Watchdog Report Vol. 10 No. 31 January 3, 2010
CONTENTS
Argus Report: With FedEx Orange Bowl, NFL Pro Bowl and XLIV Super Bowl in the wings; economic impact for region in the hundreds of millions of dollars
Florida: And they’re off, race for U. S. senate, governor, CFO, AG, AG commissioner will ramp-up in coming months to full throttle, primary in Aug.
Miami-Dade County: PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Property Appraiser Garcia, speaks frankly about reduced property valuations, believes commission will increase millage
Broward County: PAST WDR: FEB. 2009: Mayor Ritter did not vote on controversial contract and not at meeting, public record of meeting inaccurate, minutes must be tightened up
Palm Beach County: PAST WDR: Advocates of ending homeless in county get course 101 from Miami-Dade and need for public/private partnership
Putnam County: WDR: MARCH 2009: Sen. Lynn steps on hornets nest suggesting raid of Prepaid College funds, had $1.18 million net worth through Dec. 2007
Monroe County: PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Conch Republic in spotlight with school district’s superintendent’s wife charging $95,000 on pubic dime, continues trend of playing loose with nation’s laws
Miami-Dade Public Schools: PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Internal Auditor Vann is grilled by chair Stinson about construction claims, allowances, contingencies going back to 2004, and snapshot of $1.8 billion in construction
Public Health Trust: PAST WDR: JAN 2009: Will new federal $825 billion spending bill that includes $4.3 billion in Medicaid funding save the PHT, when institution gives $540 million in charity care, check out the trend graph
City of Miami: While city in hibernation, Mayor Regalado & Commission Chair Sarnoff still working; former Commissioner Gort gets edge, but what of suspended Commissioner Spence-Jones?
City of Miami Beach: PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Commissioner Diaz discusses U.S. Census data, big challenge comes in 2010, and every resident undercount cost $3,000 a year in 2000
City of Coral Gables: PAST WDR: FEB 2009: With clock ticking, Carlos de Cespedes walks his dog at Gables outdoor farmer’s market, heads to federal prison with brother in March
Bal Harbour Village: PAST WDR: FEB: 2009: Councilman Jacobi settles with ethics commission, hit with $4,500 in fines & costs and letter of reprimand
City Of West Miami: Past WDR: They’re he goes again, Gov. Crist suspends West Miami Mayor Carasa, 33rd removal
Community Events: 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference Jan. 7 to 10 — Women of Tomorrow luncheon Jan 21 – Miami Beach preservationist is being honored for continued work
Editorials: Federal and state authorities should keep an eye on Miami two commission district races, city workers cannot campaign on public’s dime — Leadership transitions on major public boards go smoothly last year, not like some in the past decade
Letters: PHT trustee responds to last week’s story — Reader thinks Miami Shores should be watched – General New Year wishes from readers
Sponsors – Publisher’s mission statement & Subscription information is at the bottom of this issue
>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)
>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding the University of Miami’s Knight Center of International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University’s School of Communication www.miami.edu assistance to rebuild my web site www.watchdogreport.net that is now on line again, since the previous one was shut down in July 2008. Past reports will continue to go on line in the future, potentially as far back as May 2000. This institutional support is a major break through for me, and I am deeply appreciative of the help these two substantial international institutions have given me at a time the site was an unbudgeted expense and to keep the Watchdog Report a community education resource, while also being a decade old news service.
>>> May you and your family have a Happy New Year in the days ahead, and lets us hope 2010 is better, because 2009 was something else for many in our community and around the world, especially those serving in harms way trying to keep the nation and world safe in these dangerous times.
>>> I will be on Topical Currents, hosted by Joseph Cooper, WLRN/NPR 91.3 FM on Jan. 11 at 1:00 p.m., and part of the discussion will be the Jan. 12 election to determine the next Miami commissioners for Districts 1 & 5. To listen in go to www.wlrn.org
>>> If you think it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider becoming a supporter or sponsor. For there is no trust fund and I do have to live. A convenient form is at the bottom of this week’s Watchdog Report with all the instructions on how to support this decade old newsletter and news service. Thank you.
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> A look back at some of the past stories over the year that ran in the Watchdog Report
In this week’s issue of the Watchdog Report I have selected some stories that have run over the past year, and in practically every area of politics and government there has been major changes accompanied with economic contraction putting public institutions on a major financial diet, that will drop its coffers even further this year. And public corruption statewide continues to rear its ugly head with Gov. Charlie Crist suspending 33 officials since he took office in Jan. 2007. Miami-Dade and its municipalities has had its share of corruption cases over the year but so has Palm Beach and Broward Counties and many of the cases are ongoing with federal and state public corruption prosecutors. The new special agent in charge at the FBI, John Gillies has stated public corruption is one of his priorities backed up by 460 other special agents. Some of what occurs cannot be made-up and just happens, be it a phantom job for a relative, a bribe here or there, but all of that is capped with three of the largest Ponzi schemes in history swirling around South Florida. Bernie Madoff had a connection; R. Allen Stanford was here in Miami and more recently Scott Rothstein in Broward with his small $1.2 billion scam in comparison to the other two men’s financial blowouts.
>>> With FedEx Orange Bowl, NFL Pro Bowl and XLIV Super Bowl in the wings; economic impact for region in the hundreds of millions in dollars
Let the tri-fecta of big events begin with the kick-off Tuesday Jan. 5 of the FedEx Orange Bowl Game, followed by the NFL Pro Bowl and king of big events. The Super Bowl and all the games are being played at Land Shark Stadium. The Orange Bowl is the oldest event celebrating its 76th year since the game was first played at city of Miami’s Madre Park, which is being renovated partially through a $2.5 million grant by the Orange Bowl Committee, matched by the city last year, and is expected to be completed in the nest 18 months. Further, the Orange Bowl Committee, made up of 330 members also has two other big time events. An Orange Bowl Tennis Tournament held on Key Biscayne and the other is the Orange Bowl International Youth Sailing Regatta, and people and sailboats were all over Coconut Grove when the sailing event ended Wednesday, after an awards ceremony giving the economy a real kick upwards. The organization also has 15,000 kids participating in an Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance. The Orange Bowl brings in around $100 million in economic benefit to South Florida said the organization’s only second women president and chair of the Orange Bowl Committee, Phillis Oeters in an Dec. 10 interview with Miami Today done by reporter Scott E. Pacheco www.miamitoday.com.
At the Coconut Grove Sailing Club www.cgsc.org that held some of the Regatta events, that in total at all Grove sailing clubs had around 790 sailors in all classes, and Opti sailboats manned by youth competed, while another 29 adults raced the Laser class of sailboats, that had people from 23 countries participating in the four-day event, said knowledgeable sources last week. Further, the participants of these Orange Bowl events athletes from all three activities brought their family, friends and others to the area and that is an economic good thing. For more information about the Orange Bowl or where to get tickets go to www.orangebowl.org
What about the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl?
The second and third events after the FedEx Orange Bowl are the NFL Pro Ball on Jan. 31 followed later by the XLIV Super Bowl in the weeks ahead and our tourism industry should get an added benefit with these two other monster events that showcases South Florida at its best. The Pro Bowl, normally held in Hawaii in the past decades has moved and low cost tickets to this high profile game that features the best of the NFL players are available. I know young adults on a budget that have tickets and local residents should take advantage of the opportunity to see the game, versus the Super Bowl, whose tickets are significantly higher even in the nose bleed sections of the stadium. However, officials of the Super Bowl committee told business leaders at a Greater Miami Chamber of Luncheon that while Miami has the most games in the sport’s history, ten. That would change unless the stadium gets a roof after the Super Bowl game a few years ago was played in a raging rainstorm and there is talk that Miami-Dade County may some how get involved in making the roof happen. That is said would also include more stadium upgrades to the facility to keep it competitive with new stadiums like Dallas and New Orleans. >>> National Football League: Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl 44, NFL.com the source for everything Super Bowl 44 static)http://www.superbowl.com/ – 47k – Cached >>> The Super Bowl is Back for a Record Breaking 10th Time! – II • III …SOUTH FLORIDA…BETTER THAN EVER. South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee. 2269 Dan Marino Blvd. Miami Gardens, FL 33056. Phone 305.626.7341 …
http://www.southfloridasuperbowl.com/ – 21k – Cached
>>> Last week’s lead story in the Argus Report section of the report caught the medias eye and David Sutta of CBS4 Tuesday did a follow-up story on the four tons of dog waste that is being picked up by Bay Front Park Trust staff over a year. To see the story go to Miami Bayfront Park Hopes Poop Patrol Cleans Mess Dec. 29, 2009, 7:54 p.m. Eastern …and it has filled Bayfront Park. Pets are partly to blame…a problem is brewing: dog poop everywhere. “Well if we average… >>> Also Howard Cohen did a follow-up story in The Miami Herald’s Neighbors section today www.miamiherald.com and my readers are surprised I did not get an attribution since I was the only member of the press at the meeting and subsequently gave the story a prominent headline last Sunday night.
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Obama tells mayors and governors they ‘will be called out,’ if boondoggle projects involved; Miami Mayor’s Diaz assurances otherwise should be watched like a hawk
When President Barack Obama told the nation’s mayors Friday that he wanted transparency and accountability for the $787 billion in federal funds and said he would “call them out” if they wasted these massive federal funds coming their way. Miami Mayor Manuel “Manny” Diaz leading the nation’s mayors to the White House told reporters later that ‘we get called out every day’ and they would be responsible stewards of the public purse. ‘We have plenty of constituents, who would be doing that before the president does it,’ Diaz is quoted in www.miamiherald.com . However, Obama should keep a spotlight on Miami and South Florida regarding this tough love oversight program for we are the “graduate school of fraud” said the local U.S. attorney months ago and Diaz over his years in office has not been as forthcoming as he likes people to believe. Diaz is different from many of the city’s previous mayors and he has pushed an agenda of massive development, later adopted a greener stand, and he worked his way up the national mayors’ leadership council and is well received around the nation. However, Obama may not know about the fire fee “nightmare,” the mayor’s real estate deal with a commissioner, city manager, where he received a letter of reprimand from the county ethics commission, and of course the increase in his cash position in 2007.
The Obama administration is right to be skeptical and demanding accountability from these local leaders that also includes the nation’s governors for the money has to be used wisely, and boondoggles kept to a minimum. For every dollar is precious to the millions of Americans out of jobs and losing their homes. Local government while better knowing what is needed also has a history of pork projects, waste, fraud and abuse and in south Florida that can eat up 15 to 20 percent of the federal funds coming down and this local hemorrhaging must be minimized. The president has yet to unveil how this oversight is going to work but he should keep his eye on Miami, where gaming the system is almost a sport and fraud in its many permutations is king.
>>> Press release: Zogby Interactive: Terror Defines the Decade, September 11th attacks most significant story of the decade; Rise in terrorism decade’s most significant issue
According to a new Zogby Interactive poll, Americans have evaluated the last decade (to-date) and the results can be found in one word: Terror. When asked to pick one word/phrase to define the past decade, 21% of Americans chose “terror” followed by “decline” (15%) and then “loss of personal freedom/civil liberties” (13%). Republicans (33%) were more likely than Democrats (12%) to say “terror” defines the decade. Instead, Democrats chose “decline” (20%) and “greed” (17%) as the top words to define the decade. Conservatives also chose “terror” to define the decade while liberals chose “greed” (20%) and “decline” (19%). Only 11% of liberals chose “terror”. Similarly, the September 11th terrorist attacks characterize the past ten years for most Americans. Seventy-six percent of American adults name the September 11th terrorist attacks as the decade’s most significant story, dwarfing the 5% of adults selecting Hurricane Katrina as the top story. Even smaller percentages said the Indian Ocean tsunami (2%), the elections of 2000 (4%), 2004 (less than 1%), and 2008 (4%), or the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (4% together) were the most significant story of the decade. Almost all Republicans (91%) said 9/11 was the most significant story compared to 63% of Democrats. Some Democrats voted Hurricane Katrina (10%) and not surprisingly, the 2008 Presidential Election (9%), as the most significant story of the decade. Interestingly, adults who live in large cities (70%) were a little less likely than those who live in small cities (77%), the suburbs (also 77%), or rural areas (83%) to rate the September 11th terrorist attacks as the most significant story of the decade.
The rise in general terrorism (from September 11th to attacks in London, Madrid, and Mumbai) was voted the most significant issue of the decade. Trailing terrorism was the increase in U.S. debt, with 16% selecting this as the most significant issue of the decade. Americans chose the wars in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Iraq as the third most significant issue of the decade, with 10% of Americans saying it was the most significant issue of the decade.
This interactive survey of 2,841 adults was conducted December 28-30, 2009. A sampling of Zogby International’s online panel, which is representative of the adult population of the US, was invited to participate. Slight weights were added region, party, age, race, religion, gender, education to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 1.9 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Please click the link below to view the full news release on our website: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1791
>>> 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
>>> And they’re off; race for U. S. senate, governor, CFO, AG, AG commissioner will ramp-up in coming months to full throttle, primary in Aug.
With the New Year, the myriad of political races are on for all the Florida cabinet positions and the U.S. Senate race in 2010 and there are only eight months until the late August primary. Democrats and Republicans are fielding a host of candidates but most currently have a political job, either within the Florida cabinet, or the legislature and there is one problem looming that many will have to deal with. And that is the lagging state revenues that are trending down another $2.8 billion and only can be cured by service cuts, or raising taxes and fees. In the coming months the Watchdog Report will continue to cover the candidates, their new net worth after July 1, and to say dramatic leadership changes could be in the winds in Florida politics is an understatement.
What about the state’s culture of corruption, Gov. Crist suspends 33 to date?
Gov. Charlie Crist since Jan. 2007 when he was sworn into office has suspended 33 elected leaders since then and he has continued a trend established first with past Gov. Lawton Childs and continued under Gov. Jeb Bush that when elected leaders were indicted. The office suspended the wayward officials and the state in a federal study of removals led the nation during the studied time period.
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Chief Judge Farina asks Legislature to fund FL courts like a real 3rd branch of government – 4.5 million court cases filed last year
Chief Judge Joseph P. Farina appealed to the Miami-Dade County state delegation legislators, chaired by state Rep. Juan C. Zapata, R-Miami, Thursday that when it came to the local 11th judicial and court circuit that the budget cuts have been brutal and judge reminded them that the judicial system is the third branch of state government. The state over the past two years in the tough budget times has cut state courts budgets $18.4 million in July 2008 and $17.2 million earlier in March. This is on top of $8.9 million cut in September 2007 and from 2007 to budget year 2009 there have been 282 positions cut from the courts states Farina’s handout to state lawmakers. The local chief judge pointed out that was the least of the looming problem for law makers in the coming legislative session in March are considering another $40.1 million comprising 556 positions to be cut and it is gutting state residents’ rights to a fair and speedy adjudication of cases in the court’s system.
Court cases statewide have soared over the past years and last year there were 4.5 million court cases filed in Florida, which “is up 12 percent from two-years ago” and during these years. Capital murder has increased 24 percent, robbery soared by 45 percent, burglary increased by 26 percent, civil cases up to $15,000 increased by 40 percent, contract and indebtness cases rose 40 percent and condominium cases soared by 435 percent the document shows.
Locally the data shows the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Civil pending caseload through November was 84,155 cases and the county civil pending caseload came in at 66,323 in November, down from a high of 71,687 cases in July. In a study of the state’s court system. The Washington Economics Group believes in Oct. 2008 there were 335,000 civil cases pending, an estimated 286,000 were real property/ mortgage foreclosure cases and at the current rate of disposition of these cases, it would take “18 months” for these existing foreclosure cases to be disposed of. The study also states there are direct economic impacts if the courts are failing to provide services and justice and looking at the costs for all these areas the negative impact is estimated at $10.1 billion in economic impacts. Further, the study also notes as these economic costs move through the Florida economy the negative affect grows to $17.4 billion “in Florida economic output is lost to civil case delays each year and affects over 120,000 jobs that are adversely impacted but these civil court delays yearly.”
>>> Florida has 989 judges, 900 courtrooms and interpreters for 50 different languages
The state’s budget for 2008-2009 after a special session was $64.87 billion and the state Court’s system’s adjusted budget was $433.2 million down from $491.2 million in July 2007. The Florida courts system from the Supreme Court down has 989 judges at the Supreme, the five District Courts of Appeal, the 20 judicial circuit courts (599 judges) and county courts account for 322 judges with at least one judge in each of the state’s 67 counties. The Florida judicial system also has 900 courtrooms and court interpreters provide services in 50 different languages, states the Farina’s handout.
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Note to Lt. Gov. Kottkamp, don’t embarrass your boss Gov. Crist and Floridians with your $500,000 in travel
Note to Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, your job is to be obscure and not an embarrassment to Gov. Charlie Crist and the continued stories on the large number of plane and other travel expenses that are known to total $500,000 (www.miamiherald.com ) should put Kottkamp in the dog house, especially given the state’s tanked economy. The office only becomes important if the governor dies or is incapacitated and recent past lieutenant governors understood that role of staying in the shadows and Crist needs to scold his political partner because its insensitivity hangs over the governor as well. One of the things I have learned over the years is that politicians when they replace or appoint someone to a political post or state board. The governor wants someone that is safe and will not be a bad reflection on the state’s top office.
State Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami says the job ‘is the most irrelevant job in state government’ and suggested the job should be abolished and Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey is blunter saying ‘there’s no question that the public perceives this as wrong,’ he is quoted in the paper. In Rivera’s case Kottkamp is supporting a rival for a state senate seat but the whole issue of Kottkamp’s travel expenses should be addressed upfront especially given the legislative session that begins Tuesday.
What about Gov. Crist?
Crist, who always sees things the sunny side up is starting to be buffeted by local print media including stories by Herald political reporter Beth Reinhard www.miamiherald.com and Michael Putney, senior political reporter for www.wplg.com wrote a blistering editorial in the paper questioning if the governor is an empty suit. Crist submitted his proposed state budget for next year and opposition is already building among fellow Republicans who control both state legislative bodies. Further, Crist has been coy when it comes to unequivocally saying he would not seek the U.S. senate seat being vacated in 2010 by Republican Sen. Mel Martinez and this doubt could bleed into the coming legislative session and the governor’s effectiveness with the body that is feeling more than restless when it comes to the state’s proposed $66.5 billion budget. Further, I also believe as I have written in the past, that Crist will seek the senate seat and will start campaigning in the summer.
>>> WDR July 2008: Lt. Gov. Kottkamp acknowledges challenges to state economy, some gloom and doom the medias fault, had net worth of $2.3 million through June 15, 2008
Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp spoke Friday at the Beacon Council’s monthly luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables and he was upbeat about the state of Florida’s future economy. Kottkamp, 47 is a graduate of Florida State University and has his law degree from the University of Florida and he served three terms in the Florida House before becoming the state’s 17th Lt. Governor when Gov. Charlie Crist was elected to the office in 2006. In the state house, he represented the Cape Coral region; he is married and has a young son. He told the attendees that agriculture and tourism have been the state’s bedrock industries in the past noting 84 million people visited Florida last year and while the state’s economy has taken a “extreme downturn” sales of homes are steadily increasing and “people are opening businesses every day” in the state. He believes Florida offers “no better place to work and live.”
He said Florida is in the process of “transforming” itself featuring more high technology enterprises such as stem cell research and the University of Miami bringing the whole genetics team from Duke University as an examples of the changing face of the state. He noted at the Kennedy Space Center, a private company called Space X would be sending rockets into space for about $150 million per flight. He also said when it comes to space and medical technology. “Zero gravity growth can produce perfect crystals” and the environment offers a host of medical and scientific possibilities in the future. He noted the gaming software industry in Central Florida is flourishing and recommitted the governor’s commitment to education. Kottkamp also said it was important for the administration to “invest early to break the cycle of poverty” that leads to incredible incarceration rates and judicial costs of the state’s residents believing that effort “will break the cycle at the other end.” Further, given the spiraling state economy, he said it was important to “be smarter in how we use precious [financial] resources” coming into the state’s coffers. Kottkamp chided the media for not changing with the times and for some of the negativity felt by residents around the state. He said the “print media is becoming archaic” with extensive layoffs and suggested the papers “get out of print” and go to an “a local 24 hour version of CNN” as the model. He said the industries current “view of the world is particularly skewed” and the industries troubles are being reflected in the medium. He said the “gloom and doom” is not exactly accurate and the economy is growing admitting there “is a slowdown and we certainly have some problems” but he predicted Ford Motor Company would bounce back “faster than ever.”
What happened after he made the comments about the “archaic” print media?
Alexandra Villoch, a senior vice-president of advertising for The Miami Herald attended the lunch and she would not let Kottkamp’s media comments stand. She stated to Kottkamp answering questions, when it came to the term “archaic.” “On any given Sunday, 1.1 million people in Miami-Dade County and south Broward and Monroe read The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, so when you are touching and reaching 56 percent of the adults in our market with our print product, never mind the layering on the web site and our other products,” it shows the value of the paper. Further, she challenged that given these facts the paper was “not archaic” and while she did not know what was going on at other papers around the state. She said The Herald’s reach “was far beyond any cable TV or other media broadcast here.” She also noted the grim economic data reported in the paper was based on “what was reported by government and we don’t make those statistics up,” she closed after correcting the record.
What do we know about Kottkamp’s finances?
Kottkamp through June 15 2008 had a net worth of $2.3 million and he lists $203,000 in household goods. His real assets are three properties valued at $1.3 million, $385,000 and $54,000 and there is $112,000 in an IRA. There is $54,490 in mutual funds, a checking account has $167,324 and $101,000 is in a bank saving account. A Northern Trust money market has $41,332 and a checking account has $6,558 along with a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe worth $12,800. His income for the duration was $128,075 as governor and Morgan & Morgan PA contributed $2,409 and another $4,498 came in from Northern Trust Bank.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Property Appraiser Garcia, speaks frankly about reduced property valuations, believes commission will increase millage
Pedro J. Garcia, Jr., elected the Miami-Dade County property appraiser on Dec. 20, 2008 after county voters overwhelmingly voted for its creation Jan. 29, 2008 and it is a Charter Office, under the county’s Home Rule Charter, and different from the state’s other 66 appraisers offices. Garcia speaking at the Elephant Forum luncheon Monday at the Rusty Pelican detailed what his office does and the challenges he faces in the coming months trying to get correct property appraiser values for people’s homes. Garcia beat state Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Aventura in the low turnout runoff election overwhelmingly. He said his wife joked that his chances of winning against the well-known state legislator were about as probable as her winning the “Miss Universe contest.” Others said he was “crazy” to run against the veteran state and county legislator who raised around $525,000 for her campaign to his $50,000 campaign war chest.
Garcia said political operatives told him he had to raise a lot of money and he said no. I will “walk the streets” and tell people who I am and certainly could not afford to spend “$100,000 on advertisements and television.” Instead, he did any television or radio show he could get on “even if it was 2:00 a.m.” and people started to recognize me over time. On election night, he realized he had won at about 7:30 p.m. and “opened the wine.” The property appraiser said the office was reviewing all the property values and assessments in Miami-Dade and predicted that while there was a “beautiful honeymoon” now with county leaders. He predicts that may fade in April and May when the final numbers come out.
“Twenty to twenty-five percent of residential property values will be down” and when it came to the thousands of condominiums. He believed these “would be 40 percent below past assessed values” and he expects property values to continue to decline next year as well. He said the goal was “to get real estate back to normal” and “getting people working” because there are “so many people unemployed.” He believes one method of correcting the problem was through short sales, that have “the banks work with the buyers and sellers” but his position is a double-edged sword. “I can be a hero or I should be ready to be hanged” depending on how the numbers work out but he pledged to the audience “I will put the right numbers out.”
Garcia when asked how the county commission might react to the reduction of revenue said, “I am expecting them to increase the millage.” He said elected leaders in the past have “blamed the property appraiser for everything” but they will get the blame this time.” He also said relief is coming to people that own rental properties that in the past jumped 30 to 40 percent in value yearly. Garcia is planning on no more “than 10 percent” and is trying “to reduce it to 5 percent.”
In response to a question from the Watchdog Report on whether he will go to court to make the Charter Office into a state Constitutional Office like the state’s other 66 elected appraisers. He said he could not do it and “someone else has to challenge” the issue in the Florida courts. For more information about the office go to www.miamidade.gov/pa/
>>> Press release: Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, in collaboration with Ayiti History and Resources, is inviting the public to the Fifth Annual Haitian Independence Month Celebration opening ceremony on Friday, January 8, 2010 at 10:30 a.m., in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First Street.
>>> Press release: On Thursday, January 14th at 7:00 pm, Dr. Michele Williams and Brian Conesa will present their data and photos about the excavations in the parade grounds at Ft. Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. This venture was sponsored by the Everglades National Park Service during Archaeology Month in 2009. Fort Jefferson is a six-sided building constructed of sixteen million hand-made red bricks, with the lighthouse being built in 1825. It was designated as a National Monument in 1935, and on October 26, 1992, the monument was upgraded to National Park status. A multi-phased, multi-year preservation project to stabilize Fort Jefferson has begun. The plan will include removing existing brick, documenting, cleaning then reusing these bricks with some parts of the park not accessible at times. >>> The free lecture will be held at the Visitor Center Auditorium at the Deering Estate at Cutler. In partnership with the Archaeological Society of Southern Florida, a non-profit, volunteer organization. >>> Estate EcoAdventure Tours are also offered throughout the year for an additional fee. For more information on the Deering Estate’s educational and cultural programs please visit www.deeringestate.org.
BROWARD COUNTY
>>> PAST WDR: FEB. 2009: Mayor Ritter did not vote on controversial contract and not at meeting, public record of meeting inaccurate, minutes must be tightened up
County Commissioners need to assure that they have an accurate public record concerning who is at their commission meetings, and how the elected leaders vote, for a recent lapse of an accurate public record had The Miami Herald www.miamiherald.com have to do a correction based on what was recorded as occurring, when in fact one commissioner was absent a video tape of the meeting later showed. The issue concerned Commissioner Stacey Ritter and whether she voted on a contract, her husband was lobbying for and apparently, in this case she did not. The public record is all Broward residents have about what is going on in their government institutions and one of the reasons I am such a stickler in this area. The commission must come up with a better way to document their votes for their should not be this kind of confusion when it comes to the record and the people charged with doing the people’s business in Florida with its Sunshine Amendment.
>>> 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
>>> PAST WDR: Advocates of ending homeless in county get course 101 from Miami-Dade and need for public/private partnership
Some Palm Beach county homeless activists came to Miami Thursday and Friday to attend a program based on what the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and The Community Partnership for Homeless has been able to do here in South Florida. In Miami-Dade’s case in the early 1990’s there were over 8,000 people living on the streets or under freeways and was becoming a major problem in the national media and diminished tourism to the area. Local political and business leaders here in Miami and in the state legislature, including then Gov. Lawton Chiles gave their support to the effort that had the most recent count in January at less than 1,000 people on the county’s streets.
The program has since been emulated in Broward where Wayne Huizenga has championed the issue that brought private and public partners together that included the business community. And in Palm Beach County where the problem is seen throughout the county, the attendees were told how to create an organization that could deal with the issue that includes drawing down both state and federal HUD funds for the effort. The Watchdog Report wishes the advocates of the homeless and its end good luck in the effort and people in the tony county should embrace the problem, for it will not go away.
PUTNAM COUNTY
>>> PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Sen. Lynn steps on hornets nest suggesting raid of Prepaid College funds, had $1.18 million net worth through Dec. 2007
State Sen. Evelyn J. Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, is in the spotlight this week after she suggested that funds being held in the Florida Prepaid College fund named by the Florida Legislature the Stanley G Tate Florida Prepaid | Prepaid College | Florida 529 Plans >>> Florida Prepaid | Prepaid College | Florida 529 Plans could be tapped to plug the over $2 billion state budget hole. However, with over 1 million parents, having contracts for their children’s education in the fund, shifting this money will be no easy task and Tate is vowing to fight any attempt to raid the fund, and Gov. Charlie Crist weighed in against that as well. Lynn has been in politics for many years and served in the state House from 1994 to 2002 when she was elected to Senate District 7 that includes Clay, Putnam, Volusia and Marion counties. Lynn is a government and education consultant in her private life.
What do we know about her finances?
Lynn through Dec. 2007 had a net worth of $1.18 million and she lists $26,000 in household goods. Her assets include two annuities valued at $22,474 and $138,000 and there is $8,700 in banks, $380,000 is in the Lynn Trust, and a condominium in Ormond Beach is valued at $401,000. She has two cars valued at $11,000 and $14,000 and her only liability is $20,000 owed to SunTrust Bank. Income for the year was $38,457 from the Florida Retirement Fund, $14,945 came in from Social Security, the senate kicked in $33,936, two trust payments were $15,700 and $25,900, and Florida State University paid her $25,287 states her financial disclosure reports.
MONROE COUNTY
>>> PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Conch Republic in spotlight with school district’s superintendent’s wife charging $95,000 on pubic dime, continues trend of playing loose with nation’s laws
Anyone that thinks an elected public school superintendent is a panacea for all the ills that can plague school districts needs to check out the story today by reporter Cammy Clark in www.miamiherald.com, about the wife of the superintendent and her spending habits the last two-years. Monique Acevedo, a long tine school employee and the wife of Superintendent Randy Acevedo has charged over ‘$95,000 on pink silk ties, bar stools, and spear gun accessories’ and the local state attorney is investigating the whole affair, that on face value looks more than bad and it continues a local trend of skirting laws on the belief they will never be found out.
The Watchdog Report would never have started to write about the Conch Republic (a tourist tag line an elected leader once used in a discussion with me) if they were not dumping their homeless and battered women in Miami-Dade about five-years ago and they have done much better in these areas more recently. I also have written about the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority that years ago had outrageous benefits for a few select senior administrators and after almost two decades after these stories and a critical legislative state audit. The authority finally settled with county leaders overall infrastructure issues and what body would pay and manage the projects after years of no progress in the talks.
The point is the nation’s most southern county is still part of the United States and as I have pointed out to some officials. There is a federal and state courthouse in Key West and while you don’t get the spotlight like Miami-Dade. That lack of oversight of public official’s activities eventually will be picked up and as one former senior federal judge once told me. Over his decades on the bench, pretty much every elected position has had problems with its occupant and the belief that Margaretville overrides all is a fairy tale. One the wife and possible her husband may soon learn the hard way.
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: Internal Auditor Vann is grilled by chair Stinson about construction claims, allowances, contingencies going back to 2004, and snapshot of $1.8 billion in construction
Allan Vann, CPA, the district’s Chief Auditor got an earful from school board chair Solomon Stinson during the board’s monthly meeting concerning the acceptance of some audit reports that had recently gone through the board’s audit committee meeting. The specific audit the board chair cited was an internal audit report covering construction claims, allowances and contingencies over a almost four year period and is dated Jan. 2009 but was first drafted and released to the administration in Oct. 31, 2008. The school administration has yet to respond to the observations sates the report.
Stinson speaking sternly to Vann, and limiting his rebuttal, was concerned it took so long for his office to pick up on the problems that were documented from, July 2004 to March, 2008 and thought his department should have flagged the issues earlier. The chair along with Board members Marta Perez, Perla Tabares Hantman, and Renier Diaz de la Portilla voted no when it came to accepting the report. Board member Ana Rivas Logan while voting yes said she too was critical but procedurally wanted the report to be accepted and it carried 5-4. Vann during the discussion said he thought the criticism was an “unfair characterization” of what his office does but he got the message.
The audit found that there were $1.81 billion in partial or completed projects during the time frame and nine were sampled valued at $59.1 million that had $5.7 million in “net changes and contingency adjustments,” state’s the report. Of the sampled 148 in change orders and contingency adjustments, 5 percent or $319,882 were the “direct result of conflicts between drawings and the existing underground conditions” even though the contract “specifically disallows change orders for such conflicts.” Further, an additional five change orders of $542,382 were the result of “architecture and engineer (A/E) errors and omissions.” The audit department has made eight recommendations to avoid this in the future and is awaiting the district’s response to the observations.
>>>PAST WDR MARCH 2009: Grove charter school gets “monitored in a more aggressive capacity” says district audit committee, is “fairy dust running around here?”
The Arts and Minds Academy Charter School was in the school board’s audit committee spotlight this week and the founder and owner of the building housing the school was called out Tuesday at the meeting. Four restaurant/bars surround the school located on Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove and when school ends in the afternoon. The kid’s mill around the streets running through passing traffic, yet there are no signs indicating it is a school zone. The school, created a few years ago has been expanding, adding students, but that rate of student growth has dropped to 351 students and the institution is trending toward having another deficit, like the previous year. Manny Alonso-Poch, the owner of the building housing the academy founded the school and runs a restaurant at night at the location as well.
Alonso-Poch was grilled by audit committee members about whether the school will close the year with a deficit and he said it would not. He told them he would cover any shortfalls when the budget year concludes June 30 and it would be a “gift.” However, since the school is a not-for-profit that could be a tax deduction for Alonso-Poch and since he is getting over $69,000 in rent a month covering the potential estimated $150,000 shortfall would be no problem. The public school district funds the school based on student count and the audit committee voted to increase the scrutiny on the school including district auditors “monitoring in a more aggressive capacity.”
Betty Amos, the chair of the audit committee asked Alonso-Poch if he would reduce the high rent he charges for the school but the owner disagreed saying he “did not agree the rent was too high.” Audit committee member Frederick “Buck” Thornburg, Esq., said after the school’s discussion there “is a lot of fairy dust running around here” in the room he thought and scrutiny of the school’s finances are now front and center of the nation’s fourth largest public schools district’s auditors. Readers should stay tuned to see how this all pans out in the future.
>>> Feb. WDR: Academy of Arts and Minds charter school closes 08-budget year with $67 in school account, “anemic conditions” with current liability ratio of .42
The Academy of Arts and Minds is in the news again in the Watchdog Report and this time it is the small amount of money in the schools charter school account at the end of June. The school located on Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove, surrounded by restaurants and bars got a bump in the building lease back in Jan. 23, 2008 states a school district audit document from $26,460 to $69,600 a month for a slight addition of space and the schools occupation of the “plant” came to $769,416 back then or 38 percent of the total $2 million total expenses for that year when the school “incurred a $57,456 operating deficit,” state district audit documents.
The charter school caught the Watchdog Report’s eye years ago because when the school was created, the driving force for the school was the owner of the building, and it is referred to “as a related transaction” by district auditors and only last summer did the schools board actually meet, and then a popular head administrator was fired and the students for a few days demonstrated outside on Commodore Plaza holding multiple signs asking for the principal to be brought back. However, that is not the only trouble facing the school and as of the end of June, the end of the past budget year. The school is “showing anemic conditions having a balance of only $67 in its bank account and current assets to current liabilities ratio of only .42,” states a Jan. 23, 2009 audit document. Further, while the school increased its net assets during the year by $833 to $9,362 and received a grade of B under the state’s performance accountability system. The school had a weak current position at the end of the year end,” wrote district auditors. Management has responded to these observations by “out lining steps to increase enrollment” which they believe will “improve school’s financial position.” Further, the school has a over 20 year contract with the buildings owner and there is little the school district can do since it is a valid lease but also in the building are some retail outlets and the school’s outdoor cafeteria for lunch becomes a Al Fresco restaurant at night, where wine and spirits can be purchased. Further, when school lets out in the afternoon children periodically surge out onto the street filled with traffic and while an off duty cop appears to be helping with situation, parents cars still stop and cause a major traffic jam on the small plaza street. >>> Here is another story on some other charter schools around the state: Charter schools face new scrutiny | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> PAST WDR: JAN 2009: Will new federal $825 billion spending bill that includes $4.3 billion in Medicaid funding save the PHT, only time will tell when institution gives $540 million in charity care
The massive proposed $825 billion federal spending bill that could bring in $4.3 billion in additional Medicaid dollars to the state may be the only good news the health trust has heard in over a decade, given the institution currently gives $540 million in charity care yearly and has been hemorrhaging red ink since 2000. The health trust, a $1.8 billion enterprise has a half-cent countywide sales tax that through the 1990’s kept the hospital system in decent financial shape but as the ranks of the county’s residents medically uninsured swelled, now has over 600,000 and increasing with the down economy. The institution has been fighting for its financial life. Further, that sales tax funding peaked at about $192 million a few years ago but is now falling to $188.7 million in the 2008 budget year and for the first two months of the new budget year is down $2.1 million from budget.
The health trust has a $90 million monthly payroll, 11,500 employees, hundreds of millions in infrastructure needs and is affiliated with the medical schools at the University of Miami and Florida International University. It also carries the burden of over $100 million in unfunded mandates from the county that has the trust paying for medical care in Dade jails, nursing homes for example after the commission in 1999 voted to shift these previous county expenses to the public hospital. Currently, a national search is being done to replace President Marvin O’Quinn who officially left Jan. 1 and he was paid around $800,000 as the top hospital administrator.
What about the search committee?
A PHT search committee will select the new CEO after candidates are screened and short listed by the search firm and both county Mayor Carlos Alvarez and commission Chair Dennis Moss are members on the committee. However, there has been talk about the need to have a “personality” as the head on the belief getting more state and federal funding was a top priority and it is unknown if a hospital system administrator will get the nod or someone with a political background when the final decision is made. The reason the Watchdog Report asks this question is that when former President Ira Clark was being replaced one elected leader suggested perhaps an assistant county manager might make a good candidate but that idea was later scuttled and a professional was selected. O’Quinn during his over five years at the helm through reforms has saved over $300 million since and kept the institution’s lights on but now he is gone. To see the reality of the situation check out the graph below when there will be no cash left to make payroll and community leaders must work together to resolve this financial dilemma.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> While city in hibernation, Mayor Regalado & Commission Chair Sarnoff still working; former Commissioner Gort gets edge, but what of suspended Commissioner Spence-Jones?
With local government in hibernation over the holidays, the Watchdog Report just hung out in front of city hall seeing who was working, whom was stopping in and just generally keeping an eye on things. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado spent most of Wednesday in his office, Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff held meetings an had a few visitors, and newly minted Commissioner Francis Suarez stopped by his office as well while I was there. Commissioner Frank Carollo probable came by as well but I did not see him.
What about the Commission races for Districts 1 and 5?
Both commission district races have nine candidates each in them and it is a winner takes all race with no runoff election. Former Miami Commissioner Wilfredo “Willy” Gort is said to have gotten the support of ex Commissioner Angel Gonzalez, who stepped down after being busted by the state attorney because his daughter had a phantom job he helped her get. With that political support insiders suspect that Gort will prevail, given his past time on the commission that he vacated in 2001 in a failed bid for city mayor and he did not make the races runoff election. Gonzalez replaced him on the Miami commission back then.
However, it is the commission seat held by suspended Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, District 5 that has insiders speculating if she wins. It is not known what the affect of having her local church reverend convicted recently will have with local voters, but a very low turnout is expected given the Jan.12th election date. Willy Gort through Dec. 18 has raised $65,795 for the race and Miguel Gabela has $78,025 for his war chest. And in the other race, suspended commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones has $17,700 in her campaign’s account for the same period and Pufirstson Neree, with the second largest sum coming in at $11,450. >>> Here are the campaign reports for the 18 candidates: http://www.miamigov.com/City_Clerk/Pages/Elections/CampaignReports10.asp
>>> PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Commission to vote on deferring $1.6 million in rent, to inject $800,000 into Jungle Island venture that owes back rent and taxes
Miami Commissioners will vote on a resolution at Thursday’s meeting that will defer $1.6 million in delayed rent payments over the next 48 months, and have to inject $800,000 in General Funds into Parrot Jungle and Gardens of Watson Island to help the organization get the planned refinancing and restructuring of its debt. The attraction partially funded with a $25 million HUD loan has been behind on its payments since its inception and an agreement with Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami and Jungle Island was only signed a few years back when Miami Manager Pete Hernandez took over the post in 2006. Hernandez a former assistant county manager was able to defuse a festering problem with county leaders that had been forced to make the payments to HUD to keep a larger loan with the federal agency current. Further, the attraction is behind in its taxes and resolving that is part of the planned refinance plan and “restructure of debt,” said Hernandez.
The Watchdog Report spoke with Hernandez this morning and he said the city under the signed agreement with the county is responsible “for 80 percent” of the federal loan, and the injection of city funds and the rent deferral was necessary for the attraction to refinance with two banks, HFC and Regions Bank. The manager said the intervention was “not something we liked to do but must do because the alternative was worse” if the project failed since the county and city would still be on the hook for paying back the loan. Further, he noted this was also being done to preserve the “400 jobs” at the location and he felt “it was important for the city to facilitate” and help the organization given the overall economic climate and keeping it a going concern was better that it closing with the county and city still owing the money to HUD and the attendant loss of jobs.
>>> 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.>>> “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
>>> PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Commissioner Diaz discusses U.S. Census data, big challenge comes in 2010, and every resident undercount cost $3,000 a year in 2000
At the Feb. 25 commission meeting a number of discussions took place besides Commissioner Edward Tobin’s request to invite “the county’s IG to come on over and assist the city commission in its ongoing efforts to uncover waste and financial mismanagement at city hall,” states the meeting agenda. Another discussion was on the U.S. Census data for Miami Beach and Commissioner Victor Diaz was the point of the sword pushing this item. The census data and the up-coming 2010 Census will be critical to the Beach and in 2000, every person not counted cost $3,000 in federal funds per year and back then over $200 million a year was missed countywide in the undercount that was short about 75,000 residents. Given the critical financial times leaders on the beach must keep their eye on this upcoming event because it starts and stops in the spring of 2010 and if the municipality does not get an accurate count, it will plague the city for the next decade to come. To watch the meeting and see what was said go to www.miamibeachfl.gov
>>> From Commissioner’s Gongora’s newsletter: Important City Meetings to Attend in January: January 13, 2010- Miami Beach City Commission Meeting; January 19, 2010- Neighborhoods/Community Affairs Committee; January 19, 2010- Finance and Citywide Projects Meeting; and January 23, 2010- Land Use and Development Meeting.
>>> PRESS RELEASE: Meeting Date: Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Meeting time: 8:30 AM, Meeting Location: David’s Café, 1654 Meridian Ave., South Beach
Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower will kick-off the New Year as this week’s guest speaker at the January 5th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. Facing a tough year financially, with reduced property tax values and a possible continued tourism downturn, it is expected that Mayor Bower will discuss the city’s efforts to maintain services without raising taxes, and other matters effecting the community. >>>There is no charge and everyone is welcome to attend. David Kelsey, Moderator for the Breakfast Club. For more information, contact David Kelsey. To be placed on the Breakfast Club’s email list, contact Harry Cherry. Both can be reached at: TuesdayMorningBreakfastClub@Yahoo.com>. To learn more about the Breakfast Club visit our new web site: www.MBTMBC.com (the Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club).
CITY OF CORAL GABLES
>>> PAST WDR: FEB 2009: With clock ticking, Carlos de Cespedes walks his dog at Gables outdoor farmer’s market, heads to federal prison with brother in March
Carlos de Cespedes is taking his last few days out of federal prison enjoying the community’s activities, he was spotted on Saturday at the Coral Gables outdoor farmer’s market walking with his small bulldog, wearing shorts, and a prominent FIU crested polo shirt. He and his brother Jorge were sentenced to around nine years for Medicare fraud and tax evasion but U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz allowed them some time to get their affairs in order before going to prison. The pair founded the medical supply company known as Pharmed that grew into one of the largest Hispanic firms in the nation at its peak. However, during this time of growth, the brothers created a fraudulent scheme that went on for 14-years, and other defendants have been charges and sentenced as well. Both men were known for their philanthropy and more than 180 letters of support came in to the judge asking for leniency but she was not swayed by the community outpouring and gave a “significant” sentence said a U.S. attorney involved in the case. The brothers are to report to federal prison officials in March. This independence is great before turning yourself in, but what if he and his brother go on the run, since there are so many people that have been befriended by the two. >>> Editor’s note: At the federal court’s sentencing hearing is when U. S. District Judge Patricia Seitz said, “Only in South Florida is stopping at a red light or paying all your taxes an aspirational act.” In addition, the two brothers have since entered the federal prison system and are serving an almost nine-year term.
BAL HARBOUR VILLAGE
>>> PAST WDR: MARCH 2009: Councilman Jacobi settles with ethics commission, hit with $4,500 in fines & costs, and letter of reprimand
Bal Harbour Village Councilman Joel Jacobi settled with the Miami-Dade Ethics and Public Trust commission Thursday after a protracted legal battle between the elected leader and the commission advocate. Below is the commission ruling that has Jacobi paying $3,500 in fines, $1,000 in costs and letters of reprimand for the counts. Jacobi has 90-days to pay the fines. Further, his attorney claimed it was all an “accident” but Michael Murawski the advocate said when it came to the council member’s credibility it is “zero” or less. Here is the ethics commission ruling>>> 07-28: The Commission on Ethics imposed a fine of $3,500 and investigative costs of $1,000 against Respondent Joel Jacobi, Bal Harbour Councilmember, for his failure to timely file his financial disclosure forms and for filing forms which were incomplete and/or inaccurate. Additionally, the Commission on Ethics issued a Letter of Reprimand to Respondent Jacobi.
What do we know about Jacobi’s finances?
Jacobi through May 8, 2006 had a net worth of $316,500 and he lists owning $593,000 in household and personal goods. Property in Miami is worth $240,000 and a condominium in Bal Harbour is valued at $150,000 at the time. He has a Hummer H2 worth $40,000, a motorcycle is valued at $8,500, and he has $1,500 in stock of his law firm. He lists liabilities of $165,551 with Countrywide mortgage, there is $14,402 in credit card debt, a car loan is owed $45,188 and a personal loan from M. Jay Jacobi is owed $50,000. His income for the year was $40,000 from Jacobi & Jacobi PA, the Village of Bal Harbour kicked in $1,200, rental income was $7,000 and $9,277 came in from Home Equity Mortgage, state’s his financial disclosure form for the year.
CITY OF WEST MIAMI
>>> PAST WDR: They’re he goes again, Gov. Crist suspends West Miami Mayor Carasa, 33rd removal
Press release: Please see Executive Order 09-268, suspending Cesar Raul Carasa from the public office of mayor of the City of West Miami, Florida. >>> The mayor was popped by the state attorney’s office for racking up tens of thousands in cell phone bills on his city issued phone to a girlfriend overseas and tried to get the administration or the company to pay the bill.
>>> Past WDR: Statement by Governor Charlie Crist Regarding Statewide Grand Jury
Governor Charlie Crist today filed a Second Amended Petition with the Florida Supreme Court for order to impanel a Statewide Grand Jury. This petition provides the requirements stated in the Court’s November 30, 2009, order. “Corruption among local officials across our state erodes the sacred trust the people of Florida have with their elected leaders. Florida’s State Attorneys have done tremendous work to rid our state of corruption, yet the fact that I have suspended Florida’s 33rd public official in less than three years is clear evidence that more can and must be done. I am confident that the review by a Statewide Grand Jury will result in recommendations that will restore the public trust.” Please find attached the Second Amended Petition for Order to Impanel a Statewide Grand Jury filed today by Governor Charlie Crist.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
>>> 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference to be held in West Palm Beach January 7-10, 2010 Elected Officials, Environmental Groups, and Community Leaders to Discuss The Changing Face of Everglades Restoration
WHAT: The Everglades Coalition will host its 25th Annual Conference at the PGA Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. Hosted by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, the conference will bring together leaders, elected officials, community and environmental activists, and the general public to discuss the Changing Face of Everglades Restoration, and develop solutions for the next ten years of the 2000 landmark law, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Conference sessions focus on the state of Florida’s River of Grass Initiative, climate change, diversity in restoration, national restoration initiatives, and ecosystem services programs, among other topics. WHO: The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of 53 local, state, and national conservation, environmental, and civic organizations dedicated to full restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem. Its conference is the largest annual forum for Everglades conservation and restoration, bringing together the Coalition’s membership with its local, state, and federal partners. Members of Congress and the Florida state legislature, and other political figures come to the conference to discuss their positions, pledge their support and present challenges to the community.
Conference speakers confirmed to date: Former U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton Assistant Secretary of the Interior Tom Strickland Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink U.S. Congressman Ron Klein Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy –Speakers invited: Florida Governor Charlie Crist, U.S. Senator George LeMieux, FL, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, FL –WHEN: Conference Dates: Thursday, January 7– Sunday, January 10, 2010 -*Press Conference: January 8, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Note: Press Conference will be preceded from 8:45 – 10:15 a.m. by Plenary Sessions I: 2020 Vision for the Everglades, moderated by John Adornato, National Parks Conservation Association, and will be followed by Plenary Session II: The River of Grass Initiative: An Historic Opportunity for Everyone to Win, moderated by Richard Grosso, Everglades Law Center, from 10:45-12:15 p.m. WHERE: PGA Resort and Spa, 400 Ave of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (800) 633-9150 Website: www.pgaresort.com >>> This year’s conference is located near the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, where our fieldtrip will be held on January 10. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton will address the Coalition, and guided tours will be available to a remnant of the Cypress forest that once stretched south to Miami-Dade; a butterfly garden; and an 80-acre microcosm of the Everglades where restoration techniques are tested. For more information about the Everglades Coalition and the Conference, or to register online, visit: www.evergladescoalition.org. To have a registration form faxed or mailed to you, contact Pat Carr (954) 942-3113 or patriciacarr@evergladescoalition.org For press credentials, materials, and questions, contact Shannon Andrea at 202-454-3371 or sandrea@npca.org.
>>> Two of our very special Women of Tomorrow people, Miami-Dade Coordinator Pam Edwards and Gala Chair Marisa Toccin, are being honored by the Weizmann Institute of Science at the 13th Women of Vision Luncheon, to be held Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Miami Beach Resort & Spa, located at 4833 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach. The Women of Vision Award is a wonderful honor that I am proud to have shared with them way back in 2001. Several of our Mentors are already involved with Weizmann, in particular Dr. Randy Schenkman who is the Executive Committee Chair for the South Florida Region of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. Other Women of Tomorrow Mentors who serve on this year’s luncheon committee include Dr. Shulamit Katzman, Terri Shikany, Millinda Sinnreich, and Eileen Youtie. Also being honored this year are long time WOT supporters Norma Quintero & Stephanie Sayfie-Aagaard. >>> If you would like to support Pam and Marisa as they receive their awards from the Weizmann Institute, you can call or email the Weizmann Institute of Science for event tickets: Debra Herrmann, Development Associate, 954-964-8071, 305-940-7377, or debra@acwis.org. Tickets are $125 and space is limited so please contact Debra as soon as possible. Please see invitation below for more details and information. Best wishes, Jennifer Valoppi
>>> If you read Gerald Posner’s “Miami Babylon” you understand the lop-sided advantage developers and profiteers have over preservationists and environmentalists. You also learn that it was the foresight of a few tenacious developers who saw the commercial potential of Art Deco preservation that rejuvenated Miami Beach. Behind the scenes are the government officials, civil servants of integrity and vision, without whom the system would break down. One of these is the self-effacing Director of Historic Preservation for Miami Beach, William Cary. William after fifteen years out of the spotlight was in the middle of the action to recognize and preserve urban architectural uniqueness. These efforts have paid off in sustainable property values, a walking environment, and a tourist draw – good for residents and for the local economy.>>>A host committee of eighteen preservationists, supported by the Urban Environment League, is sponsoring a dinner to honor William Cary, Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 6PM, at the Bay Room, 9 Island Avenue, Miami Beach. If you wish to attend, the RSVP is by check, $40 per person, made out to Urban Environment League, c/o Nancy Liebman, 9 Island Ave. #408, Miami Beach, FL 33139, by January 9. For info. Telephone (305) 609-4288.
EDITORIAL
>>> Federal and state authorities should keep an eye on Miami two commission district races, city workers cannot campaign on public’s dime
The Watchdog Report received an anonymous letter Saturday signed by “A concerned citizen” and everyone in the world from the FBI’s local field office to a host of media outlets were copied. The writer says there are four problems going on in the Miami commission District 1 race that has former commissioner Wilfredo “Willy” Gort trying to make a political comeback but the letter does not say if he is doing any of this. Gort is facing eight other challengers in the winner take all race Jan. 12. The citizen says, “City employees on city time in city vehicles have been doing work for the upcoming commissioner election.” The writer also claims, “City officials have been promoting candidates while in uniform” that includes “handing out election material and collecting absentee ballots.” An incident is cited where a city employee “was confronted by law enforcement and released because law enforcement claimed they were not aware of election law” (Which is probable true). A final example was “a former aide of a former commissioner was caught handing out election materials while employed by the city on city time.” The writer says some of this has been documented but “no one has spoken up” but believes this must get out if Miami is not to be ruled by “people in the shadows pulling the levers of power in the City of Miami.”
I normally would not have written about this kind of information but during the November election. People were talking about the same kind of activities going on especially with the tens of thousands of absentee ballots being used by Miami voters. This race that has Gort trying to return to the dais needs to get some scrutiny and there is a way to report any irregularities concerning the election to authorities. Further, the commission District 5 race should be watched as well for suspended Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones is now running against eight other candidates and while I have not heard of anything irregular going on with absentee votes or city employees working for candidates in that district. It would not surprise me if election laws were also being pushed to the limit there as well. At the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office, reporting wayward voting activities and use of city personnel for one candidate or another should contact Ulises Martinez, the director of community outreach division at 305.547.0724. And the FBI or U.S. Attorney’s office can also be a public resource to call in information concerning the election and any irregularities that someone might have seen before the race is over, and there are only nine-days left before the two commission district elections.
>>> Leadership transitions on major public boards last year go smoothly, not like some in the past decade
Over the past decade, the Watchdog Report has done its best work with stopping some expenditures of public dollars, asking for a discount or reduction when it comes to contracts saving millions of dollars or killing some spending all together, but what is the value of having an orderly change in a public institution’s leadership? Over the past year, there has been a new chair of the Public Health Trust, John Copeland, III, and new CEO & President Eneida Roldan, M.D., after a national search was done, and no dramatics were involved in the process to replace out going President Marvin O’Quinn. The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade also changed its top board leaders when David Lawrence, Jr., stepped down as head of the oversight board since its creation in 2002 and he was the driving force of the public entity that was made permanent in August 2008 after voters overwhelmingly voted to codify its existence permanently. He was replaced by Maria A. Alonso as the chair of the body that oversees an over $110 million yearly budget.
The school board audit committee had a change of leadership as well. The torch passed for the third time last year to a new member after a decade of one person, Hank Mack chairing the district’s oversight and citizen firewall board but came to an end years ago, but not without pressure that included the Watchdog Report. Since that change, Jeffery Shapiro, Betty Amos and now Fredrick “Buck” Thornburgh have served as the body’s chair that oversees how the nation’s fourth largest public school district spends its money. While these orderly leadership changes may sound mundane, one needs to only remember the controversial and highly charged nature of the retirement of long serving and venerated PHT President Ira Clark, who at the end of his time there, was dealing with a medical issue and he passed last year.
South Florida is not the only place that changes in public institutions governance or CEOs has not come without problems but when you consider the size of the school district, over $5 billion or Jackson Memorial System, almost $2 billion. These are not small enterprises but huge ones that need to be watched diligently by these public boards and the press for the sum of the organizations activities are collectively larger than over a dozen states. Further, it is why I am sometimes hard on people on these volunteer boards for anything one of them does that is controversial or even a perception of it, reflects on the rest of the people serving and become what I call media friendly fire causalities. With the New Year, the Watchdog Report hopes current members on these important watchdog boards and candidates for these boards in the future keep only the highest ethical and performance standards for in the case of the PHT. The 15 member health trust members represent the health interest of 2.4 million Miami-Dade residents and that comes to roughly 160,000 people per trustee are represented on the board by these individuals that are highly screened and are in a high profile public position. Something everyone on these boards should remember during the coming year for the many economic challenges remain and only through transparent and thoughtful leadership in the future can these mine fields be navigated, something demonstrated by many citizens on these boards already. And for that leadership the Watchdog Report salutes each of you and wishes you the best of luck in the coming year dealing with these vexing issues. For the community is looking to you, you have accepted the responsibility and we are all in this together, something that should be remembered by us all in this new year of 2010.
LETTERS
>>>My friend I trust you had a great holiday. I’ve always appreciated and respected your good work. I wish we would have spoken prior to you putting out this report. The “ambush reporting” De Fede did on me is not inclusive of much but his erroneous conclusions…
As you know, I’ve been among the board members at the PHT who have for years been working overtime to ensure this great institution operate efficiently and transparently. I would have preferred to have spoken with you prior to you giving his amateurish and ambush press more play. Irrespective, I’m most interested in speaking with you if it is of interest to you so that you can understand the other side of the coin. The best for a great 2010!
Jorge L. Arrizurieta
Arrizurieta and Assoc. LLC.
>>> Very interesting… and you should look into Miami Shores Village Council… How come Mayor Davis had his company Rampmaster about to get
foreclosed on before the election and then a few months after. He is out of the red… His disclosure forms don’t say that he got a sudden inheritance, or windfall…
>>> Hello watchdog, Happy New Year
Alicia
>>> Best wishes for a happy, healthy, peaceful, prosperous and successful New Year!
Eva
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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.
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>>> 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. The Southern Media Landscape (PDF) Daniel Ricker. Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter. www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald … circulation, 134,269. Dan Hoover leads the. publication’s ..www.unc.edu/~davismt/SouthNow.pdf – 574k – View as html
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