WATCHDOG REPORT Vol.25 No.1, May 4, 2025: EST.05.05.00 – CELEBRATEING 25th ANNIVERSARY: A free community education resource, I cover when you cannot
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.25 No. 1, May 4, 2025, Celebrating May 5th, 2000: 25 -years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald featured, news reporter & free: community education resource & news service, without the attitude.
>>> 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.)
>>> ARGUS REPORT: HEARD SEEN ON THE STREETS
>>>> TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF WEEKLY FREE Publishing, a community education resource, hope to see you next week, after I got cancer scare cut out, by Dr. Peter Bittar last Wednesday and he did a great job, thank you, also congratulations to 100th issue of Coconut Grove Spotlight, may you last 25 years.
I don’t have a phone to God, I tell people telling me how to think and try to let my readers do that, while trying to save taxpayer money, and better service.
WHY Didn’t you make money off the insider knowledge back then?
That did not feel right given my background and travels to many other countries in Asia.
>>> I want to thank all who helped me on this strange fork in the road life. I was able to use the Internet, Sunshine Law, Miami Herald, WLRN, PBT, and a strong work ethic, to share the information I had. By making it free, everyone became my mini watchdogs from security guards, to staff and I learned the hierarchy of government by the size of their chambers I joked, versus municipalities.
Why over those years I focused on the county public schools and Jackson Health System, rather than only colorful Miami, with great beaches & stone crabs the size of small children! since all are linked to our community and diverse society. I have always tried to defend Miami-Dade, from Broward especially:
Click below on a 2016 WDR that details a playhouse town hall at Ransom:https://www.watchdogreport.net/2016/12/
>>> Context: I want to thank The Coconut Grove SPOTLIGHT: FOR the profile: 25th anniversary of the Watchdog Report, done by Mike Clary, someone I met long ago in 2000 at county hall during the Gore Bush 2000 election, when he was with the L.A. Times.: To read the story click here: https://coconutgrovespotlight.com/2025/04/14/still-barking-a-watchdog-at-25/: here are other stories from the
>>> Here’s AI’s take on me and the WDR: I assume you are asking about the Watchdog Report by Daniel A. Ricker. The Watchdog Report is a weekly e-mail newsletter that covers government news from the nation, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade Public Schools, the Public Health Trust, Miami and other municipalities in the county 1. Daniel A. Ricker is the publisher and editor of the Watchdog Report 1. The Watchdog Report is widely read by government insiders and a veritable who’s who of Miami 2. It is a compilation of the tidbits and observations he synthesizes from his tireless rounds 2. The Watchdog Report is estimated to bring in about $20,000 a year 2. I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
>>> 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. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>> Here’s some further context to my story. I first came to Miami in June 1975, in an executive management program With Cordis Corp., based in Miami I then went to Claremont California, working for Cordis as a salesman technical specialist and Cordis was an innovative powerhouse in the highly competitive cardiac pacemaker industry just getting into widespread use of around 50,000 implants yearly, selling a life savings device, and its service involved being in the operating room, with a surgeon and a pacing system analyzer to be sure the electrode, placed, by surgeon or cardiologist in right ventricle had the right electrical specifications too pace the heart and I tested some 1,500 leads , 7 in Shanghai China, with heart surgeon Dr. Dryden Morse, the grandson of Morse code fame, in 1977. And here in Miami in1979 I had to get a certified check at Jackson once with heart surgeon Dr. Richard Thurer, in the OR before I could give him a pacing electrode, and why I keep watch on JHS, Ryder Trauma Center a community jewel and critical to all of us.
Cordis was the first programable pacer that was noninvasive a first to change a patient’s heart rate. I would later become Dir. Of The Pacific Area Operations, for Cordis which had 3,600 employees, back in 1987, in Miami Lakes and new headquarters near FIU, now the universities engineering school. The company had many Cuban employees back then. I commuted from Miami to Japan for years, before going to Sydney, from my home in Coral Gables, I sold when going overseas.
However, after an FDA Class I recall (this FDA warning says a device had to be removed in 30-days or serious injury or death can occur,) on its pacemakers.
The company’s pacing business was sold to an Australian company and I was the ranking American to move to Australia in this new business configuration where Japan (that I commuted to from Miami, because cheaper than living there) was the big market.
Since, Japanese companies didn’t want to get involved in such a risky and deadly business. Akio Morita, the co-founder of Sony, told me once, the company spent $1 billion promoting the Sony’s name and how would it “look If a Sony pacemaker killed a grandmother in Sendai?” he told me back then. Agreeing a risky venture and was why Japan did not make their own cardiac pacemakers and bought and used American pacemakers.
>>> The county has begun the demolition of the Coconut Grove Playhouse and the county’s agreement by retired Dir. Michael Spring are being discarded as historical unique items in the process pictures show. Spring a standard issue county employee. Was given cover by a number of commissioners Salley Heyman Javier Souto over the ears especially with overruns at Frost Science and Arsht Center. For more go to: https://coconutgrovespotlight.com/2025/04/24/playhouse-demo-begins/
>>> This is not the first time the county has used the theater as a voter hook, to get the 2003 Building Better Communities Bond passed with $20 million to go to the regional theater, but later held till the theater slowly became an unsafe structure that had Ransom students going in to smoke neck etc. Here’s more: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/management/building-better-communities.page
>>> To contribute to the WDR send and make it payable to Daniel A. Ricker
Daniel A. Ricker
3109 Grand Ave.#125
Miami, Fla.33133
>>> Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
>>>> Miami-Dade County is starting a free Civics Academy, with $150,000, budgeted money texted Mayor Levine Cava last week, and some of the money goes to other organizations, she texted.
Civics and the role of government has taken a beating over the years with the advent of the internet. The academy wants to show how people can get involved with government, and shape policy. By being calm and dressing normal will get out much more than when funky, in government meetings and being calm insulates you from others who are loud and almost hysterical l
>>> Further, Jacksons Golden Angel Ball raised some 3.5 million April 22, and Ryder Trauma Center is celebrating 30 years of life saving services to some 4,000 patients a year. The center was a community project when other hospital CEOs, agreed one incredible ER was better than multiple small ones being in inundated with trauma patients. And trains Army surgeons before assignments like Iraq etc. since 2000, and physicians come with their support staff as well, and is a community jewel.
>>>The Watchdog Report will celebrate its 25th anniversary, May 5, 2024, and much has changed since then when I saw our public institutions employees treating residents like only a nuisance and “working there was a right, not a privilege,” and savings could be seen, but ignored especially at MIA where director Gary De Lappa, kept saying regarding overruns “it’s not county money, over and over again” only challenged by mayor Raul Martinez, “ who said “its someone’s money,” and you better find out whose,” the Hialeah mayor suggested. And are why no low-cost carriers are at MIA because landing fees are so high.
OPINION
>>> I believe in America’s Constitution and laws after living in countries like China, and I have a copy of their glowing constitution, and others in Asia. But, the continued attack on the courts and judges, has to be reined back for the soul of the nation is at stake, as a trade war with friends like Canada Americas great northern neighbor are straining relations. The tariffs a Trump campaign promise seem like a sledge hammer especially to farmers and dangerous.
>>> I have been asked by the media why I started the Watchdog Report, and why me, because no one else stepped up and I appreciated everyone getting emails back in 2000 and emails would later take off big time.
People back then would say “my email is on the card,” and you weren’t at the top of your game without email. I made it free since I was the only expense, because I didn’t want just insiders but the WDR to be a local, state, or national community education resource now almost 25-years later. Many, people told me they could have done it, and a few have but none this long. And I guess I created a job that needed to be done at the time and since then with the generous help of my supporters, I have continued on despite some medical scares over the years, and “one a flip of the coin if I survived,” said my Baptist South Miami Hospital surgeon Jorge Rabaza, M.D., in 2009, and since then I have continued so far, thank you Dr, Rabaza.
Saving taxpayer money est. 10 % of public money is wasted, say past IG analysis, and savings are almost easy when there is probably $20 billion in collective public institutions. And debt for the county in 2022 was $29.2 billion, and we are a donor county to the state some $11,164,767,000 in that year. Former Florida, CFO Jeff Atwater told The Greater Miami-Dade County Chamber of Commerce years ago, that Miami-Dade was the big enchilada when it came to state funding “36 percent of the state’s 79.3 billion budget in 2017.” Further Miami-Dade is the “economic engine that carries the state,” said the former senate president and banker.
I bring this up because we have a disproportionate amount of political influence and we need our fair share. Further, because Miami-Dade County accounts for such a large amount though many in north Florida see South Florida like an anomaly of nature socially and ethnically, some legislators doing redistricting hearings at Miami Dade County Community College, were proud to say “I am just a proud cracker,” one legislator said, when responding during the diverse ethnic public hearing, they pretty much ignored.
The IG was created by the commission after continuous scandals. The office created in the 1990s, by the commission has worked diligently to stamp out fraud waste and corruption. The forging of an assistant airport director and false notary certification, are both felonies. To read the full investigation go to:2025-04-02-memo-to-bcc-arrest-ig24-0006-i.pdf
>>> The WDR now has two sources of having internet archives My webpage and The Wayback Machine where I was selected to archive because the WDR is a free no pay wall community education resource on the internet archive records permanently. I am feeling ill but will be back next week, with a normal WDR entering 25 years in May.
>>> The global economy is if wondering that all the tariffs will have a global domino effect around the globe, as retaliation continues. Stability is what has made the U.S., economy great and rule of law but the stock markets are reacting in a negative way and could end Trump’s honeymoon with voters. Further, his declaration of national threats of Venezuelan gangs adds another wrinkle to the administration, giving the president more sweeping powers only checked by the federal courts.
“Trust,” has always been a defining strength of America and has evaporated under President Trump and 48-years since WWII to build while some mistakes We always fought for free democracies, as America in the UN voted with Russia and China on a bad resolution. Something never done before, but has sent shivers to our longtime allies. He firing of so many government workers in NOOA, to Medicine not preparing for next ears flu vaccination and federal special agents across these areas of security, only another incident of terrorism may bring the nation to its senses as weather and medical disasters occur.
Editor’s note: I normally don’t write about this often but the federal agents I know are very solid at their risky jobs and have had some very unusual experiences. Further, China has instituted tariffs on Canadian goods, hurting the farmers also a great foreign policy friend of America.
ALERT: Johns Hopkins University has had its federal funding cut and is one of Americas greatest research universities and developed the implantable Defibrator, Dr Michael Murkowski, and his team of engineers. I met the physician and he told me how skeptical people were at the time but is now commonly used for people with arrythmias issues, including vice president Cheney.
Coconut GROVE: tree loss comes to El. Prado Blvd. workers working sometimes seven days a week, city inspectors rarely seen
The city and Coconut Grove tree canopy loss is now happening in the south grove on El. Prado Blvd., where seven homes have cleared the precious canopy and one reason the area is getting so hot. The workers sometimes work seven days a week and city inspectors are rarely seen at the sites with many out-of-town workers, by the license plates, or credentials markings on vehicles.
>>> The idea of Frank Carollo (his net worth in 2011, was $748,000) running again to replace his termed-out brother Joe, a controversial commissioner nicknamed “crazy Joe”, and maybe rehabilitate his brother image like he did in his first stint on the body. Frank a CPA is less violable than his brother. He was also on the public school’s audit committee ears ago and has been showing up at commission meetings recently.
>>> Further, with Trump making English the nation’s official language Hispanics, and now immigrants across the board be threatened with deportation has many in fear will be concerned of this impact, on their lives and will be felt deeply here in Miami-Dade County, and adds another social issue for South Florida.
>>> Further, the cuts of 600 NOAH employees, is scary and the weather forecasting is critical to the nation and alerts with Miami & Florida a target. And some two dozen were at the Virginia Key site and are a vital weather component that has water flooding adding to wind speed. And Local legislators should protest this move and restore the funding.
COMMUNITY EVENTS: The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
591 NW 27th Street: Miami, FL 33127margulieswarehouse.com The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse591 NW 27th Street Miami, FL 33127
I will be back next week but in need of new funding and hope to be in better writing shape, wish me luck and some financial support this week came in, thank you Dan Ricker. Also not feeling that well.
>>> A new scam is being texted saying that you have unpaid toll charges, and is just another phishing scam. NOW includes a sun pass bill due just recently. And now includes Sun Pass asking for money fake
>>> Another scandal for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and Bay Front Park Trust hires law firm associated with former commissioner Marc Sarnoff (who is also representing the city in the Flagstone suit), to defend him in the suit. Carollo has become a legal liability to Miami and one commissioner Gabela wants to remove Carollo as chair from Bayfront Park Trust, that has faced numerous scandals over the years, and in 2001 was under investigation. The man is a legal liability as law costs going, to millions, during his time on the commission.
This was updated Thursday with Carollo bringing an item requiring all senior commission staff have a “complete background check and drug test,” and commissioner Miguel Gabela went after Carollo, “why now” after he had some controversial employees in the past now with a court case against Carollo, Gabela asked why is “he interested now?” said “the commissioner who is trying to keep the city of lawsuits,” he said. The item died because no second by a commissioner. But the commission chaos continues, sadly.
SPONSERS:
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. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>> 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
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport
Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan.
>>> And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents of public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further the www.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings., and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
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
Sponsors
***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000
Mr. ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S
HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr (The first contributor to the WDR)
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .
THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2007)
ARTHUR HERTZ, deceased one of the first supporters
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
MARTIN MARGULIES margulieswarehouse.com
BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com
RONALD Hall
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov
UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> 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
BERCOW RADELL FERNANDEZ & LARKIN & Tapanes www.brzoninglaw.com
RON BOOK, Esq. https://rlbookpa.com/team/
BENEDICT P. KUEHNE, Esq. http://www.kuehnelaw.com/
LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.
Rbb www.rbbcommmunications.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 CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org
THE GOOD GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE http://goodgov.net/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA http://www.firstgov.gov/
>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
To contribute to the WDR send and make it payable to Daniel A. Ricker
Daniel A. Ricker
3109 Grand Ave. #125
Miami, Fla. 33133