Watchdog Report Vol.12 No.40 Febuary 5, 2012 Est.05.05.00 – I go when you cannot

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center for International Media http://knight.miami.edu within the University of Miami’s School of Communication www.miami.edu to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no ads, pops-up quickly and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

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ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> President Obama & U.S. Travel Association CEO Dow says, “As travel industry goes, so goes Miami”

“As the travel industry goes, so goes Miami,” said Roger J. Dow after giving a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon crowd a pumped up message of the importance of tourism in America on Wednesday at Jungle Island. Dow, a Vietnam War U.S. Army Airborne Ranger began his life in the hospitality industry as a lifeguard and he has only gone-up the management food chain at Marriott Hotels since then, before taking on this new assignment as president of the U. S. Travel Association www.ustravel.org . He said tourism touches every facet of life in the nation and here in Florida, it is the state’s lifeblood and its number one industry.

Dow noted President Barack Obama on Jan.19 in Orlando at Disney World announced new legislation called the Travel Promotion Act and it sets up a new non-profit organization called Brand USA to “pitch America as a travel destination for the rest of the world to come visit,” said Obama. The president noted “tens of millions of tourists from all over the world come to visit America” and when it comes to the economic impact for the nation. Obama said “60 million international visitors helped the tourist industry generate over $134 billion” and the industry “is the number-one service we export,” said the president. Obama also announced the Global Entry Program, that if you clear the extensive federal background check, allows frequent travelers after a passport and finger print scan is completed. “You’re on your way,” said Obama. He also noted that currently 36 countries citizens from around the world can visit America without tourist visas and that accounts for why 60 percent of the travelers coming to the U.S. “don’t require a visa,” he said.

Both Obama and Dow talked about the importance of having the visa process operate at a faster pace and the President directed the Department of State to increase by 40 percent this year the visa processing capacity in China and Brazil, and this “is a huge population that loves to come to Florida,” said Obama. Dow in his speech talked about the 12.6 million tourists that came to Miami-Dade in 2010 and has made it one of the most popular sites around the globe and he gave shout outs to Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO William Talbert, III and Jose Abreu the Miami-Dade aviation director at MIA for a job well done. (Note local tourist’s taxes from Oct. 2010 to Aug. 2011 rose to $137.7 million, a 13.9 percent increase from the previous year.)

However, Dow did have some tough comments about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He believes roughly, “41 million trips were cancelled last year” because of the hassle at the airport and getting visas, if that was required. He noted around the globe the industry represented $2.5 trillion and suggested the lost 78 million visits represent roughly “$678 billion,” he estimated on a global basis. He said the length of time tourists stay here is roughly 17-days and in the case of Brazil. Tourists spend roughly $5,000 per trip to the U.S., the tourist maven said. He also believes that with Brazil getting U.S. visas faster (that currently is processing 2,200 visas a day). The nation should see an “extra 500,000 tourists,” from the Portuguese speaking country alone. Dow said the new global travel promotional effort will have $200 million in it. And he likened how the nation promoted itself in the past to being “Like a [school] drama club,” and the nation was staid in its marketing approach to international tourism and that was unacceptable, he said. “We have to become the football team,” and to compete hard on a global basis to keep these tourists from going to other countries or he insisted, “the world will pass us bye,” he closed. For travel info and updates go to www.signmeup@ustravel.org

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD ARRIVALS AT ‘THE NEW MIA’ (MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) FOR DECEMBER 2011
Passenger arrivals at MIAMI International Airport (MIA) increased in December 2011 with international passenger arrivals up +9.4% and domestic arrivals up +5.1% when compared to December 2010. Total arrivals increased in December 2011 by +7.1%.

INTERNATIONAL MIA Passenger Arrivals

December 2011	December 2010	% Change
848,788	775,539	+9.4%

DOMESTIC MIA Passenger Arrivals

December 2011	December 2010	% Change
938,124	892,663	+5.1%

TOTAL MIA Passenger Arrivals

December 2011	December 2010	% Change
1,786,912	1,668,202	+7.1%

>>> White House press release: The Employment Situation in January Posted by Alan B. Krueger on February 03, 2012

Today’s employment report provides further evidence that the economy is continuing to heal from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. It is critical that we continue the economic policies that are helping us to dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the recession that began at the end of 2007. Most importantly, we need to extend the payroll tax cut and continue to provide emergency unemployment benefits through the end of this year, and take the additional steps that President Obama proposed in his State of the Union address to create an economy built to last.

The unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage point to 8.3%, from a high of 10% in October 2009. The drop in unemployment over the month was entirely due to employment growth, as the labor force participation rate remained constant, once new population weights are taken into account. The unemployment rate has fallen by 0.8 percentage point in the last 12 months. Private sector payrolls increased by 257,000 jobs and overall payroll employment rose by 243,000 jobs in January. Despite adverse shocks that have created headwinds for economic growth, the economy has added private sector jobs for 23 straight months, for a total of 3.7 million payroll jobs over that period. In the last 12 months, 2.2 million private sector jobs were added on net. Nonetheless, we need faster growth to put more Americans back to work.

Sectors with net job increases in December included professional and business services (+70,000), manufacturing (+50,000), leisure and hospitality (+44,000), health care and social assistance (+29,700), and construction (+21,000). Government lost 14,000 jobs. The monthly employment and unemployment numbers can be volatile, and employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. Therefore, as the Administration always stresses, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report; nevertheless, the trend in job market indicators over recent months is an encouraging sign. >> Alan B. Krueger is Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers

>>> 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, twice in 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. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views.

FLORIDA

>>> Board Member Diaz de la Portilla saying sayonara to school board, challenging state Rep. Watson for House District 103 in fall

Miami-Dade Public Schools Board Member Renier Diaz de la Portilla (Net worth negative $162,513) who represents the District 5 seat is coming full circle when it comes to his political career and he has filed to run for state House District 103 held by state Rep. Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens, and if he is victorious in the new redistricted seat. It will return him back to the House, where he served one term representing District 115 back in the late 1990s. A second Democratic Party candidate in the race is Sharon Pritchett and the two women will face off in the August Democratic Party primary.

Diaz de la Portilla began his political career on the school board, before running for the statehouse, but he lost the House seat after one two-year term, and his political career was only reborn in 2006. When then School Board Chair Frank Bolanos ran for the Florida Senate against state Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, in a bitter race, that had Bolanos getting the backing of Gov Jeb Bush, but Villlalobos ultimately won in the end.  The youngest of three brothers, the now attorney filed his papers back then for the vacant school board seat and won after he faced no opposition for the partial term in 2006 and he was elected in his own right in 2008. He is still registered as a school board candidate but that will likely change in the future and he is divorced and has no children.

What do we know about Watson’s finances?

Watson through Dec. 2010 had a net worth of $324,149 and she lists $100,000 in household goods. Her home is worth $259,949, a house and land in Lake City is worth $150,000, four cars are valued at $100,000 and there is $244,000 in a Fidelity IRA. The state lawmaker and farmer’s liabilities are $25,000 owed on four credit cards, a loan from Chase and another $5,400 on AAA and Master Card. Her income for the year was $40,032 and included $7,502 in income and a $35,700 IRA distribution and she received a $6,383 tax refund for the year state’s her IRS 1040 for the year.

Watson

Diaz de la Portilla

>>> Last week the Watchdog Report did not have state Sen. Michael Bennett’s, R-Bradenton financial disclosure forms for the year and I have since reviewed the document and through Dec. 2010, his net worth was $3.24 million. His total assets for the year were $5.74 million, his liabilities are $2.49 million, and he has extensive investments, and he also filed his 2010 IRS 1040 with the state.

Bennett

>>> Press release: Rush Limbaugh is Wrong, By Florida State Representative Scott Plakon, R-Longwood

As a longtime fan and admirer of Rush Limbaugh, I was disappointed to hear his comments regarding the work of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee on which I am honored to serve. His suggestions that we “rigged” the maps to force Allen West out of Congress are simply ludicrous. I was there…it didn’t happen…I know. It is especially surprising to see Mr. Limbaugh join with the chorus of left wing groups that are attacking our work. I can only presume that Mr. Limbaugh’s lack of knowledge of our process, laws and constitution would lead him to make such statements and would lead him to take these kind of cheap shots at Representative Will Weatherford and the work of our committee. Here are the facts:

The legislature did not target members of Congress, the House or Senate, that support the principles of the Tea Party movement. As a member of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee where the maps were first approved, I have firsthand knowledge of the process and can state this fact unequivocally.

Under the standards approved by a super majority of Florida voters, it is literally unconstitutional for the legislature to favor or disfavor Congressman West or any other incumbent when drawing new districts. It has been reported that 38 members of the Florida House are either drawn out of their district or are living in the same district as another incumbent. If we were “rigging” the results, we were certainly not very good at it. In fact, the House district that I currently hold has been eliminated. If this stands, I will likely have to run against another incumbent, move or leave the legislature…all rather unpleasant choices. The proposed map which changes Congressman West’s district is the direct result of a constitutional amendment that I, and many other members, opposed and campaigned against. However, 63% of Florida voters spoke loudly and clearly last November when they voted “yes” to what was called the “Fair District” Amendments…Amendments 5 and 6. Representative Weatherford took an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida”. He is now duty-bound to uphold these amendments. Our maps clearly reflect this.

We conducted 26 meetings across the state where thousands of citizens had the opportunity to attend and testify. It is obvious that we have put forth the most open and transparent redistricting process in the history of our state. In one of our committee meetings, I asserted that it is likely the most open and transparent process of any state in the history of the United States. No one disagreed.

By drawing districts that comply with the Florida Constitution as we clearly have done, we ensure that the unelected members of the State Supreme Court will not be able to take over the process and draw their own maps behind closed doors and out of the sight of the public.

I was the only Florida legislator to endorse Herman Cain (when he was at 5% in the polls) before September 24th, the day he won Presidency 5 and started his climb in the polls. Last week I endorsed Rick Santorum. I’ve filed and/or passed the Health Care Freedom Amendment, the red-light camera repeal, the cap and trade repeal, etc., etc. I don’t think that I’ve ever been accused of being an “establishment Republican”! But when someone of the character, integrity, impeccable reputation and conservative values of Representative Weatherford is accused like this based on unproven speculation and conspiracy theories, I feel that I need to say something…even if it is Rush Limbaugh making those accusations. I’ve read that Congressman West will still run for Congress, and I firmly hope and believe that he will be elected by Florida voters. He is a hero to our country and our cause. It goes to show you that even America’s Anchorman, Truth Detector and Doctor of Democracy who is at the cutting edge of societal evolution that can beat the liberals with half his brain tied behind his back can actually get one wrong. I guess there is a first time for everything.

>>> Gov. Scott names Leslie Scott Jean-Bart and Barbra A. Stern to the Florida Elections Commission.

Jean-Bart, 39, of Jacksonville, has practiced law with Farah and Farah P.A. since 2001. Her community involvement includes serving on the Better Jacksonville Plan Citizens Oversight Committee from 2001 to 2005 and on the Florida Justice Association Board of Directors since 2010. Jean-Bart received bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Miami. She succeeds William Hollimon and is appointed for a term beginning February 3, 2012, and ending December 31, 2015.

Stern, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, has practiced law with the Law Offices of Bohdan Neswiacheny since 2003. She served on the Fort Lauderdale Community Appearance Board from 2010 to 2011 and on the board of directors for the Florida Comprehensive Health Association from 2009 to 2010. Stern received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Nova Southeastern University. She succeeds Julie Kane and is appointed for a term beginning February 3, 2012, and ending December 31, 2015. >> The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> Update by David Lawrence on Early Learning Coalitions

As a reader of history, I take the long view. Thus, I know that building a real movement takes years. I seldom get instantly alarmed. But I am alarmed.

What is being pushed right now in Tallahassee in four House bills would undo the progress that’s been made over the past dozen years to build genuine early learning programs. It’s outrageous. Let these four bills proceed, and here are some real consequences: Much less accountability for quality and education standards — including screening, assessments and curricula — in school readiness programs. Far less ability for Early Learning Coalitions – there are 31 of them throughout Florida – to decide what’s best for the children of their own communities. Fewer business and private-sector people on these coalition boards – people who understand that child care, among other things, is a business. Less funding for school-age child care (often forcing parents out of the workforce).

You and I live in a state where maybe 30 percent of the children start school way behind – and many then get further behind. And now our elected representatives are considering reducing quality when only real quality leads to real school readiness? Unwise. Shortsighted. Nonsensical. We ought not to stand for this. I hope you will take just one minute to ask your legislator and others to oppose these changes to Florida’s early-learning system. You can alert them simply by clicking here. Thanks for fighting for what is right for our children – all our children.

Dave Lawrence, Chair, The Children’s Movement of Florida

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> MIA automated 13 mile security baggage system to fire-up Feb. 28 says TSA official Kane

Miami International Airport (MIA) officials got a wake-up call from federal authorities when a Jan. 27 letter stated when it comes to engaging the new almost 13-mile automated screening and baggage handling system. It needs to be slowly engaged after Feb. 28 with no more delays using only the current legacy system after two system tests were concluded and there was satisfactory operation of the new system. The letter came from the Federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) signed by Robin Kane, the assistant administrator of the Office of Security Capabilities to Jose Abreu, the aviation director of MIA. Kane wrote the two organizations had entered into an agreement that had the federal government providing $54.4 million “in funding support for the Checked Baggage Inspection System” (CBIS) for the North Terminal, that would greatly assist in “baggage screenings and throughput.” And the federal administrator noted, “TSA successfully certified CBIS to begin screening bags back on Feb. 15, 2011 because the system was “operationally acceptable.” Further, Miami-Dade officials including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez (Net worth $923,000) watching the exercise, did two tests of their own in September and October last year, and these test results were within the acceptable range after the data was analyzed.

However, Kane recognized the delay in implementation was because American Airlines, now in bankruptcy, but controls 72 percent of the gates at MIA was “concerned about potential negative effects that could result from a sudden switchover,” and could result in angry passengers and disruptive baggage claim services. Kane is now saying the system will be phased in with an initial trial being “a minimum of 60-days” where a “metered quantity of bags will be systematically delivered to the BHS,” allowing the system to be adjusted gradually, if any further glitches are found. However, he “proposes the BHS be brought on line no later than Feb. 28 at which time the phase screening will commence,” wrote the TSA administrator.

The new baggage system has been one of the center pieces of the airports $6.4 billion expansion that had Abreu once saying the two decade ongoing construction was like “tiling your bathroom while taking a shower,” since it is a high volume working international airport. However, technical glitches have hampered the new baggage system in the past and AA administrators had asked for a variety of enhancements with the system but if TSA administrators get their way. MIA will fire up the system at the end of the month and taxpayers will get to see how this technological marvel performs when it comes to passengers getting their bags screened and if these bags ultimately end up at the right destination.

Abreu in an email Saturday after the Watchdog Report asked for a comment from either him or the mayor on the issue wrote. “My only comment is that Mayor Carlos Gimenez supports the Aviation Department sending a letter to American Airlines asking them for their cooperation for a phased [in] transition to the new system [and] said letter will be sent first thing Monday,” wrote the aviation guru. The Watchdog Report has been watching and writing about this new MIA baggage system for years given its length and complexity but I hope it works. For tourism is the lifeblood of South Flroida and anything that improves passenger safety and satisfaction at the gateway facility to the Americas, is good for the community and the tourism industry.

Gimenez

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> SB Audit & Budget Advisory Committee fires off critical letter to Rep. Lopez-Cantera protesting changing state legislation funding capital needs of charter schools facilities with public dollars, but not public assets

The Miami-Dade Public Schools Audit and Budget Advisory Committee held a special meeting Friday afternoon to approve a letter addressed to state Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami (Net worth $1.85 million) stating their financial concern to the nation’s fourth largest school district if Florida Senate Bill 1852 and a similar House Bill 903 is passed that would be “devastating,” to the district. Miami-Dade is the state’s biggest school district and the letter notes the diversion of $55 million in capital funds to Charter Schools last year yet “school districts received none,” is putting the larger districts around the state in a fiscal vice when it came to capital improvements and serving past debt load. Further, Miami-Dade has had to comply with the state’s Class Size Amendment, that the charter schools did not have too, that had a major public school construction boom take place in the early 2000s that had the bulk of the district’s debt being incurred prior to 2008. And with the reduction in property tax millage and “ the 28  percent erosion in property value that has decreased the capital budget from $2.3 billion to just over $500 million over the past five years,” and “certified taxable values are expected to continue to decline another three percent.” And in the case of Miami-Dade if the legislation passes, the public schools will be forced “to either drastically reduce maintenance or impact educational programs to pay debt service,” and that is an estimated loss of $198 million over four years forcing the district to fund capital costs from the general fund.

However, the overall thrust of the letter is the concern that public dollars are being used to pay for rent for charter school facilities that are “not owned by the charter schools, but secured on a rental basis from private entities, and would ultimately result in the acquisition of private assets with public money.” And while the Audit Committee “supports the establishment of charter schools” we are of the opinion that adequate and strict stewardship of public tax funds is a requisite for their productive functioning,” wrote Audit Committee Chair Jeffrey B. Shapiro, Esq and a former prosecutor in the drafted letter to the state legislator, who is also the majority leader in the Republican controlled state House.

What is the Audit Committee?

The Audit & Budget Advisory Committee is the community’s firewall overseeing over $4 billion in tax payer dollars and the committee is made-up of some of the top tax lawyers and Certified Public Accounts in South Florida and one of the reasons the public doesn’t hear about a lot of scandals any more within the district versus 10 or 15 years ago. I have been covering these audit meetings since late 1997, and since around 2004 there has been a normal rotation of leadership on the public board, that includes one voting school board member currently Board vice-Chair Lawrence Feldman, Ph.D. (Net worth $2.5 million) And the organization’s performance has been outstanding since then as these volunteers give their valuable time, to keep an eye on the sprawling public schools operations with over 350 schools, and roughly 347,000 students.

Feldman

>>> Check out the school District’s Inspector General’s report of a former district employee charged with ID Fraud and theft: Former Employee of the North Miami Adult Education Center Charged with ID Fraud and Theft, Ref., SB-1112-003, February 2, 2012.

>>> Press release: United Way launches Read Together/Leer Juntos to encourage a love for reading before kindergarten – Become a volunteer: help improve early literacy skills in our young people

United Way of Miami-Dade is expanding its volunteer reader pilot program, now titled Read Together/Leer Juntos, to include up to 130 volunteer readers at 13 early learning centers across Miami-Dade.  From Feb. 16 through May 24, these readers will be matched with 55-60 pre-K classrooms for an hour of story time each week, influencing nearly 1,000 students.  The program is still seeking volunteers to help enhance literacy opportunities for young children and instill a love for reading, even before they can read for themselves. For information on a center location and program specifics, please visit www.unitedwaymiami.org/volunteerreaderprogram or contact Chantell King at kingc@unitedwaymiami.org.

As part of the program, United Way is offering a training session for the volunteer readers, where they will learn about age-appropriate books, tips for reading to young children and receive a reader toolkit with sample activities and more. “The United Way Volunteer Reader Program is a great way for residents to get involved with their community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “Promoting literacy and encouraging our youngest residents to read is a true win-win and will have a lasting impact.” Research shows that children who learn to read well at an early age will not only read more independently, but also achieve more in math, social studies and science.  They are also more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education.  Investing in them pays off: the ROI includes higher graduation rates, better job skills, increased homeownership and less chance of criminal activities. To learn more about the Read Together/Leer Juntos program or for tips on how to read to children, please visit www.unitedwaymiami.org/VolunteerReaderProgram. >>> About United Way of Miami-Dade: For 90 years, United Way of Miami-Dade has been an innovative force in the community with a long and successful track record of responding to emerging needs and transforming people’s lives. Today our work is focused on education, financial stability and health—the building blocks of a good life.  We invest in quality programs, advocate for better policies, engage people in the community and generate resources.  To learn more, give, advocate or volunteer, visit www.unitedwaymiami.org, www.facebook.com/UnitedWayMiami or www.twitter.com/UnitedWayMiami.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Jackson Health facing reduced census, cuts employees further, down to 9,300 employees, but nurse’s union cries foul and worry about patient care

The Jackson Health System’s Financial Recovery Board met Monday at the Miami-Dade Commission Chambers and the health system’s management is trying mightily to fiscally right itself but that is no easy task when the total charity care, bad debt and self-pay accounts account for $1.2 billion states the county’s Inspector General’s office in a past report. Since May, new CEO Carlos Migoya has had his hands full trying to turn the health system around, but the institution is like a giant ship and is slow to change but one thing for certain is employee furloughs instituted months ago are not doing enough to save money and layoffs are becoming the new normal. Jackson Health at its peak had arounf 12,500 employees in 2007 and 2008 but that has now dropped to 9,300 employees JHS staff told the Watchdog Report last week.

Further, while Migoya is dealing with this fiscal hemorrhaging. He is also battling it out with the organizations unions and during the televised board meeting. He said he is limited to what he can say on union contracts in public. He did make a “unofficial comment since they are at impasse with all the unions” but he “hopes to do something soon” when it comes to these talks resolutions that has union leaders crying foul, with nurses wearing buttons with Migoya’s face on them with a line through it, at past public meetings at the sprawling medical campus. Further, since the Trust is entering its fifth budget month without the planned union concessions, it is forcing management to make further personnel cuts and SEIU Local 1991 President Martha Baker, R.N. is expressing frustration the administration is not working harder to draw in patients to boost the flagging patient census, that would help cover more of the system’s fixed costs and continued cutting of staff will put patient care at risk. For more on the situation go to www.miamiherald.com

>>> Miami-Dade Clerk Harvey Ruvin officially swore in new FRB member Mojdeh L. Khaghan at the beginning of the board meeting. She was appointed to the oversight board by county Mayor Carlos Gimenez and is an attorney, and did all her education at Columbia University. She is the only women on the now complete seven-member board created in the spring, with a two-year operating mandate. The smaller board was created to make the oversight body more nimble in its decision making process and that has been achieved with meetings ending significantly earlier than when there was a 17- member PHT board that was put into abeyance in the spring of last year.

>>> Check out the latest Office of the Inspector General memo on PHT management’s negotiations with MedAssets Net Revenue System and their observations on how to make the contract better.
Memorandum Regarding the Public Health Trust’s Agreement with MedAssets Net Revenue Systems, LLC, IG12-03, February 1, 2012.

>>> Gov. Scott taps Dr. Magdalena H. Averhoff to the Board of Medicine.

Press release: Averhoff, 61, of Coral Gables, has been an associate chief medical officer for Jackson South Community Hospital since 2011. From 2008 to 2011, she was medical director of hospital service for Jackson Memorial Hospital, and she was medical director of inpatient care for Preferred Care Partners from 2006 to 2007. From 1982 to 2005, Averhoff practiced gastroenterology in the private sector. She served on the board of Cedars Medical Center (now University of Miami Hospital) from 1993 to 2007 and on the board of HCA Healthcare from 1992 to 2006. Her community involvement includes serving on the board of South Florida After School All Stars since 2000. Averhoff received a medical degree from the University of Salamanca. She succeeds Dr. Trina E. Espinola and is appointed for a term beginning February 6, 2012, and ending October 31, 2015. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Jungle Island makes around $540,000 payment to city, but what of the $1.2 million payment in Aug.?

Jungle Island made a around $540,000 payment to the City of Miami this week while negotiations are still ongoing and the attraction’s management on Watson Island partially funded with a $25 million HUD loan to construct the complex but has another critical $1.2 million payment coming up in August. The attraction is trying to restructure its operations and financing that also includes a $10 million outside loan that is said to be current, but management is also looking to extend the lease 50-years into the future with the city and that is being met with resistance. Jungle Island when it was created was to create badly needed jobs, and about 450 people are employed, but the business model did not take into account 9/11 and the subsequent construction in the area including the Miami Children’s Museum and now the $1 billion Port of Miami tunnel construction which is nearby.

>>> Commission to consider MOU with Friends of Miami Marine Stadium

The Miami Commission is meeting Thursday and another attempt to forge an agreement with Friends of Miami Marine Stadium is on the agenda. Miami Manager Johnny Martinez withdrew the item reported in past Watchdog Reports in January when it was sprung on commissioners on short notice but representatives of Friends were spotted last week at city hall and one person included Manny Alonso Poch. The owner of the controversial A&M Charter School in Coconut Grove that is getting a forensic audit from the public school district, and his involvement could be a distraction for Friends in the future.

>>> Commissioner Carollo taking aggressive tact when it comes to getting new auditor

Commissioner Frank Carollo, CPA told the Watchdog Report last week that he plans to have a new commission auditor voted on by the end of March and he is pushing an aggressive time line to get someone in place by then. The commission in January threw out a six-month earlier process that had three top candidates drop out at the last minute and caused an extensive discussion among commissioners about what the exact qualifications for the job were. The voter created commission auditor position has been vacant since June when Victor Igwe, Ph.D. contract was not renewed and the man is now suing the city.

>>> MIAMI FAMILY CHARGED WITH MULTI-FACETED MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and James K. Loftus, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), along with members of the Federal-State Mortgage Fraud Strike Force (Mortgage Fraud Strike Force), announce the indictment of six South Florida residents on charges stemming from their participation in a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in approximately $2 million in fraudulent loans. This case is the result of the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the members of the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force.  Created in June 2008 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force brings together federal, state and local law enforcement to combat the mortgage fraud epidemic in South Florida. Members of the Mortgage Fraud Strike Force include experienced prosecutors, federal agents, and state and local officers, dedicated exclusively to investigating and prosecuting mortgage fraud cases.  The Mortgage Fraud Strike Force has yielded substantial results.  Since September 2007, following the creation of the District’s first Mortgage Fraud Initiative, more than 500 individuals have been charged for their involvement in mortgage fraud schemes that have resulted or were intended to result in more than $620 million in mortgage loans. On February 2, 2012, a ten-count indictment was unsealed charging six defendants for their alleged participation in a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in approximately $2 million in fraudulent loans.  Charged in the indictment are defendants Ivania Filgueiras, 40, of Miami; Jose Armando Alvarado, 62, of Miami; Maria C. Alvarado, 62, of Miami; Reyna Josefina Orts, 57, of Miami; Alberto Morejon, 25, of Miami; and Carlos Serrano, 56, of Hialeah.  Five of the six defendants are close family members.

According to the indictment, from 2005 through 2009, defendants Filgueiras, Jose Armando Alvarado, and Maria C. Alvarado identified residential properties in Miami-Dade County to defraud lenders.  Defendant Jose Armando Alvarado then recruited and paid individuals to act as straw buyers of the properties.  Defendant Serrano acted as a straw borrower for three (3) different properties alleged in the indictment.  Defendants Jose Armando Alvarado and Orts created and caused the borrowers’ fraudulent loan applications and other documents to be submitted to the lenders, in one instance without a borrower’s knowledge or consent.  The fraudulent loan applications contained bogus bank account records and false statements about employment, income, assets, and intent to occupy the property.  American Mortgage Lending (AML), a mortgage brokerage firm owned by defendant Jose Armando Alvarado, prepared and submitted the fraudulent loan documents to the lenders.  South Florida Realty, a real estate company owned by defendant Maria C. Alvarado, was utilized to create sales contracts submitted to the lenders for the charged transactions.

Thereafter, defendants Filgueiras and Morejon utilized a Miami title company to conduct fraudulent closings.  Once the mortgage applications were approved, the lenders wired the loan proceeds to the title company’s escrow account, operated by Filgueiras, for closing.  At closing, Filgueiras and her father, defendant Jose Armando Alvarado, caused fraudulent payments and disbursements to be made from the loan proceeds.  Additionally, defendant Filgueiras disbursed loan proceeds to the sellers without receiving cash-to-close payments from the borrowers, contrary to representations on the HUD-1 statements. To perpetuate the scheme and avoid detection, the defendants also failed to record, and falsely recorded, mortgage deeds and other mortgage documentation with the State of Florida authorities.  Defendants Filgueiras and Morejon also fraudulently executed quit-claim deeds with State of Florida authorities, on behalf of defendants Jose Armando Alvarado and Maria C. Alvarado, in order to sell the properties to other straw buyers, obtain home equity line of credit (HELCO) loans, and conceal the fraud.  The defendants would also make payments on the loans until the properties could be resold, often to another straw borrower, repeating the cycle of fraud.  Eventually, the defendants stopped making payment on the loans and the properties entered foreclosure proceedings, often resulting in substantial losses to the lending institutions.

The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and substantive wire fraud and bank fraud. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years’ on the conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and substantive bank fraud charge, and 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud charges. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Federal-State Mortgage Fraud Strike Force, with special commendation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Miami-Dade Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin. The case announced today is also part of the Department of Justice’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  This national task force was established in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. Mortgage fraud is a key focus of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force’s efforts. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. >>> An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent 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 at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Press release: Free Miami Beach Neighborhood Leadership Academy Opens Enrollment Learn More About Your Local Government, Classes Begin March 5

The leadership academy is accepting applications for the spring session. The 15-week free class is open to residents and business owners of Miami Beach.  Classes are held every Monday from 6pm to 8pm. Students will learn about how city government functions by connecting with administrative leaders and managers, going on field trips, doing interactive learning exercises.  For over 10 years, the City of Miami Beach has been conducting the academy to build leaders that help build the future of the city. Add the leadership academy to your resume and join the class of alumni – now in the hundreds. Caroline DeFreze at cdefreze@miamibeachfl.gov or  click here

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Property Appraiser Garcia to face the public Monday, what is state of real estate in M-DC?

Please join us for lunch on Monday, February 6th.  Our guest speaker will be the Property Appraiser for Miami-Dade County, Pedro Garcia, Jr.  We meet at noon at JohnMartin’s restaurant (253 Miracle Mile – 2nd floor). – In 2009 Mr. Garcia became the first elected Property Appraiser for Miami-Dade County in over five decades.  Pedro has worked in the real estate industry for over 34 years as both a Realtor and Real Estate Appraiser. From 2000 to 2002, he was President of the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Master Appraisers.  He is also a Director of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, Inc.  Mr. Garcia served ten years as a Special Magistrate with the Miami-Dade County’s Value Adjustment Board, the agency which adjudicates property owner’s appeals against their assessments.  Mr. Garcia has been named the 2009 Civic Leader of the Year by the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches and the 2010 Public Servant of the Year by the Minority Chamber of Commerce.  The Coral Gables Good Government Committe and the Hispanic Association of Public Administrators have also honored him. >>> PONCE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 141651 Coral Gables, FL  33114 www.poncebusiness.com poncebusiness@gmail.com “Keeping you abreast of the pressing issues affecting Coral Gables.” We meet the first and third Mondays of the month at JohnMartins restaurant (253 Miracle Mile – 2nd floor) at noon.  Lunch is $20 for members and $22 for guests.

CITY OF SUNNY ISLES BEACH

>>> Sunny Isles gets Interlocal pact with school district to benefit local k-8 Center

The Miami-Dade County School Board and the City of Sunny Isles Beach Commission both approved an Interlocal Agreement to facilitate the construction of an addition at the Norman S. Edelcup/Sunny Isles Beach K-8.  The Interlocal, a model of intergovernmental cooperation, provides for upfront financing by the City and a cost sharing partnership between the School Board and the City. The project will consist of an addition over the existing K-8 cafeteria, including 12 intermediate classrooms with individual restrooms for an estimated 264 students, as well as a walkway connector between the addition and the existing school building. The estimated total project cost is $4 million, which includes site work, design, construction and FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment).

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Four more defendants are sentenced after Operation Oxy Alley bust by feds

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced the sentencing of four additional  defendants in connection with charges stemming from Operation Oxy Alley, a coordinated investigation into pill mills in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.  Including the four defendants sentenced today, sixteen defendants have been sentenced to date on an indictment unsealed on August 23, 2010, which charged thirty-two defendants.  The indictment alleged that defendants Christopher and Jeffrey George, twin brothers, operated, managed and financed four pain management clinics in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.  According to the indictment and statements made in court, from 2008 to early 2010, these pill mills distributed approximately 20 million oxycodone pills and made more than $40 million from the illegal sales of controlled substances.  Thirteen of the thirty-two defendants were doctors.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer stated, “Thanks to the hard work of our federal and local partners, dangerous pill mills have been shut down and the owners, operators, and doctors have been sent to jail.  We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who deal drugs hiding behind a medical or professional license.”

“South Florida is no longer a haven for those who illegally distribute pain killers and steroids through pill mills,” said Miami FBI Special Agent in Charge John V. Gillies.  “Our joint operation with over a dozen federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have shut down this criminal organization that ran four pain clinics, two pharmacies, one pharmaceutical supplier and one steroid business.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Mark Trouville stated, “The sentences handed down today represent the seriousness of the prescription drug epidemic in South Florida and the United States.  DEA remains committed to ridding our communities of illegally diverted pharmaceutical drugs.”

IRS Special Agent in Charge José A. Gonzalez stated, “By following the money trail, IRS Special Agents were successful in financially disrupting and dismantling this illegal organization.  Not only are these criminals going to jail, but the government has seized a significant portion of the illegal proceeds through asset forfeiture. IRS-CI will continue to lend its financial expertise to target the profit and financial gains of narcotics traffickers and their accomplices.” Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced four defendants.  Christopher Paul George, 30, of Wellington, was sentenced to 210 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Ethan Baumhoff, 40, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced to 132 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  George and Baumhoff plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy in October 2011.  Daniel Hauser, M.D., 61, of Hollywood, was sentenced to 6 months in prison, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release.  Roni Dreszer, M.D., 36, of Sunny Isle Beach, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release.  Hauser and Dreszer plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in October 2011.

At present, twenty-eight of the thirty-two defendants named in the indictment have pleaded guilty, including clinic owners Christopher and Jeffrey George.  The sentencing hearings are scheduled to continue throughout February 2012. The investigation and prosecution was the result of work by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  FBI, DEA, IRS-CID were assisted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Hollywood Police Department, the Boca Raton Police Department, and the Davie Police Department.  Coordination efforts also included cooperation by the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office as well as contributions by the Delray Beach Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, West Palm Beach Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, Medley Police Department, Homestead Police Department, North Miami Beach Police Department, and Sunny Isles Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Schwartz, Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Strider Dickson. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>> State Atty. McAuliffe says sayonara, going to private sector, surprises many, had $4.1 million net worth through 2010

The Watchdog Report was stunned last week when I heard that Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe had resigned effective Mar. 16 in a letter to Gov. Rick Scott. The state attorney is not finishing out his first term after his 2008 election and his stepping down has surprised many lawyers in the state’s third largest county. The media is saying that he is going to work with a private energy corporation, and he did have his critics who suggested he might be out of his depth in the office that has 120 prosecutors and another 200 people as support staff that have prosecuted a wide range of cases including murders, pill mills, gangs and RICO cases.

The former federal prosecutor is married to Circuit Court Judge Robin Rosenberg and he once said Gov. Rick Scott (Net worth $103 million) lied in order not to perjure himself in a deposition concerning his former hospital company HCA/ Columbia that would later pay a $1.7 billion fine for Medicare fraud in the late 1990s. Now Scott gets to appoint a replacement for the man who also is an active mountain climber, has three children but is also wealthy with a $4.1 million net worth, a $2.1 million home and he lists only $40,540 in debt to the Palm Beach Day Academy.

McAuliffe

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott announced that he is seeking applicants for appointment to the position of State Attorney for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, in and for Palm Beach County. Michael F. McAuliffe, the current State Attorney for the Fifteenth Circuit, has submitted his resignation, effective March 16, 2012. Governor Scott will appoint a State Attorney to serve for the remainder of Mr. McAuliffe’s term, which ends on January 7, 2013. An application for the position is on the Governor’s website at http://wp.flgov.com/appointments/. Interested applicants should complete the application form and forward it to the Executive Office of the Governor in accordance with the instructions provided on the website.  Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on February 15, 2012. for more on the story go to: http://www.sa15.state.fl.us/stateattorney/OurOffice/indexSAbio.htm http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/pb-mcauliffe-resignation-date-20120127,0,3061818.story

>>> Press release: FORMER ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR AT BELLE GLADE NON-PROFIT HOUSING CORPORATION PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLEMENT

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Timothy A Mowery, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General, and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, announced that defendant Vivene Patricia Richards, 54, of Loxahatchee, Florida pled guilty today before the U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch. Richards pled guilty to a one-count Information charging her with theft from an organization receiving federal funds, to wit, Noah Development Corporation (NOAH), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666. According to documents filed and statements made in court, Richards was the Assistant Director of Finance at NOAH, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provided housing, educational and child development services to low-income residents of the Belle Glades community.  To carry out its mission, NOAH is funded by federal, state and private charitable entities.

As Assistant Director of Finance, Richards was responsible for the fiscal management and issuance of funding for all of NOAH’s properties and programs.  As part of her plea, she admitted that between 2005 – 2009, she used her position to embezzle approximately $131,094 for herself and others.  She further admitted that she personally received or converted to the use of her co-workers and friends more than $73,000 in calendar year 2007.  U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer stated, “This defendant abused her position at NOAH to embezzle more than $100,000 that could have been used to provide housing and other needed services to low-income residents of Belle Glades.  Programs such as NOAH are there to help the needy, not to provide a private piggy bank for fraudsters.” “Fraudsters who prey on tax payer funded programs aimed at helping those who are less fortunate or in need, will be aggressively pursued by HUD-OIG and our law enforcement partners.  We will seek criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law to combat these acts of fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Mowery. >> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of HUD Office of the Inspector General and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Bell and Shaniek Maynard. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>> Gov. Scott  taps John G. O’Rourke to the Florida Prepaid College Board.

Press release: O’Rourke, 61, of West Palm Beach, has been the president of J.G. O’Rourke and Associates since 2009.  Previously, he was senior vice president and chief financial officer of The GEO Group Inc. from 1991 to 2009. A 20-year career officer with the United States Air Force, he has served on the Board of Directors for Boys Town of North Florida since 2009 and previously served on the board for Boys Town of South Florida for three years.  O’Rourke received a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University, a master’s degree from the University of North Dakota and is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College. He succeeds Anthony C. Krayer and is appointed for a term beginning February 3, 2012, and ending June 30, 2014. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

>>> Port St. Lucie man busted by feds for 11 counts of tax evasion

A federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Fla., returned an indictment charging Ernst Pierre with filing false federal income tax returns and identity theft, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.  The indictment was unsealed today following Pierre’s arrest.  Pierre is charged with 11 counts of filing a false tax return for clients of his business, one count of filing a false tax return for himself, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, from October 2009 through May 2011, Pierre filed false tax returns for clients of Tax Max, a Port St. Lucie, Fla., tax return preparation business he owned and operated.  Pierre obtained the names and Social Security numbers of clients for whom he prepared and submitted federal income tax returns and that he then fraudulently used those names and Social Security numbers as “dependents” on client tax returns and on his own tax return.  Inclusion of a dependent on a federal income tax return can result in a higher tax refund.

“Identity theft is a serious crime. And, when combined with tax refund schemes, it threatens the financial security of our citizens,” Wifredo Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.  “It is time for tax refund scammers to realize that we will not allow them to steal others’ identities and line their pockets through fraud.” “The Tax Division is dedicated to protecting the personal identities of U.S. taxpayers and prosecuting criminals who steal those identities to commit federal crimes, including tax refund fraud,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “We are working closely with the IRS and the United States Attorneys to protect the public from these crimes.” “The IRS is aggressively pursuing those who steal others’ identities in order to file false returns,” said Steven Miller, IRS Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. “Our cooperative work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Tax Division will help protect taxpayers in Southern Florida from being victimized by identity theft. The IRS is taking additional steps this tax season to further prevent, detect and resolve identity theft cases as soon as possible.”

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Pierre faces a maximum potential sentence of three years in prison for each of the twelve false tax return counts, up to twenty years in prison for each of the three wire fraud counts, and a mandatory two-year sentence for each aggravated identity theft count.  Pierre is also subject to fines and mandatory restitution if convicted. This case was investigated by special agents from the IRS – Criminal Investigation.   Tax Division trial attorneys Justin K. Gelfand and Thomas J. Krepp are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida. Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

LEON COUNTY

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott taps Bryan Desloge as chair and Monesia T. Brown to the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region Inc.

Desloge, 52, of Tallahassee, is a Leon County Commissioner and owner of Desloge Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment. He succeeds Larry DiPietro and is appointed for a term beginning February 2, 2012, and ending April 30, 2013.

Brown, 39, of Tallahassee, is an attorney with Metz, Husband and Daughton P.A. She succeeds Rodney E. Reams and is appointed for a term beginning February 2, 2012, and ending April 30, 2016.

DUVAL COUNTY

>>> Gov. Scott reappoints Sandra C. Ramsey to the Early Learning Coalition of Duval Inc.

Ramsey, 51, of Jacksonville, is the senior vice president of finance for Acosta Sales and Marketing Company. She is reappointed for a term beginning February 2, 2012, and ending April 30, 2015.

BREVARD COUNTY

>>> Governor Rick Scott stays with Nancy T. Grzesik to the Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County.

Grzesik, 63, of Melbourne, is the associate director of finance and operations at Brevard Zoo. She is reappointed for a term beginning February 1, 2012, and ending April 30, 2015.

MANATEE COUNTY

>>> They’re he goes again, Gov. Scott suspends Ruben for sexual battery on a minor

They’re he goes again, Gov. Rick Scott suspended Mark D. Ruben, a commissioner of the Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue District after the man was charged with sexual battery on a minor and is among the charges and this is one of two suspensions by the governor this week. Scott is continuing the gubernatorial tradition of suspending officials after people get charged and after a lull is back in pace and removing someone around the state at a rate of one per month.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

>>> Gov. Scott suspends Clerk Thompson for assault on employee

Gov. Rick Scott suspended Osceola Clerk Malcom Thompson after he got into a fight with an office employee and he was charged with battery and assault. This was the second suspension for Scott this week of a high profile political figure around Florida.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Please join us for Casa Valentina’s Fifth Annual Community Appreciation Luncheon! You are invited to help us celebrate our successes over the past five years, and to hear our plans for the next five years and beyond… Wednesday, February 8, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, Elizabeth Virrick Park Gymnasium, 3255 Plaza Street, Coconut Grove *Walking tour to Casa Valentina following lunch. Our new Program Director, Karen Haag, will discuss how Casa Valentina’s new program for young mothers aging out of foster care with babies will help these youth to form secure attachment relationships with their children. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to info@casavalentina.org by Friday, February 3. Special thank you to our sponsor: Fare to Remember Creative Catering!

>>> SOUTH MIAMI-DADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER AND delancyhill LAW FIRM PRESENT 8TH ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION

The Langston Hughes Project featuring The Ron McCurdy Quartet and celebrity Spoken Word artist Malcolm Jamal-Warner

South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) celebrates Black History Month with a presentation of the Langston Hughes Project, Ask Your Mama, Twelve Moods for Jazz on Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m. on the main stage. The performance features the Ron McCurdy Quartet with celebrity spoken word artist Malcolm Jamal-Warner. As part of this special evening, delancyhill law firm will host their 8th Annual Black History Month Celebration with a VIP reception honoring Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss at 6:00 p.m. in the Black Box Studio. Proceeds from the VIP Reception will benefit SMDCAC’s education and outreach programs. Tickets to the performance are $30, $20, $10 ($5 tickets CultureShockmiami.com), $5 off orchestra level seats for students seniors and active military service members. Tickets to the VIP reception are $50 and includes entrance  to the performance. The public should contact SMDCAC’s Box Office at 786-573-5300 or visit www.smdcac.org. SMDCAC is located at 10950 SW 211 Street, Cutler Bay.

EDITORIALS

>>> If public servants lift their game just a little, the results would be dramatic throughout all of Miami-Dade

Lack of accountability regarding public servants performance and oversight of public tax dollars is the issue that has people in a uproar around the nation over the years and is why taxpayers are so skeptical about many of their public institutions and there governance by elected leaders. At the federal, state, county and local municipal level we see it everyday in how people in public service perform their jobs that has essentially 30 percent of them working like dogs, another 50 percent are what the Watchdog Report calls standard issue bureaucrats who do there job day in and day out. But there is a 20 percent or so that “are spending more time working on their retirement then my job,” as one man said in front of me years ago and in today’s world that must change.

People in the private sector went through a business wringer over the last three decades and high performance is demanded of everyone if they are to stay employed, but that revelation never seeped into the fabric of public service in a meaningful way. And given the New Normal, America and the world faces now, while public servants deserve to be paid a fair wage and salary, it must also include performance enhancement at their jobs for even a small percentage would be dramatic. And is one of the reasons I started the Watchdog Report back in May 2000 by trying to create a information nervous system using the internet between our community’s public institutions, allowing these organizations and people to be more informed about what is going on at the different public entities. Because if you live in Miami-Dade you are on a ship and like it or not this community is in this together from Key Biscayne, Little Havana to Florida City. And only by all public employees collectively operateing at a higher plane will we get through this economic crisis that is lingering way to long for everyone and  is stopping South Florida from reaching its true potential. And that is not a good thing.

>>> Check out the past national story in the Tribune papers:  Paperwork Tiger By Maya Bell, Miami Bureau, January 20, 2003

MIAMI – 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 is always teetering on bankruptcy. He dashes to his post-office box daily, hoping subscribers to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks.

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr.

THE MIAMI HERALD     www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

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

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

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

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY  www.miamidade.gov

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

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

AKERMAN SENTERFITT   www.akerman.com

RON BOOK

LEWIS TEIN  www.lewistein.com

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

WILLIAM PALMER

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC.   www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI  www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.cph.org

THE STATE OF FLORIDA    www.myflorida.gov

GREATOR MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA  www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY  www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschoolsnews.net

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM   www.jhsmiami.org

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA    http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI             www.miami.edu

The Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the fourth year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 550 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

>>> 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 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 >>> 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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Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form

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

Supporting Sponsors $5,000

Sustaining Sponsors $2,000

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

Large Business Supporters $500

Small Business Supporters $250

Individual Supporter $150

Student Supporter $ 75

Any amount $

Name & Address

Please make checks payable to: Daniel A. Ricker

Send to: 3109 Grand Avenue, #125

Miami, FL 33133

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