down at the event. 


Apparently, the Police and Fire Unions parked a pick-up truck with a trailer carrying a Daniella Cava campaign sign in front of the building. The truck was neatly parked in a parallel parking area away from Lynda’s event. The county allows non-cars to park in the same area (like buses) there on week days, even when the parking lot is full.

Lynda could not handle the sight of this pick-up truck. Two weeks later, she still can't handle the sight of the truck. She is trying to make an A-frame sign put in a public parking area a major campaign issue. Actually, the general public doesn't give a hoot about a traveling campaign sign when our county governance is in shambles. Is this rant Lynda's way of distracting us from the real issue of budgets and multimillion dollar deals?

On that Saturday, the commissioner had the county building manager called to come handle the offending sign (he was on vacation that week). She then had Cutler Bay Village staff called which resulted in the Cutler Bay code enforcement people showing up. After much discussion and threats of fines, it was determined the sign could stay if it was covered up. So, out came black plastic and Lynda’s opponent, Daniella Levine Cava, disappeared in a billowing black plastic cloud. So much for freedom to express political opinions in Miami Dade County.

Classically, the story had a “be careful what you ask for” ending.

The truck’s owner arrived to move the Cava poster. He freed Lynda’s antagonist from the black plastic, once again displaying the ad and Daniella’s union endorsement. Because the owner could not park in front (and out of sight of the event), he simply drove. And drove. And drove. He drove in circles around the event, on roads with public access, and in full view of the public attending the event.

Lynda couldn’t stand it. My guess is there will be serious retribution directed at the PBA and Fire unions from the dais in the coming weeks. Be on the look-out for an ordinance banning rolling advertising with-in a half mile of a political event.

Lynda, put on your big-girl panties and stop whining about the sign being disrespectful to your constituents. You even stopped giving out the packages of food and whipped out your cell phone to start snapping photos of the truck. You were disrespectful of your constituents waiting in line by not paying attention to them and you certainly did not respect the employee on vacation nor the other employees that you demanded cover the sign.

Daniella Levine Cava did not put the truck there, the PBA did, so, get over it, Lynda, and give John Rivera a call. He misses you.
 
 
Police Union Sign Parked near Farm Share food giveaway. Lynda Bell went nuts when she saw it.

They had to cover up the sign to placate Lynda Bell.

Lynda Bell Does Not Understand Public Service. By Geniusofdespair

Blast from the past:

Lynda Bell - Fan of Selective Enforcement,Chain Link Fences
and Pink Slime in Meat Products.

 

The problem with Lynda Bell's latest resolution that was heard March 14th is that resolutions are NOT suppose to address INDIVIDUALS. Laws and resolutions are for everyone. You don't pick and choose who is exempt. If Joe Blow or Carlos Gimenez is not allowed to dump dirty fill on wetlands, why should Pepe Diaz be exempt and be allowed to dump it? We all follow the same rules...Don't we? Well not if you are a friend of Lynda Bell. Then you get a law fashioned just for you because you made a lot of noise and sucked up to her. I bet she wishes she could do this to John Dubois to make all his wetland violations go away. (the guy that threatened to kill all the Commissioners and the Mayor at the July16th meeting -- I don't think he is not one of those effected by this resolution but he is mad at the same thing in the 8 1/2 square mile area, he was at Lynda's infamous Town Hall Meeting -- there are 9 private parties this resolution is written for).

 The people who already paid the fine are going to go berserk when they find out. This whole issue is a fundamentally UNFAIR. The County code defines what makes up clean fill and how you can use it. Vegetative debris mixed with garbage is not clean fill and does not belong in wetlands. Fill DOES NOT include garbage and it DOES require a permit. Some of this fill had arsenic in it.

Lynda's resolution  is specifically tailored for people who 1) did not get/follow a permit and 2) used garbage to fill wetlands. Many property owners accepted the garbage tainted mulch and dumped it on their property. Once discovered, DERM required corrective action. Many property owners and contractors complied. Of the nine listed in the resolution, a few are resisting (not all). If this resolution passes it will legalize illegal fill on those parcels. It will also make application of county code arbitrary - what about the people who already paid to correct the problem. I bet they don't even know this is happening. I bet some of the owners of the parcels listed in the resolution don't even know. So 9 people will be exempt. Stupid is as stupid does. Here is what Lynda Bell's law dujour, for COMMITTEE ON MARCH 14th, says (only important part is bold - hit read more to see it):

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO REFRAIN FROM FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT IN THE FEW REMAINING CASES AGAINST PROPERTY OWNERS FOR MULCHED HURRICANE DEBRIS DEPOSITED DURING THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE WILMA 

Caught in the Illegal Act: Lynda Bell Campaign Worker Steals Daniella Levine Cava Sign. By Geniusofdespair

 No music for phones:



With music Slower to load:

Condescending is not a good quality County Commissioner Lynda Bell. By Geniusofdespair

Patronizing your fellow Commissioners, almost all more educated than you (with your associates degree) is very rude Lynda Bell. Xavier Suarez must have been very offended and Barbara Jordan for 2. Pepe Diaz not so much.  Lecturing is so disgusting by her because she knows nothing.

This is not the way to talk to colleagues...or for that matter anyone.  This is exactly why Lynda Bell has so many enemies. She is always right in her head, shaking papers around in front of your face of her google searches. You never get to see what is on the papers she shakes around.

I am not saying what she is proposing is bad. The fact that it is not necessary, well that is another story.  It is not happening so why address it?

She is trying to increase the ban on County Commissioners lobbying after they leave office. Is it  targeted at Katy Sorenson or Natacha Seijas or no one in particular? Former commissioners are so fed  up with the county when they leave they don't want to lobby there anyway. When is the last time you saw Gwen Margolis? But listen to what she says, singling out her fellow commissioners, almost calling them crooks for not agreeing  with her, i.e. if you are not a crook, why wouldn't you vote for this? What a complete clueless person: Lynda Bell County Commissioner (fiscal conservative my eye, tea party friend, you bet!). Let the Gay Hating group, Christian Family Coalition endorse her. That is what all "Good" Christians do when they live in glass houses: throw stones. Good Christians are not vindictive Lynda Bell.

Anyway watch the damn video.
If not visible, here is the link.

County Commissioner Lynda Bell Sucks up to Farmers At the Expense of the Everglades and the Environment and Outright Lies to Voters about it. No Public testimony was allowed.

Petting the monkey, feeding the shark: Lynda Bell -- beleaguered county commissioner facing a tough re-election -- was caught in the commission chamber  pandering to the constituency that most cares about her reign of petty jealousies at the Miami-Dade county commission: wealthy farmers and developers whose main goal is and has always been their own bank accounts. 

It was a sly little move that Bell pulled, a resolution asking for an increase in flood protection in an area where flood protection has already been locked down by special interests, as a state and federal matter. Likely, she was given the task in return for "support" during this last phase of her campaign against challenger Daniella Levine Cava.

EOM guest blogger, Ann Hinga, details the action in Part 2, but here is a quick interpretation.

Miami-Dade's industrial farmers (row crop farmers) and developers pay lip service to the environment. Lynda Bell pays lip service to the environment. The big industrial farmers and Lynda Bell see eye-to-eye.

What they really want is to control regulations: in particular, they want to control whatever flood control measures are implemented by regulatory agencies in state and federal government. When they can't get what they want, their fall back position is to delay, delay, delay.

Big industrial farmers who have taken taxpayers to the cleaners get whatever they want.  What Lynda Bell did the other day is the best example how they do it; the best example taxpayers and voters have had in a long time.  In putting a resolution outside the four day rule, Lynda Bell straight out lied.

She lied when she claimed to have gotten support from the environmentalists. That's utter, complete bullshit. (In fact, it serves the Everglades Foundation right -- that's the one group Bell called out -- they were taken advantage of.  But Bell had reason to believe they would be her patsies because she used the photo op they created for her on a recent Everglades "tour". When she used the photo op to claim her environmental credentials, the Everglades Foundation did not complain. Her thinking: why would they raise a fuss, now?) But they did, they said publicly they did NOT support Lynda's resolution.


The intent of the Bell resolution to INCREASE flood control for farmers shows that the incumbent county commissioner is willing to go to bat for them -- despite the fact they already dominate water supply in South Florida. The flood control for farmers was settled many years ago with the Army Corps and Lynda knows that.

So, yes. This is about politics. It is also as Ann Hinga -- our guest blogger -- points out, about Jim Humble, the South Dade multi-millionaire from the Frog Pond hijacking (another story) -"ringing the Bell" just like reviving the engines at a drag race.

It is also about Bell's colleagues on the county commission. Any one of them could have pulled this item from the county commission agenda because it hadn't been properly noticed within the required time frame. The public could have been given the chance to speak.

Who knows why the county commissioners turned a blind eye: was it ignorance, cowardice, or simply the privilege of incumbency being offered to one of their own, so that when it is time for their own re-election, they can pull similar tricks? (Remember then county commissioner Joe Martinez -- now running for Congress -- and the egg lady from the 8.5 Square Mile Area performance? Check our archive.)

In any case, Lynda Bell was asked to perform, but to perform in a way for her backers in a way that shows a sly disregard for fact, a willingness to toe the line for special interests, and talent for pushing around fellow county commissioners on the dais.  Jim Humble is tickled pink and so are the Miami industrial farmers and developers, too, who are being called upon to support Bell's political campaign.

As for voters in District 8, we expect they will know what to do when their elected representative is caught petting the monkey and when there is a good challenger to do the right thing by them and not for special interests.

See Part 2  or hit link

Daniella Levine Cava vs. Lynda Bell - Stephen Cody's Video 2.

Lynda Bell the holy war against DERM, by Geniusofdespair

I wrote this April 15, 2011:



As much as I didn't want her elected, I never thought County Commissioner Lynda Bell would be quite this bad so quickly. She is launching a holy war against DERM. She might as well be in bed with FPL as she is kissing their asses. I believe she would like to dismantle the Department of Resource Manangement or clip its wings from managing the fragile environment in Miami Dade. She has launched a misguided resolution based on faulty data about how EPA standards hurt Miami Dade County.
 
Report: STATE ADOPTION OF NUMERIC NUTRIENT STANDARDS (1998‐2008)

page 9 of the report shows a map of all the states that have adopted various levels of numeric nutrient criteria already - the resolution of Lynda Bell (adopted - TO OPPOSE EPA PROPOSED NUMERIC NUTRIENT CRITERIA FOR WATER QUALITY) implies that we're being singled out.  There are at least 18 states with standards already (as of 2008, so there may be more).  Note: At another meeting, she said that if the FDA approved pink slime added to meat, who is she to argue with them, but now that we are dealing with clean water, she feels the EPA is inept. What is it Lynda, regulation that suits you only, saving money at the cost of people's health?

In 1998 The US EPA started a “national strategy” for developing nutrient criteria.  In 2004, FDEP and the US EPA began working on standards for Florida.  In 2008, Environmental groups sued EPA for not moving fast enough.  EPA agreed in 2009 to stop dragging their heels, and finally brought proposed standards to the public in January 2010.  The EPA agreed to delay final implementation of the final rule (adopted November 2010) for 15 months – March 2012.

According to Clean Water Action (and others), implementation / compliance with the standard stretches over 20 years.

These standards only apply to Florida "class 1" (drinking water supply) and "class 3" (fishing, swimming, natural habitat) surface waters.

It applies to those class 1 and 3 lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and springs and explicitly excludes the drainage system of South Florida, meaning that it will have no negative impact on South Florida.  If anything, having sources of pollution cleaned up north of us, means less down-stream pollution to deal with.

Lynda Bell's resolution also repeatedly states that the EPA didn't use "sound science" in determining these standards, when in fact they've taken local concerns into account using reams of data and the final rule allows for variations in geology and soils in setting the standards, allows “site specific alternate criteria” that take unique characteristics of a water body into consideration. DERM was on record saying that there were "disputes over the science" which allowed the notion that it was a "lack" of science in development of the standards.

The University of Florida Agricultural Science division - the folks who run the statewide agricultural extensions - published this report explaining the impact of the standards on the state and basically said that this wouldn't affect agricultural interests already partnering with FDEP through their Best Management Practices and goes into detail about the exemptions for South Florida. The discussions around those standards are starting now.