Watchdog Report Vol.11 No.9 July 4, 2010 & Est. 05.05.2000
CONTENTS
Argus Report:Congressional District 25 debate, 4 of 7 candidates, but Rep. Rivera a no show, net worth through Dec. 09 of $301,000
Florida:Gov. Crist files IRS 1040; net worth through June 9 was $461,797, down a few grand
Florida Supreme Court: Justice Quince in the spotlight, steps down as chief judge, net worth climbs to $542,000 through Dec. 09
Miami-Dade County: Commission to vote on ethics ordinances & expected to shift community boards funding to Office of the Chair
Broward County:Sheriff Lamberti opens investigation against Gunzburger; she cries foul, his net worth drops to $619,000 through Dec. 09
Palm Beach County: Chair Aaronson in the spotlight, on commission for decades, net worth $631,000 through 2009
Monroe County: Gastesi says county budget will probably be lower than Rollback tax rate, like the year before, union contracts are an issue
Miami-Dade Public Schools: District rift with Friends of WLRN ending with fundraising organization playing ball, operating agreement and other elements coming together
Public Health Trust: Commissioner Souto jumps on PHT board, but without new funding, ramifications in community more than closing an obstetrics program
City of Miami: Residents who want to get involved have 66 chances, with that many openings on city boards & Aluko, ex CIP director requests Whistle Blower “Grievance” hearing
City of Miami Beach: Wolfson envoy to PHT, gives board members Certificate of Appreciation for trying to do “the right thing”
City of Coral Gables: Charter School powerhouse goes judicial with injunction relief request, former U.S. Atty. Jimenez the legal gun
City of Hialeah Gardens: local student receives national honor for volunteer & service & salary and benefits of lawmakers
Community Events: PHT treasurer Lapciuc to speak to Tuesday Breakfast Club & Gen. Fraser speaks at Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce luncheon & Meet the local candidates’ events
Editorials: PAST WDR: Aug.2008: South Florida is the graduate school of all types of fraud, but it is all our money and justifies national leaders cutting our rightful share — PAST WDR: JULY 4, 2004: Miami is the king of public real-estate bait & switch
Letters: PHT trustee Cancela not termed out, just will not apply again — Reader on police officer being brought back – Readers on Watchdog Report anniversary
Sponsors – Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue
>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)
>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.
>>> I hope you and your family and friends have a great Fourth of July and we should all reflect on this special American Day that began the Great Experiment, bringing the nation to what it is today and the full measure of sacrifice so many have made for our nation’s freedom over the past, present and future centuries to come.
>>> I was on Topical Currents heard on WLRN/NPR 91.3 FM on July 1 from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., and it is on line athttp://204.13.1.19:81/
>>> I also was on This Week on Issues – 7/02 & 7/04 discussing Jackson Memorial Hospital >> BP Gulf Spill Continues -It has been more than two months since the explosion on the BP oil pipe that has released thousands of barrels of crude oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Should we take more dramatic steps to curtail this catastrophe? Guests: Jorge Piñon, Florida International University, Stephen Leatherman, Ph.D., Florida International University >>> Curbing Violence in South Florida -Local activist Queen Brown became involved in violence prevention after the death of her son in a drive-by shooting several years ago. She joins us on the program to discuss local resources and her plans to begin a support group to help parents deal with emotional and legal issues surrounding the loss of a relative due to street crime. Guest: Queen Brown, Crime Victim Resource Network >>> Jackson’s Fiscal Health: Several months ago, Miami-Dade County’s public hospital Jackson Memorial was facing a multimillion-dollar deficit. But the future looks brighter, at least according to Jackson executives at Wednesday’s Public Health Trust meeting. Watchdog Report publisher Daniel Ricker explains.
Guest: Daniel A. Ricker, Watchdog Report
>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundationwww.knightfoundation.org for funding the University of Miami’s Knight Center of International Mediahttp://knight.miami.edu within the University’s School of Communication www.miami.edu assistance to rebuild my web site www.watchdogreport.net that is now on line again, since the previous one was shut down in July 2008. Past reports will continue to go on line in the future, potentially as far back as May 2000. This institutional support is a major break through for me, and I am deeply appreciative of the help these two substantial international institutions have given me at a time the site was an unbudgeted expense and to keep the Watchdog Report a community education resource, while also being a decade old news service.
>>> If you think it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider becoming a supporter or sponsor. For there is no trust fund and I do have to live. A convenient form is at the bottom of this week’s Watchdog Report with all the instructions on how to support this newsletter and news service that started its 11th Anniversary on May 5.
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> Congressional District 25 debate, 4 of 7 candidates, but Rep. Rivera a no show, net worth through Dec. 09 of $301,000
The Downtown Bay Forum of Miami luncheon on Wednesday had four of the seven candidates running for congressional District 25 in their respective primaries, with only state Rep. David Rivera, R-Doral, a major candidate not showing up to the event that about 100 people attended. The candidates are trying to win in a congressional district created in 2001 by its current occupant, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, when he was in the state senate that covers a huge area, some of which is the Florida Everglades. Paul Crespo, Rivera, and Mariana Cancio are the Republican candidate line-up and Democrats are fielding Luis Meurice and Joe Garcia, for the Aug. 24 primary. The winners of their party’s race will then face off at the Nov. 2 General Election, which will then include Tea Party candidate Roly Arrojo and Craig Porter with the FW Party, and both people are unopposed in their own party’s races.
Crespo, is a veteran Marine officer with 12-years in the service that took him around the world where he worked in different military attaché posts. He also was the only Republican on The Miami Herald editorial board in the early 2000s where he was a guest columnist, he said. Cancio is a 44-year-old grandmother, former member of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board and successful attorney was also in the fray and Rivera to date has been the top fundraiser. On the Democratic Party side, Joe Garcia is making a repeat performance after his close run in 2008 but this time he has a competitor in the primary, Meurice a longshoremen and union leader who has gotten the support of the local AFL& CIO organization. Garcia after the previous race for the district went to work for a while in the Obama administration, but has since left that post. This race will be different this time for Garcia, because he has someone in the primary that could inflict political damage that could later be used against the attorney, though after the brutal 2008 race with Mario Diaz-Balart. That past race probable brought out anything that might be critical of Garcia in the past.
On the Republican side, Rivera recently got some ink www.miamiherald.com regarding someone he knows and the Watchdog Report is getting e-mails from the other Republican campaigns criticizing the veteran state legislator, who is the Miami-Dade Republican Party chair through this December, unless he decides to step down, which is something Crespo is demanding. It is clear this is going to be a contentious primary race for both parties and it remains to be seen if any of the charges and counter charges wound the candidate enough to influence the general election results.
What about the Arizona immigration law that is splitting the nation?
When forum moderator Helen Ferre asked the candidates, what there position was on a similar immigration bill here in Florida where people have to provide residency papers. Garcia and Meurice said they were not in favor of such legislation and Cancio said she was in favor of the Arizona law but could not support such legislation here in Florida, and Crespo agreed “no for Florida.”
Anything unusual happen at the debate?
One man at the luncheon rudely said Cancio should “be a model,” since she is a attractive professional woman and the comment caught many in the room by surprise, but I was told many in the Hispanic community, especially older men believe politics is not for women and she will have to get past this shallow voter prejudice that some might have in the closed Republican primary.
What do we know about Rivera’s finances?
Rivera through Dec. 2009 had a net worth of $301.653 and lists $50,000 in household goods. Property is worth 385,000, there is $44,150 in a 401K, there is $18,000 in stocks and bonds, and a bank account has $19,875. The veteran legislator has liabilities with two mortgages of $95,757 and $120,000 and his listed income for the year was $29,697. He lists an outside job of working for the U.S. Agency for International Development as an international development consultant but lists no income on his financial disclosure form filed July 1, 2010 for this activity.
>>> July 1 kicks off financial disclosure season, from Gov. Crist on down
With July 1 pass us, the required financial disclosure forms are coming in and this week from Gov. Charlie Crist on down. I am looking at their filed disclosures for the year. This process will continue for the next few months as all-major elected leaders are scanned and will include some local municipalities’ elected leaders’ financial numbers as well.
>>> Webmaster Giannini for the WDR & UM journalism student says sayonara, I wish her luck and welcome Rocha in that new role
The Watchdog Report says sayonara to University of Miami journalist student Dena Giannini and I give her a Tip of the Hat for a job well done. Giannini has been my webmaster during the last 11 months, and her diligence has kept my webpage current and she will be missed, but she is moving on and has her whole life ahead and I am sure she will make her mark in the years ahead. She is being replaced by UM student Ivan Rocha, and I look forward to working with him in the coming months.
>>> Press release: TWO INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL ARMS TRAFFICKING
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations in Miami, and John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, announced today that defendants Joseph O’Toole and Chanoch Miller were arrested on a seven-count Indictment charging them with engaging in a conspiracy to export restricted defense articles designated on the United States Munitions List without a license, attempting to export the defense articles without a license, and engaging in brokering activities involving defense articles designated on the United States Munitions List, without first having registered with and obtained a license from, the United States Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The defendants are also charged with money laundering violations. The Indictment alleges that beginning on or about April 15, 2010, Joseph O’Toole, 79, of Claremont, California, and Chanoch Miller, 53, of Tel Aviv, Israel, engaged in a conspiracy to send at least 2000 AK-47 Assault Rifles to Somalia, an embargoed country. It was part of the conspiracy to conceal the final destination of the AK-47 Assault Rifles through false flight plans and fraudulent End User Certificates.
If convicted, O’Toole faces a term of up to 55 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a fine of $1,500,000. If convicted, Miller faces a term of up to 75 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a fine of $2,000,000. >>Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE’s Office of Investigations and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Michael Walleisa. An Indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
>>> Press release: Zogby Interactive: Voters More Gloomy About Economy Than Six Weeks Ago Increase in Pessimism Comes Mostly from Democrats
Over the past six weeks, likely voters have become even more pessimistic about the prospect of economic recovery, as two-thirds now agree many of the jobs lost in the recession will not return and that the recession will continue for several more years, a new Zogby Interactive survey finds. However, nearly one-half believe “America’s best days are still ahead of us,” which is about the same number as six weeks ago. Also, voters’ sense of job security did not change significantly over that time. The survey of 2,069 likely voters was conducted from June 18-21 and is compared to a similar survey conducted from May14-17.
Please click the link below to view the full news release on our website:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1874
>>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for no money came in over the last week and I do have to live, thank you! The report is also shorter and with less real content because I am still weak and do not have my past energy level that allowed me to write all day Saturday and Sunday as in the past almost 11-years that I have been doing this. I ask for my readers understanding during this time. >>> Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times, The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel which ran as a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003 and UNC Chapel Hill naming me one of the top columnists in Florida in a multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also the opportunity to be on Helen Ferre’s show Issues on issues@wpbt.org numerous times over the past decade.
>>> See what was said about the Watchdog Report in the Miami New Times 2003 — Best of Miami — BEST CITIZEN — Daniel Ricker –
Three years ago, we said Ricker was our Best Gadfly. Given his dedication and perseverance, this new honor, Best Citizen, is well deserved. Ricker goes to 2500 mind-melting meetings annually, from the Public Health Trust’s purchasing subcommittee to the Efficiency and Competition Commission to the Alliance for Human Services’ nominating council to the school board’s audit committee. Sometimes he’s the only public observer. Object: to be the Public Citizen for all those out there who can’t attend, and to connect and serve as an information bridge among the special-interest-dominated Miami-Dade governmental institutions that seem so problematic and indifferent to the democratic process.
This month his e-mail newsletter, The Watchdog Report, celebrates its fourth anniversary. In a former life, Ricker made a handsome living as an international salesman of heart pacemakers. As the hard-working publisher of Watchdog Report, though, he’s struggling financially — this despite the fact that his weekly compendium of meeting summaries, analysis, interviews, and commentary has become essential reading for anyone involved in public affairs. What his written work may lack in polish, it more than makes up for in comprehensiveness. So raise a toast to the man whose official slogan says it all: “A community education resource — I go when you cannot!”
FLORIDA
>>> Gov. Crist files IRS 1040; net worth through June 9 was $461,797, down a few grand
Gov. Charlie Crist, running slightly ahead in polls on his chance of being the next U.S. Senator from Florida running as an independent in 2010 is under the financial spotlight this week. Crist, files not only a financial disclosure Form 6, but also the Gold Standard. His 2009 IRS 1040. Crist over the years has been a state senator, commissioner of education, attorney general, governor, and now is seeking the opportunity to serve in the world’s most exclusive club, the U.S. Senate. The governor has been non-stop on the media airwaves while the state is under the gun of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophic oil spill, now in its 77th day, that continues unrelenting in its ecological devastation of the Gulf.
What do we know about his finances?
Crist’s net worth dropped from $466,000 to $461,797 through June 9, 2010 and his personal possessions are valued at $125,000. He lists $137,000 in a Fidelity IRA, there is $104,000 with Fidelity Investments, a checking account has $22,300 and there is $73,314 in deferred compensation. He has no liabilities and his salary as governor, $132,191 is the only listed income. The governor on his IRS form filed married but separate tax returns with his wife Carole, who is wealthy in her own right.
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT
>>> Justice Quince in the spotlight, steps down as chief judge, net worth climbs to $542,000 through Dec. 09
The Watchdog Report is putting the Florida Supreme Court under the spotlight as in past years and former Chief Justice Peggy Quince just leaving the top spot on the court is looked at this week. Quince, who has come to the Miami-Dade County commission chambers over the years, has had a notable career in the law and she is highly respected jurist.
What do we know about her finances?
Quince through Dec. 2009 had a net worth of $542,263 (up from $500,000 in 08) and lists $60,000 in household goods. Her home is valued at $300,000, there is $244,000 in deferred income, a credit union has $43,300 in it, The Equitable Corp investment is worth $66,000 and there is $4,261 in a checking account. Her only liability is a $170,000 mortgage, her salary for the year as a justice was $156,477 and she lists two gifts over $100.00 on her disclosure form that are benign in nature.
>>> Court’s web-page: Justice Peggy A. Quince was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1948. She is married to Fred L. Buckine, attorney at law, and they have two daughters, Peggy LaVerne, a graduate of Florida A & M University, and Laura LaVerne, a graduate of the University of Central Florida. Justice Quince graduated in 1970 from Howard University with a B.S. Degree in Zoology; she received her J.D. Degree from the Catholic University of America in 1975. While a law student she was active in Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Black American Law Students Association; she received an award for her work with Catholic’s Neighborhood Legal Services Clinic. In 1999, she received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the Stetson University College of Law. In 2004, she received an honorary doctor of laws degree from St. Thomas University School of Law. Justice Quince began her legal career in Washington, D.C. as a hearing officer with the Rental Accommodations Office administering that city’s new rent control law. In 1977 she entered private practice in Norfolk, Virginia, with special emphasis in real estate and domestic relations. For more information go to http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/justices/quince.shtml
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Commission to vote on ethics ordinances, expected to shift community boards funding to Office of the Chair
The county commission is meeting July 8, in the commission chambers located at the Stephen P. Clark Center, there are a number of ethics and organizational items on the agenda for second reading, and final if passed, that will be discussed. One ordinance would change the definition of immediate family to include “domestic partner, stepchildren and stepparents” when it came to conflicts of interest and another would loosen up the prohibition on “transacting business with the county” but there is a proviso that states county commissioners and members on community councils cannot “vote on or participate in matters where a financial interest exists,” states the legislation. The commission is also going to vote on the creation of the county’s Performance and Efficiency Commission, and legislation giving the commission Auditor more “access to information.”
The commission is also going to take over the supervision and support of a number of county board’s including the Community Relations Board, Commission on Women, Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, Black Affairs Advisory Board, and the Asian-American Advisory Board. However, this change must be funded and there is an amending of the 2009-2010 countywide general fund budget, and removes funding from the Office of Community Advocacy and directing it to the Office of the Commission Chair. Over the past year, these community organizations for a while were fighting for their survival after the administration cut funding. The county commission took action and funded the attendant staff but if this first reading legislation ultimately passes. These boards will now fall under the wing of Office of the Chair, a post currently held by Commissioner Dennis Moss (Net worth $477,000 in 08).
>>> Happy 30th Birthday Zoo at Miami, always remember to be a good neighbor with UM CSTARS
Zoo at Miami, with a new name turns 30-years old today and the attraction is a must see and one of the great treats in Miami-Dade. Moss has been the point of the spear when it comes to the facilities expansion, that included GOB funding and the anniversary is expected to be a great event. However, the zoo and its future development should keep in the mind the local Richmond Heights neighborhood, and the presence of University of Miami’s CSTARS facility with three large satellite dishes. For it has an important environmental mission, reported in past Watchdog Reports, and the height of any future structures, that could impact the research facility mission of keeping an eye in the sky to monitor planet earth’s environment must be mitigated or taken into consideration.
>>> Clock is ticking when it comes to next years budget hearings, pain will be across the board
The BCC on July 20 will meet to set the TRIM Notice that could become the county property tax millage for the next budget year starting Oct. 1. The commission has to do this so tax notices can be sent out to property owners and there will be two public hearings in September on next year’s county budget and what will be funded in the coming year, that includes about $420 million in projected cuts with the falling property values countywide coming in July 1 at -13.4 percent. In 2009, the preliminary taxable value was $222.1 billion, but that number in 2010 has dropped to $192.2 billion and is a significant drop to when the county’s total property values were around $245 billion at its peak a few years ago.
>>>Press release: Keep campaigns clean seminar by ethics commission staff
One month before dozens of primary elections are held for municipal, county, state and federal offices, candidates, their staff members and volunteers can get a final reminder of election and fundraising regulations at a Campaign Skills Seminar sponsored by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. Those seeking office in 2011 will be able to get a head start on the process. The seminar, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at the Miami Shores Community Center, will provide essential information to declared candidates, individuals considering running for election or anyone who wants to understand the legal and ethical obligations of seeking public office.
Speakers include representatives of the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission, the State Attorney’s Office, the Elections Department and the Miami-Dade League of Cities. The event is free and open to the public. Attorneys can earn Continuing Legal Education credits from the Florida Bar. Campaign Skills Seminar, Tuesday, July 27, 2010 6:00 p.m. Miami Shores Community Center, 9617 Park Drive Miami Shores, FL 33138 –For more information, call Robert Thompson at 305-350-0630 or e-mail robthom@miamidade.gov. >>> The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers. It is composed of five members, serving staggered terms of four years each. Through a program of education and outreach, the Commission seeks to empower the community and bolster public trust.
>>> Press release: The Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Division’s 4H Club wrapped up a five-day summer camp for 13 children of military parents on Friday, June 18. Known as Operation Military Kids, the week was packed full of hands-on learning experiences. The children visited the Everglades, went on an overnight camping trip to Larry & Penny Thompson Park and participated in various activities that taught them about different cultures, nutrition, physical fitness, landscape and gardening principles, and how to be good stewards of the environment. Their trip included canoeing through mangroves and sea grass, going on an airboat ride, visiting an alligator farm and swimming. Campers also planned a Luau celebration, creating costumes and decorations, to mark the end of their wonderful camp experience. During it all, they learned how to be responsible and get along with new friends.
Miami-Dade 4-H program leader Kathie Roberts was thrilled to see the kids having a great time. “The 4-H program provides fun, educational experiences through hands-on activities in which the participants gain skills for successful living,” said Roberts. Operation Military Kids is a support network that assists children in coping with the stress of their unique situation, such as having a parent deployed for extended periods of time and on dangerous missions, as well as frequently being uprooted from school. For more information on OMK or any of its services, please contact Nalini Lindsay, Regional Program Coordinator, atlindsayn404@optonline.net or (305) 232-9220. >>> 4-H is a volunteer-led youth development program managed by Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension, a partnership of the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. For more information on the 4-H program, visit http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/4h or call 305-592-8044. >>> The Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department (CSD) investigates and mediates consumer complaints, enforces the County’s consumer protection laws and business regulations, and licenses certain businesses. In addition, the department’sCooperative Extension Division provides technical assistance to commercial agricultural growers, backyard gardeners, homeowners, and manages youth and family development programs. The department also educates consumers on issues that affect them and provides resources to the public to improve their quality of life.
>>> Film industry about to get shot in the arm, says county film official
Press release: Miami-Dade County is about to see an unprecedented influx of film, television and commercial advertising productions as the State of Florida releases $54 million of incentives for the production industry over the next 12 months. The State’s 2010/2011 initiative is the first installment of a five year, $242 million jobs creation package intended to stimulate Florida’s film and entertainment sector. Among the 52 projects certified for the coming year’s funding are 29 slated to begin production in South Florida before the end of the year. The South Florida projects include seven TV series, a TV pilot, one Telenovela, seven motion pictures, five documentaries, two visual effects projects for motion pictures, three video games and three Digital Media projects. The State estimates that more than $425 million will be spent in Florida as a result of this incentive program in 2010/2011, with 26,000 jobs for Floridians paying about $244 million in wages. The entertainment industry stimulus is good news for Miami-Dade’s still struggling economy.
“Incentives for the film industry couldn’t come at a better time. They will help us get Hollywood’s attention as we compete for the dollars and jobs that the film industry brings,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. “It’s also a great way to market our destination.” It is estimated that the TV show Burn Notice alone is worth nearly $170 million in destination promotion per year, according to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.” The new incentives will help revive the production industry in Miami-Dade, which has seen its location filming numbers fall from nearly 2000 productions filmed on-location in 2007 to fewer than 850 productions in 2009. Local spending from location filming also fell dramatically over the two-year period, from $153 million in 2007 to just $87 million last year. The drop off was partly a result of the economic downturn which affected commercials and still photo shoots. Lack of significant State incentives for filming, which dropped from $25 million in 2007/08 to $5 million in 2008/09, resulted in almost no feature films being shot in the area.” Marley and Me was really the last movie to film in Miami, back in mid-2008,” said Jeff Peel, Director of the County’s Office of Film and Entertainment. “The lack of state incentives really shut down the big budget films that had been coming to Miami on a regular basis.”
Over the past decade a number of high profile films shot in and around Miami, including Old Dogs, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Red Eye, Miami Vice, Stuck on You, Out of Time, Bad Boys II, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ali and Big Trouble. In fact, a new County economic study shows that Miami-Dade’s film and entertainment industry grew rapidly over the past decade. The sector, including film, television, music, commercial advertising and still photography production, was estimated to contribute $2.5 billion of economic output in Miami-Dade in 1999, and employ about 13,000 full time workers in addition to several thousand freelance employees, according to a study released by the Governor’s Office in 2000. By 2007, Miami-Dade’s Office of Economic Development estimates the industry had grown by more than 30 percent to $3.3 billion in economic output, employing nearly 20,000 full time workers. However, the sector experienced a 5 percent decline in gross output from 2007 to 2009, reflecting both the lack of state incentives to lure big budget films and television shows and the economic recession. With the effects of the recession easing in 2010, and especially in light of the state incentives coming into play starting July 1, the industry is now poised to resume its growth trajectory. The first six months of 2010 has already seen a 12 percent rise in the number of location filming shoots and a 38 percent increase in the amount of local industry spending over 2009. The new A&E television series The Glades has joined USA Network’s hit Burn Notice in production this year, both shot 100 percent on location in South Florida. Spanish language network giants Univision, Venevision and Telemundo are producing thousands of hours of television programming from their headquarters in Miami-Dade County, and the area continues to be a magnet for reality television shows like The Kardashians, Color Splash and Jersey Shore. The second half of 2010 will see even more film, television and commercial advertising shoots in Miami-Dade County as the productions incentivized by the State begin their work. For more information visit www.filmiami.org
>>> GMCVB Press release: MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARRIVALS INCREASE IN MAY 2010 — Passenger arrivals at Miami International Airport (MIA) increased for the month of May 2010 with international arrivals up by +11. 0% when compared to the previous year’s level. Domestic passenger arrivals up +4.3%. Total arrivals increased in May by +7.2%.
International MIA Passenger Arrivals
May 2010 May 2009 +11 % Change
668,638 602,566
Domestic MIA Passenger Arrivals –
May 2010 May 2009 +4.3 % Change
807,960 774,600
Total MIA Passenger Arrivals –
May 2010 May 2009 +7.2 % Change
1,476,598 1,377,166
>>> DID YOU KNOW…’ In 2009, both Domestic and International visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches cited ‘weather’ and ‘beaches’ as their top two favorite features of our destination.
>>> BURN NOTICE RANKS #3 AMONG CABLE TV VIEWERS, CSI: MIAMI RANKS #9 AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN TV VIEWERS, #10 AMONG BROADCAST TV VIEWERS IN NIELSEN TV RATINGS FOR WEEK OF JUNE 21, 2010 – Miami-based Burn Notice (USA) ranked #3 among cable television viewers with an audience of 5.333 million viewers in the Nielsen Cable TV Ratings for the week of June 21, 2010. CSI: Miami (CBS) ranked #9 among African American viewers and #10 among broadcast television viewers with respective audiences of 7.561 million and 950,000 for the week of June 21, 2010.
BROWARD COUNTY
>>> Sheriff Lamberti opens investigation against Gunzburger; she cries foul, his net worth drops to $619,000 through Dec. 09
Al Lamberti, the top county cop in Broward is under the spotlight this week and his organization’s budget is causing the Broward Commission consternation because the money is not there to support his expansive operation that includes giving police services to over a dozen local municipalities. Further, he jumped into the contentious county commission District 6 race that has incumbent Sue Gunzburger (Net worth $1.34 million on 6.09) being challenged by former state Sen. Steve Geller, D-Hollywood.(Net worth $1.24 million in 08). The sheriff last week said the department has opened an investigation of Gunzburger’ husband business dealings with the county from 18-years ago. The commissioner said she has done nothing wrong, never voted on these contracts and this is a political ploy, since she has been critical of Lamberti and his proposed 2010-2011 budget. Further, it explains Geller’s brother Joe, also an attorney, requesting ethics opinions on conflicts of interest between a commissioner and a spouse getting a contract over the past months.
Lamberti, a Republican was first appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist after ex sheriff Ken Jenne was suspended and eventually sent to federal prison for tax evasion and his sudden outside income was first reported in a past Watchdog Report when I noted on his IRS 1040 he filed back then that there was money coming in from two companies, and odd for someone in that position. Lamberti in 2008, was elected in his own right in a bitter race in the Democratic Party dominated county but he was successful, despite some county commissioners not supporting his candidacy for the countywide job. >>> For more information about Lamberti go to the Sheriff’s web page: Administrative Offices Broward County Sheriff’s Office – A full service public safety agency … Sheriff Al Lamberti is a 32-year veteran of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
What do we know about his finances?
Lamberti through Dec. 2009 had a net worth of $619,000 (down from $642,000 in 08) and there is $120,000 in personal possessions. His home in Margate is worth $171,000, another residency is valued at $250,000, there is $3,700 with Bank of America, and $13,797 in a credit union. He owes $344,000 and $63,000 on mortgages, and his salary was $170,000, and another $2,000 came in along with $1,560 from a FDLE incentive course. The sheriff lists $201,000 in deferred compensation, there is $147,000 with Morgan Stanley and in three IRAs there is $41,300, $12,000 and $6,755. >>> For more stories on this matter with Lamberti, Geller and Gunzburger, go to Bob Norman’s blog at http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/ or www.miamiherald.com
>>> Press release: THREE INDIVIDUALS AND TWO CORPORATIONS CHARGED IN AN OIL POLLUTION CONSPIRACY
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District, and John Sall, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, announced the superseding indictment of defendants Hugo Pena, 45, of Miami, HP Maritime Consultants, Inc., of Miami, Ronald Ramon, 45, of Honduras, and Northon Eraso, 66, of Colombia, in an oil pollution conspiracy. In a related but separate criminal information filed on June 28, 2010, the United States Attorney also charged Coastal Maritime Shipping, LLC, a Fort Lauderdale-based company, with two counts of failure to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a). More specifically, the superseding indictment charges Ramon, Eraso, HP Maritime Consultant, Inc., and Pena with one count of conspiring to fail to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; it charges Ramon and Eraso with twenty-five counts of failing to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a); it charges Pena and HP Maritime Consultant, Inc. with one count of failing to conduct a complete survey of the ISLAND EXPRESS I, in violation of 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a); and it charges Pena and HP Maritime Consultant, Inc. with one count of false official statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for the count of conspiracy, six years’ imprisonment for each count of failing to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book, and five years’ imprisonment for the count of false official statement.
According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, Coastal Maritime Shipping, LLC owned the ISLAND EXPRESS I. Defendant Ronald Ramon was the captain of the ship and was the highest-ranking member of the ship’s crew. Defendant Northon Eraso was the Chief Engineer and was the highest ranking member of the ship’s engineering staff. Defendant Hugo Pena and his marine services company, Coastal Maritime Shipping, LLC, were the ship’s classification surveyors, who had falsely certified that the ship’s pollution prevention systems were adequate only weeks before the inspection. According to the superseding indictment, the cargo vessel ISLAND EXPRESS I, a 155-foot cargo freighter, did not maintain functioning oil pollution prevention equipment, was fitted with pumps and hoses capable of discharging oily waste directly into the ocean, and kept logs that failed to account for how the ship discharged its oil-contaminated water. The related criminal information charges Coastal Shipping Holding, LLC with two counts of failing to maintain an accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a). If convicted of this charge, Coastal can be sentenced to a $500,000 fine for each count. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended investigative efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime Raich. An indictment/information is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
>>> Chair Aaronson in the spotlight, on commission for decades, net worth $631,000 through 2009
Burt Aaronson is in the spotlight this week and the long serving elected leader is chair of the Palm Beach Commission. H survived the political purge a few years ago, that sent many of his peers on the dais to federal prison after public corruption charges were brought by federal prosecutors. Since then the body has many new faces and he is the board’s historian on past decisions on the commission.
What do we know about his finances?
Aaronson through Dec. 2009 had a net worth of $631,000 (up from $626,000 in 08) and he lists $150,000 in household goods. He lists $7,000 in cash, there is $162,000 in deferred income, a pension has $114,000, a state pension account has $43,350 and his condominium is valued at $150,000. He lists no liabilities. The commissioner’s income for the year was $92,000 as a commissioner, retirement benefits were $21,942 and $29,060 and he was paid $2,500 as a board member of Delray Hospital.
>>> From the commissioner’s web page: Many of you know that that I was first elected your District 5 County Commissioner in 1992. Part of the reason for my decision to run for the seat was my major concern about “Site One”… More Commissioner Burt Aaronson:
301 North Olive Ave. Suite 1201, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, (561) 355-2205, 877-930-2205 (Toll Free outside the West Palm Beach calling area) E-mail Commissioner Aaronson —Board of County Commissioners
MONROE COUNTY
>>> Gastesi says county budget will probably be lower than Rollback tax rate, like the year before, union contracts are an issue
The Watchdog Report contacted Roman Gastesi, the Monroe County administrator about the just released property tax roll, and what were the revenue reductions for the nation’s most southern county with only 65,000 residents, but some heavy duty real estate like the Ocean Reef Club located in its northern border. The administrator in an e-mail wrote, “We’re still crunching numbers, and I’m always surprised by the question “what is loss in dollars?” when the Property Values dip. As you know, the unit of Rollback is dollars, the result of property value times millage levied. As long as we meet or come in lower (like we did last year) than Rollback, I believe the formula is irrelevant. We hope again to come under Rollback, our challenge down here is the existing union contracts and the resultant salary disparities. Our non-union employees have not received a raise in 3 years. I submit the budget to the Monroe Commission July 13th and we have a Budget Workshop July 22nd,” wrote the Monroe official. >>> Next week the WDR will put State Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Monroe County, under the spotlight.
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>> District rift with Friends of WLRN coming to an end with fundraising organization playing ball, operating agreement and other elements coming together
The showdown between school superintendent Alberto Carvalho and Friends of WLRN, the fundraising arm of the radio and television station owned by the nation’s fourth largest public school district is coming to an end with the superintendent saying, “significant progress has been made” in the discussions. Carvalho in January told the school board audit committee that he was being rebuffed by the organization when it came to seeing the books and other details of the organization that included bylaw changes in the mid 1990s, eliminating the involvement of the district superintendent in selecting the CEO. He told the school board’s audit committee Tuesday that “further deliberations are wanted” but the main items are coming into compliance such as a lack of “an operating agreement” between the two organizations.
Other areas of dispute were bylaw modifications “dramatically changed” without superintendent approval, along with being left out in the cold when it “came to the selection of the Friends president and CEO and now will include ample notification” of when this process has begun or ends. He further said Friends has “reaffirmed” its “mission statement to support WLRN,” he told the committee. He believed these changes will be “adopted in the future” and he values the work the organization does for WLRN and “that needs to be protected” but it must be “more transparent,” he said. The chair of the not-for–profit when asked to say a few words said “we are pleased to be where we are at,” and the General Manager of WLRN, John Labonia said the “station looks forward to completing the agreement.”
>>> In next week’s Watchdog Report find out what Charter School was caught not paying all its property taxes on the building that was being rented, after a audit department review. Also in the coming weeks I will be scanning the candidates running for the school board openings and it is a diverse group of new candidates, for most of the races.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Commissioner Souto jumps on PHT board, but without new funding, ramifications in community more than closing an obstetrics program
At Monday’s PHT board meeting Javier Souto, the Miami-Dade Commissioner who is a voting member on the 17-member board warned trustees that some of the choices they are making to balance the budget could have ramifications and “you’re getting into some ugly things,” he predicted concerning the closing of an obstetrics operation at Jackson South Hospital to save $2.57 million. Trustees shot back that they did not want to close the program, with a low C-section rate, but they must have a balanced budget and if the county increased it’s funding of the health trust, this might not happen. Trustee Gladys Ayala after hearing Souto’s comments said the health trust “had a large mission with too few resources” and at the south Dade hospital there still would be “gynecology services” for residents in that area. However, while Souto said, “Now more than ever Jackson South has to be in full operation” any further county funding unfortunately is out of the question with Miami-Dade facing a $420 million shortfall of its own in the next budget year.
However, Souto is right in one aspect, and that is the community for years has gotten use to a wide range of social and clinical services being provided by county or the countywide half-cent sales tax funding, but as these are cut or reduced with the present budget climate. There may be blowback in the form of demonstrations and community unrest that also has the meals on wheels program for the elderly expected to be scaled back in the next budget year and is part of the fabric of this sad fiscal debate. Further, the commissioner’s comments highlights the role the commission plays in the management and governance of the health trust, and the oversight’s body’s independence is relative to the level of county commission involvement, since county commissioners must approve most actions taken by the health trust board.
>>> Trust should reestablish time in meeting for public to speak
The usually staid oversight body made up of volunteer citizens over the past decades has evolved in many ways for the better and deliberations have never been more transparent and accessible to the public. However, the body should consider reintroducing a public comment period during the PHT board meetings, and committees that should occur before the trust votes on a matter these public speakers might want to comment on. On Monday, supporters of the obstetrics program at Jackson South spoke, but it was only after the board had voted on the closing of the birthing program, and it made their comments irrelevant.
>>> Press release: More than 1,000 residents seek free health services at Commissioner Joe A. Martinez’s 6th Annual Health & Safety Expo
Residents lined up outside of the Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo Center to take advantage of a wealth of health services offered by Commissioner Joe A. Martinez and his 6th Annual Health and Safety Expo. The event, which took place on June 26, had approximately 1,100 attendees, all checking up on their wellbeing with the free services provided by local health professionals. This year’s expo was sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Florida, which assisted in organizing screenings for glucose, high blood pressure, HIV, hemoglobin, cholesterol, and much more.
All attendees were able to receive medical exams and consultations from the Miami-Dade County Health Department, Jackson Health System, Baptist Health South Florida, Borinquen Health Care Clinic, and Community Health of South Florida. Approximately, one hundred exhibitors and service providers were represented. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Florida distributed information on the Miami-Dade Blue medical insurance program, which Commissioner Martinez announced last year. The pilot program offers comprehensive medical insurance at affordable monthly rates to Miami-Dade County residents who are struggling with the high cost of insurance and do not qualify for government health programs. Miami-Dade’s Water and Sewer Department also replaced residents’ old showerheads with newer, more efficient models free of charge. In addition, residents were able to learn more about the Department of Motor Vehicles’ new procedures for renewing a driver’s license or Florida ID card. “This year, the Health and safety Expo had a nice variety of services for residents to learn about,” said Commissioner Martinez. “All of this was made free to residents thanks to the support of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Florida, as well as the many other exhibitors who took the time to make residents’ health and safety a priority.” For more information on the health fair, please contact Commissioner Martinez’s office at 305-552-1155.
>>> This is why I have been doing the Watchdog Report for 11-years — Since May of 2000, I have been covering the PHT in all its aspects over the years and its financial challenges since then have never been far below the surface of any story over this time. In 2004, I ran the headline about the $84 million charge the organization was having to take for the year and the numbers in many ways never got that much better, week after week, month after month, to where we are today. Some of the county commissioners are carping about all the sudden press and media attention the hospital system with 12,000 employees is getting but that is what happens in Florida where the state sunshine and open records laws makes all these activities public events. However, the commissioners should also be asking why they and the Fourth Estate did not kick in earlier to alert South Florida of the pending financial train wreck. The chronic problem was apparent to anyone that read the Watchdog Report over the decade, but in many ways, my role seems to be of Cassandra for we, as a community did not necessarily have to be where we are today, if corrective action had occurred years ago.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Residents who want to get involved have 66 chances, with that many openings on city boards & Aluko, ex CIP director requests Whistle Blower “Grievance” hearing
With July 4th today, I thought about all the people that complain about the city of Miami government, but do not apply to be on city boards that screen and deal with a wide swath on interests and involve different expertise. Currently, on the July 8 city commission agenda there are 66 openings on different boards and people should check out the variety of ways you might get involved by going to the Clerk’s office at www.miamigov.com . Further, one of these oversight boards is the GOB board where there are five openings, and this body watches over the $255 million bond passed, Nov. 2001 and how the monies are being spent. If you are interested in this critical board, both Commissioners Frank Carollo and Francis Suarez have two slots to fill, and Commissioner Marc Sarnoff has one opening on the important board.
>>> Former CIP director Aluko requests Whistle Blower Grievance hearing
The Watchdog Report stopped in at the June 29 civil service board meeting last week, there are two Whistle Blower cases in process with the board, and one person that caught my eye was the request for a “Grievance” hearing brought by Olatunbosun “Ola” Aluko, the former director of the Capital Improvement Program. He was fired the same day Mayor Tomas Regalado and the Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito held a press conference announcing the arrests of a number of people that subsequently were not prosecuted by the state attorney. On Wednesday, www.miaminewtimes.com did a more in-depth story on the matter and the commingling of Aluko with the arrests has stymied his ability to get another job, even though he pointed out a problem with a moonlighting employee. Readers should stay tuned regarding this case.
>>> The Miami commission is meeting on Thursday, July 8, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and the proceedings can be watched on line at www.miamigov.com or to review the 33-page agenda go to the clerk’s office on the webpage.
>>> PAST WDR: JULY 4, 2004: Commissioner Regalado says CIP must keep fighting to get information from city
Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado at a commission meeting lashed out at the city’s administration regarding their cooperation with the Civilian Investigative Panel (CIP) that was created by voters in 2002 to review police actions. The panel has the power to subpoena documents and people. Voters approved it after numerous police shootings over the years in the city. However, over the last year there have been no shootings by police.
Regalado said the “people expected a lot from this panel” and he was taking responsibility and should have asked, “how this was going” after panel chair Larry Handfield described some of the roadblocks the panel had encountered with the Miami Police and the administration. The commissioner was surprised “so many mistakes had been made” since the CIP was created and he believes it was “a deliberate attempt by the administration to stall what you could do.” He concluded his remarks saying he hoped things would be better in the future but urged Handfield that he “must continue to keep fighting” and concluded this is not just a city board appointed by commissioners “but the peoples board.” Commission Chair Arthur E. Teele, Jr. also chimed in saying that it “was important for the public to know” what the CIP is doing and instructed the city’s attorney to craft legislation to give the commission the final authority of what meetings are held in the commission chambers and which are televised on the city’s cable station. That decision is currently with the city administration.
>>> The Miami Coalition for the Homeless is seeking board members. For information, see the website at www.miamihomeless.org If you or someone you know has an interest in ending homelessness, please contact Ben Burton, Executive Director, ben@miamihomeless.org or call (305) 571-8101
>>> The following e-mail was sent to (now former) Mayor Manny Diaz using his e-mail address on his extensive city web-page on Sept. 13, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. and to date there has been no answer from the mayor. It currently goes to his new e-mail address.>>> “Mayor Diaz, I wanted to ask you in the chamber today but not in front of Chair Joe Sanchez. My question is where did the extra $400,000 in the 2007 disclosure form come from? I will run what ever you respond unedited but I would appreciate closing this issue, as I am sure you do. Sorry but I have to ask. Best to all. Dan” >>>> The Watchdog Report through Dec.7 has yet to get a response or catch-up with Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz on where he got the extra $400,000 in cash listed in his 2007 financial disclosure forms. To see what CBS 4 reporter David Sutta’s take on this issue and the other city leaders financial disclosures go to cbs4.com Blogs . >>> Readers should stay tuned and catch the meeting on the city’s cable station channel 77. >>> Stream Channel 77, for all City of Miami meetings, (Commission, Village Council meetings, Waterfront, Zoning, PAB, Code, etc. hearings) http://videos.miamigov.com/
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
>>> Wolfson envoy to PHT, gives board members Certificate of Appreciation for trying to do “the right thing”
Jonah Wolfson, the Miami Beach commissioner took a road trip Monday to Jackson Memorial Hospital to thank trustees for their service on the volunteer board where members should spend at least 30-hours a month on the organization’s affairs. The Beach is one of 34 municipalities that benefit from what Jackson Health System does and he presented the body with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by commissioners and Mayor Matti Herrera Bower. “We honor the service you provide county residents” and you “do it with grace,” said Wolfson. He closed saying even with these difficult economics times, the trust tried to do what was in “the best interest of residents and taxpayers, that involves difficult decisions” while “trying to do the right thing,” the commissioner closed.
>>> Press release: July is Park and Recreation Month – It Starts in Parks — Where can you improve your health without going to a doctor? How do you spend time with friends or meet new ones if you don’t go to a party? Where can children learn and grow without necessarily going to summer school? Right here with the City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department. What better time than July to celebrate Parks & Recreation Month by recalling that actually many of the good things in life actually do Start In Parks. As part of a nation wide celebration, the City of Miami Beach is pleased to be a part of recognizing the many values and benefits of parks and recreation. Did you know that citizens who had better access to parks, visited parks more frequently, and engaged in physically‐active park behaviors also made fewer visits to their doctor other than getting a regular checkup? Are you aware that adolescents who participate in extra‐curricular activities are more likely to avoid “at risk” behaviors? Have you ever considered the economic impact that visitors to parks, tournaments, and special events bring to the community?
The City’s Parks and Recreation Director, Kevin Smith said “Parks and Recreation is one of the public departments that touches almost everyone from the very young to the older residents”. The director recognized “the Parks and Recreation staff, hundreds of sponsors, volunteers and parents from the community who serve the parks in a variety of different ways”. Please join the Department as it recognizes parks and recreation this month by attending, participating, or dropping‐in to one of our recreational facilities. Look for future events and other Miami Beach Parks and Recreation programming in your Recreation Review magazine, call our offices at 305-673-7730 or visit our website atwww.miamibeachparks.com.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES
>>> Charter School powerhouse goes legal with injunction relief request, former U.S. Atty. Jimenez the legal gun
The Watchdog Report got a number of e-mails last week regarding the proposed charter school in the Biltmore Hotel neighborhood, that now has the school suing the city to increase the number of students under a state law, even though the Gables commission approved the school, but with a much smaller number of students. In Miami-Dade, there are around 88 Charter Schools that while independent, get funding from the public school district. In this case, it is Somerset/Academica and one of the largest chains of such schools, and when it comes to legal firepower. The organization’s management brought in former U.S. Attorney Daniel Marcos Jimenez who also represented the schools a few years back in front of the Miami-Dade Public Schools Audit Committee that had the district auditor back then, Allen Vann, questioning how the different schools boards operated and the many possible conflicts of interest. Jimenez at the time argued the auditor was targeting the schools, and the scrutiny, that involved a major presentation by Vann to the audit committee, was not warranted.
However, this issue in Coral Gables has stirred up a hornets nest when it comes to the local residents and a local homeowners association is fighting back and now that is in the courts, residents and school proponents will have to wait and see what the judiciary does, when it comes to whether local or state law, applies in this case. >>> http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/01/1709646/charter-school-firm-sues-city.html — http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/15/1680737/fresens-school-ties-raise-some.html & Gables Homepage: www.gableshomepage.com
>>> Statement by the Biltmore Neighborhood Association after the lawsuit is filed: Contrary to all the public pledges of working diligently with the City, yesterday, June 30, 2010, Somerset Academy filed a lawsuit against the City of Coral Gables requesting the court to issue an injunctive relief in order to operate a 675-student K-8 charter school at UBC. This is the result of the chosen course of action by Somerset Academy based on disregard of laws and procedures, secrecy, and lack of transparency. Had Somerset Academy initiated and followed the required process in the summer of 2009, this issue would have been timely and properly addressed in the appropriate venues. Instead, the City of Coral Gables and its residents will now be financially burdened by the actions of Somerset Academy.
Although the Biltmore Neighborhood Association continues to believe that the City of Coral Gables mistakenly issued the Certificate of Use to Somerset Academy, it is at the same time relieved to learn that our beloved city will “take all the appropriate actions to preserve the quality of life including that of single family residential areas” as stated by Coral Gables City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez. From the very beginning, our Association realized that this issue was much bigger than a proposed school too big for a residential neighborhood. This is about laws and ordinances put in place to protect ALL of our neighborhoods. And as our mayor has said previously: ” We are a city of neighborhoods …and we do everything to protect our neighborhoods.” www.biltmoreneighborhoodassociation.com .
>>> City web-page: Your Opinion Counts: Please Fill Out The Coral Gables Police Survey
The Police Department is currently undergoing the renewal of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This accreditation ensures that the Police Department remains in compliance with the high standards set forth by CALEA in all areas of policy and procedure. In order to assist in this process, the City of Coral Gables is asking you to participate in a short 12-question online or phone survey. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey by July 15, 2010. To complete the survey by phone, contact the Police Department Community Affairs Office at 305-460-5491 and leave your name and number for someone to contact you. To complete the survey online, click here.
CITY OF HIALEAH GARDENS
>>> Press release: HIALEAH GARDENS JUNIOR RECEIVES NATIONAL HONOR FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE
Alexandria Segovia, a student at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, was recently honored at Radio City Music Hall with the first-ever Hasbro Community Action Hero Awards for her extraordinary volunteer work. Community Action Hero Awards recognize outstanding students who demonstrate an active history of community service, creative problem-solving skills, peer leadership and a commitment to making a positive difference in their community. The 2010 Hasbro Community Action Hero Award winners receive a $1,000 service scholarship. Alexandria, a junior at Hialeah Gardens Senior High School, has completed more than 500 community service hours through Hands On Miami, where she serves as president of the Youth Advisory Council. She leads more than 4,000 Youth Volunteer Corps members, coordinates monthly service projects and serves as the onsite director for their volunteer activities. Additionally, she is Junior Community Emergency Response Team, where she trained and recently helped 35 other teens achieve this certification. As Community Services chairperson for her school’s PTSA, she also facilitates programs for her peers to learn the benefits of civic engagement. The awards were introduced and presented at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors. The National Conference on Volunteering and Service was co-convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service Points of Light and Hands On Network. For more information, visit www.volunteeringandservice.org.
>>> Ethics commission 2007 report on salary and benefits of elected leaders
In 2007, the City of Hialeah Gardens’ Mayor received a taxable salary of $100,800 in and City Council Members received a taxable salary of $10,500 each. The City utilizes a “non-accountable” expense allowance system. The Mayor receives a bi-weekly expense allowance of $2,798.02, which is treated as taxable compensation income and reported on the Mayors’ W-2 wage statement. With regards to other benefits provided, the City provides its Mayor with a City-issued vehicle and cell phone, which the City pays for. However, the Mayor does not have a travel allowance, a City issued procurement card or a public relations allowance.
Council Members also receive a monthly expense allowance of $2,134.62, which is taxable compensation income and is reported on their W-2 wage statements. Council Members are not given a vehicle allowance, travel allowance, government issued credit card or a personal public relations budget. However, Council Members are provided with a City-issued cell phone. Additionally, the City of Hialeah Gardens does provide nontaxable reimbursements to each elected official for expenses incurred while conducting official City business. Based on discussion with the City Finance Director, the City requires that the elected officials complete a travel reimbursement request form and submit supporting documents, such as receipts and invoices, in order to receive any reimbursements.
Reimbursements for expenses including travel, parking, seminars, conventions and incidental items are processed through the Finance Department by submitting a voucher for reimbursement which requires supporting receipts or documentation for payment. Lastly, Hialeah Gardens does not have written policies and procedures for the payment of a government official’s expenses, per say. However, the Finance Director documented in memo format the process that is to be followed by the elected official prior to receiving travel expense reimbursements. In Article III., Section 4A. & 4B, the City Charter sets forth the policy governing compensation and expenses incurred by the City’s elected officials. Specifically, Section 4, rate of compensation of the city council and the Mayor, states the following: (a) “The rate of compensation paid to Councilpersons shall be set by ordinance, provided, however, that there shall be at least a required four-fifths vote of the Council for adoption of any such ordinance.” (b) The rate of compensation paid to the Mayor shall be set by ordinance, provided, however, that there shall be at least a required four-fifths vote of the Council for adoption of any such ordinance.”
COMMUNITY EVENTS
>>> PHT Treasurer Lapciuc to speak to Tuesday Breakfast Club & Gen. Fraser speaks at Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce luncheon – Get to know the local candidates
Public Health Trust Treasurer Marcos Jose Lapciuc will be the Breakfast Club speaker, Tuesday, July 6, 8:30AM – 10:00AM, David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach. . http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/01/1709497/jackson-executives-paint-rosier.html >>> Since 1996, the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club has been gathering every Tuesday at 8:30AM at a local Miami Beach restaurant for informal, non-partisan discussions of issues – political, governmental, etc. It is not affiliated with any other organization. We are currently meeting at David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach, between Lincoln Road Mall and Macy’s (formerly Burdine’s). There is plenty of parking at that hour in the adjacent municipal parking lot. One orders from the menu or simply has coffee. Guest speakers range across the political, governmental, business, and social issues spectrum. Sessions are open to everyone. Simply show up. www.mbtmbc.com. To be placed on mailing list contact TuesdayMorningBreakfastClub@Yahoo.com.
>>> Southern Commands Gen. Fraser speaks at Greater Miami Chamber Luncheon >>> July 7 -Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Salute to the Military featuring General Douglas M. Fraser, Commander of US Southern Command, at Jungle Island Ballroom, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, 11:30am to 1:30pm.
>>> WEDNESDAY, JULY 7TH – Meet Your Municipal Candidates for Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest -Business After Hours, Chamber South – South Dade Office, 900 Perrine Avenue, 5:30-7:00pm
>>> WEDNESDAY, JULY 14TH – Meet Your Judicial Candidates Network Luncheon, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 5829 SW 73rd Street, 11:45am
>>> WEDNESDAY, JULY 28TH -Meet Your County Commission Candidates for District 8 and District 10, General Membership Breakfast, Miami Marriott Dadeland, 9100 South Dadeland Boulevard, 7:15am
EDITORIALS
>>> PAST WDR: Aug.2008: South Florida is the graduate school of all types of fraud, but it is all our money and justifies national leaders cutting our rightful share
Readers over the years have asked me why I have written so much about fraud and all its many permutations and the corrosive effect it has on each of us and our community as a whole. Jay Weaver, the lead investigative reporter on the recent series done by The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com on Medicare and Medicaid fraud highlighted the aggregate scope of the problem that broke the $1 billion mark after just over 12 months and was first reported in the Watchdog Report months ago. Mortgage fraud has also been a premier industry in south Florida and around the nation and that has hollowed out one of the nation’s peoples most valued assets, their homes.
Local U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta told the Watchdog Report months ago when I asked if we had become the “graduate school” for such activity. He reluctantly and sadly said yes the community was such a place where certain dishonest skills were honed and the fraud across the board was endemic. I thought about this fact when I waited in line at the post office in March with my 2007 tax return when a lady turned around and said “Oh its that time of the year” and I wondered if she even planned to file her taxes given her nonchalant nature about the issue. People have to realize that this is someone’s money and it is yours if you pay taxes and are a responsible public person and when others cheat or game the system. It affects all of us and with public monies becoming hard to come by. Efforts should be stepped up to fight fraud for this is one talent we do not want to be number one in when it comes to south Florida and only gives further ammunition to the regions critics to prohibit federal and state funding coming down. For it seems too many outsiders that we just burn this public money up through all these scams, and in the long run, that is not a good thing at all for any of us.
>>> PAST WDR: JULY 4, 2004: Miami is the king of public real-estate bait & switch
Miami Herald reporter Beth Dunlop in the paper’s ‘Tropical Life’ section today hit the nail on the head when she criticized the proposed Island Gardens Project on Watson Island. The project has exploded in size to two high towers and a mega marina but when the state deeded the land to the city of Miami years ago, it was not for commercial use but the public. However, the City of Miami has become the king of the bait and switch maneuver when it comes to the selling of public land and under the guise of voter approval; this project continues to morph into a behemoth project.
What is sad about this whole affair is it continues the tradition of the state ceding land to the city with a public purpose in mind and then having that mandate changed. Another poster child of a broken city promise was when Florida allowed Miami to create Bayside Market on the waterfront but that was predicated on the city buying the land next to the Barnacle in Coconut Grove that divided the historic home and grounds and a third parcel, Peacock Park. Instead, after years of inaction by city commissioners, especially by former Commissioner J.L. Plummer, in the late 1990’s it was developed into the high-end mansions called the Cloisters. This development forever ended the possibility of a small central park in the village. The only consolation local residents have is that every rock concert held at Peacock Park must drive the Cloisters residents nuts and it is not much but every Twisted Sister concert is at least something.
Miami’s elected leaders now have the vision to proclaim that a master plan must be done for the city, though in many respects, it will be too late and much of the choice real estate has already been developed in Miami’s usual haphazard way. Dunlop ends her piece calling for Miamians to realize the travesty this new project is and her call will probable fall on deaf ears but she is right. Residents of Miami must look deep inside their selves, ask is concrete, and high rise towers all we want and its attendant quality of life. Alternatively, do the city’s residents desire some place to take their families to enjoy the water and green that should make south Florida the jewel it could be? Watson Island development is on autopilot and once done, public access in a meaningful way will forever be lost and that is Miami’s shame. For the ultimate disgrace is that we sell out so cheaply our natural public resources, never considering there value to the public in the future and for generations to come.
LETTERS
>>> Hope you are well. Just a as a point of reference, according to the Miami-Dade County Attorney, I am not termed out. I am just not reapplying. See you this afternoon.
Rosy Cancela
Trustee,
Miami-Dade County Public Health Trust
>>> With the city of Miami finances where they are, isn’t it curious that Chief Miguel Exposito could bring Rich Blom back after retirement with an increase of $40,000 and the person Blom brought in from the school board police also got a $40,000 increase?
A.W.
>>> HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Don Slesnick, II
Mayor
City of Coral Gables
>>> You do incredible work. I am so proud that we have someone in South Florida who does what you do. Best Citizen indeed. Thank you.
Alex Bana
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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you. The Watchdog Report is in the fourth year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 250 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events. The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.
LETTER POLICY
I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report. Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request towatchdogreport1@earthlink.net
Daniel A. Ricker
Publisher & Editor
Watchdog Report
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2010, Daniel A. Ricker
>>> Watchdog Report is expanding as a new service and this content is now available to other news media, no longer exclusive to The Miami Herald
The Watchdog Report is no longer exclusively with The Miami Herald, and excluding the one story a week that is printed in the paper on Monday in the Metro & State section by me. The rest of the 20 or so news stories weekly sent out Sunday in the Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me. The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact. If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.
>>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.
>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years.
Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS
Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED — Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed.
>>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times —The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html
From the spring of 2003: U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources
Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride.
Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance —ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Columnwww.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg TimesColumn www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter –www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/dan_ricker/ >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.
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