Watchdog Report Vol.12 No.6 June 12, 2011 Est.05.05.00 – I go when you cannot

CONTENTS

Argus Report: U.S. Sen. Rubio says thanks but no thanks when it comes to “Marco Rubio Way” street naming in hometown West Miami

Florida: State Rep. Campbell takes road trip to Miami, son busted for Medicaid fraud; she had net worth of $462,000 through June 2010

Miami-Dade County: Commissioner Bovo settles in, Suarez takes new job for a major spin, but did health benefits influence his run given his debt?

Miami-Dade Public Schools: Marlins donate 50,000 tickets for 15 games over the summer to high achieving students and staff

Public Health Trust: After 25-years of Mt. Sinai doing county employee physicals & tests, Jackson CEO Migoya says they will match $6.3 million bid, after coming in earlier $4 million higher

City of Miami: Mayor Regalado tamps down that Mgr. Crapp is leaving, also says no letter of resignation on Friday, but issue out there

City of Miami Gardens: Local man arrested and charged in armed bank robbery

City of Miami Beach: Beach official’s statement on Benoit cell phone video to the press

City of Coral Gables: Mayor Cason and Anderson on board, but Cabrera contrarian when it comes to refinancing bonds to restructure $52 million in debt

City of South Miami: Vice Mayor Newman contends county Ethics Commission went over board, Ethics Advocate Murawski says “95 percent” of the length of investigation’s time Newman’s fault

>>> Other stories around Florida

Broward County: Commissioner Jacobs says, “ethical tone must be set early” in political career at Good Government lunch in Miami

Palm Beach County: West Palm man sentenced on $1.3 million precious metal investment fraud scheme

St. Lucie County: Former detective and tax preparer convicted of tax fraud

Monroe County: State Rep. Bullard slams Gov. Scott’s cuts to Early Learning in Miami & Monroe

Community Events: Miami-Dade CAA board of directors meeting – UEL Annual Meeting Jun. 15, location change — Elephant Forum features state Sen. Anitere Flores June 27 at Rusty Pelican Restaurant on Virginia Key

Editorials: Note to winner or loser candidates, your campaign signs are now political litter, community asks please take them down! — Past WDR: Miami-Dade in uncharted waters when county elections get such low voter turnout, corrosive to our society and Republic

Letters: Former Mayor Slesnick on his 10-year mayoral celebration party that had “a warm glow hovering over the ballroom” at The Biltmore Wednesday

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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>>> 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. I almost did not write this week because of my financial condition. And while I as so many others are facing tough times. I hope you or your organization will consider helping in a small or larger way and help keep another voice on line and in the media. A convenient form is at the bottom of this week’s Watchdog Report with all the instructions on how to support this newsletter and news service that is celebrating its 12th Anniversary.

>>> CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS: Broward County Mayor Sue Gunzburger’s name was misspelled last week. Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi came to Miami city hall in his capacity as an attorney for the Town of Medley to pick up a copy of the city’s legislation concerning billboards that Medley also was considering instituting, he said by phone last week.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> U.S. Sen. Rubio says thanks but no thanks when it comes to street naming in hometown West Miami

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami (Net worth $8,351 in 08) took a pass last week when it came to the City of West Miami naming a street after him that had to be approved by the Miami-Dade County Commission Tuesday calling it “Marco Rubio Way.” The Watchdog Report last Sunday wrote about the road naming resolution being on the county commission Tuesday agenda but when I informed Rubio about this Monday after he attended the swearing–in of county Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Jr. and Xavier Suarez at the county commission chambers. He seemed more than surprised at first and looked a little concerned as well. On Tuesday, the matter was withdrawn from the commission agenda, which had been sponsored by long time friend, County Commission Rebeca Sosa (Net worth $439,000).

Sosa on Thursday called the Watchdog Report about the matter after I emailed her at her office. Sosa, a former Mayor of West Miami and where Rubio cut his political teeth as a city commissioner before being elected to the state House in 2000 and later became the Florida House Speaker from 2006 to 2008. He would later run for the U.S. Senate seat in 2010 that was vacated by Republican George LeMieux appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist (Net worth $461,000) after Sen. Mel Martinez, R-FL announced he was going to retire from the nation’s most exclusive club in August 2009. Crist was considered the GOB frontrunner and a lock on the spot but Rubio was the Energizer Bunny and out worked Crist and took a more conservative stance and eventually drove the governor out of the party and forced him to run as an independent where he lost the three way race that included U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami being the Democratic Party’s standard bearer.

Sosa said Rubio is a “humble” person and while honored feels he has not done enough since being elected to the Senate in November to have earned this honor and he asked it be withdrawn. The junior senator from Florida is a darling in many Republican’s eyes, has been talked about as a possible vice president candidate in the future but he says no way for now, and he just wants to be a Senator he has told the press in the past. Further, www.miamiherald.com is reporting he will give his ‘maiden speech’ from the Senate floor on Tuesday and is telling supporters he will talk about America being the most exceptional nation in the world’s history and why he ran for office and what are the goals he wishes to accomplish during his six year term. Rubio, who is very accessible and restrained in the trappings of office traveled to the county commissioner swearing in with no security or entourage except his wife, and was in sharp contrast to some local municipal leaders who were driven to the event by a sworn police officer.

What about U.S. District Court Chief Judge Federico A. Moreno?

U. S. District Court Chief Judge Moreno, 58, of the Southern District of Florida gave the oath of office to Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez Monday, after Suarez’s bible for the ceremony was left behind and had to be brought into the county commission chambers by a sergeant-of-arms who was asked to retrieve it. During this down time Moreno had to adlib some dialogue and he did a great job filling in the time, bantering with the audience that looked like they were from the 1980s, and just a little older or larger, except for the women.  President George Bush first appointed Moreno to the federal bench in 1990. Prior to that, he was a former federal public defender and a county and circuit court judge from 1986 to 1990 and he replaced the seat vacated by Judge Alcee Hastings after the U.S. Senate impeached him. Some of his high profile cases have been former Miami city Manager Donald Warshaw in 2000 who was sentenced to one year in prison and had to pay restitution for stealing from a charity run by the Miami police called Do the Right Thing as well as many other cases involving immigration and refugees arriving on the shores of South Dade. He later had lunch with state Circuit Court Judge Robert Scola, Jr. (Net worth $1.02 million) as friends stopped by his table to say hello at the popular Italian eatery on Flagler across from the county courthouse.

How big & busy is the U.S. Southern District of Florida?

South Floridians don’t realize the size of the U.S Southern District of Florida that stretches from Palm Beach, to Fort Meyers and Key West and the district’s U.S. Attorney Wilfredo Ferrer runs one of the top five federal districts around the nation, and when it comes to Medicare or mortgage fraud. If there is a Miami connection most of the time, that federal office takes the lead investigation and prosecution in the case, because they have done so many investigations over the past decade.  That had the previous top federal attorney Alex Acosta responding to my question are we the fraud capital of the nation. That “yes South Florida is the graduate school for fraud.” Further, these scams after these are perfected are actually exported to parts of Florida, Texas, California and New York City where high concentrations of a variety of federal and state fraud occur. And this stealing of tax dollars that should be going to needy people, is a social cancer, but widely accepted and these federal and state programs are exploited in some communities almost beyond the imagination. And here in Miami a couple of years ago the federal attorney’s office in around 13 months busted people for over $1 billion in Medicare fraud to give you an idea of the size of the illicit endeavor.

>>> Zogby Poll Release: Voters Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling: Big Budget Cuts Increase Support 45% Do Not believe it Will Endanger Economy

A bare majority of likely voters does not agree that Congress should raise the debt ceiling, 50% to 42%, and a plurality does not believe such a failure would cause the government to default on its debt and endanger the U.S. economy, a new IBOPE Zogby Interactive survey finds. Including major budget cuts with passage of a raised debt ceiling would make 51% more likely to support it.

The IBOPE Zogby interactive poll was conducted from June 2-6. Please click the link below to view the full news release on our website:
http://www.zogby.com/news/2011/06/07/ibope-zogby-poll-voters-oppose-raising-debt-ceiling-big-budget-cuts-increase-support-/

>>> WDR gets two attributions last week in Miami New Times, and Campbell on his own when it comes to mayoral endorsement of Robaina says paper

The Watchdog Report thanks Miami New Times for the attribution in two stories last week, one for the Carmen Lunetta settlement with Miami-Dade County where he is paying the county $50,000 (Not the $100,000 I reported last week) to read the story go to http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/06/miami-dade_officials_closing_t.php and the other referenced story involves the owner of the Arts & Minds Charter School in Coconut Grove that I have been covering since 2004 and to read that story go to http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/06/manuel_alonso-poch_would-be_ma.php

What about Miami-Dade mayoral candidate Campbell’s endorsement of Robaina?

Rapper Luther Campbell the number four vote getter in the11 candidate county mayoral race last month, and a featured columnist with the Miami New Times that had long time New Times reporter Francisco Alvarez covering the mayoral race and Campbell’s campaign, that originally was thought of being a “lark for the lack of a better word” quipped another of the paper’s reporters a couple of weeks ago on www.wpbt.org/issues . However, the businessman took the campaign seriously and he made a lot of sense to 11 percent of the voters that turned out. However, Campbell also known as “Uncle Luke” created controversy this week when it appeared he would give his support to county mayoral candidate Carlos Gimenez, but later changed his mind when Gimenez would not agree to some issues and the rapper on Thursday announced he was in the camp of Julio Robaina. Stunning Gimenez and his supporters who had thought Campbell was on board with the campaign. The Watchdog Report contacted New Times on Friday and asked for a statement on the endorsement. In an email Alvarado states, “New Times does not officially endorse either of the two candidates and that Campbell chose to do so on his own, according to staff writer Francisco Alvarado.”

>>> Repeat of national Tribune paper profile, a blast from the past of Watchdog’s life back in Jan. 2003, not all that much has changed financially

The Watchdog Report is going down memory lane again, during the past moving process, and here is a national profile and story done by Maya Bell in the Orlando-Sentinel, but ran in all the Tribune papers around the nation on Martin Luther King’s Birthday back in Jan.20, 2003.  After she spent about six weeks, off and on, experiencing the world I was living in back then, and she nicely captured the reality of my life, that in many ways continues to today, which I wish was otherwise after now 12-years.

>>> `I Go When You Cannot’ – January 20, 2003|By Maya Bell – Orlando Sentinel – Miami Bureau Chief

Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. It’s not by choice. Miami’s self-anointed citizen watchdog depends on the people he writes for and about to finance his quixotic quest to attend nearly every government meeting in Miami-Dade County. That’s a lot of mind-numbing meetings — as many as 2,500 a year — but not a lot of income. So Ricker teeters on bankruptcy. He dashes to his post office box daily, hoping subscribers to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. Among them are managers with Florida Power & Light, the utility that regularly cuts power to Ricker’s Coconut Grove home, most recently while he was attending a legislative delegation meeting last month. But what Ricker, once a successful international sales executive, lacks in financial stability, he makes up for in credibility. When he walks into Miami-Dade’s government center, the county manager salutes him. When he runs into Miami’s first Cuban-American congresswoman, she greets him with a kiss. “He knows where the bodies are buried,” said U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami. “He knows the people behind the curtain. He knows the real wizard of Oz.” >>> To read the section’s large front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service yet I do have to live, thank you! 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 numerous times over the past decade.

FLORIDA

>>> State Rep. Campbell takes road trip to Miami, son busted for Medicaid fraud; she had net worth of $462,000 through June 2010

State Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami Shores drew criticism from her party’s peers during the past legislative session for her support requiring doing a ultrasound of a baby before a mother has an abortion and now her son Gregory has been arrested for $299,000 in Medicaid fraud. Campbell, a registered nurse runs Florida Nurses Home Health Agency that provides nurses and other healthcare professionals in patient homes. However, she has had problems with her nursing homes in the past and while the state terminated an old contract with her, she appealed and was able to retain her ability to “bill the state Medicaid program and operate group homes for the disabled,” wrote www.miamiherald.com May 20. Campbell first elected to House District 108 in 2010 serves on a wide variety of House committees and she was making the rounds last week meeting with Miami Commission Richard Dunn II in his office at Miami City Hall.

What do we know about her finances?

Campbell through June 2010 had a net worth of $462,547 and she lists $920.00 in household goods on her financial disclosure form on file with the state. She lists that her clothes are worth $4,200. There is $60,000 in furniture, her home is valued at $288,000, a business property is worth $342,000 and a 60” flat screen television is worth $2,400.  She has mortgages and liabilities with Wachovia owed $84,339, JBG Holdings is owed $30,100. Sunset Ranches wants $18,530 and the Express Equity Lending Group liability is $150,000. Her only income listed for the year was $2,800 monthly from Florida Nurses Home Health. She also owns five plots of land, three in Florida worth $1,000 each, a plot in South Carolina is valued at $29,000 and another in Texas is listed worth $15,000.

>>> Former PHT Zilber one of over a dozen candidates for county judge opening, Citizen Lite when it comes to doing the work

The Watchdog Report almost fell out my chair when I saw former PHT trustee Martin Zilber was one of over a dozen people that had applied to the Eleventh Circuit District Judicial County Judge Nominating Council for a local judge slot open after other judges were elevated. Zilber had tried to be a judge in 2000 but county voters shot that down and he only got 25 percent of the vote.  But it has been his performance on the Public Health Trust that leaves me cold and what he seems to not realize is that when you Google his name now, up pops past Watchdog Report stories on his performance at the PHT. He also a few months ago at a Trust meeting said he was toying with the idea of trying to join the local U.S. Attorney’s office since he had some friends there, but I suspect that went nowhere. And he once again apparently is searching for some public office to hold, even though he is better suited to be on the Coconut Grove Village Council then on the county bench.

>>> Press release: We began our 17-city listening tour for The Children’s Movement yesterday with a wonderful gathering at the United Way building with about three-dozen people from Miami-Dade. It is just the first step of many as we use the summer to write the next and best chapter for building a movement for all of Florida’s children. I left the meeting encouraged about the enthusiasm, the excitement and what’s possible if we all insist on more for the children of Florida. Literally every single person at the meeting had something important to say. We captured those thoughts and will blend them with what we hear over the rest of the summer.. I give you one example, but tell you that so many had so much smart to say. Michael Scher, an active member of The Children’s Movement, said, “The Children’s Movement is standing up for children and saying that they deserve to be our first priority and not an afterthought.” If you’d like to read more, view pictures or watch videos from yesterday’s meeting, you can read the blog post written by regional coordinator John Knight. Your voice is so important. Only together can we begin to change the priorities of our state. Dave Lawrence – P.S.: Many of you are already members. And if you’re not, I’d encourage you to become one. Beyond raising dollars, it’s about building “ownership.” And it can be done at any level. Just click here. We simply cannot achieve our goals for children unless we all “own” part of The Movement..

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Commissioner Bovo settles in, Suarez takes new job for a major spin, but did health benefits add to his desire to run given his debt?

In a stunning contrast of personality differences, Commissioners Esteban Bovo (Net worth $25,898) and Xavier Suarez were sworn into office Monday in the Miami-Dade Commission Chambers, and at their first county commission meeting Tuesday. Suarez when it came to speaking was all over the place while the former state representative listened to the discussion and only spoke at the end of the meeting when the commissioners discussed the upcoming 2012 redistricting process late in the afternoon.

Suarez, 62, was elected to District 7 in late May previously held by county mayoral candidate Carlos Gimenez. The attorney said after being sworn-in Monday morning and speaking for over 17 minutes (even though they were to take around seven minutes). That he had the most affluent district in the county since it stretched alone the Bay, essentially having a value “of $20 billion,” and the district was somewhat “like Texas” and he vowed to protect the “shore line” where high-end homes are found and protecting the environment. He also peppered his inaugural speech with quotes by JFK, MLK and others. And when it came to working with the other 12 commissioners on the dais. He said he was almost congenitally hotwired to do so. Since he was one of 14 siblings and he gave endless shout outs to family, relatives and friends gathered in the audience.

However, Suarez, a Harvard University law school graduate, who friends say is “so smart he lives in the clouds and looks down,” almost seemed insecure in his speech that had him standing but bending down to be close to the microphone at the dais, and while voters are giving him a second political test ride. The voters remember his colorful and rocky reign briefly as Miami mayor in late 1997 that ended suddenly after a local judge nullified the election after massive voter fraud was found. Suarez was never charged, but the frauds ringleader ex Miami Commissioner Humberto Hernandez who hated mayoral candidate Joe Carollo was convicted and he later went to prison and Carollo became mayor.

But this cloud has been over Suarez’s head since, losing two attempts at elected office in 2001 and 2004, and he more recently lost out to U.S. Rep David Rivera, R-Miami (Net worth $301,000 in 09) in 2008 for the Miami-Dade Republican Party chair position, and as County Clerk Harvey Ruvin, 70, (Net worth $$1.38 million), proclaimed, he was “the comeback kid.” Further, while Suarez who was the second plaintiff in the federal redistricting case brought against Miami-Dade back in 1991 after now retired U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami led the legal charge that created the 13 districts from nine back then. Attorneys that worked with Suarez on the case said he started out fine, but he seemed to change as the case dragged on. Further, Suarez seems to have a vindictive streak in him and since he was elected, has emailed people who did not support him some provocative messages and he needs to get over what appears to be old style Miami politics of the 1980s and 90s in this significantly more sophisticated technological world. If he is not to be flagged in the future for some transgression since he should realize he is now under major scrutiny by a wide variety of people, including the ethics commission and IG office along with the media and the Watchdog Report.

Now he has to work with 12 other commissioners and his flair to be professorial may get old with the body that not only plays hardball, given the chambers have the nickname of being “The Arena.” (Though I prefer calling it “The Coliseum,” and since the carpets and chairs are red in color. It makes for faster clean up after a political bloodbath, something that periodically has occurred over the past 15-years). The newly minted commissioner and author also gave a plug for a new book of the magnitude of Alexis “de Tocqueville’s” works that he is working on, but he also said something odd. Suarez said his wife Rita only agreed to letting him be a county commission candidate after he told her he would get medical and dental benefits while in office. He said she constantly reminds him as a schoolteacher she makes “$40,000,” but it almost sounded like he ran for office for these benefits and not the people he represents and that surprised me. Since I assumed a former Miami mayor with an Ivy League law degree would have it made in the shade when it came to a lucrative law practice so I examined his financial disclosure on file with the county, but found otherwise.

What about Suarez’s finances?

The Watchdog Report reviewed Suarez’s financial disclosures on file with the county, he had a net worth of $328,000 through Dec. 31, 2010, and he lists no value on the household goods owned section of the form. His home is valued at $450,000, and three other properties that appear also to be jointly owned by his wife Rita are worth $350,000, $250,000 and $300,000 and there is a $170,000 CD with U.S. Century Bank. His liabilities are mortgages owed $352,000, $240,000, $300,000 and $298,000 and he owes Century Bank $30,000 and American Express and HSBC are owed $6,500 state’s the financial disclosure form he filed. His income for the year was $200,000 from his law practice and he lists “net rental losses (3 properties) ($50,000)” but since it is in brackets, it is unclear why it is listed in the income section of the form and he notes interest from the Century Bank CD but no amount. >>> Editor’s note: Suarez’s disclosure form is not that easy to read, it was written by hand, not typed and when he files again he might consider typing the document or have an attachment. Further, I emailed Suarez last week asking about the debt and the financial disclosure form but there has been no response by my deadline.

What did Chair Joe Martinez say about Suarez’s speech?

Suarez’s speech had “way, way exceeded [the allotted time] and “how big are your paragraphs?” joked Martinez (Net worth $245,000) after the monologue. The commission chair wryly said (after the expansive speech that would have been more appropriate for the next county mayor) that Suarez had morphed “seven minutes that went into 17,” and Bovo earlier told Suarez when he apologized for taking so much time, “you’re on a roll,” and go for it, the other new commissioner said. Martinez after the conclusion and all the good wishes were said however then noted, “The good times end today” and closed his thoughts with “welcome to The Arena,” gentleman.

What about the media?

Suarez on Tuesday essentially assaulted the Watchdog Report (He is my commissioner as well) when he pounded my back fairly hard while trying to give me a hug and when I pulled away and protested the unwanted physical contact. It did dawn on him that it was wrong since he has a bad back himself, but for me I ended up dealing with pain in my back for a couple of days and that is unacceptable and Suarez should realize when it comes to police and the media. These people being touched by politicians and the general public is generally considered unwanted and should be avoided, and in my case Suarez is a new active target of interest now that he is in elected office.

>>> Bovo starts out as thoughtful & gracious & conciliatory commissioner

The Watchdog Report profiled Bovo last week and he indicated after being sworn-in that any animosity that had existed in the past between Miami Lakes’ leaders and recalled Commissioner Natacha Seijas (Net worth $617,000) is over and the residents now have someone to represent them in the county body and is starting out in a positive way in office. He believes when it comes to county government, it “should focus on the big ticket items” such as running the seaport and airport and seemed in favor of more incorporations and annexations regarding the over 1 million people who live in unincorporated Dade. He closed his remarks quoting the first person he voted for in 1980 and it was President Ronald Reagan. Bovo chose the 40^th president’s quip that when it came to getting things accomplished. Anything can be done if people don’t care who gets the credit and this is a refreshing political approach, but the question is can it be achieved when you have 12 others that also weigh-in on issues.

>>> (NEW!) The installation ceremony for the two new Miami-Dade County commissioners elected to the offices of District 7 and District 13 can be viewed on Webcast. > View the Webcast

Bovo

Suarez

>>> When it comes to commission redistricting, head southwest young man now that 197,000 people have to be in each of 13 districts

When it comes to the redistricting of the 13 county commissioners new districts due in January, westward ho will be the headline with the more dense population in the east and in condominiums, districts more compact, but larger in the southwest since the area is predominantly residential. The 2010 Census data state’s there are 2.5 million in Miami-Dade and commission districts will grow from 175,000 to 197,000 people  stated county demographic experts during the end of the Tuesday commission meeting where the upcoming redistricting process was discussed. Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, the commission’s vice chair heads up the new redistricting committee and they have been having meetings on the subject the last few months since the census numbers became available in March. She said they are working with a “rigorous time line with it finished by a January 2012 deadline.” She noted some of the recommendations that will be submitted to the full commission by the committee “will not be reflective of the entire board” and will also involve extensive public hearings on the new district configurations. Edmonson said the last issue is the “selection of the consultant” and there “are now two bids” for the redistricting work that is being considered and it looks like oral presentations will be done on how many seats there should be “as we meet on these important matters” in the future that includes “feedback from the community” and “incorporating their concerns” into the fluid political process, said Edmonson.

Chair Joe Martinez speaking from the Commission pit noted every suggested district drawing that is brought before commissioners is a $52,000 expense, though different permutations could be done at no cost as long as they are not brought before commissioners. He said for example, Commissioner Sally Heyman (Net worth $425,000) “is below” the new number of people “and she has to move west to get 197, 000,” he said. The general discussions also avoided bringing up the idea of having at large commission seats that had Commissioner Bruno Barreiro suggesting having some of the seats broken into “quadrants seats that overlap” commission seats. The commissioners also generally favored keeping the 13-member number versus nine or 11 and the models generated will be done with 13 or 15 commission districts in mind. The commission is budgeting $152,000 for the process and the contract to approve who draws the lines will be in front of the commission on June 21.  And in 2001, it was former county demographer Guillermo Olmedillo, who is also doing the Miami-Dade Public Schools new districts as well. The only county commissioners on the dais back then are Commissioners Dennis Moss (Net worth $342,000), Javier Souto (Net worth $790,000), Martinez and Bruno Barreiro (Net worth $728,000).

Martinez

Edmonson

>>> Women’s Commission upset 1992 gender balance resolution being ignored when it comes to Jackson’s FRB

The Miami-Dade Commission for Women is upset with the gender makeup of Jackson Health Systems Financial Recovery Board, which so far has six male members and is contrary to a 1992 county commission resolution that mandated county boards have gender balance excluding the county commission since they are elected officials.  The commission has fired off a letter to officials on the matter, the seventh member to be selected is the mayor’s choice, and insiders say if mayoral candidate Julio Robaina (Net worth over $8 million) wins. He will go with former PHT trustee Jorge Arrizurieta as his choice on the recovery board. However, the PHT board when it was 21 or 17 members in the past has always had a shortage of women on it and that has been highlighted in past Watchdog Reports over the past 12 years, and given women not only make up the majority of people in Miami-Dade. Women are also well over 50 percent of the county’s 1.2 registered voters. Readers will have to see how this plays out in the future.

>>> Former Dean of the Fl Senate Silver tapped for Arsht Center PACT Board by Heyman

Former state Sen. Ron Silver, D-Aventura was appointed by County Commissioner Sally Heyman Tuesday to serve on the Arsht Center Performing Arts Center Trust board. He was termed out in 2002 and has since served on the PHT board, which he said was the toughest board he had ever been on during his decades of long time public service.

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Marlins donate 50,000 tickets for 15 games over the summer to high achieving students and staff

Press release: The Florida Marlins organization has partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to donate 50,000 game day tickets to be given away to students and staff at as many schools as possible.  The partnership is the result of a meeting between Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho and Florida Marlins president David Samson. Each selected student or staff member will receive four tickets, including one for them and three for guests at one of 15 home games during the summer season, June 20 through August 25. Each of the six District regions will determine which schools in their areas will receive tickets.  Students who have made learning gains, improved their attendance, demonstrated good citizenship, made the honor roll or scored a level 3 or higher on the FCAT will be rewarded with tickets.  In addition, staff members who have made a significant contribution this school year will also receive tickets. The ticket donation was made through the Florida Marlins and Major League Baseball Commissioners Community Initiative, which recognize students and staff. For more information, contact Mark E. Zaher, Director, District/School Operations, at 305-995-2710.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> After 25-years of Mt. Sinai doing county employee physicals, Jackson CEO Migoya says they will match $6.3 million bid, after coming in earlier $4 million higher

A $6.3 million contract for physicals and other health related tests for county employees for 25 years long held by Mt. Sinai Medical Center will be matched by Jackson Health Systems now after the health trust first passed on providing the service a few months ago saying the start up costs would make their offer to provide the services cost more. However, new PHT CEO Carlos Migoya at a County Commission meeting on Tuesday said otherwise. He said they had been working on this issue for the last week and wants to do the service now and the organization has been given six months to get ready to do them at this new discounted price from the current rate he said. Commissioner Barbara Jordan (Net worth $1.97 million) said Jackson needed that time to ramp up, because currently Sinai is giving great service to county employees and she wants the quality to be maintained. She said she was “concerned Jackson might not be ready to go” and that “Mt. Sinai is very efficient” and the reason Jackson gave this a pass in the past she said. Is because “Jackson did not want to do it because of the cost of setting it up,” she told commissioners. Jackson in the past had offered to do the service but there bid came in at $4 million over the Mt. Sinai number and why it was rejected.

Migoya, at the helm of the health trust since May 1 said that is no longer the case and the PHT will have a wide variety of clinics that will be able to provide the “physicals” including at the three hospitals in the health system, as well as at MIA, the Port of Miami and even the Jackson Medical bus can be a site, he told commissioners Tuesday.

JordanCITY OF MIAMI

>>> Mayor Regalado tamps down that Mgr. Crapp is leaving, also says no letter of resignation on Friday

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado (Net worth $5,000) told the Watchdog Report on Friday that Manager Tony Crapp, Jr. will “be in the office on Monday” and there is “no letter of resignation” a rumor that has been swirling and the topic of discussion in the local Miami blogs. Crapp, only in office since January has been under pressure to fire Miami police chief Miguel Esposito after the mayor and Commissioner Richard Dunn II have called for his head after seven police shootings and Crapp brought in former senior FBI Special Agent Paul Phillip to review the police department’s performance and released a report recently that failed to quell the back and forth criticism from either the mayor or the police chief.

Crapp also lost Larry Spring who has been essentially the Miami CFO last week and Friday was his last day, but at Thursday’s commission meeting. Commission vice Chair, Frank Carollo questioned the fiscal stability of the city. Carollo a CPA questioned what the real budget numbers for the current and next year’s anticipated budgets was and how large are the losses, because of either increased service costs or any reductions in revenue. Regalado said the current year’s budget would balance and the administration is working on crafting next year’s starting Oct. 1 but Carollo and other commissioners were skeptical and Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez suggested in the previous year, there was a monthly discussion on the subject and that practice of updating the commission should return he thought.  Further, on Sunday, Chuck Rabin a veteran reporter for www.miamiherald.com wrote a long piece on the issue of revolving door managers of the city and the instability it is bringing and while Regalado says things will work out and city services will continue to be provided. Critics are wondering what the weeks ahead will bring when it comes to who is running the city and watching over the public tax dollars and how these are being spent. Readers should stay tuned and see how this top management issue plays out.

>>> After over a decade of the unknown, CGSC gets contract with Miami, will pay $71,000 in yearly rent

A renewable five year lease with the Coconut Grove Sailing Club was approved by the Miami Commission Thursday unanimously and it was called “historic” because the Club since 2000 had been without a agreement with the city and the fifty plus year organization never knew if the city might evict the not-for-profit club located on city owned waterfront property. The agreement calls for the club to pay the city $71,000 a year in rent or 10 percent of the gross, whichever is larger. And when it came to moving the club in the future based on a Grove waterfront master plan in the years ahead. The agreement stated the city would pay for the relocation, something that is offered to the other sailing clubs along Bayshore Drive, but when Commissioner Frank Carollo balked at this language. The new agreement was then amended after he asked if there was “some way to cap the cost to relocate,” and the commission agreed to add the phrase a “reasonable amount” and not leave it a blank check. The Club has sailing program affiliations with Miami-Dade Public Schools, Grove schools, the University of Miami, $10,000 in scholarships for kids sailing lessons and the Coconut Grove Village Council meets there and these activities fulfill the city’s requirement regarding public benefit and access after the club created a low cost social membership program for Miami residents back in 2004. For more information go to www.cgsc.org

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott today announced the appointments of Bernard “Barney” Smith and Jose “Joe” Sanchez to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

Smith, 44, of Jacksonville, is a vice president of Property Support Systems LLC. He succeeds William M. Lenihan and is appointed for a term beginning June 8, 2011, and ending November 13, 2014.

Sanchez, 46, of Miami, is a State Trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol and former City Commissioner of Miami. He succeeds Michael J. McLean and is appointed for a term beginning June 8, 2011, and ending November 13, 2014.

CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS

>>> Local man arrested and charged in armed bank robbery

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and William J. Maddalena, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced that Ismael Cruz, 32, of Miami Gardens, was arrested without incident yesterday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with an armed bank robbery. On June 10, 2011, Cruz was charged in a criminal complaint with armed bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and 2113(d).  Cruz made his initial appearance in court this afternoon before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen T. Brown.  A pre-trial detention hearing has been scheduled for June 15, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea M. Simonton.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the robbery occurred on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, at a Wachovia branch on NW 186th Street in Hialeah.  Cruz allegedly entered the bank and told bank employees that he was present for a job interview.  After being escorted to an office, Cruz handed to a bank employee a document that he claimed was his “résumé.”  In fact, the document contained handwriting demanding $50,000, informing the bank employee that Cruz had a gun inside his backpack which he was pointing at the bank employee, and claiming that Cruz was working with others inside the bank who had guns. According to the affidavit, the bank employee was later presented with a photo array, from which she identified Cruz as the robber.  Another person familiar with Cruz identified Cruz as the robber after examining bank surveillance materials.  Cruz was then arrested. A complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until 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.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Beach officials statement on Benoit cell phone video to the press

Press release: The Miami Beach Police Department continues to work with the State Attorney’s office as we investigate the shooting that occurred this past Memorial Day. In the course of the investigation, we received reports alleging that police officers confiscated a phone from a civilian bystander in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Video shot from that phone has been sold to a news outlet, and the individual that took the video (Narces Benoit) has provided statements to the media that allege that officers damaged his private property. As can be noted in the video, Mr. Benoit had exited his vehicle and approached the incident scene and was observed quickly walking toward his vehicle immediately after the shooting. Because Mr. Benoit matched the description of one of the subjects just reported fleeing the scene and, further, because he ignored repeated commands as he quickly walked towards and entered his vehicle, he was detained by officers.

During the course of the investigation, Mr. Benoit was brought to the station as a witness to the incident. In a recorded statement, the investigating detective informed Mr. Benoit that his cell phone was being seized as investigative evidence and would be returned to him at a later date. Mr. Benoit signed and was provided with a copy of the Miami Beach Property Receipt (copy attached). Any and all video of the incident is crucial to the investigation, and it is not unusual for police to secure any video that may have evidentiary value. Several other phones were also secured during the course of the investigation. Contrary to Mr. Benoit’s statements to the media, the cell phone turned over to the Miami Beach Police Department is in working order; the only damage observed to the cell phone is to the lower right portion of the LCD screen and it is unknown when this damage occurred. This damage does not appear consistent with Mr. Benoit’s statements to the media that his phone was “smashed.” Please refer to attached photos of the front and rear of the phone.  Additionally, investigators were not aware – nor did Mr. Benoit ever indicate – that he had removed the SIM card from his phone prior to surrendering it to investigators. This video was subsequently provided to the department only after a subpoena was obtained and issued.

Needless-to-say, there are heightened tensions following any shooting incident. As is evident in Mr. Benoit’s video, in the minutes immediately following the incident police officers can be observed working to secure the scene and identify potential witnesses, and – more importantly – any possible, additional suspects.

Notwithstanding, the City of Miami Beach Police Department takes seriously any allegations of police misconduct and urges anyone to report any concerns to the Department’s Internal Affairs Division (305.673.7920).

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Mayor Cason and Anderson on board, but Cabrera contrarian when it comes to refinancing bonds to restructure $52 million in debt

The Watchdog Report contacted the mayor and commissioners on their thoughts of floating a new bond issuance of $52 million in debt with $22 million going for new capital projects and Mayor Jim Cason and Commissioners Maria Anderson and Ralph Cabrera, Jr., responded back by my deadline. Cason wrote, “The City of Coral Gables recently approved the issuance of $52 million of debt to refinance/restructure existing obligations and fund $22 million of capital projects.  The issuance will result in no increase to the City’s current annual debt service payment, while at the same time decrease the City’s exposure to variable interest rates.  The City is moving forward at this time due to favorable market conditions that will allow the City to lock in a 3.50% fixed interest rate for 10 years on the new money financing, eliminate exposure to outside financial institutions that experienced recent financial turmoil, as well as take advantage of the favorable construction market to complete needed capital projects throughout the City,” closed the mayor.

Anderson had a similar theme in her response: “Some people say it is debt, but in my eyes this is an investment and a win-win for city residents.  The restructuring of old debt and borrowing of new monies reduces our variable rate debt exposure to less than 10% (currently at 55%) and reduces the annual debt payment from current levels. It is not going to raise taxes as some naysayers predict,  It will allow us to complete some major infrastructure projects like repaving of residential streets, planting of new trees, fixing up of our historic structures, creation of civic places, a new senior activity center, the expansion of bike paths, to name just a few.  Taking advantage of not only lower interest rates, we also benefit from more competitive construction prices.  The City Beautiful will be even more so in the next few years,” wrote the veteran commissioner elected in 2001.

Cabrera finds he is the contrarian in the bond debate and challenges Mgr. Salerno’s mgt. style & project choices

However, Cabrera had a different take on the bond and wrote back, “On 6/7/2011, the Coral Gables city commission approved city manager Pat Salerno’s Neighborhood Renaissance Program (NRP) and authorized him to borrow over $22 million to pay for it.  Less than 30% of NRP funds are allocated to repave streets and repair existing infrastructure.  The list of city-owned property that is in serious need of repair goes far beyond that which is included in the NRP.  One prominent example is the Biltmore Hotel. About 50% of NRP funds are allocated as follows: 1. One million dollars for acquisition of two new “civic monuments”. 2. Four million dollars to acquire and develop a public site on Miracle Mile as a “Lovers’ Court”. 3. At least four million dollars to convert Ponce Circle Park into the city’s public “Living Room”. 4. One point seven million dollars for landscaping and new trees.

I could not support borrowing money to pay for the projects listed above as the economy continues to struggle and the city has yet to demonstrate a long-term commitment to the ongoing, timely maintenance of that which it already owns.

It is very expensive to properly maintain an historic city, and Coral Gables has a long history of failing to do so.  The city-owned Country Club was allowed to deteriorate for thirty years until the cost to renovate it became astronomical.  The Merrick House was saved by donated money, labor, and professional expertise — not the government.  Earlier this year, the ceiling in the city manager’s office partially collapsed. If the projects listed above had been eliminated, the city could have saved about $500,000 per year in interest expense related to the NRP.  Every dollar that is spent on interest is a dollar that is not available to be spent on maintenance.

In closing, I will point out two elements of the NRP-related process that I found very troubling.  The city manager worked on his NRP for one year before he presented it to the city commission.  During that year he chose not to tell city staff, the city commission, city boards and committees, or anyone else about his “vision” for the city.  By working in complete secrecy, he broke an important, longstanding Coral Gables tradition of seeking and embracing input from residents in the formulation of major projects that have citywide implications.  Then, in the NRP proposal, he launched a pre-emptive, personal attack on anyone who might dare to criticize or oppose his NRP by characterizing them as “naysayers”, “short-term thinkers”, and “vision killers”.  His message was clear:  “Do not get in my way!”  The use of such tactics was inappropriate, alienating, and offensive.  It has no place in Coral Gables, and I am very concerned that it does not bode well for the future of our city. Going forward, it will be up to the city commission–not the manager– to establish priorities for the NRP money.  I remain optimistic that the city commission will be pragmatic rather than fanciful in its use of the NRP funds,” wrote Commissioner Ralph Cabrera.

CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI

>>> Vice Mayor Newman contends county Ethics Commission went over board, Ethics advocate Murawski says “95 percent” of the length of investigation’s time Newman’s fault

The Watchdog Report contacted the ethics commission advocate on why a investigation of South Miami vice Mayor Valerie Newman took almost two years and I sat down with the ethics commission Advocate Michael Murawski last Tuesday and he said “95 percent” of the delay was the fault of “Newman and her using two attorneys” in the course of the investigation. He said the second attorney did extensive discovery and there were also legislation changes at the city. He said the letter from the commission was sent to Newman’s attorney in May. Here is the complete closeout memo on the investigation and Letter of Instruction that has Newman challenging the matter claiming she was the one that was abused by the ethics commission investigators and commission and she will try to seek reimbursement for legal costs that were paid by the city she told www.miamiherald.com

>>> Here is the investigation and LETTER OF INSTRUCTION To Commissioner Valerie Newman, City of South Miami from the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust re the compliant  Ethics Complaint C09-011 dated May 2011.

On June 11, 2009, Ajibola Balogun, then Manager of the City of South Miami, filed the instant complaint against Commissioner Valerie Newman alleging multiple violation of the South Miami Code of Conduct. On October 26, 2009, the Ethics Commission entered a finding of probable cause after holding a hearing.

Thereafter, the discovery process began, which included the taking of numerous depositions.  As discovery progressed it became evident that there was insufficient evidence to proceed on the majority of the counts.  Further, the South Miami Code of Conduct provided that only the City of South Miami Commission could assess a penalty (reprimand or censure) against Commissioner Newman. It was determined that proceeding further would not be a prudent use of COE resources and as such, would not serve the public interest.

Accordingly, as of April 28, 2011, all counts pending against Commissioner Newman, as part of the instant complaint, were dismissed with prejudice and this Letter of Instruction was ordered to be issued. The history of this case is rather long and involved. The salient facts are as follows: The South Miami Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct) was passed on June 12, 2007, City of South Miami Ordinance No. 21-07-1922. Valerie Newman was elected Commissioner of the City of South Miami on January 13, 2009. The probable cause memorandum charged Commissioner Newman with the following counts: That she violated section (f)(2) of the Code of Conduct on January 30, 2009, when she allegedly threatened AT &T with going to the Miami Herald in order to get them to take action regarding a communications box. That she violated section (l)(5) of the Code of Conduct on February 10, 2009, when she allegedly directed Manager Balogun to issue a permit for AT & T to move the communications box. That she violated section (l)(5) of the Code of Conduct on February 11, 2009, when she sent an e-mail stating that it would be insubordinate for a City employee and the Manager not to issue the permit.

That she violated section (l) (6) of the Code of Conduct on February 17, 2009, when she made an unannounced appearance at a police “roll call” when the meeting was not requested by staff. That she violated section (l)(2)(E) of the Code of Conduct on February 17, 2009, when, while attending the “roll call,” she asked officers numerous questions without requesting the meeting through the Manager. That she violated section (l)(2)(D) of the Code of Conduct on February 10 or 11, 2009, when she allegedly requested several documents from the then Human Resources Director and demanded to have them the same day. That she violated section (l)(3) of the Code of Conduct on February 10 or 11, 2009, when she allegedly called the Human Resources Director demanding the documents and disrupting the staffer while she was performing her job functions, in order to have her individual needs met. That she violated section (1)(2)(E) of the Code of Conduct on February 16, 2009, when she allegedly called a City staffer about meeting with her without going through the Manager. That she violated section (l)(5) of the Code of Conduct on May 1, 2009, when she allegedly blamed a City staffer for an error and insisted someone be held responsible and terminated, thus becoming involved in administrative functions. That she violated section (f)(2) of the Code of Conduct on May 1, 2009, when she allegedly threatened the Manager with evaluating him if he did not terminate the employee, thus using threatening and intimidating language. During the discovery process, it became evident that the credibility of many of the witness had become compromised. It was also determined that many of the sections of the Code of Conduct were vague, unclear and potentially at odds with the City’s Charter. On June 10, 2010, pursuant to City of South Miami Ordinance No. 15-10-2040, the Code of Conduct was repealed and therefore, is no longer in effect.

>>> WHEREFORE, the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust hereby issues this Letter of Instruction: Even though the discovery process left the Advocate with no choice but to dismiss the instant complaint, the COE believes that a Letter of Instruction should be issued which focuses on the aspirational goals of the Code of Conduct and serves to emphasize that extraordinary caution should be exercised by elected officials in the way they act when representing the government entity of which they are a part; whether it be with employees of that entity or members of the general public.  While the now repealed Code of Conduct may have been impractical to enforce, the spirit of civility and respect it sought to foster remains a worthwhile model of behavior.

Commissioner Newman was accused of threatening AT & T with negative publicity if they did not go along with her wishes.  She was accused of ordering the Manager and high-level employees to do certain things although doing so was outside of her scope of powers.  She was further accused of demanding to be treated differently than the general public.  In short, Commissioner Newman was accused of bullying people inside and outside of City government in order to complete her personal agenda.  Commissioner Newman must keep in mind that often actions, which may themselves be legal and ethical, are subject to misinterpretation when performed in an aggressive and threatening manner. Rude, boorish and tyrannical behavior by elected officials, while perhaps not actionable under an ethics code, is inexcusable nevertheless.

Commissioner Newman has maintained that she was simply trying to do her job in helping the City of South Miami and its constituents and that the Code of Conduct hindered her ability to do so efficiently.  This is a poor excuse. In our opinion, ethical behavior is not simply the doing of what is right but doing it the right way.  In the realm of public governance, that generally means doing what is in the best interests of the citizenry in a civilized and professional manner — this should be a simple task.  It would not be unreasonable, in our opinion, for the ordinary person learning of Commissioner Newman’s antics, to conclude that she behaved in an “unethical” and unprofessional manner. Elected officials need to comport themselves with civility. It is unacceptable, in our opinion, for an elected official to behave in an elitist manner and to treat the citizens they represent discourteously. There should not have to be a Code of Conduct that spells that out for elected officials and the mere fact that such a Code of Conduct does not exist, should not imply to anyone that such reprehensible behavior will be tolerated. We hope this Letter of Instruction impresses upon Commissioner Newman and all elected officials that they must be mindful that their behavior be at all times proper, honest, respectful and professional whether it is “legally” or “ethically” required by a particular Code of Conduct or otherwise.  Commissioner Newman should take this Letter of Instruction to heart and govern herself accordingly.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Commissioner Jacobs says, “Ethical tone must be set early” in political career at Good Government lunch in Miami

Broward Commissioner Kristin Jacobs took a road trip Wednesday to be on a Good Government Panel in Miami organized by former Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson and she is one of the few county commissioners that I have never had a problem with in the state’s second largest county. Jacobs recently got some ink for comments Tuesday about Lauderdale Lakes when there leaders asked county commissioners to bail them out of their $9 million in red ink owed to the Broward Sheriff’s department which she indicated was not going to happen calling the city’s plan ‘childlike and infantile,’ www.sun-sentinel.com and had a hard time accepting that ‘everyone was fooled by one women?’ she asked skeptically. However, her colleague Commissioner Stacey Ritter (Net worth $329,000) took a more gentle tact saying she had ‘pity and sympathy’ in her heart rather than ‘wrath’ and asked if Broward did not help. Who would want to ‘run an insolvent city?’ she questioned.

However, Jacobs has consistently been a straight shooter from the dais since being elected to District 2 in 1998 and she did a great job when she was mayor in the mid 2000s and multiple hurricanes hit the region on her watch and she was the public face residents saw after the wind and rain event. And when it comes to good government, she is quoted at the luncheon panel saying, “Commissioner Jacobs asserted that it is important for candidates to set an ethical tone early in their careers.  ‘An important element is the way you conduct yourself in running for office.’” And the Watchdog Report agrees with her comments because when it comes to good governance, transparency and being ethical. You cannot be a little bit pregnant and she is right about the early in their political career aspect, because once this line is crossed, it seems too many politicians from then on for it to be an after thought, until they are arrested, as have some dozen leaders in Broward over the past two years. For  more on Jacobs go to: http://www.broward.org/Commission/District2/Pages/Default.aspx

Jacobs

Ritter

>>> Press release: Good Government Initiative’s Community Conversation Series Continues

The Good Government Initiative held another in its series of Community Conversations on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at Northern Trust Bank, which sponsored the event.  The program was entitled “Does Money in Politics Corrupt Absolutely?”  The panel, moderated by Kendall Coffey of Coffey Burlington, was made up of Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, attorney Miguel De Grandy, Fred Grimm of The Miami Herald, and Gihan Perera of the Miami Workers Center and Florida New Majority. The panel discussed campaign issues, the interaction between contributions and influence, and the roles of the media and citizens in monitoring elected officials and insisting on good government.  All of the panelists agreed that there is a pervasive cynicism of the electorate.

De Grandy argued that the influence of money is exacerbated when more citizens do not participate in the electoral process.  “If you have an election where fewer than 20 percent of people registered turn out, then money becomes more important,” he said.  He went on to explain that money is not the only factor in corruption, however. “There are a lot of people who can be bought for some amount of money.  But there are some people who can’t be bought for any amount of money.  It’s not an issue of money; it’s an issue of personal integrity.”

Commissioner Jacobs asserted that it is important for candidates to set an ethical tone early in their careers.  “An important element is the way you conduct yourself in running for office.” Katy Sorenson, President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative, called it a productive discussion. “I was happy to see our panel, representing elected officials, grass roots organizations, the media, and lobbyists taking this issue seriously.  And when a room full of citizens will come out to participate in a conversation about how we can make our government better, it makes me feel optimistic,” Sorenson said. >>> For more information call the Good Government Initiative at 305-689-8211, or visit the website.

>>> Thank you for using the Broward County Commission Agenda E-mail Notification System. A new Broward County Commission Agenda is available. Point your browser to http://www.broward.org/commission/welcome.htm to view the new agenda.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> Press release: West Palm man sentenced on $1.3 million precious metal investment fraud scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, William J. Maddalena, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Amos Rojas, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Miami Field Office, J. Thomas Cardwell, Commissioner, State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, and Edward M. Morley, Chief, Stuart Police Department, announced Tuesday’s sentencing of defendant Richard Engel, 38, of West Palm Beach, FL on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his participation in a $1.3 million fraud involving the precious metals market.  U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced Engel to 51 months in prison. According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case, Engel acted as a broker who was purchasing precious metals, such as gold, silver, and palladium, on behalf of private investors. Though false representations as to material facts in the solicitation of funds, Engel helped secure nearly $1.3 million in funds from the victim investors.  The victims were made to believe that their money was being invested in the precious metal market.  In fact, however, Engel and his co-defendants actually used the funds for their personal benefit…  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.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

>>> Former detective and tax preparer convicted of tax fraud

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John A. DiCicco, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Rhonda A. Diffenbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced the conviction of defendant Inuka Rhaheed, owner of First Premium Financial Services and a former detective with the Ft. Pierce Police Department, and Wilens Bertrand, a tax preparer at First Premium, on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.  The jury also found Rhaheed guilty of two counts, and Bertrand guilty of one count, of preparing false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2). Rhaheed’ wife and business partner, Jacqueline Rhaheed, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States on June 2, 2011.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Inuka and Jacqueline Rhaheed owned and worked at First Premium Financial Services, a tax preparation business with offices in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.  Wilens Bertrand worked at the Ft. Pierce office of First Premium Financial Services as a tax preparer. According to the testimony of some of First Premium’s clients, the defendants placed false deductions on client tax returns without the clients’ knowledge or consent.  In addition, evidence revealed that First Premium prepared and filed approximately 5,500 tax returns for the 2006-2008 tax years and that approximately 98% of those returns made a claim for a tax refund.  The resulting total tax loss to the United States, based on expert testimony at trial, was at least half a million dollars. According to evidence presented during the trial, clients paid a minimum fee of $300 for tax preparation services at First Premium.  Clients included many law enforcement officers, who went to First Premium because they knew Rhaheed was a former law enforcement officer and trusted him and his business to prepare their taxes.  In addition, other clients testified that they went to First Premium because of they had heard through word of mouth that First Premium allowed deductions that other tax preparation services would not consider…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.

MONROE COUNTY

>>> Press release: Statement from Representative Bullard Regarding Cuts to Early Learning in Miami

Governor Rick Scott has clearly shown jobs and education are not among the top priorities of his administration.  Following a $13 million cut to the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs, one can logically deduce that families and kids are also not priorities of the Governor. Due to severe budget cuts passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is now forced to disenroll between 4,500 and 5,000 children from the School Readiness program.  Parents with children remaining in the program now face substantial fee increases due to the budget cut.

“I am outraged by the failed policies of Governor Scott and the Republican-controlled legislature, said Representative Dwight Bullard (D-Miami).”  “In these tough economic times, we need to invest in families, not throw children out into the streets. School Readiness and VPK are vital to the future success of our State.” “Raising tuition for college students, cutting public education by $13.5 billion, slashing the salaries of public employees by $1 billion, reducing Medicaid payments to hospitals, HMO’s and nursing homes, and reducing unemployment benefits does not say we are putting families first.” “If jobs, education, families, and kids are not priorities of Governor Scott’s administration, what are his priorities?”

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Press release: The members of the Miami-Dade Community Action Agency (CAA) Board of Directors will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at the Overtown Transit Village, 1st Floor Training Room located at 701 NW 1st Court, in Miami, in the Historic Overtown community.

Originally, created in 1968 as a result of Federal Equal Opportunity legislation, the CAA Board of Directors became an official Board of the County pursuant to Ordinance 09-31.  Under the Ordinance, the Board will continue to provide oversight over all programs and services provided by CAA to assist Miami-Dade County’s poor.  These services range from providing child development services through a nationally recognized Head Start Program that serves over 6,700 children and their families; to services ranging from youth and family intervention; self sufficiency; housing assistance; emergency food and shelter; weatherization and energy conservation programs. The forty-five member, tripartite board is mandated by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) guidelines.  It is made up of representatives from sixteen Community Advisory Committees (CAC) in addition to representatives for each of the County Commissioners, a representative of Miami-Dade County’s Mayor and other stakeholders.  These meetings are open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend. Who: Miami-Dade Community Action Agency (CAA) What: Board of Directors Meeting When: Monday, June, 13, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. Where: 701 Northwest 1st Court, First Floor Training Room Miami -Why: To discuss local poverty issues and Community Action Agency Programs.

>>> Sixth Annual Orchids & Onions Award Presentation recognizes Miami’s environmental movers & shakers. >>> On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, the Urban Environment League will host its sixth annual Orchids & Onions Award Presentation. This event has been widely acclaimed at recognizing individuals in the community who have been instrumental in initiating projects and campaigns which enhance Miami-Dade’s natural and built environment. The awards, which are given out as orchids, will recognize such individuals as Gary Milano of DERM and Harry Horgan of Shake a Leg, both who have made tremendous progress towards environmental restoration in South Florida. Other orchid recipients include transit blogger Tony Garcia, who co-founded Transit Miami, a website that has significantly elevated the discussion of transportation and alternative transit in South Florida, as well as the recently formed Scenic Miami coalition lead by Barbara Bisno & Dusty Melton, who have been instrumental in fighting the advertising and mural billboards propping up all over Miami.

Along with the many orchids that will be given out throughout the evening by UEL’s board members and elected officials, a batch of onions will also be presented to individuals who have seriously affected the environment through backwards legislation and/or destructive projects in Miami. These onions include Governor Rick Scott and his recent undoing of Florida’s Growth Management Laws and media developer Mark Siffin for his proposed LED media tower in downtown Miami. The award presentation will take place at the recently opened downtown venue space, Villa 221 from 6-9pm. >> Who: The Urban Environment League of Greater Miami

What: 6th Annual Orchids & Onions Award Presentation & Annual Meeting

Where: Villa 221. 221 NE 17th St. Miami, FL 33132 | When: Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 6:00-9:00pm.

>>> Elephant Forum Jun. 27 features Republican state Sen. Flores

The Elephant Forum Monday June 27^th luncheon is featuring state Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami (net worth $163,000) as the organization’s key note speaker. Flores was elected to the state senate in 2010 after serving a number of years in the Florida House. She is an attorney and works for FIU. For more information or to make reservations contact Mary Ellen Miller at memil@comcast.net or 305.377.9187.

EDITORIALS

>>> Note to winner or loser candidates, your campaign signs are now political litter, community asks please take them down!

Note to candidates that ran in the May election, will you please take down your campaign signs for after a month of the election you are in violation of laws and can even be fined for not taking them down. Miami-Dade is peppered with campaign signs of the nine losing candidates for mayor, some state representative races and county commission races. Newly elected Commissioner Xavier Suarez did a great job removing his campaign signs that graced Pan American Way leading up to Miami City Hall in his race for county commission District 7 but other candidate’s campaign poster’s still litter the landscape.

Once the election is over these campaign posters become eye pollution as Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff (Net worth $2.17 million) once called billboards and advertisement banners on buildings and these are just smaller versions of this visual blight. The Watchdog Report is all for political posters and campaign material before these elections, but once voters have decided. The losing and winning candidates have an obligation to pick up this material, for not only does it remind voters who won and who lost. It tells them what the elected leader thinks of the community they wish to serve, and when the material litters the landscape afterwards, that is a good thing in the eyes of voters.

>>> PAST WDR:  Miami-Dade in uncharted waters when county elections get such low voter turnout, corrosive to our society and Republic

Is it voter apathy or elected leaders hypocrisy in office that keeps people from voting because they just have seen to much and in today’s world almost no boundary has not been crossed by public officials, either elected or civil servants and since it never changes why bother to vote at all. I write about this because of the last two Miami-Dade elections, the one on March 15 that recalled county Mayor Carlos Alvarez (Net worth $1.74 million) and Commissioner Natacha Seijas (Net worth $617,000) where just 18 percent of the county’s 1.2 million registered voters turned out, and then this past Tuesday where only 15.9 percent of the county electorate showed up to express their will at the ballot box, even though it involved 11 mayoral candidates and some other races. The next election is the June 28 mayoral runoff race between former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and former county Commissioner Carlos Gimenez and turnout is expected to be even less with summer vacation in full swing and Independence Day just around the corner so only a small fraction of voters are expected to make the effort to vote.

This apathy is more than corrosive to the Republic and Democracy, it is dangerous and substantial political decisions are being made in a county that has a strong mayor form of government and a $7.3 billion budget, after voters shot down rescinding these powers from the mayor on Tuesday, that if approved would have strengthen the county commission like before the 2007 vote, that changed the county charter, and voters subsequently eliminated the county manager’s office effective in 2012. As a community, we are in political uncharted waters and the county’s voters need to wake-up from their hibernation and participate in the upcoming election for there is too much at stake across the board, the challenges ahead are large and financially difficult and a leader supported by a larger segment of the community is needed and only if voters turnout can that happen. As the Watchdog Report has written before, now what? You did not run yourself, will you at least vote?

LETTERS

>>> Former Mayor Slesnick on celebration party that had “a warm glow hovering over the ballroom” at The Biltmore Wednesday

I was truly humbled by the outpouring of affection and support.  We had almost 350 persons in attendance and raised over $50,000 for cultural institutions in Coral Gables.  My “roasting” by Commissioners Ralph Cabrera, Chip Withers and Bill Kerdyk was good-humored fun and had the packed-house heartedly laughing.  My sincere “thanks” are extending to all who participated, sponsored and otherwise supported the effort.  It was truly a community event with a warm glow hovering over the ballroom.

Don Slesnick, II

Former Mayor of Coral Gables

>>> Reader on the Watchdog Report

Keep up the good work on covering the political scene, and covering it without prejudice.  We need writers like you to keep the world straight.

JS

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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.

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, 2011, 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 >>> >>> To read the full section large two page front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>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-“First Friday” WPBT TV (Miami) TV Show  –Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Column –Daniel Ricker Miami Herald/Watchdog Report Newsletter – http:///www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/dan_ricker/

>>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download all the data used in this study. >>> Watchdog Report Editor’s note to the NCU/CH study: The subscriber number referenced is incorrect and applies to readership.

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

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