Watchdog Report Vol.20 No.19 August 30, 2020 EST:05.05.00 Celebrating 20 years of Virtual watching of your government – A community education resource
>>> Mayoral candidates should donate excess campaign funds to 2020 get counted outreach groups since under count seems to be looming
With Miami-Dade County having a low 2020 Census response rate 59 percent compared to the rest of the nation at 62.1 percent on July 14, 2020.
This undercount is why I started the WDR back in 2000 when people had their dog chase enumerators and only saw people from the government not the commerce department after the extraction of the young Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez inflamed the community and the undercount was significant and cost us millions in federal dollars versus over states that had a much higher count percentage than locally. This undercount stayed with us all decade as hospitals were overwhelmed with uninsured patients and Jackson Health System giving some $400,000 million in indigent care.
The correct count Census undercount back in 2010 cost the city of Miami some $81 million and perhaps some congressional redistricting. Further the commerce department is reducing the time to count to Sept 30th and we as a community must go into overdrive, despite COVID-19, the presidential election, and other issues. the report is slightly dated
I am still having a medical issue with my eye which is why the report is slightly dated and to support the WDR go to I hope it will be cured in a couple of days.
>>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check, send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to: 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you
>>>>> Mayoral candidates should consider donating some of the $13 million campaign raised to Census outreach organizations since the deadline is now Sept..30 and is a month shorter than expected, Miami lost $82 million in 2010 undercount, says Mayor Francis Suarez, whose father’s political career is over after gaining only 10 percent of the county wide vote in his bid for county mayor.
With the finalists of the Miami-Dade County mayoral race decided $13 million in campaign financing can’t buy voter love with Suarez out, Pinellas out, and only Bovo and Levine Cava standing to Nov.3 general election, a blue and red battle even in a bipartisan race
Estephan “Steve Bovo” essentially tied with Levine-Cava and he calls himself a true conservative and has the support of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. And Cava is a progressive and social worker and the runoff given the presidential election with a huge turnout will be partisan in nature.
However, the Aug.18 primary had a large voter turnout given it was a primary election. But the question is now that state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was reelected will she and her attorneys pour over the newly elected campaign accounts and see the many https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/miami-dade-could-have-historic-election-for-women-in-19th-amendments-centennial-year/ar-BB178uzt The state attorney has the reputation of giving politicians a break since the office is elected countywide and she is hesitant to prosecute some leaders. She also on her gift disclosure one year listed free tickets to a Miami Heat playoff game given by a prominent county lobbyist. She notes she is one of the few leaders that list these gifts, which is true.
Raquel Regalado who ran her dad’s campaign and treasurer had a number of election violations but was given a pass given the statute of limitations and was dropped at a time the city was in the process of naming a street after the 27-year prosecutor and her father Tomas was mayor.
Raquel Regalado is facing former state legislator and Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner and one ad highlighted was how she lost her temper at a council meeting that was ineffective, and Lerner got 40 percent to Regalado’s 37 percent.
>>>> The leadership On the PHT trust board has changed since Chairman Joe Arriola was termed out and he did not receive a waiver from the county commission. The new Chair is William J. Heffernan and the Vice Chair is Dr. Walter T. Richardson. The other trustees on the seven-member trust are Laurie Nuell, Secretary, Carmen Sabater, Treasurer. Nicholas X. Duran, Amadeo Lopez-Castro, III, and Tony Argiz.
Here is the JHS budget for the coming year
What about the FBI SAC?
FBI Special Agent in Charge George Pino is back in town after a few years in Washington D.C. and had been the SAC in Miami a few years ago and he followed John Gillies in the Miami office.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/george-piro-named-special-agent-in-charge-of-the-miami-field-office
The County’s upcoming $9 billion budget that has a $5.73 billion operating budget is having its public hearing on Thursday, Sept 3, 2020 at 5:01 virtually at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center. To see the budget go to www.miamidade.gov/budget
>>> Candidates are rare at early voting sites; mayoral campaign money tops $12 million are candidates for sale? A lot of money will it be lobbyist heaven at county?
During this past week I have been going to county early voting sites and on Thursday at the Westchester Regional Library I saw many campaign supporters not wearing masks when they huddled together in a scrum.
For that reason I spent Saturday going to the regional voting site again and now everyone was masked but social distancing went by the wayside and last week I was concerned these actions might become community spreader events and candidates should make sure there supporters follow good public health guidelines.
However, finding actual candidates is as rare as a Florida panther sighting and the only mayoral candidate at the regional facility was county commissioner Estephan “Steve” Bovo, Jr. with mask. However, the mayoral campaigns are getting ugly and a campaign flyer I got had Bovo and Xavier Suarez detailed as “two peas in a pod,” since both had faced calls of ballot fraud in past elections.
What is mind boggling is that $12 million has been raised by the candidate field and could portend more corruption and while Alex Penelas says he cleaned up the Port of Miami is was the corrupt Carmen Lunetta. Here is a link to remind you of the port corruption federal trial that I attended back then because commissioners were using it as a piggy bank for special projects and millions flowed to politicians back in 1999.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/the-man-who-caught-carmen-6360609
With the primary election Tuesday voters should expect run-off races since a candidate has to get over 50 percent or a small percent over the other candidates and no one candidate is polling in a decisive way from county commission races, to state attorney and candidates making this cut off are many.
However, with COVID voters are not seeing candidates put in the work, instead they are using television ad flyers and the WDR expects some of the candidates to win rather than earn it. Legacy candidates are abounding, and many use their political position to supplement their lifestyle or use family issues to justify making errors on campaign financial disclosures. One of the common traits is to call opponents communists or socialists and ethnic attacks are abounding leading up to Tuesday.
Here are the county campaign reports for mayor and all candidates: A unbelievable
Amount check it out https://www.voterfocus.com/CampaignFinance/candidate_pr.php?c=miamidade&c=miamidade
What about voter turnout?
Voting by mail is immensely popular and some 90 percent cast are by that method. In my case I cast my ballot by hand dropping it off at an early voting sites ballot box and voter enthusiasm is high given the many municipal elections including school board races. However, with the election Tuesday I think several incumbents and perennial candidates are going to lose some of these races and voters question the concept of political dynasties. Since voting I have had regrets since I learned some new things and is why so many people vote traditionally on election day.
What about deputy mayor Jennifer Moon?
Municipal mayors are carping they are not receiving their due of federal Care Act funding some $474 million in federal relief funding and they are going after deputy mayor Jennifer moon one of the most competent county employees when it comes to county money and understands the 77 streams of county funding some $9 billion. She is sticking to her guns and not allowing this money to be used as a slush fund for municipalities. She recently said that in fact “she had not received information [required] from a handful of cities,” she told commissioners. Moon who balances her own checkbook monthly is unfairly being attacked since any irregularities in how the money is being spent is the county’s liability and is why the budget department has set aside $35 million in reserves and with a Sept.30 timeline for the funds to be expanded that includes $108 million for basic needs $50 million for economic stimulus and $60 million for public health she told commissioners in a presentation Tuesday. Moon’s Management and Budget Office is one of the most complex and professional in the 27,000-employee county.
Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo even took a shot Thursday at the county. He suggested the way some of these funds are being used for pollical reasons by county officials running for office. He notes if Miami commissioners had used “these public dollars in such a way,” there would be a “demand for investigations that would be non-stop.” He carped “its people’s money.” He suggests and he is “seeing more and more by the county and it is really shocking,” and the county ‘is trying to undermine Mayor Francis Suarez and the majority of us.” He said that includes “even attacking are families,” he charged. At the commission meeting
What about all the virtual zoom meetings?
The two-dimensional zoom meetings and decisions need to be reviewed after the pandemic is over some suggest in two years for the present system is ripe for corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse and individually the FBI just busted a fraud scheme
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/three-south-florida-residents-who-participated-24-million-covid-relief-fraud-scheme And here is another fraud scheme busted https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/florida-man-charged-miami-federal-court-submitting-fraudulent-claims-unemployment
What about Ricky Arriola
Miami Beach commissioner Ricky Arriola has caused a controversy on the use of some drugs that may help with COVID patients. He also goes after FIU infectious disease specialist Dr. Aileen Marty suggesting she just wants a television show.
However, Arriola who has an MBA from Harvard does not seem to realize the years of study for a physician and contrasts with his father Joe who chairs the public health trust seven-member board.
The son wants to open up businesses on the Beach but doesn’t seem to realize the current CDC guidelines are finally starting to flatten the curve something that should have been in place from the very beginning because as my father Arthur J. Ricker, M.D., said you were either a physician or you’re not given the years of study and Dr. Marty is doing a yeoman’s job given the volume of patients and the taxing of are medical resources and staff. Thank God are local health systems are working together on this.
Something back in 2,000 was not happening when Miami-Dade had almost 100,000 people without health insurance inundating hospitals. For the current state go to https://caringforsouthflorida.org/ for more go to:https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/commissioner-says-local-democrats-wont-stop-him-from-tweeting-about-hydroxychloroquine/ar-BB17VYKe?ocid=uxbndlbing >> https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/08/11/social-media-posts-by-miami-beach-commissioner-ricky-arriola-push-controversial-takes-on-covid-19/
What about Dr Lawrence Feldman?
https://floridianpress.com/2020/07/justin-koren-appears-to-move-in-with-grandma-to-run-for-office/
Dr. Lawrence Feldman is leaving the school board but there is a question if he actually lives in the District 9, seat and the man on Wednesday at the school board meeting made a big deal of “130 schools having no audit exceptions,” and is a real feat he said.
Feldman essentially told the media when it came to his residency that it was no one’s busines where he sleeps but blogger Elaine Del Valle did a great analysis of where Feldman lives. Here is that story: https://www.politicalcortadito.com/2020/07/15/shameless-nancy-lawther-lies-stays-mum-on-mentors-fake-residence/
And here is his bio:
http://district9.dadeschools.net/biography.html
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>>Press release: Miami-Dade County is partnering with United Way of Miami-Dade to provide short-term assistance for basic living expenses through The Miami-Dade Pandemic Assistance Program.
The program aims to provide hard-working individuals and families with assistance for necessities such as food, utilities, childcare, medical expenses, and rental assistance, among others. If you have experienced a significant loss of income, become unemployed, underemployed and/or experienced unexpected expenses as a result of COVID-19 and are a resident of Miami-Dade County, you can apply for assistance by visiting: https://apply.unitedwaymiami.org/submit.
For further information and assistance, residents may call 305-646-7068.
Complete Your 2020 Census time is running out Sept 30th
The deadline to complete the 2020 Census is Wednesday, September 30, which means we have less than 60 days to #MakeMiamiCount!
Miami, we need your help. We are asking you to complete the U.S. Census as soon as possible. As a reminder, everyone in your household counts. Remember – your data is kept safe and your answers cannot be used against you by any federal agency or court.
We need to get this message across so Miami can secure the maximum amount of federal funding to improve our schools, hospitals, fire stations and communities.
Stand up and be counted by visiting www.2020census.gov today. Time is running out for you to respond to the 2020 Census!
Let us do our part, Miami!
Watch Here: Time Is Running Out, Miami
Watch Here: How to Complete the 2020 Census
Press release: Dear Friends:
Soon the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse will open to the public with new exhibitions. We are glad our exhibitions over the past twenty-one years have helped emerging artists with exposure in the International art world.
Artists are especially important to us. We are living through challenging times, uniquely difficult for emerging artists. This summer we dedicated ourselves to do what we can to help. We are shipping close to four hundred works of art to nonprofit organizations who offer much needed support to artists. The original purchase prices of the Artworks total over one million dollars. Each organization will determine a price and then auction these Artworks to raise vital funds which will help ensure future support and programming for artists. 100% of the proceeds will go to each institution.
The institutions include:
Locust Projects, Miami, FL (visual art)Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL (visual art)
Abrons Art Center, Henry Street Settlement (visual + performing arts)
Artists Space (visual art)
ArtsConnection (visual art)
Brooklyn Academy of Music (music)
Museum of the City of New York (visual art)
New York Live Arts, Bill T. Jones (dance)
Residency Unlimited (visual art)
Swiss Institute (visual art)
Tickle the Sleeping Giant, Trajal Harrell (dance)
We look forward to seeing you soon. We have exciting new exhibitions to share with our international audience.
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
591 NW 27th Street
Miami, FL 33127
Further, I was there when his father was briefly a mayor again until a judge nullified the election because of voter irregularities and Manny Yip voting even thought he had died. Suarez the senior was not charged but why would his son want to bring attention to his finances in the middle of a countywide race where voters hope his dad is “stable” after he earned the moniker “mayor Loco,” for some of the outlandish things he did as mayor and it took years and his son to rehabilitate his political reputation and his son could have run as Xavier but ran as Francis he once told the watchdogreport. The issue of outside income can be a political minefield and has caught up many wayward politicians and the ethics commission should review these documents because some are so blatant in their omissions.
What about Suarez campaign for mayor?
Xavier Suarez a former Miami mayor that got the moniker “mayor loco, “after he visited the home of a women who wrote him a critical letter. He also went through 10 possible managers including Frank Rollason back then that included a judge ruling a mayoral election was invalid after widespread voter fraud was found though Suarez was not implicated. He is running as an independent, even though years ago he tried to become the Republican Party chairman but lost to Mary Ellen Miller, and while his son Francis the Miami mayor is trying to keep his distance believing a countywide race is no easy contest. Here is the list of mayoral candidates and the hefty fundraising numbers by the candidates which is a bit worrisome. Editor’s note: his campaign is not very visible and has the attitude he will win despite the polls.
Editor’s note: I am dealing with some eye issue. Further, I got a campaign flyer for Azhar’s Oriental Rugs, but on the backside is a political ad for commission Dist-7 candidate Michael Rosenberg one of the Pet Trust leaders and lived three days in an animal cell to make his point. he is a neophyte politically and is trying a grassroots campaign, but the campaign flyer is odd.
>>> COVID infections rise could be predicted after lax enforcement during lockdown seen, In Miami-Dade that elected leaders ignored non-compliance,( now a $100.00 civil fine), and ordering masks be worn were not enforced hospitals losing patient capacity, we’re lucky we have health systems that can handle the staggering new cases causing exhaustion of healthcare workers. Finally, a civil fine a host of county departments personnel involved, should help flatten the curve, but was it too late as numbers continue to surge.
With COVID admissions rising at an unprecedented rate. It is clear the lockdown was not long enough and during that time with no enforcement the virus spread like wild fire and it was obvious to all that the CDC guidelines were being ignored by a broad segment of south Florida residents seen hanging together with no masks and not social distancing and because of this past lack of enforcement we may need another shutdown as these numbers surge to a point of potentially no return. Here is an update what Baptist Health is facing under this new on slot of patients and the public JHS.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article244122857.html
Also, the county police are now get involved and people can get a $100.00 civil fine if not wearing a mask. However people are still having COVID parties and more public personalities need to do public service ads that this is serious and is the only way the community as a whole can return to some amount of normalcy and will assist in getting the schools open in a community that is testing at some 26.3 percent with the virus said JHS CEO Carlos Migoya at a commission meeting last week discussing the virus.
What about mayoral candidate Alex Penelas?
He is a “liberal,” states a campaign hit piece attacking former county mayor Alex Penelas. Penelas who has a huge campaign war chest is a chameleon politician and while being blamed for the half-cent-sales tax back in 2002 that was over promised to county wide voters after the commission tapped into the funding for various exemptions including members of the military and elderly. Further, back in 1999 he appeared on a Spanish show that featured a performer wearing black face during the show and was offensive to many Blacks at the time.
What about the Penelas attempt to get a one-cent sales tax approved?
Further, People forget back in 1999 that Penelas supported a full cent sales tax but that was odd. Since it was on the ballot on an obscure late July ballot day when few people were in town and commissioners discussed how putting the item on such an obscure date. It had a better chance to pass. However, it failed 2/1 after Norman Brahman ran one ad against it pointing out how sneaky it was of the county to have it on such a date.
Further, people forget about the Miami Herald Series “The wheel of Fortune series,” detailing how friends of Penelas got favored contracts at MIA and many are contributing to the Penelas campaign. It was under Penelas that the county really exploded in the need for a lobbyist if a company wanted a county contract. Further, the series by the Herald had community leaders calling for a authority to run MIA, but that effort failed when outsider MIA director Angela Gittens signed a petition and a story appeared in the Herald about her signing and she told commissioners back then that MIA was “lobbyist heaven,” and she was eventually fired as MIA director after drawing the wrath of commissioner Natasha Seijas on the dais.
Further Penelas appointed Steve Shiver as manager after highly respected Merritt Stierheim retired after Penelas won re-election back in 2000 in a tight race against Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, bar owner Jay Love and the voters were divided along ethnic lines with Love getting some 18 percent of the Anglo vote.
Shiver’s assistant manager Tom David’s wife suddenly got a job at JHS in the executive office and I would watch her doing her nails. It was not till later that I learned about the relationship for this cushy job at the health trust.
What about the IRP?
>>> I am one of the few people who used to go to the Independent Review Panel back in 2000 and actually put one of their rulings in my Miami Herald column back then and the body was dissolved during the Great Recession and Tuesday the county commission debated recreating it to monitor and review police actions with the public. Gimenez vetoes it because subpoena power that includes county employees and commissioners, but discussion not over
The panel back then had an executive director Eduardo Diaz, Ph.D. at the panel and the Man’s salary was around $175,000 plus benefits. And an animated debate occurred last week and had Mayor Carlos Gimenez saying the county’s police department’s make-up is like Miami’s demographics. He told commissioners the countywide police were made up of “15,” percent African Americans. Hispanics made up 61 percent of the police force and Anglos came in at 15 percent of the police force. The projected cost of funding the office was estimated to be $7.5 million and that was a concern to commissioner Rebeca Sosa who wondered if the county could use the CIP the city of Miami has to save money since it would come out of the general fund said the mayor. He also noted that while “6,000 signatures were gotten on a petition to create the body. Gimenez said “150,000 signatures were needed to put a question on the county ballot.
Mayor Gimenez vetoes the legislation because of subpoena power inclusion that includes county employees and commissioners
200,000 Miami resident’s driver licenses are suspended
A commission subcommittee discussed the number of people with suspended licenses not for reckless driving but for not paying a fine on time. The county in the course of a year gives out 900,000 tickets and since the clerk’s office is partially funded by these tickets that have a “40 percent surcharge if goes to a collection agency, said judge Steve Leifman at a commission subcommittee on disparity in the community. These unpaid fines turn into felonies that follows a person the rest of their life the jurist noted and with COVID it is clogging up the courts said Leifman. Unfortunately, the only real solution has to be done by the state and legislature re the high fines used to create revenue for the clerk’s office but given Miami drivers many sometimes do not even know they have an outstanding tickets and notification should be required suggested the jurist known for his work on mental health reforms in the 11th judicial circuit.
What about the bike trails at a TPO meeting Friday?
FDOT at a TPO meeting Friday did a presentation on the planned “197 miles of bike,” trails planned and only 3 percent of the lanes will be buffered.
>>> Finally, Trump says wearing mask is OK precaution as COVID cases surge through the south, all government employees must ask people to wear a mask, because not working currently, even in front of Miami city hall Friday, could COVID sound trucks used with hurricanes in neighborhoods increase mask wearing?
Finally, President Trump suggests people wear masks as COVID numbers soar. Since coming out of the clampdown and young people are not getting the message and some are even holding coronavirus parties, helping to cause the spike along with e recent holidays. Editor’s Note: Maybe the county and municipalities should consider using sound trucks urging people to wear masks, it is the law and you can be fined. Because the current system is not getting the compliance, we need to flatten the curve that has a life of its own.
One sees many people in a group sans mask and all government workers need to gently remind people it is a new countywide ordinance and noncompliance only allows COVID (currently 20%) to take a greater hold through community spread. Further many elected leaders wear the mask wrong by not covering their nose which was the case when mayoral candidate Xavier Suarez, giving blood did a television interview and Suarez has a nasal issue since he sniffs a lot when speaking into a microphone.
>> Mayor’s July 1, financial disclosure lists no income as of counsel at law firm, talks about transparency, yet many secrets, may be a one term mayor, father’s county mayoral race may impact his future, see CORRECTION at top
His son Francis the mayor of Miami is also working the media circuit talking about how he was criticized for taking strong measures trying to tamp down the spread of COVID, that needs to be bumped up to the highest level given the rise in positive tests and keeping the community in lockdown will not allow the economy open up. As the community’s financial resources are being stretched to the breaking point and includes the feeding of seniors which will continue but through different organizations, like Catholic Charities.
One example was on Friday at Miami city hall on dinner key that I stop by at almost every day to monitor what is going on and at 2:00 p.m. a group of six young people one with July Fourth bunting on a sash gathered and talked all without masks and a city worker walking by said nothing and it is time to activate every compliance capability we have for today was another increase and when it comes to the public’s medical jewel Jackson Health System. The trust had a “$16 million loss,” in reduction of half-cent-sales taxes collected, CEO Carlos Migoya recently said on WPLG 10 and has 318 COVID patients. He noted many new patients are younger and sicker, and from “lower income areas,” the former banker said, and his team has made JHS one of the finest public hospital systems in the nation undergoing a $830 million bond infrastructure upgrade. For more go to : https://jacksonhealth.org/library/procurement/GOB-Brochure_web.pdf
A “virus looking for a host,” is how many physicians describe COVID-19 and with community spread cases becoming a political issue and is seen nationally where many in leadership are sans masks and the local numbers are staggering and finally some consequences can be applied to unmasked people in public because clearly community spread is causing these new spikes. After the past lockdown. Wear a mask is a must if the community is not to shut down again and ‘we can only end it together,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci recently.
What about the Miami-Dade County hospital systems coalition?
Miami-Dade is lucky to have the array of healthcare facilities and the Miami-Dade County Healthcare Preparedness Coalition shows the breadth of healthcare in the county and these health systems working together in the pandemic are Baptist Health, Nickolas Children’s Hospital Health System, public Jackson Health System that has an affiliation with the University of Miami and U Health and all are working on treatments and research on a possible vaccine. The fact these institutions are working together to overcome this scourge that is also stressing these health facilities staff and finances is encouraging for all of us in this stressful time and everyone’s mental health is put to a test.
Here are the new COVID numbers for Sunday: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243854907.html?utm_medium=push_alert&utm_source=pushly&intcid=%7B%7D
And check out this national story on me that ran in all the Tribune papers back in 2003.
What about the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust?
The trust’s board meeting recently revealed that the organization is dealing with a $1.7 million gap,” after “$7.2 million,” in cuts on its $25.5 million operational budget and since revenues are down since no food and beverage tax collections after the lockdown and the trust has 28 households at the Chapman Homeless Center and another 31 households t another site. As COVID roams freely among the homeless population. Editor’s note: With government budget meetings coming up virtually finance people need to make sure the spreadsheets are easy to read because at the trust it was almost impossible to read the numbers and a larger font size would help.
>>> Mayor Suarez finally orders people to wear masks or be fined should have occurred much sooner given the visible lack of compliance by residents that was readable seen
Recently, Suarez partied in a packed Swan restaurant on Wynwood shaking hands at the bar and no social distancing as he tells the media and public his decisions are based on science and public health data. Suarez, who speaks on the city’s cable station about the need he believes residents to obey the guidelines set by the CDC but when you are in the public eye. Actions speak louder than words…. And a photo of him with others not wearing masks has gone viral and could end any political future for him because hypocrites after COVID will be seen just as an empty suit by many and is a sad example for the public.
And with his father running for county mayor this is not good and suggests the two only want power not realizing that some one’s actions are important. This kind of behavior does not foster public faith in the man who has been nurtured by his father and the Cuban community, being the son of the first Cuban Mayor Xavier Suarez and. Also, he was interviewed today at 2:00 on MBC and he said a “crackdown of enforcement,” is being contemplated after the bar restaurant he was at was later shut down by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
>>> The road of death Krome Ave. getting $260 million widening and truck bypass funded by FDOT 18 vehicular homicides in 2018
An 86-mile strip of road in west Dade Krome Ave., that has had dozens of people die in car crashes has been undergoing a $260 million transformation. FDOT on Thursday told the county’s Transportation Planning Board the project is moving quickly and includes a truck bypass, bike, pedestrian lanes, and audible vibration slowing ridges. The project was first pushed back in 2014 and is desperately needed as the number of grieving mothers has only increased and in 2018. There were “18” vehicular deaths and commissioner Dennis Moss praised FDOT for the good job they’re doing on the project noting that commissioners in the past had carped about FDOTs slowness see eighth street construction in Miami that is taking forever. Here is just one of the tragedieshttps://miami.cbslocal.com/video/2926964-three-people-dead-in-fiery-crash-on-krome-avenue/
Moss termed out has qualified as a candidate for school board District 09 seeking to be a board member. Moss was honored for his pushing the South Dade Cultural Arts Center being built and is extremely popular with the residents in the south Dade.
JHS CEO Migoya tells Gov. De Santis has 150 COVID patients and ICU capacity, has been working with other health systems to tamp down infections
Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya at a press conference at FIU with Gov. Ron DeSanto’s. He told the governor that the health system was liaising with all the county’s hospitals. He noted Jackson Friday had “150 COVID,” patients and there was capacity in the ICU he told the governor.
>>> U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Ballart, R-Miami, was reelected unopposed recently after the deadline passed. The man is a policy and transportation maven in the congress and along with the rest of the south Florida congressional delegation all support passing some DACA legislation after the recent supreme court ruling blocking a presidential executive order as wrong.
Diaz- Balart first went to congress after the 2000 census created a new house district and the former state legislator has a sprawling district.
>>>> Baptist Health South Florida is teaming up with Goodwill industries to create hospital care-kits to prevent COVID-19 and the to see a show on the subject go to:
https://wsvn.com/news/local/baptist-health-teams-up-with-goodwill-to-create-hospital-care-kits-to-prevent-covid-19/ https://www.goodwill.org/
>>> Here is a candidate list of people running for office and their fundraising numbers
https://www.voterfocus.com/CampaignFinance/candidate_pr.php?c=miamidade&c=miamidade
>>> Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss, termed out on the body has qualified as a candidate for the county schoolboard District 09 seat
With elected leaders discussing whether to bring back a Independent Review Panel at the county disbanded after the financial meltdown and people are looking at the City of Miami’s Civilian Investigative Panel as a model after voters created it in 2002.I looked at who’s on it. And it lists something perplexing the executive director Christina Beamud and the panel’s chair Eileen Damaso list the exact same condo address 9705 S.W. 1st street unit #305http://miamifl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Board http://miamifl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Board
>>>>Miami-Dade County supplied the elderly with 2.4 million meals after community centers closed because of COVID-19, shows how dependent are seniors are as the pandemic continues and is costing millions to keep most vulnerable alive. However can this level of funding be sustained as food lines continue and could the $20 million slated for the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse be diverted to feed the needy, yes its bond money but feeding people in this emergency climate would only result in a SEC fine also Joe Adler’s death adds to the issue. Further, people forget a poison pill was added to the state contract that the theater had to be operating by 2021 or it would revert to the state and become “surplus property.”
>>> The Watchdog Report must raise money and I will return next week and to my supporters thank you for your past support. Further Zoom meetings are showing what a two-dimension binary political life looks like and there is little nuance on many hot button issues facing governments from the halls of the senate to the county commission.
A controversial meals contract that went to a Broward company that supplied some 2.4 million meals got a clean bill of health by the county’s OIG. Here is the report
https://www.miamidadeig.org/resources-oig/pdf/Reports2020/2020-05-01-meal-services-ig20-00008-o.pdf
>>> Jackson has first monthly $32 million loss in April as elective surgery is banned
The Jackson Health System for the first time in months in April after elective surgeries were stopped the public health system lost $32 million and has 52 days cash on hand and since the ban on elective surgery is lifted the health trust should begin bouncing back that includes a line of credit with the county
Will the Genting monorail deal doom mayor Carlos Gimenez’s (Net $1.947 million in 2019 congressional race, given cast of characters, Raphael Garcia Toledo has long been on the WDR radar since deal for bleachers at Crandon park and his ex-wife Vickey an attorney that treats the Miami Commission chamber likes she is in her living room and once went into the staff area that I call the forbidden zone
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article243104841.html
>>>> Since 2002 2,700 synchronized traffic lights technology on pause, new $152 million contract to Siemens saves $160 million top county lobbyist’s battle it out passes 4/8, eight lobbyist involved in process, Bovo calls it a “food fight,” one of the problems with county procurement
Since 2002 the public has been promised synchronized traffic lights contract some 3,000 of them was finally achieved Tuesday. When county commissioners voted 8 to 4 to go with the Siemens $152 million Bid versus Horsepower a politically connected company in Hialeah where a $160 million saving variance existed. and had two of the top county lobbyist facing off former commission chair and state senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla representing Siemens and his foe was former state representative Miguel De Grandy who once lost an election by one vote and was instrumental in creating the county’s Domestic Violence Board in the state capita and both are Republicans.
Commissioner Estephan “Steve ”Bovo, Jr, who calls these bid disputes a commission “food fight,” and is running for county mayor in November along with commissioner Xavier Suarez a former Miami mayor in the political wastelands for years and tried once to be chair of the Miami-Dade Republican Party and during this discussion. Suarez suggested that because of COVID “people are using cars less and suggested we “could go to free public transit,” he considered. That comment had Bovo ask when “Suarez had become Bernie Sanders.” Suarez also suggested the county just “do sealed bids open in the public like was done years ago in Miami, he suggested and would eliminate the need for “special masters.”
However, the argument was a hearing examiner comments that the awarding was “capricious and arbitrary,” which mayor Carlos Gimenez “disagreed with,” the findings and wanted the savings of the lower bid that has no “change orders, and the contract was approved 5/4 finally.
>>> People are not wearing masks and government needs to do verbal warnings if the re-opening is to be successful or possible a small fine for, I am seeing little compliance
What about HUD SEC Carson was recently here honoring the homeless trust for ending veteran homelessness, the Miami mayor gave him a key to the city but the young man needs to work harder on policy and knowing what is going on given the e tension on the commission re the homeless issue and the county’s homeless trust
City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez can never get a break when on Friday he gave HUD Sec. Dr. Ben Carson a key to the city. Carson was last here was celebrating the Miami-Dade County’s achievement of having no more homeless veterans on the streets and was a major trust achievement. However, I am sure he missed that even though the commission and the homeless in Miami have been a hot topic. Suarez who recently hired a communications person and a host of staff needs to focus on his job in this new age and the new negotiations with the Mas brothers after a Thursday meeting had ex commissioner Marc Sarnoff ( legal fees are over $500,000), leaving city hall with head down while he got into his Porsche SUV with a funky hat on the dashboard. Here is the zoom meeting of the trust executive committee meeting:https://miamidade.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=6043&fbclid=IwAR0NYWhqi-tJohF6Nsooobmbl1IlwCi5yc3rzUehr6nmpN7GXVZDMgWG_Vs#.XslHNUr5HIM.facebook
At a Miami-Dade County commission meeting recently commissioner Estephan “Steve” Bovo, Jr. and head’s up the 2020 Census task force told his peers some of the response rates among the county’s 34 municipalities and Aventura is doing terrible re the census count coming in at some “41 percent” response rate and Miami Beach is tracking at 33 percent response rate said Bovo one of the county mayoral candidates. He said Florida is tracking at a 54.3 percent response rate and the county is tracking at 50.9 percent now that the count is going off pause. Palmetto Bay is doing very well coming in at 69.3 percent said Bovo.
Further, in the 1950s having fuzzy dice hanging on your rearview mirror was common but in today’s world it is a surgical mask and whether to wear one or not has become a political statement and the issue of enforcement is looming if we are to tamp down this relentless virus.
>>> The Miami Commission held a special commission meeting Thursday to review how the Miami. Dade county Homeless Trust utilizes its some $67 million budget and how it is dealing with the COVID-19 homeless on the streets.
Miami 25-years ago had some 10,000 homeless in Miami and even had a mayor before the trust was created. Currently there are some 1,000 homeless on the street. However this meeting and participants were able to explain about the lack of accurate information out in the community and Commissioner Manalo Reyes in particular was not well informed and for many homeless there is “housing resistance,” even when there are rooms available and is a daunting problem.
Why are there so many trust’s in Miami? Trusts from the Public Health Trust or Miami Bayfront Park Trust?
The many trusts were created usually After a scandal and was a way to lesson public officials’ interference which back in 2000. Commissioners at the county transferred some $70 million in county expenses for medical care in the jails into the trust at a time it was hemorrhaging money because of the millions in charity care.
Further, while in this new normal my reports will be shorter since I am still weak and occasionally achy.
>>>> Celebrating 20-years of weekly publishing and I thank all my past supporters this Platinum Anniversary
Twenty years ago this Tuesday I started the Watchdog Report as a weekly report every Sunday, unless I had technical computer issue or was sick since I had two significant health issues during those years and while we are facing a new challenge COVID-19. My goal was to get these major public institutions to know what they were doing since they were like ships at sea and not communicating with each other and wasting money with a ground swell of corruption and scandal thrown in.
However, given the circumstances the saving of precious tax dollars is even more imperative, and some elected leaders are not handling the crisis well. Further, Miamians are not following social distancing and are rarely wearing masks and becomes a new aspiration, “like stopping at a stop sign or paying all your taxes,” said U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz when she was sentencing the de Cespedes brothers for Medicare fraud and years ago ears I attended the Miami-Dade County Commissioner’s James Burke corruption trial and so much more especially when one uses their own money. I would arrive early and stay late and knew where there was free food at public meetings, and I wrote a story on eating my way through government.
Further, had the little Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez not arrived I would not be doing this for a turning point was seeing a photo in The Miami Herald with homestead residents with confederate flags and African Americans shouting F…k the Cubans,” and we as a community had crossed a line that included the 1994 English in government only ordinance passed and rescinded later in the decade but it split the different ethnic groups like never before and reporter Vanessa Garcia wrote a great piece on how the media covered the story.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/the-story-of-elian-gonzalez-20-years-later-11625579
A Miami commission meeting reminded me of why I started the WDR back in 2000. The meeting went off the rails when Super Bowl host Committee Chair Rodney Barreto had a public appearance scheduled on the agenda. Barreto and Carollo have had a beef since 1995. When the man a major political fundraised ran five parking lots round the old Miami Arena of which Carollo through code enforcement had three closed by the city, had Chris Korge fired as a capital lobbyist and was an enemy of then commissioner Victor De Yurre. Carollo called Barreto’s partners the “three amigos,” they were former Alex Penelas chief of staff Brian May, Barreto and Courtney Cunningham and the three were major democratic party fundraisers including the mayor. However, Carollo also had a beef with county mayor Stephen P. Clark who was a close Barreto ally.
With Korge hosting President Bill Clinton who was vilified locally after the young Cuban Boy Elian Gonzalez was returned to Cuba with his father and ripped the community apart along ethnic lines partially hyped by Carollo on the Spanish airwaves. On Thursday Miami Clerk said he was trying to schedule a Jan.17 commission meeting and the 58-page agenda that got spiked last week will be addressed.
Editorial: When to start the economy is the proverbial rolling the dice (let’s hope it’s not snake eyes) and while people are demonstrating at government capitals and the Don’t Tread on Me flags are being flown at rallies and yes the nation is antsy. But now more than ever are we needing our public institutions and all the people working the service industries have risen in esteem with the public and let’s hope it makes us a nicer friendlier society as many will be touched by the COVID-19 death toll and it is a tough bug at 68 and I had a mild version but it resurfaces like last Sunday when aches and lower back pain laid me low and I still not had fevers and people are trying to determine if immunity is granted or can be reacquired.
Further, politicians need to be careful when talking about COVID-19 that had Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo Thursday say he found there were “32 permutations of the evolving virus,” a slight exaggeration since it consist of some 5 families of this type of virus.
MY dad Arthur J. Ricker, M.D. used to say, “You are either a physician or you’re not,”
and was not something you could say which is legal in Florida until you do
something clinical but in Miami I have heard people say they were when chatting up a
woman generally
The good news is social distancing is working, something that the nation did not know with new cases down but deaths for the vulnerable Americans are slowing but have taken a great human toll. The term thinning out the boomers is a new catch phrase ( being promoted by people who want to open the nation before testing is more prevalent) and makes me wonder why so many millennials still gather in groups many times on bicycles and why their generation’s death rate is lower.
What about Arriola and the PHT?
PHT Chairman Joe Arriola is termed out and the Watchdog Report recommends the Board of County Commissioners waive this requirement given the state of the community. Arriola is in some ways is Miami’s Trump after selling his printing business for over $100 million and has been extensively on Spanish radio and television trying to reassure the public that JHS would be there for them even in these tough times. What is ironic is that Arriola is the only person to strike me on the head like a father would at a public meeting and Commissioner Rebeca Sosa after his nominating council interview along with Commissioner Bruno Barreiro voted no to keep him off the larger trust board that was reduced to 7 trustees. However, he has mellowed thought he still teases one senior member of the Carlos Migoya administration for his short stature though the man attended a top university. The other incumbents up are all moving forward and should be retained until the crisis is over
What about the homeless Trust?
Friday the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust held a very depressing virtual meeting and the needs are outstripping the funding. Further, if the homeless were put in vacant hotel rooms and these staff members under CDC guidelines would have to be tested and staff said some 40 percent of homeless are asymptotic I Asked long time chairman Ron Book about the meeting and he wrote back:
“Thanks, and it was a depressing meeting today. It was just painful for me as every day has been. As each day passes, we simply get more challenges. I have been going at its night and day and day and night as has my team. To say that Trust work is eating up 12 to 14 hours out of every day, including Saturdays and Sundays, would not be inaccurate. But this is the time to lead and that is why I am here, and I am supposed to do what I am doing. I am just hopeful that we have seen the worst of it. The Knight Foundation was mentioned at the trust meeting, and I asked Book about that help. He wrote back “As for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, I’m sure they help my partners at Chapman. but if they do for Chapman, it is the equivalent of doing for us., wrote Book. Thank you for your help.
Here are needs during this pandemic
What is the story with the bursting county water and sewer pipes?
The county’s water and sewer department are studying why “older pipes are doing better than newer pipes,” said the director at an infrastructure committee mating. He noted “50 percent of pipe breaks,” are the result of contractors. Further the “county does not know where all its pipes are,” and contractors only pay a $500.00 fine, said the director
>>>The search for a new president of MDC is on hold to ov.17, see the announcement:
https://www.mdc.edu/presidential-search/
Opening the nation early?
May you and your family have a safe and reflective week while the globe tries to work through this new normal that has killed some 100,000 people around the planet. I currently have a mild case of Covid -19, (no fever but a wet cough and a little tired along with pink eye) and that could help you diagnose if you also have contracted it. As well as the CDC at www.cdc.gov with the symptoms. Further, I had the symptoms over a month ago but still have fatigue, GI issues, aches, and pains and in general feel off.
Further, local government are having meetings virtually and while not perfect given the circumstances elected leaders appear more somber given the dramatic financial reductions of revenues and while Miami-Dade has 34 municipalities, it is the county that is the big challenge with some 22 billion in bond debt (an estimate) and some $1million a day in debt payments for the MIA bonds (now a ghost town) after the forever $6.2 billion MIA expansion started in the mid-1990s and almost killed MIA director Jose Abreu, who once said “I am out of gas,” after county commissioners pounded him verbally and he was trying to clear up past mistakes, that were overruns in the millions.
Further, the nation is seeing the important work of first responders, nurses, and physicians and when this health disaster is over many of these hard-working people will need some PTSD treatments given these professionals unable to wind down after their shift. However, the lack of PPE is unacceptable and clearly the national emergency stockpile of protective gear was inadequate and needs to be beefed up. “Social distancing is the new watchword,” and “shelter in place,” fist conceived in the 1950’s during the cold war on Civil Defense and included the jingle when you see the flash duck and cover. But with an aggressive virus keep your distance and face covered is the new fashion trend. While the county’s Homeless Trust is dipping into it reserves The trust chirr Ron Book is trying to get tests to the Chapman homeless Assistance Center that a few weeks ago had no one testing positive yet at the facility said the organization’s CEO but that may have changed since.
Also with collapse of the American economy the printed media is under the gun and The Miami Herald is fighting to continue and while many people complain about the paper The loss of this tremendous and important institution would be devastating to Miami and South Florida as a whole and needs are support as reporters are exposed to perhaps asymptomatic people or using a ten-foot boom pole microphone as was the case recently with Miami Commissioner Ken Russell.
Baptist Health South Florida is offering tele-medicine and corona virus information online https://baptisthealth-coronavirus.com/covid-19-testing
Here are the histories of past pandemics and both my father Arthur J. Ricker, M.D. and my grandfather, Otto Lee Ricker, M.D. dealt with past pandemics including the one from 1957 -1958 and my dad used to talk to me about the quarantine process and why is was necessary and if you violated it I believe back then someone from the county’s health department might intervene and included diseases like small pox or the dreaded polio virus. Here are links to those past epidemics.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1957-1958-pandemic.html
here is one from 2009:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html and here is the timeline for that more recent one
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-pandemic-timeline.html
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>>> What about WLRN Friends of WLRN fined $1,1 million in fines for incorrect federal funding draw down funding calculations?
The Watchdog Report has finally got an answer about what a federal IG discovered with the funding formula to draw down federal funds for the station and in the audit and budgetary advisory bord committee The following is in the meeting minutes and had Friends of WLRN paying a $1.1 million fine for using an incorrect funding formula and was discovered after a federal IG audit for CPB. Here is what the minutes of the agenda’s past meeting Feb.4th …. state
Presentation of the Special-Purpose Financial Statements and Report of Independent Certified Public Accountants Operation of WLRN Television and Radio Stations for the year ended June 30, 2019 (ACTION)__________________________ The Chief Auditor introduced the subject report and explained that the external audit firm of C Borders-Byrd, CPA, LLC was engaged to perform this audit and the audit report presented a clean opinion. The Chief Auditor then turned the presentation over to Ms. Borders. Ms. Cynthia Borders-Byrd, Managing Member of C Borders-Byrd, CPA LLC stated that the report presented an unmodified opinion and that she is currently working with the Administration on the stations’ Annual Financial Report. This information is to be filed electronically to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) by February 13th as required by CPB’s statutory requirements. She then pointed to the schedule on pages 51 and 52 of the subject report and noted that this information was very important because this schedule combines the financial information of both WLRN and Friends of WLRN, Inc. (FRIENDS) and provides a complete picture of the stations’ financial activity. ABAC member Mr. Isaac Salver requested from Ms. Borders to provide a brief synopsis of the financial issues surrounding WLRN during the past one-two years and how those issues have been resolved. To address the request, Ms. Borders stated that in a previous audit, there had been a misreporting in the apportionment of WLRN’s revenues earmarked for the TV and Radio stations. She said that FRIENDS was involved with this issue and had agreed to pay about $1.1 million dollars, the amount that was repaid to CPB about the TV/Radio revenue misreporting. Then the OIG-CPB auditors continued reviewing the reporting of WLRN and found additional reporting errors. These required a repayment to the CPB including a penalty totaling approximately $862,000 that the District paid in July 2019. Mr. Salver requested the clarification because he wanted to ensure that these [current] financials were real-time and presented no issues whatsoever. Ms. Borders pointed to the Balance Sheet where there are no outstanding receivables and stated that all prior issues have been resolved. ABAC member Mr. Juan del Busto inquired whether this audit had drilled down on the financial information provided by FRIENDS. Ms. Borders clarified that the WLRN audit performed by her firm relies on the audited information of FRIENDS reported by Marcum LLP, the external auditor hired by FRIENDS to perform their certified external audit. Referring to the past misreporting of revenues for the TV and Radio stations, Ms. Borders clarified that during the time of the misreporting, an external audit of FRIENDS to verify that financial information had not taken place. She pointed that this issue has been corrected since, and her audit can rely on the external audit report of FRIENDS and the financial information that it presents. Board member/ABAC member Ms. Mari Tere Rojas was pleased that there are no findings or deficiencies and no instances of non-compliance in the report, and thanked staff for the work performed. There being no additional questions or comments, a motion was made by ABAC member Mr. Juan del Busto and seconded by School Board member/ABAC member Ms. Mari Tere Rojas, which carried unanimously, to recommend that the Presentation of the Special-Purpose Financial Statements and Report of Independent Certified Public Accountants Operation of WLRN Television and Radio Stations for the year ended June 30, 2019, be received and filed by the School Board. ABAC Meeting of February 4, 2020 March 6, 2020 Page 4 of 14 4. Presentation of the Financial Statements. Here the link to the meetings agenda.http://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_March_17_2020/item2.pdf
>>> Today is the Watchdog Report’ 20th issues this year and when I started back in 05.05.00, having a 20-year platinum anniversary. I never imagined I would be doing this weekly publication for 20- years. I am not a big chest thumper and just try to be an informational electrolyte, between the many large public entities (That in total is about $16 billion and Miami $1 billion). that make up Miami-Dade County. However, many times it is at the lower level of government that deals are made, and other beefs are discussed and to my early supporters thank you for putting your trust in me. Further, the Esserman family gave $2.5 million to help The Miami Herald do investigative journalism and is asking for not-for-profit news organizations to apply to the Miami Foundation for possible grants, and these investigators should look at all the public institutions simultaneously for after 20-years many are all related and reporters need to know the many players and lobbyists to help understand the story and the WDR would be happy to help in any way I can in explaining the lay of the political landscape.
>>>> Further, the antics at the City of Miami by commissioner Joe Carollo, and Xavier Suarez is why I started the WDR back in May 05, 2000 and a recall effort is gaining steam with former manager joe Arriola kicking in $100,000 to help get the signatures needed to call for a recall of the Dist. 3 commissioner who has commission meetings a must watch affair, unfortunately since Miami needs stability given are diverse and poor sections of the city.
Super Bowl Host chair Rodney Barreto gave Miami-Dade commissioners a update on the Super Bowl and the reviews for MIA and port of Miami suggest Miami could get another Super Bowl by “either 2025 or 2026,” he told commissioners and the Human trafficking initiative rescued “22 women,” he said.
Check out the Knight Foundation’s forum for engaged communities and news sources a great read.:https://knightfoundation.org/articles/knight-media-forum-how-to-strengthen-local-news-serve-communities-and-support-democracy/
PHT CEO Carlos Migoya in a special annual commission briefing said the health trust was prepared for the corona virus and that the county had “three testing centers,” The administrator noted “This is what we do,” and staff has “daily huddles,” he told commissioners Tuesday. He noted the organization was prepared. Further the health trust for the eighth time “had clean audits,” something that in 2004 was not the case and the PHT took a $84 million adjustment that went back to the 1970’s. So clean audits are a big thing for the public hospital. >>>Further next week read what happened at Friday’s PHT Nominating Council meeting where several trustees are up including PHT Chair Joe Arriola.
In addition, please visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/
all-county-locations.html to locate and obtain contact information for your local CH. The CDC also has a website with information related to COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
What about Miami Mayor Francis Suarez?
Mayor Suarez has tapped long serving Miami Parking Authority CEO Art Noriega has to be the city manager and was confirmed On recently by the body unanimously and it is hoped he change the political dynamics on the dysfunctional board, where there is an effort to recall controversial commissioner Joe Carollo adding to the fire and the man with a moniker crazy Joe. However, Noriega is well known, and the Northwestern University graduate attended the Kellogg Business school and has an economics degree from the University of South Florida for his full bio go to:
https://www.miamiparking.com/management-team/
Further, Carollo,64, is battling back regarding a recall petition on Jim DeFede’s television show and the commissioner outlined a number of irregularities that have gone on with current administration and went after blogger Al Crespo on the show highlighting he is a “seven time felon and bank robber.” To see the show go to: https://miami.cbslocal.com/video/4459265-facing-south-florida-1-on-1-with-miami-city-commissioner-joe-carollo-part-1/
What about the Underline and alcohol for county special events at transit nodes?
For a special event the county is allowing kiosks BE set up along the underline and some could be near schools and churches given the county’s definition of what a special event is and did not involve a permanent structures and would not be near residential homes said a underline Lobbyist.
What about the scooters that terrorize pedestrians and race around the streets and cause some thousands of head injuries in ER’s?
I would be in the endzone for me, but that goal is showing to be elusive as supporters retire and the support contributions are in doubt and hope you will consider pitching in during this time of need. Thank you, Dan
>>> Further in May. I had a surgery and the attendant bills have depleted my funds so if you feel the WDR is an asset to the community I need your help to continue with this faced this time of need and I know you have many demands but hope if you have been a past sponsor you could step up one more time to help me keep this endeavor going for another decade.
Thank you Unfortunately, last week that did not happen, though some may be the mail even though I just must hang in there to March when new funding becomes available. But surviving to that month. I have not dealt with since 2004, after using some $300,000 of my own money,
In this 20-year journey and all my historical knowledge. Especially since in Miami Commissioner joe Carollo has reverted back to his crazy self and is determined to destroy the Miami commission where he has a new ally Alex Diaz de la Portilla ( who is getting a private bathroom in his commission office) and Carollo is not the calm commissioner Miami hoped for but is just another proxy on the dais for Carollo. On Thursday a whole new political dynamic has emerged with Carollo, 62 and DLP, 54 the new lions on the Miami plains and Mayor Francis Suarez is the gazelle and while Carollo keeps mentioning he has two degrees from FIU one in international relations there is no mention of these on his biographies that I have searched twice. Further, Carollo suggested there was a concerted effort to embarrass him as a commissioner citing tweets between assistant city managers. Including not being invited to a United Way check presentation event and believes Suarez is orchestrating this disrespect to the body.
What about Commissioner Ken Russell?
Russell a progressive is in the GOP doghouse where both Carollo and DLP,54, are hard core Republicans and while Carollo,64, was a past mayor. DLP was a long serving state representative in the Florida Senator making him the senior political figure on the municipalities local commission. Further Carollo is trying to introduce legislation to eliminate the mayor’s outside employment and his salary for what is essentially a no show job with great flexibility that includes a sgt-of arms at all times and a per given his use of twitter that also ticked off Carollo regarding resigned manager Emilio Gonzalez.
However behind the scenes is former commissioner Marc Sarnoff now a lobbyist and DLP told Russell he “made it political when he “contributed to opposing candidates campaign $150,000 and the person lost and was a bad political gamble he made because he liked the candidate who had worked in his office but had caused controversy also suggested Russell “grow up,” when he seemed hurt by some of the comments.
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check, send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to: 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan
| >>> GMCVB press release: GMCVB Partners with Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce to Expand Reach of Miami Eats Program with Local TV Campaign |
What about the Sunshine Law regarding public documents?
What about the Cultural Affairs department where I have asked for a link for Frost Science Museum’s deposition by CEO Gillian Thomas and ended with a $4.5 million settlement of legal fees after she fired all the contractors abruptly and ran out of money, see below for more on that.
This also includes all 34 municipalities that do not get the press they deserve
With the City of Miami being one glaring example in resisting providing public documents that are not launch codes and has once had the DDA paying a bloggers legal fees after the body resisted providing them and here is a press release from the James S. Knight and John L. Knight Foundation supporting investigative journalist program: https://knightfoundation.org/press/releases/new-journalism-prize-reporting-fellowship-will-be-big-boon-to-investigative-journalism-in-south-florida/
What about the rise of Domestic Violence and the number of homicides 44 in 2018 representing 14 to 15 percent of all homicides countywide?
On Wednesday, the county’s Domestic Oversite board met, and the body gets a percentage of the county’s food and beverage tax that also helps fund the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. Ron Book the chair of the homeless trust is on the 15-member board and the DVOB members want a better understanding of programs that can be used by the organization.
CITY OF MIAMI
What about “big brother” privacy, with new 5G technology?
with the new 5G network infrastructure that includes a platform for license plate readers, video and other sensors and the information will be stored in the Miami police department but understands it could “wig,” people out personal freedom said Chief Jorge Colina. In the future these could include facial recognition used widely in China.
This technology allowed the police to identify a shooter in 30 minutes after a shooting at Kush in Wynwood and that is impressive, said Colina.
Gimenez will have to dispel the perception he is aligned with ethics issues since his son J.C. is a major lobbyist and has represented a host of companies and the man’s taking some Super Bowl tickets after an ethics commission ruling I still being seen by the public as a problem and will haunt him in this congressional race.
M-DC: Special trustee meeting trustees give qualifications for search committee for a new president
https://news.mdc.edu/where-the-oceans-meet-at-moad-named-among-top-20-exhibitions/
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
>>>> Gov.DeSantis appointments to: Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
David Axelman, of Miami, is an attorney with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and his law degree from the University of Miami. Axelman is reappointed for a term ending July 1, 2024.
Hayden O’Byrne, of Coral Gables, is an assistant U.S. attorney for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree and his law degree from the University of Miami. O’Byrne is reappointed for a term ending July 1, 2024.
Walter Harvey, of Miami Shores, is a board attorney with The School Board of Miami-Dade County. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Harvey is reappointed from a list of nominees submitted by the Florida Bar for a term ending July 1, 2024.
>>> IG Cagle report claims school board member Dr. Martin Karp and staffer pressured administration to keep bogus after school program getting free use of district facilities a program was not free and open to the public as stated in school documents to district, and the IG office was just reaccredited
A recent IG report found school bord member Dr. Martin Karp and his staffer pressured the administration to provide free space in a school for the Chabad Chayil After school program and the school said it was open to the public but it was not and fees were charged and had Karp over a decade helping to keep this arrangement in place writes IG Mary Cagle and to review the report go to: http://ethics.miamidade.gov/library/2020-complaints/c-20-01-01-nunez.pdfhttp://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_December_3_2019/Item15.pdfhttp://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_December_3_2019/Item15.pdf
After 20-years I need community help to keep at this and know you have many demands on your finances but if you can please keep me going when you cannot. Thank you!
I was once asked by county commission chair Barbara Carey -Shuler what I thought in the press room in the chamber? I said it was a blend of announcer and umpire occasionally like when MPO was going to give $10 million to an obscure a.m. radio station to do traffic up-dates that are already being done as a community requirement for free. The commission shot it down, but it had commissioner joe Martinez saying to the board member “you’re on fire, bail out,” and the commission did not pass it.
Further, I write about the homeless since back in 2002. I was one of the people laying on the government center plaza and learned these people were essentially looked on as trash.
Further, for some reason August has traditionally been a tough month when it comes to fundraising. So, if you appreciate what I have done for almost 20-years weekly using thousands of my own money go to: The WDR report will return next week. I need a break thank you for your support over the past 20-years.
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check, send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to: 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you
>>> Homeless dying on streets in Miami-Dade drops to 188 versus a high of over 200 souls last year
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust met and there was some good and bad news. Last year over 200people died on the streets many by opioids and fentanyl and the hard life on the street. For the past year that number dropped to 188 people passing and getting people a job and housing is the goal and the Chapman Partnership placed 158 people in jobs and an apprentice program pilot is being tested with FIU learning construction skills.
>>> The public safety committee at the county passed a MOU with Pinellas County that has one of the, largest facial recognition data bases in Florida
A woman with Miami-Dade County police Department said the technology was a useful tool. Though county commissioner Daniella Levine Cava was concerned about “false positives,” many times happening “to people of color,” she said. For more on the technology go to:https://www.terabitweb.com/2019/11/08/florida-police-want-access-to-faces/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/florida-police-want-access-to-faces/ and here is the mayor’s memo on the matter.
http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/legistarfiles/Matters/Y2019/192442.pdf
Voter apathy high at municipal elections, corrosive to the republic
The low turnout of the municipal elections last week shows voter apathy is a continued problem in Miami races only 14.96 percent of eligible voters voted and while there are some runoffs this lack of turnout is corrosive to our republic and local government has more impact on ones lives and family and while it could cost more too schedule these elections with the governor races or other high turnout elections and while the off year election theory is television ads would be cheaper. Which is valid but local government has a history of trying to slip an issue on a low turnout date like at Miami-Dade county in 1989 when the county tried to get a one-cent transportation sales tax passed with the election in late July that year and it failed by 2 to one back then.
The City of Miami employees and lobbyist went through ethics training on Monday in the commission chambers and these classes should be broadcast on the city’s station. Robert Thompson teaches the course as the outreach coordinator. He gives hypothetical situations and asks the group of some 30 people if they know the answer, some of which are trick questions.
However, a segment should apply to city attorney’s to intervene when board members during a recess might be discussing an earlier case after commissioner Joe Carollo testified a in front the civil service board members during a recess had an extensive conversation on the dais and the city attorney should discourage this sort of off the record communication that they attend in their city capacity and includes county attorney’s given the some 90 boards the county has where designated attorney’s attend.
Sunshine violations need to be investigated happening all over the municipalities some examples need to be found
Here’s an introduction to the ethics commission’s new executive director Jose Arrojo, who came from the state’s attorney’s office.: http://miamidade.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=53238d78-7bf5-11e9-a084-0050569183fa
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article238460178.html
>>> With wide swath of County mayoral candidates, trying to be non-partisan, will it stay that way? I believe no
The dark horse is former Mayor Alex Penelas, a Democrat, who burned President Al Gore’s campaign and ‘did not lay a finger,’ to help Gore after being reelected in 2000 and disbanding his campaign and going to Spain. However, now it will be the runoff during the presidential race with larger voter turnout that may play the critical role.
Trump should look at the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust model to end homeless in Ca., a national model of good practices. No boulders on the swales like San Francisco
With President Donald Trump highlighting the homeless in Los Angeles (Where 3 people a day die on the streets,) “says trust chair Ron Book,” and San Francisco being indicative of what happens when Democrats are in control, says Trump.
Both major cities should look to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust model where prior to the creation in 1993.We actually had a mayor of the homeless encampment and some 8,000 homeless on the streets of Miami that has dropped to some 800 on the street at the last point in time account that includes a continuum of care and includes facilities like the Lotus House Village that takes in homeless children and is a jewel for this desperate population of needy souls. Here are some numbers on the city’s homeless issue.
>>> Miami Loomis Park “hot zone,” for HEP A transmission, city employees being asked to get vaccinated
Further the medical crisis of Hep A is still being dealt with the Florida Department of Health and is impacting Miami employees and Loomis Park is a “hot zone,” and employees are being asked to get voluntarily vaccinated by health professionals of this contagious virus that is transmitted by human waste and rather than having public restrooms. The trust says the solution is “permanent housing,” via the trust’s rent connect program. Further, cleaning of sidewalks making, and the cities are paying for the clean-up and sanitizing
Miami has become a premier cancer care destination, UM & Baptist $400 million Proton therapy celebrates 500 proton treated patients, at Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida all cutting edge cancer centers, community residents are lucky when it comes to new cancer therapies, Baptist giving low cost mammogram tests during breast cancer month.
Miami has become an area destination for cancer care with University of Miami’s new Federal designation as a National Cancer Institution (NCI) and The Baptist Health South Florida Miami Cancer Institute is the health system with a Proton beam device. The only one in South Florida and a $400 million investment in cancer care, especially for children, and patients who no longer must go to north Florida to get this less damaging treatment than chemotherapy and is more precise for more go to: The institute just celebrated its 500th Proton treatment recently and the technology was highlighted on PBS Friday night and is used for a variety of cancers something I did not know and leave nearby tissue alone versus radiation : https://baptisthealth.net/cancer-care/treatments-and-services/radiation-therapies/proton-therapy—https://umiamihealth.org/sylvester-comprehensive-cancer-center for more on Baptist go to:https://www.baptisthealth.com/pages/services/cancer-care/treatments/proton-treatment-for-prostate-cancer.aspx https://baptisthealth.net/cancer-care/treatments-and-services/radiation-therapies/proton-therapy Further Baptist has a low cost breast cancer screening program that is only $50.00 and for more go to https://baptisthealth.net/cancer-care/adultpatients/cancer-types/breastcancer/about
And when it comes to medical care early detection is key and as I age, I am becoming more cognizant of that fact.
Miami with two separate FBI Medicare fraud task forces and is “the graduate school of fraud,” and where new fraud beta sites are proven past U. S. attorneys have asserted over the years.
And here is Dr. Stephen D. Nimer’s message on the new Miami’s NCI designation:https://umiamihealth.org/sylvester-comprehensive-cancer-center/research/message-from-the-director
For more on lotus Village go to https://lotushouse.org/contact-us/ https://lotushouse.org/childrenfirst/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1J22jC2bBY
>>> The 2020 Census Task force and the bureau are looking for census takers who are paid between $16.00 to $18.00 county commissioner and include health benefits. In the recent federal job creation report is 25,000 new census workers. Miami is appointing Jacqui Collyer to the census task force headed up by Bovo. He updated the commission last week on the census task force that includes the 34 municipalities participating and with the new year the census count really ramps up he said, t state level Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez is heading up the state’s complete count efforts, which is great! For more go to www.2020census.gov
2020 Census Response Rates by Tracts Interactive Map Time is running out
MIAMI-DADE – Miami-Dade County launched its 2020 Census interactive response rate map to better understand how our community is responding to the 2020 Census. The map features response rates by census tracts in Miami-Dade County that have responded to the census online, by mail, or by phone.
“As the deadline to respond to the 2020 Census approaches, it is imperative that we remain proactive and encourage others in our community in getting a complete and accurate census count. This tool will help our community identify hard to count areas throughout our County. This map can be used to motivate others in our community to participate in what I consider to be as important as voting,” Commissioner Bovo said.
Census 2020 Response Rates by Tracts Interactive Map can be viewed here:
https://mdc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9ba6159252a1489a9ea65e8fffd079cf
Bovo gave county commissioners an update on how the county is working with that received county outreach funding for the census count kicking off April 1.
What about Bovo’s run for county mayor?
Bovo in a campaign flyer is trying to qualify by voter petition and on his campaign team I mega fundraiser Rafael Garcia-Toledo and Jesse Manzano both who worked on term limited mayor Carlos Gimenez campaigns and Garcia a lobbyist on his form lists all things Miami-Dade as his issues and was married to high profile zoning attorney Vicki Garcia Toledo and the power couple now divorced are still plying their trade.
What about the county commission Dist.7, race that is pitting former school board member Raquel Regalado against former state representative and attorney Cindy Lerner? She has $221,629 in her campaign account to Regalado’s,88,410 and the former school board lost her race for county mayor years ago and is trying to become a player again. Lerner also a past mayor of Pinecrest is a democrat drives a Tesla and has strong environmental credentials and would replace commissioner Xavier Suarez if she wins
>>> And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents to public institutions issues, in our community. Further,
I am a fanatic about having an accurate public record with no gaps in the conversion after I had an attorney challenge such a gap saying, “IS that God speaking from a burning bush?” He asserted.
>> Further the www.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings., and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.20 No. 19, August 30, 2020 Celebrating 20 years of weekly publishing! www.watchdgreport.net & Former Miami Herald news & editorial columnist. EST: 05.05.00, I go when you cannot, for 1almost 18 years & a trusted community education resource & news service, without the attitude
CONTENTS
ARGUS REPORT: Heard Seen on the Street
>>>> Miami taps MPA CEO Art Noriega as manager, hopes to bring calm to dysfunctional commission, Northwestern University grad from Kellogg Business school, – Suarez who is about to go to France along with commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and will return Feb. 29th – After Friday’s Democratic Party debate and the chaos of the Iowa caucus and no clear candidates emerging and Vice President Joe Biden taking a “gut punch,” after his poor showing in Iowa, and low energy campaign what will Bloomberg’s candidacy do for the race? – Feds scrambling “crisis,” to find .5 million census workers by August, low unemployment, background checks making it harder, exemptions for non-citizens, community outreach is key, Staff tells U.S. House Oversite and Reform committee Monday, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, very concerned native Americans will not be counted – Elderly phone scam uses fear, persistence to try to take advantage and get personal information, hang-up, most government concerns come in the mail not by phone– Commissioner Reyes believes Miami should administer the Miami Dade County homeless Trust, 25th anniversary, he is not interested on serving on board, does not understand the homeless needs, drugs, mental health, people with crack pipes, on the streets,” continuum of care the trust provides a national model of best practices, in 1993 8,000 homeless, now 3,000. Community leader Alvah Chapman, Jr. led the charge for a public private partnership – f Bahamas shows depth of charity after Dorian flattens the Bahamas, similar to what Andrew brought to south Dade, and took a decade to recover-Local Grand Jury report says Biscayne-bay on life support, septic tanks poor infrastructure, plastics deadly to bays survival, past attempts to turn bay around have not been successful, but at tipping point, says jury report – Miami Civil Service board violates Sunshine Law with extensive discussion while on coffee break (just happened again), after commissioner Carollo testifies about firing of aide claiming whistle blower status, all caught on city television — 2020 Census complete count top priority $177 million lost in 2010 count only,82 percent, says census bureau outreach coordinator Diaz a former Little Havana resident $675 billion annually at stake nationwide $29 billion goes to Florida commissioner Bovo leading the charge, school district must work closely to ensure accurate count students’ best way to explain to parents what the 2020 Census is, undercount costs millions, maybe even a new future house seat like in 2010, the worse count ever after Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez sent fear through the Cuban community of the federal government, some $800 billion at stake for some counties around the nation.
STATE of FLORIDA: The Children’s trust request for bids gets investigated the Miami-Dade Ethics commission for $270,000 PR contract for “young talent big dreams competition,” http://ethics.miamidade.gov/library/2020-complaints/c-20-01-01-nunez.pdfT — Help Fight the Opioid Crisis and Teen Vaping Epidemic by Participating in the 18th National Drug Take-Back Day, returned drug numbers are staggering – Threat calls into schools get amped attention as state attorney Fernández-Rundle notes such calls are a second-degree felony, not a student resume builder will be prosecuted -disruptive pre-k children getting “suspended,” new challenge for Children’s Trust — Complete 2020 Census count, outreach workers critical to get our share of $675 billion annually, some $29 billion in 2010, undercount costs $1,400 in lost revenue
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: MIA director Sola gets commission proclamation for smooth running MIA after the Super Bowl, 46 million passengers and 3 million tons of cargo says mayor Gimenez — Homeless dying on Miami-Dade streets drops to 188 versus a high over 200 souls last year, domestic violence homicides rise to 14 -15 percent of homicides countywide –Zoo Miami is looking for someone to adopt a Rhino 14-15 percent ceros and a host of other animals, naming rights, and the county Zoo has some great gifts– One Heritage: The state of black Miami forum 2019 Thursday a major forum held by the Miami-Dade County African American Advisory Board created in 1974 under a push by the first black Miami commissioner Althea Range, includes the Black World guide for Miami-Dade see below a report on the black community, out of “16,000 section 8 vouchers, 40% go to blacks,” that shocked Fair, “creating dependency, not homeownership.” –F1 race at Hard Rock gets vetoed spiked at county commission meeting, mayor vetoes BCC cream of Miami Gardens leadership all against, citing noise and medical risks to residents left out of process- Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust wants to achieve “100 percent HEP A, vaccination rate,” JHS, agreement being worked on to have vaccinations given at Camillus and Lotus House in near future, statewide epidemic among homeless, drug abusers, preventable with vaccination, sweeping state– County Commissioners want to tighten up municipal whistleblower laws, will it run into municipal resistance like what happened with county IG office? –With Miami-Dade #1 in HIV infections UM Idea program showing results needs second mobility van for dispensing HIV preventative drugs Prep doses “middle school students,” at “risk,” too says county commissioner Rebeca Sosa an educator. At the disparity committee Monday, a sobering presentation was done on the rising HIV infections IDEA the UM needle exchange pilot program needs dedicated mobile van may get surplus county van suggests, commissioner Jordan: -The Miami-Dade property Appraiser Thursday released his estimates and countrywide property tax value rose “5.9 percent,” with a value of $307,213,billion and this revenue bump is because of the new development to see the report by municipalities go to: http://www.miamidade.gov/pa/reports.asp – Will county commission spend this new tax revenue wisely while new commissioners are termed out, how much in rainy day fund? — M-D County Youth Commission finds “rampant,” bullying and “code reds,” climate change, vaping new issues, body creating the leaders of the future, and note Miami is one of the first “cities to run out of water say,” studies show- Will the county float a new GOB for infrastructure, getting thousands off septic tanks, suggests commissioner Jordan? –Commissioner Souto says with humongous county government mayor should “crack the whip,” believes, running slower, “wants more eyes on major contracts”– Last week’s hot topics were, vehicles & furniture, “4 to 10 police,” vehicles a week can be processed by county in new police cars, $84 million contract, $38 million from previous year “1,006 new cars from that amount
Miami-Dade County Public Schools: record number of resource officers highest in nation “Historic,” three state football champions, quarterback tells Supt. Carvalho, don’t worry “we have it covered,” school board honored teams achievements Booker T. Washington, Miami Central, Miami Northwestern – Miami Dolphins super star receiver Nat Moore tells school board without opportunity to attend Dolphins training camp, “he would have been a truckdriver like his father,” Edison High graduate 1969,
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST: Christina Lynn rehabilitation facility opens March 20, Cure for paralysis was electrolyte getting this done, JHS ready for any corona virus outbreak, protocols reviewed, Mayor Gimenez calls for more test kits, and local labs have been approved. JHS and Florida Dept of Health coordinating county response with other hospital systems, hygiene and hand washing key to avoiding infectious disease experience after Zika, and anthrax attacks after 9/11 PHT, gives Jackson unique perspective, after dengue fever tuberculosis — has 8-years of clean audits — Here is an update of the $830 million Jackson Miracle Bond program that is moving right along and changing the JHS in 2009.Jackson has 8th year of clean audits not always the case years ago. I did a fraud issue. However, Jackson Health System was fined for some wayward employees selling or leaking medic medical records and I interviewed the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge(SAC) John Gillies and to read the story go to: https://www.watchdogreport.net/2011/09/page/2/ -Joint PHT BCC meeting goes smoothly love fest versus the past CEO Migoya says, “Doral west on budget and on time by Nov. 2020,” can be seen from landing MIA planes The new AOA agreement calls for health trust to pay $130 million to UM for a host of medical services and below is a complete breakdown of the services and payments.
http://www.seiu1991.org/files/2011/07/AOA-Payments-Rationale-and-Distribution-3.pdf
CITY OF MIAMI: Mayor Suarez taps MPA CEO Art Noriega as manager degree from North western University: Former congressman Carlos Curbelllo has been appointed by Mayor Francis Suarez as an advisor, former GOP congressman Lincoln Diaz-Ballart would have been better choice, given age difference – Another hot Miami commission meeting Thursday, 5G poles, bring license plate readers, video and facial recognition, Carollo wants FBI, FDLE to investigate any corruption cases, not Miami PD- The arrest of the mayor’s media spokesman Rene Pedrosa, for groping a minor will have Carollo verbally clubbing Suarez like a baby seal, after amended job application listing two DUI’s, validates Carollo’s criticism of lax administration, and favoritism- The city’s negotiations are dark and deep when it comes to a deal on a MLS stadium on Melreese golf course with no public meetings occurring and not appearing the city agenda so when mayor Francis Suarez says commissioners can drop in any time that is not the case and makes his push for “transparency, “ a bogus claim since I have been trying to attend one of these meetings and have only gotten silence to my questions to the mayor and Eddy Lean on this blackout where replacing new parkland is a sticking point. –— A Peacock population bomb has the Kampong under FIU offering three interns to study the fowl’s population roughly 1 Peacock per 2 hectors in Grove, “600,” est. says scientist from Kampong — Bike scooters rentals causing concerns it’s like “Dodge. City, with the freewheeling riders also includes kids on the scooter’s pedestrians dodging the fast-moving devices that jam sidewalks, over 1 million users since pilot program started, says Commissioner Russell, no one killed versus bicycles and cars — In a campaign flyer for Dist.2. candidate Javier Gonzalez asserts “I can’t win because I was born in Cuba, the piece state’s adds ethnic element to race? He was spotted directing traffic and closed road with yellow Jeep-Commission district 2 race gets more crowded with new entry Rosy Palomino, who ran in the past for house Dist. 112 —Commissioner Reyes calls mayor’s stalling tactic “Machiavellian,” since Reyes and Gort oppose deal and 4/5th vote deal with Beckham and MLS — Further, this continues the turmoil in the District 3 commission office that has major staff members being fired because of a hostile work environment and Carollo responded after hearing the charges. He was just glad there were no injuries but the political turmoil in the office should be monitored by manager Emilio Gonzalez for the lawsuits will likely be coming from some of these past employees including one claiming whistle blower status which ultimately was declined. – . — Influential attorney Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, not prepared is denied a zoning exemption for Montessori village school off Coral Way, associations not notified they say, Little Havana, Silver Bluff, his brother Alex running for commission , police policy to have a sergeant -of arms travel with mayor, WDR has made some 80 trips to Honolulu in my corporate capacity on my way to Japan, Suarez named a trustee out of 500 city mayors — Suarez administration runs into headwinds on MRC development project, Carollo calls it “sweetheart deal,” worse “than Marlin’s stadium deal,” the former mayor claims, only small # of city’s 4,400 employees work in building, mayor will deal after back from Honolulu — Unacceptable to hold public meeting in private venue excluding public Miami Parks Dir. Lara Hamway, needs ethics and Sunshine law class, I once went to a Fischer Island MAC and was welcomed, mayor talks transparency, we need to see it. – A behind the look at F1 race negotiations done by county ethics commission, no charges since attorney did not accept getting “full VIP credentials,” went diving instead memo closed out, but fascinating read, Commission Dist. 1 candidate Alex de la Portilla trying to bounce back has $167,000 in war chest leads pack of candidates since Gort termed out, ex Miami commissioner Humberto Hernandez plying the halls of city hall was disbarred attorney for mortgage fraud – Mayor Suarez needs to get commission under control law practice gives Carollo a huge opening and now we find he is a lobbyist for ritzy Fisher Island, he is a well-paid mayor, causing his own problem by not fighting acknowledging the potential conflict — Will commission turbulence affect bond ratings, “you are not the chair,” says Carollo, says he “knows one Harvard idiot [referring to mayor’s father and political nemesis], commissioners tooling around in new $73,000, SUVs with massage chair button — Commissioner Carollo attacks staff and administration for dereliction of duty and code enforcement, end of meeting like a Tchaikovsky sympathy’s climax — Mayor Francis Suarez gave his first state of the city speech at the Miami Freedom Tower and the high energy young man and attorney was received by quests almost like a rally as he detailed the administrations goals in the coming year, but can he deliver? – mayor Suarez moving on up now sitting on dais between manager and attorney, make it seem he is a strong mayor though voters rejected that idea, not stopping him – Bayside Foundation Willy Gort scholarship to get $250,000 anti-poverty funding from his dist.1 fund, foundation gives $200,000 in scholarships, odd taxpayer money being used, will it start a trend of commissioner scholarship programs?
Community Events: Arsht Center function; Future of Miami Arts- New Knight Foundation programs strengthening democracy and a strong free media – Martin Z. Margulies Warehouse open: See new photographic works: https://www.margulieswarehouse.com/
EDITORIALS: – “civility oath goes out the window,” says Mayor Suarez — Suarez’s strong mayor proposal flawed should not allow outside income for either mayor or manager, not about him but future mayors – Politicians don’t realize voter’s frustration is they are such hypocrites, many times (like now when congress gets paid but no other federal departments with a gov. shut-down) Most politicians hate the press- Florida needs Sunshine Amendment many municipalities out of control and get little press coverage or oversight, legislators are on wrong side of this one
>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message
>>> “You may not take an interest in politics, but politics may take an interest in you.” Pericles (430 B.C.)
ARGUS REPORT: Heard and Seen on the street
>>> After Tuesday’s food fight Democratic Party debate and the chaos of the Iowa caucus and no clear candidates emerging and Vice President Joe Biden taking a “gut punch,” after his poor showing in Iowa, but bounced back in South Carolina what will Bloomberg’s candidacy do for the race?
The debate is getting mixed reviews and while Pete Buttigieg is rising in the polls and many believe Sen. Amy Klobuchar had a good night but none of the candidates on the crowded stage are the goldilocks candidates and with New Hampshire voting on Tuesday the winnowing of candidates should begin and
Miami-Dade commissioner Estephan “Steve Bovo,” gave county commissioners an update Tuesday on his 2020 Census Task Force that has financed with CBOs for outreach efforts to get a complete count. He was also appointed to the Florida Census Task force and noted the state is not “providing any money,” But is using state counties to provide the outreach to get a complete count
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article240069403.html
EDITORIAL
The state legislature is once again trying to dilute the advertising of public meetings instead of newspapers and have them go on line and this is a disservice to the electorate knowing what their local governments are doing and the legislators should remember they also live in these counties and municipalities and this also applies to having a secret search for state university or college presidents a process being done in Miami at Miami-Dade College doing a search for a new president and is becoming highly political.
What is Miami-Dade County Mayor thinking when he bought some Super Bowl tickets at a reduced price while the FI race controversy is still going on and is flash point for Miami Garden residents the largest black community in Florida and residents’ medical concerns.
He must not realize the perception issue with this. Something he dismisses when challenged on this and will be used against him in his congressional race in the GOP primary where his opponents will use these lapses of ethics and public perception with voters makes the former county mayor appear swampy. Here is more on the tickets and the ethics commission ruling.
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/super-bowl/article239853208.html
>>> Political partisanship splits 5-member commission along republican and democratic lines, Russell gets the brunt while others pound city staff including Chief Jorge Collina,
The vindictive and partisan governance at Friday’s Miami Commission meeting was why I started the WDR back in 2000 and the commissioner’s pounding of staff is going to have a profound effect on the city’s over 4,0000 employees, and with the Super Bowl in early February the timing for this bickering commission is terrible that has stripped Vice Chair Commissioner Ken Russell, Of chairing the DDA an independent created authority that’s members were highly critical of the commission in the press and may be replaced for this insubordination.
What about Mayor Suarez and his legacy with 3 commissioners and conflicts will bond rating go down?
Commissioner Joe Carollo is dominating the five-member board and Russell is getting payback on the body for loaning a challenger to Carollo some $150,000 from his campaign but while losing the DDA chair to Commissioner Manola Reyes. Russell’s new appointments creates a power vacuum in his District 2 office that covers most of the DDA area. Further, Suarez has lost total control on the body and is putting his administration in limbo and while Carollo calls the administration based on the Roman saying giving residents “bread and circuses,’ as an administration.
Suarez must figure a way to assert his leadership on the body and his next choice as city manager now that Emilio Gonzalez has resigned. MPA Dir. Art Noriega’s name has been floating but Noriega on Friday told the WDR when I asked if he would be interested, he responded it “was complicated.” So the community will find out who jumps in to lead the city that has a commission that is dividing up city entities along party lines in a nonpartisan body but that has been thrown out the window since Alex Diaz de la Portilla,55, a Republican and former state senator. Further, given the city’s GOB exposure the rating companies tend to downgrade the city’s municipal bonds, when turmoil occurs at a time money is needed for sea-level rise mitigation that has significant flooding issues and will devalue housing values.
Here is Census 2020 info. Finding census enumerators, a ‘Crisis,” staff tells a house oversight and reform committee on Monday has Rep. Wasserman Schultz concerned of under count of native Americans. Here are some links to the census process
https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html
https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2019/comm/2020-everyone.html
People are asking me what I think about the Democratic Party presidential candidates and after 20-years it is clear no candidate has yet to get into his stride and history has taught us candidates either have the it factor or they don’t and Presient Barack Obama had this political magnetism as a new comer and did not have a UBD like Hillary Clinton whose time was 2006 but was pushed out by Obama and Joe Biden is running a utility campaign after two past attempts at the presidency but the parties voters have been split on the field and none have yet to really catch on fire with the party’s faithful.
>>> U.S. $23 trillion debt clock, not being discussed by candidates, is a fiscal time bomb the nation will one day have to face!
With the nation’s debt climbing to $23. trillion none of the candidates from either party are discussing this fiscal time bomb on the campaign trail. I first became alarmed back in 2004 when it was just $4 trillion but the wars and Great Recession added new fuel to the rising debt and increased interest rates and the link shows the nation’s debt clock and please sit down given the velocity of the numbers. https://usdebtclock.org/
I was at George Washington University’s Sino-Soviet Institute from (1971-74) and was able to watch the Watergate proceedings since I worked at a high-end audio shop with Sony televisions at the time. This lack of bringing the public along is what has both sides so hyper partisan. And the sooner the proceedings and transcripts are released the better. To stop the speculation hemorrhaging that is tearing the country apart and is also seeping into local elections like in Miami where the nonpartisan races have become partisan. Editor’s note: Keep any hate emails to a minimum please.
Repeat: because so important to Miami: Feds scrambling to find .5 million census workers by August, low unemployment, background checks making it harder, exemptions for non-citizens, community outreach is key
The federal government is scrambling to hire census workers which begins in April next year, but with unemployment at an all-time low census enumerators are harder to find that qualify the background check to find the 2.5 million workers to go to people’s homes’ when they did not respond to the census document and will hurt minorities and other groups hard to count out of “fear,” a number one issue in Miami-Dade County. For more on this shortage go to:https://census.gov/library/stories/2019/03/2020-census-hiring-thousands-of-workers-ramps-up.html
Knight Foundation study on local media: https://knightfoundation.org/articles/local-news-is-more-trusted-than-national-news-but-that-could-change
>>>> Elderly phone scam uses fear, persistence to try to take advantage and get personal information, hang-up, most government concerns come in the mail not by phone
I am starting to see how the elderly can fall for a scam given what they may be personally dealing with (perhaps a surgery) at the time. The current one is a phone call saying a bank transfer is occurring or that you are going to be charged with drug and money laundering charges and the FBI may be at your door. Part of this variation is that you will lose your social security and that your number has been compromised and cancelled and need to meet at a “target or CVS,” says the scammer and is very insistent asking “are you in your car yet,” since he has spent so much time and even asked you to write down his federal badge number. Most federal agencies contact you by mail and you should hang-up immediately despite their persistence.
Rerun because so important: 2020 Census complete count top priority $177 million lost in 2010 undercount, says census bureau outreach coordinator Diaz a former Little Havana resident $675 billion annually at stake nationwide $29 billion goes to Florida
The Miami-Dade County Community Relations board (CRB) met Wednesday in the county commission chambers and the topic was community “fear,” when it came to the upcoming 2020 Census. Where some $1,400 is lost in federal funding across the board through federal agencies and in the 2010 Census only “82 percent” of the community was counted and nationwide the percentage was “74 percent,” said Ana Maria Diaz with the Census bureau outreach coordinator. The importance of the Census is not only financial but is key to reapportionment of congress and in 2010 south Florida picked up two congressional seats.
What about community outreach and education?
Further, while many residents may not be eligible to vote these people must be counted for the federal funding helps these possible undocumented and the citizenship question is what many residents and while many residents fear that ICE or HSH might raid and arrest them. The count since 1790 has been sealed for 72 years and a president cannot unseal the information and that can only be done by an act of congress said the Census Bureau outreach coordinator who grew up in Little Havana populated with seniors and may have their kids living with them and they all must be counted she said and “a 3 percent increase in the count,’ would be a major achievement for the county and while it is a year away now is the time to educate. For many residents who do not understand the Census that starts April 1 next year. The WDR spends so much time on this subject since I interviewed many people working on the 2000 Census and the count was terrible after the young Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was extracted from his Little Havana home after federal authorities raided the home and chaos erupted in Miami with extensive ethnic divisions and curb sitting counting was a problem where there were many people living in homes or apartments and the undercount was considerable and had to be adjusted later but that may not happen again so it has to be done right because as Diaz said “It starts and cannot be stopped,” despite weather or any other issue. She noted when challenged about “doing damage control, ” for the Trump administration and her boss U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilber Ross and the fear in the community which is a minority majority committee that keeps many people afraid to even go to a bank and use check cashing stores where there are lines but that is the reality of South Florida and is why getting a complete count is so important. Update: in 2010, under the Obama administration which employed extensive minority outreach it is estimated in that count some 2 million children were missed in the final count.
>>> The Knight Foundation releases commission report on restoring trust in media
The John. S. and James L. Knight Foundation has released a report looking at restoring trust in the media and its corrosive effect to Democracy to read the commission’s report go to: http://csreports.aspeninstitute.org/Knight-Commission-TMD/2019/report
Back in 2000 I watched and wrote a lot about the undercount and how it starts and then stops, though the county did get an extension back then but that is no longer assured.
https://www.naco.org/articles/2020-census-what-counties-need-do-now-prepare but will check state driver’s license info that is being fought by the states.
>>> Connect Miami is a new program trying to get residents to engage with their neighbors and friends to broaden community interaction something that at times may be difficult to do. And for more go to www.connectmiami.org And Many of the events are free.in the future.
FLORIDA
>>> The Children’s trust request for bids gets investigated the Miami-Dade Ethics commission for $270,000 PR contract for “young talent big dreams competition,”
Here is the investigation and cone of silence violation
http://ethics.miamidade.gov/library/2020-complaints/c-20-01-01-nunez.pdf
https://www.actorsplayhouse.org/young-talent-big-dreams-competition/
annual report 2019 https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/files/2019_Annual_Report_022020.pdf
The Miami-Dade County Trust is featuring its heart gallery on children looking to be adopted into lifetime homes and to see the gallery that will break your heart go to
https://www.miamiheartgallery.org/
The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County is funding a anti human trafficking campaign to the tune of $200,000. And Kristi House is getting $180,000 as well for their mission
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Traffic light contract for synchronization hits choppy water after bid protest pitting de Grandy against Diaz de la Portilla, Sosa calls reverse lanes on Flagler a “terrible idea,” re FDOT proposal for street
A discussion item Tuesday at the county board of commission had two veteran lobbyists facing off for a county wide traffic light synchronization and will enhance traffic issues by some “5 to 15 percent,” of traffic flow, said county mayor Carlos Gimenez. Turned into a bid protest on a contract for traffic synchronization of the 6,900 traffic lights countywide. The battle on the contract debate had former state senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla versus former state representative Miguel de Grandy who helped pass the legislation creating funding for the homeless trust and domestic violence program at the county. The two men over the years have crossed swords many times and the county are going to rebid the process.
What about TPO workshop and the use of reverse lanes on Flagler street by FDOT that commissioner Rebecca Sosa called a “terrible plan,” and wanted the idea fleshed out more
A discussion item Tuesday at the commission meeting
>> At Friday’s Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust meeting Friday a number of homeless success stories were heard and one man who could barely spell his name after continuum of care side he now has over 120 employees and was in the process of creating a trust for his children and now owns a home. Many of the other speakers had a similar story with two of them getting degrees from Mimi-Dade Community College and chair Ron Book said its these stories that drive the trust that helped some 400,000 homeless people over the past 26 years
Michael Liu the director of housing and development said a single-family home at $100 to $250,000 is not attractive for a millennial and that a lower cost” condo should be considered and that is a start at homeownership he noted to the panel
https://www.miamidade.gov/advocacy/library/black-world-guide.pdf
Wakanda effect: https://www.miamidade.gov/advocacy/library/reports/baab-findings-recommendations-report.pdf
>>> Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust wants to achieve “100 percent HEP A, vaccination rate,” JHS, agreement being worked on to have vaccinations given at Camillus and Lotus House in near future, statewide epidemic among homeless, drug abusers, preventable with vaccination, sweeping state
The Hepatitis A epidemic in Florida has real world consequences in Miami-Dade and the need for vaccinations against the highly infectious disease is at a crisis level explained at Friday’s Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust meeting. After the local Florida health Department director told trustees its impact and numbers are less in some of the smaller counties but Miami with1.2 million residents are a whole different story. The disease afflicts homeless, and drug abusers has risen sharply statewide and the goal for the trust is to get “100 percent,” vaccinated not the “58 percent” around the state said long time trust Chairman Ron Book at Fridays trust board meeting.
Further an agreement with Jackson Health System is being worked on so that vaccinations can be given at the Chapman Partnership and Camillus House and Lotus Village where many residents fall into this vulnerable population that leads to liver damage a serious disease that has exploded recently in the Sunshine state. State wide: #s http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/vaccine-preventable-disease/hepatitis-a/surveillance-data/index.html https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2019/08/01/hepatitis-a-florida-public-health-emergency#interactivehttps://www.wptv.com/news/state/hepatitis-a-outbreak-adds-65-cases-in-florida For more go to:https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article230131439.html
>>> MIA directed to do study of impact of Melreese soccer stadium deal on runways and if in “safety zones,” for runways, could impact MLS stadium at golf course
The county will do a study on the proposed MLS stadium at Mel Reese golf course that includes a stadium and hotel and if it would fall into a “runway safety zone,” that The FAA could not certify said MIA director Lester Sola and he is trying to get the study done in 90 days since Miami voters in November will be asked to vote on the controversial project since it is proposed by private interests and commission vice Chair Rebeca Sosa wants nothing to put the largest economic engine MIA in any jeopardy she believes and requested the study.
>>> With Miami-Dade #1 in HIV infections UM Idea program showing results needs second mobility van for dispensing HIV preventative drugs Prep doses “middle school students,” at “risk,” to says county commissioner Rebeca Sosa an educator.
At the disparity committee Monday, a sobering presentation was done on the rising HIV infections IDEA UM needle exchange pilot program needs dedicated mobile van may get surplus county van suggests, commissioner Jordan,
Miami-Dade is #1 in new HIV infections Idea syringe exchange pilot program going statewide, mobile van needed to deliver HIV medicine and Hepatitis A is surging in the county as well and the health department is urging people who are at risk get the vaccination.
The UM Miller Medical needle syringe exchange program was a major discussion at the community disparities committee chaired by county commissioner Eileen Higgins who has part of Miami Beach and is a “hot zone,” for new infections that cuts across all ethnic lines black or Hispanic and has one person getting AIDs daily and last week and the controversial exchange program has shown positive public health outcomes said Dr. Hansel Tookes, III, M.D., M.P.A. http://medicine.med.miami.edu/ideaexchange
Tookes who took the needle exchange program to the state legislature and high rates of HIV infections are found in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and a traveling Prep mobile unit donated by Sylvester Cancer is going into the community and giving testing and antiviral drugs. However, reaching some of the infected runs into stigmas that includes blacks and Hispanics who are sometimes reluctant to be tested and one hot spot is on 14th street in Miami and Higgins is trying to get a dedicated van to increase the coverage and help for infected patients.
>> M-D County Youth Commission finds “rampant,” bullying and “code reds,” climate change, vaping new issues, body creating the leaders of the future, and note Miami is one of the first “cities to run out of water say,” studies show
>>>> What about the Homeless Trust and this year’s number of who had died on the street, a new high many opioid related, last year 138 passed this year 201 passed state’s medical examiner confirms.
What is the new elderly crisis coming seniors & children housing money their lack of permanent long-term homes?
Homeless seniors are becoming the biggest threat facing the county in the future and it is a “Crisis, said Ron Book,” the Miami-Dade County Homeless trust chair. At past trust meeting and the need for permanent housing for this emerging group is critical and he is on a crusade to find permanent housing the trust can buy but in Miami the inventory is small an expensive he has said in the past. And to review the task force recommendations and has some elderly having to live in shelters for up to “1,000,” s and that number qualifying will only increase in the future.
Ron Book has been making the political rounds speaking at a Miami commission meeting about a new encampment in the inner city that has been blocked off by the health department after open sexual acts and drug dealing has resulted in a spike of AIDs cases and the finding of drug paraphernalia around the local schools and the trust has gone into emergency mode to get these people into rehabilitation and other programs and those coming back are being addressed where one Women had “black lips,” gangrene and was “spotted having a rat eating the food in her mouth,” in her stupor condition said Book to city commissioners and she was taken into rehabilitation but this is the challenge the county’s homeless trust faces. For more go to https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/downtown-miami/article219921130.html
The homeless trust has a new program where people with rental housing can register their rental units with the county and for more on the program go to: http://www.homelesstrust.rg/rentconnect.asp
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
Here is an update of the Jackson Miracle Bond program that is moving right along and changing the JHS, with virus hemorrhaging tax revenues county gives health trust $150 million line of credit, in November institution had only 50 days cash on hand
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article241867016.html
https://jacksonhealth.org/blog-bond-progress/
Mentorship protégée program for JHS bond discussed at forum Erick Knowles Wednesday after T Willard Fair looks at all the contracting in County water & sewer
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article235641862.html
Fined https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article236598618.html
more go to https://jacksonhealth.org/jackson-bond-program/
>>>> The AOA agreement calls for health trust to pay $130 million to UM for a host of medical services and below is a complete breakdown of the services and payments.
http://www.seiu1991.org/files/2011/07/AOA-Payments-Rationale-and-Distribution-3.pdf
This is a breakdown of the payments and a graph is on the pdf above
Distribution of AOA Payments Direct Patient Care, $20,057,576 Residency and Fellowship Program Administration, $5,704,521 Residents and Fellows Clinical Instruction Support, $22,941,836 Residents and Fellows Direct Expense Stipend, $587,640 Residency and Fellowship Program Coord and Admin, $1,391,611 Hospital Administration Support, $10,143,812 Recruiting Support, $11,752.
The 50-year affiliation with the UM Miller school of medicine is a tremendous boon for the community and ends the tag line. “You go to Jackson to die,” was a frequent refrain, but that medical synergy has made the health trust one of the top medical health systems in Miami-Dade and is rebooting after a GOB bond was passed allowing for new updated facilities.
>>> New continuum of care center coming for homeless with mental issues, JHS involved one stop center, upcoming special PHT board meeting to ratify new committee chairs
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust along with Jackson Health System is opening a one stop public facility for homeless who qualify for a new diversion program with a mental illness and includes many veterans on the streets and is an old facility previously used by the state, but it will offer a continuum of care and was briefly discussed at the trust board meeting Friday. The whole community has been seeking ways to resolve the mental health issues of the homeless now drawing in people with opioid addiction and a drop of fentanyl can kill and many times is cut with cheap yellow Mexican heroin that appeared years past and is causing thousands of overdoses and the city of Miami spent $150,000 in procuring the miracle drug Narcan that can revive a overdosed person almost immediately and these people cut across all ethnic lines and the issue was discussed Sunday on “This Week in South Florida,” and to see the show go to https://www.local10.com/this-week-in-south-florida/this-week-in-south-florida-oct-29 Chapman, Jr. partnership go to: https://www.chapmanpartnership.org/about-us/leadership/ https://www.chapmanpartnership.org/wpq_events/nextgen-gala-party/
>>> Last girder to state-of-the-art Christine E. Lynn rehabilitation facility fitted Friday $175 million rehab, home to UM Project to Cure Paralysis, with grand opening March 20, JHS burn unit gets national accreditation, many patients need psychiatrist, outreach to children part of unit, not to start fires crawl above the smoke, and stop and roll to put out fire. Rehab opens March 20th
Telling athletes yes, we want to win is dearly needed after the previous one was inadequate and antiquated and was always a hot topic with county commissioners especially commissioner Sally Heyman who had a back issue and had to get rehab there. The $175 center will also be home for UM’s the Miami Project to cure Paralysis and the fundraising got a jolt when Christine E. Lynn donated the first $25 million and was augmented with proceeds from the $830 million GOB approved by county voters.
And here is a complete CDC list of things you should do if you think you have coronavirus https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html
Further, with the community having the Jackson Health System public healthcare institution along with UM the WDR has seen their preparedness in the past and it is top notch whether it was the anthrax scare after 9/11 and fear of a smallpox attack the system beefed up its resources and has kept up with critical protocols. And tests can now be done at local labs reducing the time for a diagnosis versus days if sent to CDC in Atlanta. Given a drop in paying patients because of the virus and tourist taxes down the institution received a $ 150 million line of credit from the county during these tough times. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article241867016.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article240761096.html#storylink=mainstage
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>> The nation’s fourth largest public schools district is supplying hand sanitizers and beefing up cleaning and disinfecting the schools to curb any corona virus outbreaks, will be shut down for the year, with pandemic fears on-line courses
http://www.miamidadeig.org/2019MDCPS/TheOIGFinalReportSB-17-1006-SIissued9.25.19.pdf
With the increased security needs the Miami-Dade County Public Schools have achieved an all-time high of officers in the district with around 400 schools. These resource officers are much needed and is the largest school police force in the nation.
>>> Miami Dolphins super star Nat Moore tells school board without opportunity to attend Dolphins training camp, “he would have been a truckdriver like his father Edison High graduate 1969, Dr. Karp sings Dolphins fight song to audience, includes team doing baseline concussions on students
>>> The Miami Dolphins were honored by the school board Wednesday and the team needed some good news after the bruising battle at county hall and bringing F1 racing to the stadium and Miami Gardens. That brought out a host of residents against the race. A number of Dolphins and management attended the meeting and star player Nat Moore said if it were not food the chance to attend a Dolphin training camp “he would have been a truck driver like his father and is an Edison High 1969 graduate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Moore
He said the experience gave him confidence is doing something different and the team at Edison High recently replaced football gear destroyed by a freak fire when no one else was in the building.
The school district is paying the city of Miami$1.195 million to provide law enforcement officers at 17 public schools located within the city at a cost of $70,337.00 per school says the Miami resolution passed by the commission accepting the money to the “police general fund account.”
>>> District saves $68 million in COP bond refinancing, IG busts electrical contractor and minority “front”
The school board is refinancing some Certificates of Participation (COP) bonds and the maneuver suggested by a treasury advisory board is saving the public district 468 million and the nation’s second largest district has an extensive bond portfolio and has been refinancing since interest have been so low especially a few years ago.
An electrical contractor was busted by the county’s IG for being a front when applying and complying with the district’s minority contract policies to read the report click on
http://www.miamidadeig.org/2019MDCPS/OIGFinalReportofInspectionGOBIG0015.pdf
Here is the link to the audit agenda: http://www.dadeschools.net/schoolboard/agenda/e35.pdf
School District Impact Fees audit Check out the audit and what the county owes to the public district http://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_May_14_2019/Agenda.pdf
>>> Charter schools 134 of them are asking to receive some of the $1.2 billion GOB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieaqsiupMSI protests.
Charter schools are asking for a portion of a 1.2 billion property tax that was expected to raise teacher pay and upgrade some schools and the district has 134 charter schools that are managed by private firms and upgrade private property with public funds and these entities do not have to follow the same rules and do not have to accept all students versus the public district and the legal battle is occurring in Tallahassee during the session, and these local tax dollars should go to the public district the fourth largest https://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/MiamiHerald/ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article229066424.html
CITY OF MIAMI
What do peacocks have to do with the media?
If you ever wondered why NBC uses the spread peacock logo it is from Greek Mythology and evolved from the 100 foot hundred eye colossus Argus that protected the fawn Io and morphed into ancient capitals back the to protect against snakes o the peacock all seeing and the fowl were used and they are a predator and will take on a cobra check out this video: cobra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieaqsiupMSI
>> Commissioner Reyes calls mayor’s stalling tactic “Machiavellian,” since Reyes and Gort oppose deal and 4/5th vote needed for no bid deal with Beckham and MLS
The Miami Freedom Park discussions Thursdays was a drama with Miami commissioner Manola Reyes calling Mayor Francis Suarez “Machiavellian” given the mayor’s slow progress with The David Beckham groups $1 billion development deal and MLS soccer stadium on the Melreese golf course. Reyes and Wilfredo Gort suggest the delays are to allow for the upcoming elections to add new commissioners in support of what many calls a sweetheart deal of a billion dollar give away to the politically connected Mass brothers. Since both Gort and Reyes are against the deal. Former Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff is part of the negotiating deal and his law firm Shutts & Bowen. Sarnoff noted that the traffic and environmental studies have yet to be done and won’t be ready till close to the Nov. election and the commissioners believe it is a stalling tactic by proponent Suarez who notes it was overly passed by Miami voters but the devil is in the details and the commission o them as commissioners put some form time lines for the administration to present a contract while Gort is still on the dais.
In one sharp exchange Reyes does not call Suarez and the mayor hot back that he should be called “mayor,” since he refers to them as commissioners, but the heated meeting highlights the divisions on the five member body as Suarez tries to wrap-up the deal expected in the coming months and the value of the golf course has yet to be established.
What else happened?
Carollo reached into his old toolbox when people were asking about 4 new parks in his district. He said the people complaining just did not want people outside the neighborhood using the parks and one person actually “grabbed his wife’s arm.” And he suggested this was racially or anti Hispanic rhetoric from elites in his district and he used this tactic back in 2000 but now is a different time and he may not get the ethnic divide traction he is looking for and had people throwing bananas in front of Miami City Hall back then.
Speeding boats on Miami River scarring manatees in river
What about the speeding boats on the Miami River and these hitting manatees? The river with a dubious history has restaurants dotting the shores and residents are asking for a more robust police marine patrol and say the fast boats are scarring the slow-moving sea cows that swim along the shore to avoid these boats
>>>>The sea Level Rise committee wants a bump in funding for resiliency officer’s office, an extra $500,000 in the upcoming budget would help for “most important Miami committee,” manager has said.
“The most important committee the sea level rise committee,’ is going to ask for more public funding for studies and members going to conferences and after much debate is asking the commission to fund $500,000 to the resilience and sustainability officer’s office and the chair will be speaking at a upcoming commission meeting since budget hearings are in September. To read the budget go to:
https://www.miamigov.com/Government/Departments-Organizations/Management-Budget
EDITORIAL
Further, with multiple municipalities, hospitals utilities have been held hostage and cyber ransom blackmail to regain access to encrypted computers. To read more about these hacks and technology go to these two links and it will open your eyes on the danger of these actors including North Korea and is only evolving in complexity and even the CIA has been penetrated along with the ultra-secret NSA. https://www.wired.com/story/2017-biggest-hacks-so-far/?verso=true
https://decideconsulting.com/5-recent-cyber-security-threats-in-2018/
And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan
informed and saving taxpayer monies in the process. And I thank my supporters over the last 19 years. And to read a national story and profile of the WDR publisher in the early years and background back in 2003 go to: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american
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. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog
>>>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/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
The homeless trust has a new program where people with rental housing can register their rental units with the county and for more on the program go to: http://www.homelesstrust.org/rentconnect.asp
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan go to: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american
Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible: Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors
Daniel A. Ricker
Publisher & Editor
Watchdog Report
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2019, Daniel A. Ricker
>>> 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. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog
>>>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/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI www.miami.edu
Miami Parking Authority www.mpamiami
>>> 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. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog
>>>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/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
>>>>> General subscriber’s names will not be published in the Report. To subscribe to the Watchdog Report please use the form below as a subscription invoice. ****************************************************
Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form Thank you
Large Business Supporters $500
Small Business Supporters $250
Please make checks out to Daniel A. Ricker and send to 3109 Grand Ave. #125 Miami, Fla 33133
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