Watchdog Report Vol.15 No.36 January 9, 2015 EST. 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot Celebrating 15 Years

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>>>> The Watchdog Report publisher needs help and I hope you will consider supporting me allowing me to stay out in the field so that I can keep at this and report back how your billions of public dollars in government are being spent on a weekly basis. And how to do that is at the end of the WDR. Thank You.

ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street

>>> With GOP in control it’s now or never, Americans want Congress to really do something regarding infrastructure and the nation’s $18 trillion debt

With the swearing-in of the 114^th Congress and the seating of the new House members the political table is being set with the GOP in the driver’s seat and it remains to be seen if any bipartisan legislation gets past the veto pen of President Barack Obama in the final months of his presidency and second term. Further, the Republican field of candidates for the nation’s highest office has former Gov. Jeb Bush posturing himself in the crowded field that includes U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Someone the younger Bush mentored but what goes on in Washington in the months ahead will also have a bearing on any future elections and pundits don’t believe a match-up between the two is likely especially since Rubio is up for reelection in 2016 and state law limits candidates appearing twice on a ballot, but a continued stalemate in the House and Senate may produce a feeling of a pox on both houses and parties for with the nation’s debt and foreign affairs issues and trillions in infrastructure needs the Congress faces some formidable challenges in the months ahead.

>>> Press release: Bicameral, Bipartisan Effort by Cuban-American Lawmakers Urging Cessation of U.S. Concessions to Castro Regime

Today U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, was joined by fellow Cuban-American Members of Congress, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Alex Mooney (R-WV), in penning a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, urging the State Department and the Obama administration to immediately halt its normalization efforts toward Cuba and the Castro dictatorship. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:”The struggle for freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights in Cuba cannot be forgotten and we must prevent and impede any effort that props up the Castro communist dictatorship. The recent concessions by President Obama to the Castro thugs will ensure that the regime will remain entrenched and embolden its use of brutal tactics, effectively forcing eleven million Cubans to continue to suffer under oppressive rule. We have already seen how the regime responds in this so-called new era of relations between the U.S. and Cuba: it arrested and silenced those citizens who attempted to speak out against the dictatorship. With this letter, we speak with one voice to strongly urge Secretary Kerry to cease the proposed unilateral concessions to the Castros and to suspend the upcoming talks with the regime in Havana. This misguided shift in policy is both bad for our national security and is against our very core ideals and beliefs.”To view the final, signed letter, please click here.

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

Pollster John Zogby reports in our weekly White House report card that President Obama is being challenged by world events and the new GOP Congress, but continues to have public support. “I am Charlie Hebdo. The world lost 13 freedom lovers (including a police officer) in the French terrorist attacks on the Paris satire magazine and other sites this week, but our love of freedom lives. “That said, the ‘era of bipartisanship’ in D.C. didn’t last long. Speaker John Boehner leads a troubled Republican caucus. He mustered the votes to be re-elected speaker, but not enough to gut Dodd-Frank, the financial reform the GOP hates. Congress passed the Keystone XL pipeline and limitations on Obamacare and urged the president to sign bills he promised to veto. Just where is that supposed to go?http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/538-zogby-report-card-fight-s-on-with-congress-but-obama-still-seems-on-top

>>> GE CEO Immelt says doing well in today’s global economy depends on “how you place your bets,” calls for U.S. to improve infrastructure

Jeffrey R. Immelt, the Chairman and CEO of General Electric Corp was the featured powerhouse speaker at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon and his remarks were upbeat but realistic about how the global business world has changed. GE founded in 1889 has some 370,000 employees globally and he joined the company in 1982 and became the ninth Chair on Sept.7, 2001 and he has degrees from Dartmouth College and a M.B.A. from Harvard University. He noted that the company is a “partner,” in some clinical studies, going on locally with Baptist Health South Florida (And Baptist CEO Brian Keeley did the speaker’s introduction) and includes a clinical trial for the last six months, with a new high resolution CT scanner for the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary heart disease in patients and avoids the need for an invasive angiogram where a catheter is inserted and dye is injected to see for any blockage of the coronary arteries of a patient. He said we live in a “volatile” world and there has been “slow growth and volatility’ in the market place and this is not a “negative” issue but the world “we live in,” the GE executive said  “and China were “the world’s two greatest economies, [but noted] in Japan [the economy was] not so good and for those people that wanted certainty,” that was not the case anymore and not  “the nature of the world and people running businesses. He said in America.” this interrelationship can be seen everywhere, and with the price of oil down “In Houston” that is a different “dynamic,” than here in Miami.  And he believes “it is a unique time in America” when it comes to international business. He noted Miami while “The gateway to the Americas, these nations “are going through their own changes.” He noted “Brazil was going through a “massive change” and in some ways doing business in today’s world ‘was about placing your bets.” GE a $160 billion company is the biggest high tech company in the world building locomotives, wind turbines, to high tech medical equipment and jet engines. He joked that when people see the GE “meatball” logo, I want them to think of “their mother.” He noted that the company “spends 6 percent on research and development” and 70 percent of the companies “sales are outside the United States and what the company is good at cannot be done in a garage. The CEO said what GE is good “at is large scale innovation, “where a 1,000 engineers might be involved in a $1 billion investment that is our game,” The CEO said. and that cannot be done with a garage startup company, he considered. And he believes “we can make things in America that can compete anywhere,” and with the internet that technology “is being brought to industrial machines” to make them more efficient. “The internet is being brought to machines with sensors,” and the challenge is for industry to be “able to use this big data to show how to run more efficiently,” he noted. But, when it came to skyrocketing hospital costs. he said GE found a key ingredient to keeping these costs expected “to be 20 percent of the Country’s GNP and worlds,” “For GE this is a $20 billion medical technology business since they have 600,000 employee lives,” and the “company is a big player” when it comes to healthcare costs and “we see both sides of the equation,” and what does this mean for the average citizen? “It means a higher deductible,” for their health insurance because that makes people “better consumers when they have skin in the game and take better care of themselves,” through the course of their lives and the lifestyle they lead.

Immelt GE photo

>>> Discussion of Strokes and treatments on WLRN/NPR

The Watchdog Report Dec 30 was on WLRN/NPR 91.3 FM with the topic being strokes and there after effects and it included two prominent Baptist Health South Florida and Florida International University Herbert Wertheim Medical College neurosurgeons Sergio Arias-Gonzalez, M.D. and Italo Linfante, M.D., talking about the condition and some of the new medical treatments that changes how people live and recover from them and a stroke is “no longer necessarily a death sentence,” and unfortunately strokes affect some 800,000 Americans of which 45,000 are women but new diagnostic and imaging technology has changed the treatment regime dramatically. And I talked about my experiences after having a sudden stroke one night while alone at home and was left paralyzed on the left side for a few days in July. And to hear the show go to: http://wlrn.org/post/severity-causes-and-after-effects-stroke

Dr. Linfante

Dr. Aries-Gonzalez

What about the local stroke registry program

A caller into the show, a Baptist physician mentioned the creation of a local stroke registry to get a  large scale look at the demographics and severity of the issue in South Florida and the data would include all six municipalities with Emergency Management Services personal following a “check list protocol,” so that similar stroke patient data could be gathered following a specific protocol and tracking how stroke patients fair in the long run and given our demographics and size this registry since there are 15 stroke hospitals locally this collective information  could be highly beneficial given the number of people suffering from sports concussions, returning military, and future Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients. And for more on the registry got  to: http://spirp.med.miami.edu/registry-participants

By Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman, Richard Ives & Paul Leary

An angiogram of a 48-year-old patient after treatment for a stroke. A blockage was targeted with clot-busting drugs using a catheter.

Zephyr Science Source

Listen http://wlrn.org/term/radio-0

Show Promo: 12/30/14 – Today on Topical Currents we discuss the severity, causes and after-effects of stroke. Stroke affects someone in the US every 45-seconds.  It’s triggered by a sudden change in the brain’s blood circulation. Four out of five families will be impacted in some way by stroke. We’re “at your service” today . . . With experts on-hand. There are stroke warning signs:  including facial changes, numbness, and slurred speech.  Prompt emergency attention improves the chance of recovery. We learn more about the latest stroke treatment methods from Baptist health South Florida neuroscience center doctors. Topical Currents Tuesday at 1pm.

Tags: Topical Currents Radio stroke

>>> Children Education advocate Mogul to be honored at Greater Miami Chamber with Sand in My Shoes Award

Harve A. Mogul, the CEO of the Miami-Dade County United Way is receiving the prestigious Sand in My Shoes Award, from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 11^th at Jungle Island at 6:00 p.m. Mogul who transformed the organization’s facilities and campus over the years has been a leader in early childhood education after taking over the United Way After it was hit by a scandal decades ago. Mogul has been a longtime United Way employee since joining it in 1973 and he was named president in 1991 and was the driving force for the expansion of the campus on Coral Way that now includes The United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer and was a fifth grade teacher for a while and this award is well deserved.

Mogul for more on the man go to  http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/print-edition/2012/05/18/miami-ceo-awards-harve-a-mogul.html

FLORIDA

>>> For Gov. Scott the mantra remains the same jobs, and watch out Texas Florida wants your companies, says Scott

With the swearing in of Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday he committed again to create more jobs in the state and said for Texas to watch out because Florida wanted to poach some of the state’s businesses he said during his inaugural speech that included having Texas Gov. Rick Perry attending the ceremony. Scott who was stiff in his first term has gotten more relaxed in the office though critics still carp he is soft on the environment and education funding but the former healthcare executive may loosen the purse strings during this budget cycle where the legislature has some extra $1 billion in new funding and it remains to be seen if his administration this term will be more transparent than in the past and has riled good government advocates.

>>>> https://www.floridaprepaidcollegefoundation.com/ The Stanly G. Tate Florida Prepaid College program, the largest  in the nation, is going gangbusters and over a million families have signed up for the program that will pay for a child’s College Education and is a real bargain for Floridians.

Press release: Sales of Florida Prepaid College Plans Continue to Smash Records

Today, Governor Rick Scott and Florida Prepaid Chairman Duane Ottenstroer were proud to celebrate the Florida Prepaid College Board’s announcement of record-setting plan sales. For the first week of open enrollment, total prepaid plan sales were up 208% over last year, with more than 6,000 plans purchased by Florida families working towards an affordable college education.

Florida Prepaid Chairman Duane Ottenstroer said, “Governor Scott worked with the Legislature to sign HB 851 to hold the line on tuition. The results: tuition is lower, families are getting refunds and there’s more excitement for Florida Prepaid Plans. Governor Scott and the Legislature succeeded in putting hundreds of dollars back into the pocketbooks of Florida families each month and making the dream of a college education a reality for many more families.”

Governor Scott said, “With our effort to hold the line on tuition more-and-more families are excited to send their children to Florida schools. Families shouldn’t have to put themselves under mountains of debt for their children to receive a good education, and that’s exactly what the previous administration’s policies forced them to do. The Florida Prepaid College Board’s announcement demonstrates an affordable education benefits our students, our schools and our state, and we’ll continue working to make education accessible for every family.”
The incredible surge in sales is credited to lower plan prices that were made possible because of House Bill 851, which passed during the 2014 Legislative Session and was signed by Governor Scott. The four-year university plan dropped by more than half this year from $53,729 to $27,379, or from $350 to $173 a month. >>>> The plan, the most popular offered by Florida Prepaid, is the now the lowest since 2008-2009. And for more on the plans go to http://www.myfloridaprepaid.com/what-we-offer/ https://www.floridaprepaidcollegefoundation.com/

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 and she thought 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.

>>>> PAST WDR: The Miami-DADE County Commission last week deferred voting on its appointment to the state created Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) board that recently came under fire for a significant bump in tolls paid by drivers and Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz wants to interview the applicants that the commission might appoint to the board and this is a sea change for the process and County Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa also suggested working with the state legislature on the matter to see if a “cap” could be established for future toll increases,” since the some “40 percent” toll increase was difficult for many people to pay if they are students or work in hotels and she thought some limit should be established.

>>>>And if you would like to see you’re County or state elected leaders financial disclosures forms on file go to website (www.et hics.state.fl.us):

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> Lack of transportation mass transit corridors frustrating County Commissioners at MPO workshop. “Were getting nowhere,” says Chair Soto

A Miami-Dade County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) had a workshop on Thursday and with  a upcoming transportation summit Jan.22, the residents are expected to be restless since the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) raised its tolls throughout much of the expressway system and a number of protesting groups have sprouted up and have become vocal dissidents of the MDX and commissioners who are getting the irate calls are bracing to hear these complaints at the Summit but a presentation by the interim MPO director Jesus Guerra drew some praise but also criticism because mass transit is still a huge problem throughout Miami-Dade and the  half cent sales tax passed in 2002 that promised less gridlock has not fulfilled its promise to county residents. However this transportation tax brought in roughly $219 million last year and that is not enough and much of this new money has been used to help make bond payments and the tax did make the inner line of Metro rail free to riders but the county is looking, to end that freebie in the coming weeks but the money has been woefully short of fulfilling the promises made to voters at the time of the vote and in 2006 the county commission fessed up and unified the funding streams for all transportation needs from new buses to Metro Rail cars and traffic congestion continues to be the number one resident complaint.  Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre said it all came down to “money” for many of the mass transit projects and routs and there is no real money for mass transit in Washington anymore given the nation’s $18 trillion debt and the amount of funding the state has is a drop in the bucket he said. And we also have to compete with other cities and counties around the stat for these limited funds for new projects. Ferre said Gov. Rick Scott’s budget is expected to have some $1.5 billion in projects for South Florida but with the Krome avenue project, that upgrade of the highway that has killed so many people would consume this state money to the County, he said.

Sosa and Jose “Pepe” Diaz all expressed frustration with the lack of progress in building transportation corridors and they both indicated if things did not change and some decisions and progress were made they would stop coming to the meetings and wasting their time they echoed at the meeting. Sosa, noted “we are going nowhere,” given the lack of progress on enhanced transportation projects who just back from a “road trip” to Tallahassee. Sosa said the rest of the state’s highways were in great shape but once you crossed the Miami-Dade border that all ended and potholes and uneven roadway was the rule she carped, and Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine is also impatient for some mass transit project to the Beach as he said “everyone is in agreement and how do we pick three routes and move forward,” on resolving the traffic jam on the Causeway. But the meeting made clear that frustration regarding the new transit corridors is running high and Commissioner Daniela Levine-Cava said it was a “Come to Jesus,” moment and MPO staff needs to bring some conclusion and options on how the body should proceed for the present method is not working was the general consensus of the commissioners attending.

What about the Gov. Appointment to the MPO?

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff    has applied to be the governor’s appointment on the MPO and this is a large regional transportation board. And Sarnoff was a major fund raiser for Scott in his bid for reelection but Sarnoff in office since 2006 is now termed out on the body and Commissioner Francis Suarez is the current city of Miami representative on the large board. The candidates that applied to be considered by Scott to the MPO are, Mark Sarnoff, City of Miami John DuBois, Palmetto Bay, and James McDonald. Pinecrest, Mayor Luigi Borgia, Doral, Commissioner Frank Quesada, Coral Gables and Sue Ellen Loyzelle, from Cutler Bay. And the appointment has never become this political in the past and only one gubernatorial candidate has ever been removed and that was Ron Krongold back in 2002 after he pushed a questionable idea of spending $10 million to pay for traffic updates on a Haitian AM radio station that all the other stations do for free and had commissioners saying “he was on fire and he should bail out” because his idea was not flying with the other MPO members at the time and Gov. Bush removed him back then.

Public is being asked to attend Transportation Summit Jan. 22 at M-DC
The Public is being invited to a Transportation Summit being held on Jan. 22 at Miami-Dade College by the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) created to watch over how a half cent sales tax for transportation enhancements is being spent when voters approved the countywide sales tax back in 2002 an brought in $228 million last year and that was a 5.5 percent increase in revenue but the tax has not been the silver bullet to traffic  congestion many first thought it would be and much of the money is now being used to cover debt obligations and  the County Commission in 2007 unified the funding stream with the county’s transportation obligations and the CITT is not as independent as was originally planned and all there items must first be approved by the County Commission and the Trust’s executive director is one of highest paid employees at county Hall round $200,000 and public critics comp-lain the CITT has been co-opted by the County administration and transportation improvements have fallen short from what was promised when the issue was first brought to voters and this Summit is a combination venting session by the public and an effort to prioritize what is most important to the public.  For information on the Summit see below.

MDC – Wolfson Campus
300 NE 2 Avenue
Miami, FL 33132

Ann Carmouze
www.miamidade.gov/citt

Long time Preservationist Matlov says sayonara to Miami-Dade Heritage Trust CEO post

Long serving preservationist Becky Roper Matlov retired Dec. 31 and the woman has been a passionate advocate for saving some of the communities most historic homes over the decades and her commitment to Historic Preservation will be missed in the years ahead and the Watchdog Report gives her a tip of the hat for a job well done and not an easy one given Miami’s culture to develop any property site regardless of historical significance.

Mayor Gimenez says Hudack likely to be the only “female county manager”

Alina Hudack, the first Hispanic Miami-Dade Manager was recently confirmed to be the Director of the Public Works and Waste Department and she is also a vice mayor in the Carlos Gimenez administration and Gimenez remarked that he believed she would be the “Only Female County Manager,” Miami-Dade would ever have which is surprising given his push for diversity including women in senior roles. Hudack, he said oversaw the $34 million Bear cut bridge restoration on the Rickenbacker Causeway and Commissioner Barbara Jordan, a former assistant county manager who had worked with Hudack said she had “mastered” almost all the county’s departments during her 35 year career at the County.

Press release: MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES KICKS-OFF BLANKET DONATION DRIVE TO KEEP SHELTER DOGS WARM AND COMFORTABLE ON COLD WINTER DAYS

Beginning, Wednesday November 26, 2014, through December 30, 2014, Miami-Dade County Animal Services (Animal Services) in collaboration with the Miami-Dade County Public Library System (MDPLS), will host a blanket drive for Animal Services shelter dogs. In preparation for dropping temperatures and the upcoming winter season, Animal Services is seeking donations of new or gently used clean blankets to keep shelter dogs warm and comfortable.

“Keeping our pets healthy and comfortable is a top priority. The blankets contributed help us keep our pets warm and dry while they await their forever homes during the winter months,” said Miami-Dade County Animal Services Director Alex Muñoz.

Donation bins will be available at the Animal Services shelter which is located at 7401 NW 74^th Street, Medley, 33166 and at the Stephen P. Clark Center 111 NW 1^st Street Miami, FL 33128. Donation bins will also be available at the following library locations:

COCONUT GROVE BRANCH – 2875 MCFARLANE RD., 305-442-8695

CORAL REEF BRANCH – 9211 CORAL REEF DR., 305-233-8324

DORAL BRANCH – 10785 NW 58 ST., 305-716-9598

GOLDEN GLADES BRANCH – 100 NE 166 ST., 305-787-1544

HOMESTEAD BRANCH – 700 N. HOMESTEAD BLVD., 305-246-0168

KENDALL BRANCH – 9101 SW 97 AVE., 305-279-0520

KEY BISCAYNE BRANCH – 299 CRANDON BLVD., 305-361-6134

LITTLE RIVER BRANCH – 160 NE 79 ST.,  305-751-8689

MAIN LIBRARY – 101 W FLAGLER ST., MIAMI, FL 33130, 305-375-2665

MIAMI BEACH REGIONAL – 227 22 ST.,  305-535-4219

MIAMI LAKES BRANCH – 6699 WINDMILL GATE RD., 305-822-6520

MIAMI SPRINGS BRANCH – 401 WESTWARD DRIVE,  305-805-3811

NARANJA BRANCH – 14850 SW 280 ST, 305-242-2291

NORTH DADE REGIONAL – 2455 NW 183 ST.,  305-625-6424

NORTHEAST BRANCH – 19200 WEST COUNTRY CLUB DR., 305-931-5512

PINECREST BRANCH – 5835 SW 111 ST., 305-668-4571

SOUTH DADE REGIONAL – 10750 SW 211 ST.,  305-233-8140

WEST DADE REGIONAL – 9445 CORAL WAY,  305-553-1134

WEST KENDALL REGIONAL – 10201 HAMMOCKS BLVD.,  305-385-7135

For more information, contact www.miamidade.gov/animals or call 3-1-1. To find a branch library near you, visit www.mdpls.org and click ‘Find a Library.’

About Miami-Dade County Animal Services

Every year Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) provides care and refuge for over 27,000 unwanted dogs and cats. Every day, Animal Services staff and volunteers work diligently to find life-long homes for these abandoned animals by facilitating onsite adoptions, hosting off-site adoption at events and locations throughout the community, and working collaboratively with over 70 rescue organizations who share in our goal of a No Kill Miami-Dade County.

About the Miami-Dade Public Library System

The Miami Dade Public Library System (MDPLS), a recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, serves as a community center and learning place where the Miami Dade community meets to exchange ideas, learn, share, and create. The Library strives to ensure that all residents, regardless of socioeconomics, will be enriched through access to materials, technology, art and culture and programs so that they may develop the skills they need to create and produce innovations for the 21st century. Through its 48 locations, bookmobiles, special services, website (www.mdpls.org) and MDPLS library app, the library proudly serves more than 7 million annual visitors. In the more than 40 years of serving the community, the MDPLS continues to experience tremendous change and growth, evolving with the technological needs and requirements of its diverse community. It is the policy of Miami-Dade County to comply with all of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The facility is accessible. For sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices or materials in accessible format, please call 305-418-7181 at least five days in advance.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES

7401 NW 74 Street

Miami, FL 33166

305-884-1101

GMCVB press release: During the month of November 2014, Miami-Dade County reported collections for the 3% Convention Development Tax (CDT) increased 16.4% compared to the same time in 2013. The 2% Tourist Development Tax (TDT) collections for Greater Miami (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) showed an increase of 12.3% compared to 2013. The 2% Hotel Food and Beverage Tax collections from hotels in Miami-Dade (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) showed an increase of 11.9% compared to the same time in 2013.

In the month of November 2014, the City of Miami Beach reported collections for the 2% Food and Beverage Tax collections for the City of Miami Beach showed an increase of 9.2% compared to 2013. The 3% Room Tax increased 6.1% compared to the same time last year.

Miami-Dade County Tax Collections
3% Convention Development Tax
November 2014	November 2013	% Change vs. 2013
$5,891,739	$5,061,775	+16.4%
2% Tourist Development Tax
November 2014	November 2013	% Change vs. 2013
$2,184,522	$1,945,375	+12.3%
2% Hotel Food & Beverage Tax
November 2014	November 2013	% Change vs. 2013
$680,259	$607,749	+11.9%
Miami Beach Tax Collections
2% Hotel Food & Beverage Tax
November 2014	November 2013	% Change vs. 2013
$2,157,620	$1,975,203	+9.2%
3% Room Tax
November 2014	November 2013	% Change vs. 2013
$2,526,780	$2,382,256	+6.1%

>>> Miami-Dade Commission Chair Jean Monestime and Vice Chair Estephan Bovo held a Sunshine meeting Thursday and they were the only commissioners that attended the event and “nothing much happened” said one person concerning the discussions and the two men take their leadership position on the 13 member body on Jan. 16 in a big ceremony that will involve friends and family.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> U.S. Rep. Curbello settles into Congress Gov. Scott looking for safe candidate to replace him on well-functioning school board

With Carlos Curbello sworn into Congress last week Gov. Rick Scott has to fill the vacated seat and a number of names are floating out there bit the person has to live in the Board District seat to be appointed. So far the names out there are former Board Member Renier Diaz de la Portilla (whose brother Miguel is a state senator) Lubby Navvarro is another long term Republican name mentioned and lobbyist Daniel Diaz Leyva who lost a state house race is a possibility but Scott is expected to make his choice in the next few weeks and residents are waiting to see who he selects but the person has to be a safe choice for anything they do will be a reflection on the governor.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> CEO Migoya continues to keep JHS in the black no mean trick after losing hundreds of millions in the past years, came after major union concessions

Jackson Health System continues its remarkable turnaround and continues to operate in the black and is building up reserves and cash on hand after a few years ago nearly having an institutional near death experience but the scare  frightened Cunt Commissioners and the elected officials have left CEO Carlos Migoya essentially alone while he got a variety of concessions from the Trust’s unions over the years but with changes in federal funding on the horizon for public hospitals and a federal draw down program changing the management will be facing some rough seas in the months ahead and it will take all of Migoya’ s fiscal acumen to get through this changing healthcare environment while he system begins $830 million in enhancements of its facilities aid for by a county approved bond but the clock is ticking and changing the culture at JHS is no easy matter. For years ago it was tried with mixed success and the thrust of that change was “working at Jackson was a privilege and not a right,” that some employees believe is true and does not make the hospital as competitive as it needs to be on the customer service front some insiders say.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>>> Business woman Palomino throws her hat into Dist.2 race but why is Sarnoff raising so much money in a PAC? Will he run for state senate seat held by Sen. Gwen Margolis?

New candidate Rosa Maria Palomino, a business woman has also thrown her hat into the Commission Dist. 2 race ring some people are wondering if incumbent Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff might run for the state senate Dist. 36 seat now held by Gwen Margolis and while state Rep. David Richardson, D-Miami Beach has also filed for the seat open in 2016. It could help explain why Sarnoff wants to be the governor’s Scott appointment to the County MPO a regional transportation body.

It appears to be a twofer where you vote for one but get two in the District 2 race seat now held by Commissioner Marc Sarnoff and includes Coconut Grove and there have been rumors his wife Teresa would run in his place since he is termed out but his wife has been coy with the press and she has said she is just thinking about it but Sarnoff in public is telling people that if you want a continuation of his governance style she is the candidate to vote for and the local voters are waiting for her to decide one way or the other and now she has two other challengers in Grace Solaris and Michael Simpson. However, Sarnoff who governs with a WWMD style, What would Machiavelli do strategy believes that even with term limits. He has done such a good job that voters will flock to his wife’s support and elected her to follow him on the five member commission but that may be no easy sale. For Sarnoff has an abrasive side and comes off as being very smug and gives the impression  voters should be thankful that he decided to represent them and his wife will have to overcome some of these objections and feelings by voters though her race will be well funded given her husband’s fundraising ability. And the man who first ran as an activist trying to stop the construction of a Home Depot, which ultimately was built in the Grove he after winning a full four years term he shed that moniker and had people joking there were two Sarnoff’s regarding his changed personality.

VILLAGE OF COCONUT GROVE

>>>> $120,000 County loan paid off by Miami off Street Parking, County still looking at Playhouse architectural proposals but still under “Cone of Silence,” says Spring

Michael Spring the Director of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affair’s Department told Council members Wednesday that when it comes to the Coconut Grove Playhouse that $120,000 has been paid back towards a loan and lien by the County at the facility  by the Miami Off Street Parking Authority that is running the adjacent parking lot  and he said the selection of architects is under the County’s “Cone of Silence,” but said “ Gables Stage was  hard at work” on the future design and what elements will be included in the theater he told Council members. The Playhouse closed suddenly in 2006 and has been shuttered but the County has some $20 million set aside for renovations and the reopening of the iconic facility.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Mayor Levine insistent at County MPO meeting transit corridor to Beach must be a priority, to foster continued tourists

With Miami Beach finally going forward with a new modern Convention Center the facility will also be getting some $4.3 million in Art in Public Places from the county and there is a call for artists for “four opportunities and the $1.3 million in art for the new center’s Ballroom is budgeted to cost of some $1.3 million and is part of the county program that includes public Art in any county funded facilities and is based on a percentage of the overall project going into art on the sites.  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article4501788.html

What about a mass transit corridor from the mainland to Miami Beach?

At a County MPO meeting Mayor Levine was quite insistent that mass transit over the MacArthur Causeway should be the highest priority and would benefit the most people including tourism and keeping the Beach’s economy healthy and busy, he said.

>>> Got a beef with Mayor Levine take it to the Breakfast Club meeting?

Mayor Philip Levine up for reelection in 2015 will be speaking at the Tuesday Morning breakfast Club a political group that provides an important civics function on the Beach and past quests have included gubernatorial candidates and the County Mayor and is of real benefit to local residents and if you have a beef with Levine this could be the forum to bring it to his attention.

Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club

Meeting Date: January 13th, 2015 Meeting Time: 8:30 AM-Meeting Place: Abuela’s Cuban Kitchen, 1654 Meridian Ave., South Beach -There will be no Breakfast Club Meetings over the Christmas and New Year holidays.  The first meeting of the 2015 New Year will be on January 13th and it will feature Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine as our guest speaker. Happy Holidays to all! There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome. David Kelsey, Moderator Visit our web site at www.MBTMBC.com (Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club).

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> Gables planning Town Hall meeting Wednesday opportunity for residents to speak their minds on state of the City Beautiful

And here is a Miami Herald story on the upcoming event on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Youth Center in the Gables and for more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coral-gables/article5696349.html

>>> M-DC Ethics Commission Make a New Year’s resolution to run a clean campaign

Press release: Ethics Commission press release: Citizens considering running for elected office can resolve to do it properly by attending the first Campaign Skills Seminar of 2015, sponsored by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  Votes are scheduled in more than a dozen cities throughout the county in the coming year. The two-hour seminar takes place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015, in the Coral Gables City Commission Chambers.  Speakers — including representatives from the Ethics Commission and the Elections Department — will provide essential information on fundraising and record keeping to candidates, campaign treasurers, volunteers and anyone else who wants to understand the legal and ethical obligations of seeking public office.  The event is free and open to the public.  Attorneys can earn Continuing Legal Education credits from the Florida Bar.

Campaign Skills Seminar

Friday, January 09, 2015 3:00 p.m.

Coral Gables City Commission Chambers
405 Biltmore Way
Coral Gables, Fl. 33134
For more information or to reserve a seat, call Robert Thompson at 305-350-0630 or e-mail robthom@miamidade.gov. The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers.  It is composed of five members, serving staggered terms of four years each.  Through a program of education and outreach, the Commission seeks to empower the community and bolster public trust.

FLAGLER COUUNTY

>>>Press Release: Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of Kaitlyn Lenhart as Interim Supervisor of Elections of Flagler County.

Lenhart, 33, of Palm Coast, has served as Assistant Supervisor for the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office since 2009. She is appointed on an interim basis beginning January 9, 2015.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

>>>>  The Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida is calling visual artists in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties to submit artwork to interpret A Man Among the Peoples, that will coincide with an exhibition on the life, art and legacy of late Overtown artist, Purvis Young. Selected artwork will be displayed in the lobby of The Historic Lyric Theater as part of “Soul Basel Overtown: A celebration of Art, Music and Culture in Colored Town”.

This an art festival taking place from December 3 – 7, 2014 in Miami’s Historic Overtown District. We encourage imaginative expression in the interpretation of the theme. This project is designed to highlight the work of South Florida artists among others that will be displayed during Art Basel weekend. In addition to the public, museum professionals and art critics are invited to attend the festival. Entries will be accepted via email. Deadline to apply is Monday, November 17, 2014.To enter or for more information, please contact Adia McKenzie at amckenzie@theblackarchives.org or 786-708-4

>>> About the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc.:

The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 by Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D. With a mission to not only preserve the documentary and photographic history of black South Florida, but also to enrich the present and protect the future through the revitalization Miami’s former black business and entertainment district, Overtown. The Black Archives and its programming are supported by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, Miami-Dade County, The Knight Foundation, Coca-Cola, Macy’s, The Design Group Miami & Drummer Boy Sound. For more information on The Black Archives of South Florida visit www.theblackarchives.org.

>>> The Margulies Warehouse will be reopen at the end of October and all adult admission charges $10.00 will go to Lotus House Women’s and Children’s Shelter in Overtown and students are free. For more go to http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/ and the Lotus House Gala will be Oct. 25th for more information go to http://lotushouse.org/

>>> Charter Review committee should codify that Manager should have at least a college degree as a minimum requirement for the job

The Miami Charter Review Committee should consider asking voters to approve some qualifications for the City Manager position such as having a College education that used to be mandated when the municipality was under a state financial oversight board that had that requirement before it dissolved back in Nov. 2001. And since then all Miami managers have had  a degree except for businessman Joe Arriola during his tenure and the residents should not have to take a risk when it comes to how their city is being managed and in the case of Miami this critical position has also become very political over the years and it should get codified for in the long run it will do residents good in the long run for the city  is too large now to have unqualified neophyte running the city and voters should be asked to codify that certain jobs have qualifications, other than the person might be tight with the mayor like Arriola, Who Mayor Manny Diaz never even mentions in his book on the city and shows there was some friction.

>>> Will local construction boom cramp the results at JHS and public schools bond programs, cost of concrete going through the roof?

The clock is ticking when it comes to public Capital projects and the Miami-Dade Public Schools has some $1.2 billion for projects and IT enhancements for some of the county’s 400 schools and Jackson Health System has $8.3 million for infrastructure improvements but the current building boom while not as robust as in 2004 is sending the price of concrete through the roof and many top construction companies are busy and may not bid on these new public capital projects and the question is will all that was promised voters materialize when this money is gone and the public needs to keep a watchful eye on how this money is spent and while both JHS and the public schools system have oversight boards these boards need to keep in mind any delay in this environment will have consequences and time is of the essence for these are one shot deals for the public will likely never again approve such bonds for these public institutions and JHS must really kick in the afterburner for they are in a competitive environment with the changes in healthcare around the nation and while a public hospital they are competing in a private not for profit world when it comes to where patients go for their healthcare and alternatives exist and having state of the art facilities must be the norm if they are to draw these patients and hat is where the bond money becomes so critical for this is a one shot deal.

LETTERS

>>> Dear Miami Beach Residents and Businesses: Our city faces a traffic gridlock crisis that will make commuting a nightmare and undermine its economy.

City of Miami officials on their own, without public review, recently approved a 140,000 square foot expansion of commercial and event space for the Watson Island Flagstone project (from 225,000 to 365,000 sf). The added space is equivalent to one and a half Walmart stores but even worse in its traffic impacts.  Not only will it impact daytime travel, but the site’s entertainment venues will exacerbate evening and weekend traffic as well.

Last month’s “administrative” approval ignored traffic from new development that already stresses MacArthur’s finite capacity: the Port Tunnel, museums and the downtown building boom. Join your neighbors at Miami Beach City Hall 11:30 a.m.  Wednesday, to urge the mayor and commissioners to reverse this expansion by authorizing an updated traffic study.

Frank Del Vecchio
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