Watchdog Report Vol.15 No.11 August 3, 2014 EST. 05.05.00 _ I go when you cannot- Celebrating 15 Years

>>> 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 pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

On another note,, I Had a mild Stroke Wednesday AND Went to Baptist Health South Miami HOSPITAL For TREATMENT AND after four days I am happy to say I am home after their fine physicians got me back on my feet, I AM not YET UP TO Par and am FEEELIHNG MY Way back into the reporting world but it was definitely a personal hit and I hope my supporters will stay with me while I work though this medical condition that can strike so suddenly with such devastating effects and I plan to be back in the

Future and hope my readers will understand given the circumstances. There will be no Watchdog Report next week and I will be returning soon thereafter and ask my readers to understand given the circumstances, Thank you.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Streets

>>>> With Identity Fraud “dwarfing,” Medicaid Fraud, hot topic at Chamber luncheon with federal official

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce at its monthly luncheon on Wednesday at Parrot Jungle will feature a speaker on identity fraud and as reported in past Watchdog Reports it is an exploding problem that is “dwarfing,” Medicare Fraud said the local U.S Attorney of the Southern District and is such a problem that people from Miami are showing up around the nation and perpetuating the scam in unsuspecting communities.

Press release: Two Hot Topics: Fraud Protection and Florida Medicaid Headline Next Week’s Trustee Luncheon

Last Days to Save with Early Online Registration Trustees will gather on August 6 at Jungle Island for the Chamber’s monthly Trustee Luncheon. They will hear from Robert Villanueva of the United States Secret Service and Eldred F. Garcia, co-founder of E Chip Miami, who will address Miami’s pioneering efforts to combat fraud using the latest technologies to protect our community: “From Fraud Capital to Fraud Protected: Greater Miami Leads the Way with Chip Technology.” Also on the agenda: Karen Zeiler, Senior Vice President of the Florida Hospital Association, and Florida Medicaid. Protect yourself from higher registration rates — register today to save; rates increase tomorrow, August 1! Contact: Special Events, 305-577-5433 | spevents@miamichamber.com Register Online

>>>> Press release; Miami-Dade County Resident Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme Involving Thousands of Individuals’ Personal Identifying Information

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Donnell Young, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announce that Paul Evans Auguste, 30, of Miami, was sentenced today to 61 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for his participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.

Auguste previously pled guilty to one count of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b)(2), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.

According to court documents, beginning on approximately September 30, 2013, Auguste began advertising to friends and acquaintances that he had personal identifying information (PII) for sale, that is, stolen names, dates of birth, and social security numbers belonging to real individuals. On December 9, 2013, Auguste sold PII belonging to 200 different individuals to an undercover law enforcement officer for $2,000. The PII sold by the defendant consisted of patient information sheets from rehabilitation center in Philadelphia.

Court documents also state that on January 6, 2014, the defendant sold an additional 60 pieces of PII to an undercover law enforcement officer for $500. During that exchange, the defendant stated that he was opening a “tax” office and needed money; the defendant reiterated that he obtained the PII from Philadelphia and offered to sell another 200 pieces of PII for $1,000.

According to court documents, on January 28, 2014, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence and discovered an additional 2,164 pieces of PII (702 of which were in his car, which the defendant was driving on his way to another controlled sale to law enforcement, and the remaining 1,462 of which were found in the defendant’s room).

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and ICE-HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco R. Maderal.

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.

>>> Lawmakers want safety caps on liquid nicotine for e-cigarettes – Legislation proposed after spike in poisoning reports

U.S. Sen Bill Nelson press release: The stuff is called Cotton Candy, Fruity Loops and even Gummi Bear.

But this particular stuff is not a pack of bubble gum or bag of fruit chews you might see as you check out at your local convenience store.

It is, in fact, a highly toxic and still-unregulated form of concentrated liquid nicotine for use in vapor devices including so-called e-cigarettes.  And it’s hitting the marketplace nationwide in easy-to-open vials and small eye-dropper bottles available for purchase in stores and online. “There’s enough nicotine in some of these bottles to kill small children, and even if a small amount spilled on a child’s skin it could make them extremely ill,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee who’s filing legislation to child-proof the containers.

Ingestion of liquid nicotine can cause vomiting and seizures and even death, a leading pediatricians’ group says.  And a recent New York Times report stated that a teaspoon of highly diluted liquid nicotine, whether ingested or absorbed through the skin, could kill a small child.

It’s already contributing to a surge in the number of reports of liquid-nicotine-related child poisonings.Nationwide, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, there have been more than 1,500 calls regarding liquid nicotine exposure so far this year – a pace that will double last year’s total.  And the 1,351 cases reported last year represented a 300 percent increase from 2012.

In response, a group of lawmakers Thursday filed legislation aimed at child-proofing the small bottles.  The legislation is a simple but significant step toward assuring children’s and product safety, the lawmakers said. Specifically, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014 would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue rules requiring safer, child-resistant packaging for any liquid nicotine sold to consumers.  The bill already has drawn a number of cosponsors and here’s what some of them said:

“We require child-proof packaging for items like Tylenol, Drano, and mouthwash, but not liquid nicotine,” said Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR), a former state attorney general.  “I have been working with industry on solutions, and was hopeful they would step up on their own.  However, we are seeing more and more children poisoned and even sent to the emergency room as a result of liquid nicotine.  We can’t afford to keep waiting.  Requiring child-proof packaging for these products is a common-sense solution to keep our kids safe.” Said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who is the number-two ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, “There is a word for the toxic candy-flavored liquids found in electronic cigarettes: poison.  Protecting our nation’s children from exposure to poison is basic common sense, especially when it can have dangerous and fatal consequences like liquid nicotine.”

Added Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of HELP, or the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, “A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a recent, alarming spike in e-cigarette poisonings – more than half of which affected young children.  This comes as no surprise given the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and candy- and fruit-flavored liquid nicotine that is enticing to children.  We have child-proof containers on everything from vitamins to ibuprofen, so it’s just plain common sense that we place child-proof mechanisms on highly-toxic and poisonous liquid nicotine.  Robust FDA regulation of e-cigarettes is absolutely essential to protect our children from these products.  In the meantime, however, this simple step would give peace of mind to parents and help protect our children from accidental ingestion or a fatal poisoning.” And Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said, “Our important child-proofing bill deals with the alarming increase in poisonings involving e-cigarette liquids, since children are drawn to brightly colored packaging and flavorings that smell like candy.”

The bill’s other initial co-sponsors are: Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

“For any parent, the process of child-proofing your home to make sure your kids don’t get into anything that can harm them can be a big project,” said Bennet, who is a member of the HELP Committee.  “Thankfully, many household products are manufactured with child-resistant packaging to help make things a little easier.

“With the popularity of e-cigarettes on the rise, this commonsense bill will ensure that liquid nicotine is among the products sold with child-resistant packaging to keep our kids safe,” he said. Besides the lawmakers, others, including the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, are advocating for quick passage of the legislation.

“Liquid nicotine containers are not required to have the same child-proof packaging standards that pediatricians and parents depend on to keep children safe from products like household cleaners and prescription drugs,” said Dr. James M. Perrin, head of the pediatrics group. “We cannot afford to wait any longer to protect children from potentially deadly nicotine ingestions,” Perrin said.

>>> National profile of the publisher in The Tribune papers Jan. 2003 & UNCCH 2004 media study that cites Watchdog Report having 100,000 readers weekly

To read a national story run in the Tribune papers on my life and how this all began done by Orlando Sentinel featured reporter Maya Bell go to: To read the section’s large front page story, but without the photos and smart box graphics, go to: `I Go When You Cannot’ – Sun Sentinel 20 Jan 2003 … Sometimes Dan Ricker lives in the dark so others may live in the light. … to his weekly Watchdog Report have finally mailed their checks. … http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american >>>  And to read a University of North Carolina Chapel Hill study on the media in the Southeast United States that mentions the Watchdog Report with 100,000 readers weekly, done back in 2004 and to read the Southern Media Study go to: 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 … – – Cached.

>>> All photos in the Watchdog Report are taken from public government sites, and the Report goes on line at www.watchdogreport.net on Monday sometime during the day usually. >>> If you believe it is important to have someone watching your public institutions consider supporting the Watchdog Report for I am a low cost news service yet I do have to live, thank you! Further, I have been honored over the years by being named a WFOR-4 Hometown Hero in 2000, being profiled in a major way by The Miami New Times, twice in The Miami Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel which ran as a nationwide story on me in the Tribune papers on Jan. 2003 and UNC Chapel Hill naming me one of the top columnists in Florida in a  multi-state study of the media back in 2004. I also thank Joseph Cooper for the opportunity to be on the WLRN/NPR showTopical Currents on www.wlrn.org since 2000, including yearly election coverage since then, and also numerous times over the past decade. Further, I am a frequent guest on WWW.WPBT2.ORG on Helen Ferre’s show Issues, and have also appeared on  Eliott Rodriguez’s show News & Views.

FLORIDA

>>> Now what, court rules redistricting process flawed and new Congressional maps must be redrawn, but time is short with Aug. 26 primary?

With primary elections approaching, once again Florida is under the gun after a Florida Court ruled that the legislature approved redistricting of congressional seats and the state legislature seats were invalid and must be redrawn and approved by the legislature in a special session. However, the court ruling has thrown a couple of congressional district races up in the air and GOP leaders are crying foul at the court ruling that also has the federal Justice department looking at the matter as well. For more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/01/4266657/florida-judges-orders-special.html

Further a new wrinkle has been introduced into the upcoming races with billionaire Tom Steyer saying he will contribute $750,0000 to the Crist campaign for governor and the man is an advocate of stopping Climate Change something Gov. Rick Scott has said he will not comment on since he is not a “scientist.” http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/02/4268750/billionaire-climate-change-supporter.html

>>> Here is the original press release: Florida League of Women Voters press release: Late yesterday afternoon Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis released his opinion in the redistricting trial, declaring that the congressional map drawn by the Florida legislature and adopted in 2012 is invalid and unconstitutional. In response to Judge Lewis’ ruling, League of Women Voters of Florida President Deirdre Macnab released the following statement.

For the first time, a group of citizens has shown that with commitment and perseverance, they can take on the might and unlimited resources of the Florida Legislature and win by exposing what the judge calls ‘the secret, organized campaign to subvert the supposedly open and transparent redistricting process.’ “

Judge Lewis’ ruling puts real teeth in the Fair Districts amendments that were passed so overwhelmingly by Florida voters. With many other states grappling with the cancer of gerrymandering, this nationally precedent-setting decision sends a clear message that triumphs in the name of fair and transparent government are possible. This is a thrilling victory for the people of Florida and for the open, fair and accountable government that for decades the League has worked tirelessly to promote.

To read Judge Terry Lewis’ opinion in full, please click here.

The League of Women Voters of Florida, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, please visit the League’s website at: www.TheFloridaVoter.org.

>>> And it’s good to be an incumbent legislator and 43 percent of the unopposed incumbents were reelected Friday ay at noon, www.miamiherlad.com to another term and some local senators have been reelected including Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah and incumbent state Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami has another four year years in the upper legislative body, and his brother Renier is running to be a local Circuit Court Judge.

What about write-in candidates?

While write in candidates this election cycle were less than in some past years like in the early 20000 time frame, that had hundreds of voters disenfranchised since their was  a write in candidate in the party primary, and back then I checked on some of these candidates and one candidates address did not exist, another had their phone disconnected. After I contacted them concerning a story on the matter and how they were disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of county voters since if it was a Republican write in candidate, Democratic Party voters could not participate and GOP party officials defended this by saying it was the GOP’s primary and why should they be swayed by none party voters in their own primary. But over the decades write in candidates have become a double edged sword for some races but their names on the ballots given the current rules do deprive thousands of voters across the state to vote on many of their elected state official’s that will represent them in their state capital..

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/30/4088964/crist-leads-gov-scott-by-10-points.html

Scott

Crist

Rich

>>> Below is the latest campaign reports for candidates running for Circuit Court judicial seats in Miami-Dade County and are on the August primary ballot. Judges when they run often don’t get the scrutiny they deserve and voters should learn as much as they can about the candidates before they cast their vote and in the months ahead I will  profile some of the candidates in future WDRs.

Group	Incumbent	Challenger	Contributions	Loans	In-Kinds	Expenditures	Balance
16		Steve Millan	27,980.00	50,000	0.00	56,160.35	21,819.65
		Thomas A. Cobitz	19,940.00	500,000.00	1,051.06	101,323.42	418,616.58
26	Rodney “Rod” Smith		107,094.34	100.00	2,375.31	57,283.06	49,911.28
		Christian Carrazana	19,100.00	7,000.00	134.92	13,715.05	12,384.95
27		Mary C. Gomez	14,615.00	0.00	1,135.85	13,004.44	1,610.56
		Alberto Milian	59,728.00	100,000.00	1,060.82	7,335.20	152,392.80
58		Martin Zilber	142,558.00	100,000.00	7,964.98	38,811.06	203,746.94
		Oscar Rodriguez Fonts	72,079.00	0.00	833.86	26,566.39	45,512.61
67	Fleur J. Lobree		35,645.81	100,000.00	2,416.20	12,700.58	122,945.23
		Mavel Ruiz	20,902.00	0.00	4,918.94	14,713.90	6,188.10
70		Veronica Diaz	44,410.01	40,000.00	8,509.82	12,606.59	71,803.42
		R. Diaz de la Portilla	60,992.67	200.00	128.87	32,684.26	28,508.41

>>> 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. >>> Update: Two encouraging meetings… The first, a visit from the Governor to the Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care center in Little Havana where he discussed his early learning priorities. That includes his support for “Help Me Grow,” a statewide parent resource system where parents would be able — via phone and online — to get answers to questions about their child’s development and connected with the proper resources. The second, a meeting with future House Speaker, Rep. Jose Oliva from Hialeah. He’s a father of three, a real reader of history and student of policy, and committed to better understanding early learning. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>>> Commission races beginning to get ugly, how low will they go?

A number of Miami-DADE County Commissioners are up for reelection and one is Jean Monestime who is being challenged by former long serving Commissioner Dorrin Rolle for the District 2 Seat, whom Monestime defeated back in 2010 after Rolle was hit over the years with a variety of ethics violations and the long serving organization he was director of JESCA, founded in 1925 by Capt. James C. Scott went into bankruptcy and JESCA at one point had some $250,000 in bounced checked charges and other financial issues that turned voters cold, to the man and commissioner originally appointed to the office by the governor after Rolle’s predecessor James Burke was arrested and suspended from office at the time around 1998.

Further former Homestead Mayor and Commission District 8 incumbent Lynda Bell is being challenged by  Daniella Levine Cava, a longtime community social services advocate who was director of Catalyst Miami and has gained traction in the race. Both have raised enough money for their campaign war chest to run a competitive race for the sprawling district that includes South Dade but had the city of PInecrest cut out of it during the commission redistricting process a few years ago, and Bell replaced Commissioner Katy Sorenson back in 2010 when Sorenson decided to not run for reelection and is heading up the Good Government initiatiative at the University of Miami.

Also long serving commissioner Javier Souto is seeking reelection and he is facing challenger Marina Meadows and Souto is a constituent maven who has served for years  without a hint of scandal and the former state senator and representative is a cultural and Parks maven but periodically goes on a jag at the dais and becomes long winded but he has high name recognition, holds numerous town hall meetings and Meadows is a relative unknown candidate and given Souto’s fundraising efforts he is likely to retain his District 10 seat on the 13 member commission.

And Jose “Pepe” Diaz is facing a challenger for the first time in many years since he was first elected back in 2003. Diaz is facing Marjorie Figuueira for the District 12 seat and he is a former Sweetwater mayor prior to his election.

What about the recall of Mayor Carlos Gimenez?

After the Fourth of July boat deaths near Coconut Grove a former county fire Rescue employee whose son Andrew was killed is calling for the recall of County Mayor Gimenez, http://www.local10.com/news/county-fire-boat-captain-aims-to-recall-miamidade-mayor/27234262 but recent polls suggest that task will not be easy, after Gimenez replaced the previous Mayor Carlos Alvarez, after he was successfully recalled but that was with the help of auto magnate Norman Braman but the political environment is different from 2011 and this recall effort is unlikely to catch on with the electorate at this moment in time since Gimenez is also committed to keeping tax rates low and Gimenez is seeking concessions from county employees that plays well with property owners but is different from Alvarez’ who was in many ways was politically tone deaf.

Gimenez

What about the mayor’s budget press conference?

Mayor Carlos Gimenez on Tuesday held his budget press conference in his 29^th Floor conference room, filled with plaques and awards but this year it seemed to be a much more scripted affair and Gimenez as would be normal did not take reporters’ questions after his presentation, and instead had interviews with the media on an individual basis and the names were selected by lottery said the mayor’s press person Michael Hernandez. Further, the mayor is going through staff at a good clip and last week his chief of staff Lisa Martinez announced she was leaving after only a few months on the job and Martinez was credited with creating structure to the office that includes numerous deputy mayors and ancillary staff and the high pay of some of these employees has been a hot topic with county commissioners in the past. And below is the announcement of Martinez leaving the office. Further Gimenez who can come off as thin skinned later during the presentation and he later had an odd exchange with Jim DeFede, a CBS 4 reporter. And the man who was once asked if he could take the heat on the dais when he was manager of the City of Miami?, back then he remarked as the previous Fire Chief where he had to run into burning buildings, and the grilling he was getting from Miami Commissioners at the time was nothing he suggested back then in 2003. But the county is a much bigger operation than Miami and as the strong mayor the duties are much greater and larger in scale. And it will take all his leadership in the weeks ahead to get through this upcoming budget cycle.

And for more on the county budget go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/19/4189565/miami-dade-budget-cuts-could-eliminate.html Further, Chip Iglesias also announced his retirement as Gimenez’s longtime chief of staff and the mayor’s office is clearly feeling the pressure of the protracted budget negotiations going on with thecountycommissioners. http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/23/4250580/exit-at-county-hall-miami-dade.html And the question is will a whole new army of lobbyist be descending on county hall in the months ahead as they go into the private sector.

What about Commissioner Xavier Suarez?

County Commissioner Xavier Suarez at a meeting to discuss Baylink mass transit going to Miami Beach from the City of Miami. The former Miami Mayor who represents Commission District 7 made a frank statement about his job as commissioner and he told attendees he was “just a part time commissioner” after he arrived just a few minutes late since he was attending a Commission Committee meeting in the chamber’s that he is on. Suarez along with a number of other commissioners is still having a hard time living on the $6,000 salary he is paid for being on the body and while voters have been asked almost a dozen times to raise that salary. Voters have persistently said no way at the ballot box over the years and shot down any pay raise for commissioners. However Suarez is a persistent critic of the administration and there is speculation that he might run for county mayor (that pays $150,000) in 2016 and Suarez continues to be critical and snipe at the mayor’s staff during commission meetings, but his armchair quarterbacking many times after the fact is not playing well with his 13 peers on the dais and it is unknown if his son Francis a Miami Commissioner will seek the seat in the future if his dad does run for mayor. After Suarez lost past bids for the office in the City of Miami after a past bid back in 2001. And he clearly cherishes the role of being a mayor.

Suarez

Bovo

Heyman

Gimenez

>>> With The Miami Herald detailing a story on possible further budget cuts from the Mayor Carlos Gimenez administration, especially, in regard to the Miami-Dade Police Department, let the budget battle begin in the commission chambers

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/19/4189565/miami-dade-budget-cuts-could-eliminate.html# The game of budget chicken is heating up as the county commission begins reviewing the mayor’s final, yet to be submitted budget, that is still evolving through July, but it is clear some hard decisions will have to be made in the future months, that also include some commission races and it is unlikely any incumbent is going to raise taxes or campaign on higher taxes and while property taxes have increased, it is insufficient to cover rising expenses in a host of departments but the 13 member commission will have to grapple with this funding dilemma in the weeks ahead to the final fiscal document.

>>>>What about the Sea Level Rise Task Force recent findings? Below are the links to the comprehensive report and the Task Force was headed up by County Clerk Harvey Ruvin, a long time environmental advocate

The Miami-Dade SLRTF, sponsored by Chairwomen Rebeca Sosa, and unanimously established by the BCC; for nearly one year the SLRTF has been conducting hearings, studying reports/expert testimony and carefully deliberating this critical issue. The Report is now final and scheduled to be presented to the BCC on July 1st. The Report (l3 pages) and the Appendix l80 pages) can be downloaded at the following two links: http://www.miamidade.gov/planning/library/reports/sea-level-rise-final-report.pdf http://www.miamidade.gov/planning/library/reports/sea-level-rise-appendices.pdf

GMCVB press release: Total passenger arrivals at Miami International Airport (MIA) increased in the months of January – June 2014 by 1.7%.

Record MIA Passenger Arrivals

Total Arrivals

January – June 2014 January – June 2013 % Change vs. 2013

10,407,748 10,234,795 +1.7%

>>>> PAST WDR: Is conflict developing over 2.9 billion GOB funds going to other commission districts

Ramifications of redistricting of the 13 commission districts in 2012 are rippling through the county’s 2.9 billion GOB program passed by county voters in 2004. The problem is some approved projects in one District are now in another commissioner’s and Commissioner Javier Souto bristled because of the ramifications and the money he considered solely for his district use. However, the discussion on the matter got heated and the problem will likely raise its head on the dais in the future.

>>> PAST WDR: Finance Committee Chair Bovo wishes more commissioners would attend budget hearings with the clock ticking running up to the public budget hearings in Sept. and Mayor Gimenez is facing a $75 million hole in the upcoming budget that must be filled. And Bovo and Commissioner Juan Zapata had  extensive discussions on how Convention and Development Tourist (CDT) taxes are used and how these monies get allocated and will ultimately be paying for the debt on the new Florida Marlins Stadium that after financing could cost around $2.3 billion with the bulk of the bond payments in the later years and why Zapata does not want to drop this fiscal nightmare on future commissioners and wants a better plan in place of how these CDT funds are spent and future obligations for the funds, and could also be used for such projects as Baylink, a proposed mass transit project from Miami to Miami Beach.

County Commissioner Estephan Bovo has been holding budget hearings for months since he is chair of the Finance Committee and there is a $200 million gap in next year’s budget that begins Oct. 1 and the lack of funding has segments of the community in a uproar when it comes to cuts in the library District, or the animal Services budgets and in cultural programs.

Bovo is going through all the 25 county department budgets and he wished his other 12 commissioners attended the meetings so they could give they’re input early to the administration of Mayor Carlos Gimenez what the body’s budget priorities are and what other commissioners think, he said Monday.

What about the Miami Science Museum?

Further, when it comes to the new Miami Science Museum being constructed in Museum Park and its management contractor being dismissed recently. No one was talking at Miami-Dade County about the new wrinkle in the project that got a $275 million slug of public GOP money from the county and the Watchdog Report asked County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Cultural Affairs Director Michael Spring and both said they were aware of some issues, but “no more money” was coming from the county they both suggested, Further Spring last week said the museum was working through the issues and said the reason no further details have become public is because there “will likely be lawsuits,” in the future and  since the County has a $200 million budget hole to plug  when it comes to finding spare money as in many past years, “there is no more magic,” in the county’s budget since some $4 billion has been cut out of the county budget since around 2008, said one long time experienced budget expert at the county.  And the reason the Watchdog Report is so interested in what is going on over at the Frost Museum of Science and if there will be a need for money to finish the impressive, but complex facility. It is because there is now no more money and while the Museum has raised some $80 million on its own. It is unknown if the organization can fill in any fiscal gap for the final construction. And here is the Museum’s website that talks about a new management company being selected and Spring told the Watchdog Report that the “project will not become a PACT II ,” he assured me. He said last week the “Miami Science Museum is just getting re-organized and they have not asked for any money,” said Spring, the County’s Cultural Affairs Director. http://www.frostscience.org/blog/ http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/16/4121231/new-contractor-named-for-frost.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/24/miami-science-museum-breaks-ground_n_1298730.html Editor’s Note: The Museum recently received two major donations. Patricia and Phillip Frost that the museums are named after announced two gifts one for $7.5 million from the Batchelor Foundation and a second $2.5 million gift bringing the total fundraising commitments to a total of $135 million in private fundraising including $86 million in commitments says www.miamiherald.com and the Watchdog Report for one thanks these benefactors for these contributions to this important cultural institution that had all the earmarks of needing significantly more public financing. And Trish and Dan Bell told the Watchdog Report last week that the new Museum will be “Magnificent,” and is expected to “be on time” and the organization will not ask for anymore county money, the board Co Chairs said.

>>> Absentee ballots are doing a brisk business and as of last week some 188,256 such ballots have been requested by Miami-Dade County voters for the Aug. 26 primary election that has judicial candidates on the ballot including a host of judges, some county commissioners and a some school board members and county commissioners up for reelection and on the ballot.

>>>> County Advisory Board members put on notice

M-DC ETHICS Commission Press release: Citizens who serve on advisory boards, quasi-judicial agencies, task forces, committees and other organizations created by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners will be removed from their positions if they fail to provide financial disclosure as required by their appointments.   The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust today expressed support for the ordinance passed by the County Commission last week.  It establishes procedures to remove delinquent individuals who do not submit the forms as required by July 1 after each year of board service.  The Ethics Commission will notify the offenders six months after that.  If they fail to comply within 31 days after receiving notice, they will be removed from the board.  The delinquent member would also be subject to fines and other penalties.

Ethics Commissioners agreed to change the schedule of its regular meetings to the second Wednesday of each month.  The next meeting will be Wednesday, August 13, 2014, at 10 a.m.

>>>>OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL RELEASES 2013 ANNUAL REPORT

The goal of the Office is to ensure an honest, efficient, and transparent County government for the citizens of Miami-Dade County. The report can be viewed in its entirety on the OIG’s website at www.miamidadeig.org.

>>>> Press release: Policeman Indicted For Aiding and Abetting a Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and For Extortion

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Filed Office, and J.D. Patterson, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announce the indictment of Roderick Silva, 45, of Miami, a police officer who formerly served as a detective assigned to the MDPD Narcotics Bureau. The indictment charges Silva with one count of aiding and abetting a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and one of count of extortion in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951.

The conspiracy charge against Officer Silva alleges that he aided and abetted a group of persons who were illegally growing hydroponic marijuana in numerous homes that they owned, rented, or otherwise controlled, in the south west Miami-Dade County area. The conspiracy charge further identified this group of persons as members of the Santiesteban family, and their friends and associates. The Santiesteban family members, and a number of their friends and associates, have already been convicted in a federal prosecution brought against them in 2012 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1000 marijuana plants. They pled guilty to that charge in 2013, and are serving long prison sentences.

The conspiracy charge also alleges that Officer Silva aided and abetted the Santiesteban family members, and their friends and associates, in their marijuana growing activities by providing them with confidential MDPD information about when MDPD narcotics detectives were investigating them, and when they might have their marijuana grow houses searched, and their marijuana plants seized; and by providing advice to the Santiestebans and their friends and associates about how to avoid, deflect, frustrate, and obstruct those MDPD investigations and by providing confidential MDPD information about suspected grow houses operated by other marijuana growers, so the Santiestebans and their friends and associates could rob those grow houses of their marijuana plants.

The extortion count of the indictment charges that Officer Silva obtained money from Santiesteban family members, “under color of official right.” It specifies that Officer Silva received $1500 cash on January 5, 2011, in Miami-Dade County for “maintaining his silence and not disclosing to any law enforcement authorities all that he knew about the illegal, criminal activities of the Santiesteban family members.”

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “We are especially saddened when a public servant misuses his position of trust to engage in criminal conduct.  Mr. Silva’s criminal conduct not only undermined the trust of this community, but also undermined the trust of the officers who served by his side.  Today’s indictment sends a message to all public officials who commit crime that they are not above the law and that they will be brought to justice.”

“Mr. Silva’s actions undermines the public’s trust in law enforcement, as well as betrays the officers and agents who worked by his side” said Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Division. “Silva must now face the consequences of his actions in large part due to the dedication and commitment of the Miami Dade Police Department and the FBI.” Director J.D. Patterson stated, “The community’s trust is vital to us and make no mistake, the Miami-Dade Police Department remains committed in seeking out, identifying, and ridding itself of individuals who violate that trust.  This violation of trust tarnishes the badge of every hard-working officer who risks his/her life daily to protect this community.  We appreciate the partnership and support of our federal partners during this sensitive investigation.”

If convicted, Officer Silva faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison up to life in prison on the aiding and abetting a conspiracy count and up to 20 years in prison on the extortion count. An indictment is only an accusation and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of FBI and MDPD. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Sullivan 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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

City of Hialeah

>>>> Director of Nursing Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $7 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Press release: A former director of nursing pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving Anna Nursing Services Corp. (Anna Nursing), a defunct home health care company in Miami.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Lynch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office made the announcement.

Armando Buchillon, 42, of Hialeah, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6, 2014, before Judge Lenard.

According to court documents, Buchillon was a director of nursing at Anna Nursing, a Miami home health care agency that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries.  The owners and operators of Anna Nursing agreed to and actually did operate Anna Nursing for the purpose of billing the Medicare Program for, among other things, expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were not medically necessary and/or were not provided.

As part of the fraudulent scheme, Buchillon and his co-conspirators regularly falsified patient documentation in order to make it appear that beneficiaries qualified for and received home health care services, when, in fact, many of the beneficiaries did not actually qualify for or receive such services.  In addition, Buchillon paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters, in return for the recruiters providing patients to Anna Nursing for home health care and therapy services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.  Buchillon also worked as a patient recruiter for Anna Nursing and was paid kickbacks and bribes by the owner of Anna Nursing.  Buchillon and his co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare on behalf of these beneficiaries.

From approximately October 2010 through approximately April 2013, Anna Nursing was paid by Medicare approximately $7 million for fraudulent claims for home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.

The case was 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.  This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys A. Brendan Stewart and Anne P. McNamara of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 1,900 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 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. 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.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>>>Return Preparer Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Refund Scheme Involving

Personal Identification Information of Miami-Dade County Public School Students

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Donnell Young, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and J. Scott Dennis, Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department, announce that Donald Claude, 34, of Miramar, pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).  Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2014. At sentencing, Claude faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and a mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term in prison, for aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Claude was the Chief Executive Officer of J&D Tax Services, LLC. Claude obtained an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) for J&D Tax Services, LLC which permitted Claude and co-defendant James Jean-Baptiste to file tax returns electronically in the names of other individuals. Claude also obtained a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) as a tax preparer that permitted him to identify himself as the preparer on tax returns electronically filed in the names of other individuals.

Claude and Jean-Baptiste obtained the personal identification information (PIl) of students from an employee of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Claude and Jean-Baptiste used the students’ stolen identities to file false and fraudulent tax returns with the IRS to fraudulently obtain tax refunds for their personal use and benefit. Claude and his co-conspirators caused over $200,000 in false and fraudulent tax refund claims to be submitted to the IRS from 2009 through 2011 through his EFIN and PTIN.

James Jean-Baptiste was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, seven counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1). Jean-Baptiste remains at large.Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, the USSS, and the North Miami Beach Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gera R. Peoples. 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.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> New “aggressive,” PHT budget for next year causes controversy with nursing staff

While the Jackson Health System oversight board approved last week the 2014 proposed $1.6 billion budget that the county commission has to ultimately approve by Sept. 30 it was not without extensive discussion http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/30/4263702/jackson-adopts-budget-excluding.html from the seven member board on its “aggressiveness,” Martha Baker, R.N. the union representative for nurses said in the past years they had given “some $100 million in concessions” but  a staff Shortage of some “500 nurses,” is creating what Baker calls a “demographic nightmare,” as this work force ages and she argued that some past concessions were not included in the new budget figures the board was voting on and the nursing shortage has been aggravated by higher wages at competing hospitals like the Memorial Hospital system in Broward and the shortage of nurses has been a persistent problem for over a decade. Trust chair Daryl Sharpton, C.P.A., noted that one of the reasons so many young nursing graduates leave is they go to JHS to get the experience in their resume which he said is similar to the private sector.

However, Baker repeatedly argued that the administration was not keeping its word and they had been working under a three year contract that ends Sept 30 and PHT President and CEO Carlos Migoya noted that in contract negotiations some of these issues had been discussed and PHT vice Chair Joe Arriola said he thought it was “time to get really serious about the labor situation.”

Baker noted the nurses also want “to ensure the long term viability of the public health system,’ as swell and why they have agreed to  Millions in past concessions, but a loss of patient volume is hurting the fiscal bottom line staff said as well.

>>> Press release: Applications to Serve on the Jackson Health System General Obligation Bond Citizens’ Advisory Committee of Miami-Dade County

Applications are now being accepted for nomination to serve on the Jackson Health System General Obligation Bond Citizens’ Advisory Committee of Miami-Dade County, the advisory committee for Jackson Health System’s general obligation bond program.  At least five voting members (and no more than 15) will be nominated by the Public Health Trust Nominating Council. Each voting member of the Advisory Committee must have an outstanding reputation for professional ability with substantial professional accomplishment and shall hold a senior or prominent position in one of the following fields: Professional Engineer, Florida CPA,Real Estate Development, Emergency Medical Services, Professional Architect  Download the application.  Applications must be received no later than September 2, 2014 by 4 p.m. The PHT Nominating Council will contact selected applicants for interviews and a background check. The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, upon recommendation of the Nominating Council, will make the appointment to the advisory committee. If nominated by the PHT nominating council and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, the committee members will serve without compensation for  either one or three years.

All applications must be submitted with a current resume or curriculum vitae and must be received by:

Christopher Agrippa, Director, Clerk of the Board
111 NW 1st Street
Suite 17-202
Miami, Florida 33128

Emails or facsimiles of the application will be accepted and can be sent to clerkbcc@miamidade.gov or faxed to 305-375-2484. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure electronic receipt of the application by calling the Clerk of the Board at 305-375-1652.  For additional information regarding the application process, please call 305-375-5311.If you cannot view PDF files, you can download Acrobat Reader for free from Adobe Systems, Inc. In order to use PDF files, you must have Acrobat installed on your computer.

Back to Top Page Last Edited: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:23:19 PM

>>>> PAST WDR: For GOB oversight board, only four people apply, Has Commission chilled the pool of applicants after good ones in past have been overlooked,

As of the June 26 deadline, only four people applied to be on the new JHS Bond Oversight board created by the County Commission to provide oversight of how an $830 million in bond proceeds are spent to update the infrastructure at the Jackson Health Systems facilities and is long overdue. The low number of applications will likely result in the Nominating Council requesting to re run the advertisement that asked for people to apply to be on the advisory board and below is the link to the past request for applicants. And the qualifications the applicants are suggested. However, this lack of applications could be symptomatic of past county commission votes where nominated candidates did not make the cut and I hear from many top notch potential board members. Why should they apply since the board is also ultimately under the thumb of county commissioners, and not truly independent. Though recently JHS CEO Carlos Migoya has been given the benefit of the doubt now that the Health Trust is now in the black and not hemorrhaging hundreds of millions in losses, while also giving some $600 million in charity and uncompensated care but that could also change anytime in the future depending on the political winds blow down at county hall. But this lack of applicants applying for this important oversight board is disturbing and if a trend county commissioners should discuss why this lack of civic engagement is occurring for this important community jewel that apparently few people want to serve on.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>>> Mayor Regalado says issue of free tickets to Ultra Festival was “not end of the matter,” he thought

A furor is developing after a host of free tickets were given to some Miami employees and some members of the Bay front Trust for the controversial but lucrative Ultra Music Festival where this year a private security guard was injured when the crowd surged  and she was trampled. A report done by the Miami internal auditor brought out this fact in a recent report that the media got hold of. The City of Miami Attorney opined the tickets were ok and that the city code was ‘arfchaic and old’ language and difficult to interpretive correctly regarding these tickets that those who received them said it allowed them to monitor if stipulations in the contracts were being followed.

Mayor Tomas Regalado on Friday told the Watchdog Report that “in his opinion the issue of the free tickets was not the end of the matter and that he disagreed with the ethics commission’s ruling on the matter.” For more on the story go to    http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/31/4265703/miami-city-attorney-ultra-vip.html

>>>PASTWDR: Sarnoff has top net worth on five-member commission, net worth surges to $2.3 million; Mayor Regalado comes in at $50,700, up from $28,321, last year

The Watchdog Report last week got copies of the Miami commissioner’s and mayor’s yearly financial disclosure reports due Jul.1., from the City Clerk and Commissioner Willy Gort  who had a net worth of $241,000 last year and this year he is reporting $329,000. Mayor Tomas Regalado through July 1, 2013 had a $28,321 net worth last year, (Up from $18,801 the year before) and this year Regalado’s net worth in  2014 is $50,700. Commissioner Frank Carollo has a $783,600 net worth, (Up from $748,000) and this year it is $856,770, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff for the year is worth $2.1 million, (Up from $1.98 million the year before) and this year he is at $2.3 million  ,Commissioner Keon Hardeman is reporting a negative $148,000 net worth and Commissioner Francis Suarez comes in at negative $13,018 this year, (Down from a negative $99,542 the previous year) state they’re on file financial disclosures for the year. Suarez told the Watchdog Report the change in his net worth this year was because some rental properties values had risen over the past years and was why he was in the red a few years ago.

What about gifts the Miami commissioner’s received last year?

Regalado took a trip to Yucatan on the nation’s governor dime an extensive itinerary of activities and official functions on his disclosure form. The airfare was $701. And Commissioner Wilfredo Gort traveled to the Hemispheric Congress and listed he lists an airfare and hotel’s cost and Commissioner Marc Sarnoff did not travel but he did get a $600.000 pen from the DDA that he chairs in recognition of the recent Pottinger verdict relating to how the city must treat the homeless in Miami and was later modified by the federal courts.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

Press release: Dear Friends and Neighbors:

As a follow up to last week’s email update about flooding mitigation and stormwater rates, please view the video message below for more information.

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

When I was elected last November with a mandate from the people to “fix what’s broken and make things work,” I was tasked with making very difficult decisions. As Mayor, I do not have the liberty to debate the causes of sea level rise, tidal surge, or climate change, but I am charged with ensuring that Miami Beach,  its residents, and its businesses are equipped to handle the effects.

We have already taken immediate action.  Earlier this year the City Commission unanimously voted to raise standards on citywide projects for stormwater planning and there are currently three new pump stations being installed on an emergency basis on lower Alton Road that will be completed in the coming months.

It’s time to continue moving forward with a comprehensive plan for a fortified stormwater drainage system to combat our chronic flooding. While some may feel there’s time to delay, yesterday, six out of the seven members of the City Commission, myself included, voted to invest in our community’s future by increasing stormwater rates. In this economic environment, any form of fee or tax increase is very difficult to do. I commend the five Commissioners who voted “yes” for their courage and for putting the interests of our City and its residents above self-serving and shortsighted politics.

Clearly, if the City had other funds available to finance this emergency flood prevention program, we would have used them instead of raising the rates.   The new rates will reflect an average increase of $7 per month, or approximately $.25 per day for the typical household. The funds will be used to finance the reconstruction of our antiquated stormwater drainage system, which entails the following proposed upgrades:

*       Installation of 35 large pump stations

*       Installation of 30 smaller pump stations

*       Conversion of 21 injection pumps

*       Repair of existing outfalls that discharge stormwater and installation of one-way flex valves

Moving forward, to finance the remainder of our flood prevention program, my colleagues and I will explore all possible external funding opportunities, including county, state, and federal sources.

As your Mayor, I will never play politics with an issue as dire as flooding mitigation in our City.  You can always count on my dedication to doing what’s right and to serve the best interests of our residents. I will work day and night to make these improvements and to make every dollar we spend count. Because when it comes to this city and to the people who live in it, I don’t play politics. I play, “Let’s get it done.”

>>>> PASTWDR: Will location of maintenance facility be issue with BayLink project? Miami nor Beach is said to want the depot

With a Miami-Dade transportation panel studying the feasibility of a mass transit system to Miami Beach and how to finance it. Besides the $532 million cost another hurdle may be where to put the maintenance facilities. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado told the Watchdog Report last week after a meeting at the county. Consultants studying the issue and who made a presentation Tuesday said the “preferred location” for the facility was Miami Beach but they are not interested and the other location in Overtown in Miami’s urban core given the areas demographics could be an issue. Since the city got embroiled in a controversy after a similar trolley depot was  built next to homes at a Coconut Grove site to be used to service Coral Gables trolleys and created a major controversy in the surrounding area with law suits flying, and that kind of situation is something the mayor does not want to repeat he said.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>>> Press release: Free Admission For Seniors At Actors’ Playhouse for Mid-Life 2! The Crisis Continues

Beginning this Saturday, July 19, seniors living in Coral Gables can reserve free tickets, on a first-come, first-served basis, for the hilarious musical “Mid-Life 2! The Crisis Continues.” The free admission is for the July 23, 2 p.m. matinee performance at the Miracle Theatre, located at 280 Miracle Mile. Residents ages 60 and over must also come in person to the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, to be placed on a reservation list after showing proof of residency and age. Tickets will be available at the Playhouse’s will-call window prior to each performance. There is a limit of 50 free admissions for each performance. Complimentary tickets will be available to an individual or household for only one show per season. If a patron accepts the ticket and does not show the day of the performance, the patron will have forfeited his one-time ticket offer for the season. For more information, call the Youth Center at 305-460-5600.

>>>>FairChild Tropical Botanical Gardens is having a major festival and the Garden is one of Miami-Dade’s true treasures that is augmented with an army of volunteers that keep the garden’s in pristine shape at no cost to the taxpayers and if you and your family want a special treat checkout this story on the Garden’s http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/08/4224318/colombian-mangoes-will-be-the.html

>>>> Mayor Pizzi duking it out with federal prosecutors on corruption charges, high flying mayor used to love publicity, but things change

The federal corruption trial of former Mayor Miami Lakes Mayor Michael PIzzi is going on after he was charged with political corruption for taking bribes from FBI agents for federal grants, which he says he is innocent of and the high profile mayor has always had a brash side to his personality and historically loved the media spotlight as he described himself as a populist that fought against injustice.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/09/4226304/opening-statements-will-present.html

However, in Miami Lakes he also has the reputation as being demanding when he would go to restaurants and would remind the staff he was the mayor and would like a good table and perhaps some extras but this attitude appears to have caught up with him in the federal sting operation that his defense team plans to poke holes into. Further, back in 2004 he once toyed with the idea of running as a candidate for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office held by Katherine Fernandez-Rundle. But he changed his mind back then.

>>> OTHER STORIES AROUND FLORIDA

BROWARD COUNTY

>>>>>Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Operation TacklesGun Violence and Drug Trafficking in Broward County

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael J. Satz, Broward State Attorney, Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF), Amos Rojas, Jr., U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshal’s Service (USMS), and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), announce the results of a concerted multi-agency effort to combat the crime and violence associated with illegal firearm and drug trafficking activity in Broward County. To that end,  the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Broward State Attorney’s Office, and federal and state law enforcement cooperated in a number of joint investigations and prosecutions targeting illegal firearms and drug trafficking. This joint effort resulted in 16 individuals being charged with federal and state firearm and narcotics offenses.

Of those charged, federal charges have been brought against three individuals. The federal criminal complaints filed on July 1, 2014 and unsealed today, charge: Freddy Lee Gardner, 49, of Plantation, with armed career criminal in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g) and 924(e); Kasheem Antonio Saddoo, 23, of Lauderhill, with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(k); and Antonio James, 19, of Lauderhill, with possession of a short barreled rifle, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5841, 5861(d), 5861(e) and 5871.

Additionally, law enforcement seized: 10 firearms, including one short barreled rifle; 45 grams of cocaine powder; 16 grams of crack cocaine; 95 grams of Molly powder; 74 capsules of Molly; and 149 grams of marijuana.

The defendants are scheduled to make their respective initial appearances on Friday, July 18, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow.

This investigation is, in large part, the result of the Violence Reduction Partnership, launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Through the Partnership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and local law enforcement allies have sought to dismantle the most violent criminal networks in local neighborhoods, while simultaneously working with community leaders and concerned citizens to mentor at-risk youths, provide jobs and job training to young families, and help probationers and parolees successfully re-enter society.

United States Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Today, we announce the results of the most recent partnership between federal and state law enforcement to combat violent crime in our communities. The goal of the Violence Reduction Partnership is to help neighborhoods plagued with violent crime shake off the cycle of violence and make those neighborhoods safer for all residents. Enforcement of federal criminal statutes is an integral component of our holistic approach to community building. But we cannot arrest our way out of violent crime. For that reason, our Partnership also focuses on community-partnering, crime prevention, and reentry assistance for offenders attempting to put their pasts behind them and build healthy, productive lives in our community. The results of this investigation clearly illustrate that we remain committed to this comprehensive approach.”

“These arrests are a good example of state and federal law-enforcement agencies working together proactively to make our communities safer,” said Broward State Attorney Mike Satz. “We are going to continue this state-federal partnership and aggressively work together to reduce illegal firearms and drug trafficking.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Hugo J. Barrera added, “This case illustrates law enforcement’s commitment to remain united in its war on violent crime. Those who choose to live outside the rule of law will be brought to justice.”

U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas, Jr. stated, “Today, as a result of the Violence Reduction Partnership, and these significant indictments, our community is a much safer place to live. The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney’s Office to reduce and eliminate gun violence and crime in our cities.”

“The key to the success of this operation is in the proactive nature of the enforcement.  With the help of our federal partners, our V.I.P.E.R. unit was able to identify, locate and arrest these violent criminals,” Sheriff Scott Israel said. “We will never know how many crimes were prevented by taking these illegal weapons off the streets, but that’s a statistic I can live without.”

Mr. Ferrer thanked the many law enforcement agencies involved in this South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) operation. In particular, Mr. Ferrer thanked the Broward State Attorney’s Office and commended the investigative efforts of ATF, USMS, and BSO. The federal cases resulting from this operation are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Chase.

The South Florida HIDTA was established in 1990. This program, made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, fosters intra-agency cooperation among law enforcement agencies in South Florida and involves them in developing a strategy to target the region’s drug-related threats to public safety. The South Florida HIDTA uses the funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy that sponsors a variety of law enforcement initiatives that target the region’s illicit drug threats.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida 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.

>>>>Four Charged in NFL-Related Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting Senior Citizens

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced that Peter D. Kirschner, 49, of Delray Beach, Stuart R. Rubens, 61, of North Miami, Dean R. Baker, 34, of Coral Springs, and Bret A. Grove, 35, of Delray Beach, were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and substantive mail fraud. The four men are charged for allegedly operating call rooms targeting senior citizens and tricking them into purchasing $2.4 million in stock.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Securities fraud jeopardizes the well-being of our citizens. The defendants in this case are alleged to have raised approximately $2.4 million by targeting the elderly and representing that they had technology that was about to be used by the NFL. In truth, there was no such arrangement. Today’s charges are the first step in holding them accountable for robbing these elderly folks of their hard-earned savings for their own personal gain.”

“Those charged today materially misrepresented investments to a vulnerable part of our population,” said George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “The FBI will continue to prioritize investigations of investment fraud perpetrators who target the elderly.”

According to the indictment and related Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) civil complaints, the defendants pressured seniors and other investors into purchasing stock in Thought Development Inc. (TDI), a Miami Beach-based company that claimed its signature invention generated a green laser line on the football field visible in the stadium to players, fans as well as on television. TDI represented that use of its technology would decrease the time used by officials to determine first downs, freeing up broadcast time that could then be sold to television advertisers. The defendants raised approximately $2.4 million through the use of call rooms that targeted more than 200 investors throughout the nation, who were told that an initial public offering (IPO) in TDI was imminent and that their money would be safe and used to develop the ground-breaking technology. Instead, the indictment alleges that the IPO was not forthcoming as promised, and at least 50 percent of the offering proceeds were retained by the defendants or paid to sales agents through undisclosed, exorbitant commissions and fees. The defendants also lured investors by misrepresenting that TDI’s technology was about to be used by the NFL. One investor even made a second $75,000 investment on top of an initial $2,500 investment after being told that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell purchased TDI’s technology for use in the 2013 Super Bowl. In fact, there was no such arrangement. The defendants also neglected to tell investors the TDI laser technology posed a potential risk of blindness to players on the football field.

The SEC recently announced similar civil charges against Baker and Grove, filed today in federal district court in Miami. This brings to six the number of individuals charged criminally with this scheme. The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California charged Daniel Baker and Demosthenes Dritsas with mail fraud stemming from this investigation, both of whom recently pled guilty.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the SEC. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz.

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

>>> IG Scott issues new report on lobbyist’s registrations in Broward County and 31 municipalities

John Scott the Broward Inspector General has issued a report on lobbyist logs for the County and the 31 municipalities in Broward and is just another example of county and municipal leaders keeping tabs on who is lobbying them and on what issue. To read the report go to http://www.broward.org/InspectorGeneral/PublicationsPress/Documents/OIG13023LobbyingLogsComplianceReview.pdf

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

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>>> Palm Beach Resident Sentenced in Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Donnell Young, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that United States District Judge Jose E. Martinez sentenced Tia Lashonda Miller, 39, of West Palm Beach, to 70 months imprisonment, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. Miller previously pled guilty to one count of unlawful possession of more than fifteen access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).

According to court documents, Miller was found in possession of notebooks containing stolen personal identifying information (PII) for 726 persons (including names, dates of birth and social security numbers), and 20 debit cards, eighteen of which were in the names of persons also found in the notebooks. The IRS determined that approximately 59 of the names and accompanying information were used to file fraudulent tax returns. During a court-authorized search of Miller’s home, agents found additional names and identifying information of identity theft victims, and some letters from the IRS addressed in other persons’ names. Miller admitted that she went to houses, collected mail and debit cards, and gave the envelopes and cards to two other individuals, whom Miller knew were filing fraudulent tax returns using the stolen PII.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Cooperstein.

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.

Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced in Connection with Rothstein Investigation

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Donnell Young, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), announce that David Benjamin, 48, of Boca Raton, was sentenced today in Ft. Lauderdale by U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Benjamin was also ordered to pay $22,071.00 in restitution for conspiring to commit crimes in connection with the operation of the former Fort Lauderdale law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, P.A. (RRA). On May 13, 2014, Benjamin pled guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and to violate civil rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At the time of the offense, Benjamin was a Lieutenant and served as Executive Officer to then Sheriff Al Lamberti.

When he entered his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he utilized his position within BSO unlawfully to further the interests of RRA, its Chairman and CEO, Scott W. Rothstein, and other persons associated with Rothstein. Specifically, Benjamin admitted that he received approximately $185,000 in money and other things of value from Rothstein and RRA in return for providing his assistance when needed, including arranging with another deputy to arrest the ex-wife of an attorney who was engaged in a child custody dispute with her, arranging to use force and threats of force against the boyfriend of an escort who was threatening to expose the illicit relationship which existed between the escort and one of the partners at RRA, and assisting Rothstein in loading cash and jewelry onto a private airplane which was used by Rothstein to flee to Morocco on October 27, 2009, as the Ponzi scheme being conducted through RRA was beginning to unravel.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI and BSO. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz, and Jeffrey N. Kaplan.

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 United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH

Former West Palm Beach Police Officer Sentenced

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, and Bryan Kummerlen, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, announce that Dewitt McDonald, 46, of Wellington, was sentenced today in Ft. Lauderdale by United States District Judge James I. Cohn to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. McDonald was also ordered to pay $25,810.00 in restitution. The defendant pled guilty on April 30, 2014, to carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). At the time of this offense, the defendant was a police officer with the West Palm Beach Police Department.

When he entered his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that, while he was employed as a police officer, the defendant operated two businesses: Prime Performance Wellness Centers, Inc., located in Lake Worth, and Prime Health and Rejuvenation Clinic, located in Wellington, through which he unlawfully distributed anabolic steroids and other prescription drugs. The defendant further admitted that, on March 5, 2013, while on duty and carrying his Smith & Wesson MP40 pistol, the defendant made a delivery of these drugs to someone in Palm Beach County.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and FDA-Office of Criminal Investigations. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the West Palm Beach Police Department for their cooperation and assistance in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz and Jeffrey N. Kaplan.

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 United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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

MONROE COUNTY

>>> PAST WDR MAY 2007: Small but colorful county has its share of colorful and erstwhile political leaders, but with only 85,000 residents not a big player

What can you say about a county with a tourist tag line of the Conch Republic and also includes the eclectic city of Key West? The Watchdog Report would never have reported on anything that went on in the small county with 85,000 residents but they came to my attention because of their lack of taking care of the Homeless population there and not providing a shelter for their domestic violence victims. Since then the elected leaders have moved to resolve some of their social issues rather than to just send them to the larger county to the north Miami-Dade for these services. And to review her financial disclosure form go to >>> Elected leaders financial disclosures on line at, www.ethics.state.fl.us

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science   l   305.646.4200   l www.miamisci.org

With the support of the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

>>>> As part of its ongoing efforts to get out the vote, the League of Women Voters of Florida wants to remind Florida voters that Sunday, May 18 marks 100 days until Florida’s August 26 primary election. Many important local races are decided at the primary level, where turnout is traditionally light and votes cast can weigh more heavily in deciding outcomes. This makes voting during the primary an issue of utmost importance.

“There will be something for everyone on the August ballot”, says Deirdre Macnab, League of Women Voters of Florida President. “Even voters registered as independents can cast a vote in local non-partisan races as well as an array of judicial races at the county and circuit levels. In many ways, your vote in the primary can have a greater impact than in November.” Most Supervisors will post sample ballots on their websites in early July. Candidate qualifying ends in late June.

The League urges all Florida residents to register to vote by the July 28 deadline. For information on how to register and step by step instructions for registration, visit the League’s website at www.BeReadyToVote.org. If you are already registered, make sure to check your voter status and get ready! Florida makes voting easy and convenient by offering three different ways to vote: by mail, early, and on Election Day. Early voting will November elections, then relax!” IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: Primary election: Tuesday, August 26 Deadline to register to vote: Monday, July 28 Absentee Ballots will be mailed: Between July 22 and 29 be available for the August primary. The League would like to remind voters who will be unable to vote on-site that any registered Florida voter can request an absentee ballot by contacting their local Supervisor of Elections.  It is also important to check that your voting information, including your address and signature, are up-to-date. “Early summer is the perfect time to get your voting house in order,” said Charley Williams, LWVF Voter Services Chair. “Call your local Supervisor of Elections office and make sure your voter file is accurate. This is particularly important if you have moved recently or if you haven’t voted in past elections. With one call, you can cover details for both the August and

>>>> Thursday, July 17 – Sunday, August 31ZIFF BALLET OPERA HOUSE

AA From the creators of De la Guarda comes the biggest event of summer 2014 – H₂OMBRE! Heart-pumping electronic music, aerial acrobatics, extravagant visuals, and water (more than 6,000 gallons a show!) transform the Center into an alternate universe where the audiences step onto the stage and are engulfed in a 360 degree experience!

With state-of-the-art three-dimensional projection screens and monstrous inflatables, H2OMBRE is a wild follow up to the Arsht Center’s success with Fuerza Bruta. You’ll join the adventure as our heroes have epic battles with mythical beasts and brave the elements! The Jerusalem Post called the
H₂OMBRE production “A MULTI-MEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA!” and the Argentina Independent declared “The soaked audience swayed and screamed with enthusiasm!”Limited VIP tickets available! Group tickets available! Presented and co-produced by the Arsht Center in collaboration with Ojalá Entertainment.

>>> The Margulies Collection will be closed for the summer and will reopen in the fall.

Editorials

>>>> Municipal leaders must jettison the freebees and ban accepting them after Miami Auditor’s report on ULTRA Music Festival

Once again the issue of free tickets to ,municipal leaders is un the news again and municipal lawmakers don’t seem to get how tired residents are of public employees getting freebees and other perks not available  to the average citizen and leaders should change the ordinances language and make it crystal clear accepting discounts at restaurants or other venues is a no, since they do get a public salary and using the local attorneys for any ethics ruling should be spiked and opinions should only come from the County’s Ethics Commission for these continued goodies being doled out must come to an end if the public is to have any trust in their elected leaders who wonder and are shocked when they  are challenged on the matter but it just goes on and on and people should be demanding it be stopped for the residents deserve better and the only question is will these sanctimonious leaders do anything about it.

>>>Finally new Miami Port Tunnel is open, should be a lesson to all elected leaders in the future, south Florida is no cakewalk when it comes to completing complex projects on time and on budget

Halaeauleau , The Miami Port Tunnel is finally opening in August after numerous delays after its initial ribbon cutting ceremony and had all the earmarks of a major fiasco but fixes were made and it is soon to open with the contractor paying appropriate late fines in the millions http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/24/4252767/miamis-port-tunnel-to-open-in.html but the project also highlights how difficult it is to get a complex project in south Florida done and on time and budget and elected leaders should keep this fact in mind as they buy into these projects for none of them historically have been a stroll in  the park and we can only hope the new Science museum gets back on track because that is a truly complex structure and a real construction challenge that hopefully will get completed on time in late 2015 and on budget but the clock id still ticking and the public will see how it finally pans out in the months ahead.

LETTERS

>>> Reader on why no Bay Link in the future

No public money available Dan and a losing proposition for private money.

Stuart Blumberg gmbha1@gmail.com hotelier@msn.com

>>> 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

JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST

RON BOOK

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

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

Rbb PUBLIC RELATIONS www.rbbpr.com

ROYAL MEDIA PARTNERS  www.royalmp.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 COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/

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 SUPT. http://superintendent.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 Extras 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

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Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

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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 choose 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.

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