Watchdog Report Vol.17 No. 43 March 12, 2017 EST: 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 16 Years of Weekly publishing – The Friends of WLRN Issue

 

>>> And here is the story done by Miami New Times when they named the publisher as the community’s Best of Miami and Best Citizen and to read the story go to: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517    

 

>>> And here is the verbiage related to the award: 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 [16^th] Anniversary. In a former life Ricker made a handsome living as an international salesman of heart pacemakers. As the hard-working publisher of Watchdog, 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!”

 

>>> And checkout the new Watchdog Report merchandising campaign

Featuring Knowledge is Bliss coffee cups and includes premium cotton super soft tee shirts.

 
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

>>> the secretive mist lift’s as District’s concern with Friends of WLRN is because federal inspector general auditing the station, IG looking at amping up and manipulating underwriting numbers for radio and TV, and could involve $900,000 fine that Friends Chair says they can pay, but timing depends on final resolution but the fine clock is ticking

 

The veil of secrecy was lifted Tuesday when it came to what was going on at Friends of WLRN, a not for profit created to raise money for the station for “educational programs,’ and the stations management. However, the delay of the station’s audit has been a flash point in the press and many WLRN radio listeners believed the Miami-Dade Public Schools Board was trying to take control of NPR radio and television content.

 

Which was the “farthest from the truth,” said District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. This is an example of “The tail wagging the dog,” “and a lot has been said about independence, [and transparency and the lack of that] puts us in this quagmire,” and you see “erroneous reporting about underwriting and the District reports to NPR.” Further, the District is “The sole licensee to draw down federal funds.” Carvalho noted the station “for years has had an individual,” The CFO “who came up with this scheme where for years the CFO [Jorge Perez-Alvarez], shifted underwriting funds from radio and television to willfully elevate the level of underwriting under the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) guidelines and is a Deja vue of 2009,” said Carvalho and why an attorney was on the phone at the meeting.

 

He also noted back in 2009 “when the last draft was done.” His comments were a first salvo concerning,” the operating agreement that included “ lies and deceit and the lack of opaqueness,” Further, documents show funding from a Clear Wire Lease “was a fixed allocation of this lease [to FRIENDS OF] WLRN [and] payment was 10% to television and 90% to radio and was made judgmentally by CFO Perez-Alvarez in 2009, states a Special Committee Report For FRIENDS OF WLRN, Inc. and is included in a Forensic Accounting Report,” done by Chief Auditor Jose F. Montes de Oca and it is a fascinating read.

 

Further Station Manager John La Bonia “acknowledged that he relied solely on the supplemental Schedules provided to him by the FRIENDS, CFO.”And performed no procedures to verify the accuracy of the amounts that were reported by FRIENDS.”

 

La Bonia acknowledged “he did not question nor test the veracity of the Supplemental Schedules.” “Despite the differences in ending balances at Dec. 31, 2008.” And the fact the allocations remained consistent in amount through 2013.” Further Le Bonia is a school board employee and it is unknown if he gets any supplemental compensation from FRIENDS.

 

Carvalho said the media regrettable “portrayed,” the kafuffle as some sort of administrative censorship. And while it was reported that a panel of media experts were going to review the situation’s relationship with the school board, Carvalho said that “panel is yet to be confirmed,” he said. However there is a underlining problem found by the schools board Audit Compliance department and the Friends CFO, who sometimes used ‘plugged’ in numbers and ginned the grant application underwriting formulating numbers and told auditors he did not know the “formula that management knew,” “or why he did it,”  “For (CPB) funding grants and underwriting for radio or television was shifted and resulted in a larger drawdown of federal funds and during the audit committee meeting their was an attorney on the line who has dealt with the FTC since a potentially $900,000 to up to 9.4 million fine could be levied against the district by federal authorities.

 

Since the school board holds the license and is the platform to draw down federal grants and what the CFO did “was fraud,” and a number of audit board members used the same words saying federal and state investigators need to be called in as well as the federal inspector general who started an investigation in October and is expected to be completed in the future. And one estimate of a fine could be as high as $9.4 million. And while the CFO was asked to resign audit committee members were shocked “he was not fired,” and the District is waiting to receive the federal IG report which should show a clearer picture of what has been going on at the FRIENDS of WLRN which is a 401-C3.

 

What about the press at the meeting?

 

The Watchdog Report was the only press at Tuesday’s meeting and I was surprised some of the TV stations that did stories on the controversy did not show up because there were some great quotes.

 

Who was the attorney on the phone and his media person responded with this response after I asked Carvalho?

 

She responded: The name of the attorney on the phone was:  Evan Carb. See more about him below.

 

“Currently the principal attorney with The Law Offices of Evan D Carb, PLLC, and a Washington-DC based communications law firm since 2006. His practice focuses on the representation of both commercial and educational clients in all areas of FCC regulation as well as general commercial matters affecting radio, television and broadband services. He had previously held positions as General Counsel to Wireless Holdings, Inc., a Canadian owned broadband company, and served as an independent contractor to Sprint Corporation. He also held positions as an associate with such law firms as Sidley & Austin; Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis; Leventhal Senter & Lerman; and Rini, Coran & Lancellota. Mr. Carb has participated on panels as a speaker at various industry conventions. Mr. Carb is also a part owner of Alex Media, Inc. and Miriam Media, Inc., which hold commercial FM Radio and LPTV broadcast licenses. And the CFO when asked by auditors why the manipulation he “said he did not know,” said Carvalho to the audit committee.

 

>>> PAST WDR: Fate of WLRN independence drawing outrage, panel of media experts to help craft a District operating agreement with the public radio and television, report shows chronology time line of some past discussions at Audit Committee

 

>>>> Friends of WLRN have been getting a lot of press because of a possible District operating agreement with the station that some believe would impact the public radio station’s independence and the agreement has raised red flags and Supt. Albert Carvalho has been trying to tighten up some of the procedures at the station and he has asked for help in finding a resolution and includes two past publishers of The Miami Herald and includes Alberto Ibarguen President and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, David Lawrence, Jr.,and reporter Joe Oglesby, a former Herald editorial editor along with former County commissioner Katy Sorenson who ran the Good Government Initiative at UM and this independent group and the station also has a relationship with the Miami Herald and a separate entity funds some of the stations staff who Carvalho wants to convert to school employees subject to background checks and other conditions.

 

However listeners are rebelling in some harsh letters in the herald

 

The Watchdog over the years has been the only media keeping an eye on the station owned by the school board and I have their audits for almost a decade and The Friends of WLRN board changed their charter years ago without the district’s knowledge and the issue of some high salaries was voiced years ago by then school board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman. Further I went to the stations WLRN’s web page and I could find no agendas or minutes of past meetings and this information should be easily accessed but is currently not and that should be corrected. Since we are not talking nuclear launch codes but public radio and NPR and for more go to

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article136329203.html

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article136329203.html

What about The Miami Herald and its relationship with WLRN where Friends of WLRN pays the paper $2,000 a year and not the Miami Herald as has been reported. For the station’s newsrooms at the paper’s Doral site, wrote Rick Hirsch managing Editor of the Miami Herald and clarified it writing in an email. Actually, to be more clear, that [$2,000] comes from Friends, not Dade County Schools.” Wrote Hirsch last Friday.

 

What about the station’s audit?

 

Over a month ago I knew something was amiss when the station delayed the release of its annual audit to the school board’s Audit and Budget Review Committee and is the community firewall watching how your public tax dollars are being spent and has been doing an excellent job and why you don’t see all the past scandals from the late 1990s that rocked the district and cost the Supt. Roger Cuevas his job.

 

Further the school’s auditor did a chronology of events with WLRN and discussions and the chronology is at the bottom of the agenda. Go to;

http://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_March_7_2017/agenda.pdf

>>>> Children’s Trust offering a free book once a month to any 3-year old held that is three

 

The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County is working with the public schools district on a new program for three year olds where every month the child will get a new book free and is the Trust’s way to improve reading skills at an early formative age and being a strong reader early is a lifetime achievement and these children develop to their full potential and to sign up go to:https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/parents/initiatives/read-to-learn-book-club Further, reading skills can also predict children that might fall into the criminal justice system a former us attorney who reads to children said. And this program could jump start a child’s interest in books.

 

Who is the new county commissioner that will sit on the 33 member Trust?

 

County Commissioner Xavier Suarez was appointed by commission chair Estephan Bovo to the Children’s Trust and he will replace Daniella Levine Cava on the volunteer board that has been free of any scandal’s and was renewed overwhelmingly in 20006 by voters.

 

Further Suarez pushed an alliance with the school board and county and funded some 3,500 summer jobs for young people last year.

 

>>> What about WLRN and its late audit, I knew something was up when audit delayed?

 

The Watchdog Report asked Carvalho Wednesday at a school board meeting what was going on at Friends of WLRN and he said he “could not comment,” right then and he reminded me how he had to fight to get a charter with Friends of WLRN changed after it had been modified by the organization and made the station’s GM different. Since the school board owns the radio and television licenses. And the tension between the district and the station has now spilled into the public and the issue is freedom of the press and what control on content the nation’s fourth largest public schools district and Carvalho and the administration would have. Further another flash point is background checks and be fingerprinting (something I have had to do twice since 2000) under the state’s Jessica Lunsford Act. Since some interns are paid and staff salary a past issue blew up in the media and has one employee making more than Carvalho. And for much more go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article133698704.html

 

>>> Will Heath Blue Book, save district millions with $400 million self-insured, if employees healthy “Blue Book go to the green hospitals since medical procedures “vary, “in price said Carvalho

 

Further, Supt. Alberto Carvalho discussed a new stay healthy care “Blue book,” that lists the cost of medical procedures throughout the county and since the district is self-insured the Blue book lists medical facilities and the different costs and Carvalho said if the employees used the “green marked” hospitals the district will save millions of dollars and in some cases procedures could cost the district less “if they went to the Mayo Clinic in Ohio,” said Carvalho. And if the districts 50,000 employees and retirees used the green facilities “millions” could be saved if the green medical hospitals were used and if the greens are used the employee could get a check back for seeking the more reasonable pricing but still keeping a ‘high,” level of healthcare. Further, Carvalho noted one of the big reasons healthcare costs are so high is because of all the Medicare “Fraud,” he said and is why the district has a “white collar fraud crime unit,” something most public districts don’t have but here in Miami it is a must. Since people from Miami do fraud beta sites here and then export it around the nation.

 

 

 

http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/index.php#/exhibitions

 

>>>> Now open and the Warehouse has a new exhibit and check it out at http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/#/home

 

 

>>> And the Margulies Warehouse will be opening the season in weeks and to see what art is on display and when it plans to close the season for this community treasure go to http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/#/home

 

 

>> Press release: The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and Miami Science Barge join together to bring the expression of art to a scientific experiment. Visitors will have the opportunity to create artworks on a drift card that will be deployed into the ocean. These drift cards will help scientists gain understanding of how the ocean currents distribute debris through the Biscayne Bay. Admission is free. Miami Science Barge
1075 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami 305-434-9560www.dwntwnartdays.com

 
Editorials

 

>>> Politicians since the dawn of time have hated the media, Trump’s fixation on press, distracts from his policies and administration, needs to get more focused and fill key lower level administration staffers

 

Since the dawn of time leaders have hated the press and media yet President Trump keeps harping on the “dishonest media,” and actually singled some of the nation’s news organizations and a republic needs a diverse and strong press to challenge authority and calling the media the “enemy,” of the American people which is ironic since Trump was in many ways created by the media and he is extraordinary marketer.

 

But people will get tired of this demand for adulation that the president seems to feed on and he won and now people want him to get to governing. For the world is a dangerous and having the national security council head vacant is a serious issue and when it comes to Russia Trump should clearly state he or his staff did not have contacts and perhaps release the transcripts of the conversations if the president wants to end this distraction on the world stage.

 

Further he is saying some of the executive orders are being rewritten and he is moving quickly carrying out his campaign promises. However, in many ways Trump is a creation of the press and his constant carping is getting old with the American people and some are wondering why he is so fixated on his victory considered a long shot by the media ever since he went down the escalator but he won .And Americans expect him to govern and keep the nation safe and that is the job he accepted when he ran for office.

 

>>> The Watchdog Report is Celebrating 17 years of weekly publishing since May 5^th 2000 and when I started back then I never thought I would be doing this so this is a national story in all the Tribune papers

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 20000 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.

 

LETTERS

 

>>> Reader and Physician supports freedom of the press with Jefferson quote about not having a government without a free press

 

Yes, many presidents have had issues with the media. Early in our country’s history, of course, the media was in print. As long as there is freedom of the press and other media sources to say what they want, whether based on substance or not, there will be complaints. Even Jefferson had conflicts with some of the newspapers of his time, but that did not stop him from making the following statement:

 

“…were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”  Thomas Jefferson, The third president of the United States

 

Will Blechman, M.D.

Miami, Fla.

 

>>> 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 www.knightfoundation.org   to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

 

>>>> 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 information is at the end of the WDR. And I hope you will consider supporting 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 l. Thank You.

 

And to my Supporters I pledge to keep ‘going when you cannot.’ And we have about $9 billion in GOB funds being spent through a variety of public institutions and that is no small number 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 I also keep watch for the all-important tourism industry and with the Zika Virus people are starting to understand how vital these tourists are for a host of amenities like culture and the arts, Jackson health System and transportation dollars all entities that benefit from tourism sales tax dollars.

 

>>> And while the Watchdog Report has reached 16 years of using my own money to survive in the costlier Miami community. And while I have cut expenses I need my readers help. In this fast changing world and with Pay Pal now you can easily use a credit card to contribute and I hope you will consider helping keeping someone out in the field. And I have not wanted to be a lobbyist but rather a lobbyist for everyone and is why I use the tag line ‘I go when you cannot’. But things were made worse after spending 18 days in the hospital with a badly infected finger. And is why I am behind sending my traditional thank you letter to any supporters contributing and hop to catch up in the near future. And I thank these people from the bottom of my heart for the past financial help.

 

>>> I just ask any reader, once a year who thinks this community resource is valuable to contribute via my Pay Pal account for the fiscal issues sometimes keeps me from going to a meeting sometimes, and the stress also affects my health and only with my readers support can “I go when you cannot,” thank you and hope you will help so the WDR can celebrate 17 years on May 5^th.

 

>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account at https://paypal.me/WatchdogReport

>>>And you can now easily support the Watchdog Report by going to my new PayPal Button account, you know you want to do it at https://paypal.me/WatchdogReport for as media resources contract residents still need to know that someone is also watching out for their interests. Because government watched is a better governing experience for voters and their local quality of life?

 

However, it is no easy task to do the WDR weekly. And years ago the county Ethics Commission did a report that suggested over the past decade some $50 million had been spent fighting waste fraud abuse and public corruption and having the press at public meetings (some very obscure) changes the tone of the meeting (and is why you don’t speed past a state trooper, if you’re smart) Further, I have tried to be an information electrolyte available to all free between these large public institutions when I first started back in 1997. And many public meetings back then were not being recorded except by me and that is no longer the case.

 

For an accurate public record is key and diminishes future legal action. For you either have an accurate public record or you don’t. And I hope you will consider helping me in this effort to keep the community informed and saving taxpayer monies in the process. And I thank my supporters over the last 17 years. And to read a national story and profile of the WDR publisher in the early years and background back in 2003 go to: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american        

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

 

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr (The first contributor)

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 to $5,000 a year

 

BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.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.rbbcommmunications.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

 

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

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, 2017, 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

 

>>> General subscriber’s names will not be published in the Report. To subscribe to the Watchdog Report please use the form below as a subscription invoice.    ********************

 

Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form Thank you

 

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Name & Address Make checks payable to Daniel A. Ricker

Send to 3109 Grand Avenue, #125

 

 

 

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