Watchdog Report Vol.16 No. 35 January 3, 2016 – EST.05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 16 years of Weekly publishing
CONTENTS
Argus Report: For all the presidential candidates, the rubber meets the road in Iowa caucuses Feb.1, followed by Feb. 9th New Hampshire primary, large GOP field expected to get whittled down
Florida: Will New Fla senate maps pit Margolis & Diaz de la Portilla, both former chairs of Miami-Dade County commission?
Miami-Dade County: Power couple Armando and Maritiza Gutierrez get special certificate of appreciation from BCC for extensive charity work, he has run a number of judicial campaigns and lobbyist is close to Miami Mayor Regalado
Public Health Trust: health trust will be looking for trustees in near future, only the best of the best need apply to be on seven member oversight board
City of Miami: Mayor Regalado taps Hardeman & Russell in leadership positions on five member dais, and what of MESA used by city to do some waterfront deals avoiding public referendum?
City of Miami Beach: Manager Morales updates citizens at TMB Club, former county commissioner and Harvard trained attorney, well respected by commissioners
City of Doral: Press release: Miami-Dade County Resident Sentenced In Connection With Aircraft Parts Ponzi scheme
Broward County: Feds bust Four Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Paying and Accepting Bribes and Gratuities
Community Events: Major new show at The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse –
Editorial: Public institutions need to remember baby boomers not as nimble with technology as young folks, small font a nightmare for some – One of Watchdog Report’s main missions is to keep watch on all the host of Trust’s in Miami-Dade County and involve some serious public money in the billions
Letters: Pet trust founder on past WDR – advocate’s petition for FDOT to come up with alternative to yellow polls and injuries from pole divers
Sponsors – Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue
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>>>> The Watchdog Report publisher for 16 years now, has reported back weekly on how your billions of public dollars in local government are being spent. And how to help support me providing this service is at the end of the WDR. And I hope you will consider keeping an independent news service out in our community, where what is going on with all our government entities is of critical benefit for both the public institutions but voters as well. Thank You. And to my Supporters I pledge to keep ‘going when you cannot.’ And in the past I have broken the story on Cuban refugees coming in droves and also the Oriental fruit fly quarantine and its huge economic impact to name just a few of the more recent stories in past WDR’s.
>>> And you can now easily support the Watchdog Report by going to my new PayPal Button account at www.watchdogreport.net Thank you for the past support over the last 16 years. And to read a national story and profile of the WDR publisher in the early years back in 2003 go to: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the street
>>> For all the presidential candidates, the rubber meets the road in Iowa caucuses Feb.1, followed by Feb. 9th New Hampshire primary, large GOP field expected to get whittled down
With the New Year the political primaries are coming up in a month and polling shows a wide gulf between candidates though Hillary Clinton on the Democratic Party side is pulling ahead of Bernie Sanders (who raised a whopping $33 million) and when it comes to the GOP’s pack of candidates brash business man Donald Trump is still tracking high in the polls but the real question is how will he do in these first primaries in Iowa Feb. 1 and Feb. 9th in New Hampshire and former Gov. Jeb Bush is stalled in the polls and is still being overshadowed by Trump, and senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. And with Super Tuesday on March 1. The pack of Republican candidates is expected to be whittled down to a smaller number and had Lindsey Graham dropping out recently.
http://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/2016-presidential-primary-schedule-calendar/ here is US Today pollinghttp://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/poll-tracker-2016/ on the race.
>>> Baptist public good includes 10th anniversary of FIU Wertheim Medical College, as well as $473 million Proton Cancer Institute
With Miami-Dade County having an almost infinite number of residents without health insurance and falling in the charity care range as far as income but with the ACA (Obama Care), in effect some of these health care plans don’t include a number of Baptist hospitals in South Florida. But the variety of health plans vary from insurance companies and recently Baptist Health South Florida was written up for its large financial reserves the not –for –profit health system has.
And is in contrast to the Jackson Health System that gives some huge charity care numbers as well and this controversy is partially a national issue but here in South Florida the not for profit health system’s, like Mt Sinai Medical Center help absorb all of these uninsured residents, (and includes FIU’s Herbert Weithorn College of Medicine physicians at Baptist Health who are focused on primary care and in its tenth year and in many ways the organization’s success is because of the lack of political influence from Miami-Dade County and the politically charged 13 member commission that back in 2000 shifted some $70 million in unfunded mandates to the PHT. When the public institution had some $500 million in capital reserves carefully saved up over the years but with a commission vote these dollars would slowly recede in size and here are two articles on the topic of not –for –profit hospital systemshttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tax-exemption-challenges-facing-nonprofit-hospitals-mark-roller and Here is the Miami Herald story http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article48264880.htmlhttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article48264880.html >>>> Editor’s note: My Life was saved at South Miami Hospital in 2009 when I became septic and my survival was a “flip of the coin,” said my vascular surgeon Jorge Rabaza, M.D., after the operation and I am grateful for the second chance at life.
And back in 1999 Baptist approached JHS and tried to form a relationship with the James Archer Hospital in Homestead whose infrastructure was frozen in the early 1960’s and was being overwhelmed with indigent and uninsured patients many coming from the agriculture migrant communities in the deep South Dade and patients could not get to Jackson’s main campus and is one of the reasons JHS bought Jackson South hospital for some $29 million and the sale was part of plea agreement with federal authorities for Medicare fraud and gave JHS a base in south Dade. But Homestead is a habitual money loser and Baptist built a new hospital that is state of the art and provides topnotch physicians and medical care and while politicians eye this revenue the health system has and is helping to pay for a $430 million new Proton Cancer Institute at the systems first hospital on Kendall Drive and founded in 1960 when the road was dubbed the “road to nowhere.” And below is a more specific breakdown of community benefits of the Baptist health system is by hospital and the community benefit is three times the tax exemption.
>>> Some Things You Should Know about Baptist Health’s Community Benefit
Press release: Baptist Health provides more charity care as a percentage of patient revenue (5.7% of total patient revenue) than any other hospital or hospital group in Miami-Dade County, except for Jackson Memorial. Baptist Health spends $302 million for charity care and other community benefit. This is three times the value of our tax exemption. Baptist Health’s faith-based mission of caring extends to thousands of the less fortunate members of our community. Some examples from 2015:
- More than 19,000 people received charity care
- Baptist Health provided about 164,000 services to Medicaid recipients that cost more than we were reimbursed
- Community residents received free or low-cost health screenings, educational and exercise classes, totaling approximately 198,000 encounters.
- We contributed $2.8 million to community clinics that provided over 18,000 primary care patient visits
Charity Care as a % of Total Patient Revenue
Source: Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration 2014. This data is based on the state’s definition of charity. Baptist Health actually provides more charity than the state’s definition.
>>> Ros-Lehtinen Announces New Administration of Congressional Offices
>>> Press release: U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL – 27) announced that her longtime Chief of Staff, Arthur “Art” Estopiñan, will retire and has been named Senior Advisor to Ros-Lehtinen effective January 1, 2016 to ensure a smooth transition of administration. South Florida natives Maytee Sanz, previously Deputy Chief of Staff, will be promoted to Chief of Staff and Joshua Salpeter, previously Legislative Director, will serve as DC Chief of Staff as of January 1, 2016.
Statement by Ros-Lehtinen: “Art has been a trusted counselor, leader, and an important member of my Congressional staff for over 25 years. Art’s hard work and dedication to South Florida are well known by our community leaders and his contributions to mentoring and guiding staff and interns have earned him much respect throughout his years on the Hill. Art’s grace in the face of adversity has inspired us all and his leadership in our office will be missed. I know he will be pursuing a new and exciting chapter in his life and I wish him, his wife, Olga, and their son, Arturito, all the very best.
I am also excited for what the future holds. I know that Maytee, Joshua, and my entire team capture the essence of public service. They are consummate professionals who know the demands of the jobs they are taking on and relish their duties. My office will continue to work hard for our South Florida community to ensure that our residents have access to the very best constituent service and that their voices are heard on Capitol Hill.”
Statement by Estopiñan: “I am extremely grateful to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for the incredible opportunity that she has afforded me these many years by allowing me to serve as her Chief of Staff. It has been an honor and pleasure to work for her and serve South Florida with her unique energy and commitment to help build a better community and country. Now, the time has come for me to move forward to the next 20 years of my life in the private sector. While this is a challenge, it is one I am looking forward to. It will allow me to enter a new phase of life where I can provide for my family, particularly raising a severely disabled child who has a rare genetic muscular disease. ”
BACKGROUND: Maytee Sanz, a Miami native, previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff. Prior to that, she was District Director for Ros-Lehtinen and has served the Congresswoman for over 25 years. Sanz will be responsible for all functions of Ros-Lehtinen’s Congressional offices. She is a graduate of South Florida’s Nova Southeastern University. Joshua Salpeter, a Palmetto Bay native, previously served as Legislative Director. Prior to that, he was a Senior Legislative Assistant for the Congresswoman. Salpeter will be responsible for the operations of Ros-Lehtinen’s Washington, DC office and will serve in an advisory capacity on legislative issues. He is a graduate of Miami Palmetto Senior High and the University of North Carolina at Asheville.
>>> FPL President Silagy updates Chamber members, company “buys almost no oil,” anymore, though nuclear still controversial
Eric Silagy the president and CEO of Florida Power and Light was the featured speaker at the Greater Miami Chamber monthly Luncheon Dec.2 and he noted Florida has a $78 billion budget and with the population growth are job is “to make sure the lights stay on and the company founded in 1925 has helped Florida to become the 18th largest economy in the world and FPL back then produced “25 KW” of power and currently “buys almost no oil,” said the executive to the luncheon crowd. Editor’s note; FPL was one of my first sponsors back in 2000 and for that I am grateful.
FLORIDA
>>> Will New Fla senate maps pit Margolis & Diaz de la Portilla, both former chairs of Miami-Dade County commission?
With redistricting still up in the air Florida lawmakers are starting the years legislative session in the coming days and finishing the right maps that the court’s will accept has been an elusive goal after years of trying and senate leader are studying if they will appeal the new maps that might pit http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article52528760.html Two former Miami-Dade County Commissioners, now senators Gwen Margolis and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla both who chaired the body once in the 1990’s before going to the upper Florida house. And to read any of your state or county elected leaders financial disclosure forms for the year go to:http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/search.cfm?date={ts%20%272016-01-03%2012:39:46%27}&CFID=1382252&CFTOKEN=f6f748e5ecf8f1df-55A651EF-D92D-155E-5C25061E5C21E316
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Power couple Armando and Maritiza Gutierrez get special certificate of appreciation from BCC for extensive charity work, he has run a number of judicial campaigns and is close to Miami Mayor Regalado
The County Commission Dec.15 honored power couple Armando and Maritiza Gutiérrez with a Special Certificate of Appreciation for all their charity work and fundraising events for charity and the couple got rave reviews for all of their contributions in the community and longtime friend Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado was present at the ceremony and Gutiérrez is known to run numerous political campaigns, especially involving the judiciary races and he is a fixture at Miami City Hall.
What is going on with County Commission Chair Jean Monestime?
The Miami Herald is reporting that Monestime is being wooed by the Democratic Party who wants him to run for mayor and he would be facing off against incumbent Mayor Carlos Gimenez and school board member Raquel Regalado already announced candidates but Democrats who out number Republican’s in Miami-Dade is expected to face political headwinds in any race given the mayor’s some $3 million in his campaign war chest. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article52361145.html
>>> A Village Dialogue on implementing police body cameras, considered a “tool” and not a panacea, was held last week, televised from the commission chambers
What about the village dialogue that was held Wednesday in the Commission Chambers concerning police body cameras and snitches and inner city crime, where County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson said people “actually fear retaliation,” and get killed the next day if they tell and know it is their neighbor that did an earlier killing, she said at a commission meeting Tuesday and the do not snitch culture also applies to the Hispanic community, said Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz and not just African Americans. And Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Jean Monestime mentioned again something reported in a past WDR. That “Social media sites are killing our kids,” said activist Leroy Jones and Monestime noted “kids know which kid will lose his life next,” the Miami-Dade Commission Chair said on Tuesday at the commission meeting and kids are using Snap Chat where the message dissolves in a few minutes and parents cannot monitor what they are doing online.
>>> GMCVB press release: During the months of January – November 2015, domestic passenger arrivals into Miami International Airport (MIA) increased by 12.5% compared to 2014. International passenger arrivals increased by 6.9% while total passenger arrivals increased 9.7% compared to the same time last year.
| Record MIA Passenger Arrivals | ||
| Domestic Arrivals | ||
| Jan. – Nov. 2015 | Jan. – Nov. 2014 | % Change vs. 2014 |
| 10,513,528 | 9,348,560 | +12.5% |
| International Arrivals | ||
| Jan. – Oct. 2015 | Jan. – Oct. 2014 | % Change vs. 2014 |
| 9,899,269 | 9,264,289 | +6.9% |
| Total Arrivals | ||
| Jan. – Nov. 2015 | Jan. – Nov. 2014 | % Change vs. 2014 |
| 20,412,797 | 18,612,849 | +9.7% |
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Health trust will be looking for trustees in near future, only the best of the best need apply to be on seven member oversight board
The Public HealthTrust Nominating Council is meeting and is expected to be running an ad soon asking for residents to apply to be on the seven member oversight board that looks after the health trust system and is currently a much more nimble board then when it was 18 members years ago, but County Commissioners reduced the board’s size and under the leadership of Carlos Migoya alongside with the unions and major concessions from them the trust has operate the organization in the black the last three years after years of hemorrhaging red ink to the tune of a $84 million loss back in 20003.
What about Jackson buying the University of Miami’s hospital?
A rumor is going around at JHS that the trust was going to buy the old Cedars Hospital and while that rumor has been around for a long time. It is totally untrue said a knowledgeable source last week and I first heard about it from two resident physicians working at the hospital last week and they were very insistent it might happen.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Mayor Regalado taps Hardeman & Russell in leadership positions on five member dais, and what of MESA used by city to do some waterfront deals avoiding public referendum?
Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has tapped Keon Hardeman as the new chair of the Miami commission and Ken Russell was tapped as vice chair last week and Russell’s political career is off and running since his recent election in November and the man has brought a breath of fresh air into the office after a tough race against Teresa Sarnoff ( recently appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Transportation commission and she will be on it through Sept. 2019, and her husband Marc is on the County’s MPO in a municipality slot that may someday get challenged).
And Russell is interested in learning about the Miami Exhibition and Sports Authority (MESA) an organization the city uses to do deals involving waterfront land and generally avoids having a public referendum on how any of this prime property should be used. And at one meeting Commissioner Francis Suarez wondered why MESA existed at all he mused and it was originally created for when the city owned the Miami Arena, since demolished, and brought in revenue and the body has had a variety of directors and while the meetings are recorded only recently were minutes of past meetings available in hard copy and given some of the esoteric deals being discussed that includes a future sea plane base and also potentially helicopters. Russell is going to find MESA is an enigma though historically it serves a great lunch to attendees to assist a quorum.
 T Sarnoff |
 Hardeman |
 Russell |
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
>>> Manager Morales updates citizens at TMB Club, former county commissioner and Harvard trained attorney, well respected by commissioners
Miami Beach manager Jimmy Morales is the featured speaker at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club and the Harvard trained attorney and former County Commissioner is living his dream having grown up on the beach where his father worked as a waiter and he has a compelling life story and has only lost one political race when he ran for County Mayor back in 2004 and lost to later recalled Mayor Carlos Alvarez back then and took over what he considers a dream job last year and he has done a yeoman’s job running a city that acts much bigger than its 100,000 resident size he once told the Watchdog Report when I asked him about the new job and he has good relations with commissioners and his wife Dori is a former assistant state attorney.
>>> Meeting Date: Tuesday January 5th, 2016Meeting Time: 8:30 AM
Meeting Place: Manolo’s Restaurant, 7th and Washington Ave., South Beach– First Breakfast Club meeting of the New Year features Miami Beach City Manager.
Jimmy Morales, City Manager of Miami Beach, will be the guest speaker at the January 5th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. We will be taking a look back at the accomplishments of 2015 and a look forward at the challenges of 2016.Bruno Barreiro, County Commissioner for District 5 (which includes Miami Beach), will be the guest speaker at the January 12th meeting of the Breakfast Club. Seth Bramson, noted Florida historian, will be the guest speaker at the January 19th meeting. David Kelsey, Moderator. Visit our web site at www.MBTMBC.com (Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club)
CITY OF DORAL
>>>. Press release: Miami-Dade County Resident Sentenced In Connection With Aircraft Parts Ponzi scheme
A Miami-Dade County resident was sentenced by United States District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in Miami to 38 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for organizing and engaging in a fraudulent investment scheme in South Florida. Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert C. Hutchinson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and J.D. Patterson, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
On August 7, 2015, Anthony Lazaro Saumell, 45, of Doral, was convicted by a jury of seven counts of wire fraud. According to documents and statements made in court, Saumell organized and engaged in a complex fraudulent investment scheme to defraud investors in South Florida. Saumell deceived victims into investing approximately $3.9 million dollars into his company, Gear Management Corporation. Victims were told their investment would be used to purchase aircraft parts which would then be sold for a profit. Saumell guaranteed victims a ten percent profit within thirty days but subsequently used the incoming investments to pay other investors or on his personal expenses, such as jewelry, dining, alimony, private school and art galleries. By October 2013, Saumell had spent all of the investors’ funds and Gear Management Corporation became insolvent. Investors suffered approximately $1 million dollars in losses.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and MDPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gera Peoples and AUSA Daya Nathan.
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.
BROWARD COUNTY
>>> Feds bust Four Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Paying and Accepting Bribes and Gratuities
Press release four defendants have been sentenced to prison terms, by U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley in West Palm Beach, for paying and accepting bribes and gratuities.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Pamela Bondi, Florida Attorney General, Margaret Moore-Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Region, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement.
Irma Davidian, 52, of Boca Raton, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,789,038.85 in restitution. Davidian previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in programs receiving federal funds and commit health care fraud; and conspiracy to give a gratuity to a public official, both, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Gladys Roman, 47, of Pompano Beach, was sentenced to 40 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,789,038.85 in restitution. George Lopez, 35, of Pompano Beach, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $300,673.42 in restitution. Both defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in programs receiving federal funds and commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
Maria Sanchez, 50, of Pembroke Pines, was sentenced to four months in prison and four months of house arrest, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant previously pled guilty to conspiracy to receive and accept a gratuity by a public official, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, and Section 371.
Co-defendant Alejandro Lomoso, 56, of Southwest Ranches, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to receive and accept a gratuity by a public official, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, and Section 371 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2016.
According to court records, Davidian was in the business of representing persons who sought to obtain government benefits, including Social Security, Medicaid and Food Stamp benefits. Davidian would claim that, for a payment ranging from $2,000-$5,000, she could obtain those benefits for individuals regardless of their personal circumstances. Roman was employed by the Florida Department of Child and Family Services (DCF) as an interview clerk and inputted information from those persons applying for Medicaid and Food Stamps benefits into a DCF computer. The Medicaid applications would then be assigned to a DCF case worker whose job title was an Economic Self-Sufficiency Specialist (ESS).
In or about April 2009, Roman submitted applications to DCF on behalf of Davidian’s clients and did so from her home or a public library and would add or change information to enhance the application. Davidian repeatedly asked Roman if there was an ESS worker at DCF who Davidian could pay to approve DCF applications. Lopez was an ESS for DCF. His duties included approving or denying requests for Medicaid and Food Stamp benefits. In or about 2012, Lopez agreed that, in exchange for money, he would approve applications submitted by Davidian on behalf of her clients.
Davidian submitted applications on behalf of her clients to Roman so that they could be forwarded to DCF. Davidian submitted fraudulent documents with some of the applications in order to make it appear that her clients met the benefit requirements. Davidian instructed Roman to assign Lopez as the ESS worker in order to ensure that some of the fraudulent applications would be approved.
Roman would then fraudulently approve benefits for applicants who were not otherwise qualified. If benefits for Medicaid or Food Stamps were properly denied by another DCF employee, Lopez logged into the DCF computer system and overrode the denial and approved the benefits. Beginning in or about 2012 through in or about January 2014, every other week, Davidian paid Roman and Lopez each $500. As a result of the scheme, Roman and Lopez assisted Davidian to seek more than $5,000,000 in fraudulent benefits.
Court records further indicate that Sanchez and Lomoso worked as claims representatives for the SSA. From in or about 2008 through in or about early 2011, Sanchez and Lomoso would periodically receive applications from Davidian on behalf of persons seeking SSA benefits. In exchange for payment, Sanchez and Lomoso would expedite and/or modify the application process. Davidian gave, offered, and promised approximately $9,500 in U.S. currency to Lomoso and approximately $13,000-$15,000 to Sanchez in exchange for performing their official acts.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, Florida Attorney General’s Office, SSA-OIG, HHS-OIG, MFCU and the Florida Department of Children and Families OIG. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the state law violations. The federal matters are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey N. Kaplan and Thomas P. Lanigan.
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 http://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 http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
>>> THE MARGULIES COLLECTION AT THE WAREHOUSE is proud to announce its new exhibitions Anselm Kiefer: Paintings, Sculpture and Installation -Susan Philips: Immersive Sound Installation -through April 30, 2016 – Anselm Kiefer: Paintings, Sculpture and Installation
Staged across 18,000 sq. ft. of space the new Kiefer exhibition at the Margulies Warehouse is the largest presentation of the artist work ever made in the United States.
The show includes major sculptures, installation and paintings from 1986 to 2015. Four immense rooms within the Warehouse have been built specially to house the exhibition.
“Anselm Kiefer is one of the most important European artists of the past four decades,” says curator Katherine Hinds. “In our ongoing process of building the collection we recognized that Anselm Kiefer was critically important. This exhibition comes at a pivotal time. It is the most comprehensive project ever undertaken by the collection. We are honored to present this exhibition, which is the result of an ongoing collaboration between the collector Martin Z. Margulies and the artist. We see this exhibition as a fulfillment of our educational mission at the Warehouse to produce powerful exhibitions of seminal work by the greatest international artists of our times.”
The artist traveled to Miami to install his 17ft high work Die Erdzeitalter (Ages of the World), 2014 that was the centerpiece of his retrospective at the Royal Academy in London in 2014. The largest work in the show, Geheimnis der Farne (The Secret of the Ferns) is based on a work Kiefer created eight years ago for Monumenta 2007 Grand Palais exhibition. After meeting with the collector, Kiefer changed and rearranged elements of the work and made a site-specific installation for the Margulies collection. Included in the show is the 3-ton workSprache der Vögel, 1989, which was the first work by Anselm Kiefer acquired by the Margulies collection. It has been on exhibit at the Warehouse since 2013.
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse is honored to join the exemplary collection exhibitions devoted to the art of Anselm Kiefer including the Hall Art Foundation at Mass MoCA, the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection, The Broad Art Foundation and HangarBicocca, Milan.
Anselm Kiefer was born in Donaueschingen, Germany in 1945 and has lived and worked in France since 1993. He has exhibited widely, including solo shows at MoMA, New York (1987); Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (1991); The Metropolitan Museum, New York (1998); Fort Worth Museum of Art (2005); the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2006); Mass MoCA, Massachusetts; Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao; the Grand Palais, Paris; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark (2010); the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2011), Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2011) and The Royal Academy, London (2014). In 2007 Kiefer became the first artist to be commissioned to install a permanent work at the Louvre, Paris since Georges Braque some 50 years earlier. In 2009 he created an opera, Am Anfang, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Opéra National in Paris. The Centre Georges Pompidou and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris will stage major solo presentations of his work in 2015.
Susan Philipsz: Immersive Sound Installation The Margulies Collection is also pleased to feature a large scale Immersive Sound Installation by the acclaimed European artist Susan Philipsz, winner of the prestigious Turner Prize in 2010, Tate Britain. Drawing from the histories of 1930’s emigrant artists who fled Germany for America only to experience McCarthy-era blacklist censorship, Susan Philipsz’ work evokes the emotions of alienation, loss and exile. The audience views the work by walking into a large room with abstract sound emanating from 12 speakers placed in a symmetrical pattern at eye level. On the walls of the room 12 large prints of musical compositional scores are layered over with redacted FBI documents. “The sound of the deconstructed music heard over 12 channels combined with the visual experience of the recognizable but evasive censored text in the prints is a stunning and evocative experience,” says Ms. Hinds. “This has been a very ambitious project for us, it is the very first sound art installation work here at the warehouse and we are excited about adding a new dimension to the Collection.” Permanent exhibitions: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Ron Bladen, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Anthony Caro, John Chamberlain, Willem de Kooning, Olafur Eliasson, Dan Flavin, Michael Heizer, Jannis Kounellis, Sol LeWitt, Mario Merz, Joan Miró, Isamu Noguchi, Michelangelo Pistoletto, George Segal, Richard Serra, Tony Smith, and Franz West New works: Meuser, Lawrence Carroll, Liat Yossifor, Mark Handforth and Martin Boyce Click here for more information about this season’s exhibitions. |
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse p: 305.576.1051 / f: 305.576.4963 mcollection@bellsouth.net www.margulieswarehouse.com The Martin Z. Margulies Foundation, inc. is a not for profit institution dedicated to the presentation of exhibitions and educational programs. The Margulies Collection at the WAREhOUSE houses an extensive collection of contemporary and vintage photography, video, sculpture and installation art. Curator, Katherine Hinds |
Editorials
>>> Public institutions need to remember baby boomers not as nimble with technology as young folk’s small font a nightmare for some
There is not just a digital divide, but a widening technological gap as baby boomers get older and are expected to be more capable of their computer skills, despite having some medical issue like a stroke and public institutions are moving faster with this new technology leaving many people behind, who may or not have a smart phone that was first introduced Jan. 9th 2007 by Steve Jobs and the Apple iPhone and while young people have no problem with all this technology that is likely not the case if you are in your sixties where reading small font requires a magnifying glass and public institutions as they rush to embrace this technology that they need to remember that for some people they may need some help navigating it.
>>> One of Watchdog Report’s main missions is to keep watch on all the host of Trust’s in Miami-Dade and involve some serious public money in the billions
Residents in Miami-Dade County periodically ask why I cover all the trust’s found in the county, from the Children’s Trust to the Public Health Trust to the County’s Homeless Trust and it is because elected county leaders are always looking for new funds and while the raids of these public dollars periodically occurs like in the case of the Citizens Independent Transit Trust where the county is slowly paying back the sales tax dollars absorbed by the county’s transit system in what was called “unification,” by county leaders but the Public Health Trust was also raided back in 20002 when county commissioners shifted some $ 70 million in unfunded mandates on to organization and that cost has risen over $100 million a year and was one of the reasons the Public health trust needed a $830 million GOB passed overwhelmingly by voters a few Years back to upgrade its infrastructure and ageing main campus after this past money was diverted over a decade by the County commission that does provide some $250 million in public funds for a maintenance of effort contribution. But in Miami-Dade where everything is political I keep watch so that these organizations are kept whole and politics is kept to a minimum and this oversight helps keep the organizations on the straight and narrow when it comes to public dollars and it is no small amount of money and helps explain why there have been so few scandals in the past that plaque the county back in the 1990’s and a frequent topic in the media.
LETTERS
| ELC and You |
|
Dear Friends, As we close out a productive 2015, we look forward to the many exciting projects in the works for 2016. Highlights of the 2015 year included a new, comprehensive Early Head Start grant to serve 750 children and families in Miami-Dade County and the rolling out of Ready4K, a texting protocol in partnership with Stanford University that provides families with weekly learning tips. We increased our partnerships with community stakeholders to more comprehensively serve families, growing our network with Stanford University, Jackson Health, Univision and Miami-Dade County Public Libraries. We continued our outreach to families, distributing thousands of books at community events and providing them with information on how to access Early Learning Coalition programs. We participated in many community events that helped highlight the importance of early learning such as the Overtown Music & Arts Festival, the Miami Book Fair, and Read for the Record, the Miami-Dade College North Campus Holiday Event as well as dozens of other events that promote the value of early learning. As 2016 approaches, we look forward to continuing to grow relationships through partnerships. In January, we look forward to celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday with the West Perrine Community Development Corporation, the statewide initiative of Literacy Week from January 25-29, and beginning the month-long celebration for VPK’s 10th birthday, starting January 26th. There is much ahead. I wish you all the best in the New Year. Sincerely, 
Evelio C. Torres President & CEO School Readiness Currently, there is NO Waitlist for the School Readiness Program. To enroll, please visit the Family Portal link: https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com |
>>> A Reader on danger of yellow pole barriers on 195, and sign petition asking FDOT to modify polls https://www.change.org/p/florida-department-of-transportation-change-i95-plastic-poles-to-unable-movement-in-and-out-of-the-express-lanes
>>> Great story on the Pets’ Trust. I’d love to speak with you and tell you more. You are right…..it will be an issue in the Mayor’s race.
Please watch this… Pets’ Trust…the Story password is movie
And read this…….. http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/joe-cardona/article2087823.html
Michael Rosenberg
President Pets’ Trust
Rita Schwartz Cofounder
>>> And another reader sent the following the shocking truth about Miami-Dade Animal Services, http://www.animalliberationfront.com/ALFront/Actions-USA/MiamiAnimalServices.htm
DR
Coconut Grove
>>> The Watchdog Report is Celebrating 16 years of weekly publishing since May 5th 2000 and when I started back then I never thought I would be doing this so
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog. And while I have taken a licking over the years including some medical issues I have kept at the job thanks to my supporters who I thank so very much over the many years. And the community’s public institutions are better when it comes to them knowing what the other is doing and why I have tried to be an information electrolyte for these giant institution’s leaders and things and here is a national story done on why I started to watch government back in 2000 http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog and to all the people along the way that have helped me I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible: Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors
***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000
>>> 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
Mr. NORMAN BRAMAN http://www.bramanmotorcars.com/dealership/normanbraman.htm
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
COLSON HICKS EIDSON, PA www.colson.com
BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com
JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST
RON BOOK
LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.
WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com
Rbb PUBLIC RELATIONS www.rbbpr.com
ROYAL MEDIA PARTNERS www.royalmp.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
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
GREATER 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
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/
MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPT. http://superintendent.dadeschools.net/
MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com
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
>>> 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
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
GREATER 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 HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/
MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION ON ETHICS and PUBLIC TRUST www.ethics.miamidade.gov
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPT. http://superintendent.dadeschools.net/
MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com
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
>>> Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible: Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors the Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you. The Watchdog Report is in the fourth year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 250 reports and Extras 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. I welcome letters via e-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
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2016, Daniel A. Ricker
>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years.
Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, the (FL)
CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS
Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, the (FL)
MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED
Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog
>>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
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 –www.miami.com/mld/MiamiHerald/news/columnists/dan_ricker/
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