Watchdog Report Vol. 11 No. 2 May 16, 2010 – Celebrating My 11th Anniversary since May 5th
CONTENTS
Argus Report: What role will U.S. Rep. Meek’s family play in 2010 senate race, will Crist and Rubio get an issue?
Florida: Gov. Crist sharpens veto pen, what will be axed in $70.4 billion state budget in days ahead?
Miami-Dade County: When it comes to PHT, everyone has an opinion, but will the right one prevail in the end?
Broward County: Feds pop two people in mortgage fraud scheme
Palm Beach County: Local attorney pleads guilty to mortgage fraud conspiracy in West Palm Beach
Monroe County: Administrator Gastesi trying to keep taxes under roll back rate, budget begins to come together in mid June
Miami-Dade Public Schools: Friends of WLRN under the gun; need to come into line with district authority in next 30-days
Public Health Trust: Commissioner Souto joins Mayor Alvarez on dissolving PHT board, county leaders must appreciate enormity of decision
City of Miami: Commissioner Sarnoff cautions on ceding “powers” to mayor; supports independence of CIP
City of Miami Beach: Commissioner Weithorn says “$30 million” in expected budget cuts, budget workshops in the wings
City of Coral Gables: Mayor Slesnick says, “Income and expenditure projections are on target” but what of the next budget year?
Editorials: Past WDRS: Transparency in government affairs is always spoken about but without the Watchdog Report rarely seen — Collapse and consolidation of media will eventually create a Wild West mentality within public institutions
Letters: Readers on the Watchdog Report’s 11th Anniversary May 5th
Sponsors – Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue
>>> 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.)
>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding the University of Miami’s Knight Center of International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University’s School of Communication www.miami.edu assistance to rebuild my web site www.watchdogreport.net that is now on line again, since the previous one was shut down in July 2008. Past reports will continue to go on line in the future, potentially as far back as May 2000. This institutional support is a major break through for me, and I am deeply appreciative of the help these two substantial international institutions have given me at a time the site was an unbudgeted expense and to keep the Watchdog Report a community education resource, while also being a decade old news service.
>>> If you think it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider becoming a supporter or sponsor. For there is no trust fund and I do have to live. A convenient form is at the bottom of this week’s Watchdog Report with all the instructions on how to support this decade old newsletter and news service soon to start its 11th anniversary on May 5.
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> What role will U.S. Rep. Meek’s family play in 2010 senate race, will Crist and Rubio get an issue?
U.S. Rep Kendrick Meek, D-Miami (net worth roughly $62,000 in 2002) is in the media spotlight Saturday after an aide received a $13,000 home loan from Dennis Stackhouse, who is awaiting trial for stealing $1 million from a failed public project called Poinciana Park www.miamiherald.com and the story puts the congressman and his family back into the public eye. Meek, the Democratic Party front-runner for the U.S. Senate race in August has been below the radar for much of the preliminary months and has yet to spend any of his $3 million plus cash that he has raised for his campaign war chest. He was on Watch This Week’s Issues – Interview with U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek: Interview with U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek: Part 1 of 2 –Interview with U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek: Part 2 of 2 on Friday and Sunday. He discusses his campaign that started with him qualifying to run for the office by getting over 125,000 voters signatures statewide rather than pay the $10,000 qualifying fee as other candidates have done. Meek, taking a move out of past Gov. Lawton Chiles political playbook has met constantly with Democratic and other voters throughout Florida over the months but his name recognition is still low and he trails Gov. Charlie Crist (Net worth $466,000) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami (Net worth $8,351) in the polls. Meek during his earlier life worked as a Skycap at MIA and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and he became a Miami-Dade County lobbyist during the end of the 1990s. Back then, Meek represented Wackenhut Security as a representative in front of the county and he was paid around $90,000 in that activity. During this time, Meek was also a sate senator and in 2002 gave Gov. Jeb Bush his only major policy defeat when the Florida Class-size Amendment was approved by state voters and championed by Meek.
Meek, whose mother Carrie preceded him in the congressional seat after being elected in 1992 to the body, retired at the last minute in 2002 and Kendrick was the only candidate to file and qualify for the office, where the sudden congressional seat opening caught many others by surprise. The elder Meek took-up the lobbying banner after her retirement from public office and she has represented Lennar Homes, the rock mining industry, URS, and Wackenhut from 2004 on. In the case of Stackhouse, he paid her $90,000 for her lobbying and supplied a Cadillac Escalade for her use and while her son says, they did not discuss these issues, that had her complain he does not listen to me. It still has a look the younger Meek can do without, in what is expected to be a bruising three-way Democratic Party senate race that now has billionaire Jeff Greene and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre in the ring as well.
Meek the elder is also chair of the Carrie Meek Foundation, a not-for –profit entity that gets funding from a variety of sources including Miami-Dade that granted hundreds of thousands in “seed money” funding during a commission budget meeting years ago. There also is the issue of the Meek connection with Wackenhut, previously extensively reported in the Watchdog Report that has caused some of the controversy regarding these lobbyist activities that are separate from the Stackhouse investigation after the security firm sued Miami-Dade for $20 million after a critical county internal audit stated transit was over billed by over $3 million for phantom employees providing security by the company. The county a few months ago settled with Wackenhut and the issue never came to a head but it required the elder Meek to seek a conflict of interest waiver last summer with the county commission since she is also a lobbyist for the county in Washington and is paid up to $75,000 a year for this effort. Further, over the years the congressman, his attorney wife and now mother all represented the security company the congressman back in 2002 got a $92,000 salary for the lobbying gig. To see another person’s take on the Meek family >>> See what EyeOnMiami wrote about Carrie Meek back in 2007: http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2007/06/more-on-carrie-meek-by-geniusofdespair.html
>>> Former Miami top cop gets new gig as author, Timoney on Timoney
Former Miami Police Chief John Timoney was on www.msnbc.com ‘Morning Joe’ last Thursday and the sometimes-acerbic Irishman has a new book out called ‘Beat Cop to Top Cop,’ and he talked about his decades in law enforcement. He said he discussed the good and the mistakes during his time in uniform and during the first 20-months of his tenure, here in Miami; there was not a single police officer gun discharge, something not common in Miami. However, critics chide the chief for the lockdown of the city during the FTAA in November 2003 and then there was the car he got on loan for well over a year and became his Lexusgate. Mayor Manuel Diaz brought Timoney to the city in Jan. 2003 and the chief exited after Mayor Tomas Regalado won in a landslide in November 2009. Timoney was also criticized for some of his command choices that had the chief leaving the city under a union vote cloud of no confidence, which Timoney said, was political and not unheard of when pension reductions were being sought. For more information on the show go to Morning Joe (MorningJoe) on Twitter Video: Meet America’s ‘Top Cop’: Former Police Chief of Miami John Timoney joins Morning Joe to discuss the Times … http://bit.ly/bMKBOd 7:15 AM May 13th …http://twitter.com/MORNINGJOE – 39k – Cached – News – Morning Joe i Meet America’s ‘Top Cop’. May 13: Former Police Chief of Miami John Timoney joins Morning Joe to discuss t… Morning Joe | 8:20 AM May 13, 2010 …http://video.mobile.msn.com/en-us/news/morningjoe.aspx – 15k – Cached
>>> Press release: TAIWAN EXPORTER PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO EXPORT MISSILE COMPONENTS FROM THE U.S. TO IRAN
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Michael Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, announced that defendant Yi-Lan Chen, a/k/a “Kevin Chen,” 40, a Taiwan passport holder, and his corporation, Landstar Tech Company Limited, a Taiwan corporation, pled guilty this morning in Miami to charges of conspiring to illegally export dual-use commodities to Iran. Chen appeared on behalf of himself and Landstar Tech in federal court today to announce their guilty pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan. Chen pled guilty to all three counts of the Information filed against him, and Landstar Tech pled guilty to Count 1 of the Information. Count 1 of the Information charges conspiracy to export and cause the export of commodities from the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran, in violation of the Embargo imposed upon that country by the United States (“the U.S.-Iran Embargo”) and in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Title 50, United States Code, Section 1705(a). Counts 2 and 3 of the Information charge attempts to export and cause the export of commodities from the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran, in violation of the U.S.-Iran Embargo and in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. On the conspiracy count, Chen faces a maximum statutory term of twenty (20) years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and Landstar Tech faces a statutory maximum fine of $1,000,000.
According to documents filed with the court during the plea hearing, Chen, a Taiwan national who was residing in Taiwan during the time of the acts charged in the Information, by and through his Taiwan corporation, Landstar Tech Company Ltd, communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in the United States, Iran, Hong Kong, and elsewhere and facilitated the attempted export of dual-use goods from the United States to Iran. In so doing, Chen communicated with and took requests for U.S. manufactured goods from customers in Iran. Chen and Landstar Tech then purchased those U.S.-manufactured goods from U.S. companies and misrepresented to those U.S. companies the ultimate end-user or consignee of the goods. With respect to the particular items charged in the Information, Chen made arrangements with a federal agent acting in an undercover capacity to have those U.S. goods hand-delivered by the undercover agent to Chen in Guam, a territory of the United States. Chen then planned to transport those goods back to Taiwan and then on to his customers in Iran. Chen and Landstar Tech also received payment for the purchase and shipment of the U.S. goods from his customers in Iran and then used funds received from the customers in Iran to pay the U.S. companies for those goods. Specifically, Chen and Landstar Tech conspired to export and cause the export of and attempted to export and cause the export of 120 circular hermetic connectors (Model MIL-C-81703/Part No. 8403-7-50P) and 8,500 glass to metal seals of various item numbers. The circular hermetic connectors and the glass to metal seals were manufactured in the United States and are dual-use commodities. That is, they are goods or technologies that have commercial application, but also could make a significant contribution to the military or nuclear potential of other nations and could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States.
Chen ultimately failed to deliver the circular hermetic connectors or the glass to metal seals to his customers in Iran due to law enforcement intervention. That is, United States Department of Commerce agents seized the first attempted shipment of 60 glass to metal seals prior to their export from the United States. And, federal agents from the United States Department of Commerce and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), arrested Chen in Guam before he took delivery of the 60 additional circular hermetic seals or the 8,500 glass to metal seals from a federal law enforcement agent acting in an undercover capacity. Chen has been in federal custody since his arrest in February of this year and will remain in custody pending his sentencing. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations for their work on this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Damian. 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 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
>>>Press release: Zogby Interactive: 55% Not Very Concerned About Being Terror Victim; 50% Favor Increasing Security Funds to NYC – 85% Would Prohibit Guns Sales to Those on FBI Watch List
A majority of likely voters say they are not very concerned or not at all concerned that they or a family member could be the victim of a terrorist attack. The Zogby Interactive poll also found 50% would support increasing federal homeland security funding to New York City, even if that meant their community might see a decrease in such spending. The survey of 2,068 likely voters was conducted from May 7-10, and has a margin of error +/- 2.2 percentage points. Here are results of the poll’s questions about terrorism. 55% say they are not all or not very concerned about a terror attack victimizing them or their families. Of those, 18% were not at all concerned. Demographics groups in which majorities were either very or somewhat concerned included Republicans (61%), women (52%), those 65 and older (53%) and Catholics (55%). Please click the link below to view the full news release on our website: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1862
>>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for no money came in over the last week and I do have to live, thank you! The report is also shorter and with less real content because I am still weak and do not have my past energy level that allowed me to write all day Saturday and Sunday as in the past almost 11-years that I have been doing this. I ask for my readers understanding during this time. >>> Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times, The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel which ran as a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003 and UNC Chapel Hill naming me one of the top columnists in Florida in a multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on Topical Currents on www.wlrn.org since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then and also the opportunity to be on Helen Ferre’s show Issues on issues@wpbt.org numerous times over the past decade.
>>> PAST WDR: I have been in the hospital after emergency surgery, one more procedure to go, need the community’s financial help to keep at this!
I have not communicated or sent out a Watchdog Report since the end of January because I had a catastrophic medical issue that required one emergency surgery and another in a few weeks after about two months of convalescing at the hospital and home. I would like to thank surgeon Jorge R. Rabaza, M.D., (Recently honored and awarded the Person of the Year at South Miami Hospital) and the rest of his vascular surgery team of Verdeja, Rabaza, Gonzalez, P.A., who practice at South Miami Hospital (http://www.miamihope.com/doctors/index.asp.). I went to the emergency room Feb. 8 and later in the evening, the operation was done, and it was touch and go. I also want to thank all the nursing and support staff located in the forth floor annex of the hospital who took care of me for over a week after the operation and your kind manner and medical attention was deeply appreciated. I have not had the strength and mental clarity to write until the last few days and to say I need a miracle is an understatement regarding my financial survival. I have been unable to send invoices to past supporters and just paying my rent currently is a big deal and hope you will consider doing what you can to keep me out in the field and reporting back after I get back on my feet and I am feeling better. The support form is at the bottom of this truncated issue for your convenience and if high definition transparency of what your public institutions are doing is important to you. Please help and support me financially during this particularly rough patch. >>> Editor’s note: If you see people that represent these two organizations, let them know you appreciate how they helped me keeping this free news resource out in our community for all to read if desired.
>>> See what was said about the Watchdog Report in the Miami New Times 2003 — Best of Miami — BEST CITIZEN — Daniel Ricker –
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 fourth anniversary. In a former life, Ricker made a handsome living as an international salesman of heart pacemakers. As the hard-working publisher of Watchdog Report, 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!”
FLORIDA
>>> Gov. Crist sharpens veto pen, what will be axed in $70.4 billion state budget in days ahead
With elected leaders and organizations around the state holding their collective financial breath, it remains to be seen what Gov. Charlie Crist (net worth $466,000) will decide to veto in the state’s $70.4 billion budget passed on April 30th by the Florida legislature. Crist who changed his voter status to No Party Affiliation last week has an opportunity to pare down some of the legislators largess for their districts since he has very little to lose in political capital when it comes to either of the political parties. His decision to strike down what some might consider pork projects could resonant with voters who seem to be just turned off with all the government spending, even if it might be in their hometown. On Saturday, Crist vetoed two bills that had considerable legislative support and he has many more bills to consider in the days ahead.
Locally, the big appropriation is the $50 million for Jackson Memorial Hospital that was steered into the state budget by state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami now running for congress in the District 25 seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz- Balart who claimed his brother’s seat at the end of April after not drawing a challenger from either party. However, Crist understands the importance of Jackson Memorial Hospital having visited the institution over the past decade and the Watchdog Report believes the governor will sign this appropriation for the health trust.
>>> Press release: Governor Charlie Crist signed the following bills today, May 15, 2010: HB 1581 Florida Atlantic University – HB 7119 OGSR/Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology >> The following bills were vetoed today: CS/CS/CS HB 981Agriculture – CS HB 7103 Agriculture
>>> Press release: Gov. Crist today named Erik M. “Rick” Figlio of Tallahassee as general counsel for the Executive Office of the Governor.
“Rick has extensive experience in the law, as well as with state government, and is deeply committed to serving the people of our great state,” said Governor Crist. “In addition, I am confident his legal expertise will always be complemented by his unwavering integrity and fairness.” Figlio, 38, has practiced with Ausley and McMullen since September 2009 after serving as assistant general counsel to Governor Crist beginning in January 2007. Previously, he was the deputy solicitor general in the Office of then-Attorney General Crist from 2004 to 2007, handling all appeals cases in the Eleventh Circuit and Florida district courts of appeal. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel F. Dubina, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, from 2003 to 2004 after practicing with Shaw, Pitmann, Potts and Trowbridge from 2002 to 2003. Figlio received his bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his law degree from University of Georgia School of Law. “I am honored to have to have the opportunity to work again with Governor Crist and to serve the people of Florida,” Figlio said. “I look forward to getting to work right away and assisting the Governor in whatever ways are needed.”
>>> Press release: Gov. Crist, Attorney General McCollum Call for Oil Spill Legal Advisory Council ~ Former Attorneys General Bob Butterworth and Jim Smith to chair legal advisory team ~
Governor Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum today called on former Attorneys General Bob Butterworth and Jim Smith to chair a Legal Advisory Council to explore options relating to the Deepwater Horizon incident and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The legal advisory team will bring together private-sector attorneys and other experts who will use their expertise to begin assessing the impact the potential disaster could have on Florida. “Many of Florida’s communities, businesses and even entire industries could be affected by this disaster,” Governor Crist said. “We are wise and prudent to gather the best legal minds in our state together to begin preparing today for any future legal action we might need to take.”
The Legal Advisory Council will work with state agencies to prepare for any future litigation, enforcement, or regulatory action that may be needed. The group will focus on gathering information and strategies relating to the following: Protection of the rights of Florida consumers and businesses. Actions that the State of Florida can initiate now. Data and information collection and preservation. Prompt compliance to information requests by BP, Transocean, Halliburton and other companies. Strategies and theories for future legal action. “Floridians need our help now, and it is never too early to tap into the best legal resources available,” said Attorney General McCollum. “By taking this step now, we will be in the best position possible when moving forward with any litigation or other resolution on behalf of Florida and its citizens.” Governor Crist expressed confidence in the ability of Generals Butterworth and Smith to assist Florida in the early stages of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They will begin identifying Legal Advisory Council members as soon as possible. Floridians with questions about the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Legal Advisory Council should call the Attorney General’s toll-free hotline at 1-866-966-7226.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> When it comes to PHT, everyone has an opinion, but will the right one prevail in the end?
Mayor Carlos Alvarez is holding another session Monday morning with the management of the Public Health Trust, his administration and this time he is holding it at his West Miami-Dade Office. In the past, 20 or so people have attended these meetings and while the mayor is perfectly within his rights to hold the meeting at this satellite location. It is odd that he is not using the more convenient 29th floor conference room which is a more efficient and easy location to get to. Over the years, I have gone to this other office located in a large strip mall near FIU but given the meeting is from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., the height of morning rush hour traffic. I for one will not be able to attend this meeting that will follow on Tuesday with the county commission voting on legislation concerning the governance of the health trust, if necessary, because the current board could not overcome the financial issues facing the institution. Further, at last Tuesday’s PHT committee meeting, any veil of independence of the PHT board was lifted when Commissioner Javier Souto (Net worth $856,000) in “frustration and desperation” held–up the county charter document and proclaimed, it is the Board of County Commissioners that has the responsibility to provide for the healthcare of the county’s 3.5 million residents, he told fellow commissioners at a committee meeting Thursday. He was responding to the trustee’s discussion concerning closing the county’s nursing homes run by the PHT and the board had hoped to spin it off, saving about $3 million but no private organization responded to the request for proposals.
Trustee Judy Rosenbaum, Ph.D. asked Souto how they were going to achieve their charge by the county commission and mayor of balancing the institution’s budget, if these tough choices are not made. Souto did not directly respond, but later in the week, he told his fellow commissioners “they [the PHT trustees] don’t understand how the county works and our responsibility as elected leaders,” said the former state legislator. He railed on saying, “they just don’t get it, never were elected, and the responsibility that comes with that,” Souto intoned. However, it also shows how under the thumb the PHT board is and while the members of the board are struggling with these vexing problems, the elected official component is now always on the front stage of these important discussions.
What about the $11 million in Jackson Memorial Foundation funding?
At the commission, Health, Public Safety and Intergovernmental committee meeting Thursday, the issue of two PHT contracts worth $11 million with the foundation funded by the trust were deferred by commissioners. Commission vice Chair Jose “Pepe” Diaz said he did not understand aspects of the transaction, and Commissioner Dorrin Rolle wanted to hear from the “Jackson representatives” but there were no staff from the PHT or the foundation to answer commissioner questions.
What did Diaz say about the PHT board?
At the beginning of the committee meeting Diaz gave out recognitions for people being on county boards and when it came to the PHT 15-member board. He said “next” and did not read off any of the trustees names which gives one a sense of the his thoughts of the oversight board.
>>> May 17, 2010 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: A Sunshine Meeting between Miami-Dade County and the Public Health Trust (PHT) Management Team has been scheduled to review ‘Jackson Health Systems operational, budgetary and financial matters.’ The Honorable Miami-Dade County Mayor, Carlos Alvarez; County Manager, George Burgess; Assistant County Manager, Alina Hudak; President and CEO of Jackson Health System, Dr. Eneida O. Roldan, and Public Health Trust Chairman, John H. Copeland, III, will be in attendance. Location: Office of the Mayor – West Dade Office, 1309 SW 107 Avenue, Miami, FL 33174
>>> Will there be funding independence for commission Auditor, IG, and ethics commission? – Change in resolving conflicts of interest
At county commission committee meetings last week, two ordinances related to ethics and the funding of entities that report to the commission passed on first readings. One ordinance that passed gives the Miami-Dade Ethics and Public Trust Commission the power to investigate and rule on conflict of interest cases, previously done by the county commission. Many ethics mavens believed the elected body did not have the resources to do an investigation and these conflicts also put the body in potentially an awkward legislative position.
The other ordinance would break out the budgeting authority, currently with the administration, though ultimately approved by the commission for the county commission’s auditor, IG and ethics commission. Over the years, funding for these organizations sometimes were under the fiscal gun, but the commission when deliberating the budget generally gave these three entities most of the funding they were requesting.
>>> Taxi driver wants to know what to do with “seeing eye horses?”
Another issue surfaced during a discussion at a commission committee meeting dealing with the taxicab industry and how someone with a disability, such as being legally blind could not get a cab at MIA because the drivers would not allow the dog into the car. Advocates for the blind made a credible case of the difficulty they faced getting around and after a long trip away from Miami. They deserved the right, granted by law to have a taxi take them home if that is their pleasure and the commissioners understood the seriousness of the problem.
Anything unusual happen?
However, this discussion brought up another issue when a driver got up and asked commissioners what they were supposed to do with “seeing eye horses?” Committee chair Carlos Gimenez was startled with the statement and asked for the man to repeat the question. The conversation concluded after Vice Chair Jose “Pepe” Diaz mad a ‘Mr. Ed’ joke, a black and white television staple in the late 1950s about a talking horse, but once again, some of the political dialogue at the commission was colorful to say the least.
>>> Press release on county boards being recognized: Miami-Dade County Commission recognizes members of County Boards in special ceremonies
From May 10 to May 13, the Miami-Dade County Commission recognized the numerous members of County Boards who perform valuable services in the community. The recognition ceremonies held in the County Commission Chambers were pursuant to a resolution sponsored by Chairman Dennis C. Moss that called for the event annually. On May 10, Vice-Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz recognized the members of the boards that contribute to the efforts of the County’s Recreation, Culture and Tourism Committee (RCTC). “Our board members go out in the community and ensure that everything – from public art to safety programs – is being implemented across Miami-Dade,” said Vice-Chairman Diaz. “Until now, they’ve mostly remained unsung heroes, but they deserve praise for their dedication to enriching and improving our community.”
The following board members were given certificates of appreciation this past Monday: Historic Preservation Board; Art in Public Places Cultural Affairs Council Film and Entertainment Advisory Board Kendale Lakes Landscape Maintenance Special Taxing District Advisory Board Miami Metro Zoo Oversight Board Parks and Recreation Citizens’ Advisory Board Performing Arts Center Trust Public Library Advisory Board Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center Advisory Board Safe Neighborhood Parks Citizens Oversight Committee Tourism Development Council Vizcaya Museum and Garden Trust
>>> Press release: Register your child in summer camp at the Deering Estate at Cutler
This summer, the Deering Estate at Cutler will offer three types of summer camp: Eco-Explorers (ages 6-8), Deering Discovery Camp (ages 9-11), and Camp Ikana Okee “Sea & Land” (ages 12-15). There are five, ten-day sessions available from June 14th through August 20th. Teacher planning day camps are also available on June 10th and 11th. Eco-Explorers (ages 6-8): Children can experience a fun environment in which they can explore a balance of environmental awareness, adventures, and eco-themed arts and crafts while exploring the history and nature of the Estate. The program makes use of the many advantages within the archaeological, natural and historic setting of the Estate, including interactive exhibits, our natural areas and technology lab.
Deering Discovery Camp (ages 9-11): Children will learn about history, archeology, and nature by taking part in a series of hands on activities at the Deering Discovery Camp. Camp activities include: nature hikes, educational environmental projects, a canoe trip to Chicken Key, and participation in an exciting archeological dig along with other enrichment and recreational activities. Camp “Ikana Okee” (ages 12-15): Camp “Ikana Okee”, which means “sea & land,” is an adventure camp where science, education and adventure are the focus as campers explore the wonders of the natural and marine world. Camp “Ikana Okee” offers unique and innovative recreational activities where the mysteries of the oceans are revealed through hands-on activities above, beside and below the water’s surface.
Camp hours are from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Early drop-off and late-pick up are available for an additional fee. Early drop off is from 7:30 am to 9:00 am and late pick up is from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The cost of each camp is $375 (ten-day session). The cost for the Teacher Planning Day Camp is $38 for one day; or $75 for both days. Please note there is a one-time $12 annual camp registration fee. To register for Summer Camp at the Deering Estate, please call 305-235-1668 ext. 233. Visit the Deering Estate website for the Summer Camp registration form. >>> About the Deering Estate at Cutler >> The Deering Estate at Cutler, a Miami-Dade County Park, is located at 16701 SW 72 Avenue in Miami. This 444-acre natural and archeological preserve and historic site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a center for education, culture and recreation. Historic house tours are offered daily (10:30 am & 3:00 pm) with admission to the Estate. EcoAdventure Tours are also offered throughout the year for an additional fee. For more information on the Deering Estate’s educational and cultural programs, please visit www.deeringestate.org
BROWARD COUNTY
>>> Press release: TWO PLEAD GUILTY IN BROWARD MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Henry Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and J. Thomas Cardwell, Commissioner, State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, announced that defendants Monique Mitchell, 29, of Pembroke Pines, and Sheldon Martin, 34, of Plantation, pled guilty this morning in West Palm Beach federal court to one count of making false statements on a HUD-1 Real Estate Settlement Form in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 21, 2010 before U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks. According to records filed with the court and statements made during the plea hearing, defendant Monique Mitchell was employed by Attorneys Title Center, in Pembroke Pines. Defendant Sheldon Martin was a self-employed licensed mortgage broker in Plantation. At the plea, Mitchell and Martin admitted that they knowingly prepared a false HUD-1 Settlement Statement Form in connection with the January 2008 sale of a $1,250,000 home in Fort Lauderdale. The HUD-1 Form included false information to Regions Bank, the lender, about the down payment, the cash on hand at closing, and the amount repaid to the previous lender. In addition, the defendants concealed from Regions Bank money paid to The Pines Law Center at the closing. At sentencing, the defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison. Co-defendant, attorney Michael Samuda, is scheduled for trial in June 2010. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, and State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Kay. 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 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
>>> Press release: ATTORNEY PLEADS GUILTY TO MORTGAGE FRAUD CONSPIRACY IN WEST PALM BEACH
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Henry Gutierrez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Michael K. Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, J. Thomas Cardwell, Commissioner, State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, and Alex Sink, Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida’s Department of Financial Services, announced that defendant Joseph Miller, 63, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (Count 1), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 9, 2010 at 10:30 am. According to documents filed with the court, from January 2006 through October 2007, Miller conspired with others to commit mail and wire fraud by acting as the attorney and title agent on mortgage loans that were obtained through the submission of false loan applications to Washington Mutual and other lenders. The superseding indictment also charged defendants Jason Vitulano, Peter Hartofilis, Robert Hofler, and Steve Vento. Defendants Vitulano, Hofler and Vento have pled guilty and are currently awaiting sentencing. The case against defendant Peter Hartofilis remains pending.
According to the factual proffer filed with the court in support of the guilty plea, Jason Vitulano was a branch manager at TopDot Mortgage, in Boca Raton, where Vitulano and others, including co-branch manager Hartofilis, devised a scheme to submit fraudulent loan applications to numerous lenders. The false loan applications grossly inflated the loan applicants’ earnings and assets on deposit in a local bank. According to the proffer and other court documents, Vitulano recruited attorney co-defendant Joseph Miller to act as closing and title agent on a number of these loan transactions. According to the proffer, Miller agreed to divert loan proceeds to the personal accounts of Vitulano, Hartofilis and others without disclosing that fact to the mortgage lenders. Defendant Robert Hofler pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on April 8, 2010. Hofler was a vice president at First Southern Bank in Boca Raton. According to documents filed in the case, Hofler used his position to falsify verification of deposit forms that were used to deceive lenders into believing that a prospective loan applicants had large balances on deposit at First Southern, which was not true. In reliance on these and other false statements in the loan applications, the lenders approved and funded more than $5 million in mortgage loans to purchase residences in Palm Beach and Broward Counties. Hofler is scheduled for sentencing on July 27, 2010 at 10:30 am. Defendant Steve Vento purchased two properties, each valued at the time at over $1 million, by submitting false loan applications through Top Dot mortgage, through the work of Jason Vitulano. Vento is scheduled for sentencing on July 13, 2010 at 11:00 am. Defendant Jason Vitulano, the Top Dot Mortgage branch manager and alleged leader of the conspiracy scheme, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2010 at 10:30 am. >>> At sentencing, each of the defendants faces a maximum statutory term of imprisonment of up to 30 years in prison on each of the counts against them. Mr. Ferrer commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, and the State of Florida’s Department of Financial Services for their work in the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Jorgensen and Ellen Cohen, in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Mortgage Fraud Task Force. 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 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.
MONROE COUNTY
>>> Administrator Gastesi trying to keep taxes under roll back rate like last year, budget begins to come together in mid June
The Watchdog Report contacted County Administrator Roman Gastesi last week concerning the county’s upcoming 2010-2011 budget that has been getting hammered like the other 66 counties in Florida and the administrator wrote back. “We are starting to put together the county’s budget, it’s a little different down here because the “constitutional” officers, i.e. Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Elections Supervisor, etc. don’t have to turn in their budgets until June 1st to me and I’m responsible for rolling it all up to form the “Aggregate”…my goal is to come in under rollback like we did last year…in mid-June we will know more… Hope all is well on the mainland…come down and spend money, we need it!” wrote Gastesi last week
>>> Press release from County Administrator: It’s important to let folks know that we are still very open for business… KEYS TOURISM ADVISORY 8 May 12, 2010 • News and Information From the Monroe County Tourist Development Council – ‘Relax’ is Key Word at County Commission Spill Workshop
Officials speaking at special county commission meeting Tuesday shared a key message for their constituents in the Florida Keys regarding the Transocean/BP oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Be calm, but be vigilant and be prepared. “The likelihood is that this will not happen,” said county administrator Roman Gastesi of fears that massive amounts of oil could reach the Keys’ sensitive marine areas. “Relax and go about your normal routines. We need to continue to enjoy our beautiful outdoors.” Captain Pat DeQuattro, U.S. Coast Guard sector Key West’s commander, said there is no near-term trajectory forecast that indicates the Keys will be impacted by oil any time soon. But he said his agency continues to monitor events closely and plan in case a local response should become necessary.
According to Florida’s emergency management office, as of Wednesday morning there are no impacts forecast for the next 72 hours to any part of the state of Florida and likely much longer for the Keys. According to official estimates, as of Wednesday morning the southern edge of the slick was projected to be about 70 miles from the northern edge of the Loop Current. At Tuesday’s meeting, Sean Morton, superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, said if oil enters the loop current it would take about 10 to 15 days to migrate to the Keys region. If oil reaches the Keys, said BP incident commander Keith Seilhan, it would likely be in the form of tar balls or tar pancakes, not a continuous sheet of thick oil that is being seen near the spill site. Morton said NOAA officials were still studying the physical transformations of dispersed “weathered oil,” but said impacts in the Keys would likely be different than those in the northern Gulf. The meeting, called by Monroe County Mayor Sylvia Murphy, brought together federal, state and local agencies — include Monroe County Emergency Management — to discuss the situation and inform the public of their state of readiness, if needed.
Tourism was a focal point and Andy Newman, media relations director for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, relayed a TDC survey of Keys chambers of commerce and accommodations associations discovered thus far that there had been some cancellations, but that advance reservations were lagging because “consumers were taking a wait-and-see approach.” An online Trip Advisor poll in USA Today seems to support that premise with almost half the respondents saying that they are waiting for a resolution before making travel reservations for Gulf-area regions, with 25 percent saying they will travel to support the region and the balance responding they will not go “because of the mess.” County Commissioner Mario DiGennaro told Seilhan that BP should pay for advertising to help market the Keys tourism product. On numerous occasions, BP has promised to clean up and restore any affected areas as well as pay all “legitimate” claims. BP has established a claim hotline at 1-800-440-0858. Careful documentation, especially for claims registered in areas not physically impacted, is required. More information regarding claims can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/npfc/claims/ . >>> Wednesday morning, while attending a Visit Florida board of directors meeting, TDC Director Harold Wheeler said that Gov. Charlie Crist announced a $2 million release of money from a special risk fund to Visit Florida for extra advertising to inform consumers that Florida has not been physically impacted by the oil spill thus far. Crist told the board he has been talking to BP about acquiring funds from the oil company to help Florida market its tourism product. Crist also announced the creation of a task force to help businesses affected by the massive Gulf oil spill and to ensure BP PLC pays what it should for the economic damage. >>> The Monroe County tourism council continues to update its http://www.fla-keys.com <http://www.fla-keys.com> website with information regarding the spill and its relationship to the Keys. On the website are NOAA forecast tracking maps, a map showing the spill site in relation to the Keys, links to area webcams and more. TDC social media sites include: http://www.keysvoices.com • http://twitter.com/thefloridakeys • http://www.facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest >> Spill-related websites, primarily focusing on affected areas, include:
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com • http://www.noaa.gov
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>> Friends of WLRN under the gun; need to come into line with district authority in next 30-days
Alberto Carvalho is clearly frustrated after little progress has been made regarding bringing the Friends of WLRN’s bylaws in line with district authority and the tax exempt fundraising organization of WLRN has been given 30-days to get an agreement hashed out between Friends, the station and the nation’s fourth largest school district whose board holds the FCC license. Friends while being a philanthropic fundraising organization for the radio and television station, the organization headquarters is not located on the station’s premises and instead uses leased space in the Seybold Building in downtown Miami. In a document summarizing the superintendent’s feelings handed to me Wednesday after Tuesday’s school board Audit Committee meeting. He noted WLRN representatives are trying to resolve the issues, but Friends has their own operating document that WLRN representatives have not seen nor has the Friends board yet to approve the document. The not-for-profit’s mission is to essentially raise money for the station but has resisted certain oversight and how it picks its management of the foundation. The radio and television station of WLRN also is the vehicle for much of the foundation’s fundraising with numerous telethons over the years where WLRN staff does much of the pitch for benefactor money.
The superintendent also pointed out “several disturbing comments that had been communicated to him which clearly reflected that Friends was not working in a cooperative manner with WLRN, and in fact had made derogatory comments about WLRN and the School Board,” the statement says. He expects Friends to report back to the audit committee in 30-days “with an operating agreement which is predicated on and incorporates the 1995 bylaws.” He also notes if Friends “should fail to recognize as controlling the 1995 bylaws, it would be deemed an impasse has been encountered in the negotiations.”
The Watchdog Report contacted the school board Audit Committee chair Frederick F. “Buck” Thornburg after the meeting about what was discussed among board members and he responded. “In reply to your e-mail inquiry as to my take on the current status of the Friends/WLRN issue as a whole, the School Board Chair was manifestly clear regarding his position and the status of the WLRN/Friends operating agreement negotiations. Nearly 120 days have elapsed since the Audit Committee with the concurrence of Superintendent Carvalho requested the parties to conduct bona fide negotiations to reach a needed Operating Agreement. As telegraphed by the WLRN General Manager’s strong disagreement with the Friends Chair’s assessment that progress was being made in negotiations, the results to date are disappointing. Several School Board and Audit Committee members opined that Friends has failed to comply with the 60-day deadline originally set by the Audit Committee [on Jan. 26] and Superintendent. As you know, this deadline was subsequently extended.
As you are also aware, Friends and WLRN were requested at last week’s May 11 Audit Committee meeting to report back within 30 days with an operating agreement which is to include restoration of the Superintendent’s and the school district’s rights as the license holder as provided for in the Friend’s 1995 By-laws. Absent reaching such an agreement, it would be deemed that an impasse had been encountered in the negotiations and the Scholl Board would than be forced to consider its various options. In sum and predicated on the comments and observations of School Board Chair [Solomon] Stinson, Superintendent Carvalho and Audit Committee members at the May 11 meeting, the old adage appears to be triggered and applicable: “The time has come to fish or cut bait”!” wrote the attorney and audit committee chair.
>>> How we got here: Jan. 31 PAST WDR: Friends of WLRN in the spotlight must have an operating agreement with District in 60-days
Alberto Carvalho, the district’s superintendent in a terse tone said when it came to seeing the financial records of Friends of WLRN. He was told it could only be done off site, he could not remove them or copy the documents while under the watchful eye of the not-for-profit’s attorneys and the documents did not fall under the state’s Sunshine Law. Carvalho said “these conditions were unacceptable” and he made these statements at the Audit Committee meeting on Tuesday and it stunned the committee members including school board vice chair Perla Tabares Hantman, the board’s voting member.
The superintendent said he has been reviewing all contracts and operating agreements and a memo from board attorney James Walter Harvey details the organizations institutional timeline, noting Friends is charged with nothing but raising money for WLRN’s radio and television stations. The representatives of Friends said they were not trying to stonewall the inquiry noting over the decades since 1974 the organization has worked well with WLRN and the school district. The station now has significantly more media outlets and the not-for-profit has been instrumental in helping fund that expansion. However, the issue of some employees salaries came-up as well as administrative costs that come in at about 40 percent and that is normal said the Friends representatives. Jose F. Montes de Oca, the district’s chief auditor asked about some of salaries that had people making over the years $269,000; $247,000 and $315,000 but Friends said that is based on money they raise and the commission is 10 percent. They also pointed out these employees are paid a small salary, brought in $3 million in underwriting and they do not get the commission “until the money is in hand.”
Further, Friends bylaws once had the superintendent signing off on any by law changes, and who ran Friends. But that changed, but went unnoticed in 1998 and board Attorney James Walter Harvey in a Jan. 26 memo writes that “these significant, sea change amendments” were never approved by the superintendent and the school district administrative head was not “involved in the appointment process of Rick Lewis,” the current Friends president and CEO. Further, the attorney noted that the bylaws “have since been amended several times without superintendent approval.” Carvalho was instructed to create an operating agreement with Friends that would be due in 60-days and Friends representatives said they could comply with that time constraint and it will include inserting back that the superintendent will have to sign off on any bylaw changes in the future.
>>> Press release: Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho will propose an anti-fraud rule at today’s regular meeting of The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
“After seeing the egregious fraudulent behavior of some individuals in corporations and on Wall Street, as well as that of individuals in other government entities, it is important to make clear to our employees and the people we do business with that fraud, in its many forms, will not be tolerated,” said Superintendent Carvalho. Although fraud is touched on in several School Board rules, no rule specifically addresses it. The proposed policy will apply to any fraud, or suspected fraud, involving elected officials, employees, consultants, vendors, contractors, outside agencies and employees of such agencies and any other parties with a business relationship with the District. The rule specifically prohibits: falsification of documents; misappropriating funds, supplies or other District assets; improper handling of financial transactions; disclosing confidential and proprietary information for personal gain; disclosing purchasing and bidding activities to allow an unfair advantage; causing the District to pay excessive prices or fees where justification is not documented; accepting or offering a bribe, gifts or other favors to influence a decision; removing records or property for personal gain; using local, State or Federal funds for other than their designated and approved purposes; using District equipment or work time for any outside private business activity. The rule provides special protection for individuals who report suspected fraudulent activity.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Commissioner Souto joins Mayor Alvarez on dissolving PHT board, leaders must appreciate enormity of decision
With county commissioners voting on Tuesday on new proposed legislation regarding the citizen based Public Heal Trust oversight board and its role in the future. The public should hang on, for this is going to be a rough ride for the trust body has numerous committees that overseas a complex public hospital with 5 million square feet in campus, including affiliations with the University of Miami’s Miller Medical School and Florida International University’s medical school. Commissioner Barbara Jordan is right when she points out all the work that comes with being on the PHT board and she knows. She was an assistant county manager that for years was the county’s liaison for the trust and how such an oversight body works. However, commissioners seem to have other ideas and now Commissioner Javier Souto, a voting member on the PHT board, has joined Mayor Carlos Alvarez in thinking the trust board should be abolished.
Souto told the Watchdog Report that fact on Tuesday when he left the PHT committee meeting after letting off steam regarding the role of the Miami-Dade Home Rule Charter that he fell in love with back in 2000 when he was on a county charter review committee. He believes the board does not appreciate that it is the county commission that has responsibility for county healthcare, but he does not address the larger issue of how the institution will balance its budget that is hemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars. The Watchdog Report since 1998 has watched the health trust and the concern I have is that fear and politics will replace reason when it comes to crafting a solution.
>>> This is why I have been doing the Watchdog Report for 11-years — Since May of 2000, I have been covering the PHT in all its aspects over the years and its financial challenges since then have never been far below the surface of any story over this time. In 2004, I ran the headline about the $84 million charge the organization was having to take for the year and the numbers in many ways never got that much better, week after week, month after month, to where we are today. Some of the county commissioners are carping about all the sudden press and media attention the hospital system with 12,000 employees is getting but that is what happens in Florida where the state sunshine and open records laws makes all these activities public events. However, the commissioners should also be asking why they and the Fourth Estate did not kick in earlier to alert South Florida of the pending financial train wreck. The chronic problem was apparent to anyone that read the Watchdog Report over the decade, but in many ways, my role seems to be of Cassandra for we, as a community did not necessarily have to be where we are today, if corrective action had occurred years ago.
>>> PAST WDR MARCH 2005: Why the PHT is so important to the community! — Where are you going to go when you have deadly trauma, the UM/JMH Ryder Trauma Center- a community treasure
UM/JMH Ryder Trauma Center, the renowned Emergency Room facility attached to Jackson Memorial Hospital and staffed by U. Of Miami physicians will have a 13th birthday in June and it is the second busiest Level 1 Trauma Center in the nation. Ryder Truck Company primarily paid for the four-story center’s construction in 1992, the freestanding building is dedicated solely to trauma care, and it has a heliport on the roof. Many in the community do not know the level of services this institution provides until they are in a terrible car crash or perhaps shot. The center’s patients are 92 percent adults and 8 percent are children with most of the adults being male. Documents state the trauma center treated 835 people with penetrating wounds, 159 burn patients but 2,638 patients are admitted for blunt trauma (car accidents).
The Ryder Trauma Center has the lowest fatality rate per 100,000 people in Florida and it ranges from 0.01 – 20.00. Part of this success is the use of helicopters to transport injured patients from around the county and the indication is if the patient is 20 minutes or greater from the center, and 37 percent of patients are transported by air. However, providing state of the art emergency care is not cheap and last year UM/JMH lost $17.6 million providing trauma care. Trauma patient payer mix in 2004 shows that 32.4 percent had commercial health insurance, 7.8 percent Medicare, 10.7 percent is Medicaid and 49.1 percent of the patients are indigent. The trauma center also serves as a training school for physicians in the U.S. military, received the 2005 Department of Defense Patient Safety Award for Team Training, is a Center of Excellence for Combat Causality Care Team Training, and infuses “team concepts and common team language in trauma training” state PHT documents. It is also the home of the U.S. Army Extremity War Surgery Course, and participants have been involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Commissioner Sarnoff cautions on ceding “powers” to mayor; supports independence of CIP
After four commissioners had voted Thursday on an item concerning the Civilian Investigative Panel, Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff (Net worth $2.28 million) cautioned his colleagues to be careful when they “cede power” to the mayor’s office. He noted the body “was giving some legislative power away” and while “you may like this mayor” that may not be the case in the future and he suggested the body not give up these “powers” without considering the consequences. Sarnoff made the comments after four commissioners had voted on how the CIP members were chosen, that currently has each of the five commissioners picking two members on a slate decided by the CIP nominating Council. Sarnoff also noted the CIP; created by city voters overwhelmingly in 2001 to oversee and investigate the police has subpoena powers. He said such a body’s independence in his mind should be respected. The chairman an attorney said the commission is “giving some legislative power away” and in the case of the CIP. The panel “has subpoena power” and suggested the commission “not put a collar” on this entity and its independence.
>>> Security guard at Miami City Hall Nazario says sayonara for Chicago
A silent security sentinel at City Hall is leaving with security guard Rosa Nazario leaving for her hometown of Chicago after years of providing the first line of security at Dinner Key. Nazario, normally stationed at the metal detector was given a “salute” by Miami commissioners, Mayor Tomas Regalado, and her heartfelt “thank you” from the dais said it all, followed by the obligatory photos of the event. Rosa will be missed but Francis is taking her place for morning duty and Sanly Pierre continues with afternoon security duties.
>>> The following e-mail was sent to (now former) Mayor Manny Diaz using his e-mail address on his extensive city web-page on Sept. 13, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. and to date there has been no answer from the mayor. It currently goes to his new e-mail address.>>> “Mayor Diaz, I wanted to ask you in the chamber today but not in front of Chair Joe Sanchez. My question is where did the extra $400,000 in the 2007 disclosure form come from? I will run what ever you respond unedited but I would appreciate closing this issue, as I am sure you do. Sorry but I have to ask. Best to all. Dan” >>>> The Watchdog Report through Dec.7 has yet to get a response or catch-up with Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz on where he got the extra $400,000 in cash listed in his 2007 financial disclosure forms. To see what CBS 4 reporter David Sutta’s take on this issue and the other city leaders financial disclosures go to cbs4.com Blogs . >>> Readers should stay tuned and catch the meeting on the city’s cable station channel 77. >>> Stream Channel 77, for all City of Miami meetings, (Commission, Village Council meetings, Waterfront, Zoning, PAB, Code, etc. hearings) http://videos.miamigov.com/
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
>>> Commissioner Weithorn says $30 million in expected budget cuts, budget workshops in the wings
With Miami Beach starting to craft its new city budget for next year that begins Oct. 1, the Watchdog Report contacted elected leaders and the manager last week by e-mail and Commissioner Deede Weithorn responded to my questions anout the city’s finances. The commissioner a CPA responded, “The budget is coming along, although we need to find around $30 Million [in cuts]. We have a series of budget workshops scheduled June 3; July 1; and on July 6-8 we will discuss the budget in [greater] detail. The city last year had to reduce its budget around $25 million and it remains to be seen what services will be trimmed back to keep the city’s next year budget in the black
>>> Press release: Washington Park is Going to the Dogs -Groundbreaking Paw-ty, Wednesday, May 26, 6:00 p.m., 201 2nd Street, Miami Beach, FL 305.673.7730. Amenities to the park will include a water spray fountain, extra benches, trash receptacles, dog bag dispensers, and an eco-friendly rainwater collection system that will augment the park’s irrigation. To assist in the fundraising for the extra features, engraved memorial bricks were sold and will be placed in the park. The project is a collaboration of the City of Miami Beach with the SoFi K9s organization and RDO (Responsible Dog Owners). Link to more info: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=58429 Link to Miami Beach Bark Parks: http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/parksandrecreation/scroll.aspx?id=49658
CITY OF CORAL GABLES
>>> Mayor Slesnick says, “Income and expenditure projections are on target” but what of the next budget year?
The Watchdog Report contacted Mayor Donald Slesnick II and commissioners last week asking about the current and next years budget and the mayor responded back by my deadline. Slesnick in an e-mail wrote, “Hope you are well. We just had our mid-year review and both our 2009-2010 FY income and expenditure projections are on target. We do not have any preliminary information as yet (at least I don’t) as to the property appraiser’s evaluation estimates [for 2010-2011], so it is difficult to respond as to what will face us the coming year – but it won’t be easy, wrote the mayor. The Gables is like all government entities around the nation that are facing budget constraints but it is a wealthier city than some in Miami-Dade and how these public institutions’s deal with these budget constraints during this prolonged recession is going to take real political leadership.
>>> City web page: City Saves Thousands Rebuilding Instead Of Replacing
After years of service keeping Coral Gables’ canals and waterways clean, the City’s Water Witch fell into disrepair. The vessel is used to maintain waterways free of seaweed and debris buildup. It also assists with bridge and channel marker repairs. Some time ago, staff recommended the purchase of a new Water Witch at a cost of approximately $210,000. Although the decision to purchase a new vessel had been made prior to City Manager Pat Salerno coming onboard, he nonetheless asked the new Automotive Director, Steven Riley, to review the purchase. Riley recommended and the Commission approved canceling the purchase, and rebuilding the current vessel instead of replacing it. Several upgrades were also made to better handle the rigors of a saltwater environment. The final cost of the overhaul was approximately $20,000, a savings to the City of $190,000. Repairs were recently completed and the Water Witch is now in service. The photo below was taken of the newly rebuilt vessel right before being placed back into the water. Its operator says it runs like it is “brand new.” This is just one example of how the City is currently rethinking the way it conducts business.
EDITORIALS
>>> PAST WDR: March 2005: Transparency in government affairs is always spoken about but without the Watchdog Report rarely seen
The big news like the Florida Marlins stadium or a police shooting always makes the mainstream press, but what happens at the next lower tier of government rarely registers in the news food chain and it is at some of these more obscure meetings that the rubber meets the road when it comes to spending public money and making public policy. It is for this reason that you rarely see the Watchdog Report at the big news events since it already being covered by an army of press. The publisher when it comes to covering government and south Florida tries to be a news contrarian and look for those nuggets of information crucial to developing stories, especially inter-governmental showdowns or issues that explode suddenly into the community’s political landscape.
For example, when it comes to the Performing Arts Center, I only attend generally the construction committee to be sure the project, after a massive cost overrun and 20 month delay is still on track. At the Miami-Dade Public Schools, I rarely miss a meeting of the school board audit committee, which is the community’s safety valve and watchdog on how the $5 billion public district spends our tax dollars. The point is there are hundreds of meetings being held throughout the county and its municipalities every week but are rarely reported on and that is why I do what I do.
Transparency in government is always being talked about but it takes someone to bring the information into the light. That is what I have attempted to do over the last eight years, which in a few weeks will include six years of writing about it and it has been an unusual road to embark upon but worth it. For now there are many people ranging from the highest and the most humble people in our community that know first hand what is going on in the halls of power and when it comes to approving future bonds or other countywide initiatives. They are more informed and that strengthens the bond between government and its people and that is a good thing.
>>> PAST WDR: JULY 2008: Collapse and consolidation of media will eventually create a Wild West mentality within public institutions
The collapse and consolidation of the media and the press is hitting hard here in South Florida with the closing of the Orlando-Sentinel Miami office, continued cuts at The Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel and now the merger of WTVJ-NBC 6 into WPLG-ABC 10 that is likely to get FCC approval since Spanish media is so strong in this market. However, for the general public looking for the press to be watchdogs this should be seen as very bad news and they need to financially support the industry for a strong vibrant and responsible press is the glue that keeps public institutions and elected leaders restrained and without that oversight. South Florida becomes an open town where anything will go in many cases within unchecked government entities.
Yes the inter-net has changed everything when it comes to people getting their news but many of the blogs out there are anonymous and many times not that accurate in some of the reporting and these people cannot replace what a large circulation daily can do collectively keeping people informed. Recently a reporter said something that has rattled in my head since I heard it. He said we do not make the news “we make it better” by being able to explain why something might be important and how it relates to perhaps other things and losing that is a loss for all of us.
Yes, the media has made mistakes, yes, it is not perfect but overall it is one of the pillars of a free society and why freedom of speech and the press was included in the United States Constitution and it has done its job for centuries. It is for this reason as newsroom cuts get to the bone that civic leaders and others should take note because while it might sound great to some people not to have the media. Its loss and watchdog charge must continue if we are not to have a Wild West mentality when it comes to our collective public institutions, and that is not a good thing.
LETTERS
>>> Delighted to see that you are back at the Watchdog Report helm. I hope that you are feeling much better and are well down the road to full recovery after your recent bouts with the surgeons.
>>> Welcome back. You are missed.
Paul George
>>> Great to see you back online. Hope you are on the mend.
>>> Good to see you back. I trust all is well on health front.
>>> Congrats on your anniversary! You are a survivor, in many ways. An inspiration to us all.
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RONALD HALL
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LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.
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***** Public & Educational institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
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GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschoolsnews.net
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org
THE BEACON COUNCIL www.beaconcouncil.com
THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA http://www.firstgov.gov/
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI www.miami.edu
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 Extra’s 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.
LETTER POLICY
I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail 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, 2010, Daniel A. Ricker
>>> Watchdog Report is expanding as a new service and this content is now available to other news media, no longer exclusive to The Miami Herald
The Watchdog Report is no longer exclusively with The Miami Herald, and excluding the one story a week that is printed in the paper on Monday in the Metro & State section by me. The rest of the 20 or so news stories weekly sent out Sunday in the Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me. The news content will not be free, but you can pick and chose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact. If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information.
>>> Here is what past newspapers have written about the Watchdog Report publisher including a survey and regional study done by the U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the media in the southeast United States.
>>> 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.
>>>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/issues/2003-05-15/citylife2.html/1/index.html
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/ >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.
Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form
NOTE: Invoice is for Yearly supporter/sponsorship Rates: Thank you.
Large Business Supporters $500
Small Business Supporters $250
Please make checks payable to: Daniel A. Ricker
Fax 305-668-4784 -To contact the Publisher please e-mail watchdogreport1@earthlink.net