Watchdog Report Vol.13 No.21 October 14, 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 and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

CORRECTION: A photo of former state Rep Mike Horner last week in the WDR was wrong. It was a photo of state Rep. Brad Drake from the Panhandle and I apologize for the error. >>> Further, it was suggested that FRB member Joaquin del Cueto in last week’s WDR always voted for the unions. In fact, he has voted the bulk of the time in favor of the PHT administration’s recommendations.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> U.S. Atty. General Holder comes to “graduate school of fraud,” The Southern District of FL for financial fraud summit, public reporting scams must be in the mix

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder took a road trip to Miami Friday and the U.S. Southern District of Florida is ground zero for massive financial frauds around the United States in all its form and had the local U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta when asked by the Watchdog Report back in 2006. “Yes we are the graduate school for fraud,” and the area is where new cons and scams are perfected before being exported around the nation. Holder came to the public forum, the last of six such forums around the nation hosted by local U.S. Attorney Wifredo “Willy” Ferrer to be the keynote speaker.

And in the morning sessions, the attendees heard from local people caught up in some of the local Ponzi schemes and scams and how they had been financially wiped out. The gathering also focused on the pubic knowing if something sounded to good to be true, it was a scam and any request for upfront money to collect a prize or be able to “hit a home run as a investment,” something older people with good educations are more susceptible to invest money into, was a false hope, and would be found out only when the criminals had disappeared or the company folded and these investors were left holding the bag of a phony lost investment.  >>> If you believe you have been scammed file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-Help.

Why is South Florida such a magnet for fraud?

Since the Watchdog Report began in May of 2000, one area I have tried to focus on was waste, fraud and abuse because whether it is public money or someone’s own hard earned dollars. It was someone’s money and not a crooks. Here in South Florida the first FBI Medicare fraud detail was created in the late 2002 time frame and since then federal investigative assets have doubled in these investigations, but federal authorities are looking at a whole buffet of frauds that now include identity theft, mortgage fraud, and a wide range of Ponzi schemes to name just a few of the creative ways lawbreakers have milked the system.

Why Florida such a hot bed of this activity is because we are a community that comes from all over the world, some of it is homegrown and some of it is these new people bring their wayward ways here and find like-minded accomplices who ask the same question? What is the big deal? And why should I turn in my neighbor for Homestead Exemption fraud for example, and that public passivity fuels this environment of tolerance of fraud, even when it is done by a highly respected community leader like Gaston Cantens. A man after his Ponzi scheme was discovered was sentenced to five years in federal prison. And he is the father of respected former state Rep. Gaston Cantens, Jr., R-Miami once in the running for the speaker of the Florida House, and while his effort failed. Cantens the Legislator did plow the political field that helped now U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL accept the sword of House leadership in 2006 from then Gov. Jeb Bush.

And these “Affinity crimes,” because the person proposing the scam is known to you can be the most brutal and such cons wipe out lifelong savings of the elderly and their descendents and these occur so often because the overall climate almost acts as Miracle Grow for the bogus deals to flourish.  The Watchdog Report does not have an answer to ending it but if the public is vigilant, checks any deal offered, and their own personal records carefully and often. The community can make a dent in financial fraud in all its manifestations if they draw a line in the sand and get involved or report these acts. Because as former FBI Special Agent in Charge John Gillies once said at a similar forum on Medicare fraud . The area may have just under five percent of all the FBI special agents, but there will never be enough federal agents to get the job done and is why the public and they as taxpayers must get involved. Ensuring that these tax dollars and personal savings go where these are supposed to go, and not in some hucksters bank account.

>>> Press release: Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses Southeastern Regional Investor Fraud Summit in Miami ~Last of Six Regional Investor Fraud Summits Aims to Educate the Public on How to Recognize and Avoid Falling Prey to Investment Fraud Schemes

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo A. Ferrer,  U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Pamela Marsh, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Robert O’Neill, Regional Director for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Eric I. Bustillo, in conjunction with other U.S. Attorney’s offices, the Department of Justice’s Criminal and Civil Divisions, and members of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), held the final of six regional Investor Fraud Summits today at the Chapman Conference Center of Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, in downtown Miami.  The purpose of the six-investor fraud summits across the country was to help educate the public on how to protect their hard-earned money from fraud. Attorney General Eric Holder was the keynote speaker at the Summit, hosted by Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Ferrer and SEC Regional Director Bustillo. “Investor fraud crimes can erode faith in our financial markets, threaten our nation’s ongoing economic recovery, and undermine the fabric of our communities,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “That’s why protecting the American people from fraud is a top priority for today’s Justice Department.  And through the Investor Fraud Summits we announce today, we’ll take our anti-fraud efforts to a new level — by raising awareness about these devastating offenses, educating consumers on how to report suspected fraud schemes, and empowering members of the public to fight back.”

Today’s Summit also featured federal, state and local law enforcement officials and consumer protection experts, all of whom made presentations aimed at showing the public how to identify instances of fraud and abuse, to protect their investments and to avoid becoming the victim of fraud.  In very powerful presentations, Dr. John Gentile and Mr. Manuel Camella, who themselves were defrauded, shared their stories as part of an effort to raise awareness and educate others on how to spot fraud. The FBI reports an unprecedented rise in investment fraud schemes, involving thousands of victims and staggering losses.  Since 2011, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and 85 U.S. Attorneys’ offices have reported that approximately 800 defendants have been charged, tried, pleaded or sentenced in approximately 500 federal prosecutions involving investor fraud. The total reported amount swindled from victims for this time period tops more than $20 billion. This staggering number includes cases where the total amount victims lost range from tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions, and, in some cases, billions, in hard-earned savings. In addition, since 2011, the SEC, an FFETF partner agency, has charged 887 individuals and entities in 359 actions involving retail investor fraud. Nearly $9.7 billion have been alleged lost by over 1.2 million investors in those cases.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer, of the Southern District of Florida, stated, “Although the defendants in investor fraud prosecutions use a variety of tactics and schemes, they often take the same approach to solicit their victims: they take advantage of relationships of trust and make promises that are too good to be true.  They will guarantee high returns and, in many instances, provide falsified investment documents to their victims. As a result of these misrepresentations, many victims lose their retirement savings, military survivor benefits, family death settlements, and money set aside for college tuition, mortgage payments, or a rainy day. While we at the Justice Department continue to obtain lengthy prison sentences for many of these scammers, for many of the victims, the damage to their families and their future financial security is irreparable.  That is why it is so important for us to educate the public on how to identify these types of scams and avoid falling prey in the first place.”

SEC Regional Director Eric I. Bustillo added, “The SEC, together with the Department of Justice and colleagues in law enforcement, will continue to work together to uncover securities fraud schemes and prosecute those who perpetrate these frauds. With summits like this, we will continue to provide investors with the tools they need to stop securities fraudsters from deceiving investors and manipulating the financial markets.” U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh, Northern District of Florida, stated, “Hearing today from the victims of investor fraud schemes, I was reminded again of the devastation these crimes cause to victims and their families.  We, as prosecutors, see the devastation first-hand and are motivated to continue our work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these cases.  We are also inspired to inform, educate and prevent these crimes from occurring in our communities.  Sharing information about what questions to ask and what red flags might indicate an investment fraud scheme is a great way to empower the public and prevent crime.” “Fraud committed against individual consumers and financial institutions are a serious concern,” said U.S. Attorney Robert O’Neill, Middle District of Florida.  “Not only do these crimes affect the individual investor, but they also impact the integrity of our overall economy. Hopefully this summit will heighten the awareness of those seeking to invest their dollars, as we continue to develop strategies to enforce and prosecute these offenses.”

The Southern District of Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of securities and investment fraud investigations and prosecutions. To address this serious problem, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the creation of its first District-Wide Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative. Since December 2010, the Initiative has resulted in charges against 108 defendants and more than $1.5 billion in restitution to victims.  If you think you may be a victim of investor fraud, please call your local FBI office for assistance. To find your local office, please visit: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field. For tips on how to spot investor scams and for more information on investor fraud in general, please visit: www.stopfraud.gov. >>> President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force, chaired by Attorney General Eric Holder, includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. 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. For more information about the FFETF, please visit: www.stopfraud.gov .

>>> Ros-Lehtinen Rebuts Arguments by European Insurance Companies Seeking to Avoid Payment of Holocaust-Era Policies European Insurance Companies Must Actively Identify Beneficiaries

Press release: U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement today following extended correspondence with European insurance companies regarding payment of Holocaust-era policies. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen: “European insurance companies continue to drag their feet and give excuses to avoid paying Holocaust-era policies.  These companies claim that the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC), which stopped accepting claims almost a decade ago, was a success. Wrong. We can all do the math and see that the numbers do not add up.   ICHEIC rejected 84% of the 90,000 claims submitted to the Commission.  In another insult, a select number of other claimants received so-called ‘humanitarian’ awards, which were taken by many as a dismissal of their claims.

“Despite repeated attempts by Holocaust survivors, their families, and even Congress, these companies refuse to open their records or honor these policies. What does this accomplish?  It runs out the clock on aging Holocaust survivors as the funds from hundreds of thousands of unpaid policies remain in the hands of the insurance companies. “It is my hope that European insurance companies will stop playing with the lives and emotions of Holocaust survivors. They should open their records so that we can begin identifying unpaid policies.  Additionally, Congress must work quickly to pass legislation that would enable survivors to have their day in court to pursue claims against these companies. With survivors now in their eighties and nineties, the window is closing for us to ensure that they see justice in their lifetimes.” >>> NOTE: H.R. 890, the Tom Lantos Justice for Holocaust Survivors Act, was authored by Ros-Lehtinen with her Florida colleague U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), and unanimously passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. This bipartisan measure, which currently has 107 co-sponsors, would allow survivors to avail themselves of state laws to have their day in court and to require European insurance companies conducting business in those states to disclose Nazi-era insurance policy information. The measure also establishes a federal right of action to recover proceeds due under the covered policies.

>>> U.S. Rep. Rivera denies he is under federal investigation, says it is challenger Joe Garcia on This Week in South Florida, hosted by Putney

U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami verbally fired back at his critics today on WPLT Channel 10 This week in South Florida hosted by Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney, and congressman repeatedly denied he was under federal investigation, and blamed The Miami Herald of quoting unnamed sources. And Rivera also suggested since Putney wrote a column as an independent commentator for the daily was swayed and colored when it came to his independence and judgment. Putney shot back that was not the case and his station’s newsroom did not consult with the inner workings of an investigation at The Herald. To see the spirited exchange go to  http://www.local10.com/news/WATCH-LIVE-This-Week-In-South-Florida/-/1717324/4731786/-/67komsz/-/index.html >>> Also see the two interviews done by Helen Ferre on WPBT2 Issues with challenger Joe Garcia who is facing Rivera in their run for Congressional District 26. www.wpbt2/issues or http://channel2.typepad.com/issues/2012/10/w.html

>>> The WDR gives former Herald reporter Corral, now Tom Wolfe filmmaker a Tip of the Hat for his new gig

Former Miami Herald reporter Oscar Corral has followed and filmed world renown novelist Tom Wolfe throughout Miami and South Florida and Corral’s movie is creating quite a buzz, leading up to its first airing on Friday Oct.19 on WPBT Channel 2 at 10:00 p.m. Corral first met Wolfe when he was doing a story on Miami Police Chief John Timoney, a friend of Wolfe’s. However, later in his career Corral would later step into a hornets nest when he did a series of stories on different Spanish media outlets and commentators being paid by outside sources, and not widely known at the time around 2007 and 2008. The Watchdog Report worked with Corral for a number of years when I was a featured news columnist with The Miami Herald and he was a top notch reporter, could get in someone’s face if that was necessary given he is over 6 feet three inches in height. And I wish him the best in this new profession as a film director, and I am looking forward to seeing the show on Friday night. >>> For more go to http://www.miami.com/039tom-wolfe-gets-back-blood039-article

>>> 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 and was Best Citizen in the 2003 Best of Miami of The Miami New Times, profiled twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel ran a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003, and UNC Chapel Hill named 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 91.3 FM 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 on www.CBS4.com and The Florida Roundup on www.wlrn.org

FLORIDA

>>> Gov. Scott start’s to appreciate importance of S.FL. as he gears up for upcoming reelection in 2014

Gov. Rick Scott came to Miami Wednesday and he participated in the announcement that Univision and ABC were going to create a new television network in Miami that was in both English and Spanish when it came to news stories at the Beacon Council Luncheon at the Inter-Continental Hotel in downtown Miami. Scott since being elected in 2010 after using some $72 million of his own money to defeat Democrat Alex Sink in the election has focused on jobs, jobs. But his administrating has also dismantled a host of environmental regulatory policies and a state planning and development agency that used to have to weigh in on major land use projects and that has environmentalists howling.

The governor has taken on the job of the state’s business cheerleader, something that for Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist was a hallmark, and the governor is stopping in the Miami area much more frequently than in the past. Further, while Scott notes the Florida economy is doing better, (Which is contrary to Mitt Romney’s campaign that suggests in Florida that in fact the economy has only gotten worse) when it comes to the governor stumping for Romney. Scott has taken a low campaign profile. Since the governor’s poll numbers have been in the doldrums when it came to his approval rating with Floridians, though there has been a bump in his job approval around the state. But when the Watchdog Report asked Scott Wednesday about the fact Miami-Dade voters were going to vote on  a new $1.2 billion capital improvement bond, but wasn’t that unfair since the state’s biggest county is a donor community in tax dollars to the state. He sidestepped the question of the lack of public money for rehabilitation of old schools by pointing out he added $1 billion in the education budget, but that is for other uses and not for capital improvements of some of the decrepit schools .

However, Scott is sticking to his script that he ran on back then and while many Democrats are waiting for a second crack at him in 2014 when Scott is up for reelection. So far, Sink is the only candidate that does well against him in the polls and a host of other Democratic Party candidates are considering running as well. Including state Sen. Nan Rick, former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and 2004 mayoral candidate Jimmy Morales and Miami Mayor Manuel Manny Diaz is said to be eyeing a run after leaving his past office in 2009 and is now said to be writing a book.

>>> Press release: Governor Rick Scott and The Beacon Council announce Miami-Dade County for new Univision/ABC TV Network Univision Project to add 346 jobs and $274 million in capital investment

Florida Gov. Rick Scott and The Beacon Council announced today the selection of Miami-Dade County as the location for a new Univision/ABC television network, which will create 346 jobs and include $274.52 million in capital investment. The new English-language television news network targeting the growing Hispanic market will be headquartered at the Univision studios in Doral.

“Univision’s decision to grow here is a testament to Florida’s status as one of the most business-friendly states in the country,” said Governor Scott. “Today’s announcement is more proof that Florida is well-positioned to lead the country’s economic growth in the next generation, as we compete and succeed in a global marketplace.” The Beacon Council estimates that the Univision joint venture will bring an additional 208 indirect jobs (jobs that occur through suppliers or services) and an additional $8 million in yearly wages to Miami-Dade County within three years. “The new ABC-Univision network will be headquartered in a state-of-the art facility and will retain and attract the very best talent in the industry, creating a thriving and dynamic production hub that will undoubtedly benefit Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida,” said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks.  “We’re very happy that through this historic venture we will be able to continue contributing to the job growth and progress of Florida.” “This is a huge win for our entire community and it illustrates the growth potential of the creative industries, one of the seven target industries of the One Community One Goal Strategic Plan,” said Frank R. Nero, President and CEO of The Beacon Council. “The impact of the high paying direct and indirect jobs will be felt throughout our community as the new network will attract a multitude of suppliers, vendors and talent to Miami-Dade.” >>> According to the latest jobs report, 23,000 jobs were -created in August, ranking second in the country, only to Texas.  This continues a trend of positive annual job growth for 25 consecutive months. In the second quarter of 2012, Florida’s income growth outpaced the nation and the state’s consumer confidence is at a 5-year-high. For more information, visit www.beaconcouncil.com.

>>> Attorney General Bondi’s Weekly Briefing – Medicaid fraud is criminal activity that essentially steals money from our state, and ultimately, from you, Florida’s taxpayers. That’s why we must ensure that every dollar spent on Medicaid services goes to legitimate providers who serve Florida’s Medicaid recipients—not to criminals who exploit the system.

With 32 percent of Florida’s Medicaid recipients residing in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, there are higher levels of fraud in the Southern region than elsewhere in the state. To focus our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s resources where fraud is the most rampant, we have created a South Florida headquarters for our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Additionally, we are strengthening our efforts to combat Medicaid fraud in the Southern region by increasing the amount of staff in that area. One of our statewide efforts is the first-of-its-kind in the nation. We are the only Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the country that uses data mining to find and stop Medicaid fraud. Florida has a waiver from the federal government that allows us to mine data on the billing practices of Medicaid providers, such as hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies. Accessing this information enables us to identify potentially fraudulent activity, investigate cases, and prosecute individuals for Medicaid fraud. >>> We also rely on strong partnerships with federal, local and state agencies. We work closely with the Agency for Health Care Administration and state law enforcement agencies to eliminate Medicaid fraud. Fraudulent billing is one of the most common forms of Medicaid fraud, and we are dedicated to investigating and arresting anyone who commits this crime. Just this week, we arrested Chazmand A. Moore for one count of Medicaid fraud and one count of grand theft for submitting more than $9,500 in fraudulent service logs to the Medicaid program.
I remain committed to stopping Medicaid fraud in Florida, and we will protect taxpayers by holding Medicaid providers accountable for abiding by state laws and regulations.

>>> Children’s Movement of Florida  Voices of Florida – We all have a story, a story that defines us. It is our collective story, our challenges and our triumphs that inspire a movement. Floridians from all walks of life have joined together with an understanding that the future of our state rests on the well-being of our children.

Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

>>> LEAGUE’S ELECTION & VOTER GUIDE AVAILABLE FOR REPRINTING

The nonpartisan 2012 Election & Voter Guide produced by the League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund is now available in text-only Word format for convenient reprinting in English or Spanish in Florida newspapers and other publications. The Guide includes candidate information on national and state races, as well as explanations of the 11 constitutional amendments that will appear on the November 6 ballot. The entire 2012 Election & Voter Guide can be viewed at BeReadyToVote.org.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Mayor Gimenez gets clear sailing after challenger BCC Chair Martinez drops absentee ballot fraud court challenge after Aug. 14 primary

It’s over; Miami-Dade Commission Chair Joe Martinez has dropped his legal challenge of massive absentee voter fraud in the Aug. 14 county mayoral race and will retire from office at the end of November when Mayor Carlos Gimenez is sworn in for a full four-year term. Gimenez had kept a low-key approach to dealing with this issue in his win election and has said he will do everything in his power to help stamp it out. But the problem of absentee ballot fraud has begun to fly under the radar again, and even had some judicial candidates saying they were aware of it, but decided not to report the activity to authorities that certain ballot brokers were approaching them to gather these ballots, but of course at a fee.

Now, Gimenez has a full four-year term to make his imprint on the county after first being elected in June of 2011 that put his administration on the fast track since he had to create a budget, get it approved by the commission that included $200 million in cuts by the Oct. 1 deadline and that was no easy task. This year’s public budget hearings in September was a more staid affair but with the slight up tick in the local economy and property values. Gimenez in the future is expected to have a little more fiscal breathing room, but a host of challenges remain, including some $1.2 million in water and sewer improvements being mandated by the federal government since there are some 13,000 miles of underground pipes in Miami-Dade that are either defective or need to be replaced as soon as possible.

The Gimenez administration to date has been free of any major scandals and he continues to drive himself to many events, which is a refreshing change to some county and municipal elected leaders that seem to travel with an extensive entourage when they attend events. And the only big criticism leveled against the mayor was the compensation of his around half dozen vice mayors all making over $200,000 that he counters back is necessary to get the quality of people necessary to run and oversee the $5.9 billion a year county budget.

Press release: Statement from Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Joe A. Martinez regarding voluntary dismissal of lawsuit contesting the results of the August 14th, 2012 mayoral elections

Today, I have filed a voluntary dismissal of my lawsuit contesting the results of the August 14th, 2012 mayoral elections.  Although my intentions were to move forward with this lawsuit to preserve the integrity of the electoral process, certain legal impediments prevented me from continuing to pursue this endeavor.  I find it in the best interest of our community, my family, as well as my Miami-Dade County family to dismiss the lawsuit in order for all of us to focus in making Miami-Dade a great place to live. I want to thank everyone that has stood next to me during the past year and especially during the last two months.  The outcome was not what we expected, but one that has taught all of us the importance of our vote and making certain that this right is not violated. I vow to work with the Mayor and the Commission as an engaged citizen in ensuring greater prosperity for our citizens and ensuring that the needs of our community are met.

>>> Press release: Commissioner Rebeca Sosa sponsors resolution supporting the planning project for the restoration of the central Everglades

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa sponsored a resolution adopted by the Board of County Commissioners during an October 2012 meeting, supporting the completion of a Project Implementation Report (PIR) by the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) by May 2013, which address key obstacles to freshwater flows and implement meaningful ecological and economic benefits by restoring America’s Everglades.

The Greater Everglades Ecosystem is a globally endangered habitat which is essential to the proper functioning of the Biscayne Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for the residents of Miami-Dade County. The ecosystem has continued to decline in the face of restoration delays and an expedited solution is needed to increase the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of freshwater flows into the central Everglades, Everglades National Park, and Florida and Biscayne Bays. Increased deliveries of water south of Lake Okeechobee will reduce damaging discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.

The goal of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is to significantly reduce planning times and deliver a finalized plan for several essential restoration projects within 18 months.  Full support and funding by the State of Florida and the U.S. Congress is needed to implement this project that will protect regional water supply, create much needed jobs and strengthen the local economy.

>>> Press release: With the November 6, 2012 General Election just five weeks away, voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the ballot content before casting their vote.

The upcoming election consists of candidate races at all levels of government, 11 state constitutional amendments, one school board question, and 10 County questions.  In addition, 17 municipalities have contests on the ballot. Since this ballot is a lengthy one, voters should prepare in advance by viewing their voter-specific customized sample ballot available on the Elections Department’s website.  By entering minimal voter information, voters can quickly view a sample ballot containing exactly what they are eligible to vote on.  This gives voters the opportunity to make their decisions prior to voting, thereby expediting their voting experience. “Due to length of the ballot, I encourage registered voters to be Election Ready.  So, whether they vote early, by absentee or on Election Day, it will be a faster and more efficient process if they take the opportunity to review their sample ballot ahead of time,” said Supervisor of Elections Penelope Townsley.  “I would even suggest printing the sample ballot and having it handy while they vote.” Please visit www.miamidade.gov/elections/regist-status.asp to view a customized sample ballot.

>>> GMCVB press release: RECORD ARRIVALS AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA) FOR FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF 2012

Passenger arrivals at MIAMI International Airport (MIA) increased in the first eight months of 2012 with international passenger arrivals up +6.2% and domestic arrivals up +3.9% when compared to the same time period last year. Total  arrivals increased in the first eight months of 2012 by +5.0%.

INTERNATIONAL MIA Passenger Arrivals
January – August 2012	January – August 2011	% Change
6,650,191	6,261,466	6.2%
DOMESTIC MIA Passenger Arrivals
January – August 2012	January – August 2011	% Change
6,940,083	6,679,499	3.9%
TOTAL MIA Passenger Arrivals
January – August 2012	January – August 2011	% Change
13,590,274	12,940,965	5.0%

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> After six years on nine-member school board, Diaz de la Portilla says sayonara, consolation prize, he is elected GOP state committeeman from M-DC

Renier Diaz de la Portilla said sayonara to the Miami-Dade School Board members and staff after being on the board since 2006 and being reelected once since then. Diaz de la Portilla decided to leave the board this cycle and run for a state House seat but lost that battle to Manny Diaz in the Aug. 14 primary election when Diaz de la Portilla only got 39 percent of the vote to Diaz’s 55 percent in the three-man race for House seat District 103.  He thanked each board member for the time he had to serve with them on the school board, that has had its ups and downs over the years, including replacing Superintendent Rudy Crew in September 2008 with now Superintendent Alberto Carvalho who is leading the charge for county voters to pass a $1.2 billion school bond initiative on the ballot Nov. 6.

School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman after hearing all of Diaz de la Portilla’s comments including him saying long serving school Board Member Dr. Marta Perez taught him “patience.”  The Chair suggested the comments were the most sincere words she had heard from the man who is also is a practicing attorney and past Public Health Trust lobbyist. Diaz de la Portilla’s loss in the state representative race was mitigated by his being elected the Republican State Committeeman on the Republican State Executive Committee. But his try to get back to the state House where he served one term in the late 1990s was thwarted. And his older brother Alex, a former Florida House member and state  Senator is in a battle with Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez for the state House District 112 in the November general election, and there older brother Miguel is already in the state Senate after winning the office in 2010.

Who is replacing him on the board?

Susie Castillo who got 64 percent of the school board District 5 vote against Daniel Espino will replace him next month on the board and she has been an aide to Superintendent Merritt Stierheim and former school board Chair Frank Bolanos who ran for the a state senate seat but lost that bitter race against state Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami in 2006. She has since been active in school district issues and she will be a welcome addition to the board during her upcoming four years in office. The Watchdog Report knows Castillo and wishes her good luck in her newly elected position.

>>> Press release: MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVES RESOUNDING SUPPORT OF UPCOMING BOND REFERENDUM FROM MAYOR CARLOS GIMENEZ AND KEY COMMUNITY LEADERS

Miami-Dade County Public Schools received unyielding support of the upcoming bond referendum by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and key community leaders at a recent Schools First tour at Miami Norland Senior High School. The Miami Norland Senior High School visit was part of Building for Tomorrow’s Schools First tour, which provides tours to elected officials and community leaders to emphasize the need for updating schools through the passage of the bond referendum.  The tour was boasted by having Bishop Victor T. Curry, General Manager of the 1490 WMBM radio station host and broadcast the support from the school site.

In attendance:  School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman, School Board Member Wilbert “Tee” Holloway, Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Commissioner(s) Barbara Jordan, Jean Monestime, and Audrey Edmonson along with Mayor(s) Oliver Gilbert of Miami Gardens, Myra Taylor of Opa-Locka, Vice-Mayor Lisa Davis of Miami Gardens, and City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. Support for the bond continued to grow throughout the tour with visits from:  State Senator Oscar Braynon, II, State Representative(s) Daphne Campbell, Dwight Bullard, and Barbara Watson.  Bishop Victor T. Curry, President of the Miami-Dade Branch of the National Action Network, also endorsed the Bonds for Betters Schools Initiative. >>> Building for Tomorrow is a political committee created to aid in the passage of a $1.2 billion General Obligation Bond by encouraging Miami-Dade residents to support the bond. Proceeds from the bond issue would be used to modernize and construct schools throughout the district, including technology upgrades at all schools. Approval of the GO Bond by the voters is essential to the District as it seeks a sustainable long-term solution to providing 21st Century Schools for all Miami-Dade students.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Jackson Health System’s $435.6 million retirement plan healthy say top board members Sharpton, Lapciuc and del Cueto

A Financial Recover Board (FRB) subcommittee newly created dealing with the issue of Jackson Health Systems Pension program met on Thursday, and while many municipalities have been hammered with the issue of workers pensions. In the case of the PHT and its tens of thousands employees retirement programs that is not the case, and the plan is robust that also has some employees in the Florida Retirement System and others in the health trust’s own pension plan. For the Jackson Plan at the end of June the total assets of the Plan were $435.6 million, there was $18.7 million in cash equivalents, $144.9 million in core fixed income, $41.7 million in convertible fixed income, $195.2 million in domestic equities and $35.2 million in international equities states a report given out by the outside pension investment house handling the funds.

The Watchdog Report contacted the FRB sub committee chair Daryl Sharpton, CPA, the FRB vice chair, along with FRB Secretary Joaquin del Cueto and board Chair Marcos Lapciuc last week about how the JHS pension fund was doing and Sharpton responded on Friday. “The past performance appears to have been satisfactory based on comments from our consultants and the fact that we are approximately 88 percent funded for all anticipated liabilities [is good news]. I want to improve on that and I think we can. I’m making sure the pension performance is regularly monitored and a priority is to ensure transparency, maximum returns for our contributors and beneficiaries (with acceptable risk levels), and lastly…accountability for aligning strategies with our mission. Lapciuc responded, “The pension plan has had a year to do date return of 13 percent and the actuarial assumption is 7 1/2 percent, so that seems healthy. Additionally, the plan is 88 percent funded which is an additional healthy indicator. One of the funds with some international exposure has been changed to a more conservative vehicle and 25 percent of our employees have their pension with the state, the rest with us. [Thus] overall a satisfactory performance and no seeming issues, wrote the veteran FRB Chair. And del Cueto wrote back, “I feel very confident that this new committee will be focused on insuring that the Jackson Health System’s commitment to it’s employees when it comes to their pensions will be fulfilled. I have been advocating for more oversight since being nominated to the PHT. We continue to be one of the best-funded public pensions on par with FRS and I have been impressed with Hewitt Ennisknupp’s work so far. My compliments to the FRB and JHS management for all the changes that have been made on this issue, wrote del Cueto, a veteran health trust board member who generally votes for the FRB administration’s recommendations.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Sarnoff gets to watch some hoops in PRC with Miami Heat, is trip of a lifetime, but he should disclose the trip’s cost that Heat is paying for

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff’s absence from the dais Thursday at a commission meeting was not to take a trip to London for his legal business, but to accompany the Miami Heat on the team’s trip to the Middle Kingdom. Sarnoff, the commission vice chair in an Oct. 5 letter to Commission Chair Francis Suarez about his absence. He writes he will not attend because of “being asked by the Shanghai Administration of Sports to attend the Miami Heat’s two exhibit games in Shanghai and Beijing, respectively.” He wrote, as “Commissioner I had the unusual pleasure of placing the Shanghai Administration of Sports and the Miami Heat together” attempting to facilitate a trade agreement between the two entities that would include conducting “exhibition games, [and] establishing a relationship between the two entities,” the veteran official wrote.

Sarnoff, an admiralty lawyer frequently travels to London, and earlier in the year went to Brazil for the Volvo Ocean Race, where he was treated “like a king,” and the ocean boat racers would later sail to Miami. But this trip to China shows he is branching out as a commission envoy and he could be trying to polish up his boni fieds when it comes to enticing trade partners to come to the Magic City. And given the Chinese’s hospitality and the importance of status when entertaining foreign visitors, the commissioner since he is traveling with the Miami Heat (Who is paying for his travel and hotels). He will have a once in a lifetime experience that only a few senior China Hands might have experienced  over the years and the man could be setting the foundation for his running for mayor in 2013, something that has periodically been heard around city hall.

Sarnoff was first elected in 2006 in a brutal race against then commission appointed Commissioner Linda Haskins who he bested by a two-to- one voter margin, even with a much smaller campaign war chest, and during his first year in office he was a good listener and getting to know the residents of Commission District 2 was a top priority. However, once he won a full four-year term in 2007 he changed say his critics, and after a second tough race in 2011 where he faced four challengers but squeaked by with a just over 50 percent of the low turnout race vote or roughly just over four percent of the district’s voters giving him the nod. He has amped up his own initiatives from Coconut Grove to the downtown. And after commission redistricting is done this year will likely lose the Upper East Side of the district. A commission district that currently snakes along the coast of Miami and has the most robust and dominant tax base since it also includes downtown Miami, and his Commission District 2 is the fiscal heart of the city.

Anything unusual about the trip?

The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/14/3047570/city-commissioner-watches-miami.html details how the trip to the People’s Republic of China came about after a senior political leader from Shanghai tried to approach the Heat management about some exhibition games, but got the cold shoulder and the Chinese official sought out Sarnoff at city hall for help. Sarnoff got a hold of the Heat management and brokered a meeting and the rest is history. However, Sarnoff told The Herald the professional basketball team was paying his way and he felt he would not have to disclose the cost on gift financial disclosure forms since he was on official business promoting the city. However, he should reconsider that and disclose the cost, for China is not cheap and Miami taxpayers have a right to at least know how much the Heat covered. Since where the AAA team plays its games is located in Miami and Sarnoff has constantly said he is a stickler for transparency and ethics if good government is to be achieved. And releasing the cost of his trip would be an effective way to demonstrate his commitment to those ideals he so often professes.

CITY OF HIALEAH

>>> Operator of Unlicensed Slaughter House Pleads Guilty to Food Safety and Humane Slaughter Violations

Wifredo A, Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Larry S. Hortert, Regional Director, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety & Inspection Service, announced that Gelio Hernandez, 50, of Hialeah, Florida, pled guilty today in federal court to charges stemming from his involvement in the inhumane slaughter of swine and the sale of uninspected and adulterated swine meat for human consumption, in violation of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), Title 7, United States Code, Section 1902(a) and the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), as amended, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 601(m)(4), 610(b), (c)(1)-(2), and 676(a). Hernandez entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard, who scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2013, at 2:30 p.m.  Hernandez faces a possible term of imprisonment of up to three years on each of the two counts, a fine on each count, and a term of supervised release of up to one year per count…

The HMSA established as the public policy of the United States that the slaughtering or handling for slaughter of livestock, including swine, may only be carried out by humane methods. The law requires that such animals be rendered insensible to pain by one of the methods described in the HMSA, prior to the animal being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. Title 7, United States Code, Sections 1901-1902(a). Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Compliance Officers of the USDA FSIS, Office of Program Evaluation, Enforcement and Review, Compliance & Investigations Division and further expressed appreciation for the assistance rendered by the Hialeah – United States Marshall’s Service Florida Fugitive Task Force in effecting the arrest in this case and the Miami-Dade Police Department South Regional Agricultural Patrol Section.  The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald. >>> 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

>>> Beach looking at $200 million to mitigate effect of rising sea levels over next 20 years, may have to be accelerated says Beach planning official Saltrick

Commissioner Jerry Libbin told the Watchdog Report Wednesday when I asked about the $200 million that will be necessary to shore up the city against the rising sea levels as a result of Global Warming that the commission is being “very proactive,” in this matter and the administration is creating a plan that “Is flexible” depending on how fast it occurs, and the city is the only municipality aggressively addressing this future issue in Miami-Dade, he said.

The Beach already is subject to extensive street flooding and “extreme tides” twice a year, said Richard Saltrick, a city official charged with future infrastructure planning. He noted the city in 1997 created a Stormwater Master Plan for the Beach but the emphasis back then was “removing pollutants in the water” and with the new situation of rising sea levels “we will have problems that local government cannot handle” since in the municipality’s case, “there are 60 miles of seawalls.” The public policy and urban panning maven noted these walls would have to be raised, and would include the “14 pump stations” that in the future will “triple in number to handle the 60 inches of rain that South Florida gets every year. He noted the city is “monitoring” the situation to “see where the sea level is going and if we need to accelerate the building of the pump stations,” he said. He also noted that adjusting for these environmental impacts was “going to be quite expensive,” and with these “$200 million in improvements.” He predicted, “The streets will be torn up for the next 20 years,” he observed at a Good Government Initiative conference on Tuesday on the effects of Global Warming on South Florida.

>>> Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club — Meeting Date: October 16th, 2012 Meeting Time: 8:30 AM Meeting Place: New Location:  David’s One, corner of Collins Ave. and 11th Street

Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 5, Bruno Barreiro, will be the guest speaker at the October 16th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club.  Mr. Barreiro is running for re-election in November. He is being challenged by State Representative, and former Miami Beach Commissioner, Luis Garcia. >>> Bulletin: On Tuesday October 30th Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz will be the guest speaker. There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome. David Kelsey, Moderator Visit our web site at www.MBTMBC.com (Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club).

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Rapid sea level rise could put Gables and all of South FL at risk for flooding, becoming a significant issue in decades to come

In a major wakeup call when it comes to Global Warming, University of Miami Professor Harold R. Wanless, Ph.D., stunned a crowd of attendees of the Good Government Initiative on Tuesday held at the University’s BankUnited Center with the bleak prognosis and its coming impact on South Florida and the state as a whole. Wanless, the head of the university’s Department of Geological Sciences presented a presentation that showed the rapid depletion of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets and Arctic pack and the diminishment of these ice packs in Greenland was staggering in the reductions. And will in the future result in the melting of the permafrost releasing large levels of methane gas into the planet’s atmosphere causing even faster global rises of the globe’s sea levels around the world. The scientist noted 18,000 years ago the sea level was “about 420 feet below the present level,” but as the earth warmed the “sea level responded through a series of rapid pulses of sea level rise of 3 to 30 feet in height as polar Ice Sheet sectors collapsed.” And he says that is what is happening now and in the future, and past models have been unable to account for all the variables causing the “rapid acceleration in ice melt and sea level rise. In addition, scientist are unable to predict now or in the future, “the onset of a pulse of major Ice Sheet collapse” and that has resulted in “modeling predictions [that] are severely overly conservative,” he said.

And for example, here in South Florida, there will be an increasing need to mitigate this water rise and on Miami Beach, a $200 million investment is planned to increase the height of sea walls and adjusting the infrastructure when it comes to water and sewer that will be impacted by the rising water levels. However, many other municipalities’ leaders in South Florida and around the coastal parts of the state have yet to consider what to do with this relentless problem coming their way in the decades to come.

Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson who is director and founder of the Good Government Initiative at UM put the luncheon event together entitled “Is Miami the next Atlantis?” And the sober event was kicked off by remarks by County Clerk Harvey Ruvin, considered one of the godfathers of the environmental movement in South Florida. The event looked at all angles of Global Warming from the education of the public and leaders, regional urban planning on how to help to stop or slow down this catastrophic natural event coming the planet’s way. However, the Wanless presentation was the most depressing in nature since the visual photos showing the impacts to the environment of the past decades were so clear with huge reductions of ice formation in Greenland and the Arctic poles very apparent.

For municipalities like Coral Gables, nicknamed the Venice of Flroida, any rise in sea levels given its proximity to the ocean and the numerous canals. The City Beautiful along with Miami and Miami Beach will be ground zero and the first to feel this water level rise. And the cost to mitigate the sea level rise is not inconsequential, and has Miami-Dade County looking at a $1.2 billion expenditure for its own water and sewer system upgrade in the years ahead, but does not include mitigating the effects of the rising tides and sea levels to this new infrastructure in the years ahead.

When is Prof. Wanless speaking next?

Professor Wanless will be speaking again on the subject at Wednesday, October 17, 6:30PM to 7:30PM at the Sue and Leonard Miller Center, 5202 University Drive, University of Miami Campus. Dr. Harold Wanless, Professor and Chair, Department of Geological Sciences and says “The Frightening Reality and Accelerating Pace of Ice Melt and Sea Level Rise” and he notes in the brochure for the event that the “modeling predictions are severely overly conservative.”

>>> Further, there is a December multi-county Regional Climate Change Summit in the future and for more information go to: http://southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/Summit-Invite/

TOWN OF MIAMI LAKES

>>> Mayors Pizzi & former Mayor Slayton go at it, how low will this race go in tony community incorporated in 2000?

The race for Mayor of Miami Lakes is heating up with time running out with a Nov. 6 election deadline and Mayor Michael Pizzi is facing his predecessor in office. Former Mayor Wayne Slaton who was the top official from 2000 to 2008 and ended his time in office getting the county to end the municipality’s yearly “alimony” payment to the county. Pizzi elected in 2008 is up again next month and he has raised $52,025, spent $4,449 of his campaign war chest to Slaton’s $9,275, who has expended $3,000 for the race. Slaton was a driving force in the 1990s to have the city be incorporated in 2000 and he is carping Pizzi is saddling taxpayers with debt in the coming years, but both men have represented their city well the Watchdog Report believes.

However, Pizzi is also a county and municipal lobbyist and while he acts like the attorney in the television series Matlock and he is just country folk in the big city. The former federal probation officer before becoming a defense attorney and lobbyist later in his life, was a council member before rising to the top spot, and his elected position periodically blends in with his day job and he gets a certain preference at many public meetings. Further, when he was lobbying Miami Beach city records show his hourly fee was $500.00 and that is on the high end of a lawyers billing time. He also has been dogged by incidents that have been detailed in past Watchdog Reports such as his office catching fire, and playing a prank with a council member who did not think the joke was funny and it is these kinds of things that critics say question the man’s judgment and maturity. And since all politics is local, expect this mayoral race as it nears the election wire to get uglier, with the attacks flying in the tony little pastoral town built by the Graham Companies.

VILLAGE OF PALMETTO BAY

>>> Candidate debate for vice mayor and Council Seat 2 on Oct. 18, public invited

Palmetto Bay Candidate Forum – Meet the candidates for Vice-Mayor and Village Council Seat 2. Take this opportunity to inform yourself on the issues facing our Village and the solutions each candidate offers. The Forum will be moderated by Rhonda Victor Sibilia. Candidates for Vice Mayor Karyn Cunningham · John Dubois · Brian Pariser – Candidates for Council Seat 2 Jim Araiza · Tim Schaffer · Howard Tendrich Thursday, October 18, 2012  7:00 p.m. in the Palm Room Palmetto Bay Village Center 18001 Old Cutler Road, Palmetto Bay, FL 33157 Our sincere gratitude to Palmetto Bay Village Center for sponsoring the site for this event.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Resident Charged in Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the return of a fourteen count indictment charging Lee Ervin Dale, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, for his participation in a tax refund scheme using stolen identities to convert government monies to his own use, and to make and present false, fictitious and fraudulent claims to the IRS. More specifically, the indictment charges the defendant with three counts of converting  government funds to his own use (income tax refund checks), eight counts of making and presenting false claims to the IRS (presenting income tax returns for refunds), and three counts of aggravated identity theft.  If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison on each count of theft of government funds, up to 5 years in prison on each count of making and presenting a false claim to the government, and two years consecutive to the other sentences on the aggravated identity theft charges.

Mr. Ferrer thanked the agents at IRS-CI for their work on this case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurie E. Rucoba. An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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

PEMBROKE PINES

>>> Miami-Area Therapist Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Participating in $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Press release: Miami-area resident Vanja Abreu (Ph.D), former program director at the mental health care company American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), was sentenced yesterday to 108 months in prison for participating in a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office.

Abreu, 49, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to her prison term, Judge Seitz sentenced Abreu to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term and pay $72,771,469 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants. On June 1, 2012, after a seven-week trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida found Abreu guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Evidence at trial demonstrated that Abreu and her co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through ATC, a Florida corporation headquartered in Miami that operated purported partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), intensive treatments for severe mental illness, in seven different locations throughout South Florida and Orlando. Evidence at trial revealed that ATC secured patients by paying kickbacks to assisted living facility owners and halfway house owners who would then steer patients to ATC.  These patients attended ATC, where they were ineligible for the treatment ATC billed to Medicare and where they did not receive the treatment that was billed to Medicare.  After Medicare paid the claims, some of the co-conspirators then laundered the Medicare money in order to create cash to pay the patient kickbacks.

Evidence at trial revealed that Abreu was a program director at ATC’s Boca Raton, Fla., center from September 2005 to November 2005.  In November 2005, Abreu moved to ATC’s Miami center, where she was the program director until February 2009, at which point she was promoted to corporate leadership and oversaw operations at all ATC centers until April 2010.  Evidence at trial revealed that program directors, including Abreu, helped doctors at ATC sign patient files without reading the files or seeing the patients.  Evidence further revealed that Abreu and others would assist the owners of ATC in fabricating doctor notes, therapist notes and other documents to make it falsely appear in ATC’s patient files that patients were qualified for this highly specialized treatment and that the patients were receiving the intensive, individualized treatment PHP is supposed to be.  Included in these false and fraudulent submissions to Medicare were claims for patients who were in the late stages of diseases causing permanent cognitive memory loss and patients who had substance abuse issues and were living in halfway houses.  These patients were ineligible for PHP treatment, and because they were forced by their assisted living facility owners and halfway house owners to attend ATC, they were not receiving treatment for the diseases they actually had.

Abreu was charged in an indictment returned on Feb. 8, 2011.  ATC, the management company associated with ATC, and 20 individuals, including the ATC owners, have all previously pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial.

ATC executives Lawrence Duran, Marianella Valera, Judith Negron and Margarita Acevedo were sentenced to 50 years, 35 years, 35 years and 91 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the fraud scheme. The 50- and 35-year sentences represent the longest sentences for health care fraud ordered to date.  Acevedo, who was one of the first defendants to plead guilty and has been cooperating with the government since November 2010, testified at the doctors’ trial.

ATC and its management company, Medlink Professional Management Group Inc., pleaded guilty in May 2011 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  ATC also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks. On Sept. 16, 2011, the two corporations were sentenced to five years of probation per count and ordered to pay restitution of $87 million. Both corporations have been defunct since their owners were arrested in October 2010…

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov. 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

>>> West Palm Beach Resident Pleads Guilty in $1.9 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Linda B. Charity, Interim Commissioner, Office of Financial Regulation, State of Florida, announced that defendant Keith Allen Mills, 53, formerly of West Palm Beach, Florida, pled guilty today before the U. S. Magistrate Judge Dave Lee Brannon to a one count Information charging him with wire fraud.   Sentencing has been scheduled for January 2, 2013, before the Honorable United States District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. According to the Information, plea agreement, and other documents filed and statements made in court, between January 2009, and October 2010, Mills was the President of Business Vision Network Inc. (BVN), which was purportedly in the business of producing television infomercials, and selling certain products advertised through infomercials it produced.  Mills and others associated with BVN solicited investors in BVN by falsely representing that BVN was a successful infomercial company, and that BVN had acquired certain products that it would be selling directly through infomercials produced by BVN.  For example, Mills and others associated with BVN told investors that BVN had $10 million in revenues, was financially stable, and had recently completed a number of infomercials.

None of these statements were true.  Mills and others associated with BVN also told investors that BVN had purchased a large inventory of a certain type of electric scooter typically used by the elderly and those with health issues and that BVN intended to sell the scooters through infomercials that would be produced by BVN.  BVN would then be able to profit directly from the sale of the scooters.  They told investors that BVN had secured a valuable Medicare number that would allow BVN to offer the electric scooter to qualified recipients at little or no cost to the recipients.  In fact, however, BVN did not have an inventory of the scooters, was not prepared to sell them through BVN, and did not have a Medicare number.  Based upon these and other false statements, more than 90 people invested approximately $1.9 million in BVN.  Rather than being used to further the business interests of BVN, the vast majority of the funds were used to maintain the lavish lifestyle of Mills and others associated with BVN. >>> Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation.  This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Bell.  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.

OKALOOSA COUNTY

>>> Press release: IT security breach hits northwest Florida College

The Division of Florida Colleges in the Florida Department of Education has been notified of an information security breach at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville involving employee and student records. The college is reporting that the incident involves more than 3,000 employee records, some of which contain confidential financial information; approximately 76,000 Northwest College student records containing personal identification information; and approximately 200,000 records with information including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, ethnicity, and gender for students across the state who were eligible for Bright Futures scholarships for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years.

Local, state and federal agencies are investigating the incident. The department is working closely with the college to determine the extent of the breach, ensure information security mechanisms are strengthened and the vulnerability closed down, and that notification of those affected begins as quickly as possible.

“We want to be sure that we fully understand the situation and provide accurate information to those impacted,” said Florida College System Chancellor Randy Hanna. “While some of the contact information is dated, we will be trying to reach every student whose records may have been captured.” While the incident is being investigated, individuals who notice improper use of their Social Security number and believe they may be the victim of identity theft should contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). Affected persons may also call the local sheriff’s office and file a police report of identity theft, keeping a copy of the police report. To protect themselves from the possibility of identity theft, they may also place a free fraud alert on their credit files. A fraud alert notifies creditors to contact individuals before opening new accounts in their name. Call any one of the three major credit reporting agencies at the numbers below to place a fraud alert and receive letters from the agencies with instructions on how to receive a free copy of their credit report.

Experian – 1-888-397-3742 –  Equifax – 1-888-766-0008 – TransUnion – 1-800-680-7289 Information about the incident is available at www.nwfsc.edu/security/. Students who have attended or are attending Northwest Florida State College should contact the college for more information. Bright Futures scholars from 2005-06 and 2006-07 who attended other Florida colleges or universities may call 1-800-688-0656.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired will celebrate White Cane Day in Miami on Monday, Oct. 15, 2012.  Beginning at 8:30 a.m., an estimated 200 people of all ages led by Grand Marshal Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez will walk from Miami Lighthouse, at 601 S.W. 8th Ave., south across 8th Street, down to 7th Avenue, and then will continue the celebration with food, music featuring Miami Lighthouse Better Chance Music Production Program™ musicians, keynote speakers and special presentations.

White Cane Day is a national observance celebrated on October 15th each year. The date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and the important symbol of blindness, the white cane. The signature sponsor of the event, Waste Pro USA, will have a special presentation for blind and visually impaired attendees unveiling a new “Side Door Service Program,” a door service trash pick-up, one of the first of its kind. “We are proud to roll out a program for our blind and visually impaired residents on this symbolic day that goes hand-in-hand with our company motto “Caring for our Communities,” said Russell Mackie, Regional Vice President of Waste Pro USA.

>>> Downtown Bay Forum www.downtownbayforum.org INVITES YOU TO OUR LUNCHEON MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012 – 11:30 AM

Election 2012 – National Choices, Florida Issues Abortion Rights, Church/State Funding, State Budget Cap – SPEAKERS: Bradley Gerber Evan Ross Pres. Miami Young Republicans Pres. Young Democrats Miami-Dade – MODERATOR
DR. SEAN FOREMAN DEPT. OF HISTORY & POLITICAL SCIENCE-BARRY UNIVERSITY WOLFSON AUDITORIUM @ TEMPLE ISRAEL 137 NE 19th STREET, MIAMI FREE SELF PARKING AVAILABLE Call ANNETTE EISENBERG (305)757-3633 Fax (305)754-2015

>>> South Florida Regional Planning Board Road Show in seven counties and for more information go to http://seven50.org/uncategorized/registration-work-group-road-show/

>>> Kristi House press release: Please mark your calendars! We hope you will join us for the 13th Annual Touch A Heart Dinner on Friday, November 2, 2012 at

the Four Seasons Hotel 7:00 p.m. Reception 8:00 p.m. Dinner For more information, please visit www.kristihouse.org or call: Bianca Fernandez – 305-547-6802 Mary Faraldo – 786-218-9748

>>> THE ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ANNOUNCES TWO ADDITIONS TO ITS 2012-2013 LIVE AT KNIGHT SERIES Macy Gray only Florida appearance! -Grammy Award winner to perform soulful versions of Metallica, Radiohead, Eurhythmics and more! November 8, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. “Gray has the most exceptional voice I have seen in a long time!” – The New York Times and an acoustic evening with MATISYAHU Co-presented by the Adrienne Arsht Center and Gelb Promotions Reggae-rock musician returns with acoustic show January 19, 2013 at 8:30 p.m. “Hearing Matis sing a cappella was nothing less than a spiritual experience. His voice soared, on point and pure, never once faltering!” – Miami New Times in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. Both concerts go on sale to Arsht Center members October 1, 2012. The general public will have access to MACY GRAY tickets on October 8, 2012, and to MATISYAHU tickets on October 22, 2012. Tickets may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at www.arshtcenter.org.  Previously announced Live at Knight performances include: Talib Kweli: Idle Warship with Res (October 19, 2012); Diego El Cigala (November 10, 2012); Lenine (January 18, 2013); Calypso Rose (February 9, 2013); Kodo (March 9, 2013); and Esperanza Spalding (April 19, 2013).

>>> Press release: The King Mango Strut Kick-off Meeting will be held – This Tuesday, October 16, 2012 @ 7pm Greenstreets Cafe, located at 3105 Commodore Plaza. Come join us for our inaugural meeting of the Mangoheads & Mangominds. We can’t wait to poke fun at any and everything, satirizing the people and events that made news during the year. Put the word out to your friends, family and anyone who you think would want to join the Mango Madness!

Please check out our website http://www.kingmangostrut.org/ and our Facebook Page.

EDITORIALS

>>> Miami-Dade voters should pass $1.2 billion public schools bond, but also large FL counties school districts need to unite to demand more state school capital funding

With Miami-Dade Pubic Schools asking voters to pass a $1.2 billion capital improvement bond on Nov. 6 because interest rates are so low, it would give a substantial boost to the construction industry and rehabilitate or replace some of the community’s most desperate in need schools across all parts of the community. It is also important to remember that Miami-Dade is a donor community to the state and it reflects the lack of lawmakers ability to do the right thing when public schools around Florida get zero for capital improvements but some charter schools get some $50 million in state help, and the public does not even own the facilities. The Watchdog Report in the past has in many ways supported the issue of charter schools, offering students and parents a choice from a local public school.

However, that does not mean when it comes to the physical plant and facilities that public money should be used that enriches a non-public owned entity and that is the problem. The state’s larger public schools and counties leaders must work together in the coming years because local taxation can be done, but in many ways it is double taxation of taxpayers who ask why are we not getting are funding share from the state. Since South Florida makes such a substantial contribution to the state tax base and this extra taxation, while needed here just accentuates the inequity, local residents have with other Florida counties that get a higher share of this public money. Though these districts costs are lower and have a smaller number of schools.

And while Gov. Scott can hype the $1 billion in replaced educational funding in this year’s new state budget after being whacked in past years. The situation is still inequitable and the big donor counties need to lift their legislative game. For as it has happened in the past, in this case. If the bond passes the community also needs to demand more of its current tax dollars coming from the state for a host of issues. If we are not forever to be the fiscally abused one, that after a couple of decades in being in this donor capacity is getting really old.

LETTERS

>>> Very informative. Regarding the JMH emergency room issue, you might want to check some of the best hospitals in Miami Dade County. You might find they outsource the emergency rooms. Would be useful information to inform the public debate.

Roger C.

>>> Wow, in a place like South Florida you must be really busy writing stories. I actually made the connection to the Watch Dog report / blog as soon as I read the content.

Lily

>>> 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

BADIA SPICES    www.badiaspices.com

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

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 COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov/ethics

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.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 600 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 www.watchdogreport.net

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2012, 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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