WATCHDOG REPORT Vol. 25 No.05 June 1, 2025:EST:05.05.00 – A free community education resource for 25 Years: Without scandal, rare in Miami
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.25 No. 05, June 1, 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.>>> NO money since Spotlight story sad; form at bottom: I understand with all the economic uncertainty why, people are hesitant to support local county news sources, but hopeful
>>> 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
>>> President Donald Trump pardoning some Medicare felons, in Miami- Dade County “the graduate school for fraud,” said former U.S. Atty, Alex Acosta of the Southern District of Florida, is a travesty since we also “export fraud,” said Acosta at a press conference. Further U.S. District Judge Patracia Seitz, noted “when paying all your taxes, and stopping at a sign was an aspirational act,” when sentencing Medicare fraudsters, the De Cepeda’s brothers to nine-years.
>>> Further, with the Coconut Grove Playhouse side crashing to the street by contractor John Bell Construction a local county firm doing the work. Bell a FIU grad was featured in the schools Panther Newspaper. The County picked the firm probable on price, under Michael Spring who I have mixed feelings about after he wasn’t truthful on construction of The Frost Science Museum, that later ran over.
>> JHS Foundation oversight, and brought inside and does not tolerate embezzlement and JHS worked closely with law enforcement, said a COO David Zambrana, to trustees Wednesday. Further treasurer Carmen M. Sabater, “stated trust is 4 percent above budget and a pretty good cash position,” she said. Here is the Foundations criminal accusations FOR more:https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/jackson-health-foundation-executive-charged-pocketing-over-1-million-kickbacks
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/
>>> I seem to have a curse in my life If I get profiled, over the years my life only gets harder as four weeks now with no support money has come in.
Further, I do not use a walker, yes, a cane, for long distances and my health is semi-OK (no colon or lung cancer after tests), and I’m not that feeble, and will be going to Miami lower-level meetings like the never scheduled Finance Committee, on public no meeting notices, for months now. Also, after multiple requests asking how much spent on attorney’s fees for Carollo to both manager A
Art Noriega, and CFO Larry Spring have not responded not asking for launch codes here and the public has a right to know. >>> Now we know “it’s $10 million,” but I bet more depending on reason classification in expenditure, Commissioner Gabela told me outside city hall Thursday and an EXTRA was sent out.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Will loss of elections Supt. Christine White, after 300 municipal elections, new Supt. Garcia Rolls dice, re accurate elections in the county, after years of efficient elections, Garcia no experience in detail, logistics 850 polls opening on time, she must bring her A game to job, less a social butterfly, to keep voters trust and is a Biden election denier? Local municipal elections first test of Garcia’s performance, before big tests general elections?
Miami- Dade County elections Supervisor Alina Garcia, is rolling the dice after a philosophy difference says the media. For prior supervisor of elections Christina White, a 19-year, county employee goes to the county’s Park & Recreation Department. I have known White for years and watched her operation for years, calm, efficient a detail person with 850 polls opening on time, no easy task given the county’s past election performance over the ears. Garcia a former state representative is a Trump fan versus White a Democrat. ON social media Garcia is a social butterfly being photographed with a host of lawmakers and joined the count commissioners DC, fly in recently, but elections are also a detail job very different from being a state rep., and the loss of white while turning over a very well-organized elections dept it is not a static job and Garcia better bring her A game to the job, or voters could be in the national spotlight again when it comes elections. I could not see get disclosure info filed at state.
>>> City of Miami has “spent $10 million in legal fees defending commissioner Joe Carollo, in court cases,” said Miami Commissioner Miguel A. Gabela, to the WDR Thursday afternoon outside city hall after an explosive commission meeting out of control. With Fridays commission meeting being only the same chaotic meeting ending in a shouting match, about numerous boats at a home he owns, a code violation, Carollo contends, so stay tuned.
Gabela & the WDR had been asking how much the city had spent on legal fees, but this is the first conformation by Gabela and he will show me the spread sheet this week he said. ITS $10 million
>>> We will “no more [use] sticky notes,” said the county’s IT director Margaret Brisbane, MBA, and she had grim news when it came to the age of the existing systems at the county, noting, there are 2,500 dashboards in the IT system 38 years old,
County facing a $400 million shortfall county has $22 billion in debt. However, a Crisis in years developing, after years and $6.14 billion in federal funding and now going away with HUD cutting $26 billion in federal funding, key to the county’s Homeless Trust, as well as affordable housing stated county staff last week.
How could it be worse?
The county has $2billion in receivables debt from Jackson Health Systems to Animal Services and $24 million in growth for the public hospital system, explained staff, last week.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Yearly 2025-2026 AOA between UM Medical school & JHS approved, $84.9 million in 2025: 2026 $85.6 million trust documents, state.
The yearly Annual Operating agreement between Jackson Health System and the University of Miami Miller Medical School was approved on Wednesday. The mutual agreement between the Miller Medical School has been going on since 1952 and allows the medical school intern slots at Jackson facilities. This year’s agreements were $84.9 million and next year is projected at $85.6 million. This funding is further enhanced by intergovernmental transfer of government funds. The trust hired a company Chartis, to create mythology to track to fully account for UM services, texted Esther Caravia-Abolila, CEO Migoya’s chief of staff.
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2025-2026 ANNUAL OPERATING AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI; AND AUTHORIZING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OR HIS DESIGNEE, TO EXECUTE THE 2025-2026 ANNUAL OPERATING AGREEMENT; AND AUTHORIZING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OR HIS DESIGNEE, TO EXERCISE ANY AMENDMENT, REVISION, MODIFICATION, EXTENSION, TERMINATION OR CANCELLATION CLAUSES PROVIDED WITHIN THE 2025-2026 ANNUAL OPERATING AGREEMENT – Sponsored by David Zambrana, President & Chief Operating Officer, Jackson Health System
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, Allowed a $1,000. Dry cleaning bill, go slow payment plan
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