Watchdog Report Vol.11 No.15 August 22, 2010 -Est. 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot!
Argus Report: Smooth sailing over for insurgent Greene, Meek starting to rebound in Democrat Party U.S. Senate primary race
Florida: Crist thanks National Guard in Afghanistan for “courage and conviction” to “protect our freedom,” One soldier recently gave the full measure
Miami-Dade County: Alvarez touts administration’s achievements at business luncheon, has taken a few hits, against removal of manager’s post
Broward County: Commissioner Ritter in the spotlight, tried to tweak ethics laws, had $260,021 net worth through 2009
Palm Beach County: Three charged in Wellington mail theft and aggravated identity theft ring
Pinellas County: Gov. Crist taps three to Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
Hillsborough County: Gov. Crist appoints three to Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
St. Johns County: Gov. Crist today taps MacNeill of St. Augustine as this week’s Governor’s Point of Light in honor of Senior/Military Awareness Month.
Miami-Dade Public Schools: M-DCPS 2010-2011 BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOL KIT NOW ONLINE
Public Health Trust: Commission Chair Moss says grand jury report should be “taken as what it is” and like past airport authority report, it gets “rid of the commission” oversight
City of Miami: Closed executive meetings Saturday on union contracts; a weekly event, progress slow, food gets mixed reviews
City of Miami Beach: City’s new 2010-2011 budget gets public look see Aug. 25 at commission finance committee meeting, says Weithorn
City of Coral Gables: Mayor Slesnick has “lots of thoughts” on upcoming budget challenges; local residents call for action on pension crisis
City of Homestead: Captain and co-defendant sentenced in deadly Blackpoint Marina smuggling operation
City of West Miami: City of West Miami community facility named after Commissioner Rebeca Sosa
Community Events: Premiering on South Florida’s PBS Station WLRN Channel 17 — SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND AT 7:00 P.M. — Ethics training for candidates — Be election ready at www.miamidade.gov/elections – primary election Aug. 24
Editorials: Will out of sight, out of mind apply to the public when it comes to the Deepwater Horizon spill? — WDR: Nov. 2003: It is a mad, mad, mad, world – Where is our perspective?
Letters: Reader on lack of major advancement in Children development – Reader on Teele documentary – Employer is urging workers to register and vote – Reader on the Watchdog Report and my financial challenges
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.)
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>>> Check out: Primary election discussion with Alvarado, Lyons, Watson, and Ricker on www.wpbt.org >> This Week on Issues – 8/20 & 8/22 – 2010 Primary Election Preview: On Tuesday, voters throughout the state will cast their ballot in the primary to decide what candidates will continue on to the November general election. We gathered a panel of journalists to tell us how poll figures size up Tuesday’s races and what the candidates have been doing in their last week to reach voters. Guests: Francisco Alvarado, Miami New Times; Doug Lyons, Sun-Sentinel; Daniel Ricker, Watchdog Report; Guest Host: Robert Watson, Ph.D.
>>> I will be on Topical Currents hosted by Joseph Cooper on WLRN/NPR 91.3 FM on Sept. 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. www.wlrn.org
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> Smooth sailing over for insurgent Greene, Meek starting to rebound in Democrat Party U.S. Senate primary race
The U.S. Senate Democrat primary race in Florida is tightening up after multiple investigative stories have been run on billionaire Jeff Greene (Net worth $1.25 billion) who is challenging U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami (Net worth around $62,000 in 2002) to be the party’s champion in November www.miamiherald.com . Greene has been running devastating attack ads against Meek for months, including his mother Carrie and it took a substantial toll, but Meek has gotten a boost from the press after Greene went under a microscope himself. Further, Greene may have miscalculated the fact it is a closed primary, that brings only highly motivated voters to the polls and the state’s almost 20 percent independent voters are left out in the cold Aug. 24. Meek also got a boost when former President Bill Clinton held a fundraiser and rally for the congressman that chaired Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Florida when she ran for president in 2008. President Barack Obama coming to Miami Beach followed that event and U.S. Rep. Diana Wasserman Schultz, D- Weston and gubernatorial candidate, attended the affair, Florida CFO Alex Sink did the fundraising with the president but the former banker skipped a later photo opportunity at a deli where Obama and Meek picked up a sandwich. Also in the Senate race but gaining little attention is former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre, but he has gained little traction with voters, has limited campaign funds, and at age 75. This likely will be his last political campaign that has included serving in the state legislature and on the Miami-Dade County commission.
Voter turnout on Tuesday is expected to be low in comparison to races that involve the selection of a president and it is estimated to be about a 25- 30 percent turnout of Miami-Dade’s 1.2 million registered voters on Tuesday. In addition, once the primary is over the race to the top kicks off with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami representing the Republicans and Gov. Charlie Crist is running as an independent after failing to gain traction with the GOP faithful that responded to Rubio’s conservative siren song.
Since this is a three way race the winner only needs 35 percent of the vote and Florida’s No Party Affiliation voters finally get their turn to participate, and polling shows Crist has the edge, but this sentiment can turn and with all the past attack ads. The public landscape is littered with opposition research that can be used by the candidates against one another, and anyone that thinks this won’t be an explosive and nasty race in the days ahead is not talking to the state’s voters and political operatives. >>> Editor’s note: Greene, through his attorney has gotten the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald to run a correction regarding some of the quotes used in a extensive story and the correction had ex-boxer Mike Tyson saying he “never did drugs” on Greene’s 145-foot mega-yacht and the year was 2005 not 2007 as was suggested.
>>> What about ideas and the ground game for both parties’ candidates?
One of the great things missing from the Senate and gubernatorial campaigns is the candidates articulating their plans and ideas if they were elected, since this is the only time voters really get to know what these anointed ones believe in. Further, the party establishment candidate like Meek or Republican Bill McCollum running for governor have another advantage and that is the role of the ground game and grassroots supporters that take voters to vetoing sites and stand outside polling sites supporting their candidates in the hot sun.
>>> There are some great media sites concerning the upcoming election and the candidates. Check out www.cbs4.com & www.justnews.com & www.miamiherald.com & www.sun-sentinel.com
>>> Investigative TV reporter Unruh back in action with www.cbs4.com behind the scenes
Jilda Unruh, the former WPLG Channel 10 www.justnews.com investigative reporter that hounded Miami-Dade UTD president Pat Tornillo in 2002 out of office, into the federal government’s arms and federal prison is back in town at www.cbs4.com. She will not be in front of the camera, after working in Boston, but working her investigative skills behind the scenes. Unruh in the past has had to deal with a stalker who she once dated, and was let go from ABC after a late night incident at the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center. In 2002, she and the Watchdog Report went chasing after Tornillo when he directed an outburst at the two of us back then and she knows no fear in the field. I wish her luck in her new position and good hunting.
>>> Poll release: Zogby Interactive: Majority of Voters Don’t Believe Government or BP on Oil Spill
Opinion on Spill Management Down from May — Majorities of likely voters do not believe that either British Petroleum or the federal government have been truthful with the public about the Gulf oil spill. At the same time favorable opinions about the response of the federal government and BP to the gulf spill have declined since shortly after the spill became public, while agreement that safety and reliability of offshore drilling has remained the same (at better than 50%). Opinion about the impact of the spill has not changed between this most recent survey and late May. These results come from a Zogby Interactive survey of 2,471 U.S. adults conducted from August 8-11, 2010. Please click the link below to view the full news release on our website:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1890
Feeding South Florida (formerly Daily Bread Food Bank) is a not-for-profit organization that empowers other South Florida not-for-profit organizations to assist people in need and improve their lives. Feeding South Florida does this by providing food and other grocery products, and by educating and engaging our community to fight hunger and poverty. Through a local network of 800 not-for-profit organizations, Feeding South Florida strives to serve children, the elderly, the mentally and physically challenged, veterans and the working poor with compassion and integrity.
Those interested in participating can register on the web at cbs4.com/neighbors. Once they’ve registered they’ll be connected with a Feeding South Florida transportation Manager who will arrange pick up directly from your group, office or organization when needed. CBS4 talent will also be on hand at selected drop off points to meet and greet the public.
“This will be the first year with so many drop-off locations and we expect to double or even triple our previous collection,” said Lynne Cameron, Executive Director of Neighbors 4 Neighbors. “This may well be the most productive South Florida food drive Neighbors 4 Neighbors has ever been involved in.” The public is invited to drop donations at all BankAtlantic, and Baptist Medical Plaza locations in Dade and Broward. A complete list of drop off sites is available on the CBS. Website, www.cbs4.com/neighbors
>>> 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 the WLRN/NPR showTopical 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.
>>> 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
>>> Crist thanks National Guard in Afghanistan for “courage and conviction” to “protect our freedom,” One soldier recently gave the full measure
Gov. Charlie Crist (Net worth $461,000) when the Watchdog Report asked about the Florida National Guard serving in Afghanistan recently and what he tells the soldiers. He said, “I thank them for their courage and conviction and willingness to serve and put their lives on the line to protect our freedom,” he said. “I do agree with [President Barack Obama’s] policy that protects our country and our freedoms.” The war in the country has now taken center stage with the last of the Combat Brigades leaving Iraq last week, though over 50,000 military troops and advisors will remain in the country to promote nation building and continued oversight, as local leaders try to form a new government after five months since elections. The conflict has claimed over 4,400 soldier’s lives and there are over 30,000 wounded men and women in the course of the conflict that followed after the Afghanistan war a year earlier.
However, Afghanistan is a different story and with the recent disastrous flooding in Pakistan, further political instability in Pakistan could stand in America’s way of trying to turn around a difficult political position in a country like Afghanistan with no history of a democracy, and tribal rulers are still in abundance in the out lying areas of the country.
>>> Florida honors PFC Cuzzupe for giving the full measure in Afghanistan
Gov. Executive Order: Private First Class Paul Orazio Cuzzupe II, of Plant City, Florida, died August 8, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Akhtar-Mohammad-Khan, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
By virtue of the power and authority vested in me by 4 U.S.C. § 7(m), as amended on June 29, 2007, and the laws and Constitution of the State of Florida, I hereby direct as follows: All State and National flags shall be flown at half-staff at the County Courthouse of Hillsborough County, Florida, and the City Hall in Plant City, Florida, on August 20, 2010, in honor of Private First Class Paul Orazio Cuzzupe II. The State and National flags at the Capitol shall also be flown at half-staff on August 20, 2010, in honor of Private First Class Paul Orazio Cuzzupe II. A Proclamation honoring Private First Class Paul Orazio Cuzzupe II will be forthcoming.
>>> McCollum gets bump in polls against Scott in closed primary, Sink taps Smith as #2, race has long way to go
Bill McCollum the Republican Florida Attorney General has seen his gubernatorial campaign get a bump in the recent polls, after being verbally clubbed in television attack ads by his challenger Rick Scott for months, that had the longtime politician on the ropes. McCollum using his own blistering campaign ads has raised sufficient questions about the role the past healthcare executive played in the company he founded, Columbia/HCA. A firm that later settled a Medicare fraud case by paying the federal government $1.7 billion in penalties. McCollum is finding party voters after first being wooed by Scott are going back to Mama, the reliable candidate they know which is the attorney general. Further, Scott hurt his campaign over the months by limiting his contact with actual voters, staying away from debates, and not facing the state’s papers editorial boards, suggesting he is not what his ads might claim.
>>> Will Chiles deny the top prize from Sink?
On the Democratic Party side Alex Sink, the Florida Chief Financial Officer is coasting to victory in the primary but will have independent Lawton “Bud” Chiles in the mix in November and while she trails the Republican candidates in polls, is well ahead of Chiles. However, his late bid for office may siphon off enough votes from her race to allow a Republican to continue in the governor’s mansion. Last week was a week of firsts with Sink running her first political ad, and picking her running mate, former state Sen. Rod Smith, D- Gainesville. Sink a former banker in her ad portrays herself as the adult in the room when it comes to the other candidates, their current attack ads and suggests she has a plan to get the state’s economy moving again. However, Sink’s name recognition is still lower than the Republican candidate she is likely to face, and while she told the Watchdog Report people would know her gender in the months ahead. There is still some confusion on this question with around 20 percent of voters not sure, since she is running as Alex and not Adelaide as she did the first time in 2006.
>>> Children’s Trust weighing a $109.7 million 2010 -11 budget, millage rate would stay the same
The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade’s administration in an Aug. 18 memo is recommending the organization keep the existing millage rate of 0.5000 mils despite a 13.3 percent reduction or $14.1 million in revenue and the trust is projecting a $109.7 million budget for the coming year beginning Oct. 1. The trust, first created by voters in 2002 was criticized when it was first operating in 2003 to 2005 for not letting the money flow, and the organization built up a hefty reserve while waiting for certified and accredited high quality children’s programs to develop capacity. However, when the money began to flow it was much more than this current budget and what had been healthy reserves, has dropped to only $20.6 million since this funding mitigated more draconian service cuts during the past three years, since the economy tanked, along with the real estate market and property values. For more information about the Trust go to www.thechildrenstrust.org
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Alvarez touts administration’s achievements at business luncheon, has taken a few hits, against removal of manager’s post
Mayor Carlos Alvarez (Net worth $1.74 million) spoke at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon and he checked off what he considers his accomplishments since taking office in 2004, after defeating former county Commissioner Jimmy Morales in the runoff. Since then Alvarez has consolidated the office by getting a strong mayor form of government passed a few years ago and voters on Aug. 24 are being asked to remove the office of county manager from the county’s Home Rule Charter if it is approved. However, Alvarez has said he thought the change in the charter was not necessary. But critics, especially County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez (Net worth $871,000) who pushed the legislation on the commission say the position is redundant and further cite the manager’s salary, which is about $100,000 more when the whole compensation package is considered, than the mayor’s own pay.
Alvarez noted the new Miami Marlins Stadium as one example he is proud of and the “local jobs” that were created, along with getting the $1 billion port of Miami tunnel funded, mostly by the state ($800 million) after at one point. The massive project was on life support. The mayor is also a supporter of Gov. Charlie Crist, now an independent in his bid for the nation’s most exclusive club, the U.S. Senate. However, Alvarez has taken some hits over the years and the $2.4 billion cost of the professional baseball stadium after financing charges has sent critics through the roof. The former county police director also has had some wayward friends that have run afoul of authorities and he is being criticized for being soft on friends he supports. Alvarez is termed out in 2012 and it is unknown if he has any other political aspirations.
>>> Press release: MAM taps Collins as new director
Miami Art Museum is pleased to welcome its new director, Thomas “Thom” Collins, whose tenure begins today. Collins is an arts administrator, art historian, educator and author with more than 15 years of experience serving as a director and curator at several of America’s top museums. He joins MAM after serving for five years as director of the Neuberger Museum of Art in Westchester County, New York. Collins discussed his vision for Miami Art Museum with Miami Herald reporter Jaweed Kaleem. Click here to read “MAM’s new man: Thom Collins has a mission to lead the museum into expansion and a new home.”
>>> M-D County tax return preparer pleads guilty to tax preparation fraud scheme
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Daniel W. Auer, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, announced that defendant Darryl B. Henley, of Goulds, FL, pled guilty today to twenty-two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(2). At sentencing, Henley faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2010 at 9:00 A.M. in Miami, FL, before U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck. As set forth in the indictment, Henley held himself as a tax preparer. During tax years 2005 through 2007, Henley assisted in the preparation and electronic filing of more than 22 false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns (Forms 1040) for numerous individuals. The tax returns contained, among other misrepresentations, false Schedule C deductions. The estimated tax loss to the government is $198,818. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wilfredo Fernandez. 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 United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
>>> Press release: The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is seeking a candidate to fill a position on its Board of Directors for a private, for-profit childcare provider. The candidate must reside in Florida and be associated with a private-sector child care center or family child care home business entity conducting business in Miami-Dade or Monroe County. Preference will be given to one whose center or family child care home is accredited by a recognized agency. Please contact Leeana Pena at 305-646-7220, ext. 246 for an application, or visit the ELC’s website at www.elcmdm.org and click on the Board of Directors Membership Application link on the homepage. Applications must be submitted no later than Friday, August 20th.Please note that candidates will be selected on Friday, August 27th and must be available for interviews on Wednesday, September 1st.
BROWARD COUNTY
>>> Commissioner Ritter in the spotlight, tried to tweak ethics laws, had $260,021 net worth through 2009
Commissioner Stacy Ritter is in the spotlight this week and the colorful former state representative caught some flak after her attempt to modify some of the ethics legislation passed by the county commission recently. She has been criticized because her husband is a lobbyist but she bristles at any suggestion he affects how she votes on the commission. However, Bob Norman, an investigative reporter in Broward chronicles her political activities in more detail and readers should check http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/ for more information on the county commission.
What do we know about her finances?
Ritter through Dec. 2009 lists her net worth as $260,021 and there is $65,000 in household goods. Her home is worth $975,000, there is $68,862 in an account with RMN, and an IRA has $6,339 in it. She lists mortgage liabilities of $615,000 and $180,000 and her only income for the year was $88,057 as a county commissioner. For more information about Ritter go to the county’s web page: http://www.broward.org/Commission/District3/Pages/Default.aspx
>>> Press release: Local man charged with mail fraud in attempted sale of knockoff art work
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, announced that defendant Luigi Cugini, 58, of Broward County, was charged yesterday in a criminal complaint for his participation in a scheme to commit mail fraud by selling reproductions of John Singer Sargent paintings and claiming that they were authentic artworks, in violation of Title 18, United States code, Section 1341. According to the criminal complaint and supporting affidavit, on or about May 27, 2010, an FBI undercover agent (UC) met with Luigi Cugini at his residence. The UC purported to be a jewelry broker who had clients interested in purchasing artwork from well-known painters. Cugini showed the UC numerous paintings, which Cugini claimed were authentic original pieces by well-known artists, including John Singer Sargent. In furtherance of the scheme, Cugini provided the UC with three letters of consignment, purportedly from Sotheby’s auction house, as proof that the paintings were authentic Singer artworks. To execute the scheme, on July 13, 2010, Cugini signed and mailed to the UC a contract for the sale of three purported Sargent artworks, titled “A Gust of Wind,” “Under the Willows,” and “Head of a Young Woman.” Further investigation by the FBI confirmed that the purported Sotheby’s letters were not genuine.
If convicted, Cugini faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to 20 years. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris. A complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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
>>> Three charges in Wellington mail theft and aggravated identity theft ring
Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Henry Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Michael K. Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Miami Field Office, announced the arrest of Ricardo Lee Penn, 47, of Wellington, and Jamaal Willie Williams, 24, of Miami, on charges of conspiracy, mail theft, unauthorized use of access devices and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §§ 371, 1708, 1029 & 1028A. A third co-defendant, Dorian Jerrell Cawley, 25, of Wellington, has also been charged in the case but remains at large. Penn, Williams and Cawley were charged in a criminal complaint, Case No. 10-8203-LRJ. The complaint alleges that between August 1, 2008 and July 23, 2010, the three defendants conspired to steal credit and debit cards from the mailboxes of residents of Wellington and other cities, and to use those cards to make purchases and make cash withdrawals from the accounts. According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, in some instances, multiple $500 money orders were purchased using the stolen debit cards, which were then cashed by Penn, Williams and Cawley. In other cases, large purchases were made at area stores and restaurants.
According to the complaint affidavit, one victim suffered losses of more than $120,000, another victim lost more than $26,000, a third victim lost approximately $42,000, and a fourth victim lost approximately $17,000. These four victims were residents of Wellington whose mail was stolen and their identities were compromised as a result of the theft. The identities of many other victims were stolen as well, according to the complaint affidavit filed in the case. If convicted, the defendants each face a total statutory maximum of up to 22 years in prison for all four charges, and mandatory restitution. Penn and Williams made their initial appearances in federal court today, and are currently being held pending a detention hearing, which has been set for Monday, August 23rd at 10 am. Arraignment has been scheduled for August 30th at 10 am. >> Mr. Ferrer commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Jorgensen. A complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 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.
PINNELAS COUNTY
>>> Press release: Gov. Crist appoints three to Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
Marcus A. Castillo, 52, of Seminole, shareholder and attorney with Haas & Castillo, succeeding Robert Lancaster, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
Paul N. Gross, 30, of Clearwater, senior associate and attorney with J. Emory Wood P.A., succeeding Stephanie Vaughan, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
Sean K. McQuaid, 35, of St. Petersburg, shareholder and attorney with Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & Wein P.A., succeeding Sallie Skipper, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
>>> Press release: Gov. Crist appoints 3 to Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission
J. Carter Anderson, 41, of Tampa, attorney and shareholder with Bush Ross P.A., succeeding Ronald Hanes, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
Scott T. Borders, 38, of Tampa, attorney with Morgan & Morgan, succeeding Barbara Wilcox, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
Jack E. Fernandez, 53, of Tampa, partner and attorney with Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, succeeding Pedro Bajo, appointed for a term beginning August 20, 2010, and ending July 1, 2014.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY
>>> Press release: Gov. Crist today recognized Harry V. MacNeill of St. Augustine as this week’s Governor’s Point of Light in honor of Senior/Military Awareness Month.
“Harry is a selfless and passionate advocate for our servicemen and women,” said Governor Crist. “The community support we give our troops is important and deserved. Volunteers like Harry are crucial to keeping up morale and assisting families during their time of service and sacrifice.” MacNeill is a founding member of the Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP), a program committed to delivering high-quality, mobile family support and services to families facing deployment challenges. MacNeill helps ensure that military families have access to counseling, information on community services, and childcare assistance. Additionally, he has been proactive in working with the military to develop solutions and resources for soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He also serves as a representative for the Florida National Guard at annual events including Navy Family Day, Army Reserve Yellow Ribbon event, and the Florida National Guard Strongbond’s retreat. >>> AAA Auto Club South is the supporting sponsor of the Governor’s Points of Light Award. Walt Disney World is an in-kind supporter. This program recognizes Florida residents who demonstrate exemplary service to the community. Award recipients are announced weekly. A panel of judges comprised of leaders in the areas of volunteerism and service evaluate all nominations and make recommendations to the Governor. Florida’s Foundation manages the program. For more information, or to submit a nomination, go to www.FloridasFoundation.org.
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>> Press release: M-DCPS 2010-2011 BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOL KIT NOW ONLINE
Miami-Dade County Public Schools “2010-2011 Back-to-School Tool Kit” is now available online for parents and students. The tool kit was created to inform parents about different programs that support students’ needs. Students can benefit from information found in the tool kit, and parents may also use it to find out about important dates and policies regarding their child’s education. The tool kit has pertinent information on subjects ranging from choice schools through dual enrollment, graduation requirements to parent involvement and school safety. The tool kit is available in English, Haitian-Creole and Spanish.
Please visit http://news.dadeschools.net/toolkit1011.htm for information in English, http://news.dadeschools.net/toolkit1011span.htm for information in Spanish and http://news.dadeschools.net/toolkit1011cr.htm for information in Haitian-Creole.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Commission Chair Moss says grand jury report should be “taken as what it is” and like airport authority report, it gets “rid of the commission”
The Watchdog Report got the first public comments last week by three county commissioners concerning the Aug. 5 Miami-Dade County Grand Jury report on Jackson Health System. Commissioners Dennis Moss (Net worth $342,000), Katy Sorenson (Net worth $1.7 million) and Sally Heyman (Net worth $425,000) gathered on Thursday afternoon along with state Rep. Juan Zapata R-Miami (Net worth $242,000) for a PHT Nominating Council meeting called to extend the application period for applicants to be on the trust board. Zapata broached the subject about the grand jury report when he wondered if any of the recommendations might be considered in the ongoing process. Zapata asked if the BCC would “adopt any of that” when it came to the recommendations, and he suggested reaching out more to the University of Miami believing that might get “more professional types in the mix” of applicants. The Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation head said there are “people with talent out there but they may not be familiar with the political process.” He said top-notch people should be encouraged to apply and the grand jury report did “not point fingers” but seemed to detail, “What is going on” and how the organization might “do better,” he said.
Moss, the commission chair noted the three commissioners in the room could not speak for the commission’s 13-member board on the subject saying the report should be “taken as what it is” and there “is nothing this Council can say” when it comes to the rest of the commissioners feelings on the subject. He said the report was similar to “past grand jury reports” recommending an “airport authority” or county public “housing” being run independently and “getting rid of the commission.” The veteran commissioner said he was “really disappointed” that none of the 41 community leaders like “Merrett Stierheim” and others who had signed a open letter run in The Miami Herald months ago and were very critical of the commission had not applied to be on the board. I had “really hoped other people would have stepped-up during this important time” that is such “a fragile time for this important institution.”
Moss said he is seeking seven signatures to add the grand jury report on the Aug. 26 commission meeting in the morning, before the body takes up the county 2010-2011 budget discussions. Sorenson responding to Zapata noted, “Conflicts with hospital administrators” had been looked at in the past and was “fuel for criticism too.” She also noted, “In the end this is a volunteer job” that requires at least 30 plus hours a month be devoted to health trust affairs if a member is to be productive board member. Heyman said some of the report’s recommendations had already “been instituted or started” by PHT President Eneida Roldan, M.D., and when it came to the overall report, it was “generic,” she thought. She also thought it focused too much on “us” and the commission seemed to be a “catch all at the end” of the report that blasted commission interference in the running of the public hospital. Editor’s note: Stierheim currently is the acting interim CEO of the Zoological Society, and may have his hands full right now for such a new task.
What about the Nominating Council?
The Council after receiving 15 applications by the deadline, with six more coming in later. The members decided to rerun the advertisement for board applicants, and the new application deadline is Aug. 30 at 4:00 p.m. and the application is online at www.miamidade.gov or contact the Clerk’s office at clerkbcc@miamidade.gov . The Council will meet again on Sept 7 at 10:00 a.m. to shortlist the applicants and the future candidate interview dates will be Sept. 29 and 30 starting at 9:00 a.m. and the commission on Oct. 19 will vote on the seven-member slate selected, of which five will be chosen for the 15-mamber citizen board plus two voting county commissioners.
>>> Here is the advertisement: OPENINGS FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
Applications are now being accepted for the Board of Trustees of the Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, the governing authority for Jackson Health System. Trustees serve without compensation for staggered terms of three years. There are five vacancies for the 2010 appointment process. The PHT Nominating Council will contact applicants selected for interviews and will require a background check. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, upon recommendation of the Nominating Council, will make appointments to the Board of Trustees. This is a re-advertisement. Subsequent to the initial advertisement period that ended August 9, 2010, the Nominating Council voted to extend the deadline. If you already submitted your application prior to 4pm on August 9, you do NOT need to reapply.
Application forms may be obtained from the County Executive Office, 111 NW 1st Street, Suite 2910, or online at www.miamidade.gov. All applications must be submitted with a current resume or curriculum vitae and must be received by Diane Collins, Acting Division Chief, Clerk of the Board, at 111 NW 1st Street, Suite 17-202, Miami Florida, 33128 no later than August 30, 2010 by 4:00pm. Emails or facsimiles of the application will be accepted and can be sent to clerkbcc@miamidade.gov or faxed to 305-375-2484. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure electronic receipt of the application by calling the Clerk of the Board at 305-375-1652. For additional information regarding the application process, please call 305-375-5311.
>>> Grand Jury report on Jackson déjà vu for Watchdog Report, sad trip down memory lane, Part II
Last week I ran some stories of what had occurred over the past 12-years at the PHT and one of the topics not discussed was the 2000 shift of about $63 million in yearly-unfunded mandates from the county to the PHT. The health trust board in the 1990s had worked to build up its reserves, around $400 million back then. For there were major infrastructure needs on the sprawling campus, shared with the University of Miami’s Miller Medical School. During the September 2000 county commission budget meetings, the issue of the cost of jailed inmates, nursing homes and other facilities was thought to be something Jackson should be liable for. The commissioners believed by doing a funding shift it would free up extra money to develop the arts and culture in the county that later flowered into the extensive cultural programs found in Miami-Dade today. However, it was at the expense of the health trust and as these costs grew over the decade, now over $100 million. The hospital had to eat the cost and having reserves at this level are a thing of the past.
Back in 2000, supporters of Jackson were telling the PHT administration to use the reserves because these monies were so tempting to the county commission back then and when the raid occurred. Former President and CEO Ira Clark did not even attend the budget hearing that had then County Manager Merrett Stierheim almost straining his neck from the dais looking for the health system’s executive officer. However, Clark knew at the time it was a done deal and in fact he was in the Stephen P. Clark Government Center but down at the ground floor in the lobby during the discussion. The other issue is that there is two Jackson’s, the clinical one and the business side and it is the finance portion that has always lagged over the decades and the culture became very bureaucratic in nature, and productivity and collections lagged behind the medical leap the institution was going through over those years. A past trustee in a leadership position summed it up almost a decade ago when he said working at the PHT was a “privilege and not a right” and breaking that culture of entitlement is one of the biggest challenges facing Jackson if it is to compete successfully with the other hospitals and healthcare givers in South Florida.
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.
>>> PAST WDR: What about low performing trustees on the PHT board?
The report also highlighted the fact that the board was supposed to represent the diversity of the community, but did not specify the skill sets an effective trustee might need. Over the past dozen years, I have watched and covered the PHT Nominating Council and the process periodically is inconsistent, and occasionally, a disappointment slips through the process, but the county commission even when shown a poor performing trustee, acts like lemmings and vote the wayward trustee in for another term. Martin Zilber during his first term fit such a description when he would show up late, ask for special briefings since he missed committee meetings, and incessantly used his Blackberry during meetings giving the impression he was to busy to concentrate on the proceedings that other trustees were focused on.
The Watchdog Report, for the first time ever created a weekly section called the Zilber Watch where I pounded the attorney on his performance on the board. Further, during this time he refused to resign from the Cultural Affairs Council even though on the PHT application form just above where people sign their name. It states any selected candidate must resign from any other county board, which he finally did three years later after I pressed the issue when he reapplied to the health trust. However, after all this attention what did the county commission do when his name was back on the slate? Nothing and the board rewarded his weak performance by confirming him again, even though there was a strong woman candidate that could have filled his slot (women are vastly underrepresented on the board with currently only four women, up by two, a few years ago). years to come. >>> To read the report go to Miami Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit …
The Watchdog Report over the past few years has been pounding the Council for stopping asking candidates to fill out the longer county employee application instead of the shorter 5-page form that is very general in nature. I brought this up to Moss last week and he indicated he would review the lengthier form and see if it should be used. I would further suggest that not all candidates initially fill the county forms out but only those candidates that are called in for an interview. Further, the county form makes the background check much more efficient since the applicant will answer questions and bring up issues themselves, and the document has to be notarized, and gives a much more balanced and informed understanding of who the applying person is over an extended period of time.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Closed executive meetings on Saturday on union contracts, a weekly event, progress slow, food gets mixed reviews
Miami leaders have been meeting on Saturdays at City Hall in closed executive sessions concerning discussions on union contracts that is causing the city to look at possible bankruptcy. If a resolution cannot be found with the generous contracts and could lead up to over 1,100 employees being let go. Mayor Tomas Regalado (Net worth $5,000) said the talks were ongoing but the “food” being served was nothing like the old days at the MESA meetings held in the now demolished Miami Arena, that featured one of the best public food spreads in the community. Regalado, during his election last November was supported by the unions but with the “new normal” as Commissioner Marc Sarnoff (Net worth $2.17 million) refers to it. Concessions have to be made says the commission chairman who also garnered union support during his elections. The Watchdog Report during the week caught up with one of the union’s representatives, Charlie Cox, and when I asked how negotiations were going? He only shook his head suggesting he was disgusted at the proceedings.
The Watchdog Report contacted commissioners last week about the upcoming budget that has Commissioner Willy Gort lamenting about how bad the situation was and some of the bad “contracts,” around “$10 million” he has found. He also noted when he left the dais in 2001 there was over $100 million in city reserves that has dropped dramatically since then, even with a unprecedented building boom that swelled the city’s coffers over those years since.
What did Sarnoff write in an email about the budget?
“Overall we must cut expenses. 90 percent of our budget is employee cost {i.e. compensation, health benefits, deferred compensation, accrual of sick time and vacation time} we must bring down the cost of an employee to the citizen taxpayers. You can talk about other things but you are only talking about 10 percent of the gap, so the answer lies in the reduction of present costs and future costs. There is no road left to kick the can down the road the road ends here,” wrote the veteran commissioner.
>>> Press release: MIAMI MAN SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT HEALTH CARE FRAUD AND AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT
Wifredo Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, announced today’s sentencing of defendant Jhon Barcelo, 30, of Miami, on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349 Section 1028A(a)(1), respectively. Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno sentenced Barcelo to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay $13,352,101 in restitution. According to a statement of facts filed with the court during the plea hearing, the defendant and a co-defendant operated a scheme to defraud Medicare. To execute the scheme, the defendant and others purchased pharmacies in the names of others, called nominees, and then submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare. The defendants paid the nominees for allowing the use of their names. In return, the nominees agreed that they would leave the country to avoid detection by law enforcement.
According to the statement of facts filed with the court, corporate documents and bank accounts listed the nominees as the owners, when, in fact, the defendant and his co-defendant were the true owners of the pharmacies and bank accounts. The defendant and his co-defendant were the true owners of four separate pharmacies that submitted false claims to Medicare: AC Pharmacy Inc., ASIS Pharmacy Inc., and Paradise Pharmacy Inc., all in Miami-Dade County, and Allswell Medical Supply Inc., in Doraville, Georgia. The defendant also owned Prudential Health Care Center Inc. and R&P Medical Group. Through these pharmacies, the defendant caused the submission of claims to Medicare for services that had not been rendered. In total, the defendant caused the submission of approximately $42,746,689 in fraudulent claims to Medicare, on which Medicare paid $13,352,101. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and HHS-OIG. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Bernstein and H. Ron Davidson. 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.
>>> 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
>>> Press release: The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) this month announced that Lydecker Diaz Senior Partner and former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz is the newest Board member, appointed to the Board by EPA Administrator Jackson. Diaz joins a distinguished group from the fields of academia, government, business and nonprofits as members of NEEF’s Board of Trustees. While mayor, Diaz was credited with overhauling the City of Miami government, including an ambitious comprehensive master plan for the city based on smart growth principals that included enhanced parks and public spaces, improved transportation and public transit and historic preservation of arts and culture. He spearheaded energy and environmental conservation in the city. He created the city’s first Office of Sustainability Initiatives, established a Green Fleet Program to make sure the city obtained the most energy efficient vehicles on the market and expedited permitting for green buildings.
He is no stranger to NEEF, having played a critical role in making his city home of NEEF’s pilot project “Be Water Wise Miami,” a year-long, hands-on environmental education program involving a successful public-private partnership between Miami-Dade County Public Schools, city water and sewer authorities, South Florida Water Management District, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Johnson Controls Inc., HydroPoint Data Systems and Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. “Manny Diaz believes in environmental education.” said Art Gibson, NEEF’s chairman of the board of trustees. “Working closely with Mayor Diaz on Be Water Wise Miami, NEEF experienced first hand his commitment to Miami’s students, to greener cities and to helping create solutions to conserve and protect our resources. We’re honored to have Manny Diaz on our board. As a proven leader in the public sector he brings exceptional expertise which can help the Foundation expand public-private partnerships to advance environmental literacy nationwide.” Diaz served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2008 and 2009. During his tenure, he emphasized the importance of the environment and the potential for green jobs to help alleviate unemployment. He has received numerous awards, including the 2006 Government Award by Hispanic Magazine and the 2004 Urban Innovator Award by the Manhattan Institute. Diaz is a member of the board of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, the University of Pennyslvania’s Institute for Urban Research and City Year Miami. He recently served as a Resident Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, and has now resumed his successful corporate and real estate practice as a Senior Partner at Lydecker Diaz in Miami, Florida. Florida. Manny Diaz will attend his first NEEF board meeting in October in Washington, D.C.
>>> 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
>>> City new 2010-2011 budget gets look see Aug. 25 at commission finance committee meeting, says Weithorn
The Watchdog Report sent emails to elected leaders last week asking about comments on the upcoming city budget hearings in September and Commissioner Deede Weithorn was the only respondent by my deadline. The commissioner, also a CPA, said in the immediate future there is one key meeting coming up. She wrote there is “scheduled a special Finance Committee meeting for Aug. 25 at 1:00 p.m. to review what we asked the manager [Jorge Gonzalez] to work on so we will see a preview of the budget prior to September. I think that meeting will be very informative,” the commissioner wrote.
Further, I contacted David Kelsey concerning what Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia said at last week’s Tuesday Breakfast Club meeting he moderates and he wrote back. “Pedro was good. Questions covered short sales and bank foreclosures, which some believed were not counted last year or this, but he reassured everyone that he does indeed count them. He thinks things are near bottom this year and expects the beginning of a turn-around next year, but not in commercial property. Interesting fact presented: last year $30.4 billion drop in property values; this year $30 billion drop,” wrote Kelsey.
>>> Press release: Miami Beach city commissioner Jorge Exposito will be the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club speaker Tuesday, Aug. 24, 8:30AM – 10:00AM, David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach.
Since 1996, the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club has been gathering every Tuesday at 8:30AM at a local Miami Beach restaurant for informal, non-partisan discussions of issues – political, governmental, etc. It is not affiliated with any other organization. We are currently meeting at David’s Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach, between Lincoln Road Mall and Macy’s (formerly Burdine’s). There is plenty of parking at that hour in the adjacent municipal parking lot. One orders from the menu or simply has coffee. Guest speakers range across the political, governmental, business, and social issues spectrum. Sessions are open to everyone. Simply show up. www.mbtmbc.com . To be placed on mailing list contact TuesdayMorningBreakfastClub@Yahoo. com.
>>> Mayor’s press release: Women’s suffrage turns 90 — Celebrate your right — and duty — to vote
CITY OF CORAL GABLES
>>> Mayor Slesnick has “lots of thoughts” on upcoming budget challenges; local residents call for action on pension crisis
The Watchdog Report contacted elected leaders and the manager asking about how they are doing with the 2010-20011 budget last week and only Mayor Donald Slesnick, II got back to me by deadline. Slesnick, who has gone through a lot over the almost past decade, wrote back. “Lots of thoughts – but I’d rather wait for a couple of weeks until we are through with the Teamster collective bargaining Impasse hearing and a couple of other issues (like the Biltmore),” wrote the veteran and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col.
>>> Press release: Gables Bulletin: Now is the time to move on Pension Reform. There will be an Impasse Meeting of the City Commission on Monday, August 23, 2010, beginning at 9:00 A.M. at Commission Chambers. The purpose of this meeting is to resolve an impasse in negotiations between the City and the City’s non-fire and police employees. The City Manager has been attempting to reform the pension plan by increasing employee contributions and modifying benefits. This is the first step towards rescuing a bankrupt system and possibly a bankrupt City. In addition, the City Manager wants to address and resolve other employment issues with employees with a goal towards reducing total expenditures on personnel. Also, if you can make it on Monday, August 23, 2010, to the City Commission Chambers, your very presence will help in pushing this reform forward. If we do not act now, we have lost the opportunity and the spiraling costs will continue and severely compromise the City’s finances and our quality of life. While this is a Public Hearing, technically, the public has no right to speak at the meeting. However, we can let our Commissioners know our feelings on this. I urge you to contact each of the Commissioners and let them know that you support the City Manager in his pension and personnel reform.
CITY OF HOMESTEAD
>>> Press release: Captain and co-defendant sentenced in deadly Blackpoint Marina smuggling operation
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, and Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, announced today’s sentencing of defendants Tyrel Levarity, 23, and Ahmad Toussaint, 24, both Bahamian Nationals, for their participation in an alien smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of an alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1324(a)(1)(A)(v)(I), and (a)(2)(B)(iii) and 1327.
Earlier today in Miami, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro sentenced defendant Tyrel Levarity to 210 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Co-defendant Ahmad Toussaint was sentenced to 168 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. On February 23, 2010, ICE special agents responded to Miami’s Black Point Marina in Homestead to assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Branch with the interdiction of an inbound go-fast vessel, a 28-foot “Intrepid.” The vessel, outfitted with twin Yamaha outboard engines, was heading toward the Florida coast at high speed. CBP personnel aboard a surveillance aircraft witnessed the Florida Park Service attempting to stop the 28-foot vessel, giving chase and displaying the customary flashing red and blue lights. The vessel reached land and all the individuals aboard ran into the mangroves. Subsequently, one of the passengers was discovered dead in the water, approximately 30 feet from shore. >> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of agents and officers from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations in Miami, CBP Air and Marine Branch, the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Florida Parks Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher V. Parente and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Styron. 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 http://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.
CITY OF WEST MIAMI
>>> Press release: City of West Miami community facility named after Commissioner Rebeca Sosa
City of West Miami elected officials, management, and residents honored Commissioner Rebeca Sosa during the unveiling ceremony of the building that now bears her name, the Rebeca Sosa Multipurpose Facility Building. Commissioner Sosa contributed $1,231,000 from the Miami-Dade County General Obligation Bonds. “My family and I are grateful for this touching honor and for allowing me to leave behind such a wonderful legacy for the community,” said Commissioner Sosa. The dedication ceremony was held at the facility’s location at 1700 SW 62nd Avenue. The multi-purpose facility will accommodate areas for children to play, after school activities, summer camp, venue for the arts, crafts, event rental opportunities, and entertainment for the elderly and families.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
>>> Premiering on South Florida’s PBS Station WLRN Channel 17 –SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND AT 7:00 P.M.
This August, we celebrate the Miami of a different era. It was the early 1930s. Miami was still a young city, and a community was starting to spring up in the most unlikely of places: the middle of Biscayne Bay. Bait shops. Speakeasies. Gambling halls. Homes. Back then it was known as “The Shacks.” Today, we know this community as Stiltsville. STILTSVILLE: Generations on the Flats is a half-hour documentary honoring this piece of Miami’s history. This is the story of Stiltsville — a story of survival. Over the course of nearly a century, the structures battled storms and Washington politicians to stay afloat. First built on barges in the 1920s, it was an icon of the Miami of yesteryear — “Miamuh” — dominated by white, southern fishermen. Elite, and out of reach, these fishermen set up shop off the coast of Miami’s shores. Over the years, generation after generation has made Stiltsville its own, shaping and reshaping the structures as the rest of Miami developed back on shore. Meet the Stiltsville historians, caretakers, and families on this journey of intrigue, triumphs, and modern day struggles. Hear stories as we visit the last seven homes, still standing against all odds, including man and nature. Watch as we uncover a Miami community of the past trying desperately to preserve Stiltsville for future generations on the flats. CALENDAR LISTING
WLRN Channel 17 presents -STILTSVILLE: Generations on the Flats
It was the early 1930s. Miami was still a young city, and a surprising community was starting to spring up in the most unlikely of places: the middle of Biscayne Bay. Bait shops. Speakeasies. At its height, there were 27 homes. Today only 7 structures remain. Meet the Stiltsville historians, caretakers, and families on this journey of intrigue, triumphs, and modern day struggles. Hear their stories as we visit the last seven homes, still standing against all odds, including man and nature. Watch as we uncover a Miami community of the past trying desperately to preserve its future for generations to come. Airs on Channel 17: Sunday, August 22nd at 7 p.m. – PREMIERE – Sunday, August 22nd at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 25th at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, August 26th at 9:00 p.m.
>>> Press release: Back by popular demand!
As the 2010 campaign season heats up, many candidates seeking future offices have asked for another training session on election and fundraising regulations. They can get it next month at the Campaign Skills Seminar sponsored by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. Many Miami-Dade municipalities – including some of the largest – will hold elections in 2011. Now is the time for candidates, campaign staff members and volunteers to learn the rules for running a clean race. The seminar, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30, 2010, at the Miami City Commission Chambers, will provide essential information to declared candidates, individuals considering running for election or anyone who wants to understand the legal and ethical obligations of seeking public office. Speakers include representatives of the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission, the State Attorney’s Office, the Elections Department and the Miami-Dade League of Cities. The event is free and open to the public. Attorneys can earn Continuing Legal Education credits from the Florida Bar. Campaign Skills Seminar Thursday, September 30, 2010 6:30 p.m., Miami City Hall Commission Chambers, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, FL 33133 For more information, call Robert Thompson at 305-350-0630 or e-mail robthom@miamidade.gov. >>> The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers. It is composed of five members, serving staggered terms of four years each. Through a program of education, outreach and enforcement, the Commission seeks to empower the community and bolster public trust.
EDITORIALS
>>> Will out of sight, out of mind apply to the public when it comes to the Deepwater Horizon spill?
Will the Deepwater Horizon oil spill become an out of sight, out of mind issue with the American public now that the spill has essentially been plugged? A recent poll showing Floridians are softening their support of a new off shore drilling ban and new legislation that might have put it in the state’s constitution. This has been the concern of many in the environmental community and local scientists at the University of Miami and other institutions around the nation have said the same thing when it comes to possible impacts in the future. There has never been a spill of this size, never before have millions of gallons of oil disbursements been used, and researchers are unable to do accurate models of the ecological damage and its long term effect on deepwater living reefs, and all the marine life found in the Gulf of Mexico.
So far, most of Florida has been spared to a great extent the oil impact that is seen in Louisiana, Mississippi and along with the Pensacola beaches here in the Sunshine State. But experts agree that while it may not be seen like when it was spewing from its busted well head for over 90-days and viewed live on a feed of the bottom. The oil on the bottom or waters in between of the Gulf will come to the surface, is too extensive, one giant plum under water has been identified, and there is expected to be many other patches found over the coming decades. For the Exxon Valdes in Alaska is the benchmark on the mark this spill has made on Mother Nature and our nation, and in the cold tundra of Alaska, if you dig down into the soil. The presence of oil is seen and suggests the degradation of this toxic cocktail materially in the Gulf will be slow and challenging. Something future generations of Floridians will get to ponder in the decades to come as they continue to deal with this nightmare.
>>> PAST WDR: Nov. 2003: It is a mad, mad, mad, world – Where is our perspective?
What is happening in the United States when the rush of other people trying to get a gift injures fellow shoppers and football teams after a tough fought game then get into a rumble and try to humiliate the other team’s players? In today’s world there is something very bizarre about this behavior, especially when you consider the sacrifice the nation’s armed forces are making in Iraq and around the world. Shopping and football are American pastimes but they should not take on the characteristics of a general melee with people being injured. The Florida State University and University of Florida’s football teams, especially the Seminoles who won the hard fought game 38 to 34 should be ashamed of themselves and realize that it is a game, not an exercise to completely humiliate the other team and the university.
Perhaps that is what is wrong with America today when such a premium is put on a winning football team, or getting the right toy, that it trumps decency and fair play. The United States people show greatness so often but these eruptions of violence and anger show our darker side and the public at large should not tolerate it. We all should remember that it is a game or a gift and not your life and that perspective should never be forgotten.
LETTERS
>>> Letter on Children’s programs run in The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com
Jackie Bueno Sousa’s opinion piece August 4th ends with the statement, “When times were good, everyone — including local governments — shared the gain. Now, it’s time for everyone to share the pain.” Let’s get one thing straight: The good times saw remarkably little gain for children, especially the youngest ones. Even our statewide universal pre-K has suffered since the beginning as the legislature funded the program “on the cheap.” Now, under financial pressure, our children — the human capital that this state and nation will need ready and able to take over in the future — are being compromised further.
There are multiple scientific studies available to show that investing in early childhood provides the most efficient use of public dollars. Criminal behavior is reduced; school graduation rates increase; health issues are improved; these kids grow up to be better citizens, own their own homes, and pay taxes rather than fall into whatever welfare systems will be in place at the time. By reducing funding for already under-funded programs, all we do is lock into place or worsen even further the problems that will exist in Miami-Dade and in Florida. These children didn’t create the mess we’re in. They shouldn’t be made to feel the pain, a pain that will haunt all of us starting as the years progress.
Wil Blechman, M.D.
Miami, FL
>>> Reader on Commissioner Teele documentary
I just happened to come across this doc. one night a couple of weeks ago while channel surfing. I think it was being broadcast on WPBT. An excellent film not just for what it chronicles but also in terms of the filmmaking. I think that even someone who isn’t knowledgeable about the matter would find it captivating.
R. I.
>>> Businessman wants to encourage company’s employees to register to vote
Speaking of voting, I recently had a study performed to determine which of our employees were registered in Florida and how many were not. I was amazed to learn that of the 947 employees on the payroll only 548 were Florida registered voters! The point of my statement is that, as employers, I believe that we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to encourage our employees to register to vote which is the first step before we can begin the long process of taking this country back from the high tax, big government, big spending progressives (both parties) who are out there working to change this country from the greatest to an also-ran!
H. J.
>>> Reader on the Watchdog Report’s financial challenges
You are a great inspiration with your Watchdog Report 24/7 to show us what is going on in Government and politics. Keep up your great jobs and more people need to support your work
J. Pepe Cancio Sr.
Former Commissioner District 12
Miami-Dade County
>>> 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.
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SHUBIN & BASS www.shubinbass.com
***** Public & Educational institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.
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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