Watchdog Report Vol.14 No.40 February 16, 2014 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.

>>> May you and your family have a safe and reflective President’s Day and we should all reflect on the enormous changes the nation has seen since these past leaders were alive, for better or for worse.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> Clock ticking before Mar. 11 House District 13 election, Sink and Jolly go head to head with national money pouring into the bell weather race for both parties

The stage is set for the candidates funning for U.S. House seat 13, that became vacated after long term Republican Congressman C.W.  Bill Young, R-St. Petersburg passed last year. The candidates vying for seat in the GOP controlled House are Republican David Jolly and former Florida CFO and failed 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink. Sink, a former banker is running a spirited campaign but the GOP is calling her a carpetbagger since she has had to move into Pinellas County, to be living in the congressional district that was redistricted, and the high profile race is now is considered almost a toss-up with either party’s voters turnout potentially being the deciding factor for the victor.

Sink in emails has been asking for money to defend campaign attacks from the Republican “Karl Rove’s Super PACs for their lobbyist friend Jolly,” and in a recent poll, Jolly, a conservative, is trailing Sink. http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/poll-may-show-alex-sink-ahead-but-the-congressional-district-13-race-is/2165333 However, voter turnout in the swing district could be the key, and Sink is raising eyebrows by rejecting doing a debate Feb. 25 hosted by veteran NBC White House Reporter Chuck Todd, and when it comes to past media buys running up to the March 11 General Election. She has spent $3.7 million to his $2.5 million during the time period and Sink is looking to amp up her campaign war chest that included a top tier fundraiser last week in Coral Gables that included Vice President Joe Biden.

The event held at the home of Judy and Michael Adler last week was expected to bump up her campaign cash on hand in the nationally watched race. An election that could be a bell weather indicator for the 2014 elections, and what the level of voter disapproval is of the President Barack Obama administration, and the popularity of The Affordable Care Act that has kicked in, and voters are now having to enroll in health insurance programs that are surprisingly expensive. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/alex-sink-chuck-todd-nbc-florida-103545.html

Jolly

Sink

>>> Press release: Zogby Report Card: Blowing it over ‘half-baked’ Obamacare

John Zogby’s Obama Weekly Report Card is Featured in Paul Bedard’s “Washington Secrets” Published weekly in The Washington Examiner

Pollster John Zogby reports in our weekly White House report card that President Obama has to finally take responsibility for Obamacare and fix it fast or see his legacy tarnished. “Responders to this column have noted how easy I am as a grader, at least when the president is concerned. I do think a good professor is a nurturer, as well as one who demands high standards. So when a student comes to me and says his paper was rushed and he faced all sorts of problems at home, I give him a pass. Please click on the link below to view this week’s grade:
http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/414-zogby-report-card-blowing-it-over-half-baked-obamacare

>>> With the Watchdog Report closing in on 15 years, I thank all of you that have supported the effort, not for the faint of heart in many ways, including financially surviving

When I started the Watchdog Report on May 5, 2000, I never imagined that almost 15 years later. I would still be at it, and I want to thank all of you and the organizations that have financially supported me over those years. Since I essentially am funded by the community and my readers. Moreover, to say it has been a strange fork in the road for someone, who came from the corporate world, to have started this effort is an understatement, and only in South Florida could I have pulled off a mainstream news service like the WDR. However, given the colorful nature of our community and how so many of us love and create the drama, that would be good entertainment. If we were not overall such a poor community, with pockets of great wealth, yet other areas in major poverty, and why our limited public tax dollars should be spent wisely and with proper oversight and media attention.

In addition, it is my belief that government works more effectively when reported on, and why I have kept at this, for over the past almost 18 years. In addition, the WDR or myself, has affected and easily saved some $100 million in public tax dollars over those years in some way. And it is the preventing of waste, fraud, and abuse and public corruption that has kept me out in the field and reporting back in a variety of venues, from the internet, The Miami Herald, to WLRN, and WPBT Channel 2 over the years.

FLORIDA

>>> Crist calls for end of Cuban embargo; Gov. Scott says just another former Gov. Crist “flip flop,” in gubernatorial race, both men seem to misread local Cuban Americans

Former Gov. Charlie Crist’s comments on national media about the need to end the 50 plus year Cuban Embargo has split South Florida Republicans and Democrats. Crist’s comments further validate his “flip flop,” nature when it comes to his beliefs on issues, since years ago as a Republican. He embraced the embargo. Further, Gov. Rick Scott the Republican incumbent now that Crist is a Democrat fired back at Crist’s inconsistency on the policy, but the governor did it in a pandering way to many Cuban Americans.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/02/gov-scott-and-clc-bash-crist-over-cuba-embargo.html And the governor’s comment about signing a bill in Miami banning companies doing business with Cuba, then signing a letter rescinding the order because it was not enforceable, caused significant controversy here in South Florida. The governor told the press recently when asked about that issue. ‘I signed that bill because it stands with the Cuban population to fight oppression in Cuba,’ but as one GOP Cuban American leader said last week. The way Scott refers to the Cuban people is almost like were a monolithic block or the community is some kind “of pod,” of a mammal species, he seriously joked.

Moreover, both Crist and Scott are constantly fundraising with Scott looking to raise over $100 million for the November reelection campaign and Crist wanting to be competitive in his fundraising, and the evolving past governor is currently leading Scott in statewide polls. And while Scott has tried to burnish his ties with Hispanics by tapping Carlos Lopez-Cantera as his new lieutenant governor, and the former Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser was appalled by Crist’s comments. The former state legislator will be the point of the spear for the Scott campaign with this demographic group and to get their vote in what is expected to be a tight statewide race. And for more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/14/3936411/fabiola-santiago-stance-on-cuba.html Further, the governor of Florida during the four year term will make some 4,000 appointments on a host of different boards and authorities throughout the state and that is why the Watchdog Report has run these peoples names and the boards they are appointed to by the governors over the past 15 years.

Lopez-Cantera

Scott

Crist

>>> Press release: Gov. Scott names Ricky Lyons and Michael “Mike” Williams to the North Florida Community College District Board of Trustees.

Lyons, 55, of Mayo, is the Lafayette County Clerk of Court. He previously served as the president of the Florida Association of Court Clerks and the Mayo Rotary Club. Lyons received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is reappointed for a term beginning February 11, 2014, and ending May 31, 2017.

Williams, 55, of Madison, is a financial advisor with the North Florida Finance Corporation. He has previously served on the North Florida Regional Planning Council. Williams is reappointed for a term beginning February 11, 2014, and ending May 31, 2017.  The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

>>> And if you ever thought about adopting a child, check out the great kids on the Children’s Trust’s Heart Gallery page http://www.miamiheartgallery.org/#start looking for a home and great new parents.

>>> 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, Jr., Chair The Children’s Movement.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> If M-DC administrative contracts do not come sooner to BCC for review, Commissioner Zapata in future “will four day rule” the deal, and stall the agreement’s passage

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Zapata at a Sunshine Meeting with Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa Monday said he wants administration contracts to come earlier to commissioners for review, or he “will four day rule them,” and the commission will delay discussing the matter at the next commission meeting. Zapata said he is frustrated getting agreement after agreement at the last minute that the 13-member commission has to vote on and he is looking for a way to get more time to review some of these complex deals. Before the body has to vote on a contract, and it not always being “at the last minute,” the former state lawmaker said.

He said he appreciated Sosa’s concerns about the mechanism of getting these deals earlier to commissioners and she suggested that the chair’s office might provide a heads up of these contracts working through the county. Zapata said it was okay “if all the i’s or t’s are not dotted,” when it came to these upcoming county agreements that usually are not available until the County Attorney’s office had signed off on the documents and Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s office had reviewed the matter.

What did they say about the dangers of Krome Avenue?

Sosa also brought up the issue of Krome Avenue, where a number of people have been killed over the years in traffic accidents and she wants to end that tragedy by getting the road improved and to end the carnage. Zapata said it has been a major concern for him as well and that FDOT is working on the road upgrade, but it is not an easy task. “It’s all of Krome, and it’s a big chunk of road,” and not a straight line and the road at least needs “to get shoulders,” he said to give motorist a chance of not always “going to get hit by a car, he said. They both noted that environmentalists were keeping a close eye on the matter, because of the possible move for increased development along the edge of the Everglades. However, both of the commissioners felt this was a matter of roadway safety and Zapata said he would “get an update,” from the state transportation department and try to “accelerate,” the road improvements.

Zapata

Gimenez

Sosa

>>> Wil Super Star Beckham have to register as a lobbyist, go through ethics course, if he is to hob Nob with officials looking for new stadium site

While Major League Soccer Super Star David Beckham has been working the community’s leaders for months trying to find a site for a new team’s stadium. The Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust has opened an investigation if he should have registered as a lobbyist in the past months. The Watchdog Report brought this issue up months ago when Beckham first started making the rounds at county hall and while he has a global persona, I suggested he would have to register with the clerk’s office and attend a few hours of an ethics class to be compliant with county ordinances and the issue is now being reported in the media. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/14/3935462/should-david-beckham-have-registered.html and for more on the a stadium location go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/15/3937751/beckhams-soccer-plans-conflict.html

>>> IG Cagle making the rounds at county commission and school board $1.2 billion oversight board, where OIG has a seat on the board

Mary Cagle, the new Miami-Dade County Inspector General is making the rounds and last week she spoke at a commission committee meeting chaired by Commissioner Sally Heyman, and the former state prosecutor attended the County’s School Board Bond Oversight Board meeting as well. Where the office has a seat on the large board watching over how the $1.2 billion school bond is being spent. People continue to give Cagle high marks for her ability and temperament and old fashioned mid west values having grown up in Michigan and she is “looking forward,” to immersing herself into this new important oversight role that few counties in the nation have watching over how there some $14 billion in public institutions money is being spent.

Here is a new IG report: Transmittal and Abstract of the OIG’s Final Report Audit of WASD Contract No. 9681-01/17 for the Sale, Transportation and Disposal of Class AA Sludge and Contract No. 7122-2/13 OTR for the Hauling and Disposal of Class B Sludge; IG13-18, February 13, 2014.

Cagle

>>> CRB committee works to “reduce tensions anywhere in Miami-Dade,” police shootings “a very hot issue,” says defense Atty. Shohat

The Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board (CRB) Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Committee met last week and discussed the next year’s goals and issues facing the police and community residents. Edward Shohat, a criminal defense attorney chaired the committee that is part of the over 50 year old CRB whose job is “to identify and act to reduce tension anywhere in Miami-Dade,” said the chair. In addition, when it came to trusting the police when it comes to police shootings, Shohat said “it was a very hot issue,” and why the Florida Department of Law enforcement was “brought in to [investigate] county shootings.” And that for many of the residents “it appears that law enforcement officers are not accountable,” for their actions when it involves a police shooting and because of this “there could be serious problems in the future,” said the defense attorney.

The people at the meeting represented a host of police chiefs and their top brass as well as the CRB members and some of these issues have been going on for years or decades and the CRB works through a variety of ways to keep community tensions in check. As was the case when the not guilty verdict of Trayvon Martin came out last year, after the young boy was shot by a local crime watch volunteer George Zimmerman in a controversial case. Shohat said after the verdict the community did not respond like in the decades past when riots broke out after similar cases, specifically the Arthur McDuffie case in 1980 when dozens of people were killed in the ensuing riots. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_McDuffie Shohat said after the Zimmerman verdict “the community did not respond like in the past,” when it comes to these “racially charged cases,” and he believed Miami is “a much more mature community than back then in the 1970s and 1980s,” he thought.

And the topics the CRB committee will focus on this year are residents perceptions of racial profiling, searches and arrests, the handling of mentally ill subjects, the unsafe conditions at the county jail, use of force policies, is there a school-to-prison pipeline,  Stand Your Ground Laws, the need for fair and friendly police complaint procedures, civilian oversight of law enforcement and policing strategies that reduce violence were some of the headline topics that the committee discussed and will work on with law enforcement officials in the future.

>>> Was commission office blackout just a power failure? came right after Mayor Gimenez meeting with department directors looking for $42 million in cuts

An electrical failure last week caused a partial blackout of the County Commissioner’s offices Monday, and it happened right after Mayor Carlos Gimenez met with all his department directors to discuss how to cut county services. After the board of county commissioners overrode the mayor’s veto of 11 union contracts and will result in some $42 million being cut from the county’s overall $4.4 billion operateing budget between now and Sept. 30. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/04/3912165/miami-dade-county-commissioners.html Staffers and lobbyist joked it was because of the 9 to 4 Commission vote earlier that the power failure occurred, and the event is coming off a provocative conciliatory prayer done before the commission vote that broke the mayor’s veto deadlock down at the Stephen P. Clark  Government Center.

>> And to review all the Miami-Dade County Commissioners and other county officials financial disclosure forms for the year go to http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/results.cfm?org_id=214439&suborg_id=233972&Mode=By_SubOrg

>>> Ethics Commission determines some public relations work can be considered lobbying

Ethics Commission press release: According to an opinion issued by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust today, a public relations firm is engaged in lobbying activities when it is hired by a client that has a foreseeable or pending interest in County business and sends positive news clippings about the client to elected officials and public employees intending to influence them.  The question (RQO 14-01) came from Tadd Schwartz, the president of Schwartz Media Strategies, which sent favorable news stories about CH2M Hill while the firm was competing for a large contract with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, to the Mayor, Commissioners and County staff.  The PR agency contends it was not lobbying because staff didn’t prepare the material on behalf of clients, but collected and forwarded publicly published news stories and opinion pieces.   Since the firm is compensated to create a positive image for its clients and targeted public officials in an attempt to influence their decision-making, the COE concluded that activity falls under the legal definition of lobbying in the County Code.  Therefore, staff members engaged in such work would have register and follow the same rules as other lobbyists.

>>> The Ethics Commission approved a proposed resolution establishing an Honor Code for public officials and employees.  Noting that a public servant’s first obligation is to protect the public interest, the resolution states that those serving in that capacity are held to a higher level of ethical conduct than is acceptable in the private sector.  Among its provisions, the Honor Code requires government employees and officials to report any criminal or grossly unethical conduct and places their duty to do so above loyalty to colleagues or supervisors.  The resolution suggests that the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners consider adopting such a Code as official County policy.

>>> Press release: DMV to Go Thursday, February 20, 2014 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Stephen P. Clark Center lobby, 111 NW 1 Street, Miami, FL 33128

Residents can receive assistance in obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or identification card, as well as several federal services. Due to high demand, residents must make an online appointment. Those with appointments must bring proper documentation as required by the DMV. A list of suitable identification is available at www.gathergoget.com. DMV to Go representatives do not administer driving exams. For more information, please call the Office of Community Advocacy at (305) 375-5730.

>>> Press release: TRANSPORTATION TRUST HOSTS TRANSPORTATION SUMMIT COMMUNITY FORUM – An Opportunity for Public Input

The Citizens Independent Transportation Trust (Transportation Trust) is hosting the Transportation Summit Community Forum – An Opportunity for Public Input on Saturday, February 22, 2014, at the Miami-Dade Main Library Auditorium, 101 West Flagler Street, Miami Florida at 10:00 a.m. This is a follow up event to the 2013 Transportation Summit: Visioning the Future of Miami-Dade County’s Public Transportation that was attended by more than 500 members of the community, elected officials and transportation professionals. The Report on Proceedings, which details the outcome of the previous summit, will be presented and participants will have the opportunity to comment on the Report and on the future of public transportation in Miami-Dade County. The Forum is open to all. For additional information call 305-375-1357, visit www.miamidade.gov/citt or email citt@miamidade.gov. Connect with the Transportation Trust on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TransportationTrust, on Twitter @GoCITT and for this event interact with #MDtransp_forum.

>>> GMCVB press release: Domestic passenger arrivals for the month of December 2013 at Miami International Airport (MIA) increased by 7.7% and international passenger arrivals increased by 6.1%. Total passenger arrivals at Miami International Airport (MIA) increased in the month of December 2013 by 6.9%.

MIA Passenger Arrivals
Domestic Arrivals
December 2013	December 2012	% Change vs. 2012
968,692	899,322	+7.7%
International Arrivals
December 2013	December 2012	% Change vs. 2012
947,135	892,341	+6.1%
Total Arrivals
December 2013	December 2012	% Change vs. 2012
1,915,827	1,791,663	+6.9%

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Supt. Carvalho is tapped as top district educator in nation, is his administration like fabled “Shangri La,” found in book Lost Horizon?

Alberto Carvalho was named the top superintendent in the nation last week and the man that rose through the school district’s ranks has become a trailblazer with a host of national education honors including the coveted Broad Prize last year. Carvalho, a former chemistry teacher had served in a variety of positions over the years before taking the leadership position in Sept. 2008. Since taking the helm of the nation’s fourth largest public schools district, he has embarked on reducing costs and putting money into the classroom and teachers and student testing grades have only headed up under his watch. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/13/3932488/miami-dade-schools-chief-could.html

Carvalho also was the point of the spear for county voters to approve a $1.2 billion bond for school renovations and IT last November that will result in “some 11,000 Promethean Smart Boards” being installed in the entire district’s 400 schools simultaneously after the county’s schools were broken into installment grids. The superintendent told the Bond Oversight Board last week that the smart boards would need “50 semi trucks,” to transport to the schools and one bond member said what Carvalho was doing was like “Shangri-La,” the fictitious magical city found in the book Lost Horizons. And school Board Member Lawrence Feldman noted one of things the District told the Miami-Dade community before the bond was passed overwhelmingly by voters was that no one area would be first, and would result in “access for all people,” when it came to this new technology in the classroom. Feldman a former principal said it was the right thing to do, “to have everyone getting the smart boards at the same time,” and that move changes the equation “from hope to expectations,” since “all schools will be getting the technology,” at roughly the same time said Feldman, the board vice chair.

Feldman

Carvalho

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> JHS back in the black after posting $3.1 million surplus in Jan., CEO Migoya says year will end without deficit despite $18 million budget hit for ending health insurance contribution of employees

With CEO and President Carlos Migoya posting a $3.1 million surplus in January, that preceded a $1 million loss the month before. Jackson Health System still has to deal with a new $18 million unbudgeted hit to its operations after the health system, was forced to phase out employee contributions to their healthcare insurance costs by the end of the year. Migoya says while cost saving adjustments must be made to stay in budget, he says the sprawling public health system will still end the year in the black after years of losing hundreds of millions of dollars because of the large population of indigent patients that present at the public hospital which does some $600 million in charity and uncompensated care. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/14/3936125/jackson-health-system-shows-surplus.html#storylink=misearch

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Hardeman changes heart of tapping Kneabler for MSEA board, after Commissioner Sarnoff says the man threatened to “ crush him and f…k him up”

A discussion about the appointment of a man to the Miami Sports and Exhibit Authority (MSEA) caused Miami Commissioner Keon Hardeman to withdraw the name. After the provocative discussion, that he noted could only have been discussed on the dais, because of the Florida Sunshine Law. Hardeman had looked to appoint Steve Kneabler to MESA but Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff in early January objected to the selection (and was reported in the Watchdog Report, resulting in Kneabler getting a CD of the past commission meeting from the city Clerk’s office), where the commissioner called into question the man’s mental state, and asked Hardeman at the time to review some of the past emails and documentation before making a final decision. Hardeman Thursday morning noted that Kneabler was “74 or 75” years old, “had a tremendous amount of public experience”, and in the late1990s was part of the sale negotiations of the land the American Airlines Arena is on and he got the city “100 percent of the assed value of that land,” Hardeman said.

However, Sarnoff said Kneabler had asserted that Sarnoff, an attorney, was “a [part of a female’s anatomy said in a salacious manner], and other comments also included “anti semantic remarks,” said the commissioner. He also noted that Kneabler had become physical and had “chest butted me,” and a commission Sargent of Arms had to step in, and the Miami police chief later resolved the matter. In addition, Sarnoff told Hardeman “I did not strike or respond to his remark,” even though the lawmaker said the conversation closed with the man telling Sarnoff he “will crush me and f… me up.” Sarnoff then ticked off a few other reasons why Kneabler should not be on a Miami board citing he “owes $400,000” in federal taxes, and the man failed “to disclose 11 corporations,” when he was on a City selection committee in the past, Sarnoff asserted.

Moreover, Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez, whose birthday was Thursday, and his wife is expecting their first child in the near future, thought the discussion was necessary about the appointee. He said he had never “met the man,” would “not recognize him,” but had heard of him. Suarez said apparently “he has strong opinions about me,” and the man questioned his intellect and academic achievement and the attorney also said he found some of the past comments on the dais “troublesome.” Suarez said he had “no idea he [Kneabler] had the power to negotiate,” for the city when it came to negotiations in the past with Jungle Island, that owes the city money, but is current on the debt repayment plan. However, Manager Johnny Martinez later said Kneabler was not part of the negotiating team, but had been allowed to attend at a request of Mayor Tomas Regalado, who the man is close with. And putting him on a City selection committee was one of the worst decisions he had ever made, said Martinez during the discussion.

Regalado

Martinez

Sarnoff

Suarez

Hardeman

What about the replacement of Manager Johnny Martinez?

Mayor Tomas Regalado on Friday told the Watchdog Report that he would name the new manager to replace the retiring manager by the end of this week.

>>> Ethics Commission press release: The Ethics Commission dismissed several complaints that were filed against various City of Miami officials for alleged violations of the Citizens’ Bill of Rights (CBR) “Public Records” provision, which requires public records to “be open for inspection at reasonable times and places.”   The Ethics Commission was granted enforcement authority over violations of the CBR in 2012, but determined that guidelines and criteria have to be further established as to what constitutes a violation. They decided today that, because of the brief period of time, the complainant gave officials to respond to his requests and that compliance was achieved after the complaints were filed, no violation of the CBR took place.

>>> No Probable Cause was found to a complaint (C 13-47) accusing Victor de Yurre of improperly lobbying a Miami official.  The investigation found that the respondent contacted Commissioner Mark Sarnoff and introduced him to registered lobbyists, but that de Yurre did not speak on behalf of a third party about any pending city issue.

>>> Ethics Commission PUBLIC NOTICE:  The public hearing regarding Complaint 12-32 (Crespo v. Carollo) will continue at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in the Ethics Commission conference room.  In November 2012, the COE found Probable Cause that Miami City Commissioner Frank Carollo exploited his official position by calling the Miami police chief after being pulled over for a traffic violation in Coconut Grove in August 2012.  The investigation determined that, after being pulled over, Carollo called the chief, who subsequently called the area commander, who then told dispatchers to have the officer call him.  The officer let Carollo go with a warning.

>>> Durable Medical Equipment Clinic Owner Sentenced for His Role in $11 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme ~ The former owner of a defunct durable medical equipment (DME) clinic was sentenced today in Miami to serve 70 months in prison for his role in an $11 million health care fraud scheme involving World Class Medical Clinic Corp. (World Class).

Press release: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo A Ferrer, Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigation’s Miami Office made the announcement.

Francisco Enrique Chavez, 36, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in the Southern District of Florida.  In addition to his prison term, Chavez was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,713,959 in restitution. On Nov. 21, 2013, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud.

During the course of the health care fraud scheme, Chavez served as the president and sole corporate officer of World Class, a defunct DME company located in Miami.  From March 27, 2006 through Aug. 22, 2006, Chavez submitted and caused to be submitted approximately $11.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare program on behalf of World Class for DME that was neither prescribed by a physician nor medically necessary.  Medicare paid more than $1.7 million on these false and fraudulent claims.  The proceeds of the World Class fraud scheme were deposited into corporate bank accounts that were controlled by Chavez.  Chavez, in turn, made numerous cash withdrawals and deposits into personal and shell entity bank accounts to facilitate and conceal the nature of the scheme.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.  The case is being prosecuted by Allan J. Medina and Sarah M. Hall of the Fraud Section. Since their inception in March 2007, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are 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.

CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS

>>> Three local men Sentenced for Firearms Possession

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Paul Miller, Interim Chief, Miami Gardens Police Department (MGPD), announce that Deidre Bain, 23, Lamar Eady, Jr., 23, and Lloyd Hulse, Jr., 22, all of Miami Gardens, were sentenced following their convictions as previously convicted felons in possession of firearms. Eady, an armed career criminal, was sentenced to 188 months in prison, while Bain and Hulse were sentenced to 111 and 110 months in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch.

According to evidence presented at trial and statements made in open court, in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 30, 2013, federal and state law enforcement officers were conducting an investigation into the activities of the 170 Boys gang in Miami Gardens. Around 3:00 a.m., as they patrolled the Honey Hill area, officers saw Hulse getting into a parked car, holding what turned out to be a stolen AR-15 assault rifle, loaded with forty rounds of .223 caliber ammunition. Further investigation revealed two more stolen firearms inside the car, fully loaded, belonging to Bain and Eady, who were seated in the vehicle.

A federal grand jury indicted Bain, Eady, and Hulse on July 26, 2013, charging all three with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In November 2013, Hulse pled guilty, and Bain and Eady were convicted following a trial. According to evidence presented at the trial and statements made in open court, all three men had significant criminal histories involving multiple felony convictions. Eady was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which provides a sentencing range of fifteen years to life for individuals who have been convicted of federal gun crimes and have at least three prior felony convictions for violent felonies and/or serious drug offenses. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ATF, FBI, and MGPD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Coats and Andy Camacho.  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

>>> Ethics complaint against Beach results in a Letter of Instruction even though no probable cause, suggests, “improve procedures” for records requests

While the Ethics Commissioners last month found No Probable Cause to a complaint (C 13-35) that employees in Miami Beach violated the Citizens’ Bill of Rights by failing to respond to a public records request in a timely manner, they approved a Letter of Instruction addressed to the City, suggesting it improve its procedures for handling public records requests.   Michael Burke filed the complaint when he had not received the information he sought for longer than two months.  However, his request referred to a non-existent address, didn’t include a specific-date range and was sent by an email account that Burke admitted he doesn’t use often.   The Letter reminds public officials of their obligations and responsibilities under the Citizens’ Bill of Rights to be helpful and responsive.  It also advises citizens to be as specific as possible when requesting public records and provide accurate contact information to avoid unnecessary delays.

CITY OF NORTH MIAMI

>>> Local man Sentenced in Mail Fraud and Identity Theft Case

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Richard Walker, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Regional Office, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director, State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, announce the sentencing of Guy Robert Nalien, 26, of North Miami, after a plea of guilty on November 6, 2013, to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. On February 5, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Marcia G. Cooke sentenced Nalien to 32 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and restitution to the State of Florida in the amount of $29,815. According to the indictment, Nalien utilized the personal identification of others to falsely represent to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Unemployment Compensation Program that such individuals were unemployed and eligible to obtain Florida unemployment compensation benefits. The indictment further alleged, that Nalien used the U.S. Postal Service to receive these fraudulently obtained benefits for his own personal use.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations and the State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Lanigan.

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.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Press release: Tickets Are Available for Hillary Rodham Clinton Event at UM

The University of Miami will welcome Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State and former U.S. Senator from New York, to deliver remarks at a special event to be held on Wednesday, February 26, at 8:30 p.m. at the BankUnited Center on the UM Coral Gables campus. A limit of 200 tickets are available for Coral Gables residents beginning this Saturday, February 15 at 8 a.m. Tickets are limited to two per household and will be distributed in person at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, on a first-come, first-served basis. Hillary Rodham Clinton was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She represented New York in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2009, and later served as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. For more information on ticket distribution for residents, contact the Youth Center at 305-460-5600.

>>> City Is Looking For Volunteers To Serve On Green Initiatives – The City of Coral Gables is working on a Sustainability Master Plan that will help create a roadmap for environmental and sustainable best practices citywide. Working closely to advise Coral Gables officials on environmental issues that support a sustainable community is the mission of the City’s Green Task Force. The City has received several nominations from residents interested to serve, but more nominations are needed, especially from residents who have a professional planner background. The 11-member Task Force will make recommendations regarding the environmental sustainability of City programs, services, equipment, and facilities, as well as assist in developing a plan for increasing environmental awareness and participation. The Task Force will be comprised of a landscape architect, a planner, a person interested in historic preservation, an engineer, an architect, a member from the University of Miami, one from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and another from the Garden Club, as well as three city residents — two appointed by the City Commission and one by the City Manager. If you are interested in participating in this group, submit your résumé, along with a cover letter specifying in which capacity you wish to serve, to the Office of the City Clerk, 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, FL 33134. The information received will then be forwarded to the City Commission and City Manager for consideration. You must be a resident of Coral Gables to serve on the Green Task Force.

CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI

>>> Mayor Stoddard wins overwhelmingly victory, says it was “referendum on civility at city hall”

The Watchdog Report contacted Mayor Phillip Stoddard who last Tuesday was reelected by a resounding majority of voters over challenger Commissioner Valerie Newman, who historically has crossed swords with Stoddard on the dais. The mayor garnered 1,169 votes in the small municipality to his rivals 431 and a third candidate received 275 votes. Stoddard wrote back concerning the race that he felt “The landslide election proved to be a referendum on civility in city hall, and FPL’s involvement in local political races.  The voter spoke loud and clear, rejecting candidates who had been contentious and disrespectful in their public life before the election season, and rejecting candidates supported by lobbyists associated with FPL,” wrote the incumbent mayor. Editor’s note, the utility denies any involvement in the election.

CITY OF HOMESTEAD

>>> Mayor Porter gets Letter of Instruction from Ethics Commission after political ad distort[ed] facts”

Following a settlement agreed to last month with Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter over a campaign flyer used in November’s election, the COE today issued a Letter of Instruction that reminds him and all candidates that their right to free speech does not permit them to disseminate political ads that intentionally distort facts.  The complaint (C 13-31) stemmed from a brochure that falsely alleged that competing mayoral candidate Mark Bell and his wife, County Commissioner Lynda Bell, had received a “$25,000 gift, courtesy of the taxpayers of Homestead.”  In fact, the grant was issued by the Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency to the historic Redland Hotel, an entity owned by Mr. Bell.  The Letter states that such distortions create “an appearance of impropriety that shakes the public’s trust in their elected officials.”

TOWN OF MIAMI LAKES

>>> Former public works director Siaba hit with “Probable Cause,” for ethics violation with previous company that employed him

Ethics Commission press release: Probable Cause was found to a complaint (C13-51) filed against the former public works director for Miami Lakes for approving public business to a company that previously employed him.   Hiram Siaba had worked for Ballarena Construction  Group part-time as a project management coordinator from April to September of 2010, but failed to disclose that when he accepted the Miami Lakes position in January 2011.  The Public Works director had the authority to assign projects under a certain dollar amount to approved vendors without going to bid.  The investigation found that Siaba authorized at least ten projects to Ballarena and oversaw the process when Ballarena won a bid.  In what’s referred to as “the reverse two-year rule,” the Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Ordinance prohibits officials to perform any contract-related duties with a contractor within two years of working for that entity.  If he’s found in violation of the Code, Siaba could be fined up to $1,000 for the two counts against him.

VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE

>>> TRAFFIC ADVISORY: RICKENBACKER CAUSEWAY TOLL LANE SCHEDULE

Press release: Toll lanes on the Rickenbacker Causeway will observe the following schedule beginning Tuesday, February 18, 2014:

6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Lanes 7 and 8 (the two far right lanes) will be closed.  Traffic will be managed through use of all or some of Lanes 1 through 6 depending on the volume of traffic.

8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Lanes 1 through 6 will be closed. Traffic will be managed using Lanes 7 and 8 (the two far right lanes). This schedule change will remain in place until further notice.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Florida Panthers getting mixed reviews when it comes to getting more tourist tax dollars from lawmakers, hockey team’s performance keeps attendance low

The Florida Panthers are looking for more tourist development tax money out of Broward County and the request is splitting the county’s community leaders.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-panthers-tax-money-20140214,0,929097.story The professional ice hockey team moved from Miami to the new BB&T Arena in 1998, and the facility was built essentially for the team in Broward, and the team’s ownership is already getting a slice of the county’s tourist tax money to defray the costs, that has the team losing some $20 to $30 million a year and the request for more funding will be discussed this Tuesday at a Broward County commission meeting.

The issue of funding professional sports franchise with public monies is a hot button with struggling voters and the request is not a slam dunk and the Panthers are not the only team in South Florida looking to tap into more public dollars for either upgrades of the stadium, as in the case of the Miami Dolphins failed attempt last year, to now the Miami Heat looking for a increased bump in these tourist tax dollars for renovations to the AAA built by the Miami Heat but the land is owned by the county. >>> And check out the discussion of the BB&T arena getting more tourist tax dollars on Michael Putney’s show this Sunday      http://www.local10.com/news/this-week-in-south-florida-feb-9/24377874

>>> Residents can review they’re county commissioners financial disclosure forms on line — Residents of Broward County can now review they’re county commissioners financial disclosure forms on line and to see the inner financial workings of these elected officials go to  http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/results.cfm

>>> 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.

CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE

>>> Resident Sentenced in $2 Million Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Lee Ervin Dale, 31, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced today for his participation in a tax refund scheme using stolen identities. United States District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Dale to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered restitution in the amount of $275,740. A jury previously convicted Dale of two counts of converting government funds to his own use, six counts of making and presenting false claims to the IRS, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Dale filed approximately 291 handwritten tax returns claiming more than $2 million in refunds between 2006 and 2009 using stolen identities and listing his P.O. Box address. Although the IRS was able to prevent refund checks from being issued on most of these claims, approximately $275,000 in refund checks were mailed to his P.O. Box. Several of these checks were deposited directly into bank accounts bearing both Dale’s name and the identity theft victim’s name. Other checks were cashed at a check cashing store in Oakland Park, Florida, in exchange for cash and money orders that Dale then deposited into his own accounts.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss and now-former Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurie E. Rucoba. 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

>>> Gov. Scott taps Thomas A. Bean to the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County.

Press release: Bean, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, is the director of public and community engagement at Florida Power and Light Company. He succeeds Dari M. Bowman and is appointed for a term beginning February 13, 2014, and ending November 3, 2017.

>>> And to read all the Palm Beach elected leader’s financial disclosure reports go to http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/results.cfm

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

>>> Two Tampa Corporations and Four Tampa Residents Indicted in Scheme

to Unlawfully Sell an Unregistered Pesticide and Obstruct Justice

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Maureen O’Mara, Special Agent in Charge, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), Michael A. Hill, Special Agent in Charge, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG), Atlanta Field Office, and Colonel/Director Calvin Adams, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement (FWCC), announce the filing of an 11-count indictment charging New Nautical Coatings, Inc., d/b/a “Sea Hawk Paints,” Sea Hawk Refinish Line, Inc., d/b/a “Refinish Line Auto Supplies,” of Clearwater, Florida, and Hillsborough County residents Erik Norrie, David Norrie, Jason Revie, and Tommy Craft, in a scheme to unlawfully sell an unregistered pesticide and obstruct justice.

David Norrie, Jason Revie, and Tommy Craft had their initial appearances on February 11, 2013, in Tampa before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli. Erik Norrie is expected to make his initial this week in Tampa before U.S. Magistrate Judge Porcelli. Specifically, each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to (1) impede, impair, obstruct, and defeat the lawful functions of the EPA; (2) sell an unregistered pesticide; (3) violate an EPA cancellation order; and (4) obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and a separate conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. New Nautical Coatings, Refinish Line, David Norrie, Erik Norrie and Jason Revie are also charged with one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of misuse of a government seal, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1017. New Nautical Coatings and David Norrie are also charged with one count of obstruction of justice, and New Nautical Coatings and Erik Norrie are charged with two other counts of obstructing justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3). New Nautical Coatings, David Norrie, Erik Norrie, Jason Revie, and Tommy Craft are also charged with four counts of the sale of an unregistered pesticide, in violation of Title 7, United States Code, Section 136j(a)(1)(A).

According to the indictment, New Nautical manufactured a paint called Biocop Anti-Fouling Coating which contained tributyltin methacrylate, also known as “TBT,” a chemical compound which was found to have significant harmful effects on marine life. TBT based paints such as Biocop are pesticides subject to registration with the EPA. On or about December 1, 2005, the EPA cancelled New Nautical’s registration for Biocop, making it unlawful for New Nautical to manufacture Biocop for sale in the United States after December 1, 2005, or sell Biocop in the United States after December 31, 2005. Despite the cancellation, New Nautical Coatings, through defendants David Norrie, Erik Norrie Jason Revie, Tommy Craft and others continued to manufacture and sell Biocop in the United States. In order to manufacture and sell Biocop after the cancellation date, New Nautical Coatings, through defendants David Norrie, Erik Norrie, Jason Revie, Tommy Craft, and others, misled their customers and the EPA regarding their continued production of Biocop after the cancellation date. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants took steps to make it falsely and fraudulently appear that New Nautical had earmarked and sold significant amounts of Biocop to distributors prior to December 31, 2005. In truth, the supposedly allocated Biocop had not been manufactured by December 1, 2005, and did not exist to be sold by December 31, 2005. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Refinish Line, David Norrie, Erik Norrie, and Jason Revie created and caused to be created false and fraudulent purchase orders and invoices for orders of Biocop that Refinish Line did not sell, distribute, or ship to the customers and companies listed in the purchase orders and invoices.  New Nautical, David Norrie, and Erik Norrie took other steps to conceal the unlawful production and sale of Biocop, including the falsification of reports submitted to the EPA and directing a witness to lie to the EPA. By producing and selling Biocop, an unregistered pesticide, for domestic use and application, and by concealing such acts from the EPA and customers, New Nautical, Refinish Line and their co-conspirators derived pecuniary gains in excess of $2,000,000.

If convicted, the corporate defendants, New Nautical Coatings, Inc. and Sea Hawk Refinish Line, Inc., face a fine of up to $500,000 for each felony conviction, and a fine of $200,000 for each misdemeanor conviction. If convicted, the individual defendants face up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy to defraud the government, up to twenty years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice, up to five years in prison for each count of the misuse of a government seal, and up to one year in prison for each count of the sale of an unregistered pesticide.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of EPA-CID, EPA-OIG, and FWCC. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro O. Soto. An indictment is only an accusation and the 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.

MONROE COUNTY

>>> Miami-Dade/Monroe Early Learning Coalition gets clean audit for 2013

Press release: Financial Monitoring Report – The board of directors and staff of the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe are proud to report another year of clean audits. This means taxpayer dollars are in good hands with your Early Learning Coalition. An audit conducted by Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLC, reported no findings or observations in the Financial Statements for 2013. You can view the full report here. Auditors from the firm of Harvey, Covington and Thomas also conducted an annual OEL fiscal monitoring. Once again, the final report will reflect a clean audit with no findings or observations.

The Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe is here to serve you – our community. We are committed to providing you with the best possible services in the most cost effective way possible. We will continue to be transparent and accountable. Our board of directors and staff are committed to financial integrity that is second to none. >>> March Board Meeting Scheduled to Take Place in Monroe County. Our regularly scheduled March Board Meeting will take place on Monday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Marathon. Please note that the meeting location has changed. The meeting will be held at the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, 503 107th St. Gulfside, Marathon, Fla. The location is a little more than two hours from our headquarters. We recommend that everyone allow extra travel time in case of traffic.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>> Join the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe as we raise funds through TICKETS fore CHARITY!

TICKETS fore CHARITY is a unique fundraising initiative designed to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations where PGA TOUR events are held. By buying tickets to this golf event, you will be directly impacting the quality of education for children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. All funds raised (that’s 100%!) through our unique promotional code CHIP14 come directly back to our organization.  The Cadillac Championship continues to bring together the worlds of fashion, music and entertainment at one of the most elite and exciting tournaments on golf’s calendar during this year’s event at the Trump National Doral on March 5-9, 2014. There’s something for everyone in the family, and children 18 and under get in FREE with a ticketed adult!

>>> The Margulies Collection is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday 11am to 4pm Feature Exhibitions: Song Dong | The Wisdom of the Poor: A Communal Courtyard Arte Povera | Calzolari, Kounellis, Pistoletto Anselm Kiefer | Paintings and Sculpture 1986 – 2006 New Painting: Anna Betbeze, Aaron Bobrow, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Astrid Svangren,Tam Van Tran New Photography: Olafur Eliasson, Jan Hoek, Nina Katchadourian, Domenico Mangano, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Hank Willis Thomas New Sculpture: Ai Weiwei, Nathalie Djurberg, Masao Gozu, Kenny Scharf, Paolo Ventura

New Video: Kota Ezawa, Amar Kanwar We look forward to welcoming you to the Warehouse soon!

Jannis Kounellis,Senza Titolo,1999, plates, iron shelves, bags, plaster, 142 x 79″

EDITORIAL

>>> Ex Sweetwater Mayor Maroño’s comments about not being a ‘snitch’ upsets federal Judge Zloch, throws him earlier in the slammer last week , to reflect on his disgrace to his family and the cancer of public corruption in South Florida

Note to elected officials that get busted and plead guilty in court, don’t go on the media later and claim you don’t “snitch” on friends and that essentially a 40 month sentence in federal prison is a piece of cake. As disgraced Sweetwater Mayor Manuel Maroño’s did and resulted in federal District Court Judge William Zloch advancing his entry into the federal correction system last week where the mayor gets to see for himself what it is like to be in the federal Big House, and it is not a piece of cake.

The mayor convicted of corruption does not seem to get that it is over, that he has become a disgrace to his family and friends and those others that supported him and voted for him. For his going to prison is a stain on the city, and him personally, as his family and children will find out in the years ahead. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/11/3928771/former-sweetwater-mayor-manny.html Judge Zloch when he sentenced the politician last month to a longer sentence than federal prosecutors recommended. He said at the time, that public corruption had to be tamped down given the corrosive nature of the crime to the Republic and its prevalence here in South Florida.

And Maroño can now reflect on that fact as he sits in his cell in the federal penal system and he should ask himself if the extra cash was worth it, and did he sell himself on the cheap. While back at his home his family must try to put their life back together, no easy task given the circumstances and that should tear at the man the most. For he made his destiny and circumstances and it is not just about him anymore. It is about restoring the trust of public officials with the voters and taxpayers and this wayward mayor is a small potato in the scheme of things, and the only good thing in the end is he will never be back in public life again, which is a good thing.

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .

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

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

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

RON BOOK

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

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

SHUBIN & BASS     www.shubinbass.com

WILLIAMSOM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP http://williamsonautomotivegroup.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

CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY  www.fiu.edu

THE STATE OF FLORIDA    www.myflorida.gov

GREATER 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 COMMISSION   www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION

MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu

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

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com

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

THE BEACON COUNCIL   www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

THE GOOD GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE http://goodgov.net/

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

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION  www.miamifoundation.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 14^th 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 800 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over two 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, 2014, 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 To contact the Publisher please e-mail watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

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