Watchdog Report Vol.21 No.45 August 29, 2021- EST:05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 21-years of weekly publishing
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, FL
Vol. 21. No. 45 August 29, 2021
Daniel A. Ricker, Publisher & Editor
www.watchdogreport.net & www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/dan_ricker
Est. 05.05.00 I go when you cannot & a community education resource & news service
CONTENTS
Argus Report: heard Seen on the street: >>> Will Miami public meetings become COVID-19 super spreaders no masks, city staff very casual with public health protocols, Noriega must tighten up staff adherence to rules — Haiti still reeling from 7.2 quake Saturday stronger than in 2010, country cannot get a breaks — Hospital systems slammed with new delta variant patients, children infections surge, what will public schools(medical advisory board meets Aug.16 recommend?) will schools opening Aug.23, create new patient surge? Since no masks allowed thrown out by the courts, Gov. DeSanto’s, writes in executive order: though masks work in slowing infections
Florida: With 2020 Census results, S. Florida picks up new congressional district map drawn-up by republican controlled legislature– Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman presiding over the litigation of the Champlin towers collapse is in the spotlight this week., jurist net worth for last year was $29 million, up from year before $28 million net state ethics commission documents and IRS 1040
Miami-Dade County: New Fraud in South Florida, immigration attorney fraud, payment for non- services, threaten scammed with INS reporting, says county’s Hispanic affairs Bd. Chair. Is tenet advocate in the wings of the county budget?
CITY Of MIAMI: Civil service board upholds firing of whistle blower Nicholson, who claimed Miami Commissioner Alex de la Portilla “poked,” her and made her step back hurting her ankle, after dueling attorney’s Baldwin Vs. Menéndez battle it out suggesting camera video was tampered with, board votes to “exonerate everyone involved;” “upholding the termination of Nicholson,” by manager Noriega, says chair Sutton, complaint and accusations played out in media
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH: Voters will be asked if hotels, restaurants, should take part in the food & beverage tax, for funding county’s homeless trust & domestic violence agency, $5 million passed by county BCC for purchase of new residence building, for homeless trust, many, involve families not one to one, Ocean Beach hit with another murder of innocent tourist family father
Public Health Trust: JHS CEO Migoya at a PHT board meeting notes there are still “500,000,” residents still unvaccinated in Miami-Dade, Doral West new hospital is “one year away from completion.” “He tells board and completes the Making Miracles bond projects under budget.
City of Miami: Will Miami crypto coin move go the way of the 1970s Pyramid scheme parties?
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>>> 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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Further, I have a touch of the Delta virus, sniffles, low grade fever, fatigue, and lack of taste and smell and getting vaccinated must be South Florida’s goal to end this terrible scourge that is hammering our healthcare systems. Further, young people who liken COVID-19 to getting the flu had better check out what long haulers go through may not resolve itself. I know because I am one of those people with long term impacts and it is not pleasant and while the vaccine mitigates the severity residents must get vaccinated if we are ever getting back to normal. Here are two links on the consequences of covid in the long run and it is not pleasant and more medical studies are ongoing.
COVID ‘Long Haulers’: Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 | Johns Hopkins Medicine:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects.html
Further, I am doing an investigative story on my time in a nursing home and later an assisted living facility, and what I observed during the month long time I lived at these two institutions will be written about including medical staff qualifications, that varied in a variety of ways and I am just glad to have left them before anything negative happened to me while I was there. Both places were for profit and that was very apparent.
>>> 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.
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ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> Will Miami public meetings become COVID-19 super spreaders no masks, city staff very casual with public health protocols, Noriega must tighten up staff adherence to rules, still happening
Further, there is a widespread misperception that if one is vaccinated they don’t have to wear masks not realizing the virus can be spread and I see this at many restaurants and actually left one because of the poor public health measures
>>>> Miami needs to help, “our brothers in Haiti,” says mayor Suarez, will he donate some of the $4.8 million he raised through July for his reelection campaign, with no real challengers?
Suarez still refuses to tell public what he makes at outside law firm, allowing him to buy a tony home in the south grove with 24/7 police security, at what cost to taxpayers, running against unknowns.
>>> Will Miami meetings be super spreaders, no masks casual attitude?
City of Miami public meetings from Miami 21 task force to unsafe structures has chaos and confusion no masks worn in commission chambers. I went to two public meetings just because they were not up to standard.
Further, Wednesday at the school board meeting I drove down to it because of the very unruly crowd discussing whether students should have to wear masks in defiance of the governor’s executive order. At that event emotions ran high and I was worried abut security given the mood.
Will city of Miami public meetings become Covid super spreaders, staff few masks, others none in audience Bld. Director Rene Diaz, no mask and he acts like he is in his living room. Further at these public meetings there are no name cards on the dais, and you are unable to match a face with a board members name.
What about the Miami 21 task force meeting Monday?
Has no masks at city of Miami public meetings, unsafe structures Bld. Director Rene Diaz no masks as well as other staff.
Haiti reeling from 7.2 quake Saturday stronger than in 2010, country cannot get a break with T.D. Fred & grace heading their way
Poor Haiti after another earthquake devastated the island still reeling from the 2010 killer quake. I got to know many Haitians’ working in a nursing home and assisted living facilities after I fell and broke my hip over the past few months. And I hope all their families are okay after the 7.2 quake which was worse than the 2010 earthquake that leveled the poor island nation. Further tropical storm Fred is heading their way as people dig through the rubble looking for survivors. At a time when the previous president was assassinated. One must go through a earthquake to appreciate the physical violence to the land and living in Tokyo gave me a better understanding of the event.
>>> With the senate passing a $1 trillion infrastructure bill waiting to be approve by the house a body with their own demands for funding.
PAST WDR 8.24.14: Congressman Mica tells Watchdog Report that nation has $1.5 trillion in national infrastructure needs, “”and we have a long way to go”
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Maitland gave the Watchdog Report an exclusive interview on the nation’s infrastructure needs over the next five-years and the number is not small. Mica, a Miami Edison High graduate is the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee. He told me recently “we have serious infrastructure problems, and it isn’t just highways and bridges but also are ports, rail and almost every aspect of our infrastructure in the country is ageing and deteriorating,” he said. However, he believes “Florida has been fortunate because we have been a new growth state and don’t have some of the problems” the rest of the nation might have.
The congressional representative noted Congress had appropriated “about $284 billion for a five-year period” but that is well short of the “$1.5 trillion needed according to the Society of Civil Engineers and we have a long way to go,” he thought. He wants to introduce in the future a new “major effort in investment and infrastructure” when the current legislation expires in 2009. “You can’t get around communities, you can’t be successful without good infrastructure and that is one of government’s responsibilities, and that is what I am looking towards,” he closed.
>>> U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami gave the Watchdog Report an exclusive story recently regarding his take on the war in Iraq, since the surge of troops began in the summer, and the reduction in violence. He said there are “still some cynics” that are trying to figure out ways “to claim that was not the case” but the one thing that is not deniable, whether you voted for or against the war. “It is undeniable those reinforcements worked” and the important thing when you look at how the numbers have dropped in both soldier and civilian deaths and wounded was “the population is coming forward and they are confronting Al Qaeda,” so “obliviously it has been a huge success but that does not mean there are not areas where we still need to do much better,” he said.
“The elected government in Iraq is not moving as fast as we would like them is obviously a issue of concern, but we have to remember with a Democracy, things happen to go slow, and nothing is slower than the United States government, but it is still frustrating because we need to continue to push them.” However, he believes the situation in Iraq is “stabilizing” and it is clear “that we are fighting very aggressive elements of Al Qaeda in Iraq.” He also was critical of the uncertain funding for the troops after a bitter budget battle in Congress last year in Democratic Party control and he was not in Congress when the war was voted on.
However, now that he is. Diaz-Balart wants to be “sure our troops and commanders in the field have everything they need, and frankly for me it was rather sad that for political purposes. Congress almost was not funding our troops while in harms way and that is unacceptable,” he closed. >>> Next week, see what the congressional representative says about any possible challengers he or his brother might face in 2008.
>>> Hospital systems slammed with new delta variant patients, children infections surge, what will public schools opening Aug.23, do to new patient surge? Since no masks allowed, Gov. DeSanto’s, writes in executive order
South Florida Hospitals slammed with new COVID-19 delta variant patients and with public schools opening Aug. 23 and the governor’s no masks allowed threat of withholding district funding has healthcare administrators bracing for a new wave. Since there is a 4–5-week delay after the immunization of a patient with the vaccine. Further, with the delta variant 1,000 times more contagious, earlier progress has been wiped out with healthcare workers exhausted and potentially moving to more lucrative locations around the nation.
We are also lucky to have so many nursing schools in Miami-Dade and other professions and while some people are still hesitant to get the shot. They cite a variety of reasons ranging from a belief the shot will affect their sperm, not true studies have found, but with masks working to slow the spread that is averaging a 12.7 percent infection rate.
>>>New Fraud in South Florida immigration attorney fraud, scam payment for non- services, threaten scammed with INS reporting, says county’s Hispanic affairs Bd. Chair
Miami-Dade has a new immigration fraud that is causing fear in the undocumented community, was discussed at the county’s Hispanic advisory bord meeting and given the confusion in what a attorney’s name means in different South American countries. The residents trying to change their INS status are going to these bogus non- U.S. attorneys and when they pay, and nothing is accomplished. They are threatened to then be turned into the INS and apparently, it’s much more widespread, than the community realizes, said the committee chair.
City of Miami
>>> Civil service board upholds firing of whistle blower Nicholson, who claimed Miami Commissioner Alex De La Portilla “poked,” her and made her step back hurting her ankle, after dueling attorney’s battle it out suggesting camera video was tampered with, board votes to “exonerate everyone involved,” upholding the termination of Nicholson, by manager Noriega, says chair Sutton
A whistle blowers case filed by Suzzanne Nicholson was heard Tuesday at the Miami civil service board and the hearing was dueling attorneys, with attorney Mathew Baldwin, a former state attorney and city of Miami attorney Victoria Menendez, who called the aggressive attorney “rude” during a number of sharp exchanges between the two. The plaintiff is a city code enforcement officer for many years.
However, one night checking a bar after the curfew she ran into Miami Commissioner Alex De La Portilla who identified himself to her. She claims he then “poked,” her and it resulted in her hurting her ankle. The commissioner says he did no such thing and the women is looking for disability judgement he believes.
However, Nicholsan has fought the issue in the press, never filed a complaint and she did not show-up for a meeting with the city’s hr. department that resulted in the manager Art Noriega firing her. She did pass two lie detector tests said her attorney, Baldwin. The board’s chair Troy Sutton said he has heard enough and made the motion that “everyone involved with this issue should be exonerated,” said Sutton.
City of Miami Beach
>>> Voters will be asked if hotels, restaurants, should take part in the food & beverage tax, funding homeless trust & domestic violence agency, $5 million passed by county BCC for purchase of new residence building, for homeless, many more involve families not one to one
Beach Commissioners recently decided that the body would put on the Nov. Ballot whether the city should request the Florida legislature to remove the exception of the city to the food and beverage tax paid by tourists and funds the homeless trust and domestic violence facilities for the county.
The added revenue if the Beach hotels participated would be considerable and both the homeless trust and the DVB need extra money and the homeless trust recently got $5million for a permanent shelter for the organization from the county weeks agio and the trust needs another $1.3 million or more to refurbish the facility and with buildings being condemned a new influx of families are coming to the maxed out homeless trust.
>>> Could undersea internet cables become a new strategic threat to nation’s security? China laying them throughout the world, says Cyber Command Dr. Gen. Paul Nakasone, at congressional hearing Monday.
With all the cyber-attacks hitting abroad swath of industries and public infrastructure the U.S. is beefing up its capabilities, but at a congressional hearing Monday the Dir. Gen. Paul Nakasone said the command regarding IT relies on contractors and the federal government must compete for this talent with private industry and the house committee hearing even suggested is their n need for a new service academy focused on IT?
Nakasone said, “Cyber Command,” has “6,000, linguists,” and languages include “Chinese, Russian, and Arabic,’ he testified.
However, a new challenge facing the nation is undersea internet cables that could be used by an adversary for the internet if the nations satellites were disabled potentially by the Chinese. For more go to: https://jsis.washington.edu/eacenter/2017/02/06/cybersecurity-implications-chinese-undersea-cable-investment/
>>>PAST WDR: ID theft trajectory off the charts, community exports some of these frauds around the nation, says U.S. Atty. Ferrer, in the past
U.S. Atty Wilfredo Ferrer and his agents have busted again a large identity theft network stealing people’s social security numbers and it is a booming fraud industry in South Florida and people even have Tupper wear recruitment like parties where people from doctors’ offices and other health care providers pay the people up to $500. For each patient file and these thieves once they get this information are stealing at average from 193 people or 1000,000 residents state’s The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article10909865.html and here is another story on the widespread scam http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article17932964.html that has other U.S.
U.S. ATTY’s from around the nation contacting Ferrer’s office after people from Miami pop up around the United States and we actually “export this fraud,” around the nation,: and the issue has been extensively reported in past Watchdog Reports since around 2003 and over those years only Medicare Fraud has eclipsed most of the other scams that included mortgage fraud, another high volume local fraud and Miami persistently ranks number one around the nation in these destructive scams that morph so quickly that federal authorities can barely keep up with the scams and is why South Florida has such a high number of the nation’s FBI Special Agents and two details of the federal agents are assigned to the Medicaid Fraud Task Force that was started back in 2003.
FLORIDA
>>> With 2020 Census results, S. Florida picks up new congressional district map drawn-up by republican controlled legislature
With the 25020 census numbers released Thursday south Florida may pick up one congressional seat. That seats district will be drawn by the Florida legislature dominated by republicans.
>>> Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman presiding over the litigation of the Champlain towers collapse is in the spotlight this week., jurist net worth for last year was $29 million, up from year before $28 million net state ethics commission documents and IRS 1040
What do we know about his finances?
Hanzman’s disclosures were benign, and he includes his IRS 1040 which is the gold standard re transparency, and he wants to give those affected by the Champlain Tower disaster what the property owners and deceased deserve financially since the property has some $150 million in value but there are conflicting opinions on what should be on the site. Hanzman is also a University of Florida law graduate. And has worked at various law firms before his election to the bench.
MIIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> JHS CEO Migoya at a PHT board meeting Tuesday notes there are still “500,000,” residents still unvaccinated in Miami-Dade, Doral West new hospital is “one year away from completion,” “he tells board and completes the Making Miracles bond projects under budget.
The county is still reeling from the uptick in Delta COVID -19 patients and has JHS CEO Carlos Migoya at Tuesday’s PHT board meeting that the virus patient population is “quadruple.’ though they are seeing a slowdown and increase the last few days, Migoya told the board. He also noted with COVID some “500,000,” people are still unvaccinated he said. JHS is also not seeing the “500 patient level yet.” He also continues to ask the public and health trust employees to get vaccinated since they have, the same challenges before with exhausted staff.
>>>Last week’s WDR: Velocity of Covid-19 Delta variant is visible by rise in cases at JHS from “60 to 70 a day,” to “50 to 198,” patients in only Three weeks. “says, CEO Migoya, as new Columbian variant accounts for “two percent,” of new cases.
The Watchdog Report was shocked after JHS VP Don Steigman at a recent trust board meeting said that the public health system was seeing “60 to 70,” Covid patients a day but that number soared only days later and the system went from “yellow,” to now red. JHS CEO Carlos Migoya in the media said thy went to “50 to 108 patients in only three weeks,” said Migoya on “This Week In South Florida.”
The velocity of the Delta variant is sweeping through south Florida and the former banker noted, the health system is seeing “49 percent are Delta variant patients, “unvaccinated and a new Columbian variant has come to Jackson Health System with “2 percent,” having such a variant and is a new challenge local health system will be facing. Migoya also noted “89 percent of the hospital’s physicians are vaccinated.” And Migoya called the situation as a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” He also noted Covid at its peak at Jackson. There were “500 covid patients,” and they never want to have to deal with such volume ever again.
The nation and world are still gripped with the collapse of the Champlain Tower condominium that has killed ninety-four residents and 97 are missing, and the tragic event highlighted the professionalism of Miami-Dade County’s fire fighters and police and having a regional size force versus just municipalities. However, everyone knows someone that lives in a condominium, and many are looking at their own condominium’s infrastructure, which had a building siding collapse in Kendall, recently and that anxiety is adding a new wrinkle when someone is buying a condominium in an ocean front building.
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