Watchdog Report Vol.11 No.17 September 5, 2010 – Est. 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot!

>>> For more info: http://www.keyscourts.net/judges/Judge_Mark_Jones.html

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Motorists in school zones need to slow down, or get ticketed, not a cheap fine

When it comes to speeding through school zones in Miami-Dade County, motorists will have another thing coming to them that has had some drivers going through the zones in excess of 90 mph said police at a school board meeting in the past. Speeding along with stopping at a red light in South Florida is an “aspirational act,” said federal judge Patricia Seitz’s at a sentencing hearing and it is true. Further, in Miami and Miami Beach more people are killed by vehicular homicide than by murder and mayhem and when Miami Police Chief John Timoney arrived in Jan. 2003. He was shocked that more people were killed this way and it highlights the volume and seriousness of the problem.

>>> Press release: MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS POLICE TO KICKOFF ‘OPERATION SLOW YOUR ROLL’ TRAFFIC SATURATION SERIES, SEPT. 7

The Miami-Dade Schools Police Department will kickoff “Operation Slow Your Roll” – a year-round series of traffic saturation details at public school speed zones – on Tuesday, Sept. 7, from 7-10 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at Miami-Dade public schools throughout the county.  The department’s Mobile Command Center will be staged at American Senior High, 18350 N.W. 67th Ave., Hialeah.

The goal of the operation is to protect students from dangerous, aggressive and careless drivers by saturating school speed zones throughout the county with police presence during the schools’ opening and dismissal times. The police departments of more than 30 municipalities within Miami-Dade County also have committed to participating in these operations throughout the year.  The purpose of the event is symbolized in the slogan, “Every Cop…Every Kid,” and is built on safeguarding each school’s community. For further information, contact Sgt. Ivan Silva, Police Information Officer, Miami-Dade Schools Police Department, at 786-256-9775 or via email at Isilva@dadeschools.net.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Applicants for PHT board jump to 69, only the best of the best should be selected with health trust’s challenges, at least 30-hours a month, citizen lite’s not wanted

The application period has closed for applicants to be on the 17-member PHT board, of which 15 slots are made-up of citizens that are electors in Miami-Dade and 69 people applied (and two more, but these people filed past the deadline and are expected not to be included), up from when a little over a dozen citizens submitted applications before the deadline was extended. The Nominating Council will meet Tuesday to short list the names of people, who will be interviewed in the coming weeks, with the number finally whittled down to 7 people. Since there are five openings, and two extra candidates are required when the county commission ultimately votes on the slate individually with the top vote getters getting appointed.

What about the PHT governance model?

The PHT has been the subject of a Aug. 5 County Grand Jury report as was reported in the past, and the document blasted the administration and oversight at the hospital, county and the overall governance nature of the health trust. Commissioner Katy Sorenson last week asked the Watchdog Report how I thought Jackson “should be governed” and I essentially said that must be left to others, but “the current arrangement is not working,” I thought. The health systems governance has been the topic of a number of reports including one from the Rand Corp in 2003, that referenced the role the Watchdog Report played in the overall process over the years, and while some people might reference how Broward County runs its public hospitals. The North and South Broward Hospital Districts with a board basically appointed by the governor. It also is susceptible to politics and over the decade the two healthcare systems have had some controversy of there own, but are also not facing the different population demographics of almost 600,000 people in the county not having medical insurance.

>>> The Public Health Trust Nominating Council Meeting is meeting Sept 7 at 10:00 a.m. in the 2nd floor conference room of the Commission Offices in the Stephen P. Clark Center.

What about the $310 million in old accounts given to a collection company?

The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com had a story last week about a contract let out years ago, that gave over $1.8 billion in old debt to a collection agency, but the deal went wrong, and now as a result of a settlement has the agency getting what it can of $310 million of this debt, with Jackson getting none of the revenue. The debt was collected from 1998 to 2005 and probable farther back than that I suspect, and it highlights the antiquated billing system found at the public hospital back then that is actually two hospitals, the clinical and billing side of medicine. Jackson, with a over 50-year affiliation with the University of Miami Miller Medical School and now with Florida International University’s Medical School has become a community medical jewel, providing world class clinical care. But on the business side, the institution fell far behind when it came to billing technology with a computer system that was a throw back from decades before, with resources generally going to the clinical side of the hospital’s operation, especially through the 1990s when the half cent countywide sales tax kept-up with the level of uncompensated care being given back then.

When CEO Marvin O’Quinn arrived in the summer of 2003, he found a health system that had major infrastructure needs including the collections side of the operation. The magnitude of this financial issue first came up in 2004 when the trust closed the years books taking a $84 million charge, that had financial adjustments going back to the 1980s including a over $40 million charge owed the federal government. One of the major initiatives, reCreate Jackson initiated back then first identified the problem with the billing system, and how employees in that operation took their job and its attendant culture of letting getting paid slide since the sales tax was supposed to, and in the past, had taken care of these costs. And to a great extent that was true up to 2000 when the first hemorrhaging red ink started to occur, and the number of uninsured in Miami-Dade started to go through the roof costing Jackson now around $600 million in charity care.

>>> Press release: Ethic commission Aug. 31 ruling: As the Public Health Trust (PHT) seeks a firm to provide correctional health services, some on the selection committee are seeking answers to technical issues including liability, finances and labor contracts associated with providing health care to prison inmates.   One request for opinion (RQO 10-23) asks if the law known as the Cone of Silence requires public notice of meetings with experts in those areas.  The Ethics Commission determined that the PHT must advertise any meetings between a member of the selection committee and subject matter experts who work for the PHT or the County.  However, the decision notes that selection committee members may meet with outside experts who are not affiliated with any firm bidding for the work without providing public notice.

>>> PAST WDR: What about the claim people did not know Jackson was in trouble?

The Watchdog Report has covered the PHT weekly for 11-years, and when I did not write a story, it was because I was either broke, sick, or a hurricane was bearing down on Miami-Dade. And while I have now around 100,000 readers that did not include the hundreds of thousands of people who read The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com during my time as an independent guest editorial columnist in 2000 and as a independent featured weekly news columnist from 2003-2007 with the general circulation paper. I wrote dozens of stories about Jackson that ran in The Herald during this time, the public hospitals financial challenges and my readers even wondered why I wrote about the health trust so much. However, now everyone knows why, because this public institution is a medical jewel and community treasure but unless there is true community will. The ongoing financial and governance issues will remain, and all indications are very little of the Grand Jury report’s recommendations will be acted upon by the county commission in the Watchdog Report’s opinion.  >>> To read the Grand Jury report go to Miami Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit …

>>> What about the IG report and the Swerdlow Group in the Grove?

Last week the Watchdog Report stopped by Coco Walk in Coconut Grove to see where the Swerdlow Group office was on the second floor of the complex. I passed Michael Swerdlow and his partner Brad Dill and they drove off in a black Lincoln Navigator driven by a third person. Their organization was referenced in an IG report and the intent of the project was to build a new office building that would also consolidate a large number of Jackson employees now off campus, and a potential reduction of the cost for office leasing. The Watchdog Report reviewed past PHT minutes of meetings and the Civica Tower project was discussed Jan. 12 at the facilities committee meeting. Dill said the project “evolved with Michael Swerdlow’s business relationship with the hospital.” Dill in the meeting minutes further says the project would benefit from “Local Government Stimulus Bonds” allocated by the federal government and the proposed land could be “purchased for $20 million,” and “30 to 35 percent less than the original cost.” The minutes also state PHT Chair John H. Copeland, III had “discussions” with “representatives from the Swerdlow Group, to establish the Letter of Intent, which is to pay the same cost the PHT is paying for offsite facilities for a new state of the art building.” Dill also “stated that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and the Mayor, Miami-Dade County are in favor of the concept.”

The Watchdog Report writes about this issue because I wanted my readers to see how something like this project works through the administration at Jackson and the county, and I am sure the IG report will result in some blow back by the commission, but they and cannot feign ignorance. Since I saw Copeland and Swerdlow personally sitting outside the second floor commission waiting room, waiting to go in and brief the elected officials on the project months ago.
>>> County IG Report:
>>> County IG Report: Final Report on OIG Review of the Jackson Health System Business Plan for Civica Tower, Prepared January 2010, Ref. IG09-89, August 26, 2010.   The Business Plan  or see the story in www.miamiherald.com

>>> “It is a sin” that more county employees are not signing up for the “Jackson Health System Plan,” said trustee Rosy Cancela at a recent fiscal affairs committee meeting. The long serving trustee noted participation levels by the over 28,000 county employees was inexcusable and the JMS plan was competitive, and offered many of the same medical choices when it came to healthcare insurance to what is currently available. The PHT is going on a major recruiting effort to sign up health trust and county employees to the new health plan and if successful. It could be one of many things that helps the PHT survive financially in the coming months, and years.

>>> Aug.31 Ethics commission ruling:  Failure to complete required forms prompted two complaints that went before the Ethics Commission today.  Linda Kurtz, who registered as a lobbyist for Abbott Vascular in 2007, did not file the required Lobbyist Expenditure Statement by the July 1, 2008 deadline.  But because reminders and notices were unsuccessful and Ethics Commission investigators were unable to track her down, the complaint (C 10-26) was voluntarily dismissed. It will be refiled if the respondent is found in the future.   Wilfred Pierre, a member of Miami’s Equal Opportunity Advisory Board in 2007, failed to submit a Source of Income Statement that was due July 1, 2008.  However, Pierre described financial hardships to the Ethics Commissioners, who waived the fine associated with the complaint (C 10-21).

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Plans for Orange Bowl Regatta moving ahead, sailing events in Grove will bring in economic boost for 6 to 8 weeks say sailors

The upcoming Orange Bowl Regatta the day after Christmas was the discussion of the hour last Thursday at Miami City Hall. Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff along with city staff and local Grove sailing enthusiasts discussed what was needed to put on the extended affair that includes a number of other regattas in the weeks after. Sailing event officials said they had already met with Mayor Tomas Regalado and he had agreed to financially help they said. Organizers said some 750 young racers would be at the Orange Bowl event, but when it came to more people participating. They were maxed out with children and they were looking for more adults to race in the older sailing classes of races. Sailing and races are a big economic shot in the arm for the Grove and the rest of Miami for the racers usually come with other family members that also stay in local hotels and eat at the restaurants. Sarnoff was concerned about the costs, and when it came to security. He told organizers to get together with the Grove police commander, who is “the best commander in the whole city of Miami” to create a “security plan,” during the events that will go on for 6 to 8 weeks said the sailing representatives. Sarnoff also suggested the representatives contact Commissioner Francis Suarez, who had an interest in sailing programs since he participated in them as a kid and had expressed a desire to be involved.

Quote of the week

Sarnoff during the discussion about where any money might come from, given the city’s $104 million budget hole next year to help in the effort. The commissioner elected in 2006 joked, “Wait, I will get you a mural,” a reference to the two mega-size media towers the commission passed in one week’s time, but will send some money to the city and parks in the future if the project ever comes to fruition.

>>> Check out the Volvo Ocean Race coming to Miami in the spring of 2012, its impact on the economy and how much money the organization is asking for from the city of Miami. For more information go to www.volvooceanracemiami.org

>>> 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

>>>Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club -Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 -Meeting Time: 8:30 AM, Meeting Place:         David’s Café II, 1654 Meridian Ave., South Beach – Margaret Lake, Executive Director of the Gusman Theater, will be this week’s guest speaker at the September 7th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club.

The Gusman Theater, formerly the Olympic, located on Flagler Street in downtown Miami, is facing an uncertain future due to the financial problems of its owner, the City of Miami, or more precisely, the City of Miami Parking Authority.  Built in 1926 as a silent film movie palace, complete with a mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ, the theater operated into the 1950’s running feature films accompanied by live stage shows.  But as attendance dwindled, the theater fell on hard times, and was eventually purchased in 1971 by Maurice Gusman, who subsequently donated it to the Miami Parking Authority with the intent that the theater would become a performing arts center bearing his name.  The theater was remodeled to adapt to the needs of a performing arts center, however the arts center has not been a success and the theater has needed additional funds for operation and maintenance, which the city has been unable to provide, although the county provided some funding in the early 1990’s, most of which was used for renovations.  Now, some years later, the theater again faces the same problems.  But with new competition from the Performing Arts Center, its prospects look dim.

Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information contact David Kelsey.  To be placed on the Breakfast Club’s mailing list, contact Harry Cherry.  Both can be reached at TuesdayMorningBreakfastClub@Yahoo.com or  www.MBTMBC.com

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Gov. Crist appointments to the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, Kadre, Romance and Wiley of El Portal

Press release: Manuel “Manny” Kadre, 44, of Coral Gables, chief executive officer of Gold Coast Caribbean Importers LLC, reappointed for a term beginning September 8, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.

Mark A. Romance, 42, of Coral Gables, attorney and partner with Richman Greer P.A., reappointed for a term beginning September 8, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
Marva L. Wiley, 39, of El Portal, self-employed attorney, succeeding Andres Rivero, appointed for a term beginning September 8, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.

CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI

>>> Part II:  From educator and activist to Mayor Stoddard replies to the WDR story last week

In response to last week’s Watchdog Report, Mayor Philip Stoddard, Ph.D. wrote back “Sometime I may wish to talk to you about the manager situation.  Very interesting, and not as simple as it would seem to most. I think you’ll find it an interesting conundrum (can one person specialize both in stability and reform?).” The mayor noted in his e-mail that, “The city is cutting back on the Dade Days budget line – we’ll probably just send 2 people next fall instead of 7, saving quite a bit.  That said, last fall, Dade Days more than paid for itself, when commissioners recovered $1.5 million in federal funds that the county was trying to re-budget to another city.  We also got some helpful tips on how to deal with FPL’s transmission line plan, and we’re following through on that advice now.  In all, it was probably the best money we spent last year,” he wrote. The mayor has also changed how “I used my cell phone allowance to increase my minutes as the job demanded and upgrade to an iPhone that serves as the secretary, I don’t have and desperately need.  I’d rather have a secretary but the iPhone is $50,000 cheaper and doesn’t take lunch breaks,” he noted. For more on the city go to www.miamiherald.com in Sunday’s Neighbors section. Or the city at www.cityofsouthmiami.net

VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE

>>> Ethics commission sticks with Kelly opinion, can vote on rezoning of old Sonesta Hotel

Press release: A rehearing was requested on last month’s opinion (RQO 10-20) that Key Biscayne Village Council Member Michael Kelly does not have a conflict of interest in attempts to rezone the site of the former Sonesta Hotel.   Dr. Kelly lives in one of 55 single-family homes immediately west of the beachfront land and has proposed restrictions that would reduce the density from what is currently allowed, if a different site plan is submitted.  Several high-rise buildings are also adjacent to the property, and the number of nearby homeowners totals approximately 1,500.  The Ethics Commission opined that Councilman Kelly does not have a conflict and may vote on the rezoning because he doesn’t have a relationship with those involved in the redevelopment and he will not be affected by the vote differently from the general public.  The property owner, Consultatio Key Biscayne LLC, sought to overturn that decision, but the Ethics Commission denied the rehearing request because no material facts were presented to change the Commissioners’ original opinion.

SUNNY ISLES BEACH

>>> Solera can be in front of commission without a problem, after a conflict waiver was granted

Press release: While the Ethics Commission ruled last month (RQO 10-19) that public testimony by a recently separated official in a quasi-judicial proceeding is not a violation of the County’s “two year rule” limiting lobbying by former employees, today it found (RQO 10-21) that a municipal ordinance does apply.  The question concerns Robert Solera who left as Director of the Community Development Department in Sunny Isles Beach more than a year ago.  Solera was called as a witness by representatives of Temple B’Nai Zion during debate over its possible historic preservation designation. The Ethics Commission ruled that, under County law, former government employees are NOT lobbying when they testify in publicly noticed quasi-judicial proceedings.  However, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently amended its two-year post employment prohibition to specifically ban former employees from testifying as expert witnesses.   The Ethics Commission concluded that would prohibit Solera from appearing before the board unless he receives a waiver from the city commission, which has been granted.

NORTH BAY VILLAGE

>>> Now it is village Mayor Alfonso that owes property taxes, tough to set someone else’s taxes

Mayor Oscar Alfonso hit the big time when The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com did a story last Monday about his unpaid property taxes and the fact his home was in foreclosure with mediation going on. The mayor is not the first or last elected leader that will fall behind in his financial obligations to the Village and county but it is of interest because elected leaders also set tax millage for others and that is the rub.

>>> County ethics report on pay & benefits of officials: The City of North Bay Village’s Mayor receives a salary of $7,500 per year and each of the four Commissioners receives a salary of $6,000, based on the City Charter at § 3.04.

General City policies and procedures allow for the Mayor and each of the four Commissioners to be reimbursed for expenses up $5,000 each, with proof of receipts. Additionally, in 2007, the elected officials incurred a total of $25,000 in expenses traveling to conferences and meetings. Again, reimbursement is predicated on receipts. Four elected officials receive government cell phones.  None have government credit cards.

EDITORIALS

>>> ‘Permissive culture’ in Monroe pervades many public institutions; question is will that attitude change in the “New Normal?”

Now that Monique Acevedo has been sentenced to eight-years for blowing through over $430,000 in Monroe Public Schools money on a host of personal items that ran to the absurd in some cases. A investigative post mortem showed the school district under her husband’s Randy’s charge (now in prison) for the southern most part of the nation had a ‘permissive culture’ www.miamiherald.com and ‘there were a number of people who didn’t see anything wrong about things that were going on,’ Joseph Burke, the appointed superintendent is quoted saying in the paper and that is a more widespread problem than most people know. It is incredible how nonchalant some bureaucrats get when it comes to spending millions or billions in public tax dollars and it breeds this sentiment of entitlement about how the money is spent and what on.

Over the past decade monies for a wide variety of public institutions have come before the public eye but the best refrain was in the late 1990s and 2000 at the Miami-Dade County commission where then MIA Director Gary Delappa told the commission “It wasn’t county money” when it came to the $1.2 billion overrun at the international airport for its multi-billion dollar Capital Improvement Program now above $6 billion. For months when the issue worked its way through the legislative body the airport director kept repeating that mantra, since the dollars came from the landing fee charged to flyers, like it was from the word of God, but that was not the case.

In fact, the change orders of these first overruns were done in blocks of $400 million each, and went through the county Review Committee, that at the time spent about 90-seconds on each matter, and was accompanied by a one-paragraph explanation of why it was necessary. Since the air carriers’ “alliances” were changing and the county had to buckle under the pressure of American Airlines, the county’s largest private employer at the time and the commission chamber was filled with airline employees with the appropriate red and white tee-shirt. It was only Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez at a MPO meeting who at the time finally questioned this logic. He said at the time, “Gary, it is someone’s money and you had better find out whose it is,” and that refrain should be echoed far and wide, for the good times are over. At every government and public institution level, money is scarce and more so as the days click by and the Watchdog Report hopes public employees get the message. For many of them are great workers, have the skills and energy necessary to change the inbred public servant culture that exists. If they only have the will to demand more of some of their brethren.

For some government workers work hard and long and probable account for 30 percent of the workforce, around 50 percent are what I call standard issue bureaucrats, but about 20 percent are “just doing my time” when it comes to their upcoming retirement and that is the attitude that has to change in this “New Normal” as many are calling the Great Recession we face today. The question is will decades of continued growth that bred this complacent attitude change in the coming years or will public institutions just tread water or go under. The choices are tough but these must be addressed if the ship of South Florida, the state and nation is to stay afloat, for the economy is not changing anytime soon, and the new economic climate must be accepted and produce lasting change. The question is whether there is political and leadership will for such a drastic adjustment when it comes to public servant performance. And only actions in the future will tell residents if anything will change, and for the moment, we can only hope that it will. For the current status quo is unsustainable.

>>> PAST WDR: JAN 2006: Schoolgirl killed at crosswalk after flying 50-feet in air should trigger tougher measures from law enforcement regarding speeding, reckless driving and running red lights

The recent death of a young school girl last week when she was hit by a speeding car while she crossed a school cross walk holding her sister’s hand, with two school crossing guards also on site and waving to the speeding driver highlights that we must take back our roadways. The 11-year old was Diannet Leva. Miami and South Florida when it comes to our drivers is like the Wild West, with some drivers believing they are in the Grand Prix when they drive.  Further, since there are no car inspections anymore some of the crates on the road are shocking.

The community’s different drivers come from around the world and they reflect South Florida’s diversity, but driving customs are different in many countries and some drivers may not even read English or understand road signs and there meanings, adding another wrinkle to the roadways. When the community is hit by hurricanes like the past two years people just throw away the driving manual after the storms.  They feel entitled to the road above anyone else, blow through stop signs or lights that is only further aggravated by the fact they are also deep in a conversation on their cell phones. Law enforcement must increase the vigilance of speeders and cars that run lights by setting up observation posts at key intersections around the community.  These needless deaths such as this young innocent girl must be reduced for all of us are at risk of being a victim of a random buckaroo behind the wheel, and we must take back our highways now, for if it gets worse, get your personal affairs in order.

LETTERS

>>> Reader wants to stop a fuel dock on pier #7 at Dinner Key Marina

On Thursday September 16th, the City of Miami’s Commission will Vote, AGAIN, on a proposal to build a 40 ft X 60 ft. concrete Fuel Dock off Pier #7 into the small boat channel.  It was defeated in 2002. They plan to “use” the money earmarked for the Grove Waterfront Master Plan.  They are doing it to “make money”, but they will be taking money away from their existing Leaseholders, Scotty’s & Grove Harbor, who pay them, NOW, to pump gas & diesel.  They have No studies or actual numbers, yet, of what they think they will make. This dock will replace and move existing Grove Sail Club moorings near the channel, it will destroy the Waterfront Master Plan for the “proposed” Sailing Center on Pier #7 and be Dangerous to small & most sailboats that will use the channel in front of the Seminole Boat Dock & Ramp from the larger and small motor boats “swarming” around a Fuel Dock. I met with Commissioner Sarnoff and he is against the idea of a Fuel Dock at Pier #7, but he is only one of five votes.  We must convince the other four Commissioners and the Manager.

Joel B. Krieger

>>> Good work on the Helen Ferre WPBT Channel 2 show. Just viewed it. Well done…

>>> Bless your Mom for her inspiration and keep up the good work, have a good week.

MKB

>>> Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible:  Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors

***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr.

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (Not current)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION  www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY TATE

***** Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

***** Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year

RON BOOK

LEWIS TEIN  www.lewistein.com

LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.

WILLIAM PALMER

ROBERT L. PARKS   www.rlplegal.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

***** Public & Educational 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

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.

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

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form

NOTE: Invoice is for Yearly supporter/sponsorship Rates: Thank you.

Supporting Sponsors $5,000

Sustaining Sponsors $2,000

Corporate Sponsors $1,000 (All levels above will be listed in the report with web-site link if desired)

Large Business Supporters $500

Small Business Supporters $250

Individual Supporter $150

Student Supporter $ 75

Any amount $

Name & Address

Please make checks payable to: Daniel A. Ricker

Send to

3109 Grand Avenue, #125

Miami, FL 33133

Fax 305-668-4784 -To contact the Publisher please e-mail watchdogreport1@earthlink.net