Our Most Heartfelt Posts. By Geniusofdespair

The end of the year is a good time to look back. To see the 'heart' in our blog, to really know us,  read our obituary columns. There are 33 of them.

Freaky Laser Show. by Geniusofdespair

I spent the evening looking for a good Christmas light show on YouTube for you guys. This was the best I found but I don't think it is about Christmas. Most important, it loads fast. Some of the Christmas light shows are slow loaders.

If you want Christmas try this one from Perth. (On Mobile? try vimeo.com/54118567)

Miami Beach Lobbyists 2012: What Are They Making? By Geniusofdespair

Lobbyist Du Jour: Take your pick, Lucia Dougherty or Jeffrey Bercow

Randomly Selected Lobbyists:

Name, Top Fee Charged (Flat Fee or Hourly), Number of Clients/Issues

Amster, Matthew; $325 hourly, 18 clients/issues
Andrade, Rafael; $500 hourly/$25,000 flat & $25,000 per month, 8 clients/issues
Bercow, Jeffrey; $575 hourly, 1 client
Bierman, Mitchell; $500 hourly, 3 clients/issues
Canesi, Nicoletta; $50,000 flat, 1 client
Dougherty, Lucia; $700 hourly, 15 clients/issues
Fine, Robert; $565 hourly, 9 clients/issues
Gonzalez, Alfredo; $500 hourly, 26 clients/issues
Goodman, Robert; $84,000 year, $3,000 a month, 3 clients/issues
Hilliard, Randall; $2,500 monthly, 1 client
Karp, Kobi; $450 hourly, 5 clients/issues
Kasdin, Neisen; $615 hourly, 19 clients/issues
Larkin, Michael; $445 hourly, 58 clients/issues
Lissoni, Piero; $50,000 flat, 1 client
Llorente, Marcelo; $500 hourly & $4,000 per month, 3 clients/issues
McDowell, Carter; $626 hourly, 13 clients/issues
Robbins, Kent; $475 hourly & $7,500 flat, 13 clients/issues
Schulman, Cifford; $550 hourly, 4 clients/issues
Tachmes, Alexander; $525 hourly & $4,250 flat, 27 clients/issues
Washburn, Donald; $6,000 flat, 17 clients/issues

Compared to my 2011 research, fees in Miami Beach are going up. Miami Beach, to my knowledge, is the only place that discloses lobbyist fees. Lobbyist compensation disclosure would be a good thing to institute in the County, Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa.

Remember, Miami Beach isn't their only gig. For example, Bercow has about 28 open clients in Miami Dade County, here are most of them:

"It's Only A Game" on NPR makes light of Miami Marlins Stadium ... by gimleteye

Sports Welfare: Your Tax Dollars At Play

Geesh, how dumb do our elected officials think voters are?

REALLY DUMB. If you want to know the truth, in Miami, of this statement: just ask the folks living around the Miami Marlins stadium in Little Havana, how much they have benefited from the new stadium. It's a joke, to an exponential power.

BL: The argument in favor of public financing for ballparks and arenas is that the new venues create jobs. But you’ve presented the argument that having a stadium or a team in a particular area might actually reduce average incomes. How so?

PH: There’s a professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Dennis Coates, who has looked at that question. He’s just an economist looking at the figures, he found that what he calls the "sports environment," which is basically having teams and arenas in a certain area, it actually correlates with reduced incomes of about $40 per family. Study after study has been done that shows that the overall economic impact of building stadiums is almost always negligible. Every dollar that’s spent in an area, going to a game, or going to a restaurant in the area, it would have been spent somewhere else in the community. So, you’re just sort of shuffling money around, you’re not actually accumulating new wealth.

From Let's Eliminate Sports Welfare:

"In Miami, a local politician who supported public financing for the Marlins’ new stadium says that taxpayers fronting an estimated $220 million for renovations to Sun Life Stadium is not a matter of “if,” but rather “when” and “how” -- never mind that Miami-Dade County residents will be paying off Marlins Park until 2049. The reason? The NFL insists that a stadium that already underwent $300 million in sprucing up over the last decade needs additional work in order to host future Super Bowls, and since the Miami Dolphins remain $230 million in debt from previous fix-ups, well, hey, someone has to pick up the tab."

Check Out the WTF Awards over at Miami New Times. By Geniusofdespair

Miami New Times is giving end of year awards:

Welcome to the first annual WTF Florida Awards ceremony. It's the only award show celebrating the special brand of bizarre depravity we excel at down here in the Sunshine State. Black tie isn't required. In fact, jorts and a NASCAR cap are preferred. This past twelve months was truly a staggering display of stupidity on the campaign trail by Florida politicos. From a guy who changed his name to his campaign website to bogus ringer candidates paid in envelopes of cash to cocaine smugglers holding campaign rallies, here are your nominees:

Independent House candidate VoteForEddie.Com for legally changing his name to VoteForEddie.Com

Go to Miami New Times to see the rest....

Orlando Sentinel: Pollution is the norm in Florida ... by gimleteye

I've written, over the years, that Florida floats in a sea of polluted water. For Friends of the Everglades, where I volunteer as board president, I have worked on water pollution issues and learned first-hand about the conspiracy of silence by regulators, that keeps the true costs of pollution from ever reaching citizens (barring a federal lawsuit) and, at the same time, maintains the figment that our state waters are being protected. They are not.

The Orlando Sentinel, this week, is publishing a multi-part series on the crisis with Florida's iconic springs. It follows in the same vein as the notable Naples Daily News series from 2003!, "Deep Trouble: The Gulf In Peril". The crisis is no different from Florida Bay or Biscayne Bay or the Everglades. Read it, by clicking the embedded link.

You Gotta Love That GenTV. By Geniusofdespair

I was channel surfing and stopped on this GenTV, Channel 8 segment/commercial about legal advice (I don't pretend to know what is going on here).  And, I don't pretend to like GenTV after one of their cameramen pushed me out of the way, but you have to hand it to them, they know how to attract an audience.

If this is a legal advice segment, it certainly is going in a different direction than it's 'buttoned-up' counterpart, "Help me Howard" on Channel 7 TV.

Putting FPL on the spot: ... a letter you won't read every day ... by gimleteye

Ever wonder why solar power is not economically viable in Florida, the Sunshine State? Citizen Larry Nelson embarked on a quest to determine the answer through the process available to citizens through the Florida Public Service Commission that "regulates" utilities in Florida. It is a long letter but well worth the read:

December 13, 2012

Honorable Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda

1001 The Capitol

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL  32399-1300

Honorable Representative Mike Fasano

412 House Office Building

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL  32399-1300

Honorable Representative Dwight Dudley

1401 The Capitol

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Honorable Representative Daphne Campbell

1101 The Capitol

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

                                                                Re: Florida Public Service Commission

Dear Honorable Representatives:

My name is Larry Nelson and I am one of the private citizens who intervened in the current FPL rate case, Florida Public Service Commission ("FPSC") docket #120015.  My intervention was granted by order of the FPSC on July 12, 2012 and I subsequently spoke as a party at four of the ten public service hearings, specifically those held in Miami, Miami Gardens, Plantation and Pembroke Pines on August 7 & 8, 2012. I drove from Sarasota to the FPSC in Tallahassee twice, and I participated in the Pre-Hearing Conference on August 14, 2012.  I withdrew from the case on August 20, 2012, after it became clear to me that the FPSC system was hopelessly biased in favor of FPL. In all, I spent about $1300, mostly for travel expenses to the public service hearings and to Tallahassee, and I have no direct or indirect economic or other interest of any kind related to this matter except that I am an FPL customer who has rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.

The reason for my intervention was my interest in clean renewable energy, specifically the treatment of electricity generated from rooftop photovoltaic solar panels, and more generally with the Florida legislative mandate in the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act to encourage clean renewable energy.

With the renewed consideration of climate change in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, I am writing to you to request your consideration of those aspects of the existing FPSC system which serve to discourage energy production from rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.

I would also like to bring to your attention some of the absolutely shocking ways I witnessed in which the FPSC system operates to the advantage of FPL and to the disadvantage of citizens of the State of Florida.

I have two 10kw rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, one on my residence and a second on a duplex I rent as a vacation rental property. I bought these in 2011 and subsequently discovered that the excess electricity that may be generated above our own use would receive seemingly illogical and unfair treatment. This would seem to be contrary to the legislative mandate to encourage this type of energy. Since the FPSC is mandated by Florida Statutes 366.82(10) to consider utility company treatment of alternative energy in rate cases, I intervened in the FPL rate case to attempt to address the unfair and suppressive treatment of clean rooftop photovoltaic solar energy.

There are three ways that solar power produced by rooftop photovoltaic panels are treated unfairly in my opinion:

Homeland: Season Two ... by gimleteye

So there. The finale is over, with Brodie trudging off into the Canadian woods in the pitch dark. The CIA is in shambles, Langley's auditorium is blown to bits with two hundred dead. Carrie drives back to DC (apparently in record time!) to join up withthe last CIA man standing, Saul Berenson. Saul, who happened to be on a US naval vessel witnessing the burial at sea of the terrorist, Abu Nazir, when the bomb went off stands in a large hanger (?) with two hundred bodies neatly lined in rows on the floor, covered with sheets, when Carrie materializes. (Sub-plot, Saul's estranged wife is coming home!)

Did I give away too much?

The second season of Homeland, to my way of thinking, stretched credulity. But we have enough reality, don't we. The unanswered question: where do we turn on Sunday nights?

Is Miami Dade County Paying the Rent for The Christian Family Coalition? By Geniusofdespair

Eye on Miami Investigative Report on: The Christian Family Coalition Office

This is a followup to my last report, you should probably read it first. I have since gotten a few public records requests filled. First let's look at the State of Florida's registered address for the Christian Family Coalition:

In 3 sections the suite number is given as 104 so we have to assume it is accurate that they are in room 104.

The building the Christian Family Coalition is in is owned by the City of Hialeah. The County pays to rent a block of  rooms from the City of Hialeah in this same building, known as the Blanche Morton Center. They both agree room 104 is included in that block of rooms. On those  facts the City of Hialeah and the County are in agreement. They are also in agreement that Christian Family Coalition is paying neither the City or the County for the office space in this building. Then the story veers off. I got a floor plan from the City of Hialeah and a floor plan from Miami Dade County.

City of Hialeah Floor Plan

The Hialeah floor plan shows all the numbers in sequence and as you can see, THERE IS ONLY ONE ROOM 104 and it is controlled by Miami Dade County. The County does not dispute that they control this room 104.

Miami Dade County Floor Plan

Note on the County floor plan submitted to me, there are 2 Rooms 104. Very odd as the numbering in the Hialeah map makes sense and this second room 104 number does not.  If the County is right that there are are two rooms numbered 104, than they are off the hook. So it is in their best interest to have two rooms labeled 104.  The Christian Family Coalition could be sharing space with New Hope Community Center.

You have to realize that a lot of time elapsed between my requests and the actual documents sent to me. A lot of changes at the building could have been made in the interim (putting wrong paper numbers on 2 office doors) to protect someone from the County who is collecting mail for CFC and/or letting them use the office for free.

The county sent me this photo of the outer door of office 101 (Hialeah) or 104 (County).  Note there is a paper number identifying the number as 104. I have an arrow on a graphic to the right of the door as this same graphic is in my photo below.

Here is a photo I got from mapquest of the same office. Note there is no office number. The same paper graphic is pasted on the window.  Were the numbers 104 put on the door to office 101 recently to coverup that the CFC is using the other 104 controlled by the county?

Carmen Hernandez acting City Manager for Hialeah wrote on December 12th:

"Please see attached a current site plan for the Blanche Morton center and an account ledger for the New Hope Community Center.  They are currently renting room 101 not 104.  They have been a tenant since 2009 and have been paying rent since then ($385.87 a month, $405.16 since May 1st)."  

You would think after 3 years, they would know their room number. December 3rd Carmen Hernandez also wrote:

"Room 104 at Blanche Morton is occupied by Christian Family Coalition which is under the direction of Mr. Julio Perez."

 The county also supplied me with two interior photos of the two rooms labelled  104:

Note the 104 (that Hialeah said is room 101) is identified with a paper sign. I figure it could have just been stuck on a couple of days ago by whomever wanted to hide the fact that CFC is using the County room in its corporate papers.

December 14th I wrote to Assistant Director of Communications, Suzie Trutie:

"Apparently your floor plan that you previously sent, doesn't match up with Hialeah's floor plan attached.  They show only ONE room 104.  Note in your photos the numbers are made of paper, pasted on a door. Hialeah is showing only one room as 104, not 2 as your floor plan does.

 Also look at the two photos one from map quest of the same door as your photo….One has a number, the other does not. I am giving you an opportunity to make sure it is not the county trying to COVER it up.  It looks like that is what is going on.  Two 104's? That is the question you have ask yourself. "

December 14th Suzie Trutie responded:

"All of the information we submitted to you, including the floor plan, is based on two Miami-Dade County employees visiting the site on December 6 and other County staff researching and reviewing our agreement with the City of Hialeah. The County stands by its statements and documents." As I’ve mentioned previously, Miami-Dade County leases space from the City of Hialeah, who is the owner of the facility. Only the City of Hialeah can explain their facility operations and policies."

For once Hialeah is making more sense than the County.  Why, in a small building would two office numbers be the same.  That is insane.

Here is Miami Dade County's written response to my public records request:

If assault weapons are banned, who suffers? ... by gimleteye

The National Rifle Association belongs to the category of conservative culture warriors who have largely succeeded in suppressing rational debate about deep substantive issues for the last fifty years -- energy policy, trade and economic policy, the military industrial complex, the relative weight of corporate power versus the individual -- by pushing forward trigger issues like women's rights, gun control, and the role of the church.

No one can argue with the NRA's success. In fact, the NRA has been so successful that it presses its agenda forward to guarantee the right of individuals to carry guns wherever and whenever; deploying laser-like focus against any political candidate who challenges its conventional, conservative wisdom.

Who is harmed by a ban against assault rifles? I have no idea.

Would a ban be effective, given the sheer volume of guns in society today? Perhaps. Perhaps not. That's not really the point.

Banning assault rifles would express a cultural value that should be common sense and even cross the political divide reinforced by deep-pocketed corporate interests.

But it doesn't. President Obama does have the chance to speak in favor of a ban, when he delivers a speech to the saddened nation and grieving communities and families in Connecticut this week. Let the American public see how Congress organizes to repel this common sense measure, even as the ideologues harangue at the edge of the so-called "fiscal cliff".

As far as the NRA is concerned, there is nowhere to go from here. You won everywhere else. You won and still can't articulate why deaths from guns are exponentially higher in the United States than any other civilized nation. The deeper truths go unexplored.

In the meantime, Americans persuaded to fork over donations to conservative groups that champion individual and Constitutional rights need to accept: the expansion of government authority -- presided over by Republican and Democratic Congresses and administrations -- make it certain that ownership of any weapon cannot protect the individual against the power of government.

Proud as we may be for the Second Amendment, its effect has crumbled under the force of technologies unimaginable to the Founding Fathers. Owning an assault weapon doesn't allow us to "keep up" with anything. It only fosters a cultural milieu in which mass killings are a sad probability.

Much better for Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons and let Americans ponder what candidates are likely to deal in a common sense way with even greater probabilities and threats than those pushed forward by conservatives to advance the last war: the culture war.