>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

>>> There will be no Watchdog Report for the next two weeks. My web master is taking a vacation and I need to take a break and raise money. I thank everyone for all the past support over the past 14 years.

>>> Happy Mother’s Day, for without Mom none of us would be here without them, and while the Mom title brings a host of things to mind. The Watchdog Report wishes all of the Moms of the world, the very best, and may you and your family reflect on the important role and duties you have played since the beginning of the human race. And while my mother passed in 2004. I still think and follow her advice in so many ways everyday and her influence is reflected every week in how I write the WDR.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Cut backs of federal Meals on Wheels programs rippling across all of Miami-Dade, hundreds of elderly residents not getting hot meals, what happens Sen. Nelson says when budget cuts done with a “meat cleaver”

A hot meal crisis is brewing throughout the Miami-Dade and it is the reduced federal funding of the Meals on Wheels (MoW) program by U.S. HUD and the program is a major mainstay for the poor and aged here in South Florida, from Miami Beach, unincorporated Miami-Dade and the city of Miami to name just a few of the areas. And the total $38.7 million cut in national federal funding because of the federal sequester will affect local residents. The program in widespread use here has grown exponentially over the past decade from a much smaller population base and nationwide the White House is estimating some 4 million people will be affected, though others suggest the number could be closer to 19 million elderly and infirmed people.

In addition, here last week the issue was discussed at a Miami-Dade county commission meeting Tuesday, at the Miami Beach Commission meeting Wednesday, and on Thursday City of Miami commissioners also brought up the issue of trying to figure out a way to makeup some of the federal funding loss (And in this case all three commissions were discussing funding for the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers, but the county has a host of other providers as well in place facing the same fiscal cuts across all local ethnic groups.

The federal program brings a hot meal five days a week to individuals and also serves meals at senior community centers and it is these larger centers that will feel the greatest impact, that is already being felt. Where roughly, there could be up to a 40 percent reduction in the number of meals available in the future and people that are fed are chosen by a drawing, but that method leaves others out in the cold. Further, what is occurring is local governments are trying to fill in these federal cuts. Something tried in the past when the state funded programs were being cut, but with surging property tax values back then. These local governments were able to partially off set the reduced social service money coming from the state. However, since 2008 and the Great Recession that option has been off the table and locally where Meals on Wheels program has flourished. The reduction in hot meals for this vulnerable population is starting to really dig in, and potentially thousands of people are going to be hungry in the months ahead.

How did the community get so dependent on MoW?

Back in 2001, then U.S. Secretary of H.U.D. Mel Martinez came to Miami-Dade and the Cuban American actually spoke loudly to the elected power elite at the time including Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas along with a host of others at the Ritz-Carleton in Coconut Grove. Martinez, after the introduction said hey, “How often do you have a Pedro Pan the Secretary of HUD? Will you at least do me a favor and apply” for some of the federal programs. That had the state of Florida at the time, getting only around 14.5 billion in federal draw down money a year. Further, this federal largess was surpassed by significantly smaller states out in the mid west. And the Sunshine State’s only significant federal draw down money dealt with citrus products and the industry, and when it came to federal money for social programs. The state ranked around 48 in the nation in its level of funding for these social service programs. However, since that time, all 34 municipalities and the county have taken advantage of this federal largess, including the $29 million for the county’s homeless trust to fund service providers for the county’s homeless population. However, during these past good times, local governments have grown very dependent on this federal funding, as have the residents and that is the problem South Florida faces in this matter.

What did U.S. Sen. Nelson say about the federal cuts?

While U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson voted for the federal sequester, he totally disagrees with how it is being implemented saying, “That you don’t budget with a meat cleaver,” he told the Watchdog Report on Friday. “This idiot idea of a sequester has had all the cities that you mentioned coming to me saying, oh woe is us, we have to have this money for CDBGs and all the other social programs.” And I said, “Your not preaching to the choir, your preaching to the preacher” and why don’t you talk to the local congressional members that voted for the sequester, and won’t stop “supporting sequester” and he suggested to these local leaders that they don’t just talk to the staffers alone, but to their “Congressperson.” >>> http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/may/01/bill-nelson-sequester-college-president-chamber/

What about the two American tourists jailed in Turks and Caicos Islands?

Nelson met with the media Friday concerning two U.S. Citizens and tourists that were jailed and then paid $4,000 to be released after mysteriously two bullets were found in their baggage, though neither were hand gun owners. Both people were well off and elderly and they did not see the different caliber bullets be removed from their bags. However, Nelson in a strongly worded letter to the Island’s government hopes this is not a scam that is being perpetuated on an Island chain long a beneficiary of American tourists. Moreover, Nelson said the “ramifications” of such a shakedown scam if it spread around the world could “Potentially affect any American tourist anywhere,” he closed his comments.

>>> Press release: Two U.S. senators are asking for an expedited investigation into the strangely similar circumstances surrounding the jailing of two older American tourists on ammunitions charges at a Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) airport a little over a week ago.  Each American allegedly had but a single bullet apiece in their possessions. The two Americans arrested by TCI authorities were an 80-year-old retired Florida neurosurgeon and a 60-year-old Texas businesswoman.  Both were jailed after airport searches allegedly found ammo in their luggage.  The two arrests came on back-to-back days – the Texas woman’s on April 25, the Florida man’s on April 26.   And both Americans then had to pay $4,000 cash bail before returning home.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) got involved in response to requests on behalf his constituent, retired Sarasota, Florida physician Horace Norrell, who was jailed for three days without a hearing ending what had been his birthday trip to the Turks and Caicos.  He was locked up over a weekend in a cell he said was four paces across with “big iron bars, no lights, no windows, and a combination toilet and sink.” He told Nelson’s office the only gun he’s ever owned was a shotgun – and that was a long time ago, so someone must have slipped a bullet into his luggage.  If found guilty, each American could be sentenced to a two- to five-year term in the British protectorate’s prison.

The two arrests come amidst the TCI government enacting tough new anti-gun and ammunition laws.  They also come on the heels of a deal the Islands’ airport authority reportedly struck in March with a U.S. company to begin providing ground handling services at Providenciales International Airport – scene of the arrests.  For 20 years prior, a local firm reportedly had that contract. In a letter today to John Dinkleman, Chargé d’Affaires, at the American Embassy in the Bahamas, the senators wrote that they want a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrests of their constituents.  They also want to know if there have been similar cases this year to make sure American tourists aren’t being targeted.  “ … We ask that you convey to the proper authorities that the investigation needs to be expeditious, thorough, transparent and independent,” the senators wrote. Nelson read the letter during a speech this afternoon on the Senate floor.

Meantime, both of the Americans now face hearings that are set for June 7. Norrell, however, has told his hometown newspaper – The Sarasota Herald-Tribune – that he’s already consulted with an extradition expert in Miami [attorney Marcia Silvers] on whether to even attend the hearing, where a judge is expected to decide to take the matter to trial or toss the charge. “We want his opinion on whether, if we travel outside the U.S. to Great Britain or any British protectorates, whether we would be extradited to the Turks and Caicos,” Norrell told the newspaper. The Turks and Caicos Islands is a British protectorate located 575 miles southeast of Miami.  It is one of two territories where, according to a recent The Miami Herald article, the British are actively probing public corruption.  The other is reportedly the Cayman Islands.

Nelson

>>> State Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft Charges

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Manuel Orosa, Chief, City of Miami Police Department, announce that Bernard Beliard, a former State Corrections Officer assigned to the South Florida Reception Center, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(3) and 1028A(a)(1).  Beliard is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2013 before Judge Altonaga.

According to court records, Beliard used his official law enforcement position to access personal identifying information of inmates who were checked in at the South Florida Regional Center from October, 2012 to January, 2013. From October 24, 2012 through January 4, 2013, Beliard met with a FBI confidential human source (CHS) on four separate occasions and provided the CHS with State of Florida Department of Corrections’ daily intake lists.  These lists contained the names of approximately 805 inmates, along with corresponding personal identifiers, including social security numbers and dates of birth.  Beliard sold the inmates’ personal identifying information to the CHS after having been told that the information would be used to commit tax refund fraud.  In exchange for the lists, Beliard accepted a total of $9,600 in cash. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Public Corruption Task Force, with the assistance of the City of Miami Police Department and the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General (FDOC-OIG).  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin W. Waugh.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> “You Figure it out,” Sen. Nelson says to Miami Herald reporter when asked if he would run for governor in 2014

With speculation on whether U. S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL might run against GOP Gov. Rick Scott in the fall of 2014 a hot topic. Nelson on Friday was coy when veteran Miami Herald political reporter Marc Caputo www.miamiherald.com suggested reasons why he might, or might not run for governor in the coming years. And the senior senator from Florida told the reporter when it came to him running for governor. “You figure it out,” he said. However, Nelson is the only statewide Democrat in office in a state dominated by the GOP, and some party faithful want him to ride back from Washington as Gov. Lawton Childes did back in 2004 when he left the Senate and defeated a young Jeb Bush in his first gubernatorial campaign.

Scott who spent some $73 million of his own money to be elected in 2010 has proved since then to be an effective Republican Party fundraiser as gubernatorial challengers in the GOP for the moment are keeping their political powder dry and are not running in the race. However, this widespread speculation that Nelson would be a great challenger for the Democratic Party has been out there, but some pundits wonder why he would want to run. Since he just was reelected to the world’s most exclusive club, has major seniority since he was first elected in 2000, and at 74 if he ran. He could find the younger Scott a formidable challenge even thought the governor is low in the polls. >>> Editor’s note: I believe Nelson will stay in the U.S. Senate.

>>> AG Bondi busts two people for human trafficking, committed to making “Florida a zero tolerance state”

AG Pam Bondi press release: Today I joined Clearwater Chief of Police Anthony Holloway in announcing that two individuals have been arrested for their involvement in an alleged sex trafficking ring. The arrests today are a result of an investigation that began in 2012 and strong partnerships among local, state and federal agencies. Human trafficking is modern day slavery that exploits children, women, and men, and this is the first step in bringing justice and peace to the 16 victims of this sex trafficking ring and ridding our state of criminals.

I am committed to making Florida a zero-tolerance state for human trafficking. On Tuesday, I announced a human trafficking initiative involving partnerships with representatives of various industries throughout Florida. The business associations will share an online toolkit that my office has launched to help their members create policies and internal training sessions to end human trafficking. Additionally, the businesses will work with my office and Terry Coonan, with Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, to develop industry-specific sessions intended to further assist businesses with creating their own anti-human trafficking plans. To learn more about my office’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit MyFloridaLegal.com. I will remain dedicated to stopping this abhorrent crime in our state.

Bondi

>>> Gov. Scott names Dr. Gene Youngblood and the reappointments of Nancy Bradley and Lynn Mulherin to the Commission for Independent Education.

Youngblood, 69, of Jacksonville, is the founder and president of the Conservative Theological University. He succeeds Marvin Royce and is appointed for a term beginning May 10, 2013, and ending June 30, 2015.

Bradley, 61, of Orlando, is the owner and administrator of Daytona College, LLC. She is reappointed for a term beginning May 10, 2013, and ending June 30, 2015.

Mulherin, 49, of Celebration, is a regional vice president with the University of Phoenix. She is reappointed for a term beginning May 10, 2013, and ending June 30, 2015. >>> The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

>>> The wisest words I saw this week…They came in an important, thought-provoking piece by a Stanford University professor named Sean Reardon, and ran in The New York Times: “There is a lot of discussion these days about investing in teachers and ‘improving’ teacher quality,’ but improving the quality of our parenting and of our children’s earliest environments may be even more important. Let’s invest in parents,” he says, “so they can better invest in their children. This means finding ways of helping parents become better teachers themselves…. It might also mean greater business and government support for maternity and paternity leave and (child) care so that the middle class and the poor can get some of the educational benefits that the early academic intervention of the rich provides their children. Fundamentally, it means rethinking our still-persistent notion that educational problems should be solved by schools alone. The more we do to ensure that children have similar cognitively early childhood experiences, the less we will have to worry about failing schools. This in turn will enable us to let our schools focus on teaching the skills – how to solve complex problems, how to think critically, and how to collaborate – essential to a growing economy and a lively democracy.” When, oh when, are we going to act as though we really know that? Dave Lawrence, Chair – The Children’s Movement of Florida P.S.: To read the full article, just click here.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> County through time payments reclaims $580,000 from MBCHC, lack of proper documentation, “not embezzlement”

While his predecessor, Kathryn Abbete, who was running the three clinics for years has pleaded guilty for defrauding the Miami Beach Community Health Center of millions of dollars in the years past and is awaiting sentencing. Mark Rabinowitz, M.D. who followed her as CEO while telling The Children’s Trust months ago that things had fundamentally changed at the organization. A new wrinkle emerged when it came to how Ryan White federal grants were documented and since Miami-Dade County is the platform that directs this funding. The county’s Office of Strategic Management and Budgets in a report found “46 findings” in a documentation review, which meant $580,000 of county administered federal money has to be repaid because of a “lack of proper documentation,” and was “not embezzlement,” said an expert on the matter. Further, $575,000 of the money that is being asked to be returned is because when it came to the documentation, there was “inappropriate time and effort documentation,” states the county memo.

The Watchdog Report contacted Rabinowitz last week asking about a response to the county report and the physician wrote back. “The Ryan White A grant received by MBCHC from the County was audited last year for the periods that fell under the administration of MBCHC’s former CEO.  In the spirit of moving forward from the past year’s challenges, MBCHC decided not to contest the payback and the County provided MBCHC with an extended payout period.  The County continues to provide the grant to MBCHC in the new grant cycle, which began on March 1, 2013.  MBCHC is working with the County to be certain there is no problem moving forward, and our projections indicate we will be able to meet the extended payment plan with no detrimental impact on patient care. A written policy and procedure is now in place revising how we document “time and effort” reporting, which was at the core of the County audit findings. This updated policy was approved by the County and we are confident we have resolved this issue,” wrote Rabinowitz, MD, Miami Beach Community Health Center Senior EVP of Medical Affairs & Interim CEO Diplomate of American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

What about the new Ryan White funds OSMB Compliance Officer?

The OSMB has hired a full time Compliance Officer who will conduct “site visits at all Ryan White funded providers and programs” and the new countywide oversight is said to be needed.

>>> Jurors who come to county courts after summons, finally get free parking at M-DC run parking lots

The County Commission Tuesday passed legislation establishing free parking for jurors at county parking lots and Commissioners Lynda Bell and Sally Heyman sponsored the bill. The Clerk of the Court’s office sends out some 300,000 summons per year states the clerk’s webpage, requesting people report to jury duty, and since some trials go on for weeks. The cost for parking ads up for an average juror selected to be part of a jury. The county staff estimates the cost will “be $172,000 per year,” said Bell and county Clerk Harvey Ruvin thanked the commission saying in the past authorizing free parking for jurors had failed with the commission, even though Miami-Dade. “Is the only county in the state where jurors had to pay for parking,” the long serving clerk said. >>> Editor’s Note: This free juror parking starts Oct.1 and does not apply to lots run by the Miami Parking Authority.

Bell

Heyman

Ruvin

>>> BCC confirms attorney Liu as M-DC interim IG

Patra Liu, an attorney and one of the early members of the Miami-Dade County Office of the Inspector General has been made the interim IG while an independent selection committee will ask for resumes, screen them and give their recommendations to the Miami-Dade County Commission for final approval of a new IG. Liu replaces the only IG the county has had, Christopher Mazzella who started back in 1998. After the office was created by the county commission and was pushed back then by then Commissioner Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, now a state senator. Mazzella retired last month and Liu’s OIG office also has similar duties at the Miami-Dade Public Schools where the IG also provides oversight and has an office. When asked if Liu would apply for the position by the Watchdog Report on Tuesday. “You will have to see,” she said.

>>> Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa gave a shout out to the Watchdog Report on Tuesday at the Board of County Commission meeting and the fact it was my 14^th Anniversary on May 5. “Congratulations to the Watchdog Report for keeping us informed about everything that is happening in our community,” said the long serving commissioner of District 6 from the dais.

Sosa

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> “I trust but I verify,” says Carvalho when it comes to projects program manager Parsons Brinckerhoff for $1.2 billion bond program

Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the nation’s fourth largest public school district has put his reputation on the line when it comes to the projects to be financed by a $1.2 billion bond offering passed overwhelmingly by voters in Nov. 2012. And he recommended to the school board that Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. be the district’s program manager and to provide support services to assist in the delivery of district wide school renovations, replacements and technology upgrades for the bond, state district documents. Carvalho told the school board members on Wednesday that he negotiated a “rate and cost multiplier that is significantly less,” for other program management firms that were used for the “Houston and L.A.” public schools system and these markups were “the lowest cost multipliers in the country,” he told the board.

And while he had faith in the large company that also did much of the work at the new American Airline terminal at MIA. “I trust but I verify,” and with the district’s “power of verification” he is “assured we will get to the goal,” because the oversight of the projects and money is being “done at the highest level.” And the superintendent since Sept. 2008 told the board it will be “reflective in the outcome” of the hundreds of projects and the whole program will be done through an “honest, transparent and legitimate process,” he assured the nine-member board. Further, of this over billion in projects to be done over the next six to seven years. In this first year, the school district is expected to sell some $508 million in bonds to get the ball rolling and Carvalho noted with this contract. Parsons is “responsible,” for the results and there is “no other company,” to place the blame on. And he expects all the projects to be “on time” and “under budget,” he concluded his discussions.

Feldman

Carvalho

What about the Audit Committee as a community oversight firewall?

The school board audit and budget advisory committee is meeting this Tuesday and since 2004, when the previous committee chair Hank Mack finally retired after ten years in the leadership post. The independent ten member board made up of CPAs and tax attorneys, financial experts, a school board member Lawrence Feldman, Ph.D. and a community activist has done an extraordinary job in watching over the some $4.4 billion school district budget and one of the reasons there have been so few scandals over the years when it comes to how the district spends its precious taxpayer dollars. >>> To see what will be discussed go to: Please find below the link to access the Agenda for the Audit and Budget Advisory Committee meeting of May 14, 2013.  Embedded in the Agenda are the links to access the individual items and reports. http://mca.dadeschools.net//AuditCommittee/AC_May_14_2013/agenda.pdf

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Jackson’s Holtz’s pediatric cardiac program “voluntarily accepting probationary designation’” with CMS for failing to do 150 surgical cases a year

The pediatric heart surgery program at Jackson Health System’s Holtz’s Children’s Hospital is “voluntarily accepting probation designation in order to allow us sufficient time to demonstrate full compliance with CMS Standards,” and would “welcome a later assessment,” wrote Steven Burghart, the Sr. VP and Chief Administrative Officer of Holtz’s Children Hospital & Women Hospital Center. The cardiac program is required to do at least 150 cases a year and this past low surgical volume had been under review over the past months after a past unsatisfactory review earlier detailed in a past Watchdog Report. Two of the program’s physicians also signed the letter by the top administrator.

The letter further said the request came because the pediatric cardiac program “will fall short of the CMS Facility Standard of 150 cases annually,” and they are “pursuing a number of avenues toward programmatic growth but developing and modifying such a large academic program takes time.” In addition, there has been “insufficient time since the last evaluation for us to demonstrate a substantial change in surgical volume.”  And they wish more time to become compliant with the required surgical volume. And when it came to the “upcoming CMS visit to UM/Jackson Pediatric Cardiovascular Program.” The Jackson executive says, “We suggest canceling a Jun. 4 site visit.” And the Apr. 25 letter was sent to Jeffrey P. Jacobs, M.D., head of the CMS Cardiac Subcommittee, which is a Division of Children’s Medical Services.

In a past CMS review, the program’s surgical volume was becoming an issue and there was also a need to replace a cardiac surgeon, since the program was short on one, but this new wrinkle for such a high profile medical service so important to the community’s kids at Jackson deserves being monitored and why the Watchdog Report over the past nine months has been keeping my eye on the matter.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Suarez says Meals on Wheels recipients at one center has dropped from “90 to 50 meals,” elderly compete “for [food] tickets in senior centers”

Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez gave an impassioned plea to fellow commissioners to find funding for the Little Havana Activities and Nutritional Centers where funding cuts have brought on a reduction of hot meals that can be served to elderly residents. Suarez, a mayoral candidate in November said the federal “sequester is impacting a lot of senior centers,” and because of the cuts these organizations have received “less money.” He noted hot meal reductions have gone from “90 to 50 meals and people compete for [hot food] tickets in senior centers,” and he wondered how a city with a $500 million budget could allow this to happen.  In addition, the attorney said we “all agree feeding the elderly is at the top of the list,” Suarez said.

However, this wail for help with the federal food program is being heard countywide and was the topic at other commission meetings during the week but city’s and the county will find it is a hard to make up the fiscal shortfalls, given the tightness of these governments own budgets. And Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and Commissioner Frank Carollo have been trying to get the Congress over the past two years to change the wording of the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to allow the funding ratio to be modified allowing more money be directed to these types of social service agencies. And with the mayoral election fast approaching, Miami residents will see how much of the political race bleeds into the realm of public policy, with the commission budget hearings being the platform for any indirect campaigning in the future.

Regalado

Carollo

Suarez

>>> Administrator and Employee of Miami Home Health Companies Pleads Guilty for Role in $74 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Press release: A Miami resident who was an administrator of a home health care company and was the employee of another home health care company pleaded guilty today for her participation in a $74 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office.

Myriam Acevedo, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks and two counts of payment of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care benefit program. Acevedo was an administrator of LTC Professional Consultants Inc. and an employee of Professional Home Care Solutions Inc., Miami home health care agencies that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. According to court documents, Acevedo and her co-conspirators operated LTC and Professional Home Care for the purpose of billing the Medicare program for, among other things, expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were not medically necessary and/or were not provided.

According to court documents, Acevedo’s primary role in the scheme was to pay kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters at LTC and Professional Home Care.  Specifically, Acevedo conspired with patient recruiters and others for the purpose of billing the Medicare program for unnecessary home health care and therapy services. Acevedo and co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters, who provided patients to LTC and Professional Home Care, as well as prescriptions, plans of care (POCs) and certifications for medically unnecessary therapy and home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.  Acevedo and her co-conspirators used these prescriptions, POCs and medical certifications to fraudulently bill the Medicare program for home health care services, which Acevedo knew was in violation of federal criminal laws.

From approximately September 2007 to June 2012, LTC and Professional Home Care submitted approximately $41 million in claims for home health services that were not medically necessary and/or not provided, and Medicare paid approximately $27 million on those claims. At sentencing, scheduled for July 24, 2013, Acevedo faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Joseph S. Beemsterboer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. >>> Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

CITY OF HIALEAH

>>> Three Charged with Wire Fraud in Investment Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Alysa Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, announce the arrests of defendants Anibangel Molina, 42, of New York, New York, Antonino Castro, 65, of Hialeah, Florida, and Betsy Aguiar Molina, 41, of Miami Lakes, Florida.  Anibangel Molina and Antonino Castro made their initial appearances in federal court on May 6, 2013 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes.  Anibangel Molina and Antonino Castro were released on bonds.  Betsy Aguiar Molina had her initial appearance in federal court today and a bond hearing is scheduled before the duty magistrate court judge on May 13, 2013.

The criminal complaint, which was unsealed upon the defendants’ arrest on May 6, 2013, charges Anibangel Molina, Antonino Castro, and Betsy Aguiar Molina with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.

If convicted, the defendants face a possible statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to the complaint, Bancard Financial Services, located in Miami, purportedly offered investment opportunities since at least 2009 through trading in precious metals, oil, and foreign exchange currency and high interest checking accounts.  Anibangel Molina was the President, Betsy Aguiar Molina was the Operations Manager, and Antonino Castro was the Officer Manager of Bancard Financial Services.  The complaint alleges that the defendants made false representations, failed to pay dividends to investors since at least October 2012, and allocated investor money for their personal expenses instead of purchasing the commodities or paying the interest that was promised to investors.  For example, in December 2011, Anibangel Molina wrote a check from Bancard’s bank account to purchase a $59,741 2012 Range Rover Evoque as a gift for Betsy Molina.

According to the complaint, the defendants executed the scheme by soliciting investors through television commercials that advertised classes in foreign exchange currency trading in Miami.  After people attended these seminars, the defendants offered to invest customers’ money in foreign currency markets, commodities, or high interest checking accounts.  From November 1, 2011 through November 2012, Anibangel and Betsy Molina received at least $4 million from more than 50 individual investors.  None of the defendants or Bancard Financial Services are registered or licensed to trade in commodities, securities, currency, or as a broker of these articles. In particular, the complaint alleges that Anibangel and Betsy Molina made false representations to investors by presenting some customers with a fraudulent Certificate of Bond Coverage that falsely claimed that “Lloyds Bank of London” indemnifies Bancard Financial Services LLC against any loss to any client up to $2,200,000.  The complaint also alleges that Betsy Molina falsely told at least one customer that President Obama had created a law to guarantee investments.  According to the complaint, numerous investors have contacted Anibangel Molina and Antonino Castro seeking to close out their investment accounts but these defendants have not returned their money.

If anyone has information about this fraud or has been a victim of the fraud, please call the toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or complete an online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Mr. Ferrer commended the efforts of HSI in the investigation and prosecution of this case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Thakur. A complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> HUD Meals on Wheels cuts for elderly gets discussion, Commissioner Wolfson donates $1,500 for 89 meals, but crisis looming

The cuts of federal HUD funds for Meals on Wheels and has elderly Miami Beach residents getting reduced meal services had Commissioners Jorge Exposito, Michael Gongora and Jonah Wolfson all sponsoring discussion items on Wednesday’s agenda. The issue was to “discuss the reduction of senior meals supplied by the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Miami-Dade.” And Wolfson has already dug into his commission account and donated a check for $1,500 that will pay for 89 meals state backup documents to the item. Further, this federal funding reduction is rippling throughout Miami-Dade in a big way, and why local elected leaders are trying to plug the funding holes.  However, this is a stopgap effort and municipal elected leaders are bracing for the onslaught of hungry elderly in a variety of social agencies facilities.

>>> List of the candidates: CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, GENERAL ELECTION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR  MAYOR: Michael Góngora, David P. Hundley, Philip Levine, Jerry Libbin

CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION, “Group I” : David R. Cardenas (Withdrew), Dave Crystal, Christine Florez (Withdrew), Elsa Urquiza

CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION, “Group II” Jorge R. Exposito (Incumbent), Kristen Rosen Gonzalez
CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION,  “Group III”: Joshua Charles Dunkelman, Michael C. Grieco, Sherry Kaplan Roberts. >>> NOTE:  All races are citywide.  The city is not divided into geographic districts.  All commission seats are at large.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Community treasure Fairchild Gardens turns 75, Miami-Dade’s version of Camp David

A community treasure has turned 75-years old recently and it is the Fairchild Tropical and Botanical Gardens located on Old Cutler nestled on the bay. The Gardens dubbed by the Watchdog Report as the community’s Camp David after a potentially contentious political meeting was held there in 2001 but turned into a kumbaya event between state legislators and county commissioners at the time. Fairchild hosts a variety of different events including the yearly Ramble that show cases the beautiful gardens, and includes the new attraction Wings of the Tropics, featuring thousands of butterflies from all over the world. Further, part of the Garden’s experience is the large number of volunteers that work there seven days a week, and these peoples giving countless hours helps keep the Gardens manicured and in great shape and saves the taxpayers millions of dollars by this free activity. And the Watchdog Report gives all the volunteers a Tip of the Hat.  For more go to: http://www.fairchildgarden.org/

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Previously Convicted Felon Charged in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme and Possession of a Firearm

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Michael J. De Palma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), announced the indictment of David Joseph, 27, of Ft. Lauderdale, on identity theft and  tax refund fraud charges and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  Defendant Joseph made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry S. Seltzer in Ft. Lauderdale.

The indictment charges defendant David Joseph with four counts of filing false claims with the IRS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 287, one count of  access device fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a) (3), four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A (a) (1), and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).  The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation,  pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d)(1).

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on April 25, 2013, USSS and IRS-CI agents executed a search warrant at a residence in West Park, Florida, regarding possible stolen identities and tax refund fraud (SIRF) activities at the subject location.  SIRF involves the unauthorized use of victims’ identities and personal information to file fraudulent tax returns requesting fraudulent, refunds.  During the search, the agents recovered numerous notebooks, medical printouts, IRS correspondence, prepaid debit cards, bank documents, and various other documents that contained thousands of access devices— victims’ names with corresponding social security numbers and dates of birth.  A fully loaded semi-automatic MasterPiece Arms 9 mm pistol and additional ammunition belonging to defendant Joseph, a previously convicted felon, was also recovered.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of five years’ in prison on each of the fraudulent claims counts, up to 10 years in prison on the access device fraud count, up to 2 years on each aggravated identity theft count, and up to 10 years in prison on the count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the USSS, IRS-CI, and ATF.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Press release:  Gov. Scott taps Ellyn I. Drotzer to the Governor’s Commission on Jobs for Floridians with Disabilities. Drotzer, 46, of Fort Lauderdale, is the interim vice president of career and technical education with Broward College and the associate vice president for resource development and strategic planning with Broward College Foundation. She fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 8, 2013, and ending at the pleasure of the Governor.

>>> Scott Press release: Early Learning Coalition of Broward County

Michael Asseff, 39, of Hollywood, is principle and owner of Structured Asset Services, LLC. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 7, 2013, and ending April 30, 2016.

Laura Gambino, 49, of Cooper City, is the business development director for Waste Pro of Florida. She is reappointed for a term beginning May 7, 2013, and ending April 30, 2015.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY HALLANDALE BEACH

>>> Tax Preparer Charged with Filing False Tax Returns on Behalf of His Clients

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), announced that Efrain Felipe, 41, of Hallandale Beach, was charged in a two count Information with making and subscribing a false tax return on behalf of a client, and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 7206(1) and 7206(1).  Defendant Felipe made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes. According to the charges, Felipe operated a tax preparation business in Broward County, and prepared fraudulent tax returns on behalf of his customers by claiming that some customers were entitled to a First Time Home Buyers Credit (FTHBC) of $7,500.00, for properties they did not own or for properties that were purchased years earlier.  Felipe also falsely claimed the FTHBC on his own personal tax return.

If convicted, Felipe faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 3 years in prison on each count.  Trial has been set for June 17, 2013 before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman O. Hemming, III. An Information is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

POMPANO BEACH

>>> Consultant for the Florida Department of Transportation Sentenced for Accepting a Bribe

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Michael DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Marlies T. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, announce today’s sentencing of defendant Ron Capobianco, Jr., 40, of Pompano Beach, FL, on charges of bribery in connection with programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666.  U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. sentenced Capobianco to twelve months plus one day in prison. According to documents previously filed with the court, Capobianco, Jr. worked as a construction engineering and inspection consultant at Metric Engineering, Inc. (Metric), which specialized in the transportation industry.  The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contracted with Metric to provide services, including designing, inspecting, and troubleshooting the construction of roads, signs, and traffic signals.  Capobianco, Jr. was assigned as the FDOT District 4 Signalization and Lighting Liaison.  In this capacity, he acted as FDOT’s project manager for various signalization and lighting projects.  Capobianco, Jr. had a team of employees that assisted him in supervising and inspecting contractors performing FDOT work.  Because of his position and expertise, Capobianco, Jr. was consulted as an FDOT expert on certain aspects of signalization and lighting construction, including the use of video detection cameras for traffic signalization and control.

According to the documents previously filed with the court, around 2009, FDOT began a road construction project along Highway 1 in the Florida Keys (the Marathon Key project), which was designed to improve traffic flow.  Capobianco Jr. agreed to accept a bribe from a subcontractor working on this project.  Around May 2009, an agent of the subcontractor offered to pay a bribe to Capobianco, Jr., if the subcontractor could receive at least $25,000 for the installation of the video detection equipment. Capobianco, Jr. agreed to the subcontractor’s $25,000 estimate for the installation of the video detection devices, thus enabling the subcontractor to make a significant profit.

The subcontractor’s estimate was approved and subsequently paid by the State of Florida after the installation of the video detection equipment.  Thereafter, Capobianco, Jr. met with an agent of the subcontractor in Plantation, Florida and was paid $4,000 in cash for his assistance to the subcontractor on the Marathon Key project. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, and the U.S.  Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, in connection with the investigation of this matter.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey N. Kaplan. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> There he goes again, Gov. Scott removes South Bay City Vice mayor Johnson, for conviction of Sunshine Law violation

There he goes again, Gov. Rick Scott Friday removed South Bay City Commissioner and Vice Mayor Linda Johnson, after she was convicted of a “public meeting violation,” and she was one of two other commissioners that included the mayor, who violated the Florida Sunshine Law because of a series of conversations with then City Manager Corey Alston. And the three elected leaders out of public view agreed to approve $25,139 in vacation pay for the manager and this violated the Florida Sunshine Law. Scott had suspended Johnson back on Dec. 13, 2012 and this executive order removes her from public office now that she has been convicted of the charges.

Scott is continuing the governor’s policy to remove elected officials when they get charged with a felony or misdemeanor that had been instituted in the past. When Governors Lawton Chiles, Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist were almost removing an elected official around the state at a clip of almost one a month when it came to a suspension or removal.  And had Crist calling Florida, a state with a “culture of corruption,” that was echoed in the conclusion of a statewide grand jury report on corruption in the Sunshine State, about five years ago.  For more got to: http://www.postonpolitics.com/2013/05/suspended-south-bay-commissioner-pleads-guilty-to-sunshine-law-violation/

>>> Gov. Scott taps Leslie B. Daniels to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

Daniels, 66, of Palm Beach, is a managing partner for CAI Managers & Co., L.P., a private equity firm. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University and currently serves on the Investment Advisory Council. Daniels fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 6, 2013, and ending September 30, 2016.

>>> Gov. Scott press release: Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County

Adam Hasner, 43, of Boca Raton, is the principle of Copernicus Concepts. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed as chair for a term beginning May 7, 2013, and ending April 30, 2017.

Michael Napoleone, 42, of Wellington, is an attorney with Richman Greer. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 7, 2013, and ending April 30, 2015.

Christina Worley, 50, of Palm Beach, is the managing member of Castle Wealth Management. She fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 7, 2013, and ending April 30, 2016.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

>>> Gov. Scott names Laurel Moore Lee to the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit

Lee, 39 years old, of Tampa, has been an Assistant United States Attorney since 2007. From 2005-2007, she served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender. From 2003-2005, she practiced with Carlton Fields, P.A. She received her bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida. Lee fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Daniel Sleet to the Second District Court of Appeal. Governor Rick Scott said, “Laurel is going to be a great addition to the bench in Tampa. I am confident that she will serve the citizens of Florida with dignity and respect.”

>>> Gov. Scott taps Christopher C. Nash to the Hillsborough County Court.

Nash, 41 years old, has practiced with Leavengood, Nash, Dauval, and Boyle, P.A. since 2004, and from 2000-2004, he practiced with Akerman Senterfitt. Nash received his bachelor’s, master of business administration, and law degrees from the University of Florida. He fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Matthew Lucas to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court. Governor Rick Scott said, “Throughout his career, Chris has demonstrated the qualities that make a great judge. I am proud to appoint him to the Hillsborough County Court and look forward to him serving Tampa with integrity and fairness.”

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> MAY 22, 2013 www.downtownbayforum.org 11:30-1:30pm The 2013 Florida Legislative Session Roundup – SPONSORED BY ROBERT M. LEVY & ASSOCIATES Join our distinguished panel of legislators as they discuss the

2013 legislative session and its impact on South Florida WOLFSON AUDITORIUM @TEMPLE ISRAEL , 137 NE 19th Street MIAMI Free Self Parking Available. Call ANNETTE EISENBERG WILLIAM PEÑA WELLS (305)898-0243

DOWNTOWNBAY FORUM P.O. Box 530916 Miami Shores, FL 33153-0916

>>> Miami Dade College in collaboration with The Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba presents A CONVERSATION WITH LADIES IN WHITE – including famed dissident Berta Soler, in commemoration of Cuban Independence Day Monday, May 20, 2013 – 11:30 a.m., Miami Dade College’s Freedom Tower, Mural Room, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami With special remarks by  Gloria Estefan This presentation will be in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.

Soler >>> For free tickets to the event go to: http://thecenteratmdc.org/damas/ ted to two per person and available
on a first-come, first-served basis.

>>> The Amaru Foundation’s First Breakfast Fundraiser dedicated to Fighting and Reducing Poverty & Literacy is being held Jun. 1 at Casa Larios Restaurant from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., located at 7705 West Flagler, Miami 33126 and costs $15.00.

EDITORIAL

>>> When it comes to HUD food program Meals on Wheels, warning flags have gone up for legion of hungry seniors

The three stories this week in the WDR about federal funding cuts and the impact on the popular U.S. HUD Meals on Wheels hot food program for seniors and the infirmed is just a prediction of what is to come. In the case of Miami, resident’s income is among the lowest in the nation, many of these people are just getting by, and these meals may be the only hot food they get on a daily basis. Critics argue that government should not be providing such services and not for profits or other charity organizations should pitch in more, or perhaps cut some more of the high salaries paid to county and municipal senior staff versus state of Florida wages which pays the governor around $130,000 and the Florida Attorney General $131,604.

The point is local government can not make up for these continued federal funding cuts, yet we have a large segment of our local senior residents from all demographic groups potentially not being fed. And countywide leaders must look at this issue holistically for we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these vulnerable seniors. Who have in their lives helped make Miami what it is today and now while in perhaps the twilight of their life. Local governments must work together on this issue for it is not going away, but will only be getting worse and no one can deny the warning flags have not gone up.

>>> $91 million approved by Legislature for capital improvements of state charter schools, public gets no improved asset

The Florida Legislature once again funded Charter Schools for Capital Improvements to the school’s facilities to the tune of $91 million this coming year, and while it sounds good. The improvements to properties by public funds are usually going to a private property owner and the public foots the bill for an asset improvement it does not own. Charter Schools were conceived to offer parents alternatives to the state’s public schools districts, and some of them academically are first rate, but others are not so great. But most all of the schools have the facilities on someone else’s property, and that is the rub to public dollars going to these schools. Further, private administrative companies also mostly manage them, there are chain charter schools under the same management umbrella, and the schools have become big business around the state with Miami-Dade having around 100.

And that is the problem, for while public schools again get no money from the state legislature for capital improvements and are saddled with crushing past bond payments, like in Miami-Dade County’s school district. The charters get this public money and the taxpayer gets nothing in the way of the asset. Moreover, for the GOP Florida Legislature members who are so fixated on protecting the taxpayer’s dollars. One can only say it is ironic that these Charter Schools are getting these public dollars, for the public taxpayer is getting nothing in return for the investment, and that is not a good thing.

LETTERS

>>> Happy Anniversary Dan! You have made a significant contribution to the wellbeing of this community. Thank you so much.

R B

>>> Congratulations on your anniversary and great work. Was very interested in reading your historical essay as well.

B B

>>> I was so sorry to read about your health issues…your work on the Watchdog (and your help in getting the word out about our plight) is so valuable. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.

Tamme

>>> Congrats on your 14th anniversary!:)

R. Q.

>>> Happy anniversary, Dan!

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

BADIA SPICES    www.badiaspices.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

WILLIAMSOM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP http://williamsonautomotivegroup.com/

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE GOOD GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE http://goodgov.net/

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources. Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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Argus Report: It’s official: The Watchdog Report is 14 years old, I have taken a licking over the past years, but have kept on ticking with some special people’s & organizations help – Thank You!

Florida: Miami Dolphins take their football and go home, after House bill for Sun Life upgrades tax breaks dies when legislative session ends

Miami-Dade County: Will failure of Miami Dolphins deal help Mayor Gimenez’s political fortunes in the future?

Miami-Dade Public Schools: MAST principle Garraox challenges Herald letter writer claims of falling academic performance standards at award winning institution

Public Health Trust: Apr. 29, 2013 Legislative mandated report finds JHS has “zero” net worth, but public health system gives hundreds of millions in community benefit

City of Miami: Commission Chair Sarnoff, wants more cops, 300 due to retire in next 30 months, starts petition drive trying to force Mgr. Martinez and Mayor Regalado administration to do something

City of Miami Beach: Mayor Bower confirms she will run for commissioner, now that she is termed out on dais

City of Coral Gables: Mayor Cason savors substantial reelection win, believes calm has come to dais, and is vindicated after first term with 70 percent plus win of the vote, but burglaries increasing

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Upcoming BCC agenda for Tuesday’s regular meeting

City of Miramar: Two Defendants Charged in Theft from Seminole Tribe

Monroe County: Gov. Scott taps Phillip D. Pierce, Dr. Lesley J. Salinero and Dr. Mary L. Chambers, and reappoints John R. Padget to the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District, Monroe County.

Community Events: League of Women Voter’s get together to discuss Human Trafficking – Downtown Bay Forum Fla. legislative round-up – 44^th Annual Health Council of South Flroida luncheon honoring Mayor Gimenez & Rivera

Editorials: PAST WDR: JULY 2012: Is mass murder becoming as American as apple pie and milk? All of us must help end this scourge of violence and finally learn it will eventually touch us all — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Fla. League of Women Voters on state Legislative reforms for voting – Broward reader on 14^th Anniversary of WDR!

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text.

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> It’s official:  The Watchdog Report is 14 years old, I have taken a licking over the past years, but have kept on ticking with some special people’s & organizations help – Thank You!

The Watchdog Report is Celebrating it’s 14t^h Anniversary today and I could not have done this without the help of around a hundred people and organizations over those years and to each of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and while some earlier supporters have passed away, or can no longer help in some capacity. You each still stepped up and helped me at a time I needed it, and that help has allowed me to get to this date and time. And when I started, I only knew the power of the internet would give the report internet wings that fly’s over the globe via the email list every week, people sending it on to others by their own list, or the www.watchdogreport.net webpage.

I also thought long and hard about when to publish, and most weekly papers in South Florida run on Wednesday, the big dailies have there own schedule of what is published over the weekend, and there was a news opening I thought. If someone was willing to work essentially 24/7 and publish late Sunday afternoon. Today, I mark this new anniversary and there has been so much news that has been reported on in the weekly report over those years, as my past readers know and for the first time this past year. I have published 52 weeks in a row. (Back in 2011- 2012).

And that publishing milestone is no small feat and it has left me exhausted, broke and later in the month. I will take a break since my web person is going on vacation. However, I also want to thank all of you that have helped in some way to get to this milestone.  Since I work alone and battled a major medical issue back in February 2010, that included two lifesaving surgeries. One critical case done at 4:00 a.m. by Vascular Surgeon Jorge Rabaza, M.D. at Baptist Health’s South Miami Hospital, when I had become totally septic and my survival was in doubt and my chances of surviving at the time was he said “a flip of the coin.” After I came through the operation and I thank him for being successful and keeping me alive. And since that time, it has given me a different perspective about life and its fragility and throughout these past years. I have tried my best to fight public corruption and I have done what I could to make public institutions more transparent, ethical and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse of the community’s precious public tax dollars but it has been a rough road for me financially.

Why did I start the Watchdog Report?

When I first started, I knew two things, the internet and the Florida Open Records Sunshine Law opened a door to watching public institutions and what elected leaders did like never before, and I would make the Watchdog Report free to all that were interested. I wanted the richest and the poorest and in need of us to get the Report if they wanted it. Because I also hoped to increase the civic depth and understanding of all people interested in how politics were affecting their lives. Since as Pericles said, “You may not take an interest in politics but politics may take an interest in you,” and that has been my tag line since the beginning back in 2000.  However, financially it has been slow going and while I have saved hundreds of millions of public tax dollars over these years, by killing some expenditure or getting the PHT a break on a new stents contract where over $12 million was saved along with others help in 1998. And I have done this fiscal questioning for almost 17 years now and it adds up quickly given the aggregate sum of public dollars in play, now around $13 billion yearly that we have in our public institutions in Miami-Dade. In addition, one example in 2002 included the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) considering giving a politically connected person. Dr. Rudy Moise around $10 million to do traffic updates on a Creole AM radio station he owned and was being pushed by Ron Krongold, one of the co founders of Jungle Island.

After I spoke to some county commissioners before the MPO vote back then. I pointed out other radio stations were doing it free as part of their public service component. Further, I also noted we should at least put the traffic updates in Creole and for that amount of money, and we could buy our own radio station at the time since the market was not that competitive.  Miami-Dade Commissioners ended up voting it down at the time, with Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez telling Krongold who pushed the deal very hard at the dais. “You are on fire, bail out, bail out,” he joked when it was clear the issue was dead with the other MPO members (After this incident, Krongold would later be removed by Gov. Jeb Bush to the MPO board since he was the governor’s appointment), but there have been so many other cases like this over the years, and this saving of tax dollars is a very strong reason why I kept at the Watchdog Report. Also, another example was in the late 1990s at a school board committee meeting when then long serving Board Member Betsy Kaplan said to me after what I call an incident. “Dan, you’re trying to keep us out of jail,” she mused and yes, that was another objective in my attempt to help be part of building a community that was informed and civically engaged with minimal public corruption.

Why are there not more Watchdogs like this?

I reflect on this because I doubt anyone will ever do this again in South Florida when I am gone for it took a broad set of circumstances to take a international businessman on this path after living in Japan, almost five years in Sydney while traveling extensively throughout Asia, and spending extensive time in China since my 1974 degree from George Washington University’s (Sino-Soviet Institute at the time) was in Chinese Studies. Further, I am divorced with no children, thought back in the mid 1990s someone needed to fight for the residents and people who did not have time to participate in governmental affairs, and when no one else stepped forward, I did. And that decision was partly driven by some of the social and financial injustice that pervaded the community back then with scandals in the headlines ranging from MIA to Miami-Dade, the county school board and the city of Miami being the poster child. Where city managers were fired like eating M&Ms and elected leaders and two city managers went to jail.

Further, I was given the gift of being a featured Miami Herald editorial columnist back in the spring and summer of 2000, sharing the Tuesday Editorial page with controversial award winning writers Max Castro and Carl Hiaasen. I was writing as the ‘Public Citizen’ back then and later in 2003 as a featured weekly independent news columnist for The Herald www.miamiherald.com as the Watchdog Report, where one of my weekly stories ran in the general circulation daily up to the time McClatchy bought out Knight–Ridder. And this mainstream media exposure expanded my readership to around 100,000 readers in 2004. A University of North Carolina Chapel Hill study of the media in the southern states estimated and named me one of Florida’s “influential columnists.” Further, I have been a regular contributor on WLRN/NPR 91.3 FM on Joseph Cooper’s show Topical Currents www.wlrn.org since 2000. I also appear frequently on Helen Ferre’s show Issues on www.wpbt2.org . And past Watchdog Report stories early on have run in the Community Newspapers as well as in Spanish publications and all of this back then allowed me to gain credibility and a readership base unheard of at the time, and now, for a single individual reporter working on his own.

And after all of that media help, I also thank the many new people I have met on this strange journey, their thoughts, opinions and information that they have given me. For I have tried to represent the average person when I have gotten the chance to interview such people like then candidate President Barack Obama, Presidential candidates Senators John Kerry and John McCain, Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. Charlie Crist almost weekly when they were in office, as well as people like former Soviet Union Leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former CBS anchor Dan Rather, and the U.S. Ambassador from Pakistan over the years to name a few of the people.

Only in South Florida would a WDR exist

And covering South Florida brings these people here and I am convinced there is nowhere else in the country; just a citizen armed with the internet could accomplish this. For when you say Miami anywhere you go in the world, someone will have some colorful comment be it a German tourist to a retired headhunter in Borneo. And I like to joke that South Florida “is like the dysfunctional half brother or half sister every family has, but we have great weather, beautiful beaches, and stone crabs the size of small children!” And that has been what has made Miami one of the top destination spots in the world, and where else but here, would a Watchdog Report spring up back in May of 2000.

What about the early years around 2000 – 2003?

Back in May of 2000, the community was divisively split after federal officials extracted the young Cuban Child Elian Gonzalez from his relative’s home in Little Havana and returned to his father in Cuba and Miami erupted. Some of the bizarre sites at the time were Anglos with Confederate Flags protesting along with Blacks residents in Homestead railing against the local Cuban American population, as fires, and barricades popped up around Miami in protests. And after that event, I thought anything I would write could not make anything any worse than it was down here and thus was born the online news service Watchdog Report. Since then, tens of thousands of stories and Extras have gone out and I have written hundreds of columns for a variety of papers including The Miami Herald.

When I first began watching government as “just a citizen,” in 1997, the community’s large public institutions were like giant ships in the night that passed each other having no idea what the other was doing and not caring as well. I tried later in May 2000 to create an information nervous system between these institutions and to make the organizations proceedings more transparent and known to the public. And part of the mission ranged from having school board committee meetings being taped and archived (When I had the only tapes of the actual proceedings)  to the televising of the Public Health Trust board meetings that over sees Jackson Health System. In the Trust’s case, the institution was resisting televising the meetings back in 2003 and the Watchdog Report wrote extensively on the matter at the time, and while that might seem small at first, it has changed the whole culture at the trust in many ways. And back then Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Barbara Carey-Shuler at the time when I interviewed her on the matter she said. “Yeah, why should we have all the fun?” The Trust needs to “let the county’s inspector general have an office there” and the PHT board meetings “needed to be televised,” she concurred. And that later occurred.

>>> Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

>>> See what was said about the Watchdog Report in the Miami New Times 2003 — Best of Miami — BEST CITIZEN  Daniel Ricker – www.watchdogreport.net

Three years ago, we said Ricker was our Best Gadfly. Given his dedication and perseverance, this new honor, Best Citizen, is well deserved. Ricker goes to 2500 mind-melting meetings annually, from the Public Health Trust’s purchasing subcommittee to the Efficiency and Competition Commission to the Alliance for Human Services’ nominating council to the school board’s audit committee. Sometimes he’s the only public observer. Object: to be the Public Citizen for all those out there who can’t attend, and to connect and serve as an information bridge among the special-interest-dominated Miami-Dade governmental institutions that seem so problematic and indifferent to the democratic process.

This month his e-mail newsletter, The Watchdog Report, celebrates its fourth anniversary (Now its 14^th year). In a former life, Ricker made a handsome living as an international salesman of heart pacemakers. As the hard-working publisher of Watchdog Report, though, he’s struggling financially — this despite the fact that his weekly compendium of meeting summaries, analysis, interviews, and commentary has become essential reading for anyone involved in public affairs. What his written work may lack in polish, it more than makes up for in comprehensiveness. So raise a toast to the man whose official slogan says it all: “A community education resource — I go when you cannot!”

>>> U.S. Rep Ileana-Ros says Chechen Boston Marathon bombers, a “wake-up call once again,” of global terrorism dangers

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami in an exclusive interview with the Watchdog Report Thursday when asked about the Boston Marathon bombing suspects and federal investigative officials work to date. The former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and ranking congressional member in South Florida said. “It’s too early to chastise any federal agency for dropping the ball because we are still putting all the pieces together,” and when everything is “aligned” in the ongoing investigations then it could be reviewed but “I don’t want the public to feel our agencies have not been doing what they should be doing.” She noted it “certainly looks like we were warned about these people and some steps should have been taken, but I commend the agencies for everything they do.” She said the region is a “very difficult area” after it was created with the breakup of the Soviet Union into multiple new Republics, including the Chechen Republic where the two bombers were from before they immigrated to America. She said some of these “breakaway Republics” can be a problem since many of them have “a lot of extremist” leaders “that want to hang onto power.” However, “it does not mean everyone there is an extremist or Islamic terrorist but it is a wake-up call once again,” to ongoing threats to the nation’s security the long serving congressional representative said.

>>> U.S. State Dept. Press release: Statement by Secretary KERRY Commemorating World Press Freedom Day

Today we mark World Press Freedom Day, an annual occasion to recognize, honor, and underscore the essential role of independent media in fostering and protecting freedom of expression and democratic principles. We take this opportunity to express our solidarity with independent media in all corners of the world, recall journalists who have lost their lives and sacrificed their freedom or personal well-being, and recognize and honor those who fight against repressive regimes that target the press.  In the United States, we hold press freedom as a fundamental component of our democratic fabric, enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution.

However, in many countries, those who try to exercise their freedom of expression face repression and harassment, from financially crippling lawsuits to imprisonment and death. Journalists are increasingly confronted by the failure of governments to protect this freedom, and even as technology increases the possibilities for innovative expression online, the space for free media is shrinking. The United States remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting press freedom, and to supporting United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) dedication to freedom of expression across the globe. We call upon all governments to take the necessary steps to foster an environment where journalists can operate freely, independently, and without fear, and to release all imprisoned journalists wherever they are held.

>>> Press release: U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, made the following statement on the State Department’s recommendation to not change Cuba status on the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“The State Department’s announcement yesterday that it intends to keep Cuba on the State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) list reaffirms that the Castro regime is, and has always been, a supporter and facilitator of terrorism. The unlawful actions against our nation include the Castro regime’s order of the Brothers to the Rescue shoot down in 1996, which caused the deaths of U.S. citizens over international waters. “The Cuban tyranny continues to undermine our interests at every turn and provides a safe haven for members of terrorist organizations like the FARC and ETA. The Castro brothers have long been collaborators with fellow SST members Iran and Syria, and Cuba acts as a sanctuary for fugitives from our country, including Joanne Chesimard wanted for the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper. Cuba also continues to operate its vast spy network within the United States, posing a direct threat to our national security.

“While I’m pleased that the State Department isn’t taking Cuba off the SST list, I am disappointed it has not indicated a willingness to re-designate North Korea as an SST country. Removing North Korea form the SST list was a poor decision and it has not stopped the Pyongyang regime from undermining U.S. interests and from continuing its support to other SST members such as Iran and Syria. The illicit actions by the regimes in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Sudan all warrant their inclusions on the SST list.”  Note: This week, a bipartisan group of Congressional Members (Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Albio Sires) sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry explaining the reasons why Cuba should remain on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Miami Dolphins take their football and go home, after House bill for Sun Life upgrades tax breaks dies when legislative session ends

Its over, the Florida Legislative session ended late Friday afternoon and the biggest loser was the Miami Dolphins push for $280 million in tax breaks over thirty years to renovate Sun Life Stadium, that was a critical part of the financing to a proposed $350 million renovation and upgrade package to the ageing stadium. The bill with the item never got out of the Florida House, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R- Wesley Chapel is getting the blame from pro football team owner Stephen Ross. The public/private deal hashed out between the team and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has faced heavy headwinds among the local legislative delegations on both sides of the aisle. And the point of the spear issue for those opposing lawmakers position was the botched new Miami Marlins baseball stadium that costs out through the life of the financing bonds to $2.5 billion and gives very little fiscal benefit to the public taxpayer. The pro football team had been touting the 4,000 jobs that would be created and that the deal had nothing similar to the Marlins stadium deal since Ross was investing over fifty percent of the cost to do the remodeling that included a roof over the stands, new lighting, and reconfiguring some of the seats that were originally modified when the Marlins played at Sun Life prior to moving to the team’s new digs in Little Havana. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/03/3379238/lawmakers-reject-dolphins-stadium.html

What about the ten bed maternity unit at Miami Children’s Hospital?

While the legislation for a 10 bed maternity unit at Miami Children’s Hospital passed after all, even though a state Certificate of Need was not in place. The fact it was tied to a bill authorizing a nursing home at the Villages was the key factor say Tallahassee insiders. The nursing homes sponsor was state Sen. Alan Hayes, R-Umatilla (Net worth $476,153) whose district the sprawling retirement development resides and is owned by mega GOP contributor H. Gary Moss. Hayes pushed the issue even though there is a state moratorium in place on new nursing homes, and a new one was built outside the Villages with 85 beds that is not filled to capacity. And Hayes role in the parent trigger bill legislation, giving parents more involvement in failing public schools, where last year he voted no on the bill but this year he voted yes for the legislation. And insiders say this was part of the horse-trading done in the Senate to get the nursing home approval, as well as for Children’s Hospital legislation.

What about the Villages in Sumter County”

The Villages retirement development in 2012 had about 92,000 residents that are two to one registered Republicans, 80 percent of the residents vote, and the sprawling development encompasses mainly Sumter County along with Lake and Marion Counties. Moreover, the development has made Moss a significant player in national and state politics, and he gave around $1 million to the GOP when Gov. Jeb Bush was in office. And critics charge because of his party connections and contributions in the Republican controlled legislature. He got the inside track and essentially the maternity unit at Children’s was along for the legislative ride.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/03/3379427/miami-childrens-hospital-gets.html For more on the Villages go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Villages,_Florida

How many bills did the legislature pass?

The Florida Legislature at the end of Friday after its sixty-day session passed 234 bills; Gov. Rick Scott has signed 37 of the bills and has vetoed one bill. The one involving changing alimony agreements, and possible reopen past divorce settlement agreements. For more on the specific bills go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/04/3380497/legislature-2013-winners-and-losers.html

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott issued a statement on the passage of HB 7065 related to Everglades restoration:

Governor Scott said, “This is an historic investment in Florida’s Everglades – and I want to thank the Legislature, and particularly the House and Senate leadership,  for seeing the value of Florida’s natural treasures to our communities. We’ll continue to work closely with local communities and environmental organizations to ensure we’re taking the steps necessary to be good stewards of Florida’s environment.” Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. said, “Today, the Florida Legislature showed its support for Governor Scott’s historic water quality plan for the Everglades, a major step in moving forward with restoration rather than focusing on costly litigation.”

The Governor’s landmark water quality plan is funded, in part, by a $32 million annual appropriation by the Florida Legislature, is a partnership between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the South Florida Water Management District, stakeholders in the Everglades Agricultural Area and all of South Florida to address water quality in the Everglades. In turn, addressing the quality of water flowing into the Everglades will enhance the environment and the economy of Florida.

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott announced that the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees have proposed $58 million in early restoration projects for Florida. To date, Phases I and II of early restoration projects for Florida have totaled $11.4 million.  Governor Scott said, “We’re committed to restoring the environment and economy that families have relied upon in the Gulf for generations. These $58 million in Florida projects represent a critical step forward in recovering from the natural resource and recreational losses that resulted from the BP oil spill. We will continue to work with our state, federal and local partners toward solutions that ensure impacted areas are revitalized for families.”

>>> Gov. Scott: press release: Florida’s Proposed NRDA Phase III Projects: Approximately $58 million Florida Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery/ Enhancement Center, Escambia County.  Approximately $20 million

Florida Artificial Reef Creation and Restoration, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties. Approximately $11.4 million –Pensacola Bay Living Shoreline, Escambia County. Approximately $11 million –Florida Oyster Reef Restoration Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay and Franklin counties. Approximately $5.4 million — Scallop Enhancement for Increased Recreational Fishing Opportunity in the Florida Panhandle, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties. Approximately $3 million –Florida Bay Seagrass Recovery Project, Gulf, Franklin and Bay counties. Approximately $2.7 million — Big Lagoon State Park Boat Ramp Improvement, Escambia County. Approximately $1.5 million — Bob Sikes Pier Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $1 million — Shell Point Beach Nourishment, Wakulla County. Approximately $880,000 — Florida Cat Point Living Shoreline Project, Franklin County. Approximately $800,000 — Perdido Key Boardwalk Improvements, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000 –Perdido Key Dune Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000

These projects, if successfully finalized after public review and comment, are in addition to the seven projects, on which Florida has been working, including several boat ramps, a dune restoration project and projects to protect and restore shorebird and sea turtle nesting habitat. With the additional projects, Florida will have allocated nearly $69 million of the $100 million available through the early restoration process defined in the April 2011 Framework Agreement between BP and the Trustees. The Trustees intend to propose the early restoration projects using a method similar to previous draft restoration plans in order to continue the process of using early restoration funding to restore natural resources, ecological services and human use services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. This next set of projects includes many of the proposals that citizens have been suggesting, such as oyster and scallop restoration, seagrass restoration, artificial reefs, living shorelines, recreational beach restoration, state park improvements, and a hatchery project which will help restore the fisheries in north Florida as well as provide much needed research into the area of fisheries management and restoration.  The Trustees have worked to develop and negotiate the 28 proposed projects Gulf-wide, of which 12 are being proposed by Florida.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

>>> The wisest words I saw this week…They came in an important, thought-provoking piece by a Stanford University professor named Sean Reardon, and ran in The New York Times: “There is a lot of discussion these days about investing in teachers and ‘improving’ teacher quality,’ but improving the quality of our parenting and of our children’s earliest environments may be even more important. Let’s invest in parents,” he says, “so they can better invest in their children. This means finding ways of helping parents become better teachers themselves…. It might also mean greater business and government support for maternity and paternity leave and (child) care so that the middle class and the poor can get some of the educational benefits that the early academic intervention of the rich provides their children. Fundamentally, it means rethinking our still-persistent notion that educational problems should be solved by schools alone. The more we do to ensure that children have similar cognitively early childhood experiences, the less we will have to worry about failing schools. This in turn will enable us to let our schools focus on teaching the skills – how to solve complex problems, how to think critically, and how to collaborate – essential to a growing economy and a lively democracy.” When, oh when, are we going to act as though we really know that? Dave Lawrence, Chair – The Children’s Movement of Florida P.S.: To read the full article, just click here.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Will failure of Miami Dolphins deal help Mayor Gimenez’s political fortunes in the future?

With the Miami Dolphins Sun Life Stadium $350 million in upgrades, and about $280 million in tax concessions over 30 years going down in flames on Friday night in the Florida Legislature. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez may have dodged a political bullet in the future when it comes to his reelection cycle in 2016, even while countywide voting on the deal had proceeded the past week and some 60,000 people had voted at the polls or by absentee ballot. Gimenez said he had struck a much tougher deal than the one for the Miami Marlins stadium, much criticized by county residents and said he just wanted to give the professional football team its day in court, and let the voters decide if it should have gone forward.

However, that is all a moot point now and the Dolphins are evaluating their options as team owner Stephen Ross, worth $4.4 billion decides if he will do some of the renovations and upgrades himself, or will try again next year in the state legislative body. However, with this deal falling through and fails to meet the NFL deadline of May 22 when the sites for the 50^th and 51^st Super Bowls will be held is decided with San Francisco the likely choice now. Especially since the team’s new stadium there is also a public/private project. However, local voters have had a bad taste in they’re mouth since the Miami Marlins new stadium deal where the public feels they were “hosed” when one looks at the lopsided deal. Where the professional team gets almost all the benefits, and Gimenez fought the deal when he was a county commissioner, and had the public and local government getting only the monetary scarps critics say. And this current deal while better was getting mixed traction with county voters, and had the legislation been successful. Gimenez in the next reelection cycle could have felt some political blowback from the deal, a problem that he now will avoid.

Moreover, while the Dolphin deal was said to generate 4,000 new jobs over the next few years, had a host of community leaders as the front men and women for the effort. The team could not avoid the obstacles of a local legislative delegation who overall were against the deal that statewide also involved potential funding for five or six other stadium or racetrack facilities. And the legislation was seen as a major legislative policy decision that had not been sufficiently vetted by state legislative leaders. The two local legislators that pushed he deal, and had the most to politically lose were state Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens and delegation chair state Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, R-Hialeah since ultimately their efforts were in vain.

>>> MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR CARLOS A. GIMENEZ STATEMENT

REGARDING DOLPHINS BILL OUTCOME

Press release: “The State Legislature did not take action on the bill to provide an additional 1% mainland tourist tax for the Dolphins’ stadium renovations.   As a result, and in accordance with the resolution calling the special election, I have instructed our Elections Department to cancel the special election effective immediately. The two scheduled municipal elections will proceed according to plan. It is important to point out that the special election did not cost tax payers any money, as the Dolphins paid the County $4.7 million to cover election expenses – in fact, we estimate that there will be over one million dollars left over that can be used to meet other County needs. I would like to thank those voters who took advantage of early voting to express their opinion on the stadium issue.  My priority from the beginning of this process has been to give our voters the final say.”

>>> Press release: Statement from Steve Ross on Speaker Weatherford’s Failure to Allow Vote On Legislation Allowing Miami Dade Voters the Right to Decide on Tourist Tax

Tonight, Speaker Weatherford did far more than just deny the people of Miami Dade the right to vote on an issue critical to the future of our local economy.  The Speaker single-handedly put the future of Super Bowls and other big events at risk for Miami Dade and for all of Florida. He put politics before the people and the 4,000 jobs this project would have created for Miami-Dade and that is just wrong.

I am deeply disappointed by the Speaker’s decision. He gave me and many others his word that this legislation would go to the floor of the House for a vote, where I know, and he knows, we had the votes to win by a margin as large as we did in the Senate.  It’s hard to understand why he would stop an election already in process and disenfranchise the 40,000 people who have already voted. I can only assume he felt it was in his political interest to do so. Time will tell if that is the case, but I am certain this decision will follow Speaker Weatherford for many years to come.

I want to thank Mayor Gimenez for his leadership. He was a tough negotiator whose persistence led to an agreement that offered taxpayers the strongest protections of any agreement of this kind in the country. I also want to thank our bill sponsors and supporters in Tallahassee, especially Senator Oscar Braynon, Representative Erik Fresen and Representative Eddy Gonzalez; our County Commission sponsors, Commissioners Jordan, Diaz and Barreiro, as well as all of our supporters on the County Commission;  HT Smith and Jorge Arrizurietta, the Co-Chairs of the Miami First Campaign; The University of Miami; The Orange Bowl Committee; The Greater Miami Hotel Association; the many volunteers who lent their support to our campaign, and the members of the Dolphins organization and our campaign team who worked so hard in the last several weeks. I believe without a doubt that the voters would have supported this project if given a chance to vote.

In the weeks ahead, I will do all I can to convince my fellow owners to bring the Super Bowl back to Miami Dade. The Bid Committee has done a tremendous job to give us a great shot, and my only hope is that it is enough to overcome the terrible message Speaker Weatherford has sent to the NFL tonight. In addition, I will continue to do all I can to build a winning team for the people of Miami Dade. In the future, I will look to play an important role in fixing the dysfunction in Tallahassee and will continue to work to create good jobs in Miami Dade and throughout South Florida.

>>> Port of Miami boring machine Harriet breaks out Monday morning on last tunnel

The Port of Miami tunnel project is about to be completed when it comes to the boring machine named Harriet’s work and it is expected to break through on Watson Island on Monday morning. The almost $1 billion project that is a public private venture, being done by a foreign firm and is expected to enhance the flow of trucks throughout downtown Miami and was one of a variety of Global Projects costing $2.9 billion that were agreed to by the county and City of Miami around 2008. The Port is the areas second largest economic engine, is in the process of a major expansion, that includes in the future dredging the channel to 50 feet to allow mega cargo ships called Panamax ships that will come through the expanded Panama Canel and will make Miami a prime port of these goods deliveries.

>>> Press release: Harriet-the hardworking Tunnel Boring Machine-is now 99% done and is expected to breakout on Watson Island at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday, May 6.  To join the watch, arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. at tunnel portal site.  Be sure to dress for a construction site-closed toe shoes and long pants.  Parking:  driving from the MacArthur Causeway, turn at entrance to Jungle Island and follow loop road around-workers will direct you to parking and short walk to tunnel portal site.  See attached map for further instructions.

>>> Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera Takes Action Against Improper Homestead Exemptions Claimed by Assisted Living Facilities

Press release: The Office of the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser is ensuring that Homestead Exemptions are only received by those entitled to them. The Office has concluded its first round of investigations of Assisted Living Facilities, which are improperly claiming homestead exemptions while operating as businesses known as Community Residential Homes. The facilities found to be in violation of homestead exemption law have been sent a notice of intent to lien.

This month, the Office has issued a total of $3 million in liens, $1.7 million of which are from assisted living facilities that have been determined to be in violation of requirements for a full homestead exemption.

A total of 201 community residential homes have been investigated to date in Miami-Dade County and 186 were found to be operating primarily as an Assisted Living Facility while the owner was claiming a homestead exemption, in most cases without residing on the property. Violations are assessed back taxes with 50% penalty and 15% interest per Florida Statute 196.161. In a statement regarding this investigation, Mr. Lopez-Cantera said, “When someone receives an exemption they are not entitled to, it increases the burden on all other property owners. Though these facilities provide important services, they cannot be allowed to ignore the law to the detriment of others.” >>> For additional information, please call the Property Appraiser’s Office at (305) 375-4155.

>>> Press release: The Beacon Council Foundation invites the community to a One Community One Goal update

The Beacon Council Economic Development Foundation invites the community to listen to an update on the One Community One Goal (OCOG) strategic plan to grow jobs and investment in Miami-Dade County at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 8 at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus.  “This is an opportunity for the community to hear about progress achieved and challenges ahead, as we work for sustained economic development in Miami-Dade County,” said Joe Pallot, The Beacon Council Chairman. The free event will be held at the Wolfson Auditorium, located at 300 N.E. Second Ave., Building 1, Room 1261, with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m.
The program includes updates provided by OCOG Co-Chairs Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez: Art Torno, Vice President of Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America for American Airlines, and George W. Foyo, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer at Baptist Health South Florida.  The event will also feature a panel discussion by the OCOG Academic Leaders Council comprised of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent and presidents of local higher education institutions, and breakout sessions in each of the seven target industries by OCOG Committee Leaders (below). The breakout sessions will begin at 10:30 a.m. headed by the following business leaders: Aviation:  Aviv Tzur, President & CEO, Avbiz Aerospace Ventures LLC Creative Design:  Joe Roisman, Executive Vice-President, Perry Ellis International Hospitality & Tourism:  Gene Prescott, President, Biltmore Hotel International Banking & Finance:  Ernie Diaz, Regional President, TD Bank Information Technology:  Diane Sanchez, CEO, Technology Foundation of Americas Life Science & Healthcare:  Nelson Lazo, CEO, Doctors Hospital Trade & Logistics:  Gary Goldfarb, CEO, Goldfarb Management Services LLC and Charlotte Gallogly, President, World Trade Center Miami.The Beacon Council and The Beacon Council Foundation work in partnership with many public and private organizations that have provided continued assistance and involvement. In addition to the sponsors of the project, OCOG has involved more than 50 additional organizational partners who have donated their time and expertise to serve on the OCOG Steering Committee. >>> For more information on the OCOG, visit www.onecommunityonegoal.com and to register for the event, visit www.beaconcouncil.com/events  About The Beacon Council Economic Development Foundation The Beacon Council Economic Development Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c )(3) Florida Not For Profit Corporation created exclusively for charitable and educational purposes: to compile, prepare, and publish statistical data concerning Miami-Dade County Florida and make such data available to all segments of the community to set charitable and educational goals to improve the local economy. The sole member of the Foundation is The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Inc.

>>> Press release: Miami-Dade County Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa is a longtime supporter of banning texting-while-driving in Florida. She has the following message regarding yesterday’s adoption by the Senate of a House-amended legislation to approve the ban.

“I applaud our State Legislature for finally passing this much needed law that will save many lives and prevent property damage. I hope that this ban will make drivers more cautious with their actions while driving. Texting is a deadly distraction and I’m relieved that Florida will soon have safer roads,” said Chairwoman Sosa. Since 2008, Chairwoman Sosa has sponsored legislation advocating the ban on texting-while-driving in Florida.

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REMAINS STRONG IN  MARCH 2013 RESULTING IN INCREASES IN GREATER MIAMI’S TOURIST-RELATED TAX COLLECTIONS
For  the month of March, the 3% Convention Development Tax (CDT) collections for Greater Miami and the Beaches totaled $8,779,587 compared to $7,221,172 for the same period last year, representing a 21.8% increase in 2013. In the month of March 2013, the 2% Tourist Development Tax collections (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) totaled $2,842,751, compared to $2,439,109 in 2012, for an increase of 16.6%. The 2% Hotel Food and Beverage Tax collections from hotels in Miami-Dade (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, and Surfside) generated $751,600, compared to $699,888 in 2012, for an increase of 7.4%.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
3% CONVENTION DEVELOPMENT TAX COLLECTIONS
MARCH 2013	MARCH 2012	% Change
$8,779,587	$7,221,172	21.8%
2% TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX COLLECTIONS
MARCH 2013	MARCH 2012	% Change
$2,842,751	$2,439,109	16.6%
2% HOTEL FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX COLLECTIONS
MARCH 2013	MARCH 2012	% Change
$751,600	$699,888	7.4%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> MAST principle Garraox challenges Herald letter writer claims of falling academic performance standards at award winning institution

A letter in The Miami Herald on the perceived dropping of academic achievement of the acclaimed MAST Academy on Virginia Key has caused a firestorm within the district. And public schools Board Member Raquel Regalado whose district the school is in has sent the Watchdog Report the response to the claim by the letter writer, that academic standards have dropped and become diluted since changes were made last summer to the highly competitive school requirements to get in. That federal education authorities have said were illegal and discriminatory in nature. Regalado in an email wrote, “The letter below from the principal of MAST was sent to The Herald in response to a letter to the editor from Michael Bax. He suggests that standards at MAST Academy have been lowered, citing this year’s U.S. News & World Report’s listing of best high schools.  He is wrong on several counts. First, the entrance guidelines are federally established standards.

Furthermore, the magazine’s ranking relies heavily on the number of Advanced Placement (AP) exams given at each school, not on overall student achievement. Finally, the data that was used for this year’s list came from May of 2010, two full years before the MAST conversion began. >>> Here is the Apr. 30 response letter to The Herald from the MAST Principle: “As the principal of MAST Academy, I would like to respond to Michael Bax’s April 28th letter in The Herald’s Issues and Opinion section. The chief barometer used in the various high school rankings (USNews&World Report, The Washington Post, etc.) is the number of Advanced Placement (AP) exams administered in any given year compared to the size of the school’s previous graduating class.  In 2012, MAST graduated 132 seniors and administered 742 AP exams. On June 4th, 2013 we will graduate 133 students—after administering 967 AP exams, a substantial increase from one year to the next.

Relative to the rankings I must point out as well that MAST’s AP course offerings and student performance are stronger as I write this than at any time in the school’s history. We have added courses in Human Geography and European History to an AP menu that already included two English courses, US History, Government, Economics, French Language, Spanish Language, Biology, Chemistry, Calculus, Statistics, Environmental Science, and Physics.  Entering ninth graders are now required to take a minimum of four AP courses to earn the distinction of a MAST major by the time they graduate. In October 2012, we learned that the College Board named 95 of our students AP Scholars of Merit or Distinction—the highest number to be so recognized in the history of the school. MAST’s aggregate AP pass percentage of 65.4% places the school among the highest performing schools in Florida.  It is important to note that there are schools ranked higher than MAST on the USNews list with pass percentages 50 points below ours. Perhaps the question comes down to this: Do we want to privilege the ranking over student success? As an educator, I think not.

Mr. Bax is concerned about a “lowering” of MAST’s admissions standards. Like the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs across Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), we require a 2.5 GPA in academics and conduct, strong attendance in the current and previous years, honors course work in Algebra and Physical Science and a teacher recommendation. The fact is that MAST never had a required GPA until two years ago when the school’s admissions program was brought into alignment with IB magnets throughout the District.

Mr. Bax also addresses a decline in resources and investment. It is the case that in a bad economy, public education takes a hit. In this principal’s view, the leadership of M-DCPS is to be congratulated for the level of services to students and families it has been able to maintain. The recent voter-approved bond proposal will have a very positive impact on the entire system. I encourage Mr. Bax and other parents to remain involved in school life and decision-making. Their questions provide principals and teachers alike the opportunity to foreground the many good things schools undertake and accomplish on a daily basis,” wrote Jane Garraux, Principal, MAST Academy.

>>> Press release: Twelve Miami-Dade public schools were chosen by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to receive $1,597,471.34 in federal funds for infrastructure improvements under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman sponsored the SRTS applications as part of her comprehensive pedestrian safety initiatives. “My objective is to establish a SRTS Program for all schools in the District, to make it as safe as possible for students to walk or bicycle to school each day,” said Ms. Hantman. “Due to limited funding constraints I am grateful to the many municipalities that have partnered with the District to help us achieve this goal.”

The schools selected to receive the funds are as follows:  Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary, Linda Lentin K-8 Center, North Hialeah Elementary, Natural Bridge Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Jesse J. McCrary Elementary, Toussaint L’ Ouverture Elementary, Kensington Park Elementary, Santa Clara Elementary, Philis Wheatley Elementary, Palmetto Elementary and Pinecrest Elementary schools. The SRTS program encourages children, including those with disabilities, to walk or bicycle to school. Since 2007, under the direction of Ms. Hantman, the School Board has endorsed 75 schools for inclusion in the SRTS program, which have awarded funds totaling over $10.6 million.

All 75 schools were chosen in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Community Traffic Safety Team, based on their having a large population of students that walk to school. Other criteria included having the schools located in areas where there have been high instances of pedestrian traffic accidents involving children between the ages of 5 and 13, as well as schools that were sponsored by municipalities. The Miami-Dade County Public Works and Waste Management Department and various municipalities will take the lead in constructing the infrastructure improvements, in coordination with the District. The District is now working on submitting additional schools during the next SRTS application cycle in July 2013.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Apr. 29, 2013 Legislative mandated report finds JHS has “zero” net worth, but public health system gives hundreds of millions in community benefit

A legislative mandate to catalog and determine the value of public hospitals assets and liabilities around the state and whether they should be spun off, or modified to increase there value to the community found the Jackson Health System had a zero net worth, but a immense amount of community benefit. The health trust has been struggling over the years and is slowly righting itself fiscally, but when around $750 million in charity, uncompensated care and a host of other costs is factored in. The Jackson Health System Report on House Bill 711, dated Apr. 29, and done by Public Financial Management Inc., and despite these fiscal adversities. The report details what a medical jewel the hospital system is to Miami-Dade County residents.

In the executive summary words describe JHS as “on the cutting edge of medical practice” and is a “unique model of taxpayer ownership” that seeks a high standard of care “for every resident of Miami-Dade County.” The report notes the “depth and breadth pf Jackson’s expertise is breathtaking,” and cites the numerous specialty units in the facilities including the  Ryder Trauma Center and its award winning Jackson’s Miami Transplant program which has “performed more than half of all the world’s multi-organ transplants.” And is also pioneering the world’s most sophisticated techniques “for treating life-threatening conditions while babies are still in their mothers’ wombs,” wrote the report authors.

Further JHS scope and size makes it an “integral part of Florida’s overall healthcare landscape,” and is by far the state’s largest hospital that provides “indigent care” and is “the single largest operator of Medicaid programs statewide.” And when it comes to community benefit, the report state’s JHS spent $489.9 million in 2010, jumps to $519.2 million in 2011 and last year gave $565 million that includes not just charity care but a host of costs for other services for county residents, including “$24.9 million for corrections health services.”

And in a public notice and hearing  concerning this report and with a summary run Saturday of the conclusions in the www.miamiherald.com . The Financial Recovery Board concluded Monday. “It is in the best interest of the affected community for the Public Health Trust to continue to own and operate the Jackson Health System hospital, individually and collectively, as a public not-for-profit entity, rather than consider the sale or lease to a third party,” states the Apr. 29 notice summary of the public hearing.

>>> Correction: FRB Trustee Irene Lipof, Ed.D. has been confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Commission and has been sworn in. And if her first FRB meeting this last Monday is any indication of her attitude. She is taking the appointment very seriously, and she will be asking a lot of questions in the future the Watchdog Report predicts.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commission Chair Sarnoff, wants more cops, 300 due to retire in next 30 months, starts petition drive to force Mgr. Martinez and Mayor Regalado administration to do something – Here is Sarnoff’s pitch to his constituents from his weekly on line report slightly edited.
“We should increase starting pay for police with higher education qualifications, while at the same time offering more education opportunities, and subsequent pay raises, to existing personnel. Put in place a 3% pay increase and provide Police Commanders with a 5% increase to reduce salary compression and boost morale. We now have 1,087 cops but have the budget for 1,144 – we have effectively been at that number for three years! We are at the tipping point, facing the wrong direction. What’s worse, 300 cops are due to retire in the next 30 months. Do the math and you’ll see why we should all be very concerned. This Chief inherited the problem when he took the job two years ago but he now owns the problem and he must solve it.

We all can be part of the solution. Our office has started a petition to send a clear message to City Manager Johnny Martinez, Mayor Regalado and the City Commission that the citizens of Miami are fed up and we want them to act now to hire more police. Go online today and sign our petition. Ask your friends, family and neighbors to do the same. We need to impress upon the Mayor and the Commission that we must act now and hire now. We must budget and plan for hiring 100 police during the next three years so that we have 1,444 sworn officers and so our patrol division can increase from 450 officers to 700. Act today and send a clear message to the leaders of the City of Miami that we want a safer city; one with police staff that’s comparable to other great cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Atlanta. >>> As always, if you have questions or concerns you’d like to share, you can always call our office at (305) 250-5333 or email me at msarnoff@miamigov.com,” wrote Sarnoff who is termed out in 2015.

>>> ULTRA Festival helps drive strong tourist tax receipts, only “two emails complaining” about loud music event that helps pay to maintain Bayfront Park

When it comes to the ULTRA Music Festival, the Bayfront Park Trust management only got “two emails complaining” about the loud music and the event that for the first time lasted two weeks and drew hundreds of thousands of festival goers to the downtown area, its restaurants and its hotels. The event also was partially credited for the strong tourist revenue numbers posted for the month of March. Tim Schmand, the Trust CEO said overall there “is a $1.1 million increase in assets, and year to date that is about $1 million, he said. And the CEO said ULTRA contributed $1.2 million to the Trust. And the organization’s total assets are around $12.8 million and there is about a $7.4 million in cash flow, he told his board at the monthly Meeting April 23. Schmand also noted when he talked to people in the surrounding condominiums that use the park on a daily basis. These “local residents don’t understand that these events pay” to keep the park looking good,” he told board members. In addition, Commissioner Frank Carollo, the Park Trust board chair said, “all the hotels did very well during the ULTRA Festival,” and he said, “People talk about running [government entities] like a business and we do it,” the CPA considered.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Mayor Bower confirms she will run for commissioner, now that she is termed out on dais

Termed out Mayor Matti Herrera Bower on Friday when asked directly by the Watchdog Report on the record whether she would run for a Miami Beach commission seat? She said “Yes.” Though she wanted to “announce it from the dais,” in the future she later said when I said I would be running her response on Sunday. She also said she was not endorsing any of the field of candidates to replace her as mayor and the field may be getting larger. Since Commissioner Jonah Wolfson may be mulling whether to jump into the race. The Watchdog Report emailed Wolfson asking if he was running for mayor, and any comment on his petition drive to get voters to approve any new legislation concerning the Miami Beach Convention Center development that would require a super majority of voter approval. However, by my deadline, I have not heard anything back from the commissioner.

Bower, prior to her being elected in 2007 as the tony Beach’s leader had been on the commission before that and her running for the office again had some other commissioners wondering if she was skirting the municipality’s term limit law. However, the races for the open commission seats being vacated by Commissioners Jerry Libbin and Michael Gongora in their bid for the mayoral slot in November have resulted in a crowded field of commission candidates and these people deserve to know if Bower would be running or not in the future. Since she has major name recognition on Miami Beach and is expected to win the commission seat, she chooses to run for knowledgeable insiders say. >>> Editor’s note: she is likely to run for the Group III seat.

>>> List of the candidates: CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, GENERAL ELECTION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR  MAYOR: Michael Góngora, David P. Hundley, Philip Levine, Jerry Libbin

CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION, “Group I” : David R. Cardenas (Withdrew), Dave Crystal, Christine Florez (Withdrew), Elsa Urquiza

CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION, “Group II” Jorge R. Exposito (Incumbent), Kristen Rosen Gonzalez
CANDIDATES FOR CITY COMMISSION,  “Group III”: Joshua Charles Dunkelman, Michael C. Grieco, Sherry Kaplan Roberts. >>> NOTE:  All races are citywide.  The city is not divided into geographic districts.  All commission seats are at large.

>>> Press release: Every ten years, the City of Miami Beach is required to review the City Charter. This requirement is part of the City Charter as contained in Code Section 8.01. To that end, the City Commission has created the Ad Hoc Charter Review & Revision Board, pursuant to Resolution 2012-28072. The mayor and each commissioner have one direct appointment to the Charter Review Board. Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the process, by attending meetings or submitting questions or topics for discussion to: CharterReview@miamibeachfl.gov. The next meeting of the Charter Review Committee will be held on Monday, May 6th, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room located on the fourth floor of City Hall. I hope you all will take advantage of this once-a-decade opportunity to ensure that our Charter protects the rights and privileges you feel are most important as residents of our dynamic City.

>>> Miami Beach city commissioner Jonah Wolfson will be the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club Speaker May 7, 8:30AM – 10:00AM, David’s Cafe I, 11th St. & Collins Ave., Miami Beach.  Wolfson is championing a Charter amendment that would require 60% voter approval to redevelop the Convention Center district.  See link: http://www.letmiamibeachdecide.com/

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Mayor Cason savors substantial reelection win, believes calm has come to dais, and is vindicated after first term with 70 percent plus win at the polls, but burglaries on the rise

Mayor Jim Cason attending the 62^nd Annual National Day of Prayer Thursday for elected officials held at Merrick Park across from city hall. He told the Watchdog Report that he was more than satisfied with his April 9^th reelection results. He said by winning over 70 percent of the vote it was a clear validation of his leadership style and the current administration’s policies over his challenger Commissioner Ralph Cabrera Jr., and he noted in the tony Coco Plum development. Voters endorsed him by an overwhelming majority. He also laughed when I noted many voters thought he was Hispanic, though in fact he is an Anglo American who happens to speak Spanish very well and was a United States Ambassador to a South American country and was also assigned to a diplomatic post in Cuba.

Cason, when discussing the city’s financial situation and its plus $21 million in reserves said the goal was to get that to “$25 million,” and that would give the municipality the cushion it might need. If a hurricane struck the city, or some other unknown event occurred. He also noted his reelection was a clear validation of the job Coral Gables Manager Pat Salerno was doing and the mayor expected future commission meetings would be less contentious in nature. Now that Commissioners Maria Anderson and Cabrera, who were termed out on the commission but were frequent critics of Salerno, are no longer on the five-member dais.

What about the rumor of a “crime wave?”

During the mayoral race in April, Cabrera made an issue of crime in Coral Gables and Cason said that was not the case. The mayor responded the numbers were down, and any city with some 48,000 residents is going to have some of it. However, a longer more updated story on the problem is being reported Sunday and the issue has some residents on edge. For more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/03/3378896/crime-continues-to-concern-coral.html

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF MIRAMAR

>>> Two Defendants Charged in Theft From Seminole Tribe

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced the return of a ten count indictment charging defendants Frank Excel Marley III, 39, of Miramar and Maria Hassun, 66, of Miami, with unjustly enriching themselves by stealing from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Specifically, both defendants are charged with one count of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud; in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 1349, as well as nine counts of theft from an Indian Tribe, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., §§ 1163 and 2.

According to the indictment, the defendants sought to enrich themselves unlawfully by defrauding the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The indictment states that from approximately October, 2006, through on or about March 3, 2011, the defendants did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate and agree to knowingly and with intent to defraud, devise and intend to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, that is, approximately $1,033,605, by means of the United States mails and wire communications.

It is alleged that defendant Frank Excel Marley III, an attorney who was retained by the Seminole Tribe, proposed to the Tribe that they undertake a project to open radio stations at the Brighton and Big Cypress Reservations.  It is further alleged that Marley retained outside law firms and vendors to assist in accomplishing the radio project and instructed co-defendant Maria Hassun, his administrative assistant, to increase the charges invoiced to the Tribe by inflating the amount of his billable hours and billing the Tribe for travel, conferences, phone calls and meetings that did not occur.  The defendants submitted the monthly invoices by email, United States mail and fax to the Tribe for work purportedly done by the Marley Firm each month, which included inflated and falsified charges for the costs that had purportedly been incurred by third party consultants and law firms retained by Marley to assist him with the radio project and other matters on behalf of the Tribe. If convicted, the defendants face a possible maximum statutory sentence of twenty years in prison for the conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud count and five years in prison for each count of theft from an Indian Tribe. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and thanked the Seminole Tribe of Florida for their cooperation and assistance with the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

MONROE COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Phillip D. Pierce, Dr. Lesley J. Salinero and Dr. Mary L. Chambers, and the reappointment of John R. Padget to the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District, Monroe County.

Pierce, 41, of Key West, is the director of food safety integrity for NSF International. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 1, 2013, and ending September 12, 2015.

Salinero, 51, of Summerland Key, is the principal of Stanley Switlik Elementary and director of student services and curriculum. She succeeds Henry B. Hamilton and is appointed for a term beginning May 1, 2013, and ending September 12, 2015.

Chambers, 55, of Key West, is a self employed consultant. Previously, she served as superintendent for Alachua County Public Schools from 1999 to 2004. Chambers fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning May 1, 2013, and ending September 12, 2016.

Padget, 76, of Key West, is retired and currently serves as chair of the board. He is reappointed for a term beginning May 1, 2013, and ending September 12, 2016.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Fla. League of Women Voters – Cocktails & Conversation with the League: Human Trafficking: What you need to know & what you can do! Greater Miami ranks 9th & Florida 3rd, as highest trafficking destinations in the country, and half of all trafficking victims are children. Join the conversation with representatives from: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade Police Department, Kristi House Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 5:30 p.m. City Hall The Restaurant, 2004 Biscayne Blvd. RSVP to events@lwvmiamidade.org or

>>> The Health Council of South Florida is holding its 44^th Annual Luncheon and the organization is honoring Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Lillian Rivera, Ph.D., R.N., M.S.N. for their good community works. For information on the event: EVENT INFORMATION  Date: Friday, May 10th, 2013  Time: Reception: 11:00am ǀ Luncheon: 12:00pm Location: Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134  TICKET PRICING Pre-Sale: $85.00 On Site: $100.00 ***Online Registration will close on Monday, May 6th, 2013at 5:00pm***  ***You may purchase event tickets at the door*** If you have any questions regarding this registration form, please contact Cristina Tuero, Senior Health Planning Services Coordinator at the Health Council of South Florida at 305-592-1452 ext.100 or via e-mail: ctuero@healthcouncil.org .

>>> MAY 22, 2013 www.downtownbayforum.org 11:30-1:30pm The 2013 Florida Legislative Session Roundup – SPONSORED BY ROBERT M. LEVY & ASSOCIATES Join our distinguished panel of legislators as they discuss the

2013 legislative session and its impact on South Florida WOLFSON AUDITORIUM @TEMPLE ISRAEL , 137 NE 19th Street MIAMI Free Self Parking Available. Call ANNETTE EISENBERG WILLIAM PEÑA WELLS (305)898-0243

DOWNTOWNBAY FORUM P.O. Box 530916 Miami Shores, FL 33153-0916

EDITORIAL

>>> PAST WDR: JULY 2012: Is mass murder becoming as American as apple pie and milk? All of us must help end this scourge of violence and finally learn it will eventually touch us all

“Now we are killing Amish school children,” said a friend of mine that had lived in New Jersey where he grew up. And he knew of the Amish in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, how they lived, and their gentle ways, yet 10 young girls were shot and five of the hostages died in Oct. 2006. And today we have 12 people dead and dozens wounded at an Aurora movie theater, and the eruption of these now almost periodic mass murders is striking at the soul of the nation. For it is becoming clear for many people, that in many ways it could be any of us that suddenly snaps or acts out in this violent fashion, given the randomness and background of the shooter leading up to these events. And another American tradition is changed and going to a movie theater in the future will sadly not be what it used to be for many people, be they young or old. Further, in this case a six year old was girl was killed and as one young woman in college said Friday. What was a young girl doing there at midnight, “when she should have been home asleep,” except for the mother not being able to get a baby sitter? Now the young child is dead.

Further, this tragic incident brings home the fact that while this event was horrific, it happens everyday in America’s cities and Chicago has had more people murdered than have been soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the same months. And we as a people must deal with this murderous jag the nation seems to be on for the idea of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness flies out the window when our residents are hunkered down in their homes, holding their children tight. Praying a stray bullet might not turn their family life upside down with a member killed. And all of us should try in are small way to end this national scourge that is corroding the heart of our being, and making the nation not a country of promise and freedom, but of terror. Because this violence will touch all of us in some way in the future, if it is not addressed and it would be nice for once after such a tragedy. That we all demand it actually change and work together to make that happen even if in a small local way. For only darkness lies in the nation’s future, if we don’t get a handle on these acts of violence, that is slowly stripping our people of any innocence. Something we have had in many ways over the centuries and has helped make us the bright lamp of freedom and opportunity for peoples from around the world, that this ongoing violence is only helping to make dim.

LETTERS

>>> Press release: Florida League of Women Voters: There were some heart-stopping moments, but today the Legislature did what at times seemed impossible: it approved a substantive election reform bill (HB 7013), helping ensure that Florida elections will no longer become fodder for late night television. “This reform was essential for the people of Florida, and the Legislature is to be congratulated for its bipartisan collaboration to bring such a superior effort to the Governor for his signature,” said League president Deirdre Macnab. “We believe the changes in this bill will help prevent the long lines, observed all across the world, that Florida voters endured last November.”

The bill expands access to early voting by allowing more early voting days, gives supervisors more flexibility in choosing early voting locations, keeps legislatively-generated amendment summaries to 75 words or less, and restores the ability of Floridians to move within the state and still cast a regular ballot.  It also, for the first time, allows voters who vote by mail to have a window of time to ensure their ballot counts if they forget to sign the outside of the envelope.

In particular, the League notes the hard work of Senator Jack Latvala and Representative Jim Boyd, who worked tirelessly this session to ensure lawmakers made good on their vow to reform Florida’s election laws in a bipartisan fashion. LWVF also salutes both parties for reaching across the aisle to work together and bring their best ideas forward. The League will remain vigilant in its promise to protect our constitutional right to vote from any future efforts to disenfranchise Florida voters. For questions or further comments, please contact Deirdre Macnab at (407) 415-4559.

>>> Happy Anniversary (and Happy Cinco Di Mayo!)

Best regards,

Chip LaMarca

Broward County Commissioner

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

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ARTHUR HERTZ

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THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

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RON BOOK

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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

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Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources. Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/05/06/watchdog-report-vol-14-no-1-may-5-2013-est-05-05-00-celebrating-today-my-14th-anniversary-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/29/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-48-april-28-2013-est-05-05-00-celebrating-my-14th-anniversary-may-5th-miami-dolphins-stadium-issue/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/29/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-48-april-28-2013-est-05-05-00-celebrating-my-14th-anniversary-may-5th-miami-dolphins-stadium-issue/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:44:24 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1590 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Miami Dolphins CEO Dee pushing ahead with Sun Life Stadium $350 million upgrade with media blitz, but will Senate version be the answer that includes five other stadium deals in FL?

Florida: Passage of alimony bill that could retroactively change divorce settlements raises eyebrows with some women around the state

Miami-Dade County: Atty. H.T. Smith & auto magnate Braman argue the Sun Life Stadium deal, personal attacks, misinformation, as both sides go for the jugular at forum with May 14 vote looming

Miami-Dade Public Schools: IG Mazzella says sayonara to nation’s fourth largest public school district, but the office remains in place

Public Health Trust: Boston Marathon bombing tragedy highlights importance of JHS/UM Ryder Trauma; JHS is anchor for any WMDs or local mass causality events

City of Miami: Redistricting of Districts 2 & 5 gets more complicated, since CDBG allocations reduction “will have impact,” on Spence-Jones District 5

City of Miami Beach: Creation of the sustainability committee in 2007 it has numerous firsts, trying to make the Beach the Emerald City

City of Coral Gables: Has calm descended on Gables commission with new Commissioners Keon and Lago at the dais?

City of Homestead: Defendant Convicted in $39 Million Mortgage Fraud Case

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Plea deal of county Commissioner Wasserman-Rubin raises eyebrows; she could keep her pension

City of Fort Lauderdale: South Florida Women Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Involving the Filing of Approximately 2,000 Fraudulent Tax Returns Seeking $11 Million Dollars in Refunds

City of Hallandale Beach: Broward IG questions millions spent by city CRA

City of Pompano Beach: Defendant Convicted in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Collier County: Florida Man Sentenced to 55 Months Imprisonment for Role in Health Care-Fraud and Money Remitting Ring

Community Events: League of Women Voter’s get together to discuss Human Trafficking

Editorials:  – Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Reader on what is going on at the City of Doral – Greetings from a Watchdog organization

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text.

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Miami Dolphins CEO Dee pushing ahead with Sun Life Stadium $350 million upgrade with media blitz, stalls in House, but will Senate version be the answer that includes five other stadium deals in FL?

With early voting beginning Monday in Miami-Dade on whether the Miami Dolphins professional football team will get $379 million in tax money over decades to renovate the stadium through a public/private deal hammered out by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Mike Dee the senior front man and CEO for the pro football team took the media on a guided tour of Sun Life Stadium and showed the press corps some of the upgrades that would be done, including the reduction of Sky Box seats, but these could also be expanded to 150 luxury facilities, where to be competitive for a Super Bowl, of which Miami has gotten ten. He said you need that many Sky Boxes to be in the hunt and only the new stadium in Dallas has a higher number of such high-end facilities.

Dee told reporters who peppered him with questions about the delays in the Florida Legislature that has the Dolphin sales tax rebate bill in the House stalled for the moment, and the Senate has yet to vote out legislation that includes some of the needed tax breaks. He said they have been fighting obstacles from the very beginning but he remained optimistic that they would get the legislation done and his army of lobbyist (around 23 people) will be working with legislators over the weekend and the time is tight, since the session does end May 3. Further, the Dolphins have started a massive public relations media barrage campaign, including finally getting the team’s owner Stephen Ross’ in front of the cameras as well as a week ago when he did WPLG Channel 10 Michel Putney’s This Week in South Florida Show. .http://www.local10.com/news/Miami-Dolphins-owner-talks-about-Sun-Life-Stadium-deal/-/1717324/19835574/-/t2a1m1z/-/index.html and Ross talks about the deal and why he just does not pay for the upgrades himself since he is estimated to be worth around $4.4 billion.

And the whole effort of the team has run into local billionaire Norman Braman who has done extensive interviews and forums calling the deal similar to the Miami Marlins stadium that he also fought, but was eventually built on the old Orange Bowl site, and finances out to $2.5 billion when the bonds are paid off. However, while the legislation is stalled in the Florida House it may be the Senate version that actually plays out. If the bill is to be passed by the Florida Legislature and in the Senate version of the legislation.  It could add five other stadiums in the state to the list of these facilities getting tax break help from the Florida legislature and some insiders say this may be the way the Dolphins get this deal done, but time is running out with Friday looming and ends the legislative session.

What about any local grassroots effort to stop the deal?

Cutler Bay Mayor Edward “Mac” MacDougal has been waging a grass roots campaign since the upgrades were first proposed months ago and he wants to have voters say no to the Sun Life Stadium deal. And he has attended numerous meetings at Miami-Dade County Hall in the commission chambers and he finally is getting some mention in some of the local media for his efforts. See him on WPLG Channel 10 on Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney’s Sunday show http://www.local10.com/-/1717430/19520008/-/5x4vf5z/-/index.html

What about early voting and absentee ballot voters?

The Miami Dolphins know in a low turnout vote that is expected, that absentee ballots could play a decisive role, but with the past ballot broker scandals still in voters minds from the Aug. and Nov. 2012 races. It remains to be seen if the Dolphins kick in the proverbial ballot broker machine behind this countywide absentee ballot effort, that could easily swing the this issue up or down.

What about polling?

Besides the ongoing media blitz and an extensive mailer campaign, that is hitting voter’s mailboxes almost daily. Last week the Watchdog Report was contacted by my cell phone and I took the wide-ranging poll covering the Dolphins stadium deal, to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Gov. Rick Scott’s job approval, and a host of other questions, trying to gauge voter feedback to the proposal and other issues.

What did Dee say to the Watchdog Report?

Dee when reporters first began the tour at the stadium saw the Watchdog Report and joked. “I only see you at the [Stephen P.] Clark [Government] Center and they have let you out,” he joked. Since this was my first trip up to Sun Life in at least a decade, and when we got out into the empty playing field. You got the sense of how big the stadium is. And when it comes to who the most important people are for the Dolphins. All over the facility you see the words the “fans are the most valuable member of our team,” wrote Stephen Ross.

>>> White House press release: REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AT DEDICATION OF THE GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

To President Bush and Mrs. Bush; to President Clinton and now-former Secretary Clinton; to President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush; to President and Mrs. Carter; to current and former world leaders and all the distinguished guests here today — Michelle and I are honored to be with you to mark this historic occasion. This is a Texas-sized party.  And that’s worthy of what we’re here to do today:  honor the life and legacy of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.

When all the living former Presidents are together, it’s also a special day for our democracy.  We’ve been called “the world’s most exclusive club” — and we do have a pretty nice clubhouse.  But the truth is, our club is more like a support group.  The last time we all got together was just before I took office.  And I needed that.  Because as each of these leaders will tell you, no matter how much you may think you’re ready to assume the office of the presidency, it’s impossible to truly understand the nature of the job until it’s yours, until you’re sitting at that desk.

And that’s why every President gains a greater appreciation for all those who served before him; for the leaders from both parties who have taken on the momentous challenges and felt the enormous weight of a nation on their shoulders.  And for me, that appreciation very much extends to President Bush. The first thing I found in that desk the day I took office was a letter from George, and one that demonstrated his compassion and generosity.  For he knew that I would come to learn what he had learned — that being President, above all, is a humbling job.  There are moments where you make mistakes.  There are times where you wish you could turn back the clock.  And what I know is true about President Bush, and I hope my successor will say about me, is that we love this country and we do our best. Now, in the past, President Bush has said it’s impossible to pass judgment on his presidency while he’s still alive.  So maybe this is a little bit premature.  But even now, there are certain things that we know for certain.

We know about the son who was raised by two strong, loving parents in Midland, famously inheriting, as he says, “my daddy’s eyes and my mother’s mouth.”  (Laughter.)  The young boy who once came home after a trip to a museum and proudly presented his horrified mother with a small dinosaur tailbone he had smuggled home in his pocket.  (Laughter.)  I’ll bet that went over great with Barbara. We know about the young man who met the love of his life at a dinner party, ditching his plans to go to bed early and instead talking with the brilliant and charming Laura Welch late into the night.

We know about the father who raised two remarkable, caring, beautiful daughters, even after they tried to discourage him from running for President, saying, “Dad, you’re not as cool as you think you are.”  (Laughter.)  Mr. President, I can relate.  (Laughter.)  And now we see President Bush the grandfather, just beginning to spoil his brand-new granddaughter. So we know President Bush the man.  And what President Clinton said is absolutely true — to know the man is to like the man, because he’s comfortable in his own skin.  He knows who he is.  He doesn’t put on any pretenses.  He takes his job seriously, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously.  He is a good man.

But we also know something about George Bush the leader.  As we walk through this library, obviously we’re reminded of the incredible strength and resolve that came through that bullhorn as he stood amid the rubble and the ruins of Ground Zero, promising to deliver justice to those who had sought to destroy our way of life.  We remember the compassion that he showed by leading the global fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria, helping to save millions of lives and reminding people in some of the poorest corners of the globe that America cares and that we’re here to help.

We remember his commitment to reaching across the aisle to unlikely allies like Ted Kennedy, because he believed that we had to reform our schools in ways that help every child learn, not just some; that we have to repair a broken immigration system; and that this progress is only possible when we do it together. Seven years ago, President Bush restarted an important conversation by speaking with the American people about our history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.  And even though comprehensive immigration reform has taken a little longer than any of us expected, I am hopeful that this year, with the help of Speaker Boehner and some of the senators and members of Congress who are here today, that we bring it home — for our families, and our economy, and our security, and for this incredible country that we love.  And if we do that, it will be in large part thanks to the hard work of President George W. Bush.

And finally, a President bears no greater decision and no more solemn burden than serving as Commander-in-Chief of the greatest military that the world has ever known.  As President Bush himself has said, “America must and will keep its word to the men and women who have given us so much.”  So even as we Americans may at times disagree on matters of foreign policy, we share a profound respect and reverence for the men and women of our military and their families.  And we are united in our determination to comfort the families of the fallen and to care for those who wear the uniform of the United States.  (Applause.)  On the flight back from Russia, after negotiating with Nikita Khrushchev at the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy’s secretary found a small slip of paper on which the President had written a favorite saying:  “I know there is a God.  And I see a storm coming.  If he has a place for me, I believe I am ready.”

No one can be completely ready for this office.  But America needs leaders who are willing to face the storm head on, even as they pray for God’s strength and wisdom so that they can do what they believe is right.  And that’s what the leaders with whom I share this stage have all done.  That’s what President George W. Bush chose to do.  That’s why I’m honored to be part of today’s celebration. Mr. President, for your service, for your courage, for your sense of humor, and, most of all, for your love of country, thank you very much.  From all the citizens of the United States of America, God bless you.  And God bless these United States.

>>> Press release: In Concerted Bicameral Effort To Help Local Municipalities, Ros-Lehtinen, Diaz-Balart, Wasserman Schultz, Wilson & Garcia Re-Introduce Legislation That Gives More Flexibility To Cash Strapped Cities To Use Community Development Block Grants (CDBG); Senator Nelson Presented Companion Bill

Cong. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, along with her South Florida colleagues Congs. Mario Diaz-Balart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Frederica Wilson and Joe Garcia re-introduced legislation that would give cities greater flexibility to use funds from Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for public services programs that have decreased because of budget cuts and the recent economic downturn. The legislation “CDBG Public Services Flexibility Act” was introduced today, Thursday, in the House and also in the Senate by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL).

This bill will provide communities with greater flexibility to use funds from CDBG for public services. It does not increase funding or change the overall formula for the CDBG programs, but rather it increases the CDBG public service percentage expenditure for participating communities from 15 to 25 percent.

Said Ros-Lehtinen, “During times of budget cutbacks and weak economic growth, the most impacted segment in our communities are the ones that need the most from government services: low income individuals and families. This is why my South Florida Congressional colleagues and me, along with Sen. Nelson, are re-introducing this important legislation so that we can help diminish the pain many of the less fortunate in our state and across the nation will experience as a result of fewer social services. This bill has a simple goal and that is to give greater flexibility to cities in how they spend their CDBG funds in their public services accounts. I urge my colleagues to support our effort to assist those that need our help during these tough economic times.”

“The CDBG grant program is used by cities and counties to address local housing, community, and economic development issues. This legislation gives communities greater flexibility in helping meet their unique needs. By increasing the expenditure cap, public services such as food banks, child care, senior services, and crime prevention can continue to be provided to at-risk and vulnerable populations,” Said Cong. Diaz-Balart. “During tough budget times this would enable local leaders to more specifically decide what’s best for their community,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

>>> Press release: Majority Approve of Obama Job – 52%-46% By: John Zogby Forbes.com Contributor – Our new Zogby Analytics of 1000 likely voters shows President Barack Obama holding on to a majority job approval rating, while 46% disapprove. The new poll was taken online April 17-18 and has a margin of sampling error of +/-3.2 percentage points. See the X-tabs.

During a week that featured a horrible terrorist attack at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and a Senate defeat for the President of a compromise background check amendment on gun control, the President’s numbers are bolstered by continued strong support from his base and solid support among key swing voters. Despite vocal liberal opposition to some elements of Mr. Obama’s budget proposal calling for some key entitlement cuts, he retains big support among Democrats (87% approval, 12% disapproval), liberals (85%-12%), moderates (59%-39%), men and women (52% men, 53% women), 18-29 year olds (60%-39%), 30-49 year olds (57%-39%), Hispanics (76%-22%), African Americans (83%-12%), Catholics (57%-42%), households with a union member (74%-25%), and self-identified members of the Creative Class (57%-40%), NASCAR fans (52%-46%), Weekly Wal-Mart Shoppers (53%-45%), the Investor Class (54%-43%). Please click the link below to read the full release:
http://www.zogbyanalytics.com/news/290-majority-approve-of-obama-job-52-46

>>> United States Successful in False Claims Act Cases Against Landlords Charging Housing Choice Voucher Tenants Excess Rents

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Marcia K. Cypen, Executive Director, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. (LSGMI), announced the United States’ successful prosecution of several civil False Claims Act cases brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §3730(b) against landlords participating in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 (HCV) Program who unlawfully received excessive rent subsidies known as Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).

Through Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, HUD distributes federal funds to local public housing agencies to assist eligible low income families in obtaining decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private rental market.  To receive federally subsidized rents, landlords participating in the HCV Program contractually agree to comply with HUD requirements, to charge only the rent authorized by the local public housing agency and to not raise rents or change lease terms without the written approval of the local public housing agency.

Two of the False Claims Act cases were originally filed by LSGMI who represented Sabrina R. Newberry and Taronda Wade, two low income tenants participating in the HCV Program administered by the Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, a department of Miami-Dade County previously known as the Miami-Dade Public Housing Agency.  The tenants brought the cases on behalf of the United States alleging that their landlords, the defendants, made unlawful false claims for rental subsidies by charging and accepting excessive rents, in violation of HUD rules and contractual requirements.  After investigating the cases, the United States intervened in the two suits.  The United States filed amended complaints asserting that the landlords violated the False Claims Act by making false statements to the County’s HCV Program and endorsing HAP rent subsidy checks for which the United States suffered damages…

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “We will not tolerate abuse of federal housing or other programs.  Schemes such as the ones uncovered in these cases steal taxpayers’ monies and often prey on those who need our assistance the most.  We appreciate the actions of Legal Services of Greater Miami in bringing these cases and applaud whistleblowers for coming forward and exposing these schemes.  We are pleased to return these monies to the taxpayers.” “This is not only a legal victory for low-income tenants but also serves as a deterrent to other landlords who do not comply with federal housing requirements,” said LSGMI Senior Staff Attorney Sean Rowley.  Added Mr. Rowley, “This case also illustrates how the novel use of the False Claims Act to challenge illegal conduct by landlords can be a highly effective legal strategy and can serve as precedent for other public housing tenant advocates.” Mr. Ferrer commended LSGM and Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development for their assistance and investigative efforts.  These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls and on LSGMI’s website at www.lsgmi.org.

>>> The Watchdog Report turns 14 on May 5^th. I’ve taken a licking but keep on ticking thanks to my supporters and friends over those years! Thank you for the trust in me and allowing the WDR to provide accurate news on matters many times never covered by the other mainstream media.

The Watchdog Report is celebrating its 14^th Anniversary on May 5 and I would like to thank all the people and sponsors that thought what I was doing back then was important to the community and the internet allowed me to reach the reader base I have today, along with the help of The Miami Herald, WLRN/NPR and WPBT for having me so often on their shows. It has been a real honor, and I have tried to shine a high definition light and reporting of what is going on at your public institutions that benefit from your tax dollars and provide the services all residents enjoy every day from police, fire rescue, the Miami-Dade School District to Jackson Memorial Hospital to name just a few of the public institutions covered over the weeks over the years. And not in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would hit this milestone and would be starting a 14^th year next month. And to those people that helped me achieve this milestone. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and those people that have passed over the years. Your contribution, friendship and advice are always part of me.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Passage of alimony bill that could retroactively change divorce alimony settlements raises eyebrows with some women around the state

The passage of a Florida Legislative bill possible reducing the time a spouse must pay alimony and that past divorce settlements can be renegotiated in some cases has caused a silent rage among people, mainly women, getting alimony, after decades of marriage, especially if they are in their 50s or 60s where going back into the workforce can be a difficult task. The sponsor was state Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne (Net Worth negative $454,330) and the opposing debate was made by state Rep. Barbara Watson, D- Miami Gardens, and other lawmakers that pushed the bill were state Reps. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, (Net worth $111,544) Rep. Elizabeth Porter, (Net worth $76,500) and Rep. Dana Young, R- Tampa (Net worth $904,732).

However, it is the part of the legislation, that could change a previous divorce settlement, that is causing the greatest concern, and attorneys in the divorce field may end up challenging this part of the new state legislation in the courts many are suggesting.  To see a discussion on the alimony bill, go to WPBT 2 and Helen Ferre’s show Issues: http://ka.uvuvideo.org/_Issues-Alimony-Bill/video/1830406/86294.html >>> Editor’s note: While I am divorced, I am not paying any alimony. This issue just seemed to be under reported in the media. Here is more: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2013-04-18/story/bill-ending-permanent-alimony-florida-goes-governor

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Atty. Smith and auto magnate Braman argue the Sun Life Stadium deal, personal attacks, misinformation, as both sides go for the jugular with May 14 vote looming

An Animated debate about the upgrading of Sun Life Stadium for the Miami Dolphins pro football team took place Wednesday between attorney and civic activist H.T. Smith and auto magnate Norman Braman at the www.downtownbayforum.org and the luncheon debate was moderated by WPLG Channel 10 Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney. Smith thanked Braman for his “energy” in fighting the public private stadium deal that will be on a ballot for county voter’s consideration May 14 and early voting starts Monday. Smith said when “people get the facts” he believes they will “vote for the community interest.” He said the deal itself hammered out by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was considered by The Miami Herald in an editorial as a “game changer,” versus the Miami Marlins stadium deal considered a debacle when the financing is considered and the complex at the end will have cost $2.5 billion after financing.  Smith said Gimenez and his advisors got to look “at the books” and concluded as the Dolphins have the organization needed public help. However, a sales tax benefit bill needed for the Dolphin Stadium project is now stalled in the Florida Legislature: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/27/3367075/dolphins-stadium-bill-stalled.html

Smith said the deal crafted “protects the taxpayers,” has the team paying for 70 percent of the modernization costs, including any costs overruns and will bring a host of high end events such as the NFL Super Bowl and would pay up to $120 million in penalties if there are not four Super Bowls, 20 International soccer matches and four BCS Championship games states one of the team’s public relations handouts. Smith also went after Braman personally saying originally the man just asked “Let the people vote,” on the issue and now he is still fighting it even though the referendum is being held. He also charged Braman through a “Lobbyist in Tallahassee,” trying to “kill the deal,” and Smith believed the right thing to do would be to “Trust the people,” by having what is considered a low county turnout vote given its timing in May.

However, Braman verbally fired back that “This deal is the same rip-off as the Marlins gave us a few years ago.” He noted “jobs” was one of the main reasons cited in the past deal, is a number highly inflated, and is a “rip off of misinformation,” Braman said. And when it came to the new stadium roof, the “game should be played in all elements,” he quoted the NFL Commissioner saying in the past and the “rain” during a previous Super Bowl in 2010 should not be the driving force for the need to spend this money. He also noted that the deal only requires the Dolphins to install “a new roof and upgrade the lighting,” and not all the other some 20 other proposed improvements. And while this deal is better than the Marlins stadium, Braman said, “The Dolphins and Marlins are two fish very much alike,” and suggested the “no Super Bowl” threat was like when the Marlins threatened the same thing about the team moving. But later that turned out to be a bluff to move the baseball team to Texas but the threat gave them an edge with county and City of Miami officials that ultimately approved the much-criticized deal.

Smith countered with “Lets talk about the deal” that includes spending $350 million “to modernize a public/private” facility and has a $195 million contribution from the owner Stephen Ross and it is “the responsibility of the Dolphins to borrow the money.” And when it comes to increasing the local “tourist” tax that is not being paid for by local property tax payers because “the community cannot stand any more taxes, let the tourist pay,” he said.

Braman noted while he himself is a billionaire, Ross is one of the wealthiest people in the nation and he should pay for the improvements himself. Braman said the hotel tourist tax would increase from “six to seven” percent, which is a “17 percent” increase he said.  The civic activist noted that this could dampen “tourism” and these visitors “along with construction” are what “pushes the local economy,” he said. He also noted this money should be used for other purposes such as “schools or hospitals,” and thought the deal was “welfare for billionaires, [since Ross] is the 83^rd wealthiest person in the U.S.” Further, during the debate, Braman was asked what he has spent on the one lobbyist he has in Tallahassee and he replied “$25,000.” And Smith when asked what compensation he was getting from the Dolphins said $12,000 in April and he expects $6,000 in May.

>>> The scourge of domestic violence & Human Trafficking talk of the day

Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking were the topics of the day on Friday at daylong conference at the Miami-Dade Coordinated Victims Center and the assembled group heard ways to access current programs and other services available to help with this social scourge. Domestic Violence in Miami-Dade is a persistent problem and there is a board managing the public money the organization gets to run two shelters in North and South Dade.

However, the issue of human trafficking, mostly children in the state’s foster care system has also become a huge problem and the local U.S. Attorney and Miami-Dade state attorney offices have their own units prosecuting these adults that participate in the activity. Last year a federal prosecutor told the Miami-Dade Public Schools Board that since seventh and eight grade girls get such a premium in the Human Trafficking market. That adult pimps are using the girl’s male peers to be the contact to draw these people into that world. And globally the illicit industry is second only to drug trafficking when it comes to the billions in dollars involved in the activity around the globe.

>>>CLERGY AND FAITH BASED LEADERS MEET TO DISCUSS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Press release: In commemoration of National Victims’ Rights Week members of the faith based community will take part in a unique dialogue on violence – Members of Miami’s faith based community will be participating in “Congregational Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Awareness Day” activities taking place at the Miami-Dade Coordinated Victims Assistance Center (CVAC) located at 2400 South Dixie Highway, in Miami Florida on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 9:00 AM. The event is geared towards raising awareness among members of the clergy on domestic violence and human trafficking.

Attendees at the one-day event will participate in workshops aimed at preparing them to deal with issues relating to domestic violence and the services available to help victims.  The workshops are being presented in English, Spanish and Creole and are open to the public. “Faith based organizations and churches play an extremely important role in combating domestic violence and human trafficking, and are important to eliminating both forms of violence in our community” explains Ivon Mesa, Director of Violence Prevention and Intervention Services for the Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department (CAHSD). For more information about Violence Prevention and Intervention Services, please call (786) 469-4600 or visit us on the web at www.miamidade.gov/socialservices.

>>> Press release: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Wansley Walters and the newly appointed Miami-Dade Police Department Director J.D. Patterson, Jr. will speak on the state of juvenile violence at the Juvenile Justice Forum on Monday, May, 6, 2013, at the Miami-Dade Main Library, 101 W Flagler Street, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The free forum is hosted by Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) in partnership with Juvenile Services Department and will provide updates on current juvenile justice legislation and their impacts on local communities. The forum will also provide an opportunity to inquire about the latest approaches to addressing neighborhood juvenile crime. “This forum gives the community a chance to speak to two key decision-makers regarding their juvenile justice concerns,” MDEAT Executive Director John Dixon said. “The topic of juvenile crime is a concern for many residents and this forum serves as an opportunity to address those concerns.” To RSVP, contact Anthony Williams at 305.375.5661 or AWILL1@miamidade.gov. For general agency information, visit www.miamidade.gov/economicadvocacytrust.

>>> Supervisor of $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Convicted

Press release: A federal jury today convicted a Miami-area supervisor of a mental health care company, Health Care Solutions Network (HCSN), for helping to orchestrate a fraud scheme that crossed state lines and that resulted in the submission of more than $63 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Florida Medicaid. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigation’s Miami Office.

After a five-day trial, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found Wondera Eason, 51, guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2013. Eason was employed as the Director of Medical Records at HCSN’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP).  A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. In Florida, HCSN operated community mental health centers at two locations.  After stealing millions from Medicare and Medicaid in Florida, HCSN’s owner, Armando Gonzalez, exported the scheme to North Carolina, opening a third HCSN location in Hendersonville.

Evidence at trial showed that at all three locations, Eason, a certified medical records technician, oversaw the alteration, fabrication, and forgery of thousands of documents, which purported to support the fraudulent claims HCSN submitted to Medicare and Florida Medicaid.  Many of these medical records were created weeks or months after the patients were admitted to HCSN facilities in Florida for purported PHP treatment and were utilized to support false and fraudulent billing to government sponsored health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Florida Medicaid.  Eason directed therapists to fabricate documents, and she also forged the signature of therapists and others on documents that she was in charge of maintaining.  Eason interacted with Medicare and Medicaid auditors, providing them with false and fraudulent documents, while certifying the documents were accurate.

The “therapy” at HCSN oftentimes consisted of nothing more than patients watching Disney movies, playing bingo and having barbeques.  Eason directed therapists to remove any references to these recreational activities in the medical records. According to evidence at trial, Eason was aware that HCSN in Florida paid illegal kickbacks to owners and operators of Miami-Dade County Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) in exchange for patient referral information to be used to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.  Eason also knew that many of the ALF referral patients were ineligible for PHP services because many patients suffered from mental retardation, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. From 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and the Florida Medicaid program approximately $63 million for purported mental health services. Fifteen defendants have been charged for their alleged roles in the HCSN health care fraud scheme, and 12 defendants have pleaded guilty. On Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, Gonzalez was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison for his role in the scheme. Alleged co-conspirators Alina Feas and Lisset Palmero are scheduled for trial on June 3, 2013. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Allan J. Medina and Steven Kim, former Special Trial Attorney William Parente and Deputy Chief Benjamin D. Singer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS SEEKS VOLUNTEER GUIDES

Press release: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami’s extraordinary European-inspired estate on Biscayne Bay, is seeking volunteers to lead tours for our visitors.  Join us on Wednesday, May 1, 2013, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., for refreshments and a chance to learn more about the program. New Volunteer Guide training begins on May 14, 2013 for seven weeks. Training will be held on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Vizcaya and attendance at all seven sessions is required.

Benefits of being a Volunteer Guide include opportunities for camaraderie and educational development, complimentary daytime admission to the Museum, and discounts on events and at the Vizcaya Café and Shop. “The Vizcaya Volunteer Guides program has opened my eyes to what a wonderful learning tool Vizcaya is and has given me the skills and confidence to facilitate this learning process with our visitors,” Volunteer Guide Jo Mobley. Who: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, What: Information Reception for Volunteer Guides Where: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, FL  33129 When: Wednesday, May 1, from 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Vizcaya’s guided tours promote active and social learning and empower our visitors to make meaningful personal connections. Volunteer Guides will be selected based on an application and interview process during this Open House.  If you wish to attend, please RSVP by April 29, contact Vizcaya Guiding Program Manager Mark Osterman at mark.osterman@vizcaya.org

>>> Miami-Dade County is partnering with the American Cancer Society as it looks to local residents to help finish the fight against cancer by reaching full enrollment in a historic research study.  Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) will give scientists a better understanding of cancer causes and prevention. The Society is looking for local men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 from various racial/ethnic backgrounds with no personal history of cancer to help reach full enrollment of at least 300,000 people. “By joining this study, people can literally help save lives, giving future generations more time with families and friends,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.  “As the American Cancer Society celebrates its 100th birthday in 2013, I can think of no more valuable contribution to the cancer fight.” Signing up requires a one-time in-person visit to read and sign a consent form, complete a survey, have your waist measured, and give a small non-fasting blood sample like what you’d do during a routine doctor visit. Participants will also complete a more detailed survey at home and will continue to receive periodic follow-up surveys in the future that researchers will use to look for more clues to cancer’s causes.

“Many individuals diagnosed with cancer struggle to answer the question, ‘What caused my cancer?’ In many cases, we don’t know the answer,” said Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., principal investigator of CPS-3. “CPS-3 will help us better understand what factors cause cancer, and once we know that, we can be better equipped to prevent cancer.” CPS-3 is the latest addition to the Society’s groundbreaking cancer prevention studies, which have been instrumental in helping identify major factors that can affect cancer risk. Researchers say CPS-3 holds the best hope of identifying new and emerging cancer risks. But its success depends on members of the community becoming involved. Researchers will use data from CPS-3 to build on evidence from those earlier cancer prevention studies, which began in the 1950s and involved hundreds of thousands of volunteer participants. For more information, visit www.cancer.org/cps3florida or call Lainie Jones at 305-779-2848.

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES – THE DESTINATION RANKS #1 IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR), #1 IN AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE (ADR) AND #1 IN HOTEL ROOM OCCUPANCY FOR MARCH 2013 AMONG THE TOP 25 U.S. MARKETS
For March 2013, Greater Miami and the Beaches showed record increases vs. 2012, ranking #1 in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) at $212.20, #1 in Average Daily Room rate (ADR) at $238.12, and #1 in Hotel Room Occupancy at 89.1% among the Top 25 Markets in the U.S. Smith Travel Research compares the top markets in the United States based on Occupancy, Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar). Thanks to Ultra, Winter Music Conference, Sony Open and other great event for driving these numbers.

MARCH 2013
REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR)
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
#1. Miami	$212.20	+19.1%
2. New York	$197.39	+12.4%
3. Oahu Island	$173.40	+18.6%
4. San Francisco	$130.57	+11.0%
5. New Orleans	$122.07	+5.8%
AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
#1. Miami	$238.12	+14.4%
2. New York	$234.56	+8.5%
3. Oahu Island	$208.12	+19.5%
4. San Francisco	$166.70	+7.4%
5. Washington	$152.07	-2.8%
AVERAGE DAILY OCCUPANCY
Market	% Occupancy	% Change vs. 2012
#1. Miami	89.1%	+4.1%
2. Orlando	84.3%	+2.2%
3. New York	84.2%	+3.7%
4. Tampa	83.5%	-0.6%
5. Oahu Island	83.3%	-0.7%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> IG Mazzella says sayonara to nation’s fourth largest public school district, but the office remains in place

Christopher Mazzella, the Miami-Dade County Inspector General who also had the duty at the nation’s fourth largest public schools district since around 2007 said sayonara at the school board’s monthly meeting. He is retiring at the end of April and the interim IG will be Patra Liu. Mazzella said, “I leave with a great deal of regret” after being involved with the public district for the past years and “all the hard work you have contributed [the school board members] have contributed to drastic changes” and there have been some “amazing accomplishments,” the former FBI special agent said.

Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman said having Mazzella at the district over the years was of “great comfort” and she had “great confidence [in him] as the IG.” School Board member Raquel Regalado said she was a “big fan” of Mazzella and believed his office was part of the reason there is such “public confidence [about the district] and you have been a part of that,” she thought. In addition, Board member Carlos Curbelo said the IG had been a “great source of guidance, and “what you have achieved here will never be forgotten,” he intoned. Moreover, Dorothy Bendross Mindingall said she liked his “no nonsense style,” and thanked the man “for being our guide.” Moreover, the office has helped along with the school board to bring “ethics, accountability and transparency,” to the county’s largest public entity that educates 350,000 students, and includes almost 400 public schools in the district.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Boston bombing tragedy highlights importance of Ryder Trauma; JHS is anchor for any WMDs or local mass causality events

The recent bombings in Boston have reminded the community of the need for a top notch Level I Trauma Center and at the Ryder Trauma Center this past week. Physicians and other medical personnel discussed what was learned from the tragic event and how Boston Hospitals handled the event and what could be learned. Ryder is the federal District 7 anchor hospital for any such catastrophic event or after a WMD event and this critical need first came to the forefront after the Sept. 11 attacks on the nation. Ryder, as part of Jackson Health System and the University of Miami’s Miller Medical School back then had to respond in a major way after these attacks. And tens of millions of dollars were spent after the attack for new equipment to handle such a event and drills were done around the county in preparation of such a attack or biological out break, of either chemical or biological weapons. That had the general public on edge at the time after Anthrax started to appear in people’s letters back then. And Ryder highlights one of the major areas that JHS is responsible for besides the general medical treatment of some $1 billion in uncompensated and charity care for patients currently being done now, and Ryder’s capabilities is one of the reasons JHS is the medical jewel that it is.

>>> Press release: RYDER TRAUMA CENTER’S EXPERT SURGEONS WILL EXAMINE THE MEDICAL RESPONSE TO BOSTON’S BOMBING VICTIMS

~Doctors Worldwide to Participate in Telemedicine conference from Jackson’s Trauma Center~ Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital will host an international telemedicine conference on Friday, April, 26, to examine the medical response to the Boston bombings. During the videoconference, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center physicians and medical professionals from across the globe will assess intra-hospital preparation for mass casualty events; explain the triage of victims in mass casualty incidents; and analyze the management of blast, penetrating and traumatic amputation injuries. They will also talk about disaster preparedness during high attendance events.

The featured presenter will be Dr. David King, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) trauma surgeon and army reservist, who ran the Boston marathon. Following the bombing Dr. King immediately went to MGH to treat victims. Dr. King trained at Jackson Memorial Hospital in general and critical care from 2006 through 2007, before being deployed to Iraq. Physicians from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Thailand, Iraq and other countries are expected to be on the telemedicine conference.

What about the FRB trustees?

Readers have asked what the status of state Rep. Michael Bileca, R-Miami is on the Financial Recovery Board that oversees JHS and the representative in an email to the Watchdog Report said. “I am still on.  Just working from here [at the state legislature session],” and being on the FRB “is a juggling act,” while the legislature is in session through May 3, wrote the FRB member appointed by the local Miami-Dade County Legislative delegation chair.

And Dr. Irene Lipof is the new seventh FRB trustee designee by the local unions at JHS. She is a retired 33-year educator with Miami-Dade College and has two doctoral degrees in Guidance and Counseling and Educational Instruction and for her bio go to  http://faculty.mdc.edu/ilipof/ . She stopped by at the FRB committee meeting recently, but has yet to be confirmed by the Miami-Dade County Commission and that conformation vote is expected in the coming weeks at the next BCC meeting.

>>> The April 29, 2013  PHT Financial Recovery Board televised meeting agenda and supporting documents are available for view on the JHS website. As of June 2011, the Public Health Trust Financial Recovery Board committee and board meeting agendas and other supporting documents are now available for download in PDF format on the Jackson Health System’s website accessible at the following link: http://www.jhsmiami.org/webApps/publicDocs/pDindex_PHT.cfm or http://www.jhsmiami.org

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Redistricting of Districts 2 & 5 get more complicated, since CDBG allocations “will have impact,” on Spence-Jones district

Who knew the new Miami Commission district maps after the 2010 Census results for residents in District 2 and 5 would get so complicated and while some activists try to keep residents on the Upper East Side in one district. These changes could also diminish the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money available for District 5 held by Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. She noted that picking up part of this area that is considered affluent versus her own district of Liberty City and Overtown, “will have an impact” on the amount of CDBG funding going into the overall district.

And she believed her fellow commissioners should keep that in mind when the federal funds are allocated in the future. And when it came to the redistricting discussion and any new maps that might be considered. She is “always open for more viewpoints,” on the subject. And the commission with held taking action since Miguel De Grandy, an attorney, and former state representative who lost an election by one vote in the early 1990s was ill and recovering successfully from open-heart surgery, said District 2 Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff at the beginning of the commission discussion on the matter.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Creation of the sustainability committee in 2007 it has numerous firsts, trying to be the Emerald City

Developed the City of Miami Beach Sustainability Master Plan? Implemented a Single Stream Recycling Program for Single-Family Homes, thus tripling the Collection of Recyclables in the City? Installed 100 Recycling Containers in Public Rights of Way (Lincoln Rd, Washington and Collins Ave, Ocean Dr. and beach entrances) at no Cost to the City? Approved a New 2013n Recycling Ordinance Requiring all Commercial Establishment and Multifamily Residence (9 Units or More) to have a Recycling Program in Place? Enforcement begins on July 2013!!!! So make sure you have your program in place. Implemented the Deco Bike Program, now considered one of the US’ largest Shared Bike Rental Program? Implemented the Hertz On Demand Car Sharing Program? Installed Four Electric Car Charging Stations in the 13th Street Garage?

Contracted AMERESCO, an Energy Savings Company to do an Energy Audit of all city-owned buildings and implement a comprehensive program to Reduce the City’s Energy and Water Consumption, thus Saving the City approximately $1.2 Million Dollars/year? Adopted an Alternative Fuel Vehicles Citywide Parking Permit tor a Low Annual Fee of $100? Set Aside 2% of two South Beach Parking Garages for Alternative Fuel Vehicles? Sponsored and continues to sponsor a variety of Conferences and Workshops that promote sustainability such as the Annual MIAGREEN Conference & Trade Show, the Florida Green Lodging Conference, Sustainatopia, and the Mayors’ Green Initiatives for Economic Growth? Adopted an Incentive-Based Voluntary Green (LEED) Building Ordinance? Created the City of Miami Beach Green Page to educate residents and visitors about the City’s sustainable programs? Click on the link to learn more. http://ecomb.org/events/native-flags-eco-art-project-a-miami-beach-earth-day- celebration/?utm_source=Copy+of+Earth+Month+Cool+Events&utm_campaign=GEARTH+MONTH+NEWS&utm_medium=email MAKING MIAMI BEACH ONE OF THE GREENEST CITIES IN THE US! MORE GREAT INITIATIVES TO COME SOON! MIAMI BEACH: THE NEW EMERALD CITY BY SEA!

>>> Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club Meeting Date: April 30th, 2013 Meeting Time: 8:30 AM Meeting Place: New Location:  David’s One, corner of Collins Ave. and 11th Street — Candidate for Miami Beach City Commission Michael Grieco will be our guest speaker at the April 30th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club.  After graduating from the University of Miami Law School in1999 Michael joined the State Attorney’s office as an Assistant State Attorney where he worked himself up to becoming a supervising Felony Division Chief.  In 2007 he opened his own law practice on Miami Beach.  Michael is married and has a 4-year-old son. There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome. David Kelsey, Moderator Please note new location. Visit our web site at www.MBTMBC.com

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Has calm descended on commission with new Commissioners Keon and Lago?

The Tuesday Coral Gables Commission meeting was a kumbaya affair after the last few years where former Commissioners Maria Anderson and Ralph Cabrera would snipe at the performance and job City Beautiful Manager Pat Salerno was doing and how they had been isolated from knowing what was going on in the tony municipality. The two commissioners were termed out on the commission, and Commissioners Pat Keon and Vincent Lago have replaced them on the dais and they both participated in the discussion on the city’s healthcare program for employees. And Keon was named to be the city’s representative at the Miami-Dade League of Cities and Lago was tapped to be on a Green Corridor committee, since he has some technical background in this area.

Lago thanked Staff for “making the transition the past two weeks smooth.”  In addition, during a discussion on the approval of a new one-year healthcare contract with HUMANA and another contract for dental care. Keon, a former nurse, asked about whether the city “had a wellness program,” that has historically been “very effective in keeping the costs down for diabetes” and “High blood pressure,” diseases she said. She also inquired about the cost in “claims for chronic illness” and the “management of diabetes.” And when it came to chronic illness costs that the city is facing. A healthcare advisor at the dais said these were related primarily to “the heart and cancer related issues,” he said. Further, in the negotiations this year, there was a “carrier retention deduction” an administrative fee from “9.5 percent to 7.5 percent” but “keeps the current benefits the same,” he said.

What about the water and sewer system in the Gables?

Commissioners discussed the issue of improving the city’s water and sewer infrastructure and Salerno said they are completing “sewer infrastructure and have spent $7 million on local pump stations” though he believes they should have “been a county investment.” However, he said that is the municipality’s responsibility and the county only does “treatment and runs the treatment plants,” he said. However, the discussion brought up the fact that “most people in the Gables are still on septic tanks,” said Commissioner Bill Kerdyke, Jr. In addition, Salerno said any expansion or effort to put new sewer infrastructure in these homes on a dedicated sewer line would have considerable costs to local homeowners, and is not seen as feasible at the present time.

CITY OF HOMESTEAD

>>> Defendant Convicted in $39 Million Mortgage Fraud Case

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Steve Linick, Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced yesterday’s conviction of defendant Quelyory A. Rigal, a/k/a “Kelly”, of Homestead, FL, after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.

Rigal was originally indicted with seven other defendants in Case No. 12-60088-CR-Williams, for fraudulently obtaining mortgages for the purchase of condominium units at Marina Oaks Condominiums in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The indictment charged defendant Rigal with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, as well as substantive counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. Defendant Rigal was found guilty on all counts charged in the indictment. Rigal faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count.

The other defendants were: Juan Carlos Sanchez, of New York, N.Y., Sandra P. Campo, of Colombia, Osbelia Lazardi, of Southwest Ranches, FL, Dayanara Montero, of Miramar, FL, Edward R. Mena, of Miami, FL, Celeste Mota, of Fort Myers, FL, and David Arboleda, of Doral, FL.  With the exception of Rigal who proceeded to trial, all other defendants plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Defendant Sanchez was sentenced to 180 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Defendant Mena was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Defendant Arboleda was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Defendant Montero was sentenced to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release.  Defendant Mota was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Defendants Lazardi and Campo are awaiting sentencing. The sentencings are scheduled for May 5 and May 6, 2013, respectively, before Judge Zloch in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

According to the indictment, from January 2007 through November 2008, the defendants conspired to recruit individuals who would be willing to purchase condominium units at Marina Oaks Condominiums. These buyers were promised a “buyers’ incentive,” which payment was not disclosed to the lenders or reflected on any of the closing documents. The conspirators would then prepare materially false mortgage applications for the buyers on HUD Uniform Loan Application Form 1003.  These forms contained false information as to material facts regarding the borrowers’ credit worthiness in order to qualify the borrowers for mortgages to purchase the Marina Oaks Condominiums.  The conspirators would allegedly also create false documents to support the mortgage applications.  Once the loans closed, the conspirators would divert portions of the mortgage proceeds for their personal use and benefit. The indictment alleges that the conspirators obtained approximately $39 million in fraudulent mortgage loans at Marina Oaks, resulting in $34 million in losses to the various lenders including Fannie Mae, which reported losses over $4.1 million to date, while Freddie Mac faces potential exposure of an additional $8.5 million. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, as the lead investigative agency in the prosecution of Rigal, and IRS-CI and the Broward Sheriff’s Office for their participation in this investigation.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Plea deal by county Commissioner Wasserman-Rubin raises eyebrows; she could keep her pension

Diana Wasserman-Rubin’s misdemeanor plea deal that includes three years of probation and a $3,000 fine for approving a park grant that benefited her husband because she is in ill health with Parkinson’s has the Broward public and local media riled. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-wasserman-rubin-mayocol-b042513-20130424,0,2372965.column Further, she will likely keep her $58,740 annual pension and is seen by many just  a slap on the hand for the former Broward County Commissioner and one time county mayor. The case because of conflicts of interest in Broward with the ling serving commissioner and previous school board member was prosecuted here in Miami-Dade by the local state attorney’s office but the plea deal was also affected by a local judge’s comments and it ends a long brewing but seen as difficult case, but the punishment seems light to many court observers.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

FORT LAUDERDALE

>>> South Florida Women Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Involving the Filing of Approximately 2,000 Fraudulent Tax Returns Seeking $11 Million Dollars in Refunds

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, announced the sentencing of Alci Bonannee, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, and Sonyini Clay, 40, of Miami Gardens, for their roles in an identity theft tax refund fraud scheme.  Bonannee was sentenced to 317 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Clay was sentenced to 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Judge James I. Cohn also ordered Bonannee to pay $1,908,182 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. On January 28, 2013, Bonannnee was convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims (18 U.S.C. § 286), filing false claims (18 U.S.C. § 287), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), and aggravated identity theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A).  On January 13, 2013, Clay pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims (18 U.S.C. § 286) and aggravated identity theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A).

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Bonannee, Clay and co-defendant Chante Mozley, engaged in a large scale identity theft tax fraud scheme that operated from December 2010 through June 2012.  During the course of the fraud scheme, there were approximately 2,000 fraudulent tax returns submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for payment seeking $11 million dollars in refunds.  The Department of Treasury paid out approximately $3.5 million dollars into bank accounts held in the name of and controlled by the defendants, who withdrew approximately $1.9 million in cash. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Bonannee filed a majority of the fraudulent tax returns from her house and other locations. Bonannee filed many of these fraudulent returns using compromised personal identification information obtained from a nurse at a local hospital.  Clay filed several hundred fraudulent tax returns form her house and other locations.

On March 29, 2013, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to file fraudulent claims (18 U.S.C. § 286), U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn sentenced Mozley to 42 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after having pled guilty to conspiracy to file fraudulent claims.  Mozley was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,908,182.00 to the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Ferrer commended IRS-CID and USSS for their work on the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael N. Berger and Wilfredo Fernandez.  A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> CITY OF HALLANDALE BEACH

>>> Broward IG Scott questions millions spent by city CRA

The Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has received a blistering report from the Broward County Inspector General John Scott and how some of these millions in public funds were spent over the past years. The final reports some $2.1 million were spent on questionable purchases and while the city first challenged the IG’s authority to review the CRA over the past year. The detailed report on how this money was spent is not pretty. http://www.broward.org/InspectorGeneral/Documents/OIG11-020HallandaleFinalE-REPORT04-18-13.docx.pdf

And Scott’s office created in 2010 has been increasing busy as the office roots out waste fraud and abuse at the county level and also the 31 municipalities that make up Broward County. Further, CRA’s have historically not come under much scrutiny in Broward or in Miami-Dade County, the entities are usually chaired and have been under the oversight of local commissioners and mayors, but critics of CRAs have said for years. These community redevelopment agencies have become the candy store for local officials to fund their favorite projects, whether these might be needed or are successful or not. And when Broward county voters approved the IG office, the oversight of the municipalities was included in the office’s charge, versus in Miami-Dade where the Office of the Inspector General’s duties are relegated to only county entities and the office does not do oversight of the 35 municipalities in Miami-Dade unless county public money is involved. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/18/3352150/broward-inspector-general-finalizes.html

CITY OF POMPANO BEACH

>>> Defendant Convicted in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce the conviction of Nael Dawud Sammour, 52, of Pompano Beach, after a three day jury trial in front of U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. More specifically, Sammour was convicted of two counts of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, for his role in possessing and transferring the means of identification of identity theft victims in conjunction with the transfer and attempted negotiation of fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury tax refund checks.  Prior to trial, Sammour pled guilty to eight counts of theft of public money in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641.  Sentencing has been scheduled for July 1, 2013 at 1:15 P.M. in front of the Honorable William P. Dimitrouleas in Ft. Lauderdale.  At sentencing, Sammour faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to ten years in prison on each of the theft of public money counts, as well as mandatory two year consecutive sentences on the Aggravated Identity Theft counts.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, as well as from court documents, unknown individuals used stolen identification information, including the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of unsuspecting taxpayers to fraudulently apply for and receive U.S. tax refunds to which they were not entitled.  Thereafter, Sammour obtained many of these fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury tax refund checks and later transferred these checks, along with counterfeit driver’s licenses and Social Security cards, to undercover IRS agents posing as check cashers.  In total, agents seized 75 fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury tax refund checks totaling $750,369.45 from Defendant Sammour.  Moreover, when Sammour was arrested, law enforcement located and seized $30,128.24 in U.S. currency. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CID and the FBI for their work on the case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton.

COLLIER COUNTY

>>> Florida Man Sentenced to 55 Months Imprisonment for Role in Health Care-Fraud and Money Remitting Ring

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Addy Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced that Oscar Sanchez, 47, of Naples, was sentenced to 55 months imprisonment, 20 months home confinement, and three years of supervised release for his role in a money laundering conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h).  In addition, U.S. District Judge Paul Huck entered a forfeiture order that consisted of a personal money judgment against Sanchez in the amount of $10,000,000.  In partial satisfaction of that judgment, Sanchez will be forfeiting to the United States four properties worth about $635,000, and $63,196, in cash.  Sanchez also must perform 1,600 hours of community service during his first year after his term of imprisonment.

On August 30, 2012, Sanchez pled guilty to conspiring to launder the proceeds of health care fraud.  According to court documents, Sanchez acted as a middleman between individuals engaging in health care fraud, and Caribbean Transfers, a company that remitted money from the United States to Cuba.  Sanchez admitted to providing approximately $10 million in cash to individuals who defrauded the Medicare program.  Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of FDLE, FBI, and HHS-OIG in coordination with the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, for their work on this case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys H. Ron Davidson and Eloisa Fernandez. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> League of Women Voters – Cocktails & Conversation with the League: Human Trafficking: What you need to know & what you can do! Greater Miami ranks 9th & Florida 3rd, as highest trafficking destinations in the country, and half of all trafficking victims are children. Join the conversation with representatives from: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade Police Department, Kristi House Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 5:30 p.m. City Hall The Restaurant, 2004 Biscayne Blvd. RSVP to events@lwvmiamidade.org or

LETTERS

>>> I wonder why you stopped writing about our beautiful City of Doral.  There is so much to write about.  Our Vice Mayor, Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera, recently won a battle with Miami Voice (Vanessa Brito- led the recall effort behind Natacha Seijas and Carlos Alvarez, among others) who submitted petitions to recall her.  Not only did Vanessa turn them in late, she did not collect enough petitions (signatures) to make it a valid recall.  I thought that was something worth writing about… among other things.
Ana Maria Rodriguez

(City of Doral Councilwoman)
>>> Happy Friday Watchdogs, When citizens are watchful, we can shine the light on what is going on in our government. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, but it takes watchful citizens to make sure this is happening. Whether you’re new to citizen journalism or you’ve been around a long time, sometimes it’s helpful to see what others are doing to get our own ideas flowing. We have two excellent examples for you today of citizens being watchful.

Story 1: This first story is from Andrea Blachford from Michigan. It’s a compelling story of property rights and freedom of speech. She followed this local story, went to the court hearing and interviewed the lawyer via smartphone. Read the story here.

Story 2: Floridian Barb Haseldon is very active in attending local meetings. She had a friend film her in the below post, and testified last week. Another citizen getting involved for the entire process! Read the story here.

Take Action — Be Watchful!

You can be watchful too, just like Andrea and Barb. Visit your village, township, city, county and state web sites and find some meetings that are interesting to you. Attend them. Bring your smartphone or another recording device (read our tips here). Interview someone. Place a FOIA (freedom of information act) request to get the documents you need to write your story. Then, post your story to WatchdogWire.com.

If you’re already a contributor you have access, or you can visit our Get Involved page to sign up as a contributor and share your story. And, you can email us at info@watchdogwire.com for help along the way. When citizens are watchful, great things can happen! Here’s to being watchful, The Citizen Watchdog Team

Follow Citizen Watchdog on Twitter and Facebook!

Citizen Watchdog is a project of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

BADIA SPICES    www.badiaspices.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

WILLIAMSOM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP http://williamsonautomotivegroup.com/

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources. Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/29/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-48-april-28-2013-est-05-05-00-celebrating-my-14th-anniversary-may-5th-miami-dolphins-stadium-issue/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/22/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-47-april-21-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot-celebrating-14-years-may-5th/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/22/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-47-april-21-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot-celebrating-14-years-may-5th/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:32:11 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1587 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Weapons in the public domain topic of the day, vexing problem splitting the nation, could solution be “smart guns” that only work for the owners?

Florida: Miami Children’s Hospital bid for 10 maternity beds riles Jackson Health System, could cost public hospital millions in lost revenue

Miami-Dade County: Commission gives thumbs up to new helipad at Jackson South Hospital for new Trauma Center, with some sound mitigation

Miami-Dade Public Schools: WLRN/NPR and WLRN/Herald News wants to become “media news juggernaut,” in coming years says station G.M. Labonia

City of Miami: Is mayoral race between Regalado & Suarez starting to bleed into running of the city? Expect campaign rhetoric to get more heated running up to Nov. 5 election

City of Miami Beach: Oceana Makes Noise to Save Dolphins and Whales in Atlantic – Event Draws Attention to Threat of Seismic Airgun Testing

City of Coral Gables: Hail Commissioners Lago & Keon, Tuesday their first debut on five member commission, what changes will they bring to discussions?

City of Homestead: Director of Non-Profit Convicted in BP Claims Fund Fraud Trial

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Upcoming commission meeting agenda

City of Coral Springs: Former CEO Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud

Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Man Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Lee County: Gov Scott taps Reynolds to 20^th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission

Monroe County: Gov. Scott makes the following appointments to Judicial Nominating Commission

Community Events: STU – Ethical Issues in Non-Profit Agencies – National Immigration Forum’s Bethlehem Project – Downtown Bay Forum – Why Should Taxpayers Fund Dolphin Stadium?

Editorials: If elected leaders want to be a community Great One, temperament and humbleness is a key ingredient, ego must be kept in check — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Reader appalled at U.S. Senate vote killing background checks on gun buyers

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text.

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

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>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Weapons in the public domain topic of the day, vexing problem splitting the nation, could solution be “smart guns” that only work for the owners?

While the U.S. Senate last week failed to pass by a small margin federal legislation on expanded background checks for gun owners, large capacity magazines and assault rifles. Locally a discussion on the issue showed the wide range of opinions that seem to polarize both sides of the gun debate and gun control. At The Good Government Initiative luncheon hosted by former Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson Wednesday. A broad panel of people discussed the highly charged topic that is receiving wide national interest, (with polls showing some 90 percent of Americans wanting expanded background checks); especially after the recent Sandy Hook school shootings. The panel included Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice &  Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida; Francisco Alvarado, Reporter, Miami New Times; Jorge Corbato, Rifle Manufacturer; Lisa Peters, NRA member; Judy Schaechter, M.D. Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; as they discussed the politics of gun regulation and its effect on public health and the event was moderated by Katy Sorenson, President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative.

However, while gun control and background check proponents around the nation see the issue in a very black and white way and they believe high capacity magazine clips should be banned as well as assault weapons like the AR-15 and AK-47. In fact, these types of assault weapons are a small percentage used in the killings of the 30,000 Americans, representing around “10 percent” of the deaths each year and handguns are the more prevalent murder weapon. And there are more “deaths from blunt trauma than all assault rifles,” “Where hammers and baseball bats” were used to kill someone in the nation, said Corbato.

Further, when it comes to expanded background checks, the idea seems well and good. However, critics note that criminals will not undergo such procedures and the issue is the large number of handguns available underground in the nation and the police are unable to enforce the existing laws.  Reporter Alvarado said he had done a story where he studied the issue and found “there is no magic pill for the violence in this country” and  “gun violence lies in the inner city,” and events like “Newtown are isolated [and tragic but] it is the inner city violence,” that happens everyday that needs to be addressed, he said.

Leifman noted after the recent mass shootings that the issue of mental health of the shooter has come to the forefront but noted these such murderers’ only account for some “160-170” killings around the nation when it comes to the perpetrators mental health. And he said most people that commit these crimes “are sane people,” and this other perception they are mentally ill only “feeds into the mental health stigma,” society puts on these people. He also noted Miami-Dade has the largest percentage of people with mental issues in the nation he said. The judge noted here in the county, some “9.1 percent,” of the 2.5 million county population, “suffer serious mental illness.” He noted these people have an “organic brain illness,” and with the right treatment these people responded better than other people with such diseases like “diabetes,” he said. The judge said when it came to people with bipolar disorders, there are about “77,000 adults and 55,000 children” suffering from varying levels of the disease in the state that has some 115,000 people a year in Florida having to be Baker Acted since they “were dangerous to their self or others,” he said. And nationally, some “three percent of Americans have been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder,” that includes mild to more extreme symptoms of behavior, he said.

Schaechter, a pediatric physician at the University of Miami said she got involved in the issue of guns in the 1990s because of the “firearm epidemic” that had “more children being killed with guns than any other cause.” She said parents must accept some of the blame when it comes “to accidental deaths,” because the gun was not secure. The parents have to accept the consequences “of firearms left unattended and these people, “don’t realize how dangerous the guns are and the children are the unintended victims.” She also carped the Florida Legislature was wrong to “ban” physicians last year in a new state law from talking to parents about firearms in their house and the risk the weapons pose. She said while a court has granted an injunction to the law last year. The state law banning physicians “not being able to ask about guns is being appealed,” by the Sate of Florida, she said.

Further, Peters, representing the NRA position and an Ivy League College graduate took a more sober position and she grew up in the North East. She is a registered independent who voted for Obama in 2008 and only more recently got involved in the debate and she “has a concealed gun permit,” and considers herself. A “very responsible” gun owner and has gone through a “FBI” background check and says the “NRA notes criminals do not submit to background checks,” and that is part of the problem for the legitimate gun owner. However, when she asked to make a comment later some in the room started to grumble or snicker and belittle her comments and that is the problem with the whole gun debate said Corbato.

“It’s not that simple [the background checks and banning assault rifles and the challenge was to] come up with real solutions,” the assault rifle manufacturer said. He said both “The far right and the far left” needs to “not ridicule” the other side and to “be tolerant and listen to the others point of view,” he thought. And acknowledged around the nation for many people, “The Second Amendment is part of the American Heritage.” And one solution that seemed to get some traction at the event was technology and the manufacturing of “smart guns that can only be used by the owners,” and the “technology is out there,” and while this new type of gun maybe in the future. Leifman noted, “Most of the violence in Miami-Dade is with handguns and not assault rifles,” he grimily noted.

>>> White House press release Friday night and remarks by President Barack Obama: Good evening. Tonight our nation is in debt to the people of Boston and the people of Massachusetts.  After a vicious attack on their city, Bostonians responded with resolve and determination.  They did their part as citizens and partners in this investigation. Boston police and state police and local police across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts responded with professionalism and bravery over five long days.  And tonight, because of their determined efforts, we’ve closed an important chapter in this tragedy.

I’ve been briefed earlier this evening by FBI Director Mueller.  After the attacks on Monday, I directed the full resources of the federal government to be made available to help state and local authorities in the investigation and to increase security as needed.  Over the past week, close coordination among federal, state, and local officials — sharing information, moving swiftly to track down leads — has been critical to this effort. They all worked as they should, as a team.  And we are extremely grateful for that.  We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all our outstanding law enforcement professionals.  These men and women get up every day, they put on that uniform; they risk their lives to keep us safe — and as this week showed, they don’t always know what to expect.  So our thoughts are with those who were wounded in pursuit of the suspects and we pray for their full recovery.

We also send our prayers to the Collier family who grieve the loss of their son and brother, Sean.  “He was born to be a police officer,” said his chief at MIT.  He was just 26 years old.  And as his family has said, he died bravely in the line of duty, doing what he committed his life to doing — serving and protecting others.  So we’re grateful to him. Obviously, tonight there are still many unanswered questions.  Among them, why did young men who grew up and studied here, as part of our communities and our country, resort to such violence?  How did they plan and carry out these attacks, and did they receive any help?  The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers.  The wounded, some of whom now have to learn how to stand and walk and live again, deserve answers.

And so I’ve instructed the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and our intelligence community to continue to deploy all the necessary resources to support the investigation, to collect intelligence, and to protect our citizens.  We will determine what happened.  We will investigate any associations that these terrorists may have had.  And we’ll continue to do whatever we have to do to keep our people safe. One thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not — cannot — prevail.  Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they’ve already failed.  They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated.  They failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized.  They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country.  Nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as Americans.

That American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong — like no other nation in the world.  In this age of instant reporting and tweets and blogs, there’s a temptation to latch on to any bit of information, sometimes to jump to conclusions.  But when a tragedy like this happens, with public safety at risk and the stakes so high, it’s important that we do this right.  That’s why we have investigations.  That’s why we relentlessly gather the facts.  That’s why we have courts.  And that’s why we take care not to rush to judgment — not about the motivations of these individuals; certainly not about entire groups of people.

After all, one of the things that makes America the greatest nation on Earth, but also, one of the things that makes Boston such a great city, is that we welcome people from all around the world — people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe.  So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let’s make sure that we sustain that spirit. Tonight we think of all the wounded, still struggling to recover.  Certainly we think of Krystle Campbell.  We think of Lingzi Lu.  And we think of little Martin Richard.  Their lives reflected all the diversity and beauty of our country, and they were sharing the great American experience together.

Finally, let me say that even as so much attention has been focused on the tragic events in Boston, understandably, we’ve also seen a tight-knit community in Texas devastated by a terrible explosion.  And I want them to know that they are not forgotten.  Our thoughts, our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, where so many good people lost their lives; some lost their homes; many are injured; many are still missing. I’ve talked to Governor Perry and Mayor Muska and I’ve pledged that the people of West will have the resources that they need to recover and rebuild.  And I want everybody in Texas to know that we will follow through with those commitments.

All in all, this has been a tough week.  But we’ve seen the character of our country once more.  And as President, I’m confident that we have the courage and the resilience and the spirit to overcome these challenges — and to go forward, as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

>>> Press release:  GOP and Guns: Just Digging a Hole By: John Zogby Forbes.com Contributor

I wrote last week about the fact that the Newtown incident is a defining moment that requires reflection, action, and sacrifice. Just yesterday, the Senate rejected the very mild Manchin-Toomey compromise that would have add background checks to gun shows and internet sales, but not to private and family transfers. This is a very mild reform and no one has really been able to show how it infringes upon anyone’s rights. The only arguments actually revolve around a sort of domino theory: i.e. this step will lead to a national gun registry, which will lead to… which will lead to…

When I renew my driver’s license I have to take an eye exam and pass it. My success or failure to see is recorded somewhere. A document that states that I am legally blind or that I need corrective lenses in order to operate a motor vehicle is certainly a violation of my rights – though I am not sure which amendment – but beneficial to my community. It is a tradeoff we make for the community good. So too is the statement I need to sign that I have been treated for heart ailments.

I don’t necessarily want people to know that but I guess they should be aware that if I have a massive coronary attack and jump a highway median, that it wasn’t the open container of Chavas Regal in the brown paper bag next to me. Talk of a denial of rights. You mean I can’t drink and drive after a hard day annoying people with my polls? I can’t drive a motorcycle at 90 miles an hour without a helmet? What else do we pay public works employees to do except pick up pieces of bloody brains and craniums? Please click the link below to read the full release: http://www.zogbyanalytics.com/news/288-gop-and-guns-just-digging-a-hole

>>> Press release: Title Attorney, Two Mortgage Brokers and Their Coconspirators Sentenced in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and J.D. Patterson, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the sentencing of Rafael Ubieta, 50, of Miami, Florida, and Angel Barroso, 46, of Miami, Florida, following their January 2013 convictions of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, as well as the sentencing of Joel Zaldivar, 33, of Studio City, California, and Kyle Baker, 33, of Beverly, Massachusetts,  following their January 2013 guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Ubieta, a Title Attorney, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) of imprisonment.  Barroso was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment.  Zaldivar and Baker, who were both Mortgage Brokers, were each sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment. Two other co-defendants, Martha Otero and Fernando Tolon, were previously sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and 37 months of imprisonment, respectively, following their December 2012 guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  All sentences were imposed by United States District Judge K. Michael Moore.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Ubieta, a member of the Florida Bar, served as the Title Attorney for multiple fraudulent real estate transactions involving the use of straw buyers on whose behalf loan applications and supporting documents containing false information were submitted to various mortgage lenders across the United States by Zaldivar and Baker, who, at the time, were Mortgage Brokers and the Presidents of First Class Mortgage and Lending Corp. Straw buyers were recruited and paid by Barroso, Otero and Tolon. After the lenders approved the loans based on the false information provided, defendant Ubieta, then President of Bayside Title Services, Inc., prepared false HUD-1 Settlement Statements that contained false information.  For example, the forms falsely represented to the lenders that the straw buyers were bringing their own money to closing. None of the straw buyers brought their own money to closing. Instead, on multiple occasions Ubieta released lenders’ proceeds to other members of the conspiracy, including Barroso and Otero, prior to receiving the buyers’ required cash-to-close payments.  Members of the conspiracy, including Barroso and Otero, then used those proceeds to make the cash-to-close payments on behalf of the straw buyers. Ubieta also signed multiple Title Commitments falsely stating who the owner of record was on various properties. The false Title Commitments allowed Ubieta to conduct real estate closings in which an initial straw buyer resold properties to a second straw buyer before the initial straw buyer appeared as the owner of the property in the public records.  Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the MDPD. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> The Watchdog Report turns 14 on May 5^th , I’ve taken a licking but keep on ticking thanks to my supporters and friends

The Watchdog Report is celebrating its 14^th Anniversary on May 5 and I would like to thank all the people and sponsors that thought what I was doing back then was important to the community and the internet allowed me to reach the reader base I have today, along with the help of The Miami Herald, WLRN/NPR and WPBT for having me so often on their shows. It has been a real honor, and I have tried to shine a high definition light and reporting of what is going on at your public institutions that benefit from your tax dollars and provide the services all residents enjoy every day from police, fire rescue, the Miami-Dade School District to Jackson Memorial Hospital to name just a few of the public institutions covered over the weeks over the years. And not in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would hit this milestone and would be starting a 14^th year next month. And to those people that helped me achieve this milestone. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and those people that have passed over the years. Your contribution, friendship and advice are always part of me.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Miami Children’s Hospital bid for 10 maternity beds riles Jackson Health System, could cost public hospital millions in lost revenue

Miami Children’s Hospital, the world-renowned specialty hospital that has helped thousands of children over the decades since it was first known as Variety Children’s located in Schenley Park http://www.mch.com/ is trying to establish a 10 bed maternity facility and is pitting the hospital with Jackson Health System for these patients. Children’s over the past few years has tried to establish such a maternity facility at the hospital but has failed to get state approval in the past. The institution is now trying to get the Florida Legislature involved http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/18/3352232/legislature-opens-door-to-giving.html to grant the hospital the capability even though the Florida Agency of Health Care Administration (ACHA) had not approved a certificate of need and birth rates are down in Miami-Dade County.

The Watchdog Report contacted state Rep. Eddie Gonzalez, R-Hialeah (Net worth Neg. $18,326) on Thursday to ask about the matter he is championing along with state Rep. Jose Oliva, R- Miami Lakes (Net worth $9.67 million), the potential Speaker of the House in 2016. Gonzalez said he is pushing the issue that is an amendment to another House bill that applies to the Villagers development in Central Florida owned by a major GOP backer and is still working its way through the legislature. Gonzalez the “Father of three” children said he is pushing the measure because “These kids ultimately get transported” to Miami Children’s because these “are precondition mothers with the kids,” including “Blue Babies,” and the bill now would require the hospital to have “Maternity Center Staff” and it is not “About the dollars, but saving lives,” the legislator said. He also noted that the House budget included significant “funding for Jackson” and said a former ACHA expert said if he had been asked about this ten years ago. He would have “responded no” but he said recently after all the technical medical advances. “It should be looked at” and Gonzalez noted the pediatric specialty hospital sees babies from around the “entire state” and why he brought it to the legislature, he said. And critics that have expressed concern about the mothers health and available specialists on site should be mollified he thought since a full maternity staff requirement was added to the amendment’s language he thought.

The Watchdog Report in an exclusive interview with Miami-Dade Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa Thursday on the matter indicated she “Tries to support all the hospitals in my area,” which has Miami Children’s Hospital smack in the middle of her commission district. However, she did “not know the details,” of the state legislation, she said. However, she did “believe mothers whose babies might be at risk should be able to have that choice,” of where they might want to give birth to their new child, she thought.

Sosa

What is Jackson Health System’s position on the matter?

The watchdog Report contacted Ed O’Dell the senior media representative for Jackson Health System and in an email, he wrote. “Though our collaboration with physicians from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Jackson Health System provides the highest-standard of quality maternal care for all of Miami-Dade County. Our care is globally recognized for its compassion and positive outcomes. In Miami-Dade County, only Jackson and Holtz Children’s Hospital have the expert doctors and nurses to respond immediately to any medical condition facing mother or baby. With one of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care units, one of the world’s top fetal surgery programs, and physicians with specific expertise on treating high-risk mothers, Holtz and Jackson have the capacity to serve our entire community with the highest level of care.”

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott made the following statement about the state’s plan to file a new lawsuit against BP and Halliburton to obtain economic damages resulting from the catastrophic oil spill three years ago: “Many Florida communities were impacted by the BP oil spill that began with a tragic explosion in the Gulf three years ago tomorrow. The new lawsuit our state will file against BP and Halliburton gives us the ability to continue to fight to hold these companies accountable for the economic losses both our state and communities sustained when beaches were closed and many of our businesses lost income as a result of the spill. We will continue to hold these companies accountable, as we ensure that our Florida communities and businesses are treated fairly in the wake of this disaster.” Attorney General Pam Bondi’s release on the lawsuit announcement is available here: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases/ECB588F426A63B2785257B52006F1ED6

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott released the following statement on the House passage of HB 759:

“Today, in passing HB 759, the Florida House took a major step in protecting the life of mothers and the unborn. I consider every life precious and worth protecting, and this bill helps make sure those who kill or harm an unborn baby are held accountable for taking or injuring an innocent life. I would like to recognize the efforts of Speaker Weatherford, Representative Larry Ahern and Representative Jamie Grant for their leadership.”

HB 759, creates the “Florida Unborn Victims of Violence Act,” which specifies that if a person commits a crime that causes the death of or bodily injury to, an unborn child, that person commits a separate offense in addition to that against the mother.  The bill does not require proof that the person committing the offense had knowledge or should have had knowledge that the mother was pregnant, nor does it require the person to have intended to cause the death of or bodily injury to the unborn child.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Commission gives thumbs up to new helipad at Jackson South Hospital for new Trauma Center, with some sound mitigation

During a marathon Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners meeting Thursday. Commissioners approved a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Dennis Moss for the erection, construction and operation of a helipad at Jackson South Community Hospital, a necessary feature if the hospital is to be a Class II Trauma Center, as the Jackson South Hospital wants it to be. Moss detailed the history of why the hospital was so important in South Dade and when it was bought by the Health Trust back in the early 2000s and fulfilled a “promise” made to residents back in 1991 when a county wide vote dedicated a half-cent sales tax in revenues to the county’s public hospital. The pledge was made back then to the South Dade community by County Commissioner Arthur Teele, Jr., and Jackson CEO Ira Clark, both now deceased, and Moss believed the helipad was an important component to bring trauma patients too the newly revamped facility.

Moss after being elected a county commissioner back then pushed the Jackson board over the years to make that a reality he said. He noted that his efforts to get a public hospital in the area, after the county tore down a earlier facility but did not replace it that he met “a lot of resistance,” in getting this done. And the acquisition of the then Deering Hospital was a “promise made and a promise kept,” said Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz during the discussion and Commission Vice Chair Lynda Bell noted that while “Jackson [South] has been a good neighbor, Jackson has to continue working with the neighbors.” She also got a amendment passed that would have the county looking at the placement of “sound barriers” and perhaps look at the cost of the “extension of the wall” trying to mitigate the effect of the sound of the helicopters arrival to local residents.

Bell

Moss

Diaz

>>> Press release: The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (BCC) unanimously approved an application for a helipad at Jackson South Community Hospital, moving the hospital closer to readiness for being a part of Jackson Health System’s expansion of its world-renowned trauma service. The helipad approval satisfies one of the state requirements to bring a Level 2 trauma center to the residents of south Miami-Dade County. On March 19, 2013, the North Miami Beach City Council voted 5-2 to approve the construction of a helipad for Jackson North Medical Center, which sits in that community. “The combination of approving votes for both trauma helipads at Jackson North last month and Jackson South today is a vote for saving lives in all of south and north Miami-Dade County,” said Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System. “When tragedies unfortunately occur, victims will be taken to the closest trauma center, and Jackson wants to provide those centers.”

Trauma centers at Jackson South and Jackson North will bring those specialized services closer to victims in need. They also provide immediate access to the experts at the world-class Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In seeking approval for the helipads, Jackson conducted extensive studies, including acoustical and safety evaluations. Hospital officials also met with homeowners interested in the impact that the proposed helipad could have on their neighborhoods. Both helipads would be located to safe areas of the hospital campuses, and helicopter transports would be landing roughly one to three times a week on average. Most trauma patients are transported by ground. Mr. Migoya expressed Jackson’s gratitude to the BCC as well as optimism that state regulators will draft appropriate new rules for determining where and when new trauma centers will open. Thanks to the resources of Ryder – Miami-Dade County’s only adult and pediatric Level 1 trauma center – Jackson North and Jackson South are the community’s best-prepared hospitals to bring that service into our neighborhoods. Jackson has received approval from the FAA for both helipads.

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD SERVICE JOBS IN GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REPORTED FOR MARCH 2013 – MARKING 3 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS OF CONSECUTIVE JOB INCREASES

Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service jobs increased +5.7% in March, 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This marks 3 years and 3 months of consecutive increased employment in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service Industry. In March 2013, 112,600 people were employed in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service sector compared to 106,500 in March 2012, a +5.7% increase.

GREATER MIAMI LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY JOBS
March 2013	March 2012	% Change
112,600	106,500	+5.7%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> WLRN/NPR and WLRN/Herald News wants to become “media news juggernaut,” in coming years says G.M. Labonia

John Labonia in a Mar. 25 memo called “Reinventing Our Future” the man details an audacious plan to make WLRN/NPR and WLRN/ Herald News into a “media news juggernaut  that has no equal” by 2014 and the plan will begin in 2013. And in a similar document on the subject called “A Strategic Plan to Reinvent Our Future” someone details the role Friends of WLRN will play in this role of making the station a “new public media powerhouse composed of WLRN/Miami Herald News, WLRN productions and WLRN.org to name a few of the listed entities in this expanded programming activity. The “goal is to make WLRN the around the clock pervasive and constant source of news and information” about South Florida and the go to site for news and investigative reports. The station has recently won a series of Edward R. Morrow awards last week and has a host of other awards under its belt over the past few years. Since an affiliation was established with The Miami Herald back around 2003 and will now include a shared newsroom, being built in WLRN’s second floor headquarters.

Funding for the news operation in the Friends budget for this news expansion is being increased from $1.1 million in 2012 to $1.9 million in 2013 and investments in “high definition infrastructure” is a key component of the coming years plan. And Dan Grech, a former Miami Herald reporter, and now the point of the collaborative spear is predicting these changes will allow listeners a whole spectrum of digital formats attempting to capture the new younger emerging listeners and sets the foundation for when people no longer get the F.M. station from the radio in their car or home, but on a host of digital portable devices.

What about The Herald and WLRN?

WLRN, a station owned by the Miami-Dade Public School Board and started 64-years ago as a public station raised eyebrows when the first link up with The Miami Herald was made years ago and while the venture has been successful. Critics worry that the interests of the general public might get lost when brought together with a for profit venture such as the paper. Moreover, while journalistic firewalls have been created this new collaboration is bringing this relationship even closer. In addition, Friends primary role has been to raise money for WLRN and to supplement the public station’s budget that has faced federal and state cutbacks over the years for the quality programming the public station has become known for. However, this is definitely a new expanded direction that the station plans to take and the blending of a not-for –profit and a for profit news organization needs to be watched closely say critics.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> FRB Chair Lapciuc tells BCC “Jackson meltdown delayed,” but substantial challenges ahead with “$600 million in capital infrastructure” needs unaddressed

Marcus Lapciuc, the only Chair of the Financial Recovery Board created a few years ago by the Miami-Dade Commission and pushed by then Commission Chair Joe Martinez gave the commission Tuesday the organization’s monthly update. The smaller seven-member board wraps up in June and was considered “a great experiment,” said Lapciuc. However, the FRB has turned the hospital around after years being on financial life support and hemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over the last three years but is in the black to the tune of about $26 million while also giving almost $1 billion in charity and uncompensated healthcare.

Lapciuc said to commissioners that “we can breathe a little sigh of relief” and the “Jackson meltdown” has been delayed for the moment but there are substantial challenges ahead he warned elected leaders. He noted there is still the unknown impact of “ObamaCare” and whether the Florida Legislature “expansion of Medicaid” for state residents and would impact about 1 million people but has House leaders bulking at the cost of the expansion and the hit to the state budget after the first three years when the federal government will no longer subsidize these new state Medicaid costs. He also noted the current national debate on Immigration Reform could have a disproportionate impact in South Florida given its demographics where around 250,000 people in “Miami-Dade could be involved,” and when it comes to medical outcomes, cost efficiencies and competition with other hospitals. He said the Jackson Health System (JHS) faces “threats” when it comes to state Medicaid “capitation payments” that could cost JHS up to “$45 to $50 million” in reduced funding he said.

The volunteer chair and an international businessman and attorney then mentioned one of the chronic problems facing the public hospital. He noted when it came to infrastructure, the immediate need is about “$600 million in capital infrastructure” that ranges to a host of areas including new “medical wings, IT, air conditioners and elevators,” and has been a persistent problem since 2000 when the county commission shifted some $65 million a year, that has grown to over $100 million, in unfunded mandates JHS has been forced to pay for, at the cost of its physical facilities that look old and dated. In addition, when it came to the over 50-year plus relationship of the University of Miami Miller Medical School and its Annual Operateing Agreement. He says the relationship is becoming one that is “crystallizing into “nothing more than a vendor/ supplier relationship,” he said.

Lapciuc

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Is mayoral race between Regalado & Suarez starting to bleed into running of the city? Expect campaign rhetoric to get more heated running up to Nov. 5 election

With the race for Mayor of Miami in November heating up, incumbent Mayor Tomas Regalado is trying to sum up his past four years in office, while also fending off his primary challenger Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez who through press releases is sniping at the mayor on a variety of issues. Regalado still with strong backing in many parts of the city’s voters is facing the fresh faced younger Suarez who is also being backed by his father. Former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, now a Miami-Dade County Commissioner and this alliance has given the younger Suarez a prodigious campaign war chest. However, Suarez is still an unknown commodity in many ways and while first elected in 2009 to the five-member commission and was made the commission chair a couple of years later by Regalado. His initial push was to get voters to approve a strong mayor form of government; something attempted by former Mayor Joe Carollo back in the 1990s but failed to get traction with city voters at the time. But Suarez later has dropped this push and focused instead on running for mayor and trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. And both men are feverishly fundraising as the November election clicks closer and is expected to be unusually nasty race.

Regalado has had a number of setbacks over the past four years including a bruising battle to remove the Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito. The ousted Chief objected to gambling machines in local cafes saying these were illegal and were made illegal by the state of Florida recently when Gov. Rick Scott signed the legislation and had the mayor and new Miami Chief Manuel Orosa crushing some of the machines at a press event last week, machines that had been confiscated years earlier. However, Regalado says many of the things that have plagued the city since he took office were left over from the previous administration of Miami Mayor Manuel “Manny” Diaz who drained the city’s reserves to below $10 million down from over $100 million back when he took office and a state financial oversight board had a fiscal blow torch pointed at the commission and administration before dissolving in late 2001 just before Diaz took office. Regalado also notes considerable resources have been expended fighting two SEC investigations if investors were deceived on city bonds sold in the past under the Diaz administration and millions are being spent on legal fees in these two federal cases.

Further, this political battle will only escalate in the coming months leading up the commission voting on a new 2013-2014 budget in September and these two meetings are expected to be contentious as the body decides what to do with any excess revenues coming into the city and should this revenue be used to hire more cops or banked into the reserve account. But it is clear the rhetoric is going to be amped up in the coming months and residents can only hope that the their interests will still be in the mix, and not cast aside for political expediency and one of the candidates getting elected.

Regalado

Suarez

>>> Miami Man Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Sergio Velazquez, Chief, Hialeah Police Department (HPD), announced that defendant Marckell Steward, 21, of Miami, was sentenced yesterday for his participation in a $1.7 million identity theft tax refund fraud scheme.  Specifically, U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Steward to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  A restitution hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 9:45 a.m.  Steward previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and testimony, Steward along with co-conspirators Lineten Belizaire, 22, Earnest Baldwin, 36, and Earl Baldwin, 42 all of Miami, were involved in an identity theft tax fraud scheme that operated from July 2011 through June 2012.  During the course of their fraud scheme, approximately $1.7 million in fraudulent refund claims were submitted to the IRS for payment. As stated in documents filed in court, Steward conspired with Belizaire and Earnest and Earl Baldwin on a plan to use stolen personal identification information of others to file fraudulent and unauthorized tax returns claiming refunds on debit cards. Some of the refund claims were filed from Earl Baldwin’s residence.  According to the factual proffer, Steward exchanged text messages with Belizaire where the defendant sent and received personal identification information of victims and also sent and received debit card account numbers that were used for receiving victims’ tax refunds.

As stated in trial testimony and evidence, Earnest Baldwin was found with over 1,000 individual names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers and approximately 40 pre-paid debit cards in other people’s names.  Some of these papers seized included high school report cards with identity information and data from an organization for disabled persons containing identity information.  The evidence at trial also showed that Earnest and Earl Baldwin withdrew money from debit cards loaded with fraudulent refunds in the names of victims in the papers and notebooks found on Earnest Baldwin.  Lineten Belizaire pled guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on March 18, 2013.  He faces a maximum possible sentence of 12 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2013 at 8:30 AM before Judge Altonaga.

Sentencing for Earnest and Earl Baldwin has been scheduled for June 17, 2013 beginning at 8:30 AM before Judge Altonaga.  Defendant Earnest Baldwin faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 41 years and defendant Earl Baldwin faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 29 years. Mr. Ferrer commended IRS-CID, USPIS, and HPD for their work on the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael N. Berger and Maurice Johnson.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Oceana Makes Noise to Save Dolphins and Whales in Atlantic – Event Draws Attention to Threat of Seismic Airgun Testing

Press release: Marking the three-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, international ocean conservation group Oceana held a public demonstration in Miami Beach today to highlight the risk of expanded offshore oil drilling on the East Coast and to call for a clean energy future. After first distributing earplugs to nearby pedestrians, organizers and volunteers sounded air horns, vuvuzelas and other noise making devices in an attempt to draw attention to proposed seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic Ocean, which could begin as early as this fall unless the Obama administration pulls the plug.

“Offshore drilling is still as dirty and dangerous as it was three years ago,” said Oceana campaign organizer Rebecca Marques, “Instead of learning from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, President Obama is now considering expanding offshore drilling to the Atlantic Ocean. The seismic airgun testing sought by the oil industry to search for oil and gas deposits is an insult to whales, dolphins and everyone who makes their living from healthy oceans.” According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the sound pulses emitted by seismic airgun testing would injure or possibly kill 138,500 dolphins and whales in the Atlantic, including critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only five hundred individuals remain.

Marques explained the basic horror of seismic airguns as she held up Oceana’s new report on the subject, which was released last week. “Imagine dynamite going off in your living room every ten seconds, 24 hours a day, for days to weeks on end. That’s the kind of situation that dolphins and whales will have to deal with. Seismic airgun testing will lead to disorientation and this can lead to death.”

Thirteen members of Florida’s congressional delegation sent a letter to President Barack Obama this week urging him to stop proposed seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic Ocean. Three Republicans joined this letter, as did Senator Bill Nelson. The letter highlighted the fact that in Florida alone, seismic airgun testing puts over 380,000 jobs in the fishing, tourism and recreation industries in jeopardy.

Oceana members handed out fliers and stickers, and promoted a whitehouse.gov petition started by actor and Oceana spokesperson Ted Danson asking President Obama to reject seismic airgun testing. The petition will guarantee a written response from the Obama administration if it gets 100,000 online signers by May 14. “Seismic airgun testing in an area twice the size of California off the East Coast comes with unprecedented risk,” added Marques, “including risks to the 730,000 jobs in the fishing, tourism and coastal recreation industries in the blast zone.” Pedestrians in the area were made acutely aware of the kinds of blasts Oceana is warning about. Despite the loud display, organizers insisted it was nothing compared to the airguns used by the oil industry. “What we’re doing is a whisper compared to what they want to do,” explained Marques. “Seismic airguns are literally 100,000 times more intense than a jet engine.” The event was one of more than 20 such events coordinated by Oceana nationwide this month to mark the third anniversary of the BP oil spill and call attention to seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic. To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to Stop Seismic Airgun Testing, please visit www.Oceana.org/seismic.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Hail Commissioners Lago & Keon, Tuesday their first debut on five member commission, what changes will they bring to discussions?

This Tuesday, Coral Gables residents and voters will get to see their two new commissioners in action for the first time since the Apr. 9 election and the swearing-in ceremony later on Apr.12. Commissioners Vincent Lago and Pat Keon will start their political careers on the five member dais. And it will be interesting to see their political take on how city services are delivered and how to deal with some of the long term structural problems facing the city, like the over $200 million pension fund liability that was a discussed item during the campaigns for the then two open four year seats on the five member body.

CITY OF HOMESTEAD

>>> Director of Non-Profit Convicted in BP Claims Fund Fraud Trial

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and Richard L. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation, announced that Jean Mari Lindor, 32, of Homestead, Florida, was convicted by a federal jury in Miami yesterday, for his participation in filing false claims in connection with the Deepwater Horizon explosion and pollution incident in the Gulf of Mexico.  Lindor was convicted on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft, all in connection with fraudulent claims filed by the defendant seeking lost income against the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the filing of fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, and false claims for unemployment compensation against the State of Florida, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, 1029(a)(2) and (b)(1), and 2.

The guilty verdicts were returned before U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore, who set the sentencing hearing for July 30, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in Miami.  Lindor faces possible terms of imprisonment of up to twenty years on each of the thirty-four counts of mail fraud and wire fraud, up to ten years imprisonment on the three counts of access device fraud, and a consecutive sentence of two years each on the two counts of aggravated identity theft.  The defendant also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count or twice the intended gain or loss caused by the conduct, as well as a period of supervised release of up to five years. According to the allegations in the Indictment and evidence presented in court, in June 2010, BP established the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) for the purpose of administering, mediating, and settling certain claims of individuals and businesses for costs, damages, and other losses incurred as a result of oil discharges due to the April 20, 2010 explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that had been drilling an exploration well.  In August 2010, the GCCF began receiving and processing such claims of individuals and businesses for costs, damages, and other losses they had incurred as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident, paying the claims from a $20 billion Trust Fund established for that purpose.

The evidence at trial established that Lindor filed fraudulent claims against the fund, in his own name, and in the name of a Not-For-Profit business he established, Noula, Incorporated, located in Homestead.  The value of the claims charged in the Indictment and presented at trial were in excess of $1.2 million.  Trial evidence demonstrated that the records supplied to the GCCF to support the many claims were materially false and fraudulent because they purported to show the claimants were employees of various hotels, restaurants, and clubs in the Florida Keys at the time of the spill and that their income had been adversely affected as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident. Lindor also used unauthorized access devices during the scheme, consisting of the unique GCCF Claim numbers assigned to his fictitious claims, and without which he would have been unable to communicate with the GCCF, or cause payments to be issued to them.  Moreover, Lindor also sought unemployment compensation for more than a year from the State of Florida, falsely certifying that he was not earning income when, in fact, he was actively directing the scheme at Noula. Furthermore, the evidence at trial showed that Lindor possessed and used without lawful authority the social security numbers of two identity theft victims to file fraudulent tax claims against the IRS, and directed the refunds into either his personal bank account or to bank debit cards. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.  Mr. Ferrer would also like to thank the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF).  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald.  Members of the public can report fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, through the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Disaster Fraud Hotline at 877-NCDF-GCF (623-3423), the Disaster Fraud Fax at 225-334-4707, or the Disaster Fraud e-mail at disaster@leo.gov. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF CORAL SPRINGS

>>> Former CEO Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced that defendant Scott Haire, 48, a resident of Coral Springs, Florida, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.  Haire pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, in United States v. Scott Haire and Douglas Martin, Case No. 12-Cr-60133-Williams(s). At sentencing, Haire faces a maximum of five year’s imprisonment, three years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

This case is part of the Southern District of Florida Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative (the Initiative), first announced in December 2010 and designed to combat securities and investment fraud and protect the interests of the investing public.  The Initiative was established to address the increase in securities and investment fraud schemes in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, other participating agencies in the Initiative include the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Southeast Region.  Among the goals of the Initiative is to alert the public about the prevalence of these types of schemes, educate the public on how to avoid falling prey to these schemes, and to highlight the law enforcement response to the problem.

The Southern District of Florida ranks second in the nation in securities and investment fraud investigations and prosecutions.  Using the strike force model successfully developed in the health care and mortgage fraud areas, the Initiative has yielded similar success.  Since its inception in December 2010, the Initiative has resulted in charges against 144 defendants in the Southern District of Florida, resulting in more than $1.76 billion in restitution ordered. Haire – the former CEO of Wound Management Technologies, Inc., and the former CFO and Chairman of VHGI, Inc. –was captured on video and audio recordings engaging in securities fraud during an undercover FBI operation.  During the recordings, Haire discussed his football career at the University of Kentucky before turning to fraud.

According to court documents, Haire bribed a pension fund fiduciary to induce the fiduciary to invest in Wound Management, in violation of the pension fund fiduciary’s obligation to act in the best interest of the pension fund’s beneficiaries.  In addition, Haire bribed a stock broker to invest money from his client’s discretionary accounts, in violation of the stock broker’s obligation to act in the best interest of his clients.  Haire agreed that he conspired with Douglas Martin, a conspirator who previously pled guilty, to inflate the volume and stock of VHGI, a publicly traded company. To date, 37 individuals have been convicted as part of the FBI’s undercover operation in this and related cases. >> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this and other cases targeting penny stock fraud in South Florida.  Mr. Ferrer would also like to thank the SEC for its assistance in this matter.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys H. Ron Davidson and Jodi L. Anton. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Palm Beach County Man Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Paula A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that defendant Fednol Pierre, 34, of West Palm Beach, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn to one count of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft.  The sentencing hearing is set for June 26, 2013 in front of Judge Cohn.  At sentencing, Pierre faces a mandatory minimum statutory sentence of two years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of 12 years in prison.

According to documents filed in court, on September 29, 2009, Pierre added an individual to his bank account as a joint account holder — without this individual’s knowledge or consent — using this individual’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number.  The following day, Pierre deposited a $22,081 tax refund check from the U.S. Treasury in the name of this individual.  In the weeks following this deposit, Pierre withdrew funds from the joint account.  On December 3, 2009, Pierre closed the joint account and transferred the remaining funds into his account. >> Mr. Ferrer thanked USSS and IRS-CI for their work on the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Coats.  A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

LEE COUNTY

>>> Gov Scott taps Reynolds to 20^th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission

Twentieth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission Susan Z. Reynolds, 58, of Fort Myers, is a self employed attorney and part owner of PocoLoco in Sanibel. She received her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and her law degree from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. Reynolds succeeds John Hooley, and has been appointed for a term beginning April 16, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

MONROE COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott makes the following appointments to Judicial Nominating Commission:

Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission Robert A. Spottswood, 55, of Key West, is the president of Spottswood Companies, Inc and has been a member of the Florida Bar for over 30 years. Spottswood received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Miami. He fills a vacancy and has been appointed for a term beginning April 16, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission Piper L. Smith, 49, of Key West, is the vice president of marketing for Historic Tours of America, Inc. Smith received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. She has been reappointed for a term beginning April 16, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Anthony J. Barrows, 35, of Ramrod Key, is an assistant regional counsel in the Office of Criminal and Civil Regional Conflict. He also practices law in his solo practice. Barrows received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from Nova Southeastern University. He fills a vacancy and has been appointed for a term beginning April 16, 2013, and ending July 1, 2015.

Nathalia M. Abondano, 28, of Key West, is an attorney with the law firm of Garcia & Smith, P.A. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and her law degree from Florida International University. Abondano fills a vacancy and has been appointed from the list of nominees submitted by the Florida Bar for a term beginning April 16, 2013, and ending July 1, 2015.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> The STU Center for Ethics invites you to attend a conference on: ETHICAL ISSUES IN NON-PROFIT AGENCIES” Friday, April 26^th from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to be held at Convocation Hall on the St. Thomas University campus, 16401 NW 37^th Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL.  Conference activities include a keynote speaker and three featured panels on the following topics: Ethical Aspects of Fundraising and Donor Relations, Avoiding Board Member and Staff Conflicts of Interest, Equitable Distribution of Resources:  Overhead vs. Programming – We are fortunate to have attracted some distinguished panelists and speakers for this event.  Invited speakers include: Angel Aloma, Executive Director, Food for the Poor, Joe Centorino, Executive Director, MDC Commission on Ethics, Daniella Levine, President/CEO, Catalyst Miami, Professor Ronald Nyhan, Florida Atlantic University, Marina Pavlov-Marchner, President/CEO, FANO,  Javier Soto, President/CEO, Miami Foundation

The registration fee of $50 covers breakfast and lunch and four hours of stimulating and thought-provoking discussions.  Due to limited seating, those wishing to attend should register no later than Monday, April 22^nd.  For registration information, please contact the Center for Ethics at (305) 628-6581 or by e-mail: rmeyers@stu.edu.

>>> Miami Selected as “Inaugurating City” for National Immigration Forum’s Bethlehem Project Press Conference with Business Partners on Citizenship Promotion Initiative Miami – On Tuesday, April 23 at 11 a.m., the National Immigration Forum will host a press  conference at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus to launch “The Bethlehem Project”.

This unprecedented business partnership with the collaboration of local immigrant service organizations like the International Rescue Committee seeks to assist eligible immigrant employees with the citizenship process so they become more valuable workers and full participants in the workplace, community and economy. The press conference will feature founding business partners, The InterContinental Miami, The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and new partner Miami Dade College, who will share their inspiring words on how the business community is increasingly leading the effort to integrate its immigrant workforce.  Employees receiving assistance for their citizenship application will also share their stories on why they are pursuing the dream of citizenship and how the Bethlehem Project is helping ensure that dream becomes a reality.

WHAT: Press conference launching “The Bethlehem Project”, an innovative corporate-community partnership to provide citizenship assistance for eligible immigrant employees at the workplace. WHO: Eduardo Padrón, President, Miami Dade College, Manny Diaz, attorney, Former Mayor of Miami, Nilmarie Almodóvar, Human Resources Director, The Betsy Hotel,  Leonie Timothee, Human Resources and Talent Development Manager, InterContinential Miami, Raquel Araujo-Escobar, immigrant employee, InterContinental Miami, Ali Noorani, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum, Additional bilingual (Spanish) immigrant employees undergoing citizenship process will be available for interviews. WHEN: April 23, 2013, 11 a.m. EST WHERE: Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, Batten Room, Building 2, Room 2106  4th Street and NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL – About the National Immigration Forum: “Founded in 1982, the National Immigration Forum advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to our nation. In service to this mission, the Forum promotes responsible federal immigration policies, addressing today’s economic and national security needs while honoring the ideals of our Founding Fathers, who created America as a land of opportunity.”All media should register by contacting Katherine Vargas, kvargas@immigrationforum.org

>>> The Downtown Bay Forum www.downtownbayforum.org — INVITES YOU TO OUR LUNCHEONMEETING ON WEDNESDAY – APRIL 24, 2013 11:30AM-1:30 PM – WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS FUND DOLPHIN STADIUM RENOVATION? SPEAKERS NORMAN BRAMAN – MIAMI DOLPHINS – H.T. SMITH MODERATOR -MICHAEL PUTNEY – Channel 10 WOLFSON AUDITORIUM @TEMPLE ISRAEL 137 NE 19thStreet MIAMI Free Self Parking Available Call ANNETTE EISENBERG (305)757-3633   Fax (305)754-2015 **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED ** Membership Application &/or Luncheon Reservation (please print clearly)

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EDITORIAL

>>> If elected leaders want to be a community Great One, temperament and humbleness is a key ingredient, ego must be kept in check

I went to a Celebration of Life for a very gentle, kind soft spoken but solid as steel woman Saturday by the name of Mary Ellen Miller, a twice-former chair of the Miami-Dade Republican Party. Moreover, the reverend mentioned you know what many people are really like when they gain such power, and what they do with it and how they treat people and that transformation for many other politicians is so true. The Watchdog Report over the past 17-years has seen a lot of politicians up close and personal from their first election to becoming long serving incumbents and to say some elected officials are self-absorbed or full of themselves is an understatement. You may be a small municipal commissioner, for one of the 34 cities in Miami-Dade or maybe one of the 31 in Broward County but their pompous attitude sometimes is mind boggling given they are not the president of the United States or even the governor of a state but as you work down the political food chain. These lesser-elected officials seem to blossom when it comes to the expansion of their ego and it is a sad sight.

For there are very few beloved leaders these days and hard ball and Machiavellian tactics seem to be the political order of the day rather than earning the publics respect and love through their deeds and having a ego is great, but their must be some mechanism keeping this in check. Rather than a flock of camp followers that seem to live on the elected ones every word and are at their beck and call. Moreover, this attitude eventually bleeds into how officials perform their elected jobs, and can be seen by them taking all the perks that might come with the office. Asking for special favors in the public or private sector or just getting things done sooner for themselves by their public workers but it has a corrosive effect across the whole spectrum of governance and public service. And if these people want to go down in the history books as Great Ones, not only in their on minds but in the public’s as well. They should keep some of these restrained personal traits in mind.

LETTERS

>>> Reader appalled at Senate vote on background checks on gun buyers

The vote on background checks in the US Senate confirms what conscientious citizens have known for a long time. There is a minority in the US or Florida Senate or their companion Houses that have the moral courage to vote as the welfare of their constituents or their professed religious beliefs would dictate. We elect candidates to become leaders and all too many become followers, followers of their own political ambitions, or the financial benefits of serving  and the lucrative influence they can exert beyond that service..

Who would dare write “Profiles in Courage” today faced with the cowardice of so-called leaders who fail to support the welfare and wishes of 90% the American people?

Don MacCullough

Miami, FL

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/22/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-47-april-21-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot-celebrating-14-years-may-5th/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/15/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-46-april-14-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/15/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-46-april-14-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:55:31 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1582 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Ryder CEO Sanchez says company on a roll, “fleet management and logistics new company mantra, after yellow rental trucks shed in 1990s

Florida: While Legislature passes $74 billion plus budget, what will body and Gov. Scott do when it comes to bumping up tourist development taxes for Miami Dolphins Stadium upgrades?

Miami-Dade County: Dolphin upgrade deal passes county commission with referendum, but will deal clear Florida legislature?

Miami-Dade Public Schools: Board Attorney Harvey gets nod to change salary schedule slightly for new attorneys, office more frugal than in past years

City of Miami: Commissioner Spence-Jones gets thumbs down on third term, charter language clear and passed by 73 percent citywide vote back in 1999

City of Miami Beach: South of Fifth Neighbors update on Apr. 4 general meeting, big turnout and included elected leaders

City of Coral Gables: Hail Mayor Cason, Commissioners Lago and Keon as they take the dais, 23 % turnout decent for April election in City Beautiful

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Broward County Resident Convicted in Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities

City of Miramar: Husband and Wife Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme

Franklin County: Gov. Scott taps Martin Fitzpatrick to the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit

Community Events: The Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami invites you to a Community Conversation & Luncheon — Guns, Politics & Public Health.

Editorials: With reviving Miami-Dade economy & house values, now is time to bank some of the extra public tax dollars in the future, reduce public debt, but has this lesson been learned?   – Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: M-DC OIG sponsored by Commissioner Miguel Diaz de la Portilla – Child Advocate and reader on positive thinking and helping others – Epilepsy advocate regarding state funding

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text.

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Ryder CEO Sanchez says company on a roll, “fleet management and logistics new company mantra, after yellow rental trucks shed in 1990s

Robert E. Sanchez, the President & CEO of the 80-year old Ryder Corporation in Doral gave the keynote address at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon recently that was a walk down memory lane when it came to the storied organization. A company founded by Jim Ryder that got its first big lift in the early 1930s distributing Champion Velvet beer with their trucks after Prohibition in Miami. Another big break for Ryder came when The Miami Herald in 1945 came to Ryder and the news organization “needed dedicated trucks,” and it has now been “68-years” since that first deal was inked with the general circulation daily and the “relationship is the longest in the company’s history,” said Sanchez. He noted one of the company’s watchwords was “listen to customers” needs “and come up with solutions” and by 1955 the company had gone public and by the 1980s the company was valued at around $1 billion and was highly “diversified,” he said. However with that diversification came trouble and in the future years the value of the company fell and by the 1990s Ryder had “divested the yellow truck business,” and the new company mantra was “fleet management and logistical services to large companies.” And since 1991 the company’s stock price had “increased 230 percent by today.” He also noted Ryder is generally behind the scenes, puts the logos of their trucks clients like Dunkin Doughnut on the leased company’s delivery trucks and for “many fast food restaurants. The food is delivered on Ryder trucks and in the case of shipments to CVS Pharmacies. The Ryder drivers even wear “CVS uniforms,” he said. And today Ryder employs 28,000 employees around the globe, supplies around 120,000 trucks to thousands of companies and has “20,000 leased vehicles in England,” he said. And not only does Ryder “purchase the trucks, but we also maintain them and the firm has “800 truck maintenance locations” around the globe and the companies job is to keep these “trucks running for their customers.” That includes getting “thousands of parts to car manufacturing plants and assembly lines “including to GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen.” And he said to keep this fleet of trucks running and the needed “diesel mechanics.” He said, “They get the best of the best.”

Sanchez a Miami boy who went to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School for his MBA, also holds an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Miami, and prior to joining Ryder in 1993. He worked for a while with Florida Power & Light. Sanchez made it clear the company, once known for its yellow truck rentals has morphed into a totally different business model that now concentrates on providing logistics and transportation services for a host of companies around the world and when it comes to hiring returning military veterans. The company has a hiring program that over the last two and a half years has resulted in the hiring of some “1,000 returning veterans,” he closed his comments.

Sanchez

Ryder Corp. photo

>>> Company Bio of Sanchez: President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr Sanchez is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ryder System, Inc., a FORTUNE 500® transportation and supply chain management solutions company. Over the course of two decades at Ryder, Mr. Sanchez has served in senior executive leadership positions in operations, finance, and information technology. He has been a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team since 2003. Most recently, Mr. Sanchez held the role of President and Chief Operating Officer, in which he was responsible for the general management of all business operations. Prior to that, he served as President of Global Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Ryder’s largest business segment. Earlier, he served in a broad range of leadership positions for the corporation and each of its business segments, including: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ryder System, Inc.; Executive Vice President of Operations (FMS); Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Ryder System, Inc.; Senior Vice President of Transportation Management within Supply Chain Solutions (SCS); and Vice President of Asset Management (FMS).

Mr. Sanchez joined Ryder in 1993 and served with distinction in positions of increasing responsibility, including Regional Finance Director for SCS; Group Director of Financial Analysis and Pricing for SCS; and Manager of Strategic Planning. Prior to joining Ryder in 1993, he worked as an Applications Engineer at Florida Power & Light and as a Controls Engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.

Mr. Sanchez was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Texas Instruments in March 2011, and serves on the board’s audit committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA), as well as the Association of Cuban Engineers (ACE), for which he chairs the Scholarship Foundation. Additionally, he is a member of the University of Miami President’s Council and the College of Engineering Visiting Committee. He is also a mentor for the Big Brothers Big Sisters School to Work Program. In 2010, The South Florida Business Journal named Mr. Sanchez CFO of the Year for the South Florida region, recognizing the important role he and his team played in maintaining Ryder’s strong financial position during the difficult economic environment of 2009. In 2002, he also received the Young Hispanic Leadership Award, and in 2001, he was named ACE Engineer of the Year. Mr. Sanchez earned his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance and Strategic Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Computer Science from the University of Miami

>>> The Greater Miami Chamber taps FP&L executive Rodriguez for Henry Flagler Award, played a key early role with the Watchdog Report

Manny Rodriguez, the Florida Power & Light Manager of Corporate and External Affairs will be awarded the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Henry M. Flagler Community Builder Award and the man has a Watchdog Report connection. Back in May of 2000 when I first started the WDR entering its 14^th year May 5. Out of the blue at a time came a check when I was having trouble paying my electric bill to FP&L and was going to Jorge’s Pharmacy on Coral Way to stand in line and pay the utility bill with a host of others. I came back to my mailbox after such a trip, there was a check for $500.00 from the company, and six months later, another arrived and was a critical payment when I was first beginning this free community news service. I later found out it was Rodriguez that was the initiator of this and later FP&L became a listed $2,000 a year sponsor and the company is listed at the end of the WDR as a Founding Sponsor. And for that faith and support of me, I wish Manny many happy years in retirement, with his grandchildren and family and I give him a Tip of the Hat for believing in me back then when many other people did not have that same confidence.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

>>> Friends of Miami-Dade County GOP Party Chair Mary Ellen Miller who passed last month will gather on her birthday, April 20th, at 11am. It will be at her church: Faith Lutheran Church, 293 Hialeah Drive. Miller passed last month and was a low-key but beloved driving force within the Republican Party over the past decades.

>>> President’s Budget Shows Strong Support for Advancing Next Phase of Bridging for Tamiami Trail

Press release: “We are thrilled by the Obama Administration’s recognition of the importance for advancing America’s Everglades with today’s release of the FY2014 Presidential Budget that proposes $95.5 million for the Department of the Interior, including $30 million for Tamiami Trail Next Steps bridging. “Historically, Tamiami Trail has obstructed freshwater flow into the Everglades since its construction in 1928, acting like a dam and blocking critical water flows back to its natural path, south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.  Today’s proposed funding levels will help bridge Tamiami Trail an additional 5.5 miles, which is vital to protecting critical habitat, restoring historic water flows into Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, and ensuring America’s Everglades will be preserved for future generations.

“America’s Everglades is one of the world’s most diverse and productive wetlands and is a tremendous economic generator.  According to the National Park Service, Tamiami Trail Next Steps bridging will bring an estimated 3,700 jobs to the state, many of which are in the hard-hit construction sector. So far, these direct economic benefits are in addition to those from constructing the first one-mile bridge, which was completed last month, creating more than 1,200 jobs in two years. For every dollar invested in Everglades restoration, $4 is generated in economic benefits to the public. “We celebrate the President’s commitment to advancing the construction of an additional 5.5 miles of bridging on Tamiami Trail and urge Congress to support strong funding for Tamiami Trail Next Steps bridging.”

>>> Shusen Wei, 45, a citizen of China, pleaded guilty Friday in Miami federal court to charges stemming & Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement.

Press release: Wei entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga, who scheduled sentencing for April 29, 2013.  Wei faces a possible term in prison of up to 10 years on the single count filed against him, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

According to documents filed in Court, Wei traveled from China to Miami, Fla., in January 2013, to attend the Original Miami Beach Antique Show.  While attending the show, he roomed with another Chinese national who was later arrested for smuggling of rhinoceros horns from the United States to China.  In pleading guilty, Wei admitted that he paid commissions to this other individual to purchase objects made of rhino horn in the United States and smuggle them to China and that he knew that this individual was engaged in the smuggling of protected species of wildlife, including rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory. Wei also knew that this individual had paid bribes to Chinese customs officials to assist in his smuggling.  Special Agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service learned that Wei had previously purchased libation cups made from carved rhinoceros horns from this same individual. One of those items was sold at a U.S. auction house for $242,500.  This and other photographs of carved rhinoceros horns were found on Wei’s cell phone.

Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. All species of rhinoceros are protected under United States and international law, and all black rhinoceros species are endangered. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by 178 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets. Nevertheless, the demand for rhinoceros horn and black market prices have skyrocketed in recent years due to the value that some cultures have placed on ornamental carvings, good luck charms or alleged medicinal purposes, leading to a decimation of the global rhinoceros population. As a result, rhino populations have declined by more than 90 percent since 1970. South Africa, for example, has witnessed a rapid escalation in poaching of live animals, rising from 13 in 2007 to 668 in 2012.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and thanked the U.S. Attorneys Offices in the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey for their assistance. The case is part of “Operation Crash” (named for the term used to describe a herd of rhinoceros) which is an ongoing multi-agency effort to detect, deter, and prosecute those engaged in the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the unlawful trafficking of rhinoceros horns.  This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Richard A. Udell, a Senior Counsel with the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. >>> A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Two Miami Men Convicted in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Involving over 1,000 Victims

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Sergio Velazquez, Chief, Hialeah Police Department (HPD), announced the conviction at trial of Earnest Baldwin, 36 of Miami, and Earl Baldwin, 42 of Miami, for their participating in a tax refund scheme using stolen identities  to convert government monies for their own use.  More specifically, both were convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of access device fraud, and multiple counts of aggravated identity theft, in connection with an identity theft tax refund fraud scheme.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were involved in an identity theft tax fraud scheme that operated from July 2011 through June 2012.  During the course of their fraud scheme, approximately $1.7 million in fraudulent refund claims were submitted to the IRS for payment.  Nearly all of these claims requested payment of the refunds onto pre-paid debit cards and some of these claims were filed from Earl Baldwin’s residence.

The trial testimony and evidence further showed that Earnest Baldwin was found with over 1,000 individual names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers and approximately 40 pre-paid debit cards in other people’s names.  Some of these papers seized included high school report cards with identity information and data from an organization for disabled persons containing identity information.  The evidence at trial also showed that both defendants withdrew money from debit cards loaded with fraudulent refunds in the names of victims in the papers and notebooks found on Earnest Baldwin. Sentencing for both defendants has been scheduled for June 17, 2013 beginning at 8:30 AM before U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga.  Defendant Earnest Baldwin faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 41 years and defendant Earl Baldwin faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 29 years.

Two additional co-conspirators, Lineten Belizaire, 22, and Marckell Steward, 21, both of Miami, previously pled guilty in this matter.  Belizaire pled guilty to access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on March 18, 2013.  She faces a maximum possible sentence of 12 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2013 at 8:30 AM before Judge Altonaga.  Steward pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on January 31, 2013.  He faces a maximum possible sentence of 12 years and is scheduled to be at a later date. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended IRS-CID, USPIS, and HPD for their work on the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael N. Berger and Maurice Johnson.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> While Legislature passes $74 billion plus budget, what will body and Gov. Scott do when it comes to bumping up tourist development taxes for Miami Dolphins Stadium upgrades?

With May 3 fast approaching and the ending of the Florida Legislative Session, the Florida House and Senate have passed the one thing lawmakers are constitutionally charged to do and have passed respective budgets for the coming year that begins Oct.1. The Senate version comes in at $74 billion and the House weighed in with a $74.4 billion budget proposal that now goes to conference between the two legislative branches. This is the first year that the legislature is not dealing with rising expenses and lower state revenues that they have had to deal with since 2008 when the nation’s economic downturn and property values went into free fall and the state’s funding coffers dried up to a great extent. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/10/3334245/fla-senate-passes-74-billion-budget.html http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/12/3340371/house-democrats-stand-down-in.html

However, one issue locally the legislature has to deal with is the deal hammered out by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez for a public referendum on whether tourist development tax dollars should be spent on a major Sun Life Stadium upgrade for the Miami Dolphins. The overall deal hinges on getting the state to approve asking voters to increase this tourist tax to seven percent, up from six percent, of which 75 percent of the one percent would go to the team over 26 years. Proponents say it will create jobs and keep the facility competitive for high profile marquee events like future Super Bowls and critics say it is “corporate welfare” for billionaires and has divided the local legislative delegation and has both local parties leadership jointly agreeing the deal should get a thumbs down and no action in the state legislature would kill the deal.

Further, while the Senate is more receptive to the agreement, in the House it is getting a tepid response and GOP lawmakers know they still have to deal with Tea Party supporters throughout Florida who are going ballistic at what is considered another major gift to well heeled professional team owners and any vote in the state legislative chambers could come back to haunt the representatives, especially in the closed GOP primaries, in the next election cycle in 2014 that also has Gov. Rick Scott up for reelection as well. Moreover, Scott could be a critical factor since any legislation supporting the deal has to be signed by the governor who is reeling from flip-flopping and now supporting accepting three years of funding under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). But the House has rejected Scott’s proposal based on what is seen as future costs of the program and a belief the program will not produce the anticipated savings and would add new burdensome costs to the state budget and the nation as a whole. >>> For more on the stadium deal go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/13/v-fullstory/3342759/a-breakdown-of-the-miami-dolphins.html

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott released the following statement on Senate passage of SB 92, “Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act”: Gov. Scott said, “I believe that privacy should be protected and I look forward to signing Senator Negron’s drone bill.  This law will ensure that the rights of Florida families are protected from the unwarranted use of drones and other unmanned aircraft.”

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Dolphin upgrade deal passes county commission, but will deal clear Florida legislature?

While Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez got a deal with the Miami Dolphins to renovate Sun Life Stadium that gives the team $289 million in a payout of $7.8 million over 26 years and has the professional football team repaying roughly $112 to $129 million of that back. The county commission spent hours vetting the contract and setting a referendum vote for May 14, in time for the team to know the stadium’s status before the NFL chooses the sites for the 50^th and 51^st Super Bowls on May 22. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/11/3336080_p2/miami-dolphins-stadium-renovation.html And the only three dissenting votes on the commission were Commissioners Juan Zapata, Xavier Suarez and Estephan Bovo. They were cautious about the deal, that is nothing like the Miami Marlins enclosed stadium deal in Little Havana costing $2.5 billion. When the bond financing is included and has outraged the community, embarrassed the commission and hangs like a dark cloud over the football stadium deal that polled voters were totally against but now might be lukewarm at best now that the overall deal is known.

Gimenez rose to the mayoral post in many ways because of his opposition of the struggling Miami Marlins new enclosed stadium and people are criticizing his role in this deal that he says is nothing like the baseball stadium. He says the public purse is protected in this case and only tourist development tax dollars are involved and no other public money, and there are plenty of protections for taxpayers. Gimenez has said he just wanted to give the team they’re day in court and he did demand that the public vote on the issue, to tamp down and give legitimacy to the deal after voters were denied this vote with the Marlins deal. And it signaled to the Florida Legislature now meeting that local government was behind the deal, though has both Miami-Dade Democratic and Republican Party leaders in rare agreement giving a thumbs down to what is seen as “corporate welfare” for Steven Ross who has a net worth of over $4. billion and many people believe the owner should be able to finance the expansions and upgrades himself say the deals critics.

What about the team’s community outreach?

On Tuesday, just before the commission vote was being taken the seats were packed with a broad spectrum of lobbyists and community spokespeople that have been brought on board by the Dolphins to help convince voters that this is a good deal for the public and community, and that they should vote for it in what is considered to be a low turnout election, and it’s approval will benefit all residents of South Florida. Leading the public relations effort is highly respected attorney H.T. Smith and former George W. Bush appointee Jorge Arrizurieta, who was also a long time member on the Public Health Trust overseeing Jackson Health System.

However, one deal stopping obstacle remains and that is the Florida Legislature and while the Senate is in favor of some tax breaks. The Dolphin stadium legislation in the House is getting a lukewarm reception and local state lawmakers are feeling the heat from their local constituents against the tax breaks the deal is requesting. And any failure to get any of the needed concessions in this deal ends the effort that had the football team’s front man Mike Dee delivering a $7.87 million check to pay for the Special Election in May on Friday. But the public mood is sour, after the botched Marlins deal, when it comes to private sports franchises and opening up the public purse, especially when such a owner as Ross has his own money that could be used if he really wanted too. However, Dee says Ross feels outside the team’s well over $200 million contribution to the roughly $380 million expansion that he cannot make any further investment, and some in the media have jumped on this fact.

Commissioners Dennis Moss, Barbara Jordan and Jean Monestime all pushed for minority participation in the multi-year project and they got a pledge of “aspirational goals,” when it came to diversity of the workforce doing the upgrades for the facility located in the City of Miami Gardens. However, while the commission may be on board, the body’s nemesis auto magnate Norman Braman has vowed to fight this deal believing Ross should pony up the money himself and it was “corporate welfare for a billionaire,” Braman, a billionaire himself has said. Further, Braman who was the point of the spear against the Marlins stadium in the past has said he will throw whatever resources that are necessary if in fact the deal clears all the hurdles in the state in the weeks ahead. Moreover, he is currently now focused on trying to kill the deal by derailing the concessions the team wants in the state legislature.

>>> Miami Dolphins press release: Miami-Dade: Miami First, a coalition of Miami-Dade business and community leaders supporting the efforts to modernize Sun Life Stadium, will kick off the campaign to protect the future of Super Bowls, college championships, and international soccer in Miami-Dade ahead of the referendum on May 14th. From now until the May 14th Election Day, Miami First will work to ensure that residents of Miami-Dade know about the project, which will create over 4,000 jobs and pump millions of dollars into the local economy. >>> For a longer analysis of the Dolphin Sun Life Stadium deal go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/13/3342759/a-breakdown-of-the-miami-dolphins.html >>> And to hear Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s comments on Michael Putney’s This Week in South Florida show Sunday go to http://www.local10.com/-/1717430/19520008/-/5x4vf5z/-/index.html

>>> Two veteran Herald reporters join Ethics Commission as investigators

The Miami-Dade Ethics and Public Trust has hired two new investigators after some 100 people applied for the job. The new hires are Robert Steinback and Larry Lebowitz, both former reporters with The Miami Herald and they are a superb choice for the job, given their past investigative and writing skills detailed in the past in The Herald. The men follow in the footsteps of other Herald reporters Karl Ross and in the past Don Finefrock who was the first Herald reporter to join the Ethics Commission back in 2001. And Finefrock now works for The South Florida Parks Foundation.

>>> Press release: Two former Miami Herald journalists will soon join the investigative staff of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. Executive Director Joseph Centorino announced at today’s monthly meeting that Robert Steinback and Lawrence Lebowitz will begin work in early May.  Steinback spent a quarter of a century at Miami’s flagship newspaper in a variety of capacities, including reporter, assistant city editor and columnist, and most recently served as a deputy editor at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.   The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer earned an Economics Degree at the University of Rochester and a Master’s in Journalism at Northwestern University.  Lebowitz wrote award-winning investigative stories during ten years at the Miami Herald and also reported several years for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and other publications.  The Boston University graduate has been co-owner of an eco-tourism company.

“We received more than 100 applications from very well-qualified individuals to fill the investigator positions that were open due to recent staff attrition, but these two stood out,” said Centorino.  He added, “The Ethics Commission has been well-served previously by journalists, whose training, experience, knowledge of local government and ability to ferret out the truth have proven to be a winning formula for our agency.”

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REMAINS STRONG IN JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2013 RESULTING IN INCREASES IN GREATER MIAMI’S TOURIST-RELATED TAX COLLECTIONS
Through the first two months of 2013, the 2% Tourist Development tax collections (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) totaled $4,916,961 compared to $4,214,894 in 2012 for an increase of +16.7%. The 3% Convention Development tax (CDT) collections for Greater Miami and the Beaches totaled $14,257,146 compared to $12,534,811 for the same period last year representing a +13.7% increase in 2013. The 2% Hotel Food and Beverage tax collections from hotels in Miami-Dade (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, and Surfside) generated $1,449,130 compared to $1,299,173 in 2012, for an increase of +11.5%.

City of Miami Beach 3% Resort Tax Collections totaled $6,991,345 compared to $6,081,324 for an increase of +15.0%. The 2% Food and Beverage tax collections in Miami Beach generated $5,048,544 compared to $4,455,831 in 2012, for an increase of +13.3%.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
2% TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX COLLECTIONS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013	JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012	% Change
$4,916,961	$4,214,894	+16.7%
3% CONVENTION DEVELOPMENT TAX COLLECTIONS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013	JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012	% Change
$14,257,146	$12,534,811	+13.7%
2% HOTEL FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX COLLECTIONS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013	JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012	% Change
$1,449,130	$1,299,173	+11.5%

MIAMI BEACH
3% RESORT TAX COLLECTIONS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013	JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012	% Change
$6,991,345	$6,081,324	+15.0%
2% HOTEL FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX COLLECTIONS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013	JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012	% Change
$5,084,544	$4,455,831	+13.3%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Board Attorney Harvey gets nod to change salary schedule for new attorneys, office more frugal than in past years

The school Board’s attorney’s office was the talk of a committee meeting Wednesday, and since taking over four years ago, Walter Harvey has kept the office budget low, has used fewer outside attorney’s than his predecessors and overall has run a lean shop. Though he has lost some experienced attorney’s because they can make so much more in the private sector. Harvey is a Harvard Law school graduate, used to be a long serving trustee of the Public Health Trust that oversees Jackson Memorial Hospital and he was appointed the school board’s attorney in 2009 after his predecessor left after a scandal concerning her not moving to Miami-Dade from Palm Beach but kept the

relocation bonus anyway and was brought to light by www.miamiherald.com .

Harvey said to committee members that a change in the salary schedule was not giving current attorneys any raises, but the change gave him more flexibility in hiring future attorneys. School Board member Marta Perez thought it was important that the public not think the District is flush with money, since voters in November passed a $1.2 billion technology and school renovation bond and she noted there are many fine attorneys out in the market that don’t have a job and would work for less. Board Member Carlos Curbelo was also concerned about the perception and any increase would be within the guidelines that teachers got when they got a raise, around some 2.7 percent on average. Historically the office had farmed out much of its legal work to high priced law firms. But Harvey has reined that activity in and school Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman, many times critical of the practice in the past. She complemented Harvey for his frugality in the way he ran the roughly 15 attorney office that represents the nation’s fourth largest public schools district, has 350,000 students and a roughly $4.3 billion budget.

Harvey’s bio: http://attorneys.dadeschools.net/bio_harveyw.asp

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Spence-Jones gets thumbs down on third term, charter language clear and passed by 73 percent citywide vote back in 1999

While the ruling of Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jorge Cueto that Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones could not run for a third term after Gov. Charlie Crist suspended her twice keeping her out of office for 21 months has caused controversy, including the judge not disclosing, prior working for the state attorney’s public corruption unit investigating her. Now it is likely that she will get a new judge to hear her challenge but Cueto made a compelling legal case, that while it may anger Spence-Jones supporters. The 1999 charter change language establishing term limits for the mayor and commissioners for two terms is very clear. In addition, while she argued it was vague and ambiguous. The court found the language was not ambiguous and clear and she fulfilled the key criteria as a candidate who qualified for the two terms and thus would be termed out and could not seek a third term as she believes she is entitled.

What about the history of the term limit ballot question?

Back in 1999, the city Commission established a charter review commission and the issue of creating term limits was on the front burner. At the time, two Miami commissioners had gone to jail, Miller Dawkins and Humberto Hernandez. Cesar Odio a city manager was imprisoned and in the 1999 November election, 29 year Miami Commissioner J.L. Plummer lost to insurgent candidate Johnny Winton and voters clearly wanted changes. This pressure also manifested itself in the passage of the term limit charter change by a 73 percent vote and the city also was under the thumb of Gov. Jeb Bush and a state Financial Oversight Board that had to approve anything the commission did and would be dissolved in November of 2001. And I was very clear that term limits of elected leaders were a high priority among voters, especially coming off a earlier mayoral election that was thrown out and nullified. And involved the election of then Mayor Xavier Suarez, who was never charged but resulted in the arrests of a number of other people involved with the election and included Manuel Yip voting back then, even though the man had died years earlier.

Thus the term limit legislation’s language was considered iron clad, had been extensively discussed by the charter review committee chaired by then Miami Commissioner Willy Gort and the Watchdog Report was there at these meetings, that were eventually held in the commission chambers after I made a stink about them being held in the commissioner’s conference room office. Further, it wasn’t until months later that the proceedings were actually televised even though many of the members would talk to the cameras as if these were actually on. But that was not the case and I became the first person to speak when they finally allowed public testimony. >>> To see what I said on the judge’s ruling on the WPBT2 show Issues hosted by Helen Ferre over the weekend go to http://ka.uvuvideo.org/_Issues-City-of-Miami-Term-Limits/video/1828740/86294.html

Spence-Jones

What do we know about Judge Cueto finances?

Cueto through Dec. 2011 had a net worth of $780,000, down from $825,000 in 2010, he lists two residences valued at $239,000 and $230,000, and art collectables are appraised at $200,000. He lists no debt and his income for the year was $140,187 from the state of Florida, and he got $31,000 from the Florida Division of Retirement and he lists receiving no gifts over $100.00 for the year.

>>> WDR correction and clarification to last week’s Miami story

In Last week’s Watchdog Report for Miami, there were a number of errors that need to be corrected. I apologize to my readers for this inaccuracy. While I asked Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez if he had gotten a $20,000 campaign contribution from the TrueStar Group which he did not and I reported that fact. Suarez did get an earlier $10,000 contribution from Sinapsis Trading USA, an affiliate organization in October 2012 to his political PAC. The PAC was initially created to help fund a push for voter approval of a strong mayor form of government for the City of Miami, and now for his run for mayor against Mayor Tomas Regalado.

And Suarez in an email last week further clarified his time on the commission. “Thank you for that clarification regarding the rumor about the [recent shrink wrap campaign] contribution. Also, Please note that I am on my second term (reelected in 2011 without opposition) to a term that ends in 2015 not my first.  I could also run for reelection and could potentially serve as commissioner until 2019 (when term limits kick in). As to my resignation [to run for mayor], my understanding is that my resignation must be made revocable by the end of the qualifying period which I believe is sometime in September not June,” wrote Suarez. >>> Editor’s note: Again, I apologize for this error.

Suarez

Miami Man Sentenced in $1.6 Million Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Miami Field Office, and Rafael P. Hernandez, Jr., Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department, announced that defendant Frantz Charles, 38, of Miami, was sentenced yesterday for his participation in a $1.648 million stolen identity tax refund scheme.  Specifically, U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced Charles to 61 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $1.648 million.  Charles previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false and fraudulent claims and another count of aggravated identity theft.

According to information in court documents, Charles was charged in a multi-count indictment along with other co-conspirators for participating in an identity theft tax refund scheme involving the use of the identities of over 900 deceased individuals to file fraudulent income tax returns.  The tax refunds generated from the filing of these fraudulent returns were, in turn, deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendant and other co-conspirators. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CID, the U.S. Secret Service, and the North Miami Beach Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Bonau. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> South of Fifth Neighbors update on Apr. 4 general meeting, big turnout and included elected leaders

Dear South of Fifth Neighbors, Thanks to everyone from the City and our neighborhood for the success of the last SOFNA general meeting on April 4.  More than 100 residents and city officials attended, addressing among other matters the South Pointe Park off-leash dog area; upcoming police preparations for Memorial Day Weekend; Code Compliance issues affecting our neighborhood; and the ongoing sewage system capacity upgrade as well as the Alton Road reconstruction project.

The Board unanimously passed the following resolutions:

1)  SOFNA supports an off leash dog area in South Pointe Park, at a location selected in consultation with professionals as well as the input of the community.

2)  SOFNA does not support the expansion of sale of alcohol on the beach.

For those of you interested in the South Pointe Park off-leash dog area, the City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department is holding a community meeting to discuss it tomorrow, Monday, April 15, at 6 pm, at the South Pointe Park Community Room, 1 Washington Avenue. Also regarding the Park, the city’s Art in Public Places Committee recently issued a “Call to Artists” for an artistic intervention for the South Pointe Park Pier ”Gate” at the entrance to the pier. Four proposals were received. Those proposals and the Committee’s recommendation may be viewed at the following link: http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/tcd/aipp/default.aspx?id=28214 Again, many thanks for your continuing support and feedback. The SOFNA Board of Directors.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Hail Mayor Cason, Commissioners Lago and Keon as they take the dais, 23 % turnout decent for April election in City Beautiful

It’s over, after a bruising high campaign dollar election incumbent Mayor Jim Cason retained his seat and Patricia “Pat” Keon and Vincent Lago were elected to replace termed out Commissioners Maria Anderson and Ralph Cabrera, Jr., who lost his bid for mayor to Cason. Voter turnout in the tony burg was a respectable 23.15 percent, Cason garnered 70.80 percent of the vote, with Lago getting 52.7 percent for the Group 2 seat, and Keon got 48.98 percent for her Group 3 seat on the five-member dais. Of the city’s 30,672 registered voters, 7,101 cast their vote on Tuesday. The polls in many cases were empty during most of the day with more candidates, and supporters at the 18 open polls than voters were for most of the day. Further, some 2,000 absentee votes were cast and during the swearing in on Friday at noon at the Gables Commission Chambers. Elected leaders and supporters packed the chambers including County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, his son Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez and a chair was even reserved for new Miami Beach Manager Jimmy Morales. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/12/3340606/coral-gables-officially-inducts.html

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Broward County Resident Convicted in Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that yesterday a jury convicted Lee Ervin Dale, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, for his participation in a tax refund scheme using stolen identities to convert government monies to his own use, and to make and present false, fictitious and fraudulent claims to the IRS.  More specifically, Dale was convicted of two counts of converting  government funds to his own use (income tax refund checks), six counts of making and presenting false claims to the IRS (presenting income tax returns for refunds), and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 17, 2013, at 9:00 A.M. before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams.  At sentencing, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government funds, up to 5 years in prison on each count of making and presenting a false claim to the government, and two years consecutive to the other sentences on the aggravated identity theft charges.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, 291 handwritten tax returns claiming more than $2 million in refunds were filed between 2006 and 2009 using stolen identities and listing the Dale’s P.O. Box address.  Although the IRS was able to prevent refund checks from being issued on most of these claims, approximately $195,000 in refund checks were mailed to Dale’s P.O. Box.  Several of these checks were deposited directly into bank accounts bearing both Dale’s name and the identity theft victim’s name.  Other checks were cashed at a check cashing store in Oakland Park, Florida, in exchange for cash and money orders that the Defendant then deposited into his own accounts. Mr. Ferrer thanked the agents at IRS-CI for their work on this case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurie E. Rucoba and Jared Strauss. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF MIRAMAR

>>> Husband and Wife Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern district of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, Rafael P. Hernandez, Jr., Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department, announced that defendants Douglas Michael Young, a/k/a “Douglas Pierre,” 41, and his wife, Nicole Young, a/k/a “Nicole Pierre,” a/k/a Nicole Pierre Smith, 42, both of Miramar, were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.  Douglas Young was sentenced to 61 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  Nicole Young was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  In addition, the defendants were ordered to pay joint and several liability restitution in the amount of $849,052.87.  Douglas and Nicole Young (the Youngs) had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal government property, one count of theft of government property, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

On October 5, 2011, six (6) defendants were charged in a nine count indictment for their participation in a tax refund scheme that resulted in the submission of approximately $1,207,389.00 in fraudulent claims for refunds using the personal identification information of unknowing.  Charged in the indictment were Douglas Young and Nicole Young, Jeffrey Andre Young,  Jr., 31, and Ernest V. Charles, 37, both of Miami, and Joseph Bshara, 27, and Siham Benabdallah, 23, both of Miami Shores, Florida.

According to the indictment, the Youngs owned and operated two tax preparation companies, Supreme Tax and Young Professional Services, Inc.  The Youngs would obtain identification information from unknowing victims and use their identification information without their authorization to file fraudulent refund claims.  In furtherance of the scheme, the Youngs charged the unknowing victims a “fee” for their purported tax preparation services.  The Youngs would deduct the “fee” from any tax refunds and would deposit the “fee” into bank accounts they controlled.  The remainder of the refunds would be converted into personal checks that would be deposited into bank accounts controlled by co-defendants Ernest V. Charles, Joseph Bshara, and Siham Benabdallah.  Defendant Jeffrey Andre Young, Jr. would deliver the personal checks to Joseph Bshara and Siham Benabdallah for deposit into the bank accounts that they controlled.

On April 9, 2013, co-defendant Jeffrey Andre Young, Jr was sentenced to 34 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after having previously pled guilty to one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft.  On that same date, Siham Benabdallah, was sentenced to time served followed by supervised release of three years after having pled guilty to one count of theft of government property. On January 29, 2013, co-defendant Joseph Bshara pled guilty to one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft.  Defendant Ernest V. Charles remains at large.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Identity Theft Tax Refund Strike Force, with special commendation to IRS-CI and the North Miami Beach Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Lunkenheimer. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Martin Fitzpatrick to the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit (consisting of Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Wakulla, Leon and Jefferson Counties).

Fitzpatrick, 44, of Tallahassee, has practiced with Broad and Cassel since 2001. From 1997-2001, he practiced with Sternstein, Rainer & Clarke, and from 1996-1997, he practiced with Smith, Hulsey & Busey. Fitzpatrick earned his bachelor’s degree from Stetson University and his law degree from Florida State University. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mark W. Walker, who was appointed to the Federal bench. Governor Rick Scott said, “Marty Fitzpatrick is a great addition to our bench and he will become a distinguished judge. I am confident that he will ensure that all Floridians are treated fairly and respectfully.”

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> The Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami Invites you to a Community Conversation & Luncheon — Guns, Politics & Public Health, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Hurricane 100 Room at UM Bank United Center

1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 11:30 a.m. registration, 12 p.m. lunch

12:30 p.m. Conversation. How does talking about mental health impact decisions about gun control, gun rights and community safety? Join Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice &  Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida; Francisco Alvarado, Reporter, Miami New Times; Jorge Corbato, Rifle Manufacturer; Lisa Peters, NRA member; Judy Schaechter, M.D. Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; as they discuss the politics of gun regulation and its effect on public health. Moderated by Katy Sorenson, President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative. >>> Ticket Prices: $35 Individual Ticket $30 GGI Member*

$50 GGI Contributor (Individual Ticket + $15 donation) $500 Table of 10 Sponsor Table) $20 Student/Concerned Citizen, *made a donation of at least $100 this year. Don’t wait — space is limited! Register Now!oi

EDITORIAL

>>> With reviving Miami-Dade economy & house values, now is time to bank some of the extra public tax dollars in the future, reduce public debt, but has this lesson been learned?

Since the Great Recession in 2008, county and local governments have had a fiscal blow torch on they’re past  spending habits and keeping a tight watch on the limited public tax dollars had been the watchword of the day. However, with the stabilization of property tax dollars and now a slight increase. Some of these public institutions leaders are slowly going back to their old ways of tax and spend, and saving for a rainy day that will surly come again in the future is being put on the back burner. For when it comes to public tax dollars, elected leaders at all levels are much like crack addicts when it comes to this money and there never is enough for their habit. And that attitude is starting to take root again after the last almost five years of fiscal misery and spending restraint.

What is funny about this fiscal attitude when it comes to public money is how cavalier some people used to be before the crash and had one county commissioner calling money from the public campaign finance budget “surplus money,” said Commissioner Sally Heyman and the Watchdog Report called her out on this back in 2006. When she doled out this $300,000 for the Coconut Grove Playhouse, to help cover its bills and salaries of some of the stiffed workers when it closed suddenly back then. However, I was not commenting on the use of the money but the expression she used and that is the problem. For this attitude is rearing its ugly head again now that the public tax dollar spigot is being turned on again and the one thing local government should get out of the past few years of the economic recession is it can happen again.

And these public institutions cannot be so leveraged in debt because we now know the good times can end or an economic turndown can occur again and some of this new public money has got to be banked and put into reserves for a slump will come again. The question is after this most severe one, will your elected officials just go about business as usual, or will they have learned their lesson. Let’s hope they have for the coming generations’ sake.

LETTERS

>>> Miami-Dade County Commissioner Miguel Diaz de la Portilla sponsored the ordinance that created the Office of the Inspector General in Miami Dade County.

Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami

>>> Now that I’m in my 35th year of advocacy for family policies which prevent problems and promote programs that ensure safety, health and educational success, you can confidently assume I’ve been around the block a few times…and have learned a lesson or two worth sharing. It’s clear to me that effective communications is the key to effective advocacy.  Knowledge, experience and core passion are important ingredients to influence policy-makers, but without the right message, conveyed by the right messengers, progress cannot be achieved.  The root of advocacy is “voca” – the voice.  And just the right set of voices is vital to influence positive change.

Over the decades, professionals in a wide diversity of fields have created a body of knowledge from practical experience, supported by research, that builds a credible case for reform and investment in programs that make a difference in the lives of others.  I honor that perspective and would never disrespect the role of professionals as experts. But professional expertise alone does not move the needle far enough in advocacy.  It takes the authentic voices of “real people” and their stories of life-challenges and life-changing experiences to influence others and motivate action.

Many examples of authentic voices making a difference flash to mind. All great movements for reform of unjust policies…..the struggle for civil rights, child labor and fair access for the disabled, women’s suffrage, gender equality for academic, athletic and military programs, and non-discriminatory workplace, housing and economic justice….all have required individuals to step forward to shine the light of reality on the problem and give compelling testimony for change.

There are great debates underway in our nation:  Immigration and firearms policy, access to affordable health care and the needs of a growing population of elders, the crises of substance abuse and mental health services, family violence and suicide, equality for gay and lesbian family members, and achieving the balance between reducing the national debt, promoting economic growth, supplying energy, and protecting our natural environment. Reaching positive solutions to every one of these diverse critical issues must be informed by expert analysis of facts and offering proposals which make sense.  A key ingredient, however, is the willingness of people to open up and give voice to their concerns on a personal level.  Yes, it’s easy to hide behind the perception that politics is a monstrous machine which cares less about anything but money and partisan power.  We are inundated by messages that deafen us with defeatist rhetoric. Some would have us believe that nothing we do or say matters….that exercising our voices is foolish and a futile waste of time and energy. Please don’t buy into that negativity.  It’s not in anyone’s interest to become CAVE people – Citizens Against Virtually Everything!

Honoring those who fought for our freedoms, and to this day are in combat to defend the rights of others to peace and freedom, requires us to take our rights seriously.  I believe that with every right comes a responsibility, and with every concern comes a commitment to make a difference. Our actions do matter and can bring about positive change in the lives of others.  Every day I meet people who give their valuable time, talents and part of their treasure for the benefit of others. I learn so much about what it means to be a caring member of the human family by listening to the voices of people who have overcome adversity by dedicating themselves to doing the right thing. My heart leaps to witness how many foster youth are reaching back to help younger brothers and sisters overcome their abusive experience by advocating on their behalf.

I’ve met so many foster and adoptive parents whose hearts and homes have been opened to share the most basic of all gifts…..love and life-long commitment.

I so admire advocates for abused children in our dependency courts, those who mentor troubled youth and offer opportunities for young offenders who need a second chance to succeed. Our communities offer literacy services for young children and adults alike through one-on-one reading sessions making life-long learning a reality. How heroic are those who have suffered the perils of substance addiction and are actively building their new life by helping others on their path to recovery. How inspiring are the efforts of family members who have lost a loved one to some destructive disease or tragic event but choose to lessen their grief by giving the gift of life through organ donation, assistance to military veterans, and help for the homeless, hungry and victims of violence.

And those who give the gift of time and attention to lonely elders, and visit people in their last days of life in hospice, are proving every day that aging deserves dignity. The story of progress is told every day by those who give voice and bear witness to their faith through their actions. I hope you will resolve to join with me in striving to become the most positive person in the room….sharing your optimism and spirit of enrichment, energy and enthusiasm. Yes, of course it’s easier said than done….but never have we been given more opportunity to make good on the gifts we have been given so others can reach their fullest potential.

Jack Levine, Founder
4Generations Institute
Jack@4Gen.org

http://4Gen.org

850.567.5252 (mobile/voicemail)
P.O. Box 10875 Tallahassee, FL 32302

>>> There is still time to lend your voice in support of funding for epilepsy programs in Florida.  Please take some time today to send a message to your legislators.  If you have already acted, thank you! Please share this alert with friends and family.

In our home state, more than 375,000 Floridians live with epilepsy; approximately 84,000 of these are children. Today, 12 percent of Americans with epilepsy live in Florida and indicators are that this number may increase, not only as the baby boomers age but also because Florida is home to the second largest veteran population in the nation–with the incidence of post-traumatic epilepsy the highest in the military than the general population. It’s clearly in our state’s interest to respond to the growing health care and support needs of this vulnerable population. The good news is that with prevention, early intervention, education, medical treatment, support services and on-going case management, we can greatly improve quality of life for those with epilepsy and their families while also saving money and resources. Florida’s Epilepsy Service Providers (FESP) address these needs and provide vital, specialized, safety-net services that are cost-effective and work!

Your Voice is Needed! Take a moment to share your support for FESP programs by thanking your legislators. Click here to take action! Although funding for the FESP was in jeopardy, the state legislature has come out strongly to support these programs! Both the Florida Senate and House has included the needs of Floridians with epilepsy in their budgets! Please take a moment today to thank the legislature, share your personal story, and support for these important programs by emailing your legislators now! For more information on our programs, please visit our website: www.EpilepsyFLA.org

Karen Basha Egozi
Epilepsy Foundation of Florida
>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

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RON BOOK

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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/15/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-46-april-14-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/08/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-45-april-7-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/08/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-45-april-7-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:00:53 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1577 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Miami, we have a problem, PortMiami deep dredge slightly delayed, project should still be on track for 2015 opening says Dir. Johnson

Florida: Gov. Scott rakes in the dough, Lt. Gov. Carroll speaks out, Scott responds again to her resignation

Miami-Dade County: IG Mazzella says sayonara after establishing office in 1998, has saved Miami-Dade millions of dollars over the years, kept its independence from political influence

Miami-Dade Public Schools: District braces for tougher FCAT tests, teaching English in around 19 languages add to performance challenges with 350,000 students

Public Health Trust: National Sexual Assault Month -Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center provides sensitive, patient-focused, comprehensive, confidential care to victims

City of Miami: Commissioner Suarez must resign in June; will commission reappoint him back to commission? Did not get $20,000 for mayoral campaign from MIA shrink-wrap company father voted for Tuesday

City of Miami Gardens: Three Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms in Shooting Death of Brinks Guard at Calder Casino

City of Miami Beach: Newly minted Mgr. Morales writes in Apr.1 memo to staff, come clean now because, “Neither malfeasance nor nonfeasance has any room in my administration.”

City of Coral Gables: It’s Showtime, voters go to polls Apr. 9 to elect mayor and two new commissioners; but what will voter turnout be in winner take all races?

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Miami Man Sentenced for his role in a $3.3 Million Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

City of Margate: There he goes again; Gov. Scott suspends Margate Commissioner McClean after federal indictment for bribery

Palm Beach County: Local Man Convicted as Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Duval County: Gov. Scott taps Elizabeth A. Meyer to the Florida Building Commission.

Orange County: Gov. Rick Scott names Walter Ketcham to the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.

Community Events: The Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami invites you to a Community Conversation & Luncheon — Guns, Politics & Public Health.

Editorials: PAST WDR JULY 2007: Ethics & conflict of interest with elected leaders must rise higher in our community’s discourse — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Reader wonders if President Obama knew new Miami Port tunnel would be run by a foreign company? – Reader thanks WDR for “great job,” last week

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text.

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Miami, we have a problem, PortMiami deep dredge slightly delayed, project should stay on track for 2015 opening

The PortMiami $180 million 50 foot deep dredge has hit a snag, and the U.S Corps of Engineers has to modify the contract to include three years of inflation said Bill Johnson the Port’s director. The issue came up last week with Mayor Carlos Gimenez when the Watchdog Report was talking to him about President Barack Obama’s visit to the Port a week ago Friday. He said the two just exchanged pleasantries, “That it was a beautiful day,” in Miami and did not discuss getting a federal grant to pay back the state’s $77 million contribution to keep the project on track that Gov. Rick Scott wants the federal government to pay back, but with the tight federal budget cuts seems unlikely. The Watchdog Report contacted Johnson on the matter and he emailed back. “The Mayor is correct. Initially the Corps of Engineers (COE) had the project scheduled for contract award last month (March).

When the C0E, who are managing the project, received bids in early Jan, they determined that there had been a failure on its part to include 3 years of inflation- a significant issue for the COE being able to proceed and award the contract.

The County, with leadership from Mayor Gimenez and Commission Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa, have worked hard over the past 90 days to find a path forward in order for the project to proceed. At this point, we expect contract award by May and commencement of construction in June. While slightly delayed, our deep dredge should open in sync with the Panama Canal in late spring, early summer 2015. Any project of this scale is [not] without issues. The County has worked hard to ensure our deep dredge moves forward despite the many challenges,” Johnson the Port director wrote.

>>> Another mainstream paper, The Plain Dealer, cuts printed version to three days

The New York Times www.nytimes.com on Friday did a story that The Plain Dealer in Cleveland is reducing its printed papers to only three times a week and the move follows in the footsteps of the Times- Picayune in New Orleans and the Huntsville Times. Moreover, Advance Publications own all three papers and a digital format is being emphasized over the printed word. But it continues the trend of the public getting less news from traditional sources that locally has The Miami Herald leaving its fabled building on Biscayne Bay at the end of the month, with a sayonara party recently that brought hundreds of current and past Herald reporters, editors and publishers together for one last hoorah of the building dubbed the “Beast on the Bay.”

The only daily Miami paper is moving to its new headquarters in Doral but the paper is also shedding reporters, many with decades of institutional knowledge necessary to cover complex South Florida in a deep manner and while bloggers in some cases are picking up the slack. However, the role The Herald plays in the community cannot be replaced and a paper is part of the glue that gives context to a community, it is clear the economic demands of a reduced readership has reduced the number of reporters out in the field, and in the long run will have a detrimental affect on such a diverse community as South Florida.

For it is newspaper’s like The Herald that have the time to do extensive investigative reports that can radically change how things in public institutions are being done or brought to light and with 20 Pulitzer Prizes under the paper’s belt. The paper has a rich history of getting that job done, but that mission will be harder in the future and we all will be for the worse for it and why it is important to support the daily newspaper. For while its critics abound and home delivery subscriptions are down, though on its digital page the hits are in the millions. Other news services like the Watchdog Report, and other bloggers will come and go in the decades to come, but it is important that the big media dog Miami Herald over a 100 years old continues. >>> Editor’s note: I was a Miami Herald guest editorial and news columnist over a four year stretch and there would not be a WDR without that initial encouragement back in 2000 and later 2003 to 2007.

>>> Ros-Lehtinen and Diaz-Balart Ask OFAC about Beyonce and Jay-Z Trip to Cuba

Press release: U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and her South Florida Congressional colleague Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart sent a letter to Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department, requesting information on the type of license that Beyonce and Jay-Z received to travel to Cuba. A signed copy of the letter is attached and the text of the letter is below.

>>> Press release: ZOGBY: Choosing Equilibrium, Receiving Dysfunction – By John Zogby as published in The Financialist, a digital magazine sponsored by Credit Suisse. The digital magazine offers fresh commentary on breaking news as well as in-depth reporting on the issues, trends and ideas that drive markets, businesses and economies.

Assuming that we Americans still see ourselves as one nation and indivisible, it is hard to believe that there is a connection between our politics and what voters have actually expressed in recent years. Polling and voter behavior over the past decade and a half shows an electorate that favors change and problem solving. But in the actions of elected officials, we find too little of either. In the popular votes for the House and Senate since 1998, voters have cast ballots in favor of Democrats 48.7 percent of the time and for Republicans 47.5 percent of the time, on average. Democrats have won more popular votes in these past eight elections, but have not averaged a majority. The GOP has only won a majority once, in the 2010 House, out of 16 contests for both houses. In my view, the voters have favored a sort of equilibrium that begs both sides to find common ground. Please click the link below to read the full release:
http://www.zogbyanalytics.com/news/282-choosing-equilibrium-receiving-dysfunction

>>> Miami-Based Health Care Clinic and Its Owners and Operators Sentenced for $50 Million Fraud Scheme

Press release: The owners and operators of Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, and the clinic itself were sentenced today for their participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office.

Antonio Macli, 73, Jorge Macli, 41 and Sandra Huarte, 49, all of Miami, and Biscayne Milieu were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. in the Southern District of Florida.  Antonio Macli was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison; Jorge Macli was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison; and Huarte was sentenced to serve 262 months in prison.  In addition, Biscayne Milieu, the corporate entity these defendants controlled, was sentenced to one year of probation.  In addition to their prison terms, Antonio Macli, Jorge Macli and Huarte were each sentenced to serve three years of supervised release.  Restitution payments for each of the defendants will be determined on April 25, 2013. The defendants were each convicted on Aug. 24, 2012, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, at least one substantive count of health care fraud, and conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks following a two-month jury trial.  Antonio and Jorge Macli and Huarte were also each convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and substantive money laundering counts at trial.

According to the evidence at trial, Biscayne Milieu was a closely held, family-run fraudulent clinic that was owned by Antonio Macli and his son Jorge Macli.  Antonio Macli’s daughter Sandra Huarte was an executive at the clinic.  Together the defendants created and oversaw a scheme in which they, along with their co-defendants, submitted over $50 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through Biscayne Milieu, which purportedly operated a partial hospitalization program (PHP) – a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness.  Instead, the defendants devised a scheme in which they paid patient recruiters to refer ineligible Medicare beneficiaries to Biscayne Milieu for services that were never provided or that were not reimbursable under applicable Medicare rules.  Many of the patients admitted to Biscayne Milieu that they were not eligible for PHP treatment because they were chronic substance abusers, suffered from dementia and would not benefit from group therapy, or were not mentally ill and were procuring false diagnoses of mental illness in order to obtain exemptions from the civics portion of the U.S. citizenship application. The evidence at trial further showed that Antonio and Jorge Macli and Huarte collectively paid patient recruiters more than $1 million in illegal kickbacks to recruit Medicare patients who were ineligible for PHP treatment.  Biscayne Milieu then billed Medicare for tens of millions of dollars in PHP treatments for these patients.  Antonio and Jorge Macli and Huarte also hired doctors, therapists and other health care professionals to further their massive illegal scheme.  Along with co-conspirators working at their direction, they created falsified medical records intended to conceal their Medicare fraud and phony “case manger” contracts in an attempt to hide their extensive illegal kickbacks… Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Gov. Scott rakes in the dough, Lt. Gov. Carroll speaks out, Scott responds again to her resignation

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is raking in the campaign contributions and he may be able to validate his claim in the past that he does not plan to use his own money, some $74 million back in 2010, to get himself reelected in 2014.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/01/3318226/gov-rick-scotts-political-committee.html Because Scott through a related political committee is pulling in the big bucks, and his favorability rating with Florida voters while low in the polls. His get to work strategy has helped drop the state’s unemployment numbers which are the lowest in six years. However, while Scott has been working the media extensively and reported in a past WDR. During the first election the former healthcare executive did not do one interview with any of Florida’s newspapers Editorial Boards including The Miami Herald, where he did one a couple of weeks ago and then did a local FM radio show hosted by Phil Latzman.

Further, the governor is still dealing with the recent sudden resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carrol who has spoken out on her resignation after doing public relations work for what was thought to be a veteran’s charity. Before being tapped to be the governor’s number two, but the charity turned out to be a $300 million scheme that has resulted in the arrests of over 60 people. She said she was unaware of the mechanics of the not-for-profit that was focused on making a profit but her involvement caused the heave ho from office. In addition, the recent controversy last week resulted in the governor sending out another press release on the matter that appears to continue to percolate. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ex-florida-lt-gov-carroll-talks-about-resignation-work-for-group-accused-of-charity-scam/2013/04/05/e4f714fa-9da6-11e2-9219-51eb8387e8f1_story_1.html

>>> Press release: Please see the below statement from Governor Rick Scott’s Communications Director Melissa Sellers regarding Jennifer Carroll’s recent interview.

“After Jennifer Carroll was questioned by law enforcement about her work for Allied Veterans, a company involved in a multi-state criminal conspiracy, our chief of staff and general counsel questioned her. She agreed to resign, acknowledging her involvement with Allied Veterans would be a distraction from the issues important to Florida families. Out of respect to her and her family, we are not commenting further about her discussions with our office or law enforcement, except to say that she made the right decision.”  – Melissa Sellers, Communications Director, Governor Rick Scott

>>> Florida Sen. President Gaetz news letter: The Florida Senate rounded the midpoint of session this week, and I can report that our Senators have passed 66 bills, including several that have particular interest to Northwest Floridians who have contacted me about issues that matter to them.

Usually, the legislative session is end-loaded, meaning that in the first few weeks bills are “teed up” for floor votes after going through three or sometimes four committees. Therefore, we can expect more legislation to receive final votes as committees finish their consideration and bills are sent to the floor. Unlike Washington where budget battles seem to have paralyzed Congress and forced the federal government into “sequestration,” the Florida Senate is operating in a more businesslike and mature fashion. Though partisan and philosophical differences are inherent in the process, in Tallahassee both Democrats and Republicans have worked together in a civil manner to fashion a budget, which was approved in the Senate Appropriations Committee by a unanimous vote. This coming week the budget will be on the Senate floor for a full, public debate.

Gaetz

Ban on Internet Cafes Passes, On Governor’s Desk

On Thursday afternoon the Senate passed by 36 to 4 a complete ban on Internet cafes. Senator John Thrasher (R-St. Augustine) led the effort to stop this illegal activity which has cynically used veterans organizations as fronts and amassed millions of dollars in illegal profits for operators. The bill is now on the Governor’s desk and I have every confidence that he will sign it.

During the floor debate on this issue, Senator Thrasher assured his colleagues that legal activities at senior arcades and other commercial outlets would not be affected by the ban. However, games of chance run illegally and in a way that is predatory on the elderly are brought to a halt. The legislation is strongly supported by law enforcement at the local and state level.

Senate Budget Will Be Voted on Next Week

The Senate’s proposed budget will be on the floor of the upper chamber next week following unanimous, bipartisan approval in the Appropriations Committee. The budget reflects the improving economy of our state but, unlike the federal budget, is balanced with no new taxes, fees or tuition increases. Now, when our economy is gaining strength, is no time to hit families and businesses with increased taxes and bigger government. I believe recovery will benefit from Floridians having more money in their own pockets, not by expanding government. By comparison, the State of New York and the State of Florida now have nearly the same population. However, New York’s governor is proposing a budget of $142 billion, nearly twice as large as Florida’s.

Some key provisions of the Senate’s $74.3 billion budget include:

* A three percent salary increase for state employees who have gone for six years without any increase in compensation.

* $1.2 billion in additional funding for K12 education, bringing our investment in public schools to $18.4 billion. This includes a $480 million increase in pay for our state’s teachers. The Senate budget gives local school districts flexibility to develop and implement performance pay plans that recognize and reward those teachers who take on tough assignments, work with students with learning disabilities, teach students in career-technical classes, and in other ways achieve learning gains. While Governor Scott prefers to give the same raise to every teacher in Florida, the Senate position is to recognize and reward those teachers who truly help students do better.

* Increased funding for school safety, giving local districts and schools discretion over how to use resources to improve security.

* $23.8 billion for health care, largely Medicaid. This is the single biggest item in our state’s budget and covers payments to nursing homes for the care of the elderly as well as reimbursement to hospitals, doctors, hospices, dentists, home health agencies and other health care providers. This year the Senate budget includes $677 million to fund added payments to physicians in order to promote access to primary care for low-income families. The alternative to primary care is too often the emergency room, which adds significantly to health care costs.

* $1.1 billion for services to the disabled, including moving disabled children off the waiting list and into appropriate care.

* Increased access to veterans’ benefits.

* $9.4 billion to fund more roads, bridges and highways plus money to improve seaports and airports.

* $817 million for economic development, including Visit Florida, Space Florida, protection of our military bases and missions, and job training.

* Funding for water projects, including improvements to the Apalachicola River Basin. >>> To read a complete summary of the Senate budget, please go to http://www.flsenate.gov/Media/PressRelease/Show/1459…

Next Week Rules Committee Examines Campaign Finance and Elections Reform

House Speaker Will Weatherford and I share many of the same goals for this legislative session, and next Tuesday, the Senate Rules Committee will vote to advance two of our main focuses: reforming our state’s elections laws and improving Florida’s campaign finance system. The Committee, composed of a bi-partisan group of 15 senators, will debate the merits and shortcomings of Senate Bill 1382, regarding campaign finance rules, and Senate Bill 600, reforming Florida’s elections laws. Sponsored by Senator Jack Latvala (R-St. Petersburg), SB 1382 eliminates controversial Committees of Continuous Existences as well as institutes a number of additional campaign finance reforms. It increases the frequency of campaign finance reporting and institutes a tiered candidate contribution limit system, distinguishing between candidates who run for legislative office, Supreme Court, statewide offices, non-statewide offices and DCA judges.

Additionally, the Committee will examine SB 600, also sponsored by Senator Latvala. We know that while most Florida counties had flawless 2012 elections, some counties ran into major hitches. For this reason, SB 600 responds to the sworn testimony of elected county elections supervisors, including those from Northwest Florida, by giving local flexibility to each county, providing additional early voting sites and protecting the integrity of the absentee ballot process. I encourage you to find out more about these bills at http://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> IG Mazzella says sayonara after establishing office in 1998, has saved Miami-Dade millions of dollars over the years, kept its independence from political influence

Christopher Mazzella, the only Miami-Dade County Inspector General the county has had since 1998 is saying sayonara at the end of April. After years of being in the pressure cooker job that had his office stepping into contractual negotiations at MIA, Jackson Health System, all the other county departments and also more recently being the IG for the nation’s fourth largest public schools district. Mazzella, while he has had his critics, has set the standard for the office when it comes to integrity, and public stature in the community and over these years, he was able to fend off political requests to go after certain people, perhaps part of someone’s political vendetta at the time.

Mazzella, an attorney, and 34-year veteran Special-Agent with the FBI had the right temperament for the job over the past years, and his arrival in the community coincided with the creation by county voters of the Miami-Dade Ethics and Public Trust Commission and ultimately what would be the Watchdog Report. When I was watching local and county government back in 1997 and 1998 and I started writing back in May 5, 2000. Since that time, the Office of the Inspector General office has grown from Mazzella and it’s second employee Alan Solowitz and a little later in March 2000 former Florida Assistant Attorney General Patra Liu, who cut her investigative chops with the state’s Medicaid Fraud Unit. And under Mazzella, the office grew it to a much larger office with now 38 employees and a $5.2 million budget.  And for more on Mazzella’s departure go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/02/3319696/miami-dade-inspector-general-christopher.html

Mazzella

What about the early years of the OIG?

The Miami-Dade Commission created through an ordinance the Office of the Inspector General back in 2006 and the public held its breath whether it would become a toothless tiger or a real watchdog of the public purse at the time. Many elected leaders back then carped at the money that was going into the office that included money from the airport’s budget, port and other big departments and an IG member sat through and monitored the construction of the Arsht Performing Arts Center. And there is a vigilant special agent from the office at all the Jackson Health System meetings and the office is reviewing contracts from all county departments constantly and has saved millions of dollars over the years and resulted in some 220 arrests of wayward individuals. (And this saving of tax dollars through preventing wasteful spending over the past 14 years is why I have continued to do the Watchdog Report, not because it is a “passion.” However, in some ways, the press operates in the same way as the IG. Moreover, one can protect taxpayer dollars being wasted through fraud and abuse just by bringing certain things to the public light and perhaps getting a better deal on a multi year contract. That first happened with me in 1998 at the Public Health Trust and I got almost $20 million in savings through a contract discount at the time, after I made a beef about the issue and lack of a discount from such a major supplier to the Trust.)

And when things got really politically hot, the IG got the assignment like the 2002 elections where the primary election back then was a national fiasco, coming off the 2000 Miami-Dade general election nightmare. And the public and elected officials were clamoring for effective and accurate elections after the primary results were only known well over a week later (And the results were first broken in a Watchdog Report EXRA at the time). Mazzella’s office would then recommend that the Miami-Dade Police Department run the General Election in November to ensure machines were set up and operateing, while also being secure. And this subsequent General Election went off without a hitch. Though it was probable the most expensive county election in the history of the nation coming in around $12 million at the time. Nevertheless, Miami-Dade finally got the election right back then which was a very big deal at the time.

Further, when the local high profile pharmaceutical company Pharmed was seeking to get a major Jackson Health System contract back in the mid 2000s. The contract meetings were public and then PHT procurement VP Ted Lukis would notify the IG, Ethics Commission and the Watchdog Report and at the last meeting regarding awarding the contract. All three of us were there, we had to identify ourselves among the small group of attendees and the influential Carlos and Jorge de Cespedes brothers did not get the deal. Moreover, the two men are now serving nine years in federal prison for participating in around 14 years of Medicare fraud.

Further, some county commissioners carped that when the office was created they did make them “special agents,” said Commissioner Natacha Seijas in an exchange with Mazzella in the commission chambers. He pointed out that the “special agent” designation was consistent with the office and was just how his people were titled he told her back in the mid 2000s. In addition, Commissioner Javier Souto used an IG Jackson Health Trust investigation of a Siemens contract to verbally club a health trust trustee member up for reappointment to the board, claiming her actions were akin to working with “Columbian Drug Lords,” which she denied but she was not reappointed to the trust back then.

The Watchdog Report contacted Mazzella last week and asked for his thoughts during his time in office, some of the work and investigations his office has been involved in and he wrote back Saturday by email. “There are so many things to consider: “My experiences as the Inspector General have been wonderfully satisfying.  Because of the OIG’s independence and autonomy, I have been able to assemble a remarkably professional staff of investigators, auditors, attorneys, CPA’s and engineers to conduct oversight.  The fact that we have achieved unheard of statistical accomplishments, i.e., 220 arrests, identifying almost $150 million in questionable costs, losses and damages and lost revenue, and saving the county almost $125 million by averting future losses, increasing revenues and financial recoveries, is, therefore, no accident.

The OIG has literally paid for itself many times over.  Further, as a result of this outstanding staff, the OIG has achieved accreditation by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.  And we are recognized by the National Association of Inspectors General as a model that other jurisdictions should and have followed in setting up their own IG offices.  But the thing I really am most proud of are those achievements we do not keep track of statistically, namely averting and deterring wrongdoing and losses.  Put simply, every instance of criminality, misconduct, or mismanagement is not an anomaly but the result of a systemic weakness.  Our philosophy has always been to gain the respect and confidence of government so that it views the OIG as its partner, not adversary.  We have promoted the view that management should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Yes, there have been contentious issues we’ve addressed leading to criticisms of government.  But, by far, our relationship with management and elected officials has been very positive.  So much so that now there is often very little reluctance for stakeholders to call our office when they detect problems or concerns.  This preventative approach is what makes the OIG so much more effective.  A department director, for instance, can find out what is really wrong by calling us to get an unfiltered, independent assessment before the problem becomes public.  So, in a nutshell, I am proud that we have promoted and maintained the official role of “watchdog” over county and school board affairs yet we have also become their partners, albeit, always autonomous, independent, and, most importantly, unassuming.  Maintaining that balance, “watchdog” and partner, has marked my role as the Inspector General. Thank you for your support over the years.  I hope you continue what you do so well.  It is important,” wrote Mazzella the long serving IG.

>>> Mayor Gimenez wants $50 million in healthcare costs cuts, unions are crying foul, five percent contribution set to expire Jan. 2014

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is asking for the continuation of a five percent contribution of employees for their AV Med Health insurance that is set to expire Jan. 2014. The $300 million self insured health plan is doing better than anticipated but Gimenez in his proposed budget recommendation wants $50 million more in cuts of the program that pays AV Med a five percent administrative fee to manage the account. Commissioner Barbara Jordan and other commissioners on Tuesday at the commission meeting agreed that there should be a workshop on the matter that has the county’s union members fuming, said Martha Baker, the president of SEIU 1991 and represents the nurses at Jackson Health System. The county in negotiations with the different unions got the concessions a few years ago, but now that the county’s property tax base is bouncing back, the union leaders want what they consider is their due.

>>> Jordan says when it comes to contracts going to Black businesses at county; it is around “one percent,” even though they account for “14 percent” of county population

Commissioner Barbara Jordan during a discussion on future Water and Sewer contracts that could total over the years $1.2 billion questioned whether small minority firms would get some of the business. She noted when it came to outreach to these firms with county cuts, the personnel was not there and “not enough effort has been made to illicit” these less connected businesses. We continue “to award contracts to the same people,” and if it is based on “consistency,” what “is that based on,” she asked county staff. And in her mind when it came to these county contracts. The “Black community is not benefiting from this contracting,” she said.  However, Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa noted “Hispanics don’t get they’re fair share based on population,” either since Miami-Dade is 65 percent Hispanic and her goal she said was “to make sure we give opportunities to everybody,” and she will do an analysis to “make sure were fair.”

However, Jordan shot back if population demographics were to be the criteria. Blacks account for about “14 percent” of the population she said and she would be grateful to get that percentage and believes the current level of Black contract participation is “one percent,” she closed on the matter.

>>> Press release: We’re pleased with the opinion that Maria Matthews, Director of the Florida Division of Elections, has issued in favor of having the Miami Dolphins pay for the referendum election on Sun Life Stadium renovations.  As I have stated before, the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County should not be forced to shoulder the cost of this election since it is being brought about by a request from a private party.  This is an important ruling that will give Miami-Dade County voters final approval over whether tourist development tax dollars should be used for this purpose without having our taxpayers bear the cost of the election.

>>> Press release:  Governor Rick Scott and Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Rebeca Sosa ceremoniously served paella, a traditional Spanish dish, at the Capitol yesterday during the 25th anniversary of Miami-Dade County Days. Governor Scott said, “The Miami-Dade County Days event shows how Florida’s diverse population enriches our state, and strengthens our cultural and economic opportunities with Spain, Latin America, and beyond. Since December 2010, Florida has created more than 290,000 private-sector jobs for Florida families and the Miami-Dade community has played a tremendous role in strengthening our economy.” Miami-Dade County Days in Tallahassee is an annual, two-day event at the Capitol to showcase the cultural diversity of Miami-Dade County and bring awareness to the different needs of the South Florida community.

>>> GMCVB press release: DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES REMAINS STRONG – GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES RANKS #1 IN AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE (ADR), #2 IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR) AND #2 IN HOTEL ROOM OCCUPANCY FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 AMONG THE TOP 25 U.S. MARKETS
For January – February 2013, Greater Miami and the Beaches showed increases vs. 2012, ranking #1 in Average Daily Room rate (ADR) at $215.99, #2 in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) at $182.17, and #2 in Hotel Room Occupancy at 84.3% among the Top 25 Markets in the U.S. Smith Travel Research compares the top markets in the United States based on Occupancy, Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar).

JANUARY –  FEBRUARY 2013
AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
1. Miami	$215.99	+10.9%
2. Oahu Island	$209.11	17.6%
3. New York	$196.21	4.1%
4. New Orleans	$168.98	15.9%
5. San Francisco	$165.08	1.5%
REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR)
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
1. Oahu Island	$183.64	18.4%
2. Miami	$182.17	+15.3%
3. New York	147.21	13.2%
4. San Francisco	$117.81	3.1%
5. New Orleans	$108.31	14.6%
AVERAGE DAILY OCCUPANCY
Market	% Occupancy	% Change vs. 2012
1. Oahu Island	87.8%	0.6%
2. Miami	84.3%	+4.0%
3. New York	75.0%	8.7%
4. Orlando	72.5%	3.8%
5. Los Angeles	72.3%	3.5%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> District braces for tougher FCAT tests, teaching English in around 19 languages add to performance challenge with 350,000 students

Supterintendent Alberto Carvalho convened a accountability meeting Friday to discuss the affects of new higher education standards, FCAT 2.0, being applied to the state’s 67 county’s public schools Districts, that could push public schools state grades down. He said this is the first such dialogue on the matter and other public school districts around the state have been mute on the matter. And while the Watchdog Report did not attend this meeting it was covered in http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/05/3326018/miami-dade-braces-for-lower-school.html. The Miami-Dade Public Schools District is a anomaly around the state since out of the 350,000 students, about 80,000 students over a year, are taking English as a second language in up to 19 different languages and these demographics are unigue to South Florida versus Central and North Florida’s student populations which are less diverse than here.

Carvalho has argued in the past that he supports having higher education standards but there should be some flexibility and in the case of Miami-Dade. Teachers pay can be impacted as well as other funding based on student performance. The state education officials respond that a drop typically occurs when the performance bar is raised, but the student performance results bounce back in the following years.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Press release: NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH -Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center provides sensitive, patient-focused, comprehensive, confidential care to victims

Sexual assault is the most under-reported violent crime in the United States. One in six women in America has been the victim of attempted or rape in her lifetime. One in 33 men is a victim of this crime as well. Two-thirds of assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Jackson Health System joins in the efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence and how to prevent sexual abuse. The Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital provides free sensitive, patient-centered, comprehensive, confidential care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to all victims of sexual assaults.

The center is hospital based and staffed with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners – (SANE) trained providers. Jackson provides emotional and medical support to the victims of this crime and makes them aware that they’re not alone and we can help. Here’s what you should know in case you are the victim of rape: Don’t bathe or douche as this action may wash away evidence, Save your clothing and put them in a brown bag, Get medical attention immediately for your injuries internally and externally and to get preventive treatment for STDs and pregnancy. A medical examination also helps in  forensic evidence collection. – Report to the police, Call the 305-585-RAPE (7273) Hotline.  The center answers confidential calls 24 hours, 7 days a week. >> Established in 1974, the Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center is the only rape treatment center in Miami-Dade County. It is one of the few rape treatment centers in the country to provide a comprehensive approach to care and treatment of victims of sexual assaults. The center sees patients ages 12 and over. All free services are provided regardless of police involvement, which include: Hotline 305-585-Rape (7273) Medical Treatment/Forensic Evidence Collection, Crisis Intervention, Advocacy/Accompaniment, Information and Referrals, Community Awareness

System Coordination, Support Groups, Therapy Prevention/Risk Reduction Education. The center also welcomes victims of sexual assaults who did who didn’t seek treatment in the past. They can still reach out to the rape treatment center for help.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Suarez must resign in June; will commission reappoint him back to commission? Did not get $20,000 for mayoral campaign from MIA shrink-wrap company father voted for Tuesday

With the upcoming Miami Mayoral race inching closer to the November election there is speculation what Commissioner Francis Suarez will do since the city charter state’s he will have to resign to run. In the past as was the case with current Mayor Tomas Regalado the commission after the resignation appointed the man back onto the commission believing allowing the current incumbent in the district office knew his constituents better and would save the city the $250,000 cost of holding a commission district election. Suarez has until June to make this decision and given his support on the commission, it is likely that he will be appointed back to the vacant seat. There are five candidates lined up to run for the District 4 seat that Suarez is holding in 2015 but depending on the election results. An election could be called sooner and is why so many of the candidates are constantly holding fundraising gatherings in the event an election is called for the vacated seat before then.

Further, critics have suggested that Suarez the younger had received a $20,000 campaign contribution from the TrueStar Group that was bidding and lost a county contract to provide baggage shrink-wrap services at MIA and had his father Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez being the only no vote when the commission this past week overrode Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s veto 11 to 1 of a past vote by the body. The Watchdog Report contacted the younger Suarez about this rumor and he emailed back last week that. “No they did not,” contribute $20,000 to my campaign wrote the first term commissioner to the Watchdog Report and that kills an issue that was the talk of county hall insiders.

>>> Patient Recruiter for Miami Home Health Company Sentenced to 36 Months in $20 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Press release: A patient recruiter for a Miami health care company was sentenced yesterday to serve 36 months in prison for his participation in a $20 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office. Vladimir Jimenez, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to his prison term, Jimenez was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $950,000 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants.

In January 2013, Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive health care kickbacks. According to court documents, Vladimir Jimenez was a patient recruiter who worked for Serendipity Home Health, a Miami home health care agency that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. According to court documents, from approximately April 2007 through approximately March 2009, Jimenez recruited patients for Serendipity, and in doing so solicited and received kickbacks and bribes from the owners and operators of Serendipity in return for allowing Serendipity to bill the Medicare program on behalf of the patients Jimenez had recruited. These Medicare beneficiaries were billed for home health care and therapy services that were medically unnecessary and/or not provided.

From approximately January 2006 through March 2009, Serendipity submitted approximately $20 million in claims for home health services that were not medically necessary and/or not provided. Medicare actually paid approximately $14 million for these fraudulent claims. As a result of Jimenez’s participation in the illegal scheme, the Medicare program was fraudulently billed more than $400,000 for purported home health care services. In a related case, on June 21, 2012, Ariel Rodriguez and Reynaldo Navarro, the owners and operators of Serendipity, were sentenced to 73 and 74 months in prison, respectively, following guilty pleas in March 2012 to one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Joseph S. Beemsterboer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS

>>> Three Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms in Shooting Death of Brinks Guard at Calder Casino

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Matthew Boyd, Chief, Miami Gardens Police Department, announce today’s sentencing of Vladimir Louissant, of Miami Gardens, Victoria Barkley, of Miami Gardens, and Byron Kyler, of Miami, in connection with the August 21, 2011 shooting death of a Brinks guard at the Calder Casino and Race Course (Calder) in North Miami, Florida.  Co-defendants Reginald Mitchell, of Miami Gardens, and Uri Ammar, of Hollywood, have not been sentenced yet.  Sentencing for defendant Ammar is scheduled for April 18, 2013.  At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King sentenced Louissant to life in prison.  Barkley was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Kyler was sentenced to 5 years in prison, both sentences to be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to documents filed with the court and evidence presented during trial, on August 21, 2011, Mitchell and Ammar conspired to rob a Brinks guard as he made a scheduled pick-up at Calder.  Mitchell and Ammar both worked security at Calder, where Ammar was a Security Shift Manager.  Mitchell recruited co-defendants Louissant, Barkley and Kyler. On the day of the murder, Mitchell drove Louissant to Calder in Kyler’s truck, which Kyler had falsely reported stolen.  According to the trial evidence, Ammar escorted the Brinks guard through the Calder facility and led him to an open area, where Louissant was waiting.  As Ammar and the guard entered the open area, Louissant rushed at the guard, brandishing a firearm.  When the guard drew his weapon, Louissant shot the guard and the two exchange gunfire.  After shooting the guard, Louissant grabbed the Brinks money bag and fled to Kyler’s truck.  Mitchell and Louissant then drove a short distance in Kyler’s truck, which they abandoned to be driven away from the scene by Barkley in another vehicle. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the FBI and Miami Gardens Police Department for their work on this case.  Mr. Ferrer also thanked the members of the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crimes and Fugitive Task Force.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Seth Schlessinger.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Newly minted Mgr. Morales writes in Apr.1 memo to staff, come clean now because, “Neither malfeasance nor nonfeasance has any room in my administration.”

Mayor Mattie Bower on Friday told the Watchdog Report that the meet and greet with new Miami Beach Manager Jimmy Morales went “great” and she is excited that he is at the helm of the city. Morales started on Monday and the Watchdog Report went to the Beach city hall to see how he was settling in the job, but was unable to catch up with him. He has lasted through the week and this was his first public appearance with residents since it was open to the public. A standing-room only crowd of over a hundred Miami Beach residents jammed a Smith & Wollensky dining room Friday morning, April 5, to meet new city manager Jimmy Morales, who formally took office this week. A reader that attended the event sent the following comments and included a memo Morales sent out to city department director’s. Here is his thoughts on the event: “Jimmy reiterated what he said in his April 1 inaugural message to city staff, “Management Philosophy and Objectives: Come forward and forthrightly identify problems.  You will never be faulted by me for trying to solve a problem, only for ignoring or concealing it.

Residents and business owners responded to this challenge by giving him an earful of complaints about the Building Department  and questions about Code Compliance reform, as well as issues such as sea level rise and Beach flooding, justification for Convention Center area redevelopment, traffic, unlit streets dangerous to pedestrians during construction, noise, neighborhood impacts from construction of a major sewage pipe to make way for Port dredging, and plans for this year’s Memorial Day Urban Beach experience.

>>> Excerpts from Jimmy Morales’s April 1, 2013 memo to all staff: “There is an administrative and ethical crisis at City Hall, both real and perceived, that has raised serious questions about the ability to perform the critical tasks the city faces in addition to providing basic services in an honest, efficient, and customer friendly manner. . . I respect and understand the importance of leading by example, and I will!  I expect that you will accept my challenge and make your commitment too. . . There is no room in my administration for the status quo. . . We all must avoid cozy, social relationships with the special interests that do business with our City.  It is one thing to be respectful, friendly and professionally responsive and quite another to allow yourself to be compromised or even give the appearance of being compromised. . . I ask that you aggressively address problems within your department and drag any skeletons out of the closet. . . and deal with them forthrightly. . .

There is a grace period that begins today to identify and correct these problems and I don’t want to hear about them six months from now if they exist today.  I am asking each of you to come forward in the coming days and weeks, work with your respective staffs, and identify all issues and problems in your area of management.  Please be assured that you will never be faulted by me for trying to solve a problem.  But you will be faulted for ignoring it and sweeping it under the proverbial rug.  Neither malfeasance nor nonfeasance has any room in my administration.” The watchdog Report thanks Frank Del Vecchio for the following observations.

>>> Commissioner Libbin will stay at Beach Chamber if elected mayor in November, has sought multiple ethics commission opinions

The Watchdog Report contacted Miami Beach Commissioner Jerry Libbin about what he was going to do as President of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, a position he took a couple of years ago now that he is running for mayor in November and so far is facing Commissioner Michael Gongora for the top post on the dais. Though there are also two other mayoral candidates running since Mayor Mattie Herrera Bower is termed out. Libbin in an email wrote back to the question, “ Prior to being hired by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber sought and received a written opinion from both the State and County Ethics Commissions as to whether an elected official could serve as both an elected official and the Chamber President and CEO without violating existing ethics laws.

I am proud to tell you that both Ethics opinions stated that it was not a conflict and I made it clear to the Chamber Board that it was my intention to keep my seat on the City Commission and further that it was my intention to run for Mayor in 2013.  Based upon the facts presented to the Chamber and after consultation with the County Ethics Commission, the Chamber developed a firewall between the President (me) and the Board members, by establishing a new 3 person Retention Committee which has the sole responsibility of overseeing my contract, thus removing any appearance of bias that might be alleged should any member of the Chamber Board appear before the Miami Beach City Commission.  The City Attorney’s office was also represented at the Ethics Commission, gave their opinion that there was no conflict with my serving as an elected official, and simultaneously working as the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, wrote the November mayoral candidate.

>>> PRESS RELEASE -Meeting Date: April 9th, 2013 Meeting Time: 8:30 AM

Meeting Place: David’s Café 1, corner of Collins Ave. and 11th Street

Continuing with our “Meet the Candidates” series, candidate for Mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine will be our guest speaker at the April 9th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club . So far there are four candidates for Mayor registered for the November 2013  election. Mr. Levine, a local businessman and native of Florida, is the founder of On Board Media.  After building On Board to an $85 million company he partnered with Berkshire Partners and merged with Starboard Cruise Services to form the world’s largest duty free and media cruise industry company. In 2000 the group sold the company to Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy.  Currently Mr. Levine is CEO of Royal Media Partners.  Mr. Levine is also a real estate co-developer with Scott Robbins in the Sunset Harbor project.

There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome. David Kelsey, Moderator

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> It’s Showtime, voters got to polls Apr. 9 to elect mayor and two commissioners; But what will voter turnout be in winner take all races?

The mayoral and commission candidate’s campaign pieces are hitting the voters mailboxes in a prodigious amount in the Gables and the mayoral race pieces are the nastiest with Mayor Jim Cason fighting off some attack pieces done indirectly by challenger Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr. and with the election on Tuesday, Apr. 9. Time is running out. But what will the voter turnout be in the tony burg? http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/05/3325928/coral-gables-elections-get-testy.html

The issue of voter turnout of the 29,355 registered voters as of Jun. 25, 2012 in the upscale municipality is of importance since all these seats on the commission dais are winner take all races and if there are five candidates as in the Group 3 race. All one candidate might need is 20.1 percent of the vote that day to win the four year commission seat on the five member dais. However critics are suggesting that it might be time to change the city’s charter to require elected leaders to get over 50 percent of the vote but could require the expense of a runoff election if multiple challengers. But these races with a large field of candidates could cause Coral Gables residents to reconsider this matter. >>> General Biennial Election Set For Tuesday, April 9 Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 for the Coral Gables General Biennial Election. Voters will select a Mayor and two City Commissioners. Please note that the polling location for precincts 611 and 638, previously located at Coral Gables Senior High, has now changed to the Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 DeSoto Boulevard. For your polling site go to: http://www.citybeautiful.net/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=10834

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Miami Man Sentenced for his role in a $3.3 Million Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, and Rafael P. Hernandez, Jr., Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department, announced that defendant Arthy Icart, 25, of Miami, was sentenced yesterday for his participation in a $3.3 million stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme.  Specifically, U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard sentenced Icart to 70 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Icart had previously pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to file fraudulent claims, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. On October 5, 2012, Arthy Icart and co-conspirator Charlton Escarmant, 29, of Miami, were charged in a five-count indictment for their participation in an identity theft tax refund scheme.  According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, some of the personal identification information used by Icart and Escarmant to file fraudulent tax returns was stolen from Tallahassee Community College’s (TCC) financial aid office.  In fact, more than 3,200 names found on a computer in Escarmant’s possession came from TCC.

To execute the scheme, Icart and Escarmant filed tax returns using the stolen identification information and also in their own name and created false W-2 forms with fictitious employer information.  Icart’s W-2 falsely claimed the he worked at Memorial Regional South Auxiliary. Escarmant’s W-2 form falsely claimed that he was a veterinarian at Central Broward Animal Hospital.  IRS Special Agents contacted the employers listed on both Icart and Escamant’s W-2 and the employers confirmed that neither defendant ever worked for them. At the time of their arrest, Icart and Escarmant unlawfully possessed approximately 22 pre-paid tax debit cards in the names of other individuals.  In total, during the course of the scheme, Icart and his co-conspirator submitted approximately 400 fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service, seeking more than $3.3 million in tax refunds. Sentencing for Charlton Escarmant has been scheduled for June 17, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Lenard.  At sentencing, he faces a possible statutory maximum sentence of 24 years in prison. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Identity Theft Tax Refund Strike Force, with special commendation to the IRS-CI and the North Miami Beach Police Department.  Mr. Ferrer also thanked the Tallahassee Community College for their cooperation during this investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Nadler and Elina Rubin-Smith.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF MARGATE

>>> There he goes again; Gov. Scott suspends Margate Commissioner McClean after federal indictment for bribery

There he goes again, Gov. Rick Scott continues the tradition of suspending elected leaders from office when they are hit with felony indictments. In this case it was Margate Commissioner David McClean being charged with bribery, he says he is innocent, but after a lull of suspensions Scott has another example of the “Culture of Corruption” that a state grand jury report was rampant around the state. And had Florida number one when it comes the removal of elected officials in a ten-year period a federal study found. This clip of removals when Gov. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist were governors before Scott was reaching almost one a month, the Florida Legislature is now considering ethics, and campaign finance reform and the body should address this problem for the issue of wayward public officials is clearly not going away. http://www.local10.com/news/Florida-governor-suspends-indicted-Margate-commissioner/-/1717324/19637590/-/f7uhcg/-/index.html

>>> Margate City Commissioner Indicted on Federal Bribery Charges

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced the unsealing of a three-count indictment charging David McLean, 50, a City Commissioner for the City of Margate and a board member on the Margate Community Redevelopment Agency Board (MCRA), with bribery in connection with programs receiving federal funds.  McLean made his initial appearance in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow in Fort Lauderdale.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 10 years on each count.

The indictment charges defendant David McLean with three counts of bribery in connection with a program receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666.  More specifically, the indictment alleges that on May 25, 2012, McLean, while a Margate city commissioner, knowingly and corruptly accepted $1,000 in cash and an $8,000 release of back rent, in exchange for his influence in connection with the award of a Margate occupational license (Count 1).  The indictment further alleges that on November 2, 2012, McLean accepted $3,000 in cash in exchange for his influence in connection with a $25,000 MCRA construction grant (Count 2).  Lastly, the indictment alleges that on January 30, 2013, McLean accepted another $2,000 in cash in exchange for his influence in connection with the $25,000 MCRA construction grant. U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer stated, “Public officials who sell their office and their influence to line their own pockets with cash undermine the good work of all hard-working public servants, who labor for the public good.  That is why corruption in government, at any level, will simply not be tolerated.”

“Investigating public corruption remains one of the FBI’s top priorities.  This indictment represents our commitment to investigate corrupt acts and the individuals who are behind them,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Scott A. Gilbert, FBI Miami Division.  “We encourage anyone who may have information about corruption to come forward and report it.” Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil. An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Palm Beach County Man Convicted as Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF),  and G. Matthew Immler, Chief, Boynton Beach Police Department, announced today that following a three day trial in West Palm Beach, Florida, a jury convicted defendant William W. Boatley, 34, of Palm Beach County, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e).

Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2013 before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra.  At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to a maximum term of life imprisonment, to be followed by up to 5 years of supervised release.  According to evidence presented at trial, on August 18, 2012, Boynton Beach Police patrol officers observed a vehicle illegally parked with an expired license plate while on routine patrol.  While running from the police, the defendant was observed throwing an object, which was later recovered and determined to be a .22 caliber H & R revolver.  The firearm was loaded with nine .22 caliber rounds of ammunition.  According to evidence introduced in trial, the defendant had previously been convicted of a number of felony offenses and was not legally able to carry a firearm.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ATF and the Boynton Beach Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Governor Rick Scott announced four appointments and four reappointments to the Florida Inland Navigation District.

Paul U. Dritenbas, 61, of Vero Beach, is an architect with Edlund Dritenbas Binkley Architects. He succeeds Bruce D. Barkett, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Charles C. Isiminger, 41, of North Palm Beach, is an engineer at Isiminger & Stubbs Engineering Inc. He succeeds Donn R. Colee, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2015.

Susanne McCabe, 55, of Port Orange, is a lawyer and partner at Bonus McCabe PLLC. She succeeds Nancy J. Freeman, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Lynn A. Williams, 73, of Fernandina, is the former vice president and general manager of Ingersoll Machine. He succeeds Stanley N. Bray, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

J. Carl Blow, 59, of St. Augustine, is a real estate property manager for Great Oaks Properties. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

E. Tyler Chappell, 38, of Pompano Beach, is the vice president of The Chappell Group Inc. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Donald J. Cuozzo, 55, of Stuart, is a planning consultant with Cuozzo Design Group Inc. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Jonathan S. Netts, 70, of Palm Coast, is the captain of Orion Towing & Salvage. He is reappointed for a term starting March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2015. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

DUVAL COUNTY

>>> Gov. Scott taps Elizabeth A. Meyer to the Florida Building Commission.

Press release: Meyer, 50, of Jacksonville, is the manager of disabled services and ADA coordinator for the City of Jacksonville. She is appointed for a term beginning April 5, 2013, and ending February 7, 2017. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

ORANGE COUNTY

>>> Gov. Rick Scott names Walter Ketcham to the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.

Ketcham, 64, of Orlando, is an attorney and partner with Grower, Ketcham, et al P.A. He has served on the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority since 2009. Ketcham served in the United States Army from 1969-1976. He received his bachelor’s degree and his law degree from Stetson University. He is reappointed for a term beginning April 4, 2013, and ending January 3, 2017.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> The Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami Invites you to a Community Conversation & Luncheon — Guns, Politics & Public Health, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Hurricane 100 Room at UM Bank United Center

1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 11:30 a.m. registration, 12 p.m. lunch

12:30 p.m. Conversation. How does talking about mental health impact decisions about gun control, gun rights and community safety? Join Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice &  Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida; Francisco Alvarado, Reporter, Miami New Times; Jorge Corbato, Rifle Manufacturer; Lisa Peters, NRA member; Judy Schaechter, M.D. Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; as they discuss the politics of gun regulation and its effect on public health. Moderated by Katy Sorenson, President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative. >>> Ticket Prices: $35 Individual Ticket $30 GGI Member*

$50 GGI Contributor (Individual Ticket + $15 donation) $500 Table of 10 Sponsor Table) $20 Student/Concerned Citizen, *made a donation of at least $100 this year. Don’t wait — space is limited! Register Now!oi

EDITORIAL

>>> PAST WDR JULY 2007: Ethics & conflict of interest with elected leaders must rise higher in our community’s discourse

Ethics used to be on the community’s lips constantly a few years ago but the issue seems to have been pushed to the back burner, be it at the federal, state or local levels and this drop in status is seen everyday. For reelected leaders and people in leadership positions of all kinds need to realize that respect is earned through deeds and the words they speak, and any actions can speak volumes when it comes to the public trust.

The Watchdog Report was thinking about ethics while reviewing the most recent county lobbyist list and there are some current or former state legislators listed, a former congresswoman, and a host of others and while it is legal. One never knows if any retribution is accompanied with the person if you are lower on the political food chain.

And that is the problem with legality versus perception which is why the Watchdog Report went nuts when a Miami mayor, commissioner and city manager did a house deal that generated a letter of reprimand from the county ethics commission for the mayor and commissioner, for it just did not look right in the public’s eye. Further, it is surprising how many people have said since they did not make that much on it, what was the problem?

Ethics or the lack there of also shows up in meeting minutes fairly often and since I read these documents constantly. You see how people try to evade reporting requirements of gifts for example. In recent minutes of a regional board one commissioner when told they were getting free tickets for an event valued at $220. that would have to be disclosed on a state gift disclosure form since it was over $100.00. He responded with a suggestion to pay the differential avoiding the necessity to report the gift and that way of thinking is dead wrong.

The community should reflect on the diminished discussion about what is ethical, the issue of public perception to actions, for on a day-to-day basis lapses occur and people should get called out more often on these possible questionable actions and the issue should come back to the community’s front burner. For in reality, it is still out there in the publics mind and if the goal is to establish the public’s trust of their public institutions, action must continue to be taken.  For ethical behavior by elected leaders is not for a select few of them, but for all public servants and residents want the best transparent and competent government they can have.

LETTERS

>>> Isn’t it a foreign company that us building and will operate this tunnel?  Did the President Barack Obama know this? It’s not mentioned in ANY report.  Even The Miami Herald gave glowing reports of the talk and failed to mention this. Shameful!

SK

>>> You do a great job thanks.

M C

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr.

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

BADIA SPICES    www.badiaspices.com

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/08/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-45-april-7-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/01/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-44-march-31-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/01/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-44-march-31-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:02:06 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1574 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Obama, second president to visit Port of Miami where Dir. Johnson says its, “Full Speed Ahead,” after turnaround of lost business years ago

Obituary: U.S Army Capt. Pedersen-Keel of South Miami killed in action in Afghanistan

Florida: Florida, we have a problem when ten and eleven year olds are committing armed robberies on bicycles, says Chief Boyd of Miami Gardens

Miami-Dade County: MIA Dir. Abreu says sayonara, replacement Gonzalez will have his hands full running facility and navigating county hall, first test on Tuesday is baggage shrink-wrap contract vetoed by Mayor Gimenez

Miami-Dade Courts: Governor Rick Scott taps Jason Dimitris to the Miami-Dade County Courts

Miami-Dade Public Schools: Recent investigation done by the public school’s District Office of the Inspector General:

City of Miami: Ultra Music festival is over, #1 event when it comes to overall contributing to city coffers to tune of roughly $3.6 million

City of Miami Beach: Two years of infrastructure work on Alton Road starts Apr. 1, Will be new Mgr. Morales first big test

City of Coral Gables: Will Winners of Apr.9 elections be based on low voter turnout? Electorate participation critical in Gables races with large field of candidates

City of South Miami: Gov. Scott taps Margaret “Meg” Kerr and reappointed Gerardo Castiello and Thomas Sculco as Compensation Claims Judges.

>>> Other stories around Florida

Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Man Convicted as Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Nassau County: Gov. Scott taped Wesley R. Poole to the Nassau County Court.

Dixie County: Gov. Scott taps Cynthia S. Munkittrick to the Dixie County Court

Community Events: Downtown Bay Forum luncheon on Gun Control – NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade

Editorials: How sweet it is, state House lawmakers getting yearly healthcare insurance for $400.00, the rest of Floridians would kill for such a deal — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Correction of Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust new website - Reader on roadwork on Miami Beach – New Reader from WLRN/NPR show-

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

>>> May you and your family have a happy, safe and reflective Passover and Easter if these are your faiths.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Obama, second president to visit Port of Miami where Dir. Johnson says its “Full Speed Ahead,” after turnaround of lost business

At the Port of Miami, the motto is “Full Speed Ahead,” said Port Director Bill Johnson at a Thursday luncheon with Palmetto Bay leaders and citizens promoting economic development and to make his point. President Barack Obama came to the facility to see for himself on Friday (President George W. Bush made a similar visit back in 2006). Obama inspected the new $1 billion Port of Miami tunnel now being constructed and promised this project that was a public/private venture and funded locally, along with state and federal money was the wave of the future. Johnson, a long serving county employee has cut his management chops on the likes of the American Airlines Arena, and later the Adrianne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts construction and was charged with completing these facilities after these became mired in delays, cost overruns and other issues. He told the crowd of about 100 people that the Port would in the years ahead have the only 50 foot channel south of Norfolk Virginia and the added depth was to be a key component for shipping the 90 percent of goods that come into America by sea once the $5.4 billion plus expansion of the Panama Canel is completed, he said.

However, Gov. Rick Scott wants the Obama administration to kick in $77 million more that the state has already provided in funding for the $180 million dredging project and Johnson said getting federal funding was a primary task for him and puts him in the nation’s capital almost “weekly,” he told attendees. And the Obama administration also provided a $23 million grant to reestablish rail service from the Port to the Florida East Coast Railway. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/29/3313067/in-miami-obama-to-propose-new.html And in Johnson’s case, he had just come back from a trade mission from the Philippines trying to bolster business and trade ties with the important Asia region.

The Port of Miami is the second largest economic engine generating some $27 billion in economic growth, with 26,000 jobs involved and the enterprise plowed $31 million in profits back into Port improvements, said Johnson. And next to Miami International Airport’s $33 billion in economic impact and the two facilities are critical given the role of tourism and the cruise ship lines to the South Florida economy. The two transportation hubs are the linchpin of an industry that generates tens of billions of dollars and employs tens of thousands of workers, that at the Port pay a minimum of “about $56,000 per year,” he said.

Johnson who has served nine county managers in his career at Miami-Dade said while the public owns the port, it is being run as a business and given the 34 acres, the Port sits on. It has never been “fiscally better” in its 100 year history and noted prior to his arrival in the mid 2000s. It “was a port that was failing, losing market share in 2006 and 18 percent of the container business was gone and the cruise ship lines were talking about moving,” he said.  “I love competition,” noting they are competing with ports in Savannah and Houston and predicted “two years from now the Port will be one of the most modern and efficient in the nation.” He noted the two-lane tunnel would be completed in May 2014 and with the “direct access to containers and with rail. There will be a “25 percent cost reduction in moving products,” he said. And when the deep dredge is completed in “2015, Miami will be the first Port north of Panama” capable of handling the Panamax ships that carry some six times the cargo as current ships. And when it came to passengers going on cruises, “the port exceeded 4 million passengers and is shooting for 5 million in the current year, he said.

What about his staff?

Johnson said when it comes to diversity in the workforce he embraces it. He has “15 women in the management team,” and while I “drive my staff hard,” he carped. In his case he has had “no raise or bonus over the past seven years,” nor had they and joked he could do a lot better financially in the private sector but he loves public service.

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott issued a statement on President Obama’s visit to PortMiami:

“We’re glad Florida provided the President with a tremendous backdrop to highlight our state’s continued job growth – especially with today’s news that we dropped to 7.7 percent unemployment and have created more than 290,000 private-sector jobs in the past two years. In Florida, we’ve managed to grow jobs by cutting taxes, paying down debt and balancing the budget – a stark contrast to the ways of Washington.

“While we’re happy to host the President, we hoped to hear a commitment to reimburse Florida taxpayers the millions of dollars the state invested for the federal portion of port projects in Miami and Jacksonville. We hope this reimbursement will be included in the President’s budget proposal next week.

“In the meantime we will not wait on Washington. We will continue to invest in Florida ports so we make Florida a top hub for international commerce. Florida taxpayers have already invested $425 million in our ports to take advantage of the benefits of growing international trade, and we’ll continue making targeted port investments to grow jobs and opportunities for Florida families.”

>>>Press release:  The Great Optimism Divide, By: John Zogby, Forbes.com Contributor The nation is divided on so many things: God, guns, gay marriage, Obamacare, the fiscal cliff, abortion, the President’s job performance, and optimism. Optimism? Even that.

Now on the surface, Americans are feeling better about the next fours than they have in a while: 53% told us in our March 14-15 Zogby Poll that they were “very optimistic” or somewhat optimistic” about “the next four years in America”. Four in ten (42%), however, said they were either “very pessimistic” or “somewhat pessimistic”.

But what is puzzling – actually troubling – is what this pollster sees in the cross-tabulations. It doesn’t appear that optimism or pessimism has that much to do with people’s lives and the sense of their own personal future. For starters, if you supported President Obama’s re-election, then you are optimistic. If you did not, you are pessimistic. So the real metric here seems to be based on ideology. Thus, 84% of Democrats are optimistic while 28% of Republicans are optimistic. One exception: only 40% of independents are optimistic, 50% are pessimistic. Yet independents voted for Mr. Obama.

The most optimistic Americans are Hispanics (84%) and African Americans (86%), liberals (84%), moderates (57%), 18-29 year olds (57%), 30-49 year olds (59%), Catholics (61%), union members (67%), Weekly Wal-Mart Shoppers (61%), Investor Class (61%), NASCAR Fans 57%, Catholics (60%), and Creative Class (61%). Among income groups: the most optimistic are those earning over $100,000 a year. Please click the link below to read the full release:
http://www.zogbyanalytics.com/news/278-the-great-optimism-divide

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

OBITUARY

>>> Capt. Pedersen-Keel of South Miami killed in action in Afghanistan

Henry Keel, a long time member of the Miami community’s son, Captain Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel, was killed while serving in Afghanistan and friends say he was a wonderful person and a fine officer. Here is what came from Gov. Rick Scott’s office on the soldier’s death and my condolences to the Henry and his family in the loss of their brave son. Captain Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel, of South Miami, Florida, died on March 11, 2013, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Captain Pedersen-Keel was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

By virtue of the power and authority vested in me by 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), as amended on June 29, 2007, and the laws and Constitution of the State of Florida, I, Governor Rick Scott, hereby proclaim and direct as follows: All National and State flags shall be flown at half-staff at the County Courthouse of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and at the City Hall of South Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in honor of Captain Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel. The National and State flags at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, shall also be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in honor of Captain Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel.

FLORIDA

>>> Florida, we have a problem when ten and eleven year olds are committing armed robberies on bicycles, says Chief Boyd of Miami Gardens

Mathew Boyd, the only Miami Gardens Police Chief the municipality has ever had since its creation in 2003 had some grim words for South Florida and Florida residents in general and that is people committing violent crimes are now ranging from “12 to 27 years old,” and similar demographics are occurring around the state. Boyd a veteran municipal cop in the largest African American city in Florida with over 100,000 residents told the Downtown Bay Forum luncheon crowd in Miami on Wednesday that this trend of younger people committing crimes started in the 1990s. But is now reaching epidemic proportions when it comes to violent felons in the inner city. He noted the police force recently arrested a ten and eleven year old boy’s “on bikes doing armed robberies” saying “It is going to get worse.” And he noted in his municipality some “75 percent of the arrests” were of people in this age group and “it is alarming,” and will continue unless society and communities begin to “address the generation behind.”

The Chief said these young felons “have No Fear,” and he said when it came to rappers. He believes they contribute to be the problem with these young impressionable teenagers and the glorifying of the thug life. Boyd said look at the “Lyrics and videos,” which condones many of these antisocial ideals and the coolness of violence. He said three times in the past he has stopped a rapper’s student “book bag give away” and he said, “It is not happening.” Because the rappers are not the role models, inner city kids should emulate. He further, noted that the rappers are rich, send their “kids to private schools” and believes “rappers don’t want to have anything to do with [helping] inner city youth. “Look what they are putting on their videos” as proof, and the chief believes parents have “to stand up” and object to this influence because the children will “want to emulate what they do,” he said.

Boyd was on a panel at the event to discuss the use of military style guns and high capacity round magazines and gun violence and the overall national gun control debate with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan who recently got five county commission resolutions passed asking the Florida Legislature to ban military type high capacity magazines with over ten bullets, but Boyd noted when it came to the AK 47. These guns only account “for 10 percent of the killings” and it is handguns and other weapons that are used for the bulk of the shootings, he said.

What about ethnic tensions in Florida and the Trayvon Martin shooting?

This trend of younger criminals committing armed robberies or killing people in the state’s urban cores has statewide significance overall. And this culture of violence and stereotyping Black residents indirectly will be put to a test when a hearing for George Zimmerman in April begins where he says he shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin last year in self-defense. And he says this is a Stand Your Ground case and there is a expected court motion hearing in April, and “Zimmerman may be exonerated,” and the “situation is explosive,” and “whatever the outcome, someone will be disappointed,” said Dr. Walter T. Richardson at a Feb. 20 Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board meeting and that has raised ethnic tensions in Florida to a new high.

Miami-Dade with the oldest Community Relations Board (CRB) in the state and founded in 1963 is working with the United States Justice System and Richardson, the CRB chair has been asked to make “A trip to Sanford Florida to meet with community members and clergy there,” and if there is a trial. “They have arranged for the CRB to have seats in the courtroom so that we have communication, the minister wrote. He noted he is “wearing several hats,” but overall he is doing all “we can to dissuade any negative elements,” that could possible surface from supporters from either side of the highly charged controversy. However, all these forces seem to be coming together in many communities around the state, that also feeds into the youth joining gangs and in Miami Gardens. Jordan said there used to be “13 known gangs,” but over the years, that number has grown to “now about 29 including the Cripps and Blood. And these gangs help fuel this attitude about using guns to kill and the when kids join such an organization. She said, “They feel like they are in a family,” and there must be an alternative to this life for the community’s youth. Further, Jordan said while “I support the Second Amendment, you don’t need 90 bullet magazines to try to kill a deer,” and while she is urging the Florida Legislature to ban high capacity magazines. She also believes there just needs “better enforcement” of existing laws, and background checks in many cases. >>> Here is a breaking shooting of a child that has just died. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/31/3316173/four-year-old-girl-shot-to-death.html

>>> Rebounding Florida budget gives lawmakers some flexibility after six years of belt tightening

With state coffers bouncing back, House and Senate budgets along with Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $74.2 billion, which is lower than the legislative side by some one to two hundred million dollars. Legislative largess seems to be in the air and state employees after six years, may finally get a raise, along with the state’s teachers. Moreover, public university funding is gradually clawing its way back to what higher education officials were asking for. www.miamiherald.com after a $300 million funding whack during the legislative session last year.

>>> Scandal free Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade looking for new CEO to replace Abety after 11-years in top child advocate administrative slot

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County created by county voters in 2002 and reaffirmed overwhelmingly by a 79 percent majority of  county voters in 2008 is looking for a new president to run the around $100 million Trust. Modesto Abety, the only top administrator of the organization since its creation is prohibited from taking the job during a six-month period he has to leave. Since he is in the Florida Retirement System, but a new CEO is expected to be found in the meantime before he could reapply for the job. In addition, long serving senior administrator Charles Auslander will be the interim CEO when Abety formally leaves at the end of March.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> MIA Dir. Abreu says sayonara, replacement Gonzalez will have his hands full running facility and navigating county hall, first test on Tuesday is baggage shrink-wrap contract passed by commission, vetoed by Mayor Gimenez

Jose Abreu, the “little guy that just parks the planes,” at Miami International Airport is saying sayonara today after running the facility as the Miami-Dade Director of Aviation that also includes a couple of General Aviation facilities as well. Abreu was brought in after Angela Gittens, his predecessor was forced out and he did what was considered almost impossible. When he actually finished the new North and South Terminals at MIA, a massive project that was delayed by years, and ultimately came in at around $6.4 billion to complete and is said to be a jewel of a facility now. Though clearing customs and immigration is still said to be a nightmare, and thousands of tourists a day fail to connect with flights because of the processing delays.

Abreu has been asking the President Barack Obama administration for more federal staff to help with the situation but help has been slow in coming, especially since the $85 billion in federal sequester cuts this year have started to kick in, and staffing cuts are expected to only get worse. Since the federal cuts are across the board and are affecting all levels of federal activities, from the military, to Homeland Security to Medicare cuts in the future. Abreu, a former Florida Transportation Secretary before being tapped to run MIA in 2005 is a civil engineer by training and University of Miami graduate and he is going to the private sector upon his retirement on Friday. He is being replaced in the pressure cooker job by Emillio Gonzalez, the former Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez taped him for the job, but the man is little known in aviation circles some insiders say. For Gimenez, who has pondered Abreu’s replacement for months since it was first reported he was leaving in the Watchdog Report. This choice by Gimenez is one of his most critical appointments and puts Gonzalez right in the Commission Chambers, where past MIA contracts have resulted in bitter battles, between the administration and the 13-member body. Which on Tuesday will vote again on the matter and whether to override the mayoral veto of the controversial contract for the Shrink-wrapping of bags at MIA and has been a protracted contract battle since 2000. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/28/3311707/director-bows-out-friday-after.html

However, Gonzalez is about to find out what Abreu already knows and that with the billions of capital improvement bonds paying for the past construction. The repayment of this paper is a top priority and involves getting as much vender revenue at MIA into county coffers as possible to fulfill these obligations into the years ahead. And when it comes to the county commissioners, as Abreu once confessed. “I am out of gas,” and I can’t take much more of the verbal pounding by commissioners after about 18 months on the job in 2006 when he had to deal with past commission decisions that were causing some of the problems he was facing. In addition, the well-dressed man, with trendy rectangular frame eyeglasses told the Watchdog Report after another heated exchange more recently with a commissioner. “You would think I had kidnapped his child,” he seriously joked and now Gonzalez gets to enter this political arena. And he will find it is no cakewalk once he gets down to business and learns the ropes of this enterprise that generates around $33 billion in economic development.

Gimenez

>>> Recent Miami-Dade Inspector General Report: http://www.miamidadeig.org/newsreleases2013/IG10.19CutlerConviction.pdf

>>> GMCVB press release: Hospitality Jobs, Jobs, Jobs… RECORD ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD SERVICE JOBS IN GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REPORTED FOR FEBRUARY 2013 – MARKING 3 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS OF CONSECUTIVE JOB INCREASES
Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service jobs increased +5.5% in February 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This marks 3 Years and 2 months of consecutive increased employment in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service Industry. In February 2013, 110,600 people were employed in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service sector compared to 104,800 in February 2012, a +5.5% increase.

GREATER MIAMI LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY JOBS

February 2013	February 2012	% Change
110,600	104,800	+5.5%

MIAMI-DADE COURTS

>>> Governor Rick Scott taps Jason Dimitris to the Miami-Dade County Court.

Press release: Dimitris, 42, has served as the General Counsel for the Florida Department of Management Services since 2011. From 2007-2011, Dimitris served as the Chief of Staff for the Florida Department of Children and Families. From 2005-2007, he was an Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and from 2003-2005, he was the Assistant Statewide Prosecutor for the Florida Office of Statewide prosecution. From 1998-2003, Dimitris served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and his law degree from Stetson University. Dimitris will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Eric Hendon to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Throughout his career, Jason has served the public honorably. His time working in leadership positions, combined with his experience in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office makes him a great fit for the county bench. I am confident Jason will continue to serve the state of Florida well.”

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Here is a recent investigation done by the public school’s District Office of the Inspector General: http://www.miamidadeig.org/MDCPS2013/IG09.99SB.robinson.pdf

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Ultra Music festival is over, #1 event when it comes to overall contributing to city coffers to tune of roughly $3.6 million

With the Ultra Music Festival, a two-week event over, the management of the Bayfront Park Trust where the event was held, briefed the trustees on the event on Tuesday, while the massive infrastructure was just beginning to be disassembled and should be completed by April 6. The global event in its 15^th year has grown in size, a television crew from the Netherlands handled that side of the show, and while periodically, fans stormed the front trying to get in, many without tickets, and resulted over all in 167 arrests. Given the fact that 284,000 tickets were sold, senior staff concluded it “was a challenging and successful weekend,” said Trust CEO Tim Schmand. Trust Chair Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo said he had talked to “a lot of businesses” in the area and “everyone is very happy, including the hotels, restaurants and even Walgreen’s” across the way from the event. The commissioner said while some people in the condominiums were critical of the loud music going late into the night, and they’re “was a perception about the event being a little crazy.” He believed that was overstated and “not true” in reality. And when it came to the money, the event brought into the city’s coffers, including police and fire rescue services. The total revenue is estimated to be $3.6 million and Ultra is the single most profitable show the city puts on in a year.

The Bayfront Park Trust was not always a moneymaker for the city, and back in the late 1990s, the Watchdog Report attended these board meetings where at the time the organization was being subsidized by the city to the tune of some $400,000 a year. However, after a scandal erupted and the former CEO back then went to jail, it has slowly bounced back and is now a major revenue producer for the city, that now includes a $500,000 contribution to the city’s budget this year.

Carollo

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Two years of infrastructure work on Alton Road starts Apr. 1, Will be new Mgr. Morales first big test

Residents and businesses on the Beach along Alton Road Monday are bracing for the beginning of extensive water and sewer upgrades, expected to take two-years, including a couple of new pumping stations needed to try to mitigate the extensive flooding occurring on the municipality’s roads. Further aggravated by the rise of sea levels due to global warming. Moreover, around Miami Beach, there already is extensive infrastructure work going on as well. And this work will challenge new Miami Beach Manager Jimmy Morales, expected to be anointed April 1. Moreover, he will face this nightmare from day one, this could be his first real test to mitigate the hassle, and loss of revenue such work causes surrounding businesses as well as the hassle to residents trying to make their way on congested city’s streets.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Will Winners of Apr.9 elections be based on low voter turnout? Electorate participation critical in Gables races with large field of candidates

With the clock ticking until the April 9 mayoral and commission elections, retiring Commissioners Maria Anderson and Ralph Cabrera, Jr., got their last licks in when it came to criticizing Gables Manager Pat Salerno who has been in their cross hairs for the past year when they called for a vote to fire him, but lost that battle after a 3 to 2 vote on the five member dais. Anderson at Tuesday’s last commission meeting she will be on. The woman said essentially, what she wrote last week in the Watchdog Report and I got a number of comments on the piece since then. Further, I emailed Mayor Jim Cason who Cabrera is challenging as mayor for any response he would like to make to Anderson’s charges, but by my deadline the former diplomat had not responded to two emails

The race has gotten uglier as the winner take all election approaches and at one debate, Cabrera got personal when it came to Salerno and the comment got a mixed response. Both men have been verbally pounding each other with Cabrera claiming there is a rise in crime and Cason says it is actually down given numbers from the city’s police department. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/29/3313811/candidates-for-coral-gables-mayor.html But on Tuesday the Watchdog Report could not help but think one of the two men was a politically dead man walking since there could be only one winner to the top spot, a two year term, and has had Cabrera on the commission for the last 12 years, and Cason was elected two years ago in a bitter race beating out former Mayor Donald Slesnick, II and Tom Korge. The City Beautiful homes are now littered with campaign signs for the mayoral race or the two open commission seats and the attack campaign brochures are hitting the mailboxes. Moreover, some of my friends in the Gables are surprised at some of the charges, and the amount that is being raised for the campaigns that has in total mayoral and commission candidates raising over $633,000.

Cason, the commission and administration Tuesday also got come good news. When it was disclosed in the city’s yearly Comprehensive Audited Financial Report that the municipal reserves had grown to $21.1 million and the city was on target in the future if that was kept up. To possible have the bond agencies review the current AA bond grade, and perhaps elevate it back to AAA bond status. a level that was lost during the great recession and property values plummeted, while also pension liabilities skyrocketed to now $235 million but further growth of the employee pension plan has been mitigated in the past five or six years.

The Watchdog Report knows many of the candidates and I am just glad voters have choices, for an elected official who wins unopposed begins to feel entitled to that position and regardless to how well they do the job. A political campaign makes candidates better, allows voters to question and challenge their views and the only question now is how low will the voter turnout be?

>>> PAST WDR:  With winner take all race, Group (III) race with five candidates, victor may win with small majority of Gables voters

With the Apr. 9 election drawing closer and the Feb. 22 qualifying date past, the races for Coral Gables Mayor and two commission seats is set. The city clerk’s election webpage lists only Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr., running for the top spot on the dais that pays $34,736 and in two commission seat races for the vacated Group (II) and the Group (III) seat for the first spot on the dais there is Marlin Holland Ebbert, Ross Hancock and Vincente Carlos Lago running.

And for the latter Group (III) commission seat, the packed field includes Jackson “Rip” Holmes, Patricia A. Keon, P.J. Mitchell, Norman Anthony Newell and Mary Martin Young in a winner take all race. A commissioner is paid $28,225 and serves a four-year term to the mayor’s term that is every two years. That fact is important for the commission races especially in the Group (III) race. For with five candidates, whoever wins will likely have well less than a majority of the potential 29,355 registered voters as of Jun. 2012 that turn out for the election. Here is the latest campaign report information. http://www.gableshomepage.com/2013/01/14/gables-candidates-report-over-334000-in-donations-loans/

CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Margaret “Meg” Kerr and reappointed Gerardo Castiello and Thomas Sculco as Compensation Claims Judges.

Kerr, 52, of South Miami, has practiced with Arrick, Peacock & Kerr since 2007. Previously, Kerr practiced with Kubicki Draper from 1995-2007, and with Underwood, Karcher and Anderson from 1992 to 1995. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kent, in the United Kingdom, and her law degree from the University of Miami. Kerr fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Henry Harnage. Governor Rick Scott said, “Meg has demonstrated intelligence and a keen understanding of the law during her career. I am confident that she will make a great Compensation Claims Judge and will serve Floridians with honor and dignity.”

Castiello, 49, of Miami, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims since 2001. From 1995-2001, he practiced as staff counsel for Kemper Insurance, and from 1992-1995, he practiced with Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, P.A. From 1991-1992, Castiello practiced with Walton, Lantaff, Schroeder & Carson, P.A., and Castiello also served as an Assistant Public Defender in the Miami Office of the Public Defender. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his law degree from Florida State University. He is reappointed for a four-year term commencing April 5, 2013.  Governor Scott said, “Judge Castiello has proven to be a fair and honorable judge since 2001. It is my pleasure to reappoint him knowing that he will continue to serve all Floridians with fairness.”

Sculco, 50, of Winter Park, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims since 2005. From 1997-2005, he practiced with the Law Offices of John J. Pine. From 1993-1997, Sculco practiced with Zimmerman, Shuffield, Kiser & Sutcliffe. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his law degree from Boston College. He is reappointed for a four-year term commencing March 21, 2013. Governor Scott said, “Judge Sculco has served as a Compensation Claims Judge honorably and I know he will continue to serve Floridians well.”

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Palm Beach County Man Convicted as Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF),  and G. Matthew Immler, Chief, Boynton Beach Police Department, announced today that following a three day trial in West Palm Beach, Florida, a jury convicted defendant William W. Boatley, 34, of Palm Beach County, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e). Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2013 before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra.  At sentencing, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to a maximum term of life imprisonment, to be followed by up to 5 years of supervised release.

According to evidence presented at trial, on August 18, 2012, Boynton Beach Police patrol officers observed a vehicle illegally parked with an expired license plate while on routine patrol.  While running from the police, the defendant was observed throwing an object, which was later recovered and determined to be a .22 caliber H & R revolver.  The firearm was loaded with nine .22 caliber rounds of ammunition.  According to evidence introduced in trial, the defendant had previously been convicted of a number of felony offenses and was not legally able to carry a firearm. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ATF and the Boynton Beach Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Millien. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

>>> Gov. Scott names four appointments and four reappointments to the Florida Inland Navigation District.

Paul U. Dritenbas, 61, of Vero Beach, is an architect with Edlund Dritenbas Binkley Architects. He succeeds Bruce D. Barkett, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Charles C. Isiminger, 41, of North Palm Beach, is an engineer at Isiminger & Stubbs Engineering Inc. He succeeds Donn R. Colee, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2015.

Susanne McCabe, 55, of Port Orange, is a lawyer and partner at Bonus McCabe PLLC. She succeeds Nancy J. Freeman, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Lynn A. Williams, 73, of Fernandina, is the former vice president and general manager of Ingersoll Machine. He succeeds Stanley N. Bray, and is appointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

J. Carl Blow, 59, of St. Augustine, is a real estate property manager for Great Oaks Properties. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

E. Tyler Chappell, 38, of Pompano Beach, is the vice president of The Chappell Group Inc. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Donald J. Cuozzo, 55, of Stuart, is a planning consultant with Cuozzo Design Group Inc. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2017.

Jonathan S. Netts, 70, of Palm Coast, is the captain of Orion Towing & Salvage. He is reappointed for a term starting March 29, 2013, and ending January 9, 2015. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

NASSAU COUNTY

>>> Gov. Scott taped Wesley R. Poole to the Nassau County Court.

Poole, 63, of Fernandina Beach, has been a partner with Poole & Poole, P.A. since 1994. From 1997-2001, Poole served as a city attorney with the City of Fernandina Beach. From 1990-1994, Poole practiced with Wood & Poole, from 1981-1990 he practiced with Burgess, Wood & Poole. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his law degree from the University of Florida. Poole will fill the vacancy created by the death of Judge Granville C. Burgess, who died on December 6, 2012. Governor Rick Scott said, “Wesley is a native of Fernandina Beach and has been an integral part of the community his entire life. Throughout his law career, he has demonstrated the qualities that will make him a great judge. He will serve on the Nassau County bench with distinction.”

DIXIE COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Cynthia S. Munkittrick to the Dixie County Court.

Munkittrick, 62, has been a solo practitioner since 1996. From 1974-1976, she served in the United States Army Reserves. Munkittrick earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and her law degree from the University of Florida. Munkittrick will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frederick Koberlein. Governor Rick Scott said, “Cynthia’s intelligence and her eagerness to serve her fellow Floridians will be a great asset to our state during her time on the bench. Cynthia will make a great Dixie County Judge and will work diligently to ensure all citizens are treated fairly.”

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade College Wolfson 300 NE 2nd Ave

Philanthrofest is a volunteer-based organization that connects people, passion and philanthropy in South Florida. The PhilanthroFest team celebrates the South Florida arts community, philanthropic organizations and community resources annually in a free, large-scale community event. Now in its second year,

PhilanthroFest 2013 will take place on Saturday, April 6th and be located at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. It provides an incredible opportunity to connect thousands of South Florida residents to valuable resources and services in the areas of Business & Economic Development, City/County Services, Civic Engagement/Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Cultural/Arts/Humanities, Educational, Environmental, Health/Human Services/Disease Prevention, Poverty/Welfare, Animal Related, Food/Agriculture/Nutrition, Recreation & Sports, and Youth Development & Services.

The primary goal is to bring potential volunteers and donors together with not-for-profit organizations, while creating an environment that promotes civic engagement, deepens community connections and sparks the philanthropic spirit of South Florida. PhilanthroFest also strives to provide educational resources to non-profits in the areas of social media and on-line engagement, digital marketing and web development via collaborations between public/private partners and industry experts to create events such as our Non-Profit Community Engagement Institutes. We are excited to announce that we are just one month away from PhilanthroFest’s main event, and there are only days left for non-profits to apply in order to be featured in PhilanthroFest 2013. If you or someone you know works and/or volunteers for a non-profit/cultural arts organization based in South Florida, please encourage the organization to submit an application on-line by Friday, March 15th. Application is FREE and space is limited, so do not delay and visit this link today to learn more. To apply, visit the application page. If you have any questions regarding the above, please email Naomi Ross at

org@philanthrofest.com.

>>> The Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami Invites you to a Community Conversation & Luncheon — Guns, Politics & Public Health, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Hurricane 100 Room at UM Bank United Center

1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 11:30 a.m. registration, 12 p.m. lunch

12:30 p.m. Conversation. How does talking about mental health impact decisions about gun control, gun rights and community safety? Join Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice &  Mental Health for the Supreme Court of Florida; Francisco Alvarado, Reporter, Miami New Times; Jorge Corbato, Rifle Manufacturer; Lisa Peters, NRA member; Judy Schaechter, M.D. Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; as they discuss the politics of gun regulation and its effect on public health. Moderated by Katy Sorenson, President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative. >>> Ticket Prices: $35 Individual Ticket $30 GGI Member*

$50 GGI Contributor (Individual Ticket + $15 donation) $500 Table of 10 Sponsor Table) $20 Student/Concerned Citizen, *made a donation of at least $100 this year. Don’t wait — space is limited! Register Now!

EDITORIAL

>>> How sweet it is, state House lawmakers getting yearly healthcare insurance for $400.00, the rest of Floridians would kill for such a deal

The Watchdog Report was shocked to see in www.miamiherald.com last week that Florida House Representatives get yearly healthcare insurance for $400.00 and Senators pay roughly $2,200 a year for family coverage. Moreover, while I appreciate, the citizen legislature in salary for their public service only get around $29,500 in the House and around $31,000 in the Senate. This is a sweet deal and one the average citizen would kill to get. The public appreciates that these low paying legislative positions should come with benefits. Since the yearly session is 60-days long, many times depriving lawmakers of outside income during this time. The low cost for these people for healthcare in these legislative bodies, could explain why some lawmakers seem so out of touch for the need for affordable healthcare insurance for the millions of Florida’s uninsured residents, that many times if they can find it, can top well over $500.00 per month in premiums and taxes a person’s finances. If they are not financially well off or already have a subsidized healthcare policy.

The cost of getting healthcare insurance has gone through the roof for the average Floridian and while legislators get this sweet deal. They should remember those residents that are not given this perk and have to deal with health issues on their own. Which results in many of them presenting at a hospital emergency room, where medical care is the most expensive and can cost up to ten times the amount when it comes to getting care. For it is disparities like this in perks when in elected office that drives regular taxpayers crazy, and should remind lawmakers around the nation that what may be good for the goose, should also be good for the gander in some way, even if they are lowly Floridians just trying to get by and to keep their own health.

LETTERS

>>> Please get the word out that the Ethics Commission website does not have the ‘www.’ prefix to its address.  It should be http://ethics.miamidade.gov

Thanks,

Rhonda Victor Sibilia, Communications Director

Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust Commission

>>> Beach resident on new infrastructure work and traffic for traffic and bikes

Kathie, I attended the FDOT resident meeting at PAL. The other day Residents attending expressed displeasure at the traffic and bike routing proposed for Alton and Collins. Both roads should not be closed or reduced to single lane at same time as planned, especially with one project taking over a year and a half and the other taking over two and a half years.  What happens if we get a hurricane?  And how are buses and fire trucks going to cope.  FDOT should not attempt to do both projects at the same time.  And assuming the convention center project goes forward, there will no way to accommodate its traffic.

David Kelsey

Miami Beach

>>> Last Monday when I listened to you on Topical currents you said you had a free blog.  I would love to receive it.  I am interested in politics and what goes on in the state of Florida.  Best government money can buy.

M. J. S.

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/04/01/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-44-march-31-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/25/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-43-march-24-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/25/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-43-march-24-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:18:33 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1570 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Sen. Rubio’s staff does retail constituent services at Miami-Dade County Hall, senior Sen. Nelson does same, important to listen to voter’s issues

Florida: Will Gov. Scott’s policy & education offensive give a bump to him with Floridians? Trails former Gov. Crist in state polls

Miami-Dade County: Commissioners get cultural update, Arsht Center doing great, new Miami Science Museum 1/3 done, and Perez Art Museum has raised ¾ of $120 million fund raising goal

Miami-Dade Public Schools: “Community vigilance” is being brought to the spending of $1.2 billion GOB school renovation and technology money, says Supt. Carvalho

Public Health Trust: FRB Lapciuc says JHS future is new mission of Board, and what “context” will role of UM Medical School be in the next five years?

City of Miami: Mayor Regalado says Miami is in better shape then when he took over after Mayor Diaz, faces Commissioner Suarez in Nov. mayoral election

City of Miami Beach: Hail new Mgr. Morales, starts Apr. 1, now the hard work of transforming Miami Beach begins, getting solid community support

City of Coral Gables: Commissioner Anderson says sayonara to dais, blasts Mayor Cason and Mgr. Salerno, supporter of Cabrera in mayoral race

City of Homestead: Homestead Resident Sentenced for Tax Refund Fraud

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Former Resident Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

City of Plantation: Medical Director for Miami-Based Health Care Clinic Sentenced To 144 Months in Prison for Role in $50 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

City of Coral Springs: Broward County Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to 76-Count Superseding Indictment

Cooper City: Resident Sentenced for Tax Refund Fraud

Palm Beach County: Health Department Employee Arrested For Stealing Patient Information

Hillsborough County: Gov. Scott names Vincent Cassidy and the reappointment of Rebecca Smith to the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.

Community Events: Downtown Bay Forum luncheon on Gun Control – NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade

Editorials: Will the 20 women U.S. Senators be the electrolytes for consensus and compromise in the world’s most exclusive club? — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Reader on Blanche Dog Park in Grove

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida. How to support and contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher was on WPBT 2 Issues last week and to hear the show go to http://ka.uvuvideo.org/_Issues-Lt-Gov-Carroll-and-Internet-Cafes/video/1825556/86294.html on www.wpbt.org/issues hosted by Sean Foreman, PH.D., and we discussed the sudden resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carrol and whom Gov. Rick Scott might pick to replace her in the office after the legislative session is over. I was also on WLRN/NPR Monday on Topical Currents hosted by Joseph Cooper and to hear the show go to http://wlrn.org/post/watchdog-report-publisher-dan-ricker

>>> This is not a typical Watchdog Report this week, I had to deal with some personal issues over the weekend. I apologize to my readers for the shorter news report.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Sen. Rubio’s staff does retail constituent services at Miami-Dade County Hall, senior Sen. Nelson does same, important to listen to voter’s issues

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, may be hitting the airwaves and speaking at the 40^th Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) meeting last week but his staff in Miami was doing retail constituent services on Wednesday at the Miami-Dade County Stephen P. Clark Government Center. A staffer of the senator’s office in Doral along with an intern answered questions of people that came to the table set up in the busy lobby. One man was inquiring about Haitian immigration issues and visas and the staff tried to help, but some things are complicated especially when it comes to immigration issues.

Rubio and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL both have these satellite offices throughout the state, Nelson has six, and Rubio’s Doral office handles issues from Broward to Monroe Counties and there seven other offices through out Florida where constituents can take their problems and make their case on a host of issues. In Nelson’s case locally, he has an office in Coral Gables and both men, while having different political affiliations. They are both diligent and realize the importance when it comes to constituent services. For more information on Rubio’s offices go to http://rubio.senate.gov and for the senior Florida senator go to www.billnelson.senate.gov

What about the GOP and any 2016 presidential bid?

A national poll out last week pitting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton against either Rubio or former Gov. Jeb Bush, neither of whom have announced an interest in running for the presidency in 2016 has both men trailing Clinton but as the election cycle closes. The GOP is trying to get its bearings, it is unknown who will ultimately emerge as the party’s champion, and Clinton is staying mum about any decision she will make. However, one fact is clear, Florida is a key state in any election victory and the Sunshine State has two high profile candidates that may ultimately try to throw their hat in the ring for the high stake post of President of the United States.

>>> Congressional Candidate Pleads Guilty to Violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant United States Attorney for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced today that Justin Lamar Sternad, 35, pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act (Election Act) in connection with the 2012 Democratic Party primary election for Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Sternad, 35, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum in the Southern District of Florida.  Sternad pleaded guilty to all counts of a criminal information that charged him with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), one count of making false statements to the FEC and one count of accepting illegal campaign contributions.

Sternad was a candidate in the 2012 Democratic Party primary election for Florida’s 26th Congressional District. According to court documents, Sternad engaged in a conspiracy to accept illegal campaign contributions and file false statements with the FEC in order to conceal the true source, amount and nature of the funds used by his campaign. Sternad admitted that his campaign accepted cash and checks in excess of Federal Election Campaign Act limits, and that he filed statements that intentionally misled the FEC about his campaign’s activities. During the campaign, illegal cash contributions from co-conspirators were used to pay for a rental car and the design, printing and distribution of campaign flyers. According to court documents, Sternad reported to the FEC that he made loans to his campaign in the amount of $63,801, when he knew that he had actually loaned fewer than $300. In total, Sternad accepted over $70,000 in misreported campaign contributions. Judge Rosenbaum set sentencing for May 31, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. At sentencing, Sternad faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Thomas J. Mulvihill and Richard C. Pilger, Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Peruvian Woman Sentenced to 60 Months and Bahamian Woman Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling

Press release: Peruvian national Jessie Katherine Gonzales Urquizo and Bahamian national Irene Mildred Janette Burrows were sentenced yesterday to serve 60 months and 36 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in smuggling undocumented migrants to the United States for private financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton. Urquizo, 37, and Burrows, 66, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in the Southern District of Florida.

On Jan. 11, 2013, Urquizo and Burrows both pleaded guilty to charges arising from facilitating the illegal smuggling of Brazilian nationals into the United States by working for a known human smuggler in Brazil.  According to court documents, the pair charged between approximately $100 and $125 per day in exchange for providing lodging and transportation to undocumented migrants waiting to be transported by boat to the United States.  As part of the scheme, Urquizo and Burrows received instructions from Brazil-based smugglers on when and where to deliver certain undocumented migrants to waiting boats for passage to the United States

Urquizo and Burrows admitted that they brought undocumented migrants, all of whom are Brazilian nationals, to the United States for financial gain. Urquizo admitted to taking payment for lodging the undocumented migrants at various hotels and stash houses, including a nursing home operated by Burrows, her co-defendant and mother-in-law. Urquizo further admitted that she arranged for food to be taken to the undocumented migrants, transported the undocumented migrants to a waiting boat upon instructions from a known human smuggler in Brazil, and demanded payment for her services. For her part, Burrows admitted to working with Urquizo, taking payment for lodging undocumented migrants at her nursing home, and providing transportation. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hui of the Southern District of Florida. The investigation was conducted by the ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Miami. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Will Gov. Scott policy & education offensive give a bump to him with Floridians, trails former Gov. Crist in state polls

Gov. Rick Scott is crisscrossing the state promoting his education agenda and on Thursday stopped by to see The Miami Herald Editorial Board www.miamiherald.com and Miami Herald host Phil Latzman of WLRN and Latzman later interviewed Scott at the paper’s headquaters where a radio studio is also located in the building. Scott trying to get his poll numbers up and pushing his own state legislative agenda. He was then interviewed after the visit by WPLG Channel 10 senior political reporter Michael Putney http://www.local10.com/ and Scott dodged the reporter’s question when it came to his poll approval ratings. He said there are mixed poll numbers but the only one of concern to the governor is the General Election Day results in November 2014. Scott said to Putney the most recent unemployment report is the lowest in four years coming in at 7.8 percent for the state and the last time Florida saw that number was back in November 2008.

However, Scott when matched up against former Gov. Charlie Crist is down in the polls. And Crist, the former GOP governor, gone independent in 2010 and is now a Democrat appears to be the leading candidate if the Democratic Party decides he should be their champion in the party’s primary next year to take the governor’s mansion back from the GOP. A party that also controls the Florida Legislature as well. Below are some of Scott’s most recent press releases and it is clear he has amped up his campaign, trying to reshape his image that has environmentalists howling but the shy state leader new to public service is finding he is facing headwinds with Floridians. And he has had some members of his own party originally talking about an alternative candidate like Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam to challenge the governor in the party’s primary. But polling is showing that Scott would win and Putnam is now demurring on the idea the media is reporting.

>>> Governor Rick Scott Highlights Importance of Medicaid Waivers at

Miami Herald Editorial Board

Press release: Gov. Rick Scott highlighted the importance of federal support for two Medicaid waivers that will grant the state greater flexibility to address cost, quality and access in healthcare at the Miami Herald editorial board meeting earlier today. The Medicaid waivers were originally designed under former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in 2005. Governor Scott secured federal support for the waivers last month, which he stressed was of critical importance to transforming the state’s traditional Medicaid program by allowing greater flexibility at the state level. (A waiver signifies federal approval for states to utilize flexibilities not specifically provided in federal law.)

Governor Scott said, “…I haven’t seen the specific language what the Senate wants to do, but here’s what I put out. As you know, I thought there was a better way to improve healthcare. I believe in the free markets. I believe that it will keep the cost down or drive it down, and as you control the growth rate of the cost of healthcare, people can afford it better. That’s personally what I would do and that’s what I’ve tried to do in my business life. The law passed, the President’s law passed, the Supreme Court upheld it, and Governor Romney was going to repeal it, and he lost.

“What I did is, I sat down with Secretary Sebelius the first part of January and Marilyn Tavenner who runs Medicare and Medicaid and I let them know how important the waivers were to us and we talked about how much flexibility in whatever they are going to do. The waivers that we received are significant to us. Historically, Medicaid has been growing at three and a half times our general revenue. So, we have got to come up with a system that, one, the taxpayers can afford and, two, we can provide access to good quality healthcare. Both of these things, you have to try and do, which is not easy. We got the waivers and that is going to help us a lot.” Full video from the editorial board is available online HERE (Minute 22).

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott issued a statement on the Senate’s budget proposal that funds teacher pay raises.

Governor Scott said, “I want to thank Senate President Don Gaetz, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Joe Negron and Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Bill Galvano for recognizing Florida’s great teachers by including $480 million for teacher pay raises in the initial, proposed education budget. Thanks to our teachers, Florida has experienced incredible gains in performance, including ranking 6th nationally for overall quality of education, our fourth-graders ranking second internationally for reading scores, and Florida teachers earning the highest overall grade in the nation for teacher quality, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality. I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to ensure our teachers are rewarded for their accomplishments.”

>>> Statement from Governor Scott on Citizens Property Insurance’s Claim that their Executive Staff is Underpaid

Press release: Governor Rick Scott today made the following statement regarding Citizens Property Insurance highlighting how underpaid the company’s executives are compared to their counterparts at private insurance companies: Governor Scott said, “Citizens’ claims that they need to pay their executives more because of their history of controversy is simply ridiculous. A few weeks ago, I asked Citizens to give back outrageous pay raises they doled out to their executives last year. I also said that Citizens needs to have per diems that match other state employees and they should not be reimbursed for alcohol. Citizens needs immediate reform and that is why I called for the creation of an Inspector General. They must be responsible stewards of the taxpayer funds that back them.”

>>> Gov. Scott Applauds Legislative Action Protecting the Everglades

Press release: Today, the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 7065, coming on the heels of yesterday’s Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee that unanimously approved Senate Bill 768. Governor Rick Scott issued the following statement regarding the progress of the Everglades Forever Act legislation: Governor Scott said, “I applaud the work of Senator Wilton Simpson and Representatives Matt Caldwell and Steve Crisafulli for their legislation that moves Everglades restoration forward by funding, and codifying in law, a plan that will ensure the state meets the water quality standards it has set for the Everglades. I would also like to thank members of the agriculture and environmental communities for working toward a solution that will benefit Florida’s businesses, families and the ecosystem. In addition to this important legislation, we will continue working with the Legislature to invest $60 million to protect and restore the Everglades.”

>>> Here is a press release on money for Florida’s public schools

Governor Rick Scott today acknowledged Escambia County’s public schools that have sustained high student performance or demonstrated substantial improvement in student performance by presenting a check totaling more than $751,000 in School Recognition Program funding to representatives from the Escambia County School district. The check presentation took place before an audience of educators and community leaders at Brown-Barge Middle School in Pensacola. Schools can use their award dollars for faculty or staff bonuses, to purchase educational equipment or materials, or hire temporary staff to help maintain or improve student performance. Statewide, school recognition funding totals more than $134 million. Governor Scott said, “Florida students and teachers were ranked 6th for educational quality, our fourth-grade students scored among the best in the world in an international reading survey, and we recently learned Florida students are number one for percentage of students taking an AP exam. Our teachers have done a great job and that is why I have proposed to provide all fulltime classroom teachers a $2,500 pay raise.

“Our efforts at the state and local level to enhance the quality of our education system is working. In conjunction with our proposed $1.2 billion increase in educational funding as part of the Florida Families First Budget, the school recognition funding will allow our teachers and students in Escambia County and across the state to continue on their path of success.”

“What we are doing at the state and local levels to enhance the quality of our education system is working. In conjunction with our proposed $1.2 billion increase in educational funding as part of the Florida Families First Budget, the school recognition funding will allow our teachers and students in Escambia County and across the state to continue on their path of success.” Florida’s School Recognition Program acknowledges the quality of public schools by giving financial rewards based on sustained or significantly improved student achievement in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. Schools eligible for recognition awards include those receiving an ’A’ school grade, improving at least one letter grade from the previous year, or improving more than one letter grade and sustaining the improvement the following school year. Alternative schools that increase their school improvement rating, or are rated “improving,” also qualify for awards. The school staff and school advisory council at each recognized school jointly decide how to use the financial award.

“Governor Scott understands rewarding schools for performance promotes even higher achievement,” said Commissioner of Education Dr. Tony Bennett. “His Florida Families First Budget calls for an even larger commitment to the School Recognition Program.” …  “We are grateful that Governor Rick Scott made a special visit to Escambia County to congratulate our teachers and staff for a job well done,” said Escambia County School Board Chairman Jeff Bergosh. “The $751,488 in School Recognition Program funds will go a long way in rewarding our best and brightest here in Escambia County. We support Governor Scott’s proposal to increase funding for this program and will work with local and statewide education stakeholders to support his Florida’s Families First Budget.”

“Rewarding Florida’s teachers for their tireless commitment and dedication to prepare our students for the 21st century workforce is a sound investment,” said Peter Neuhaus, research scientist with the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola. “I support Governor Scott’s proposal to increase funding for the School Recognition Program and his pledge to reward our high-performing teachers.” The School Recognition Program distribution for Escambia County schools is below. >>> About the Florida Department of Education: The department’s mission is to increase the proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient education system by providing them the chance to expand their knowledge and skills through world-class learning opportunities. Serving more than 3.5 million students, 4,200 public schools, 28 colleges, 188,000 teachers, 47,000 college professors and administrators, and 318,000 individuals who work in education throughout the state, the department enhances the economic self-sufficiency of Floridians through programs and services geared toward college, workforce education, job-specific skills, and career development. Florida ranks first in the nation for teacher quality, first in the nation in advanced placement participation, and first in the southern region for graduation rate and degrees awarded by the Florida College System. For more information, visit www.fldoe.org.

>>> Scandal free Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade looking for new CEO to replace Abety after 11-years in top child advocate administrative slot

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County created by county voters in 2002 and reaffirmed overwhelmingly by a 79 percent majority of  county voters in 2008 is looking for a new president to run the around $100 million Trust. Modesto Abety, the only top administrator of the organization since its creation is prohibited from taking the job during a six-month period he has to leave. Since he is in the Florida Retirement System, but a new CEO is expected to be found in the meantime before he could reapply for the job. In addition, long serving senior administrator Charles Auslander will be the interim CEO when Abety formally leaves at the end of March.

>>> The Children’s Trust Conducts Search for a New President and CEO, extends application deadline to Mar. 15 only the best of the best should apply for this premier organization helping kids

Press release: The Children’s Trust Board of Directors has begun an executive search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Qualified candidates are preferred to have no less than 15 years of experience, including at least five leading a team of professional staff, as a senior administrator with preference for a human service agency administrator or as public administrator working with a board, council or other policy body. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of: Governance structures in Miami-Dade and the State of Florida, the demographics of the Miami-Dade population, major policy issues involving children and families, and the dynamics of large urban communities with high levels of immigration. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future. >>> To view the entire job description, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org Interested and qualified candidates shall send, in one continuous Word or PDF document, a cover letter of interest, resume, at least three professional references, and salary requirements to: CEOsearch@thechildrenstrust.org >>> All information submitted to The Children’s Trust is subject to Public Records Requests and all interviews will be publicly noticed and take place in a public setting as proscribed by law.  In addition, a background check will be conducted as part of the pre-employment process.  Candidates who are not a current resident of Miami-Dade County, if hired, must relocate to Miami-Dade County within 30 days of employment. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Commissioners get cultural update, Arsht Center doing great, new Miami Science Museum 1/3 done, and Perez Art Museum has raised ¾ of $120 million fund raising goal

At a Miami-Dade Commission Finance Committee meeting Chaired by Estefan “Steve” Bovo two weeks ago, the local arts and culture organizations were the watchwords of the day. The Adrianne Arsht Center, the Perez Museum of Art and The Miami Science Museum all gave updates on they’re fiscal performance for the past year and what funding they were asking for from the county in the next county budget cycle beginning Oct.1. The Arsht Center, originally plagued with operating budget shortfalls in its initial years since opening in 2006, 20 months late and coming in at $472.6 million, well over the original $255 million was a public relations nightmare for county commissioners at the time. However, the first CEO was canned and new management was brought in, and with this new administration of the two performance halls located in downtown Miami. The Arsht Center has been flourishing and attendance has substantially increased to 500,000 people a year, for 500 events and includes extensive community programs that bring 25,000 fifth grade students a year to see free programs called Rock Odyssey in conjunction with their classroom studies over the past years. Further, while there are 100 employees at the Center, it has 315 volunteers that give 500,000 hours of usher help that saves the complex some $1 million in in-kind services a year, said John Richard the CEO to the commissioners on the committee. He noted the budget request of $7.6 million from the county “was based on keeping expenses flat,” given the Center’s overall $38 to $40 million annual budget that is overseen by 41 PAC trustees of which 22 of these people are appointed by the county commission and mayor.

Commissioner Bovo, whose son attends the New School of the Arts said he understood the importance of the arts and culture, and Commissioner Dennis Moss told Richard you “do a wonderful job,” and the long serving commissioner closed saying “at one time it [the Arsht Center] was struggled mightily,” and congratulated the CEO for “really turning it around,” Moss closed.

What about the Miami Science Museum budget?

The new Miami Science Museum being constructed on Museum Park in Bicentennial Park is one third of the way complete from February this year said a senior Museum staff member to committee members. He said there is two-years to go before the state of the art facility is finished and so far $50 million of a total of $165 million in county GOB funds have been used and another $45 million in bond money is expected this year and when it comes to fundraising. The organization has set $110 million as its minimum fundraising goal, and they would like to raise $135 million in total as a cushion. He said they have raised $70.5 million to date and when it comes to fundraising “people are excited,” now that the actual structure is rising from the ground.

What about the new Miami Art Museum budget?

Tom Collins, the CEO of the Miami Art Museum said the new Perez Art Museum will be opening in December and is “the only major new museum opened in the U.S. this year.” He said the Museum is “three quarters,” of the way “of the total fundraising goal of $120 million.” And he believes the new “exhibitions, educational and social programs will improve the life” of residents and visitors to the facility. He noted currently around 50,000 schoolchildren a year visit the Art Museum’s current location and while the current budget is $11.7 million. When the new museum opens at the end of the year that budget “number will almost double,” and some new expenses will come on line like $1 million for insurance. He said they are asking for some “$4 million from the county this year,” and they are collectively excited with all the progress that is being made with the approaching end of year opening.

What about the school district $1.2 billion bond and Commissioner Souto?

Commissioner Javier Souto wants the county administration of Mayor Carlos Gimenez to work closely with the Miami-Dade Public Schools now that voters passed a $1.2 billion bond for school renovations and technology ending the digital divide that exists for some schools and their students. Souto said “the school system passed a very large bond” issue and “this creates an opportunity for the parks system to get land next to schools.” “The school system has plenty of money” and they are, as “concerned about kids as we are,” and the county should collaborate to buy “available land next to schools,” Souto said. Senior county staff acknowledged the need and would “look at the parameters of the bond,” and said they would try to “work together and to coordinate our resources” looking for anyway they could to “partner-up,” with the public schools district, she said.

Gimenez

Souto

Moss

Bovo

>>> M-DC Ethics Commission: Also today, Executive Director Joseph Centorino reported to the Ethics Commission that the agency’s new website (www.ethics.miamidade.gov ) is now active, as is a new Facebook page (facebook.com/miamidadeethics), and encouraged those present to help spread their usage.   He also announced that registration is now underway for the two-day Public Corruption Investigation Conference, May 9-10, at the Miami Police Training Center, where former FBI Director Louis Freeh will be keynote speaker.  Details are available on the Ethics Commission website.

>>> GMCVB Press release: RECORD ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD SERVICE JOBS IN GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REPORTED FOR JANUARY 2013 – MARKING 37 MONTHS  OF CONSECUTIVE JOB INCREASES

Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service jobs increased +4.7% in January 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. This marks 37 months of consecutive increased employment in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service Industry. In January 2013, 108,500 people were employed in Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service sector compared to 103,600 in January 2012, a +4.7% increase.

GREATER MIAMI LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY JOBS
January 2013	January 2013	% Change
108,500	103,600	+4.7% increase

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOL

>>> “Community vigilance” is being brought to spending of $1.2 billion school renovation and technology bond money, says Supt. Carvalho

The first 21^st Century Schools Bond Advisory Committee met on Monday and the members are charged with being the community firewall when it comes to the oversight of the $1.2 billion bond for school renovation and technology that was passed by 70 percent of Miami-Dade voters last November.  The board members who must meet at least four times a year are a cross section of the community, but no lobbyists are allowed to sit on the body and not having any conflict of interest is being emphasized and must be disclosed. And there is a full compliment of oversight entities watching over the process of allocating the money for the hundreds of projects over the next six to seven years including the district’s auditor and the District’s Office of the Inspector General.

Alberto Carvalho who was the public point of the spear of the bond campaign said “equitable and fair distribution of the money,” was necessary and how this money was spent included a “strong dose of transparency and community vigilance.” He said this new approach to how the bond proceeds would be allocated “is a significant departure from the past 1988 [$990 million] bond that just squeaked through,” voter approval at the time. And many communities around the county later criticized how this bond money was spent in years past. The highly praised Carvalho, who just got a raise, said when it came to the technology upgrades in the 400 public schools that “a zip code should not determine the technology in the schools,” and the goal was that this technology divide “be abolished,” he told the assembled advisory committee members.

What about the committee’s leadership?

The committee members present elected Roberto “Bob” Martinez as its new chair and Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner was tapped as the vice chair. Martinez, an attorney and former local U.S. Attorney has had a long history in education at the state level. And he was a close confidant on the subject with former Republican Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist and only recently stepped down from the state Board of Education where he served as vice chair. Lerner is a former Democratic Party state representative who later in her political career was elected to be the tony Village’s mayor.

>>> Press release: The 21st Century Schools Bond Advisory Committee met today for the first time. It also elected Roberto Martinez, former Vice-Chair of the State Board of Education, as the Chair and Cindy Lerner, Mayor of the Village of Pinecrest, as the Vice Chair. Last November, the public voted for the issuance of a $1.2 billion General Obligation (GO) Bond for renovating facilities, updating technology, building school replacements, expanding student capacity, and enhancing facility safety.

Carvalho

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> FRB Lapciuc says JHS future is new mission of Board, and what “context” will role of UM Miller Medical School be in the next five years?

Marcos Lapciuc, the Chair of the Financial Recovery Board at the Jackson Health System’s monthly committee meeting recently said Jackson Health System (JHS), “Has reached a milestone,” and the long serving member noted CEO “Carlos Migoya and his team had done a fantastic job,” getting the health system in the black.  However, he cautioned while improvements in “cash collection” and the “out layers,” chronically ill patients was getting better and “slowly coming under control.” He suggested that the FRB “start focusing with management on the vision and policy,” of Jackson in the years ahead. Since in the short term “management is beginning to control the day-to-day issues,” of running the hospital that has only around 13 days of cash on hand but blows through some $4.2 million a day in cash for the 9,600 employees and other overhead.

Lapciuc also noted JHS had to bring medical costs down and “become more efficient,” and we need to grow the patient hospital census because we also “need more revenue,” he said. Speaking about the University of Miami’s Miller Medical School Annual Operateing Agreement (AOA). He said it “is one thing to negotiate an AOA with UM,” but the real issue he believed is “What is the five-year context,” of this well over 50-year relationship. “Is it a vender payer relationship,” he asked and when it came to JHS. “What is the long term investment with the University,” and how will that fit into JHS. The Miller Medical School is currently providing a host of medical service lines like organ transplants but in other medical specialties, JHS is providing the physicians.

Lapciuc

Migoya

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Mayor Regalado says Miami is in better shape then when he took over after Mayor Diaz, faces Commissioner Suarez in Nov. mayoral election

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado gave his “state of the city” address last week http://www.miamigov.com/home/docs/Headlines/2013/03-State_of_the_City.pdf and he argued the city’s finances have been shored up and Miami is on the right track under his stewardship since being elected in Nov. 2009 and followed in his nemesis footsteps former Mayor Manuel Diaz. Regalado noted some of the issues the city administration faced were due to the last administration and cited the low $27 million in city reserves and the two SEC investigations of the bond sales for the Miami Marlins Stadium and another bond transaction. Regalado is up for reelection in November and he is facing first term commissioner Francis Suarez and while the younger Suarez has the fundraising edge so far in the race. Regalado has a lot of good will with some key Cuban American voters especially the elderly and the upcoming race is expected to get heated as the General Election Nov. 8 approaches. Moreover, both candidates are using the commission dais and chambers to push their issues. And both men, especially Regalado a former journalist who was a radio commentator now often takes to the Spanish media airwaves stating his case and the job the administration is doing, but he has drawn controversy such as the firing of the former Miami Police Chief, and now a federal lawsuit filed against him by Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones.

Suarez

Regalado

Suarez     Regalado

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Hail new Mgr. Morales, starts Apr. 1, now the hard work of transforming Miami Beach begins, getting solid community support

Hail Jimmy Morales, as the Miami Beach Commission recently unanimously voted to name the Harvard trained attorney to be the new City Manager. Morales beat out finalist Frank Rollason in the end and the man chocked up during his acceptance speech. And the former county commissioner who grew up on the Beach with his parents in tough financial straits wished his father had seen his son in such a high profile position and his appointment symbolized the second-generation immigrant success story. He promised transparency, may move from his home in Coral Gables to the Beach after the upcoming November mayoral and commission elections and this will be his biggest challenge when it comes to public service. Morales told the Watchdog Report Sunday that a contract has been hammered out and Commissioners Ed Tobin and Jonah Wolfson did the negotiations with him and the commission will vote on the compensation package in the future and Morales said he starts Apr. 1.

Moreover, Morales is getting strong support from residents and everywhere the Watchdog Report goes on Miami Beach. People are hopeful and supportive of the man with two children, one with autism and a wife who was a former state prosecutor. He is known for his warm smile, but has stated that in the past he can be stern and demanding when the occasion warrants it and he was a whistle blower while working as a municipal attorney in the Keys on a sexual harassment case. He now has to deal with hundreds of millions in infrastructure construction, past cases of corruption in the code enforcement and other departments and he has his work cut out for him in the coming months. However, overall the community is wishing him well. And he did get unanimous support from the mayor and commission for his selection and now he gets to work.

>>> Non-binding opinion finds potential conflict in Convention Center food contract

Questions over a food and beverage contract at the Miami Beach Convention Center from the city attorney and a competing bidder were brought before the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust today.  Ovations Food Services LP is seeking the concession.  Its sister company, Global Spectrum LP, manages the Convention Center, including overseeing and evaluating the food and beverage contract.   Based on relevant prior opinions, the Ethics Commission issued a non-binding opinion that a conflict of interest would exist if an existing managing contractor were to exercise oversight over an affiliated company.   The opinion noted that, if municipalities include language in future contracts or proposals providing the Ethics Commission with authority to rule on potential conflicts for bidders, then such opinions would be binding.  Municipal attorneys will be advised of this position.

>>> Miami Beach Community Health Center CEO Pleads Guilty in $6 Million Embezzlement Scam

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael A. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced that defendant Kathryn Abbate, 64, of Hollywood, FL, pled guilty today to theft of money from programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2013 at 11:30 AM before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke.  At sentencing, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to10 years in prison.

According to the factual proffer field with the court, the defendant served as Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Beach Community Health Center (MBCHC) from 2002 to mid-2012.  During this time, MBCHC was a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provided medical care to persons regardless of ability to pay or insurance status.  As an FQHC, MBCHC received millions of dollars of federal funding each year from 2008 to 2012 through cash grants and Medicaid reimbursements. According to the factual proffer, beginning around 2008 and continuing through around May 2012, Abbate embezzled money from MBCHC.  First, Abbate caused MBCHC to pay her non-accrued vacation pay and other forms of compensation that totaled over $3 million from 2008 to 2012.  Second, Abbate embezzled money from MBCHC by causing non-payroll checks to be issued from MBCHC payable to her.  Specifically, from 2007 to 2012, Abbate caused MBCHC to disburse approximately 837 checks made payable to her totaling approximately $3 million (the Abbate Checks) for “community development.”  No backup documentation (such as an invoice or receipt) was provided for any of these checks and money from these funds was misappropriated by Abbate, including for personal use.

According to the factual proffer, in May 2012, auditors requested backup documentation for the Abbate checks disbursed by MBCHC in 2011, totaling approximately $1 million.  In response, Abbate caused false backup documentation to be provided to the auditors, falsely indicating that the $1 million had been paid to five doctors at a medical facility.  In fact, however, the money had not been paid to these doctors, but had been misappropriated by Abbate. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and HHS-OIG.  The case is being prosecuted by AUSAs Michael N. Berger and Patrick Sullivan. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Commissioner Anderson says sayonara to dais, blasts Mayor Cason and Mgr. Salerno, supporter of Cabrera in mayoral race

Commissioner Maria Anderson, first elected in 2001 is saying sayonara to the dais and her last commission meeting is March 26, just prior to when City Beautiful voters go to the polls on April 9 to elect a mayor and two new commissioners since Anderson and Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr., are both term limited on the commission. Cabrera is now challenging incumbent Mayor Jim Cason for the top job >>> http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/22/3301326/coral-gables-mayoral-candidates.html . The Watchdog Report contacted Anderson who also supports Cabrera and I asked her to reflect on her time on the dais over the years and she responded including critical comments about Cason who notes that Cabrera in all his years on the commission never got one of his initiatives passed by the body. Anderson wrote, “It’s been a privilege to serve my hometown for 12 years. I survived three tough elections and am humbled that the citizens of Coral Gables placed their trust in me in 2001, 2005 and 2009. I am proud that I am leaving public service rich in amazing experiences, not but no richer in money than when I started in 2001.  I never took a city computer, cell phone and declined to participate in the city’s pension.

My work with seniors, keeping the process alive for a senior center is now bearing fruit.  The Coral Gables Charrette was the impetus for the re-write of the city’s Zoning Code, and was also a great community event.  In 2003, we did the heavy lifting in starting the reform of the city’s pension by making it a contributory system again. But I leave heavy-hearted and troubled by the direction our city is heading.  The Mayor’s race in particular is pivotal.  The standing mayor has become the puppet for a despotic City Manager.  Furthermore the mayor never truly expresses an opinion of his own and is scripted by the manager whose interest is never about what’s best for the City. Shoddily re-paved streets and skinny palm trees do not a good mayor make.  They are merely cosmetic cover-ups that hide the true issues.

Cason’s popularity with Cubans because of his Cuban Foreign Service work makes no sense to me.  After all, I am a Cuban-born; 53-year resident of Coral Gables and my colleague, Ralph Cabrera is a Cuban born, 47-year resident.  Our parents lost everything, and then made a life again in Coral Gables. 1. Jim Cason refuses to admit that the City has had a 13%+ increase in crimes and allowed the Manager to cover it up before the election. 2. Jim Cason approved an unprecedented number of no-bid contracts that cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.  It’s the “good old boy” network at it worst.3.Jim Cason views city employees like actuarial statistics and the manager views them as chattel.  Morale has flat-lined in City Hall.  He has not figured out that fairly treated employees give the quality service residents expect. My last few weeks will be spent in helping my 12-year colleague Ralph Cabrera be elected Mayor.  That’s the least I can do for my hometown. Stay tuned, and thank you for your good service,” wrote the opinionated veteran commissioner.

>>> M-DC Ethics Commission ruling: A complaint (C 13-06) against a member of the Coral Gables Construction Regulation Board in 2010, who failed to file the required financial disclosure form by the deadline, was dismissed with prejudice after Jorge Otero completed the filing.  He had been incorrectly advised by a clerk in the city that he didn’t have to file the disclosure for 2010 if he completed the form for 2011, which he did on time.  The erroneous information provided the basis for the dismissal.

>>> The Ethics Commission found as Not Legally Sufficient a complaint (C 13-04) filed by the owner of an 85-year-old house in Coral Gables related to the planned demolition of his home.  Mads Thomsen alleged he did not receive impartial treatment during two hearings before the Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board, accusing members of being unfairly influenced by Preservation officer Dona Spain and treating him disrespectfully.   The Ethics Commission determined that, even if true, the actions alleged are not violations of the Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Ordinance.

>>> PAST WDR:  With winner take all race, Group (III) race with five candidates, victor may win with small majority of Gables voters

With the Apr. 9 election drawing closer and the Feb. 22 qualifying date past, the races for Coral Gables Mayor and two commission seats is set. The city clerk’s election webpage lists only Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr., running for the top spot on the dais that pays $34,736 and in two commission seat races for the vacated Group (II) and the Group (III) seat for the first spot on the dais there is Marlin Holland Ebbert, Ross Hancock and Vincente Carlos Lago running.

And for the latter Group (III) commission seat, the packed field includes Jackson “Rip” Holmes, Patricia A. Keon, P.J. Mitchell, Norman Anthony Newell and Mary Martin Young in a winner take all race. A commissioner is paid $28,225 and serves a four-year term to the mayor’s term that is every two years. That fact is important for the commission races especially in the Group (III) race. For with five candidates, whoever wins will likely have well less than a majority of the potential 29,355 registered voters as of Jun. 2012 that turn out for the election. Here is the latest campaign report information. http://www.gableshomepage.com/2013/01/14/gables-candidates-report-over-334000-in-donations-loans/

CITY OF HOMESTEAD

>>> Homestead Resident Sentenced for Tax Refund Fraud

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced today’s sentencing of defendant Kilwoind Jones, 28, of Homestead, Florida, on charges of theft of government monies resulting from her participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.  At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch sentenced Jones to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On October 5, 2012, a federal grand jury charged Kilwoind Jones with receiving stolen U.S. Treasury refund checks having forged signatures, with possessing stolen mail, and theft of government money.  On January 10, 2013, Kilwoind pled guilty to Count 7 of the Superseding indictment, which charged the defendant with theft of government property, and Count 10 of the Superseding Indictment, which charged the defendant with aggravated identity theft.

During the plea hearing, Kilwoind admitted to receiving three stolen U.S. Treasury tax refund checks and to depositing the three stolen U.S. Treasury tax refund checks with the forged signatures into her bank account. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Identity Theft Tax Refund Strike Force, with special commendation to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-CI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gera Peoples. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Former Broward Resident Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and­­­ Wendy Bashnan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, Miami Field Office, announce that defendant Arcesio Rojas Valencia a/k/a Arcisio Rojas Valencia a/k/a Arcy Valencia, 50, formerly of Broward County, Florida, and most recently of Costa Mesa, California, has entered a guilty plea to charges of passport fraud and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1542 and 1028A.   Valencia appeared today in federal court in Fort Lauderdale before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.

Valencia admitted that he was born in Colombia, South America in December 1962, but in or around March 2001 in Florida, applied for and obtained for his own use and with his own photograph, a U.S. passport in the name of his U.S.-born son and birthdate of October 1965. To do so, Valencia submitted to the Department of State a copy of his son’s U.S. birth certificate, with the year of birth altered from 1985 to 1965. Valencia admitted that he knew that his statements in the passport application as to the name, date of birth, and place of birth were false. Valencia further admitted to willfully and knowingly using the passport on or about May 26, 2008, at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, and during and in relation thereto, to knowingly possessing and using, without lawful authority, the means of identification of  his son, “A.V.”

On November 30, 2012, a federal grand jury in Miami charged Valencia, and an arrest warrant was issued for him. Diplomatic Security Service agents located Valencia in Southern California, where they arrested him in Los Angeles on December 5, 2012. Based in part on an active Broward County arrest warrant dating back to 1990, the U.S. Magistrate Judge in California ordered that Valencia be detained until trial. Valencia was returned to the Southern District of Florida in late December. At a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow in early January 2013, Valencia stipulated to continued pre-trial detention due to the outstanding state arrest warrant. Valencia faces a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment when he is sentenced on May 28, 2013. Mr. Ferrer commended the efforts of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, in locating the defendant. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Watson. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF PLANTATION

>>> Medical Director For Miami-Based Health Care Clinic Sentenced To 144 Months In Prison For Role In $50 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office announced that a former medical director for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to serve 144 months in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare. Dr. Gary Kushner, 72, of Plantation, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to the prison term, Kushner was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

Kushner was convicted on Aug. 24, 2012, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one substantive count of health care fraud, following a two-month jury trial. According to the evidence at trial, Kushner and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $50 million dollars in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through Biscayne Milieu, which purportedly operated a partial hospitalization program (PHP) – a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness.  Instead of providing legitimate PHP services, the defendants devised a scheme in which they paid patient recruiters to refer ineligible Medicare beneficiaries to Biscayne Milieu for services that were never provided or were not properly reimbursable by Medicare.  Many of the patients admitted to Biscayne Milieu were not eligible for PHP because they were chronic substance abusers, suffered from severe dementia and would not benefit from group therapy, or had no mental health diagnosis but were seeking exemptions for their U.S. citizenship applications. The evidence at trial further showed that, as Biscayne Milieu’s medical director, Kushner authorized the treatment of patients that he knew were ineligible for PHP treatment.  Biscayne Milieu then billed Medicare for millions of dollars in PHP treatments for these patients under Kushner’s name.  Evidence further revealed that Kushner would often conduct cursory examinations lasting only minutes before authorizing such fraudulent billings.

Various owners, doctors, managers, therapists, patient brokers and other employees of Biscayne Milieu have also been charged with various health care fraud, kickback, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed in September 2011 and May 2012. Biscayne Milieu, its owners and more than 25 of the individual defendants charged in these cases have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial.  Antonio and Jorge Macli and Sandra Huarte – the owners and operators of Biscayne Milieu – were each convicted at trial of various offenses and are scheduled for sentencing in April 2013. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services in coordination with the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Davis, Marlene Rodriguez and James V. Hayes. >>> Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

CORAL SPRINGS

>>> Broward County Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to 76-Count Superseding Indictment

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that Vladimyr Jean Baptiste, 41, of Coral Springs, pled guilty today to a 76-count superseding indictment before U.S. District Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum. Sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.

The superseding indictment charges Baptiste with 73 counts of aiding in the preparation and presentation to the Internal Revenue Service of false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040 and 1040A, for calendar years 2007 through 2010, in violation of Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(2); and 3 counts of failing to file personal income tax returns for calendar years 2008 through 2010, in violation of Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7203.  At sentencing, Baptiste faces up to  a maximum of 3 years in prison per count of preparing false tax returns, and a maximum of 1 year in prison per count of failing to file personal income tax returns.

According to court documents, Baptiste operated Tax Plus in Pompano Beach, Florida and filed numerous false income tax returns for clients.  These false returns claimed fraudulent statuses, wages, deductions, credits and expenses. Specifically, Baptiste admitted to inflating  earned income credits; encouraging clients to file separately when they were married and both falsely file income taxes as head of household, thereby obtaining additional tax credits; and giving various clients a fictitious $3,650 personal tax exemption for returns and allowances to lower their taxes.  Finally, Baptiste also admitted that he has not filed his personal tax returns for the past five years. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Walleisa.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

COOPER CITY

>>> Cooper City Resident Sentenced for Tax Refund Fraud

>>> Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), announced today’s sentencing of defendant David Forbes, 43, of Cooper City, Florida, on charges of theft of government monies resulting from his participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.  At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Forbes to 48 months in prison.  In addition, Forbes was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $372,342.41.

Forbes had previously pled guilty to the theft of government funds in connection with an identity theft tax refund scheme in which the defendant converted more than $1,574,791.83 in tax refunds and had those amounts deposited into his personal and corporate bank accounts. These tax refund payments had been obtained through the filing of false tax returns using stolen personal identification information of unwitting victims. During the investigation and prosecution, defendant Forbes consented to the government’s seizure of $888,399.08. In addition, other bank accounts were identified and an additional $313,550.00 was frozen and returned to the government. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CID and Secret Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurie Rucoba. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Palm Beach County Health Department Employee Arrested For Stealing Patient Information

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Salita St. Simon, 30, of Belle Glade, was arrested today on a charge of identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7).  If convicted, St. Simon faces up to five years imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

According to the criminal complaint and information provided in Court, St. Simon was a senior clerk at the Palm Beach County Health Department (PBCHD) until earlier today.  For approximately the last year, St. Simon obtained patient identification information, including patient names and social security numbers, from the PBCHD’s computer system and provided that information to her accomplices.  These accomplices, in turn, used the information to file fraudulent tax returns seeking the patients’ refunds.  Over the last year, St. Simon stole more than 2,800 patients’ information in this way.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and thanked the PBCHD for its substantial assistance in investigating this matter.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne. A complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott names Vincent Cassidy and the reappointment of Rebecca Smith to the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.

Cassidy, 54, of Tampa, is the chief executive officer of Majesty Title Services. He was a senior vice president with JP Morgan Chase from 1981-2006. Cassidy is a member of the National Exchange Club of Tampa and the Greater Tampa Chamber. He is also a founding board member of Gulfshore Bank in Tampa. Cassidy received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his master’s degree from the University of Virginia. He succeeds Donald Phillips, and is appointed for a term beginning March 19, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016. Smith, 53, of Tampa, has been the president of A.D. Morgan Corporation since 1989. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority since 2009. Smith previously served on the Prison Rehabilitation Industries & Diversified Enterprises Board of Directors from 2005-2008. Throughout her career, Smith has served on various boards including the City of Tampa Variance Review Board, the National Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Smith received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida. She is reappointed for a term beginning March 19, 2013, and ending July 1, 2015. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Wednesday, March 27, 2013:  Downtown Bay Forum: Gun Control: Do we need more or less? Panelists: Hon. Barbara Jordan, County Commissioner, District 1, Chief Matthew Boyd, Miami Gardens Police Chief and president of the Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police – Moderator:  Dr. Sean Foreman, Department of History & Political Science, Barry University. 11:30 a.m. at Temple Israel, 137 NE 19th Street, Miami. Free self-parking available. $35 membership, $23 lunch for member with reservation, $58 membership & lunch, $27 non-member or member without reservation if space is available. To reserve, or for further information, call Annette Eisenberg at 305-757-3633. www.downtownbayforum.org

>>> NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade College Wolfson 300 NE 2nd Ave

Philanthrofest is a volunteer-based organization that connects people, passion and philanthropy in South Florida. The PhilanthroFest team celebrates the South Florida arts community, philanthropic organizations and community resources annually in a free, large-scale community event. Now in its second year,

PhilanthroFest 2013 will take place on Saturday, April 6th and be located at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. It provides an incredible opportunity to connect thousands of South Florida residents to valuable resources and services in the areas of Business & Economic Development, City/County Services, Civic Engagement/Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Cultural/Arts/Humanities, Educational, Environmental, Health/Human Services/Disease Prevention, Poverty/Welfare, Animal Related, Food/Agriculture/Nutrition, Recreation & Sports, and Youth Development & Services.

The primary goal is to bring potential volunteers and donors together with not-for-profit organizations, while creating an environment that promotes civic engagement, deepens community connections and sparks the philanthropic spirit of South Florida. PhilanthroFest also strives to provide educational resources to non-profits in the areas of social media and on-line engagement, digital marketing and web development via collaborations between public/private partners and industry experts to create events such as our Non-Profit Community Engagement Institutes. We are excited to announce that we are just one month away from PhilanthroFest’s main event, and there are only days left for non-profits to apply in order to be featured in PhilanthroFest 2013. If you or someone you know works and/or volunteers for a non-profit/cultural arts organization based in South Florida, please encourage the organization to submit an application on-line by Friday, March 15th. Application is FREE and space is limited, so do not delay and visit this link today to learn more. To apply, visit the application page. If you have any questions regarding the above, please email Naomi Ross at

org@philanthrofest.com.

EDITORIAL

>>> Will the 20 women U.S. Senators be the electrolytes for consensus and compromise in the most exclusive club in the world?

The New York Times www.nytimes.com did a lengthy story Friday on the women now in the United States Senate and how their numbers have grown to 20 members in the world’s most exclusive club that got its first female member 90 years ago when Rebecca Felton of Georgia joined the all male bastion. Further, of these current Senators, nine of them are chairs of Senate Committees and when it comes to political party affiliation. Four of the upper chamber members are from the ranks of the GOP, the others are Democrats. And these women are bringing a different dynamic to the body, and getting a consensus, and compromise seems to be the order of the day.

Here in Miami-Dade County, the county commission has only five women on the 13-member body on the dais but twice now. Women have held the top leadership positions. Once back in 2002-2004 when the Commission Chair was Barbara Carey-Shuler, the Vice Chair was Commissioner Katy Sorenson, and now Commissioner Rebeca Sosa and her number two on the dais is Commissioner Lynda Bell. And while this trend of a larger number of female lawmakers is slowly changing, these women are changing the dynamics of governing after years of men ruling the legislative roost. Moreover, during a time of political partisanship, these women’s ability to meet and discuss issues among themselves should start back an old but forgotten trend of lawmakers hashing out their issues. Not just killing bills and with all the discussion of gridlock in the nation’s capital and among other legislative entities throughout the nation. These 20 women are setting an example that should be emulated; for the current situation is getting us nowhere as the nation grapples with some of the most vexing and complex issues we have ever faced since the nation was founded and solutions must be found.

LETTERS

>>> Reader on Blanche Dog Park story

The Blanche Dog Park may be Shangri La but the kids park right next door needs a lot of work.

L.G.

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr.

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

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FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/25/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-43-march-24-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/11/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-42-march-10-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/11/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-42-march-10-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:12:25 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1566 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Miami Dolphins going to community to make pitch for $400 million stadium upgrades with voters approval, voters want to see the deal

Obituary: Miller a local GOP legend passes, always a knowledgeable or kind word, helped many of the early party faithful get elected as low-key Party Chair

Florida: Lt. Gov. Carroll takes road trip to 10^th Int. Women’s Day conference, kicks in afterburner when it comes to foreign trade’s impact on FL

Miami-Dade County: Commission 9 to 2 votes to override Mayor Gimenez’s shrink-wrap recommendation at MIA, four-hour discussion heavy on lobbyists

Miami-Dade Public Schools: Supt. Carvalho gets rave reviews, new contract for “stability of [current] administration,” and with $1.2 billion in new bonds to be issued will assure financial world, says Chair Hantman

Public Health Trust: Jackson Director of Infection Control tapped for prestigious CDC Advisory Committee

City of Miami: Will Blanche Park in Grove be a Beta site of what Miami residents can expect in new parks to come? Magnificent Dog Park, that even has Astroturf for our four legged friends

City of Miami Beach: Will Beach Commissioners finally tap a new Mgr.? Morales and Rollason are the two choices for top spot

City of Coral Gables: Candidate debate for Group III seat packs in over 100 residents; voters need to get to know the candidates

City of Doral: Showman Trump not looking the svelte person seen on television at Doral

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Gov. Scott taps Norman Tripp to the Board of Governors of the State University System.

City of Hollywood: Hollywood Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

City of Weston: Gov. Scott taps Adrien “Bo” Rivard and the reappointments of Ronald M. Bergeron and Richard A. Corbett to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Palm Beach County: Man Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

City of Boca Raton: Four Defendants Sentenced in Timeshare Fraud

Pinellas County: Gov. Scott taps Maria N. Edmonds and Raymond H. Neri to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County

Community Events: Jazz at Jackson Soul – Downtown Bay Forum luncheon on Gun Control – NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade

Editorials: PAST WDR. 2008: Politicians at all levels & senior staff must be held to higher standard, public corruption corrosive to society as a whole — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Mgr. Candidate Rollason on last week’s Beach story – State legislation could cut into municipal parking revenues – Reader on ethics legislation in Tallahassee

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida.

>>> There will be no Watchdog Report next week. I have to raise money since I don’t have a trust fund that so many people after 14 years continue to believe I have. I live off my readers and organizations financial support and for that past help, I am extremely grateful as I celebrate my 14^th Anniversary May 5. How to contribute to the WDR is at the bottom of the Report.

>>> Correction: In a past Watchdog Report I reported that Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora had left the law firm Becker Poliakoff, which was incorrect.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Miami Dolphins going to community to make pitch for $400 million stadium upgrades with voters approval, voters want to see the deal

The Miami Dolphins representatives are taking their message to county voters for the approval of a $400 million upgrade the team believes is needed to attract the 2016, NFL 50^th Super Bowl and continue the tradition of drawing the event to South Florida. But is running into headwinds, including auto magnate Norman Braman vowing to derail the deal, after the disastrous Miami Marlins stadium contract that when the financing is complete will have cost $2.5 billion at the end of the bonds life. And that deal has infuriated the local public along with the Marlins cutting of its top players and coming in the basement when it comes to winning games in the major leagues this season. Nat Moore, the Dolphins All-Pro receiver during the 1972 perfect season addressed the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon on Wednesday and Marcus Bach-Armas, the Manager of Corporate Affairs, spoke to the Ponce Business Luncheon on Monday in Coral Gables.

The football team is seeking sales tax concessions from the state and some $199 million in tourist tax money with team owner Steven Ross kicking in just over $200 million, but that deal is now being negotiated between the team and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. And any final deal will likely get better if the professional NFL team expects the upgrade to pass muster with county voters that will now get to weigh in on the controversial matter if the county commission approves the deal that has a local FIU poll commissioned by the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation finding that 73 percent of the county voters were cool on the idea and currently suggests any deal would likely not pass with the vote. Further, the team is dealing with a May 22 timeline when the NFL will vote on awarding the 2016 Super Bowl and Miami is competing with San Francisco for the designation.

Bach-Armas said Miami was a natural for the Super Bowl and “is the best destination in the nation.” He noted we have “beaches, golf courses and culture,” as draws but said Sun Life Stadium, that sits on county land, “can’t be under par,” if the community is to draw these big time events and the stadium itself still has “35 years left,” on it as a structure and when it comes to the improvements. He said it involves “22 projects in total,” and the “roof is only one piece of the puzzle,” but has gotten a lot of attention in the media. Moreover, the attorney noted that when it came to other sport franchises using the stadium, “We view the future of sports in South Florida as soccer,” he told the Ponce lunch attendees Monday at John Martin’s restaurant. He noted the new field would have natural grass also necessary for soccer; modular new seating that will be more comfortable and can be easily adjusted for smaller crowds like when the University of Miami Hurricanes plays there, and when it came to the deal with the county. “We think we need to put a majority of the funds in ourselves,” and right now the deal is being worked out with Gimenez and the final “deal will be one the community embraces,” he predicted and why the voter referendum. And when it came to the issue of soccer, highly popular in Miami-Dade, he said a major announcement “will be made in the next ten days. But when it came to questions and support of the issue. People afterwards said they would be waiting to see what the deal was before they made a decision and whether they would vote for the tourist tax funding being used for the upgrades that will take three years and be done during the NFL off-season.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/08/3274402/stadium-renovation-bill-survives.html http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/morning- >>> edition/2013/03/could-miami-soon-have-an-mls-team.html?ana=e_sflo_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2013-03-05&u=nwWD7MvsEIzt86Jro529N4p7UhO

>>> Press release: Miami Dolphins President and CEO Mike Dee attended the Florida House Finance and Tax Subcommittee meeting in Tallahassee today and made the following statement immediately after the vote: “Today’s bipartisan vote in the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee is another step in the right direction for the residents of Miami-Dade, who will have the final say on the future of Super Bowls, BCS Championships and international soccer in Miami.”We now have bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature, and the support of the County Commission. There is no question now that we have real momentum.

“Let me thank the Legislators who supported letting the voters of Miami-Dade have the final say.”From here, we are looking forward to working with the Mayor on an agreement that is fair to all sides. We know the Dolphins will pay a majority of the costs, and that tourists and patrons of the stadium will pay the rest. Ultimately, the voters will, and they should, have the final say. The referendum is the right idea and, as facts won the day here today, we are confident the facts — including all the jobs this will mean for Miami-Dade — will win that vote as well.”

>>> White House press release: The Employment Situation in February

Posted by Alan B. Krueger on March 8, 2013 at 9:30 AM EST

While more work remains to be done, today’s employment report provides evidence that the recovery that began in mid-2009 is gaining traction.  Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that private sector businesses added 246,000 jobs in February.  Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 236,000 jobs last month. The economy has now added private sector jobs every month for three straight years, and a total of 6.35 million jobs have been added over that period. The household survey showed that the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent in January to 7.7 percent in February, the lowest since December 2008.  The labor force participation rate edged down 0.1 percentage point to 63.5 percent in February.

It is important to bear in mind that the reference period for today’s surveys was the week of February 10-16 for the household survey and the pay period containing February 12th for the establishment survey, both of which were before sequestration began.  The Administration continues to urge Congress to move toward a sustainable Federal budget in a responsible way that balances tax loophole closing, entitlement reform, and sensible spending cuts, while making critical investments in the economy that promote growth and job creation and protecting our most vulnerable citizens.

According to the establishment survey, in February employment rose notably in professional and business services (+73,000), construction (+48,000), health care (+32,000), leisure and hospitality (+24,000), and retail trade (+23,700).  Manufacturing gained 14,000 jobs in February.  The manufacturing sector has added over half a million jobs over the last 37 months, the most for any such period since 1986.  In the last two years the construction sector has added 306,000 jobs, with half of that increase occurring in the last five months.  State and local governments lost 10,000 jobs in February, mostly in education.  The local government education sector has now lost 340,700 jobs since its recent peak in November 2009. As the Administration stresses every month, the monthly employment and unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available.

>>> Press release: Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) released the following statement: Diaz-Balart and Ros-Lehtinen Condemn Beating of Pro-Democracy Activist Yris Perez Aguilera by Castro Thugs

Yesterday in Santa Clara, Castro’s thugs viciously beat Yris Perez Aguilera, head of the Rosa Parks Feminist Movement and wife of pro-democracy leader Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (“Antunez”), and left her bleeding and unconscious on Prolongacion de Marta Abreu Street.  After the beating, Yris has been vomiting blood, is losing sight in one eye, and continues to have bouts of unconsciousness.  Her family and friends fear for her life. Diaz-Balart: “The Castro regime’s thugs have repeatedly targeted Yris for her daring opposition to the dictatorship’s crushing oppression.  Yesterday, her simple pleas for liberty were once again met with violence.  The true criminals in Cuba are the shameless thugs who perpetuate these brutal human rights abuses against defenseless women such as Yris and the Ladies in White.  The Castro dictatorship has the blood of innocents on its hands, and those who carry out their misdeeds will be held accountable for their crimes.  I call on the international community to condemn the regime’s brutality against Yris and other pro-democracy activists, and to pray for the health of Yris Perez Aguilera.”

Ros-Lehtinen: “Once again we see the reality of life under the Castro totalitarian dictatorship; peaceful pro democracy activists beaten by Castro’s thugs simply because they dared to walk together in solidarity. And this time, Yris Perez Aguilera, wife of the brave freedom fighter, Jose Luis Garcia Perez Antunez, was beaten so severely that she lost consciousness. The cowardly Castro regime beats innocent women all the time and what does the Obama Administration do in response? More diplomatic entreaties and concessions to this vile and ruthless octogenarian clique of despots that has turned Cuba into an economic and social basket case. I call upon responsible nations to condemn this latest wanton attack and for the State Department to help assure that Yris receives the proper medical care as soon as possible.”

>>> Press release: Protect Yourself from Tax Fraud and Identity Theft

By Debbie Wasserman Schultz, April 2013

Imagine going to file your tax return, only to discover someone else has already filed it and received your tax refund check. With Tax Day around the corner, some tax fraud criminals are getting ready to start stealing identities and filing fraudulent tax returns. As you may have heard from recent news stories, Florida leads the nation in the number of identity theft complaints, with Tampa coming in first and Miami second for number of fraudulent tax returns filed.

That’s why I’ve been hosting fraud prevention seminars with representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Broward Sheriff’s Office and Miami-Dade Police Department, all across my district to ensure you have the information you need to protect yourself. Identity theft can occur in a variety of manners – whether through using someone’s name to establish a telephone account, stealing someone’s Social Security number to obtain a credit card, or spending thousands of dollars using a stolen credit card number. Whatever the method, dealing with identity theft can be emotionally and physically exhausting, damaging to your finances, and time-consuming to correct.

These tax return thieves are racking up our hard-earned money by the hundreds of millions without ever having to hold a victim at gunpoint or put themselves at risk. For my part, I’ve been working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that we protect constituents from fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission, which has been recording consumer complaints nationwide since 2000, identity theft has remained the number one consumer fraud complaint. In 2011, more than 938,664 tax returns and $6.5 billion were associated with fraudulent tax refunds involving identity theft. It is time to make the prosecution of tax return identity theft a greater priority, and that’s why I introduced the Stopping Tax Offenders and Prosecuting Identity Theft Act (STOP Identity Theft Act). This bill would strengthen penalties for identity thieves, as well as expand the definition of an identity theft victim to include not only individuals, but also businesses and organizations that have had their identities stolen for phishing schemes in an attempt to get sensitive information from consumers.

Thankfully, the Federal Trade Commission and the IRS are hard at work making sure that taxpayers who are victims of identity theft get the support they need to get their financial lives back in order. Even though the IRS has tripled the number of investigations and doubled the number of staff working on cases in the last year, the number of thieves is also on the rise. Every day they are working to combat them – in conjunction with lawmakers, financial institutions, and President Obama – to ensure that taxpayers have the information they need to protect themselves from identity theft and the chaos it can bring. As you file your taxes, please be certain to safeguard all of your personal information. If you are the victim of fraud, or your identity is stolen, immediately file a complaint with the FTC by calling 1-877-438-4338; TTY 1-866-653-4261 or visit ftc.gov/complaint and contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. I am proud to be an advocate for the people of South Florida, and my office is always open to you. You can reach us in Pembroke Pines at 954-437-3936, in Aventura at 305-936-5724 and in Washington, DC at 202-225-7931. I’m also available online at http://wassermanschultz.house.gov, where you can sign up for my e-newsletter. You can also keep up with my work for you on Facebook at RepDWS, and on Twitter and Instagram through @RepDWStweets.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

OBITUARY

>>> A local GOP legend Miller passes, always a knowledgeable or kind word, helped many of the early party faithful get elected as Chair of Party

Mary Ellen Miller, a calm and steady voice in the Republican Party of Miami-Dade for decades passed last week and the woman had only a good word for political friend or foe. Miller, 84, passed after an undisclosed illness and she was the driving force behind the scenes of the Elephant Forum, a political monthly luncheon event that brought local, state and national Republican political leaders from around the country to speak with the local GOP faithful. She kept her thoughts close to her vest, helped dozens of fledgling elected leaders get into office and twice was chair of the local party from 1991 to 1996 and later in 1999 to 2008 after the then current chair Manty Sabates Morse, a school board member alienated many of the party faithful, and the party was broke at the end of her tenure in the office. Miller, when she was elected the second time faced Morse the Cuban American party chair in the race and the Watchdog Report attended the meeting in 1999 and while attending party members were split. The majority went with Miller and she continued in that position in the years to come when then Gov. Jeb Bush was in office and he had been a previous GOP chair in past years.

Miller, was deeply religious, grew up in Hialeah and still went to the same church there and she was a gracious woman who made everybody welcome at any event she held. She was a long time mentor and supporter of the Watchdog Report over the past almost 20-years and would not condone any political parties elected leaders that went astray saying what “foolishness,” concerning what they had done and she was the voice of reason many times in a sea of political craziness over the decades. Miller was the type of person that when I was recovering from life saving surgery back in February 2010 came to my house with some food and she was a sounding board and friend of mine over the years and I will miss her wise counsel and friendship. Mary Ellen may you rest in peace and your presence and friendship will be missed by so many people including me.   http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/07/3272439/mary-ellen-miller-former-chairwoman.html

FLORIDA

>>> Lt. Gov. Carroll takes road trip to 10^th Int. Women’s Day conference, kicks in afterburner when it comes to foreign trade’s impact on FL

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll took a road trip Friday to attend the 10^th International Women’s Day Conference Award Program 2013 at the World Trade Center of Miami and some 400 people attended the event. Carroll, the first elected women Lt. Governor elected with Gov. Rick Scott in 2010 and a former navel officer told the pumped crown of women that the days are over for women when it comes to reaching leadership positions and since women deliver the men many times in public office, “It is about time they recognize this,” she said. Carroll, a businesswoman with a MBA said when it came to her political career since she came from Trinidad with her family, and then later left the navy as a U.S. Navy Lt. Commander. When she first ran for Congress in Duval and Clay Counties, she was given little chance of winning she said. Yet she “won the [Congressional Seat] race getting 80.5 percent of the vote.”

Carroll said she and Scott are bullish on International Trade and “$21.3 billion or 18 percent of the Florida economy is related to international trade,” with Miami being the epicenter. Since South Florida is “the Gateway to the Americas and Caribbean,” and includes the presence of “Hundreds of International Corporations” here and “Miami” is a perfect location for these firms, she said. She noted she has worked with “Bill Johnson,” the Port of Miami director to reduce “barriers,” and had discussions “with stakeholders,” to find out ways to facilitate international trade she said. And recently President Barack Obama “removed” some restrictions on “satellite exporters,” when he signed the legislation in January she closed her remarks.

Carroll

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott announced the appointments of Thomas E. “Tommy” Bronson and Bryan K. Beswick to the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Bronson, 76, of Brooksville, is the retired CEO of Meridian Aggregates. He is a former member of the Pithlachascotee River Basin Board and the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council, and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He is appointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending March 1, 2016.

Beswick, 45, of Arcadia, is the grove manager for Blue Goose Growers LLC and a sales associate with Blue Goose Realty. He previously served on the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Peace River Basin Board, and received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College.  He is appointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending March 1, 2016. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> Press release: Miami-Dade County Delegation Chairman Eddy Gonzalez made several appointments to community boards today, filling positions that the Delegation has long used to stay informed, and proactive, on critical issues facing Miami-Dade County.

The Chairman’s appointments are as follows: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – Senator Rene Garcia, The Beacon Council – Vice Chairman Jose F. Diaz, The Children’s Trust – Representative Daphne Campbell, Miami River Commission – Representative Jose J. Rodriguez, Public Health Trust Nominating Council – Representative Jeanette Nuñez, Public School Bond Advisory Board – Senator Rene Garcia and Representative Erik Fresen

11th Judicial Circuit Juvenile Justice Board – Representative Joe Gibbons.

The Chairman of the Miami-Dade Delegation has a permanent position on numerous executive boards and councils in our community that work on issues ranging from economic development to early learning to criminal justice. These boards allow the Chairman to assign a representative from within the Delegation or the community membership to participate on the Chairman and the Delegation’s behalf. Chairman Gonzalez will be making additional appointments to numerous remaining community boards in the coming weeks.

>>> Scandal free Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade looking for new CEO to replace Abety after 11-years in top child advocate administrative slot

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County created by county voters in 2002 and reaffirmed overwhelmingly by a 79 percent majority of  county voters in 2008 is looking for a new president to run the around $100 million Trust. Modesto Abety, the only top administrator of the organization since its creation is prohibited from taking the job during a six-month period he has to leave. Since he is in the Florida Retirement System, but a new CEO is expected to be found in the meantime before he could reapply for the job. In addition, long serving senior administrator Charles Auslander will be the interim CEO when Abety formally leaves at the end of March.

>>> The Children’s Trust Conducts Search for a New President and CEO, extends application deadline to Mar. 15 only the best of the best should apply for this premier organization helping kids

Press release: The Children’s Trust Board of Directors has begun an executive search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Qualified candidates are preferred to have no less than 15 years of experience, including at least five leading a team of professional staff, as a senior administrator with preference for a human service agency administrator or as public administrator working with a board, council or other policy body. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of: Governance structures in Miami-Dade and the State of Florida, the demographics of the Miami-Dade population, major policy issues involving children and families, and the dynamics of large urban communities with high levels of immigration. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future. >>> To view the entire job description, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org Interested and qualified candidates shall send, in one continuous Word or PDF document, a cover letter of interest, resume, at least three professional references, and salary requirements to: CEOsearch@thechildrenstrust.org >>> All information submitted to The Children’s Trust is subject to Public Records Requests and all interviews will be publicly noticed and take place in a public setting as proscribed by law.  In addition, a background check will be conducted as part of the pre-employment process.  Candidates who are not a current resident of Miami-Dade County, if hired, must relocate to Miami-Dade County within 30 days of employment. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Commission 9 to 2 votes to override Mayor Gimenez’s shrink-wrap recommendation at MIA, four-hour discussion heavy on lobbyists

The County Commission overturned a recommendation by Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Jose Abreu, the outgoing aviation director of Miami International Airport concerning a new baggage shrink-wrap contract at MIA. www.miamiherald.com After commissioners voted 9 to 2 too go with a new company after a four-hour discussion in the commission chambers. Mayor Carlos Gimenez verbally fought back when it was clear his recommendation was going down in flames and described the discussion in the chamber as “a lot of historical fiction,” and joked while “I love baggage wrap at the airport,” and the revenue it brings in, “all good things must come to an end,” he seriously joked. And the mayor believed the extended discussion and this “bag wrapping war,” was “not good for his administration or the commission,” after a army of lobbyist were engaged by both competing companies and dominated the first few rows of seats in the chambers during the discussion. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/03/3265234/miami-dade-set-to-award-controversial.html Gimenez, given the continuing controversy over the matter said, “If I could, I would do it myself” and what I “am presenting is about dollars and cents,” and he said when it came to either company, they’re “are no saints in this battle,” said Gimenez.

However, county commissioners saw it differently and supported the challenging company for the lucrative contract that has MIA doing “90 percent” of all the luggage wrapping in the nation MIA staff have said in the past and is a necessary perk for tourists going back to South America and includes a high number of “flat screen televisions” being packed in travelers bags said a senior MIA administrator to commissioners.  The Watchdog Report early on knew the administration’s proposal was going down in flames, and in a discussion on the matter Friday Abreu said 20 minutes before the item was heard by the commission. He thought that would be the case, and had an army of the top lobbyist for both sides milling in the commission chambers entranceway before controversial discussion and vote.

What about Abreu’s replacement at MIA?

Mayor Gimenez told the Watchdog Report on Tuesday at the commission meeting when it came to replacing Abreu to run MIA when he retires at the end of March and if he had made a decision. “I am getting there,” he told me and this is one of the most important appointees Gimenez will make given MIA is the top economic generator in South Florida. And further, MIA has to pay off the over $6 billion in new construction bonds over the almost two decades at MIA which has to be paid off. And these bond payments are roughly 332 days before the payments hit 365 days where the bonds payments would come in at $1 million per day.

Gimenez

Abreu

Past WDR: What about the first shrink-wrap contract at MIA in 2000?

The Watchdog Report has a video tape in my BCC archives of the first county commission meeting where the body around 2000 was voting on the first baggage shrink-wrap contract and it was an action packed four-hour event with the cream of the top lobbyist working county hall verbally battling it out in the commission chambers. And some of the discussion’s highlights was attorney and lobbyist Robert Holland calling then county Manager Merritt Stierheim a “racist,” that Stierheim denied, but the real highlight was the discussion on the bid protest-hearing judge. For about a half hour of the much longer commission meeting, lobbyists argued over the judge at the protest hearing, trying to determine if the judge was “awake,” perhaps just “dozing off,” or “full asleep,” they argued back and forth. And now such protest meetings are videotaped at the county after the Watchdog Report suggested that be done to then Commission Chair Gwen Margolis and Stierheim.  But the intensity of the verbal arguments and lobbyist firepower involved was a sight to see and became another Miami-Dade moment and who knew wrapping traveler’s baggage would be such a hot button matter.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/08/3274276/nero-out-as-beacon-council-ceo.html

>>> Commissioner Souto remark about “Hitler & Stalin,” clears chambers of newly minted police officers from Germany watching Democracy in action

In a discussion over limiting the number of questions, the county commission could put on a ballot in any election cycle at Tuesday’s Miami-Dade County Commission meeting and sponsored by Commissioner Barbara Jordan. Commissioner Javier Souto made some comments that raised some eyebrows, especially since some newly minted police officers from Germany were visiting the chambers as the class does every year but were there when Souto made some unusual comments on limiting the questions that could be on the ballot initiated by the commission.

Souto in his remarks said when it came to Democracy, “It was very difficult, not cheap and required full participation” of the voters and people that try to control the process were,” like “Hitler and Stalin,” and Souto noted the “Nazis had a very efficient system,” when it came to elections and look “what happened to those guys,” Souto said. He went on to say it was the duty of the electorate to study the ballot before going to the polls and while “I see the good intention” of Jordan’s measure. “If you don’t study the ballot, you will “have exactly what happened here,” he thought when it came to the long voter lines and the “time you spent voting will be less,” if a voter had studied the ballot. However, as soon as Souto made the Hitler and Stalin remarks, the German police officers began exiting the commission meeting and while Souto had a point. His timing of the comments could have been better timed since essentially, only once a year, do these police officers come to visit the chambers.

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>>> Verdugo of Christian Coalition has sharp exchange with Commissioner Moss on his no vote regarding a prayer before commission meeting

Anthony Verdugo, the head of the Christian Family Coalition of Miami-Dade on Wednesday verbally challenged County Commissioner Dennis Moss for his no vote on the matter of prayer before a commission meeting. Verdugo singled out Moss for his no vote, the exchange got nasty, and had Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa intervening and suggesting any comments directed at a particular commissioner was out of line and after a short but testy exchange between Verdugo and Moss. The chair continued with the meeting but not before briefly suggesting that the commission’s sergeant-of-arms might be needed as the verbal discussion heated up between the two men. http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2013/03/feud-between-miami-dade-commissioner-christian-family-coalition-plays-out-from-dais.html

Sosa

Moss

>>> Commission will take road trip to South Dade Cultural Center May 21 for BCC meeting

The Miami-Dade Commission is taking a road trip May 21 and will hold one of its monthly meetings at the South Dade Cultural Arts Center. Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa wants to hold couple of meetings in the community and allow residents to watch and attend regardless where they live in the county and the commission approved holding a meeting in this new location.

>>> Press release: Since 2008, Miami-Dade County Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa has sponsored legislation advocating the ban on texting while driving in Florida. As the Florida legislature’s 2013 session begins this week, the chairwoman continues to urge the Miami-Dade delegation to support the bills banning texting while driving presented during the session.

“One small distraction behind the wheel is big enough to shatter lives. Banning texting while driving will bring new hope to make our roadways safer for drivers and pedestrians. I encourage our State Legislators to take action to save lives,” said Chairwoman Sosa. Florida is one of only five states that has not imposed a ban on texting while driving, whether for all drivers or limited groups of motorists. The following is a list of legislation sponsored by Chairwoman Sosa urging the Florida Legislature to ban texting while driving:

>>> Beacon Council statement on Frank Nero stepping down

The Executive Committee of The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s official economic development partner, formally announces the search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Frank R. Nero stepped down today after working as the nonprofit organization’s President and CEO for nearly 17 years. Under his stewardship, The Beacon Council became one of only 31 accredited economic development organizations in North America by the International Economic Development Association. Nero raised the organization’s standard of excellence and implemented quality assurance procedures that have since been adopted by other organizations.

“Through Frank’s leadership, The Beacon Council has become a premier economic development organization,” said Joseph Pallot, Chairman of The Beacon Council and General Counsel for Heico Corp. “We will build on that success continuing the mission of assisting local businesses and attracting new investments and jobs to Miami-Dade County.” “I’ve enjoyed my tenure here. We’ve had a lot of success,” Nero said. “After close to 17 years at The Beacon Council, clearly it is time to do other things. The growth of Miami-Dade County as an international business center has been gratifying. I would like to continue to be part of that effort in some manner. I will be announcing my plans in the near future.”

The national search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer will begin immediately. In the interim, Robin Reiter-Faragalli, a past Chair of The Beacon Council and a consultant to corporate philanthropies and family foundations, has been named Interim President. ”I want to thank Frank Nero for his many years of service to The Beacon Council,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.  “While there is a change of leadership at The Beacon Council, their mission of working with the County and the private sector to bring new businesses and new jobs to our community – as well as retain existing ones – remains the same.  I look forward to working with the interim leadership to maximize the potential of The Beacon Council and encourage forward-thinking economic growth in Miami-Dade County.” >>> Created in 1985, The Beacon Council promotes Miami-Dade County to the world. It helps local businesses expand to create jobs and attracts new businesses to the area. The Beacon Council has remained relevant through community crises over the years, by helping businesses survive after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the attacks of 9/11 in 2001, and Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It also has advised economic development organizations in other states through crises, such as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina 2005. Today, its mission is even more important as the county emerges from a recession.  >>> With One Community One Goal, a countywide strategic plan focusing on the industries for future growth, The Beacon Council remains poised and ready to help Miami-Dade County weather present and future economic storms.  Since its founding, The Beacon Council has helped 873 companies that have invested more than $3.38 billion, which has resulted in 87,374 total jobs for Miami-Dade County. These investments also have delivered tens of millions of dollars in new taxes for Miami-Dade County government, its public schools and local municipalities.

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOL

>>> Supt. Carvalho gets rave reviews, new contract for “stability of [current] administration,” and with $1.2 billion in new bonds to be issued will assure financial world, Board Chair Hantman says

Alberto Carvalho is getting a raise after deferring a variety of perks and potential raises offered over the past years, but he assured a school board committee Wednesday that any negotiated raise would be in keeping with the tough financial times the district has gone through since Sept. 2008 when he was tapped for the top post. Carvalho, who has attained almost community rock star status after the previously faltering nation’s fourth largest school district won the prestige’s Broad Prize last year, and county voters in November, passed a $1.2 billion bond for the renovation of the district’s almost 400 schools. These schools are in need of repair for a variety of issues, but the district has not been getting money from the state for such capital projects. That also had the district in years past issuing $3 billion in Certificates of Participation bonds for the construction of 100,000 new students’ stations to replace the almost 3,000 portable classrooms used at schools in the late 1990s through around 2006 when these were all replaced with renovated or new schools. But keeping up with the buildings maintenance has been an issue as more and more public dollars from the state have been diverted to Charter Schools for there use in facilities that are generally not owned by the charter schools but by a private landlord who benefits from any upgrade of the facility with these public dollars.

Perla Tabares Hantman, the school board chair said when it came to Carvalho and a raise she would be “frugal” and she brought the item to the Board because the district “was moving in the right direction,” and the “stability of the administration was critical,” and “may dispel,” certain talk in the community “That he may be leaving us,” Tabares said. She also noted this new extension of Carvalho’s contract from 2015 to 2020 could “assure the financial markets,” now that the district is going to sell $1.2 billion in new bonds that pay a five percent interest rate. Marta Perez, a frequent critic of the district superintendents since her election in 1998 said she thought Carvalho “Had done a magnificent job,” and “represents the board very well,” she thought. She also pointed out the job involved dealing with the nine member school board and “the collective chaos,” that came with dealing with them and she noted “I am the cause of the greatest amount of this chaos,” since his time here. And Board Member Carlos Curbelo joked Carvalho would not leave the district because “He would miss this board too much,” he joked. He then noted that Duval County hired a district administrator at the same salary level of $275,000 and it was a much smaller public schools district, and was well below the $400,000 his predecessor Rudy Crew got when he ran the district and believed a bump in pay was reasonable considering the achievements the district has garnered including no high schools being rated a D or F school.

Carvalho said after the board members comments that he was “grateful” to hear such comments from the board. He also noted he had a “uniquely qualified team,” that caused some of the successes to happen in the district and wants everyone from teachers, to principles and administrators, “to have skin in the game.” He told the committee members. He also noted that in the past, there was a salary increase, but the raise “was for everyone but the cabinet” and they rejected any pay increase he said back then. Moreover, the reason he was allowing the board to have this conversation was not so much about him. However, he objects to “the undervaluing of the CEO or a teacher in the Miami-Dade schools district that is larger than a vast number of cities in the county,” with 350,000 students and he believed the salary was needed “to dignify principles, teachers and the superintendent for what they do,” he closed his comments. The committee instructed Hantman to negotiate a new amendment, “that had a salary that was fair market value,” included a “performance incentive element,” to his contract and she assured the committee that would be what she brought back in the future for the board to consider and approve.

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PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Jackson Director of Infection Control tapped for prestigious CDC Advisory Committee

Press release: University of Miami/Jackson physician Silvia Munoz-Price, M.D., was selected by the National Association of Public Hospitals (NAPH) to be their liaison to the CDC Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). During the past four years with Jackson, Dr. Munoz-Price has made a tremendous impact in leading the implementation of interventions that reduced various infection rates across the hospital to zero or consistently below the national average. “I am very proud to represent NAPH and Jackson Health System,” said Dr. Munoz-Price, director of infection control at Jackson and associate professor of clinical infectious disease at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “This is a recognition of both personal and organizational accomplishments that will allow Jackson to have visibility at the national stage.”

The selection is indeed a proud and important one for Jackson Memorial Hospital. Jackson now has a seat on the prestigious HICPAC – the federal advisory committee assembled to provide advice and guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the practice of infection control, strategies for surveillance, prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections. “From our pediatric and adult ICUs to Ryder Trauma Center, Silvia Munoz-Price has led the successful battle to change the infection control culture at Jackson,” said Dr. Michael Butler, chief medical officer and executive vice-president of Jackson Health System. “We are proud that Silvia will now take the successes that we have experienced here to patients and healthcare organizations across the nation.” >>> Dr. Munoz-Price will be among the non-voting ex-officio members who are liaison representatives from professional societies, consumer groups, public health associations, and other organizations. Her term on the CDC advisory committee is expected to run for the next year.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Will Blanche Park in Grove be a beta site of what Miami residents can expect in new parks to come? Magnificent Dog Park, that even has Astroturf for our four legged friends

Miami residents are hoping Blanche Park in Central Coconut Grove is a beta site of what new city parks will be like in their district after the over $500,000 redo of the park that is three quarters a doggy park that local residents say they wanted. The Park has undulating hills, new Astroturf and also an area of natural grass, a trail, silver colored benches with Miami on the bench back, and the park is well lighted and with a metal dog sculpture as a cherry on top of the out of this world facility for the nearby residents. There is also a kid’s area next to it that encompasses about one quarter of the park, also lighted and with a host of brand new playground equipment.

However, as one Grovite told the Watchdog Report last week, “Our Park could use a little loving as well,” he considered and while a traffic circle next to Blanche was controversial since it was at the corner of Miami Commissioner Chair Marc Sarnoff’s townhouse complex that is directly across the street from the updated park. The commissioner says he had nothing to do with the roundabout next to his home and is a traffic-calming device and stops trucks from entering the grove on Virginia Avenue. But, this second rehabilitation of the across the street park from his home is raising eyebrows, and as city residents become aware of the disparity between this park and the others thoughout the municipality. Pressure is expected to be brought on the commission and mayor’s office to have similar upgrades done in their local parks and this over the top park facility has local residents living near by, unusually sensitive and were hostile when a reporter stopped by Wednesday. And I asked about what they thought of the facility for dogs, and the much smaller area for children and families to play in. Readers should stay tuned on this issue with the upgraded public park that is sure to draw people from out of the neighborhood once they see it, for their own use.

Sarnoff

>>> Health Care Clinic Director Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A former health care clinic director and licensed therapist pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office. Paul Thomas Layman, 66, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Layman’s co-conspirator Dana Gonzalez, 43, of Miami, a registered clinical social worker intern in Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for her role in the scheme.

During the course of the conspiracy, Layman was employed as a substance abuse counselor, therapist and clinical director of HCSN’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP).  A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness.

In Florida, HCSN operated community mental health centers at three locations. During his employment, Layman worked full time at all HCSN locations in Florida in various capacities.  According to court documents, Layman was aware that HCSN in Florida paid illegal kickbacks to owners and operators of Miami-Dade County Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) in exchange for patient referral information to be used to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid.  Layman also knew that many of the ALF referral patients were ineligible for PHP services because many patients suffered from mental retardation, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Court documents reveal that Layman was aware that HCSN personnel in Florida were fabricating patient medical records. Many of these medical records were created weeks or months after the patients were admitted to HCSN facilities in Florida for purported PHP treatment and were utilized to support false and fraudulent billing to government sponsored health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Florida Medicaid.  During his employment at HCSN in Florida, Layman signed fabricated PHP therapy notes and other medical records used to support false claims to government sponsored health care programs.

HCSN also operated one location in Hendersonville, N.C.  At the Hendersonville location, Layman served as the clinical director and assisted HCSN owner Armando Gonzalez in obtaining necessary licensing, credentials and Medicare authorizations for HCSN.  According to court documents, from 2008 through 2009, Layman purportedly supervised therapists at HCSN in Hendersonville, including Alexandra Haynes, who was an unlicensed therapist purportedly performing PHP therapy to HCSN patients.  For their roles in the conspiracy, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and Haynes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  On Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, Gonzalez was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison for his role in the scheme. According to court documents, Dana Gonzalez worked at HCSN in Florida from approximately April 2005 through December 2010.  At HCSN in Florida, Gonzalez fabricated patient medical records, which were used to support false and fraudulent billing to Medicare and Florida Medicaid.  In 2011, Gonzalez worked at HCSN in North Carolina, where she fabricated therapy notes and medical records, and provided unlicensed therapy when licensed therapists were absent. According to court documents, from 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and the Florida Medicaid program approximately $63 million for purported mental health services.

Fifteen defendants have been charged for their alleged roles in the HCSN health care fraud scheme, and 12 defendants have pleaded guilty.  Alleged co-conspirator Wondera Eason is scheduled for trial on April 22, 2013, before Judge Altonaga in Miami.  Alleged co-conspirators Alina Feas and Lisset Palmero are scheduled for trial on June 3, 2013.  Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney William Parente and Trial Attorneys Allan J. Medina and Steven Kim of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  This case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion.  In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Will Beach Commission finally tap new Mgr.? Morales and Rollason are the two choices for top spot

The Miami Beach Commission on Wednesday will vote on the new city manager and the choices are Frank Rollason and Jimmy Morales. Rollason is a long time city of Miami senior administrator and Morales is a former Miami-Dade County commissioner and attorney. The two men have been cooling their heels while the process has moved on, including extensive background checks of the men. And one candidate from Broward dropped out and was reported in the Watchdog Report that noted, out of 101 municipal managers in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Not one of these administrators applied for this plum public servant job and suggested it showed how difficult the post could be given the commission and the upcoming elections for mayor and a couple of commission openings. Since Commissioner Michael Gongora and Jerry Libbin in November are both running to replace Mayor Mattie Herrera Bower who is termed out and is considering possible running for the commission again after her stint as mayor.

Residents interested in the hearings after the Consent Agenda is approved can watch on the city’s webpage and the meeting is open to the public and interested parties if they wish to attend and see who gets tapped for the top administrative post to run the tourist mecca and a city that also has hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure projects going on. >>>  CITY COMMISSION MEETING – 9:30 AM, City Commission Chambers, Third Floor, City Hall Wednesday, March 13,  2013 http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/cityclerk/scroll.aspx?id=72497

>>> Sherry Kaplan Roberts, a candidate for the Miami Beach City Commission, will be the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club speaker March 12, 8:30AM to 10:00AM, David’s Cafe 1, corner of Collins Ave. & 11th St., Miami Beach.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Candidate debate for Group III seat packs in over 100 residents, voters need to get to know the candidates

About 100 people attended a debate between the five candidates running for the Group III race at the Coral Gables Congregation Church and these events are one of the few opportunities for Gables voters to hear what a potential elected leader might have to say on the matters important to the residents of The City Beautiful. However, with five candidates it was difficult to get major statements from any of the candidates I was told by one person that attended the event and why it is important for the public to attend any future debates if they wish to know what these people stand for and their understanding of city issues, including the city’s almost $200 million future pension liability, the job that Manager Pat Salerno is doing and the policies and initiatives the city is embarking on now and in the future.

>>> PAST WDR:  With winner take all race, Group (III) race with five candidates, victor may win with small majority of Gables voters

With the Apr. 9 election drawing closer and the Feb. 22 qualifying date past, the races for Coral Gables Mayor and two commission seats is set. The city clerk’s election webpage lists only Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr., running for the top spot on the dais that pays $34,736 and in two commission seat races for the vacated Group (II) and the Group (III) seat for the first spot on the dais there is Marlin Holland Ebbert, Ross Hancock and Vincente Carlos Lago running.

And for the latter Group (III) commission seat, the packed field includes Jackson “Rip” Holmes, Patricia A. Keon, P.J. Mitchell, Norman Anthony Newell and Mary Martin Young in a winner take all race. A commissioner is paid $28,225 and serves a four-year term to the mayor’s term that is every two years. That fact is important for the commission races especially in the Group (III) race. For with five candidates, whoever wins will likely have well less than a majority of the potential 29,355 registered voters as of Jun. 2012 that turn out for the election. Here is the latest campaign report information. http://www.gableshomepage.com/2013/01/14/gables-candidates-report-over-334000-in-donations-loans/

CITY OF DORAL

>>> Showman Trump not looking the svelte person seen on television at Doral

Donald Trump the real estate magnate that parlayed his fame into a television personality has descended on the Doral Country Club for the Cadillac Open and he bought the course in receivership for only a cool $150 million. Trump spotted Saturday wearing Khaki Pants, a polo shirt wearing a red hat looked heavier and different from his public persona said a couple that saw him at the PGA event that includes Tiger Wood’s leading the pack on Saturday. The couple said they go to all the major golf events including the U.S. Masters in Augusta Georgia and had been at many earlier matches at Doral. They said in the past the course looked much worse and a little seedy, but this year was a different story and on Monday Trump is beginning a complete redo of the famed over 600-acre club.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Norman Tripp to the Board of Governors of the State University System.

Tripp, 74, of Fort Lauderdale, is an attorney with Tripp Scott, P.A. In addition to his work on the Board of Governors of the State University System, Tripp also previously served on the Board of Directors for Annenberg College, the Board of Trustees for the University of Miami, the Advisory Board of Nova Southeastern University, and the Board of Trustees of Florida Atlantic University. Tripp received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his law degree from Cleveland State University. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending January 6, 2020. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF HOLLYWOOD

>>> Hollywood Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, and Steven Steinberg, Chief, Aventura Police Department (Aventura PD), announce the sentencing of defendant Jonathan Torres-Bonilla, 36, of Hollywood.  Torres-Bonilla was sentenced to 16 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  The defendant was also ordered to pay $100,388.01 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. On December 27, 2012, defendant Torres was convicted at trial of all six counts in the indictment against him.  Specifically, Torres was convicted of two counts of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(2) and 1029(a)(3), and four counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1), in connection with an identity theft tax refund fraud scheme.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the defendant had been observed by plain-clothes Aventura police officers at the Aventura Mall using multiple debit cards at multiple different ATMs on November 25, 2011.  Aventura police officers followed the defendant to the mall garage, where he tried to flee in a minivan.  The defendant was arrested when he refused to provide identification.  The officers then searched the defendant and his car and found 28 pre-paid debit cards (loaded with $117,000 in tax refunds), dozens of ATM receipts, and more than $1,700 in cash.  At sentencing, the defendant was found to have obstructed justice by lying during his testimony at trial. Mr. Ferrer commended the efforts of IRS-CID and Aventura PD for their work on the case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF WESTON

Press release: Gov. Scott taps Adrien “Bo” Rivard and the reappointments of Ronald M. Bergeron and Richard A. Corbett to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Rivard, 41, of Panama City, has been a partner with Harrison Rivard Duncan & Buzzett since 2002 and is the past-president of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Samford University. He succeeds Kathy Barco and is appointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending August 1, 2017.

Bergeron, 69, of Weston, is owner and president of Bergeron Family of Companies. He is a member of the Broward County Airboat Association and the Everglades Coordinating Council. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending August 1, 2017.

Corbett, 74, of Tampa, is owner and president of Concorde Companies. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and ending January 6, 2018. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Man Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Paula A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that defendant Jeanson Pata, 31, of West Palm Beach, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn to two counts of theft of government money or property in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, and one count of false statement to a federal agency in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.  He faces a possible maximum statutory sentence of 25 years in prison.  Sentencing is scheduled before Judge Cohn for May 14, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.

According to documents filed in court, on or before May 27, 2010, the defendant, Jeanson Pata, gave his SunTrust Bank debit card and PIN to his cousin (and co-defendant) Fednol Pierre, so that Pierre could deposit stolen tax refund checks into Pata’s bank account.  Pierre deposited two such checks into Pata’s checking account, totaling $14,078, on May 27, 2010, and June 10, 2010.  Shortly after each deposit, Pierre, with help from Pata, withdrew most of those funds at ATMs, grocery stores, and the teller window.  Pata also transferred a total of $1,200 of those funds into his own savings account.

Additionally, according to documents filed in court, on November 20, 2012, Pata falsely told a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent that he had not received payment for allowing Pierre to use his bank account to deposit checks. Mr. Ferrer thanked USSS and IRS-CI for their work on the case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Coats. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Gov. Scott taps Alan O. Forst to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Forst, 54, of Palm City, has been the Chair of the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission (formerly the Unemployment Appeals Commission) since 2001. The Commission is the legal body that considers appeals from cases contesting reemployment compensation awards and denials. Forst is the former Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the Florida Bar.  From 1998-2001, Forst practiced with Crary Buchanan in Stuart, FL.  From 1997-1998, he served with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and from 1993-1997, he served with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.  Forst received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and his law degree from the Catholic University of America.  Forst will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Fred A. Hazouri. Governor Rick Scott said, “Through leadership and public service, Alan has shown a commitment to the principle of judicial restraint and the rule of law.  He is a clear thinker who understands constitutional issues and his unique intellect will enhance the work for Fourth District Court of Appeals for years to come.”

CITY OF BOCA RATON

>>> Four Defendants Sentenced in Timeshare Fraud

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Daniel C. Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, announced yesterday that Senior United States District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp sentenced defendants Anthony J. Chiaramonte, 35, of New York City, Nicholas Charles Higgins, 27, of Boynton Beach, Florida, Wensley Robin McFarlane, 53, of Lake Worth, Florida, and James Michael Tomasso, 53, of Boca Raton, Florida, for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Defendant Chiaramonte was sentenced to 51 months in prison; defendant Higgins was sentenced to one year and one day in prison; defendant McFarlane was sentenced to 90 months in prison; and defendant Tomasso was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

These defendants participated in a telemarketing boiler room through which telemarketers negotiated to purchase victim-owned timeshares on condition that the victim paid an advanced fee to cover such things as a title search.  This fee ranged as high as tens of thousands of dollars.  The victims were also told that this fee would be refunded to them at closing together with the money the conspirators were to pay them for the timeshares. None of these purchases ever occurred.  In total, the conspiracy victimized over 1,000 people, many of whom were senior citizens, and cost the victims, in aggregate, more than $2.5 million. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Boca Raton Police Department.  This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry S. Baron. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PINNELAS COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Maria N. Edmonds and Raymond H. Neri to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

Edmonds, 67, of Tarpon Springs, is a social services independent contractor and Chair of the Hispanic Leadership Council. She is reappointed for a term beginning March 7, 2013, and ending August 11, 2016.

Neri, 75, of St. Petersburg, is retired and very active in the Pinellas County community. He belongs to several organizations including the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Police Athletic League Board. He is reappointed for a term beginning March 7, 2013, and ending August 7, 2016. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Join us on March 15th for Jazz (and a Little Bit of Blues) at Jackson Soul Food. Once again, we will pay homage to the glory days of Overtown when dozens of nightclubs lined the streets and crowds packed those nightclubs. We’re grateful and happy to say that this series attracts one of the most diverse audiences in Miami and it has sold out each time. Get your tickets early and thank you! Tickets may be purchased here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5187662438 www.overtownmusicproject.org

>>> Wednesday, March 23, 2013:  Downtown Bay Forum: Gun Control: Do we need more or less? Panelists: Hon. Barbara Jordan, County Commissioner, District 1, Chief Matthew Boyd, Miami Gardens Police Chief and president of the Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police – Moderator:  Dr. Sean Foreman, Department of History & Political Science, Barry University. 11:30 a.m. at Temple Israel, 137 NE 19th Street, Miami. Free self-parking available. $35 membership, $23 lunch for member with reservation, $58 membership & lunch, $27 non-member or member without reservation if space is available. To reserve, or for further information, call Annette Eisenberg at 305-757-3633. www.downtownbayforum.org

>>> NON-PROFIT & CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: APPLY NOW TO BE FEATURED AT PHILANTHROFEST 2013 – April 6th, 2013 Miami Dade College Wolfson 300 NE 2nd Ave

Philanthrofest is a volunteer-based organization that connects people, passion and philanthropy in South Florida. The PhilanthroFest team celebrates the South Florida arts community, philanthropic organizations and community resources annually in a free, large-scale community event. Now in its second year,

PhilanthroFest 2013 will take place on Saturday, April 6th and be located at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. It provides an incredible opportunity to connect thousands of South Florida residents to valuable resources and services in the areas of Business & Economic Development, City/County Services, Civic Engagement/Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Cultural/Arts/Humanities, Educational, Environmental, Health/Human Services/Disease Prevention, Poverty/Welfare, Animal Related, Food/Agriculture/Nutrition, Recreation & Sports, and Youth Development & Services. The primary goal is to bring potential volunteers and donors together with not-for-profit organizations, while creating an environment that promotes civic engagement, deepens community connections and sparks the philanthropic spirit of South Florida. PhilanthroFest also strives to provide educational resources to non-profits in the areas of social media and on-line engagement, digital marketing and web development via collaborations between public/private partners and industry experts to create events such as our Non-Profit Community Engagement Institutes. We are excited to announce that we are just one month away from PhilanthroFest’s main event, and there are only days left for non-profits to apply in order to be featured in PhilanthroFest 2013. If you or someone you know works and/or volunteers for a non-profit/cultural arts organization based in South Florida, please encourage the organization to submit an application on-line by Friday, March 15th. Application is FREE and space is limited, so do not delay and visit this link today to learn more. To apply, visit the application page. If you have any questions regarding the above, please email Naomi Ross at

org@philanthrofest.com.

EDITORIAL

PAST WDR FEB. 2008: Politicians at all levels & senior staff must be held to higher standard, public corruption corrosive to society as a whole

Elected leaders, other public servants that are arrested and then plead out, the light sentences they get nationally, statewide and locally are bothering to the average person and it must end if the public is to view their leaders with the respect they should deserve. Public corruption comes in many forms from just stealing or a bribe, to the misuse of the public positions for something perhaps personal. South Florida is going through a wave of this activity, state and federal prosecutors are popping politicians, and senior staff but some of the sentences just seem too light, especially when it concerns public integrity of a politician.

It is bad enough that public institutions waste billions collectively and just in Miami-Dade County around $250 million is blown a year says the county IG through fraud, ineptitude or carelessness and that is not a small number especially with the cooling state economy. Further, the transformation of an activist or candidate into an ego driven elected leader is sad to watch and because voters are not paying close attention. These people and their actions will not be noticed at first and it takes years sometimes to get some of these wayward rascals out of office.

A person’s feeling of entitlement to elected office is probable the most painful to watch as people go from elected office, to elected office becoming a career politician which is fine, if it is not accompanied by the same politician being a lobbyist or shill for some industry on the side. In addition, while public corruption has been with us since almost the dawn of time, it must be attacked aggressively and when people are found guilty the sentences should reflect the special fact they are a public servant that has gone astray and should get the book thrown at them. For this is definitely not a good thing for the public and society as a whole.

LETTERS

>>> Gee, Dan, you make Jimmy Morales and me sound like chopped liver! Maybe it is too much of a challenge for the others or maybe the others are just too comfortable in their current niches?  At any rate, I am up for some fun and keep in mind it is not the Manager’s job to manage the elected officials – thank goodness.

Frank Rollason

Mgr. candidate for Miami Beach

>>> Miami Beach Commissioner Deede Weithorn, newly elected President of the MD League of Cities, addressing the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club this morning, advised those attending that the state wants 50% of the parking revenue on state roads now going to the city (Collins and Alton on MD).  She opposes it on behalf of the League, as it would apply to state road in all cities and counties.

David Kelsey

Miami Beach

>>> Florida lawmakers are on pace to make history by passing comprehensive ethics reform.  While Integrity Florida applauds our state leaders for taking on this challenging issue, key questions remain: 1. Will the lasting legacy of these reforms strengthen or weaken Florida ethics laws? 2. Does the ethics reform proposal protect the public from corruption or protect politicians? Former Florida Commission on Ethics Executive Director Phil Claypool identified areas of concern about Senate Bill 2, the ethics reform bill just passed 40-0 by the Florida Senate.  Phil shared his concerns in the following memo to Integrity Florida and granted us permission to circulate it to you: Click here to read Phil Claypool Memo to Integrity Florida – Ethics Reform Bill Analysis

Senate President Don Gaetz, House Speaker Will Weatherford, Senate Ethics and Election Committee Chairman Jack Latvala and House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee Chairman Jim Boyd are all to be commended for their constructive, bipartisan pursuit of ethics reform. Floridians have not seen our state leaders prioritize and pass comprehensive ethics reform since the implementation of the 1976 Sunshine Amendment. By addressing the issues outlined in the Claypool memo, these leaders will leave a lasting legacy of strengthening Florida ethics laws.
Daniel B. Krassner, Executive Director
Integrity Florida IntegrityFlorida.org

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

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The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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.

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]]> http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/11/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-42-march-10-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/feed/ 0 http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/04/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-41-march-3-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/ http://www.watchdogreport.net/2013/03/04/watchdog-report-vol-13-no-41-march-3-2013-est-05-05-00-i-go-when-you-cannot/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:56:01 +0000 editor http://www.watchdogreport.net/?p=1559 CONTENTS

Argus Report: Identity Theft tops the charts in S. FL; number of residents impacted dwarfs other scams like Medicare and Mortgage Fraud

Florida: Will Gaetz & Weatherford be able to shepard true ethics and conflict of interest reforms? FL voters need to weigh in on issue and support effort

Miami-Dade County: Déjà vu, who would believe a shrink-wrap contract at MIA, would get such attention, nothing like when question was about the hearing judge and was he “awake, dozing or full asleep?”

Miami-Dade Public Schools: The English Center offers free tax help to the community

Public Health Trust: Obamacare 101, hospitals & doctors under fiscal gun, “Heavy duty on prevention,” new watchword but what will final 100,000 pages of federal guidelines bring?

City of Miami: Chair Sarnoff questions why commission auditor Guba slow to audit five key privately run city assets and the rent payments

City of Miami Beach: 101 municipal managers in three counties gave Beach Mgr. job a miss, not a resume builder for commission & mayor

City of Coral Gables: Miami Dolphins Rep. Bach-Armas makes $400 million Sun Life renovation pitch at Ponce Business luncheon Monday

City of North Miami Beach: Owner of North Miami Beach Dry Cleaner Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

City of North Miami: North Miami Resident Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft

City of Aventura: Former Fortune 500 Top Executive of Miami Beach Manufacturing Company Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Investment Scheme

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Broward Man Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

City of Ft. Lauderdale: Ft. Lauderdale Man Convicted of Money Laundering and Obstruction of Justice in Connection with MBC Fraud

City of Boca Raton: Gov. Scott reappointments of Joseph R. Boyd and Tamara J. McKee to the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board.

Martin County: Gov. Scott makes two appointments and one reappointment to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Alachua County: Gov. Scott taps Brian Leslie to the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority.

Editorials: How indiscriminate is federal Sequester, $436 million in IRS cuts reduce tax revenue by $1.7 billion alone this year — Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, Orlando Sun-Sentinel January 20, 2003 >>> And a 2004 UNC Chapel Hill study of the Southeast United States 15 states media outlet study where the Watchdog Report is listed as writing a “influential” column in Florida with over 100,000 readers: http://www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf

Letters: Reader corrects WDR, Miami employees not in FL Retirement System

Sponsors: Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue — Scroll down for all the headline stories text

>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)

>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message and you are free to e-mail this on to friends.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>> Red Alert: If you think it is important to have an alternative mainstream news service, I hope you will consider becoming a financial supporter for I do have to live and pay my rent. I also want to thank again all those people and organizations that have supported me and I have been honored by that trust and support of my efforts over the past almost 14 years trying to keep the community, state, nation and world informed of the political and governmental happenings in South Florida.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Identity Theft tops the charts in S. FL; number of residents impacted dwarfs other scams like Medicare and Mortgage Fraud

“We are the graduate school for fraud,” said former local U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta to the Watchdog Report back in the mid 2000s and the community has just added a new graduate school program into the mix, Identity Theft. In the past South Florida has been ground zero for Medicare, Medicaid, and mortgage fraud along with Ponzi schemes, and Human Trafficking and in the case of Medicare frauds. South Florida actually exports the rip off scams around the state and nation after these are perfected using Beta sites locally, and is why there is two FBI special agent details handling the matter in the federal Southern District of Florida with the first being created back in late 2002.

However, this new scourge has blossomed fast and for the last four years has grown exponentially and in this week’s Watchdog Report, there are multiple cases of people being busted by authorities for the activity that is a nightmare for the scammed person’s life. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL was shocked at the scope of the activity until a few years ago, when he linked up with one woman who had all her personal information stolen called “Miss X.” She later testified in front of Congress and her ordeal trying to get the IRS to address her problem and to get a refund check due her but was sent to the scammer instead. Further, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle also recently carped to the Watchdog Report about the explosion of “Identity Theft” down here and her office is being inundated with cases of people having their personal and financial data lifted and used illegally, she said.

And law enforcement experts say you know you have a problem when drug dealers believe Identity Theft is a better avenue then their current trade that could get them killed in a turf war. For these people, Identity Theft is not only much safer but can become a family affair where relatives are all involved in the processing of this illegally gotten information. And while it is not armed robbery. Identity Theft is real, and the fact the volume of prosecutions is becoming voluminous, by state and federal authorities should be of concern to all residents in Florida. For while Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach may be Identity Theft Central, this corrosive scam is spreading nationwide. And once again we are leading the pack say these elected leaders and law enforcement prosecutors.  >>> Here is a story on Miss. X http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-05-25/news/fl-tax-fraud-id-theft-hearing-20110525_1_tax-refunds-identity-theft-fraudulent-tax-returns

Nelson

>>> Owner of Mental Health Facilities Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison in Connection with $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Press release: A former owner of mental health facilities in Florida and North Carolina was sentenced yesterday to serve 168 months in prison for his leadership role in a health care fraud scheme involving defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office. Armando Gonzalez, 50, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to his prison term, Gonzalez was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay 28,092,283 in restitution, which, under the terms of Gonzalez’s plea agreement, will be satisfied in part by seized assets including $987,000 in currency seized in July 2012 and Gonzalez’s mansion in Hendersonville, N.C. On Dec. 17, 2012, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, HCSN operated community mental health centers at three locations in Miami-Dade County, Fla., and one location in Hendersonville.  HCSN purported to provide partial hospitalization program (PHP) services to individuals suffering from mental illness.  A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness.  According to court documents, HCSN obtained Medicare beneficiaries to attend HCSN for purported PHP treatment that was unnecessary and, in many instances, not even provided.

Gonzalez orchestrated the HCSN fraud scheme, which centered on the recruitment and admission of patients who could not benefit from PHP services. In Miami, Gonzalez utilized patient recruiters to pay cash kickbacks in exchange for referrals from Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) patients who often suffered from conditions such as dementia and mental retardation.  Once the unqualified patients were admitted to HCSN, Gonzalez’s employees would fabricate virtually every portion of the patients’ mental health medical records.  The fake medical records were then utilized to support false billings to government sponsored health care benefit programs and to avoid detection by Medicare auditors.

In North Carolina, HCSN employees also routinely submitted false billing for patients watching movies, attending BBQs and, more commonly, patients who were not even present at the Miami and North Carolina facilities. Gonzalez also admitted to his role in a money laundering scheme involving Psychiatric Consulting Network Inc. (PCN), a Florida corporation that was utilized by HCSN as a shell corporation to launder millions in health care fraud proceeds. According to court documents, from 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and the Florida Medicaid program approximately $63 million for purported mental health services that resulted in more than $28 million in payments. Fifteen defendants have been charged for their alleged roles in the HCSN health care fraud scheme, and ten defendants have pleaded guilty.  Alleged co-conspirators Wondera Eason and Paul Layman are scheduled for trial on March 11, 2013, before Judge Altonaga in Miami.  Alleged co-conspirators Dr. Alina Feas, Dana Gonzalez and Lisset Palmero are scheduled for trial on June 3, 2013.  Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.

The cases are being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney William Parente and Trial Attorney Allan J. Medina of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.  In support of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, the FBI Criminal Investigative Division’s Financial Crimes Section has funded the Special Trial Attorney position. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion.  In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> ZOGBY Analytics poll: Sequestration is not a Smart Strategy for Reducing the Deficit, Say Small Business Leaders -Most Say Federally Funded Basic Research is Important to Private Sector Innovation

Alexandria, Va.-February 26, 2013-More than two-thirds (67%) of small business leaders say basic research funded by the federal government is important to private sector innovation, according to a new nationwide survey of small business owners/operators commissioned by Research!America. In addition, nearly half (45%) say medical research funding to universities and other non-governmental research institutions should not be cut as part of sequestration, and a plurality (40%) say that such across-the-board cuts are not a smart strategy for reducing the deficit. The survey findings also reveal that small businesses support the federal government’s role in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Seventy percent of respondents say STEM education is important to the future of their business and the federal government should increase funding for those programs.

“It is striking that small business owners, the backbone of our economy comprising nearly 80% of business leaders nationwide, strongly value federal support for research and recognize the major role it plays in spurring private sector growth,” said Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley.

A majority of respondents (85%) say it’s very important or somewhat important to reduce the federal debt and deficit and to cut federal corporate and individual tax rates (81%). Among the top strategies for deficit reduction are entitlement reform (25%), eliminating targeted corporate tax breaks (22%) and closing tax loopholes (21%). Seventy-seven percent say the rising cost of health care, a major chunk of our national debt, is important to their businesses, a concern that mirrors other components of the economy as well as individuals. A huge majority, 80%, says it’s important for the government to support research that focuses on making our health care system more efficient.

The concern of small business owners is strikingly evident as it relates to our nation’s world leadership status, with 90% describing research and development as important to our global competitiveness. “Small business owners understand the critical role of federal government in giving small businesses a launching pad that includes the stimulus of innovation based on federally supported research and development,” added Woolley. “Deep cuts to medical research funding would be detrimental to small businesses, our nation’s economy and global competitiveness if policy makers allow the sequester to take effect.” >>> The nationwide survey of small business owners/operators was conducted by Zogby Analytics for Research!America. Based on a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error for the panel of 203 business owners is +/-7.0 percentage points.

To view the poll, visit: www.researchamerica.org/uploads/Feb2013smallbizsurvey.pdf

About Research!America polls – Research!America began commissioning polls in 1992 in an effort to understand public support for medical, health and scientific research. The results of Research!America’s polls have proven invaluable to our alliance of member organizations and, in turn, to the fulfillment of our mission to make research to improve health a higher national priority. In response to growing usage and demand, Research!America has expanded its portfolio, which includes state, national and issue-specific polling. Poll data is available by request or at www.researchamerica.org. >>>Research!America is the nation’s largest nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service, yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org 91.3 FM since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Will Gaetz & Weatherford be able to shepard true ethics and conflict of interest reforms? FL voters need to weigh in on issue and support effort

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz,65, in a interview on the Florida Channel said he believed he and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel will cajole both legislative branches to pass wide ranging ethics reforms. He noted that in his small county even the local sheriff had been arrested, a county commissioner is in federal prison and a few others have gone to the Big House and it showed the systemic nature of what has been called in the past the Sunshine State’s “Culture of Corruption.” And when it came to a legislator getting jobs at universities or other public institutions they vote funding for. Gaetz, a former school superintendent, said he comes from Okaloosa County and residents there call these types of appointments “walking around jobs,” he is quoted in the Tampa Bay Times last year. But he and Weatherford have continued to press for these reforms after decades of the legislature working around the edges and the new reform legislation. If passed has a host of new restrictions and disclosures and would force lawmakers to pay any fine incurred from an ethics breach including the garnishment of wages. And in the House Weatherford wants to banish committees of continued existence that politicians use to raise money, sometimes to supplement their own income and lifestyle or to attack an opponent in a political campaign.

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Ethics-Reform-to-Signal-Beginning-of-Session-194349831.html >>> http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/don-gaetz-says-ethics-reform-will-be-senate-priority

However, critics say some of the legislation gives lawmakers an out since they would have to know what they did was wrong and they demand any changes be tightened up further. But residents of Florida have potentially their best opportunity to put some teeth in these conflict of interest and ethics regulations then ever before in the state’s history, and voters if this is a hot button for you. Supporters of the stricter ethics guidelines should let their local state leaders know this is a priority, and had Florida leading federal statistics when it came to corrupt politicians and their arrest in a multi decade federal study of corruption around the nation.

Gaetz

Weatherford

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott On Sequestration: “Obama Administration & Congress Are Getting Paid For Not Doing Their Jobs While Floridians Lose Theirs”

Gov. Scott released the following statement on the threat of sequestration, which will trigger forced budget cuts on Friday, March 1, 2013: “There is no doubt that budget cuts must be made at the national level, just as we have done here in Florida. But, it is the responsibility of our federal leaders to administer spending reductions thoughtfully and rationally – not in an elementary school game of ‘chicken.’ Instead of cutting with a scalpel, the sequestration process is a meat hammer. “Sequestration means the Obama Administration and Congress failed to do their job to manage the budget. As thousands of Floridians lose their jobs, the Obama Administration and Congress are getting paid for not doing theirs. That’s just wrong.

“The impacts on Florida’s military installations and defense industries will be severe under the meat hammer of sequestration. Our immediate concerns include dramatic reductions to our National Guard, which threatens our ability to respond to wildfires this spring and hurricanes this summer. “Now is the time for leadership. It is critical for all national leaders to find a way forward that will not have unwarranted, unnecessary impacts on both our economic and our national security.” Florida is one of America’s most defense centric states.  Florida hosts three unified combatant commands, 20 major Air Force and Navy installations, and very large segments of the nation’s defense industry, which annually contributes over $73.4 billion and more than 754,000 defense industry jobs to the economy. Estimated defense industry impacts from industry and academic sources include jobs losses from 40,000 to 80,000, and defense spending reductions approaching $1 billion across Florida.  The Florida National Guard estimates an annual impact of $27.2 million, which includes 986 Florida National Guard employees furloughed for 20% of the remaining year ($7.3 million in lost wages).

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott names six appointments to the State of Florida Correctional Medical Authority.

Katherine E. Langston, 47, of Tallahassee, is a general surgeon at Capital Regional Surgical Associates. She is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Joyce A. Phelps, 61, of Tallahassee, is a retired home health nurse and previous division director of family health services for the Florida Department of Health. She is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Harvey R. Novak, 66, of Gainesville, is a retired dentist. He is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Peter C. Debelius-Enemark, 57, of Tallahassee, is a psychiatrist at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. He is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016.

Ryan D. Beaty, 65, of Inverness, is the president and chief executive officer of Citrus Memorial Health System. He is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending

July 1, 2016.

Lee B. Chaykin, 43, of Plantation, is the chief executive officer of Westside Regional Medical Center. He is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending July 1, 2016. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> Scandal free Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade looking for new CEO to replace Abety after 11-years in top child advocate administrative slot

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County created by county voters in 2002 and reaffirmed overwhelmingly by a 79 percent majority of  county voters in 2008 is looking for a new president to run the around $100 million Trust. Modesto Abety, the only top administrator of the organization since its creation is prohibited from taking the job during a six-month period he has to leave. Since he is in the Florida Retirement System, but a new CEO is expected to be found in the meantime before he could reapply for the job. In addition, long serving senior administrator Charles Auslander will be the interim CEO when Abety formally leaves at the end of March.

>>> The Children’s Trust Conducts Search for a New President and CEO, extends application deadline to Mar. 15 only the best of the best should apply for this premier organization helping kids

Press release: The Children’s Trust Board of Directors has begun an executive search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Qualified candidates are preferred to have no less than 15 years of experience, including at least five leading a team of professional staff, as a senior administrator with preference for a human service agency administrator or as public administrator working with a board, council or other policy body. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of: Governance structures in Miami-Dade and the State of Florida, the demographics of the Miami-Dade population, major policy issues involving children and families, and the dynamics of large urban communities with high levels of immigration. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future. >>> To view the entire job description, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org Interested and qualified candidates shall send, in one continuous Word or PDF document, a cover letter of interest, resume, at least three professional references, and salary requirements to: CEOsearch@thechildrenstrust.org >>> All information submitted to The Children’s Trust is subject to Public Records Requests and all interviews will be publicly noticed and take place in a public setting as proscribed by law.  In addition, a background check will be conducted as part of the pre-employment process.  Candidates who are not a current resident of Miami-Dade County, if hired, must relocate to Miami-Dade County within 30 days of employment. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Déjà vu, who would believe a shrink-wrap contract at MIA would get such attention, nothing like when question was about the hearing judge and was he “awake, dozing or full asleep?”

A contract for shrink wrapping baggage at Miami International Airport coming up for a vote this Tuesday by the county commission drew some press on Thursday and the media struck during Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s 2013 State of the County address. The ongoing contract for shrink wrapping bags at MIA is a long and storied saga that has played out since around 2000 when the airport was finally able to offer passengers this convenience, and since it is a cash operation. Vender interest was high to get what could have been a lucrative contract in the millions of dollars. In this current case the company with the highest bid got the award and while a competitor filed a bid protest. A hearing judge ruled on the side of the winner, the True Star Group.

The Watchdog Report contacted Jose Abreu, the director of MIA by phone on Friday and he said the aviation department’s recommendations was the right one. Yes some people from the previous firm had lost their job (ten of the past 15 workers were rehired) when the contract was awarded in 2010 to another firm. But he said “construction workers at MIA have been let go” also now that the two terminals were completed, he noted and was what happens when a construction job is done or another company gets the nod for a contract. The airport executive said MIA had a responsibility to the county and bondholders to maximize income coming in from concessions or other activities. He noted the county is contracting with an incredible number of firms at anyone time and in the case of this one at MIA. He said a selection committee of experts had evaluated it, and they were recommending the True Star Group, a overseas joint venture over the local Safe Wrap, even after the protest.

Abreu, who is leaving the post at the end of March for the private sector after decades in state transportation posts and rising to the Florida Secretary of Transportation before taking the MIA assignment back in 2005. However, he has found over the years the controversial MIA post buffeted by various lobbyist teams representing companies vying for some of the airport’s lucrative services is no easy job. And had his predecessor Angela Gittens leaving the top spot after she signed a petition calling for the creation of an airport authority and she called MIA and its wide variety of contracts “Lobbyist Heaven.” But she also drew the ire of county commissioners and the authority initiative stalled and the effort was abandoned, and she left the job.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Dispute-Over-Company-to-Wrap-Luggage-at-Miami-International-Airport-Gets-Heated-194086011.html >>> Here is the contract legislation: 130085  RESOLUTION APPROVING AWARD OF A LEASE AND CONCESSION AGREEMENT FOR THE LUGGAGE WRAPPING SERVICES AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BETWEEN TRUESTAR USA A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN SINAPSIS TRADING USA, LLC AND TRUESTAR GROUP SPA AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, WITH A MINIMUM ANNUAL GUARANTEE OF $9,600,000 AND FOR A TERM OF EIGHT YEARS, WITH A TWO-YEAR OPTION TO RENEW; AUTHORIZING COUNTY MAYOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE SAME, AND TO EXERCISE RENEWAL AND TERMINATION PROVISIONS THEREOF(Aviation Department)

Gimenez

Abreu

What about the first shrink wrap contract at MIA in 2000?

The Watchdog Report has a video tape in my BCC archives of the first county commission meeting where the body around 2000 was voting on the first baggage shrink-wrap contract and it was an action packed four-hour event with the cream of the top lobbyist working county hall verbally battling it out in the commission chambers. And some of the discussion’s highlights was attorney and lobbyist Robert Holland calling then county Manager Merritt Stierheim a “racist,” that Stierheim denied, but the real highlight was the discussion on the bid protest-hearing judge. For about a half hour of the much longer commission meeting, lobbyists argued over the judge at the protest hearing, trying to determine if the judge was “awake,” perhaps just “dozing off,” or “full asleep,” they argued back and forth. And now such protest meetings are videotaped at the county after the Watchdog Report suggested that be done to then Commission Chair Gwen Margolis and Stierheim.  But the intensity of the verbal arguments and lobbyist firepower involved was a sight to see and became another Miami-Dade moment and who knew wrapping traveler’s baggage would be such a hot button matter.

>>> Commission on Ethics and Public Trust press release: COE reminds all advisory board members to complete financial disclosure forms

Even though some of the nearly 100 advisory boards to the Miami-Dade County Commission did not meet during 2012 because no issues arose requiring their action, members must still file financial disclosure statements.  That’s the response to a Request for Opinion (RQO 13-01) issued by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust today.  The Commission determined that because advisory board members were approved and authorized to serve in 2012 and because they could have been exposed to undue influence associated with their membership, they must file financial disclosure statements by July 1, 2013, as must members of all County advisory boards.

>>> In a related query (RQO 13-02), the Miami-Dade Elections Department was told it may accept financial disclosure forms that are filed electronically.  The County Ethics Code doesn’t mention the physical properties of the estimated 5,500 forms sent to the agency each year.   The Ethics Commission concluded that the Elections Department may accept them via fax, e-mail or other devices compatible with its system, as long as security standards are followed.

>>> In other action, Ethics Commissioners agreed to establish the second Thursday of each month to hold their regular monthly meetings.   The next meeting will be on Thursday, March 14, 2013, at 10 a.m.

>>> Also today, Executive Director Joseph Centorino announced the promotion of three staff members, based on expanded responsibilities.   Investigator Karl Ross is assuming the duties of Forensic Accountant.  Staff Attorney Victoria Frigo is now Senior Staff Attorney.  And, Community Outreach Coordinator Rhonda Victor Sibilia is taking the title of Communications Director. >>> The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers. It is composed of five members, serving staggered terms of four years each. Through a program of education, outreach and enforcement, the Commission seeks to empower the community and bolster public trust.

>>> Owners of Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced to Prison in $48 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Press release: The owners and operators of two Miami health care agencies were sentenced to nine years and more than four years in prison today, respectively, and ordered to pay millions in restitution for their participation in a $48 million home health Medicare fraud scheme that billed for unnecessary home health care and therapy services. The sentences, imposed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, were announced by U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office.

U.S. District Judge Frederico A. Moreno sentenced Rogelio Rodriguez, 43, and Raymond Aday, 48, both of the Miami-Dade area, to 108 months and 51 months in prison, respectively.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Moreno sentenced Rodriguez to pay $33 million in restitution, and Aday to pay $2.1 million in restitution.  Both defendants were also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and pay a $100,000 fine.  In December 2012, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Rodriguez was the owner of both Caring Nurse Home Health Corp. and Good Quality Home Health Inc., and Aday was a manager at Caring Nurse and owner of Good Quality.

According to plea documents, Rodriguez and Aday conspired with patient recruiters for the purpose of billing the Medicare program for unnecessary home health care and therapy services.  Rodriguez, Aday and their co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters.  In return, recruiters provided patients to Caring Nurse and Good Quality, as well as prescriptions, plans of care (POCs) and certifications for medically unnecessary therapy and home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.  Rodriguez and Aday used these prescriptions, POCs and medical certifications to fraudulently bill the Medicare program for home health care services, which both Rodriguez and Aday knew was in violation of federal criminal laws. According to court documents, nurses and office staff at Caring Nurse and Good Quality falsified patient files to make it appear the Medicare beneficiaries qualified for services they did not.  Rodriguez admitted to knowing that these files were falsified so the Medicare program could be billed for medically unnecessary therapy and home health related services.

From approximately January 2006 through June 2011, Caring Nurse and Good Quality submitted approximately $48 million in claims for home health services that were not medically necessary and/or were not provided.  According to court documents, Medicare paid approximately $33 million for these fraudulent claims.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Joseph S. Beemsterboer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. >>> Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> GMCVB press release: DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES REMAINS STRONG – GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES RANKS #1 IN HOTEL ROOM OCCUPANCY AMONG THE FLORIDA MARKETS, #2 IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REV PAR), AND #2 IN AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE (ADR) FOR JANUARY 2013.
For January 2013, Greater Miami and the Beaches showed increases vs. 2012, ranking #1 in Hotel Room Occupancy at 82.5% among the Florida Hotel Markets, #2 in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) at $174.26, and #2 in Average Daily Room rate (ADR) at $211.11. Smith Travel Research compares the top markets in the United States based on Occupancy, Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar).

JANUARY 2013
AVERAGE DAILY OCCUPANCY
Market	% Occupancy	% Change vs. 2011
1. Miami	82.5%	+4.7%
2. Fort Lauderdale	80.1%	+1.0%
3. Florida Keys	79.2%	+1.7%
4. West Palm Beach	78.1%	+1.3%
5. Orlando	75.4%	+5.1%
REVENUE PER AVAILABLE HOTEL ROOM (REV PAR)
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
1. Florida Keys	$178.55	+12.6%
2. Miami	$174.26	+17.5%
3. West Palm Beach	$131.62	+8.6%
4. Fort Lauderdale	$112.79	+7.0%
5. Fort Myers	$79.90	+17.5%
AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE
Market	$	% Change vs. 2012
1. Florida Keys	$225.42	+7.3%
2. Miami	$211.11	+12.2%
3. West Palm Beach	$168.49	+3.0%
4. Fort Lauderdale	$140.86	+5.9%
5. Fort Myers	$122.05	+6.4%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOL

>>> The English Center offers free tax help to the community

Press release: The English Center, part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), Adult Education Division continues its long standing commitment to help members of the community to complete their income taxes with the free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. “Our VITA Program was started years ago as part of our accounting courses to provide a hands-on experience for our students,” said Dr. Dulce de Villa, The English Center principal.  “It also serves to offer a valuable free service to members of our community that cannot afford to pay hundreds of dollars to file their taxes.”

The VITA Program is administered and staffed by students and other individuals who volunteer their time to help the public in preparing their tax forms.  Those that are willing to participate as volunteers are trained beforehand and must pass an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) exam of basic rules, regulations, and tax preparation skills before they are able to assist taxpayers.  Divided into three groups, their functions are administrative, tax return preparation and quality review.

Individuals interested in having their tax preparation done through The English Center’s VITA program must bring the following documents with them:  social security card and social security cards of claimed dependents, picture identification, W-2 statements and 1099 MISC if self-employed, 1099 INT (for any interest income) documents for any claimed expenses like receipts, etc.

The English Center will offer these services to all interested individuals until April 3. Tax help is available Monday to Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Room H-3. The English center is located in 3501 S.W. 28th Street, Miami, FL 33133.  If you need additional information, call 305-445-7731 or visit http://www.tecmiami.com.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Obamacare 101, hospitals & doctors under fiscal gun, “Heavy duty [primary care] prevention,” new watchword but what will final 100,000 pages of federal guidelines bring?

Healthcare 101 under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed and sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court last year was the topic of the day at The GOOD GOVERNMENT Initiative luncheon on Wednesday and it brought a top-notch panel of experts in the field together. The event organized by former County Commissioner Katie Sorenson who is director of the Good Government Initiative based at the University of Miami noted that “36 countries have universal healthcare” coverage and now America is joining the group with the federal program commonly known as Obamacare. The panel included state Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Miami, Brian Keeley, the CEO of Baptist Health South Florida, Carlos Migoya, the CEO of Jackson Health System (JHS), Penny Shaffer, a senior administrator with Florida Blue Insurance, and Betsy Marville, RN, a senior nurse’s union representative.

Shaffer said the law was evolving and while the original bill Congress passed and signed by Obama is around 2,000 to 2,500 pages long, the regulations and guidelines will be over 100,000 pages, and “the regulations are not fully promulgated yet.” She noted that the rules are coming out in “troughs of 1,000 pages” at a time out of Washington, one such set of rules came in on the “eve of Thanksgiving” and another more recent set of documents became available “this past Sunday night,” Shaffer said. She noted nationwide something had to be done since healthcare costs were eating into the nation’s GDP to the tune of 18 percent and the “duplication of tests and defensive medicine alone is costing the nation some $124 billion,” she said.

Keeley, who runs the largest not-for-profit health system in South Florida with well over 15,000 employees and hospitals and emergency and primary care clinics in Monroe, Broward and Miami-Dade County said he is “a strong advocate of universal care” and he believed it was a “moral imperative” in the richest country in the world to have “universal healthcare.” He noted the current system has patients in medical distress going to a hospital’s emergency rooms and “these people are treated in the most expensive way,” and is one of the drivers of healthcare costs. The administrator of Baptist Health for decades noted the cost for healthcare in America “is twice as expensive as other advanced countries in the world,” and when it comes to Obamacare. “Nothing has really happened yet,” and he noted, “The rubber meets the road in 2014,” when it comes to this new federal legislation.

Keeley also said given the size of the problem of the uninsured that could top “47 to 50 million” people, and while the new federal program would allow roughly 30 million of this group to get health insurance. The legislation does nothing for the healthcare needs and costs of “the undocumented [alien residents] who are not covered,” and are illegal immigrants (And a significant cost here in Miami-Dade and JHS spends tens of millions of dollars on these around seven percent undocumented and uncompensated patients). Though out west four or five states like California, Arizona and Texas get federal funding relief for their undocumented Mexican residents that present at hospitals. He noted that at Baptist Health over ten years ago they established a program for employee “wellness” and living a healthy lifestyle in their attempt to keep them healthy but also to blunt the cost of covering these peoples healthcare insurance. He said the thrust of healthcare in the future is “real heavy duty on prevention,” and primary care and also includes “chronic disease management.” He also said the political stalemate in Washington D.C. was not making enacting this legislation any easier for hospitals and the kicking in of the Sequester on Friday showed what a “dysfunctional political system,” the nation’s capital’s leaders had become. In addition, he believed the new law was a “great opportunity to change and improve healthcare” and the “game is going to change,” Keeley said.

Migoya, running the largest public hospital system in the state said 35 percent of the health system’s patients “are Medicaid and this is the largest concentration of this population in Florida.” But he noted these payments are at a fixed level of $2,500 per day per patient, whether the person is being treated for “a gallbladder or getting brain surgery.” The former banker who took over the reins of the $1.8 billion organization in the spring of 2010 noted with Obamacare and the Sequester kicking in. The hospital documents show is expected to lose $290 million in federal funding over the next ten years, Sequester will cut another $30.6 million and in total, the cuts will eliminate $334.6 million in the future. Migoya said at the state level the goal through managed care companies is to “drive down the costs,” and that will have a negative impact “on doctors and hospitals.” He said while Gov. Rick Scott wants to participate in Obamacare for the first three years with the Medicare expansion in the state. It’s “not his choice to make,” and it is the legislature that will make that call and the CEO feels “the House side is still not interested in the Medicaid expansion.” And he foresaw in the future that JHS “would lose not only $100 million” in state funding but another “$75 million” in public funding, and the only way for safety net hospitals to survive was to “manage costs better,” and any health system has to be “the most efficient and attractive to managed care companies,” if these hospitals are going to get these insured patients sent to their hospitals.

Marville said she “wanted to talk about the human side,” of the uninsured and noted “a lot of our workers are low pay,” and if people “qualify for Medicaid it is good for hospitals and the right thing to do,” the nurse said. She pointed out with the expected “800,000 uninsured expansion” in Florida. Studies show it will help keep kids healthier because “children of medically insured parents are more likely to get healthcare” and she believes “$100 million would be saved by Florida’s Medicaid expansion,” which is a “huge savings,” and access “to healthcare is access to prevention,” she closed.

Sen. Garcia joked he had “no clue” what was going to happen in Tallahassee but “We have to do something,” with the Senate more willing than the Florida House legislators. The former state representative before joining the Senate in 2010 said since Medicaid is one-third of the budget (About $21 billion) there must “be some kind of Medicaid reform.” He noted that “many managed care” activities are “so fragmented” and “multiple tests are being ordered” and these unnecessary tests “all adds to the cost of Medicaid,” he said. The healthcare administrator in his day job also asks if the program is opened up over the 3 million people currently in it and we “expand Medicaid, what happens to them with three million people already getting Medicaid, do they get less?”  He also noted when it comes to keeping the state’s population healthy that there “are not enough primary doctors,” and what “happens to the system if we flood it” with a host of new patients since “the infrastructure is not in place.”

Garcia also asked if the state did participate in the Medicaid expansion that has the federal government picking up the cost the first three years. “What happens in years four, five, and six, and is the state going to have the resources” to cover these costs and will the “cost savings associated” with this materialize and he believes these savings “could be a wash and are inflated.” He said the Senate has taken the position of “let’s have the conversation,” on this very serious issue and it will involve “community residents, hospitals and we are taking a serious look.” However, Garcia said “The House was taking a different look” and he hopes the lower body will “take the position to seriously look at it versus no.” However, he does believe “at the end of the day the Senate and House will come to some kind of resolution,” the veteran lawmaker closed.

>>> State Rep. Nunez tapped for PHT Nominating Council

The Miami-Dade County Delegation Chair state Rep. Eddie Gonzalez, R-Hialeah has selected state Rep. Jeanette Nunez, R-Miami to represent the body on the Public Health Trust Nominating Council. Nunez, a former Jackson Health System legislative representative in the state capital before running for office in 2010 is knowledgeable on the issues facing a Medicaid expansion and its impact to JHS and other public hospitals throughout the state. She currently is an employee of Kendall Regional Medical Center owned by HCA, a private hospital chain.

>>> The FRB members elected Steven Nuell Monday as its new secretary of the board and the job is heavy on administrative duties and is more than might first meet the eye. Nuell, an attorney has been on the FRB for a number of years and has been an active member in the past with the Jackson Memorial Foundation.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Chair Sarnoff questions why commission auditor Guba slow to audit five key privately run city assets and there rent payments

Ted Guba, CPA the Miami Commission Auditor was summoned to city hall during Thursday’s commission meeting after Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff asked for an explanation why the office had not done audits on the top five city assets that are leased out and included the Grove Harbour Marina Contract. The commission had asked this to be looked at months ago and Sarnoff was surprised the audits had been delayed since the auditor worked for the body. And he also took a dig at the office, created by city voters in 2001. The commissioner said he would like to have any reports issued at least “ten minutes” after The Miami Herald gets them and he gets a subsequent call from the city of Miami beat reporter for the paper. Sarnoff further said he did not want to know or instruct Guba what he should audit, clearly believing that could politicize the process in a town where everything is political and payback is a standard operateing procedure. But Sarnoff also wanted an answer to the delay.

However, Guba is in a job that is politically difficult and the office periodically draws the ire of commissioners and his predecessor Victor Igwe, CPA, was forced to wait long hours at meetings before the commission asked for his comments and he was in the cross hairs of Sarnoff a few years ago before his departure. And when Igwe fainted at one meeting, Sarnoff noted dryly. “He does that all the time,” as people tried to revive the man but it demonstrated the commissioner’s attitude.  Of the man who periodically issued some scathing audits but did not brief commissioners on the contents until they saw it in the press. But overall, since the office was created the commission auditors have brought a host of problems to light and it is one of those jobs where many times it is a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to the political minefield of Miami commission politics.

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott announced the reappointment of Marco A. Lopez to the Florida State Boxing Commission.

Lopez, 45, of Miami, is the vice president of Cambridge Security Services. He is reappointed for a term beginning February 25, 2013, and ending September 30, 2016. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> 101 municipal managers in three counties gave Beach Mgr. job a miss, not a resume builder for commission & mayor

When it comes to the people that applied to be the new city manager of Miami Beach, considered a great job among municipal managers, one glaring fact emerges. And that is not one municipal manager or assistant manager in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade County applied for the high profile position and is considered a plum job in comparison to some other South Florida cities. In Dade, there are 34 municipalities, Broward 31, and there are 36 of them in Palm Beach County and one insider suggested the lack of these people applying just shows how senior professional administrators from outside Miami Beach view the commission and mayor. They suggested last week to the Watchdog Report.

In addition to this lack of managers applying, the one outsider in the race Monica Cepero has now dropped out as a candidate and an assistant Broward County manager for the top job.  Which now leaves only locals Jimmy Morales and Frank Rollason in the hunt? And critics say it empirically validates that theory about the dysfunction of the current city commission where a couple of commission seats are up as well as mayor in November and these political races are expected to verbally bleed over on the dais. >>>Here are the profiles on the two remaining candidates. Rollason: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/22/3247827/miami-beach-city-manager-finalists.html >> Morales http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/22/3247829/miami-beach-city-manager-finalist.html

>>> Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club – Meeting Date: March 5th, 2013 – Meeting Time: 8:30 AM Meeting Place: New Location:  David’s One, corner of Collins Ave. and 11th Street – Beach Commissioner Deede Weithorn, the newly elected President of the Miami-Dade League of Cities, will be the guest speaker at the March 5th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. Ms. Weithorn is a Miami Beach City Commissioner.  She has just returned from a Washington DC meeting of the League of Cities and we can look forward to a report on the efforts of the organization. There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Miami Dolphins Rep. Bach-Armas makes $400 million Sun Life renovation pitch at Ponce Business luncheon Monday

The Miami Dolphins representatives are continuing their public relations offensive to get the public to buy into supporting the $400 million renovation of Sun Life Stadium needed the team believes to continue to secure NFL Super Bowls and its 50th in 2016. Marcus Bach-Armas, the team’s manager of Corporate Affairs is speaking Monday at the Ponce Business Association at John Martin’s restaurant at noon and any residents interested in the issue should check out the event. The professional football team is getting headwinds against the effort, and has vocal critic Norman Braman calling it Miami Marlins II.  After the baseball team got a sweetheart deal from Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami leaders and has residents outraged at the deal and its $2.5 billion cost after the financing of the bonds used to build the baseball stadium in Little Havana is factored in.

However, the Dolphins say this is a different deal, the team owner Stephen Ross is putting up over half of the cost and tourist taxes would pay for the public financing component that also includes a break on state taxes that would have to be approved by the state legislature. And negotiations are ongoing with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the team’s management, but the mayor in the past has said he wants the team “to carry the water” with the public, and the team now wants a referendum on the matter be taken before a late May vote by the NFL on what city to locate the 2016 Super Bowl that has Miami competing with San Francisco for the nod.

>>> This is a big week coming up for the Ponce Business Association.  All the hard work for many of the members will hopefully pay off this week.  Upcoming events are for March 4th at John Martin’s from 12:00 to 1:00 and March 7 at the Coral Gables Congregational Church from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

March 4, We will have the Dolphins come speak about the Stadium issue. Marcus Bach-Armas, Esq. is the Manager of Corporate Affairs for the Dolphins. He is entering his fourth season with the team. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Marcus graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he majored in International Relations.  He went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Michigan, where he also earned a Masters in Sports Management.

After representing a number of professional swimmers in connection with the 2008 Olympic Games, Marcus returned to Miami in 2008 and joined the law firm of Holland & Knight as a commercial litigator.  In 2009, Marcus left Holland & Knight to serve as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Alan Gold before joining the Miami Dolphins. Marcus lives in Miami with his wife, Lara, who is an attorney with the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

>>> Commission candidate debate for Group III seat on the dais March 7.

>>> PAST WDR:  With winner take all race, Group (III) race with five candidates, victor may win with small majority of Gables voters

With the Apr. 9 election drawing closer and the Feb. 22 qualifying date past, the races for Coral Gables Mayor and two commission seats is set. The city clerk’s election webpage lists only Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioner Ralph Cabrera, Jr., running for the top spot on the dais that pays $34,736 and in two commission seat races for the vacated Group (II) and the Group (III) seat for the first spot on the dais there is Marlin Holland Ebbert, Ross Hancock and Vincente Carlos Lago running.

And for the latter Group (III) commission seat, the packed field includes Jackson “Rip” Holmes, Patricia A. Keon, P.J. Mitchell, Norman Anthony Newell and Mary Martin Young in a winner take all race. A commissioner is paid $28,225 and serves a four-year term to the mayor’s term that is every two years. That fact is important for the commission races especially in the Group (III) race. For with five candidates, whoever wins will likely have well less than a majority of the potential 29,355 registered voters as of Jun. 2012 that turn out for the election. Here is the latest campaign report information http://www.gableshomepage.com/2013/01/14/gables-candidates-report-over-334000-in-donations-loans/

CITY OF NORTH MIAMI BEACH

>>> Owner of North Miami Beach Dry Cleaner Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), Miami Field Office, and Larry Gomer, Interim Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department (NMBPD), announce the sentencing of defendant Frantz Auguste, 53, of Sunny Isles, on one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with an identity theft tax refund fraud scheme.   U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham sentenced Auguste to 45 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release.

According to documents filed in Court, law enforcement searched Auguste’’s dry cleaning business in North Miami Beach on October 4, 2012, and found the following in a locked room for which Auguste had the only key:

Handwritten notes and lists with the personal identification information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of approximately 100 individuals.  Several of these lists appeared to have originated from a local nursing home and rehabilitation center. >>> Multiple tax refund checks in different individuals’ names. >>> Multiple tax returns in different individuals’ names.  >> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CID and the NMBPD for their work on the case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF NORTH MIAMI

>>> North Miami Resident Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced today announced that Josue Faustin, 20, of North Miami, pled guilty this morning to charges of possession of unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(3) and 1028A(a)(1), (b), and (c)(4). Sentencing has been scheduled for May 9, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Zloch.  At sentencing, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison for the possession of unauthorized access devices charge, and a mandatory sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge.

According to documents filed and statements made in court, Faustin engaged in a scheme using stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns.  The tax returns falsely claimed refunds and requested that the refunds be direct-deposited into Netspend debit card accounts, which Faustin had opened in the names of unwitting identity theft victims.  Faustin subsequently went to various ATM machines in Coral Springs, Broward County, and withdrew funds from the Netspend debit card accounts. On May 17, 2012, Faustin was observed by a Coral Springs police officer as he went to various CVS and 7-11 stores and bought pre-paid credit cards.  After the purchases, Faustin went to ATM machines and withdrew money.  Faustin was pulled over for a traffic stop and was found to be in possession of $5,881 in cash (separated into numerous bundles), 3 cell phones, 15 Netspend debit cards, and 4 newly purchased debit cards. >> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keene. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF AVENTURA

>>> Former Fortune 500 Top Executive of Miami Beach Manufacturing

Company Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Investment Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Claudio Eleazar Osorio, a/k/a “Claudio Osorio Rodriguez,” 54, of Aventura, pled guilty on February 28, 2013, before U.S. District Court Judge William Dimitrouleas.  Osorio pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h).

Sentencing has been scheduled for May 9, 2013.  At sentencing, Osorio faces a maximum possible statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud conspiracies and 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to documents filed with the court and statements made in court during the plea, Osorio was the owner and majority shareholder of Innovida Holdings, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, located in Miami Beach.  Innovida manufactured fiber composite panels for the construction industry for use in residential, commercial, governmental, and other structures without the need for cement, steel or wood.  Innovida purported to be a rapidly expanding and financially strong international operation with facilities in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Angola, Tanzania, and other countries.

According to statements made in court, between March 2007 and March 2011, Osorio offered and sold shareholder interests and joint-venture partnerships in Innovida to select individuals and groups, raising more than $40,000,000 from approximately ten (10) investors and investment groups in the United States and abroad.  Osorio solicited and recruited investors by making materially false representations and concealing and omitting material facts regarding, among other things, the profitability of the company, the rates of return on investment funds, the use of investors’ funds and the existence of a pending lucrative contract with a third-party entity.  Osorio received moneys from investors based on these misrepresentations.  Osorio used investor monies for his and his co-conspirators’ personal benefit and to maintain and further the fraud scheme.

According to statements made in court, the second conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a $10,000,000 loan that Osorio and another applied for and obtained a from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (“OPIC”), a U.S. government agency that promotes U.S. government investments abroad to foster the development and growth of free markets.  The purported purpose of the loan was to build a manufacturing facility and 500 homes in Haiti (“the Haiti project”) for displaced families in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake.  Osorio  and others made materially false representations and omissions concerning, among other things, the profitability of Innovida, the purported use of the loan proceeds, an equity contribution to be made by Innovida, and contracts that Innovida purportedly had obtained with third-party vendors.  Osorio used the OPIC loan proceeds to repay investors and for his and his co-conspirators’ personal benefit and to further the fraud scheme. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lois Foster-Steers. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Broward Man Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, announce the sentencing of defendant Luis Enrique Ledee Bernard, a/k/a “Luis L. Bernard,” 21, of Miramar.  Bernard was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution. Bernard pled guilty on December 17, 2012 to one count of theft of government funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. On October 9, 2012, the defendant was charged in a seventeen count indictment in connection with a scheme to obtain fraudulent tax return proceeds.  According to the indictment, the defendant deposited nine (9) fraudulent tax refund checks that were fraudulently obtained by using the stolen personal identification information of at least (4) persons who were deceased.  The proceeds from the nine fraudulent tax return refunds were direct-deposited into the defendant’s bank account.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Identity Theft Tax Refund Strike Force, with special commendation to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-CI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gera Peoples. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE

>>> Ft. Lauderdale Man Convicted of Money Laundering and Obstruction of Justice in Connection with MBC Fraud

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that, after a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, a federal jury sitting in Miami convicted defendant Steven Steiner, a/k/a “Steven Steinger,” 60, on 19 of 54 counts, including conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses, money laundering, conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, and various obstruction of justice offenses, relating to Steiner’s participation in a scheme to launder and conceal more than $15 million in proceeds derived from the Mutual Benefits Corporation (“MBC”) fraud, and Steiner’s obstruction of United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the court-appointed receiver for MBC, and the United States District Court, in their efforts to secure and recover assets traceable to the fraud.  Co-defendant Henry Fecker, III was acquitted on all charges.  Steiner is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Williams on May 8, 2013.

According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately 1994 to May 2004, MBC purchased life insurance policies from persons suffering from AIDS, chronically ill, and elderly persons.  Having purchased the life insurance policies, MBC sold fractionalized interests in the death benefits, known as “viatical settlements,” to approximately 30,000 investors.  In promotional materials, MBC told investors that its viatical settlements offered a fixed rate of return with low risk, and that investors’ principal and returns were paid by the insurance companies.  Evidence at trial established that MBC misrepresented various material facts relating to its viatical settlements, including, for example, the estimated life expectancies of the insured persons, MBC’s title to certain life insurance policies, the risks associated with certain policies, the payment of premiums, and the source of funds used to pay investors.  Witnesses testified that new investor money was used to pay premiums on life insurance policies purchased by earlier investors and to pay investors who requested their money back.  The evidence established that as the fraud continued, investor money was required to prevent the MBC Ponzi-scheme from collapsing. Ultimately, investors lost more than $750 million. Steiner was a founder, principal, and Vice President of MBC, and he received more than $15 million in proceeds from the MBC fraud through two shell corporations that he controlled,  Camden Consulting, Inc., and SKS Consulting, Inc.

In May 2004, the SEC filed a civil enforcement action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, SEC v. Mutual Benefits Corp., et al., Case No. 04-60573-CIV-MORENO (the “SEC Fraud Action”), against MBC and various “relief defendants,” including Steiner’s shell corporations.  On May 4, 2004, United States District Judge Federico A. Moreno entered an order appointing Coral Gables attorney Roberto Martinez as the receiver for MBC, with the mandate to identify, secure, trace, and recover the assets of MBC. According to evidence presented at trial, the jury found that, following the closure of MBC and the appointment of the MBC receiver, Steiner engaged in money laundering transactions designed to conceal the source, location, ownership, and control of his proceeds from the MBC fraud.  At the same time, Steiner acted to obstruct the SEC, the MBC receiver, and the United States District Court.

Evidence at trial also disclosed that in 2006 and early 2007, Steiner submitted false and misleading financial disclosure documents to the SEC to persuade the SEC to agree to a favorable settlement of the SEC claims against him and his shell corporations Camden Consulting and SKS Consulting, in the SEC Fraud Action.  Based upon Steiner’s fraudulent financial disclosure, the SEC agreed to a reduced penalty of $3.9 million, and on April 10, 2007, the District Court entered a Final Judgment in the SEC Fraud Action ordering Steiner, SKS and Camden to pay $3.9 million to the court-appointed receiver for MBC.  Evidence at trial established that Steiner acted to thwart the MBC receiver’s efforts to trace and recover MBC assets and recover on the final judgment.  Among other things, Steiner repeatedly lied under oath during depositions and physically concealed documents, including checks representing proceeds from the MBC fraud. Steiner is currently awaiting trial in two related cases in the Southern District of Florida.  In United States v. Joel Steinger, et al., Case No. 08-21158-CR-Scola, Steiner and co-defendants Joel Steinger and Anthony Livoti are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering, in relation to the MBC fraud scheme.  In United States v. Joel Steinger et al., Case No. 12-20123-CR-Rosenbaum, Steiner, Joel Steinger, and Henry Fecker III are charged with engaging in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud insurance companies. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerrob Duffy and Dwayne E. Williams. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

CITY OF BOCA RATON

>>> Gov. Scott reappointments of Joseph R. Boyd and Tamara J. McKee to the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board.

Boyd, 43, of Tallahassee, is a partner at Boyd, Durant and Sliger PL. He is reappointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending October 31, 2016.

McKee, 42, of Boca Raton, is a self-employed actress. She is reappointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending October 31, 2016. >>> The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

MARTIN COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott makes two appointments and one reappointment to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

William R. Weiss, 45, of Stuart, is a deputy sheriff at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. He succeeds John J. Rivera, and is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending August 25, 2016.

Matthew L. Williams, 43, of Middleburg, is a deputy sheriff at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. He succeeds Nelson D. Cuba, and is appointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending August 1, 2013.

Kathleen A. Connell, 45, of Tallahassee, is a police officer at the Tallahassee Police Department. She is reappointed for a term beginning February 28, 2013, and ending August 1, 2016.

ALACHUA COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Brian Leslie to the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport Authority.

Leslie, 46, of Gainesville, is the executive vice president of Charles Perry Construction Inc. He succeeds Roderick Gonzalez and is appointed for a term beginning March 1, 2013, and ending July 31, 2014.

EDITORIAL

>>> How indiscriminate is Sequester, $436 million in IRS cuts reduce tax revenue by $1.7 billion alone this year

With President Barack Obama signing the paperwork kicking in the federal Sequester cuts Friday night, the expected slow hemorrhaging of federal funds too pay social services and the military has begun and while some are predicating taking a meat ax to the spending for federal programs is the wrong way to do it and cuts should be made surgically. That did not happen when the agreement was crafted in 2011 and now across the whole federal system and its workers some $85 billion in cuts have to be made over the year and this slow bleed has a host of blow back consequences including for the Internal Revenue Service that brings in the cash to pay for federal services and programs and the U.S. debt now around $16.3 trillion. U.S.A. Today www.usatoday.com on Friday noted with sequester, the IRS will lose some $436 million in funding and past studies have shown for every dollar spent on enforcement by the federal agency. The IRS brings in $4.00 more than the $1.00 spent and in this case the nation will lose roughly $1.7 billion in tax revenue during this period state’s the national daily paper.

And that is just one example of what the broad federal cuts will do and while in the scheme of things the IRS example it is just a drop in the bucket. The fact the IRS will feel this pinch at a time revenue generation is a key component to working our way out of the nation’s debt shows the flaw in the legislation and the failure of the Congress and White House to come to an agreement. The president and Democrats blame the GOP House for the stalemate and the Republicans are blaming Obama and the Democratic Party controlled Senate, but nothing is being done and preliminary talks either focus on the draconian nature of the cuts or the fact the administration while talking increased taxes will not make the necessary cuts in the federal entitlement programs and defense and homeland security spending.

And this political impasse must be resolved and done in a variety of ways that includes more accountability of how federal dollars are spent and the attendant frauds from Medicare to the proverbial $400.00 toilet seat in military planes heard about in the 1970s. For taxpayers and Americans want a resolution and end to the political posturing for the nation’s debt continues to grow while the economy limps along and while the economy around the nation is better than during the Great Recession in 2008, there is still much mending of the job market especially that still must be done. Moreover, this stalemate in the nation’s capital just makes that job and economic recovery more difficult.

LETTERS

>>> Reader corrects WDR, Miami employees not in FL Retirement System

Those City of Miami employees are not in the State of Florida DROP – they are in the city’s retirement program DROP.
Scott Mendelsberg

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr.

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

BADIA SPICES    www.badiaspices.com

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 13^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 600 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain.

LETTER POLICY

I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2013, Daniel A. Ricker

>>> The Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me.  The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.  >>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. >>> Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, The (FL) CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS >>> Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, The (FL) MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times  –The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html

From the spring of 2003:  U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill:  Southeast U.S. Media Report lists Watchdog Report publisher as leading Florida commentator >>> Selected excerpts from the report on Florida’s media sources

Those who do read the newspaper in Florida have a bevy of options for state government and political coverage. The dominant newspapers in the state are Knight-Ridder’s The Miami Herald (Acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006) and the Poynter Institute’s St. Petersburg Times. Both papers endorsed Gore in 2000 but split on the 2002 gubernatorial race, with the Herald endorsing Republican incumbent Jeb Bush and the Times backing Democratic challenger Bill McBride. Daniel Ricker of The Miami Herald also writes an influential column as well as an email newsletter called the Watchdog Report that goes out to more than 100,000 subscribers. FEBRUARY 2004 – Florida: Columnists in Abundance –ERIC GAUTSCHI, graduate student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, UNC-Chapel Hill – D) LEADING COMMENTATORS – Resource Commentator Organization Type Web site –Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/bousquet.shtml -“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show www.channel2.org/firstfriday/issues.html –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column www.sptimes.com/columns/morgan.shtml –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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