Watchdog Report Vol.15 No.52 April 5, 2015 EST 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 15 Years

With the indictment of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, the Justice Department if the past is any history will Have their hands full getting a Public Corruption conviction despite the multiple past discretions detailed in the FBI investigation of the Senator using his influence for a Palm Beach physician trying to defraud $8.9 million in federal Medicare payments and helping two girlfriendshttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fred-grimm/article17341412.html get visas and Herald columnist Fred Grimm details a sordid side of politics and how others can influence our politicians and it is not a pretty picture that is described by the doctor as just a friendship but the feds have been working on this case for years and while a black eye for the World’s most exclusive Club the scope of the gifts is something else.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubi, R-FL, is signaling that April 13th will be a special day for him and he is speaking at the Freedom Tower in what is expected to be his possible announcement that he will run for the Presidency or even possible run as governor in 2016. Since he has a number of options but if he decides to run for the presidency he will not be able to run for reelection to the senate since Florida Law only allows a candidate’s name to only be on the ballot once and that is Rubio’s problem. If he sought reelection to the Senate and auto magnate Norman Braman has said he will back the man’s efforts to take back the White House from Democrats and Hillary Clinton is still playing coy if she will be running herself as well and for more go to>>> April 13th http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-marco-rubio-president-campaign-20150403-story.html#page=1

Published weekly in The Washington Examiner Pollster John Zogby reports in our weekly White House report card that President Obama is on the road to another major achievement, this one the diplomatic deal with Iran. “James Knox Polk is on everyone’s list as a great president because he set four main goals and achieved them all. A lot of it was controversial, including a Mexican War that led to the acquisition of land that doubled the size of the U.S. Please click on the link below to view the full release:

http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/570-zogby-presidential-report-card-iran-like-obamacare-is-major-achievement

Tom Falco the publisher and editor of the http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com/  is turning 10 years May 8th and through his hard work he has kept Groveites informed in ways other media has not and people cannot appreciate how hard Falco works to put important stories on line of issues unique to the Grove and The Watchdog Report gives Falco a Tip of the Hat for a job well done and may you have another ten years.

The Miami Open held on Key Biscayne the last few weeks was said to have been not as busy than in the past with many empty seats in the stands versus as in previous years when it was packed and on Thursday some sand was trucked in for a girls’ volleyball match that one tennis goer thought was a little strange, she and her friend said.

R. KIRK Landon passes at 85, He leaves a deep and profound legacy of education and philanthropy for decades and the former Banker was honored with a moment of  Silence at The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Wednesday for all that he contributed to the community and nation as a Navel Officer in WWII and for a  more extensive version of his impressive life  go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article16254389.html and his kind and generous spirit will be missed by all in the community and that includes all the students that graduate from the R. Kirk Landon Undergraduate School at Florida International University where he was a long time trustee and confidant to a number of past FIU presidents and for more on FIU go to: http://business.fiu.edu/landon/programs.cfm

With time winding down state lawmakers are still battling the issue of expanding Medicaid but with a $4.2 billion budget gap GOP lawmakers are hesitant to expand the program and has both the House and Senate at odds with the clock ticking down

http://www.miamiherald.com/search/?q=Florida+BUDGET

Gov. Rick Scott is finding some of his proposed lofty budget proposals are hitting the rocks now that the state is facing a $1.2 billion hole versus having at one point a $1 billion surplus in extra money and had Scott calling for some $750 million in fee cuts for Florida consumers on their cable bills and more funding for education but the GOP controlled Legislature is dealing with another issue since the House budget is $76.2 billion to the Senate’s $80.4 billion budget and Sen. Tom Lee, R    the Appropriations Committee Chair says the difference especially when it comes to healthcare funding of  the Federal Lower income Pool (LIP) program that draws down federal healthcare funds is ending this year since the ACA is in force. And Lee says the budget difference could cost Tampa General a public hospital some $120 million in lost funding and he said to

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article15519245.h  cuts must be made up and could from a variety of sources including changing the Go. S request for $673 million in tax cuts and the loss of the LIPprogram “( that nets Jackson Health System some $515 million),” could have major funding impacts on other public hospitals and South Florida has had a major advocate for the expansion of the Medicaid program in Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Hialeah who has been on the community circuit urging people to talk to their legislators to support the expansion because the lost federal dollars will not be used to pay down the nation’s $18 trillion debt, but will be given to other states and over a decades could represent some $10 billion in federal funding and he notes people should think about how many jobs that would create given the needs of the ageing Florida population expecting to drive healthcare to even higher robust levels as of now. And JHS provides $350 million of the federal matching funds to draw down these dollars and CEO Carlos Migoya believes the federal money will come but his concern is in the outgoing years with the federal Low Income Pool Program.

With The Shake-Up at FDLE, the new Gov. Rick Scott administration is getting off to a shaky start when it comes to transparency and good governance and conflicting charges are flying about what exactly went down with the termination of the long serving Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Director Gerald Bailey and whether he was fired or resigned as the governor said. But the controversy continues in the media and is becoming a major distraction for Scott, “who is quoted saying Bailey did a great job [and is being petty,” and a further news story in the Herald shows the debate will not be going away. Since the law enforcement agency has a rich history of being apolitical and not getting involved in political matters. And since then Bailey has been talking to federal prosecutors about the whole affair though no one will confirm the story http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article15025937.html

And while Gov. Rick Scott is still being hammered over the firing, of Florida department of Law Enforcement Director Gerald Bailey. Some of the Cabinet members are calling for an independent investigator be used to investigate the matter. That caught Florida Cabinet members, Attorney General Pam Bondi, CFO Jeff Atwater taken unaware when asked by the press about the firing. Further, Adam Putnam a former congressman for a decade prior to taking state wide office in 2010 is considered to have a bright political future and potentially a gubernatorial candidate in the next cycle in 2020 and he is starting to take the lead in the matter and Putnam knows how serious the ramifications could be of the possible political intrusion with the FDLE that has a long storied history of being a nonpartisan state law enforcement arm but the controversy whether Bailey was fired by Scott and his contradictory statement by the governor that Bailey quite, which the special agent denies since Bailey was set to retire in just a few months which also puzzles critics. And for Putnam the political stakes are the highest and he needs to be the point of the spear in getting this matter cleared up for the longer it festers and lingers it will be corrosive not only to Scott but how the Florid Cabinet is viewed as a whole  and that dark cloud may well infect Putman’s future political career if not resolved for he is in a position to do something about getting to the root of the story and while below is a press release from the governor’s office on the controversy trying to end the debate and it remains to be seen if this explanation will tamp down the controversy, especially since Putnam is a longtime Floridian and he has the reputation of being a straight shooter.

Putnam

Putnam through Dec. 2013 had a $7.8 million net worth and to read his full disclosure form go to http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/Forms/2013/234671-Form6.pdf

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.

• Nothing is more important than a caring and knowledgeable parent. (Know that 71 percent of American mothers with children between birth and age 5 work outside the home, meaning high-quality, brain-stimulating child care is a major necessity.)

• 85 percent of brain growth occurs by age 3.

• Early learning is a continuum between before birth and age 8. (“Families are the ultimate pre-pre-school,” wrote Clare Huntington in The New York Times last September, adding, “I don’t want to rain on the pre-K parade, but we can’t pretend that school preparation begins at age 4. Four is better than 5, but zero is better than 4.”)

All that brings to me to a Miami-Dade Public Schools initiative focused on the transition from child care to kindergarten. This week I spent time at the superb YMCA in Allapattah, a bit north of downtown Miami. I spoke with Drs. Maggie Abrahante and Marisel Elias-Miranda, two key people responsible for early childhood programs that the superintendent has made a priority in this nationally honored school system. They’ve put together an excellent handbook for parents of children headed for kindergarten, and also:

• Five retired school administrators with a special interest in early childhood already have met with 400 child care center directors to give them a sense of what school is all about and the expectations for children.

• Principals are meeting with center directors.

• Parents are offered superb neighborhood workshops, one of which I attended.

Wouldn’t that be smart to do in every school system?

Dave Lawrence

Chair

The Children’s Movement of Florida

Disclosures forms on file go to website (www.et hics.state.fl.us):

The soon to be largest Mega Mall at 2000 acres is coming to North West Miami –Dade after it cleared hurdles at the Miami-Dade County Commission and the County’s Public Schools Board last week and the $4 billion project  will have a film studio and two hotels, skiing and a host of other attractions is expected to bump the tourist trade to new heights in the coming years, and is not using public tax dollars yet and County Commissioners carped at the speed of the announced project( though the Beacon Council knew about it over a year ago), and it was being pushed by Mayor Carlos Gimenez, and has critics howling about the increased traffic and demands on the County’s Water and Sewer System that Gimenez says if there are water issues, they will get the water somewhere else. And his administration would not allow it to move forward if there were problems with water demand in the years to head, he told commissioners from the dais. “You will see something good,” at the end of the discussion intoned the developer Jacob Ghermezian to commissioners last Tuesday.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article12605384.html and here is a critical article on mega Malls

Llshttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article14525900.html

Regalado comes from a family of journalists and she is effectively utilizing the media and last week at the school Board there was an extensive discussion of the Audit of the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) something she has been championing since the school during the budget process has to deal with a $40 million budget hole since it takes the County so long to clear property  tax appeals and the attempt was to see if there was some structural issue that must be corrected to mitigate this delay in funding owed to the nation’s fourth largest public schools district. And at Wednesday’s Board Meeting when a transfer of land for the large Mall passed.  She probable got some decent television time in the Spanish media and she is staying on the airwaves on a consistent basis( as to be fair so is Gimenez) but  his message is generally dour and not as upbeat in tone to Regalado’s whose father is also campaigning for his daughter as well in the coming months but she is now defining herself with the county’s voters who see her race a big stretch from being on the schools board since there is a Superintendent and in the County’s case there is a strong mayor form of government and she will have to run the colossus herself with well over 26,0000 employees, and that competency was a known fact since Gimenez at one point was Manager of the City of Miami and a Miami Fire Chief, but with some people voter fatigue is setting in and Regalado the daughter is young and energetic  and she is slowly making her case with county voters, some are saying, but there is a long way to go before the Nov. 2016 general election. And the VAB issue sand the Mega Mall are likely to be campaign issues in the months ahead and readers should stay tuned and see how this development being done by Triple Five turns out for critics argue there are some downsides to this type of developments. And here is a critical storyhttp on Mega Malls http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article14525900.html

Further, So far no one has officially announced they will be challenging Gimenez for the office but former Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez is eyeing the post as well along with School Board Member Raquel Regalado and the mayor’s dynamics with voters has changed since he first ran for the office back in 2011 and he is seen as being overly sensitive if anyone criticizes him and there is some media footage that does make him seem angry when he is criticized and not a warm and cuddly mayor and that imperious attitude is getting old for some voters. And the discontent started with voters when he paid numerous vice mayors significant salaries and benefits that he says is necessary to get top people into government, but critics argue maybe these people should not be in public service. Since it might be for the wrong reasons, since government positions traditionally pay less than the private sector but also comes with a number of perks not found in the private sector.

>>>> GMCVB press release: During the month of February 2015, Miami-Dade County’s reported 3% Convention Development Tax (CDT) collections for Greater Miami (excluding Bal Harbour and Surfside) showed an increase 14.9% compared to the same time in 2014. This is the first time that the 3% CDT has reached and exceeded $9 million in our history. The 2% Tourist Development Tax (TDT) collections for Greater Miami (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) showed an increase of 8.5% compared to the same time in 2015. The 2% Hotel Food and Beverage Tax collections from hotels in Miami-Dade (excluding Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside) showed an increase of 4.8% compared to the same time in 2014.

Record Miami-Dade County Tax Collections

3% Convention Development Tax

February 2015 February 2014 % Change vs. 2014

$9,106,883 $7,992,946 +14.9%

2% Tourist Development Tax

February 2015 February 2014 % Change vs. 2014

$2,989,433 $2,756,217 +8.5%

2% Hotel Food & Beverage Tax

February 2015 February 2014 % Change vs. 2014

$830,003 $791,924 +4.8%

PAST WDR: Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado Sunday told Michael Putney and Glenna MIlberg http://www.local10.com/news/this-week-in-south-florida-march-15/31810968 that  he is not supporting the deal the city is being asked to approve that includes a $9 million contribution from the Miami general fund For All Aboard Florida http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article12514622.html and Regalado says he will veto the legislation being heard this Thursday at the Miami Commission meeting and the goal is to have trains run from Miami to Palm Beach County and would reduce traffic significantly officials hope and the state of FL is kicking in some $20 million of the $69 million needed. And Regalado when I asked him Wednesday about the Tri Rail deal “he questioned how many Overtown residents would be wanting to go to Palm Beach and watch Polo matches?” He responded and the issue is intertwining with the 2016 County mayoral race where Raquel Regalado is challenging Mayor Carlos Gimenez for the strong mayor position.

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff during the television show told Putney that when it came to reducing traffic congestion that synchronized “signalization, was like moving the deck chairs on chairs on the Titanic,” and the fix will not achieve the trafficking results many people are anticipating despite the long time taking to implement it.

(MIAMI, June 16, 2014) – Miami-Dade County is hosting a series of town hall meetings, where residents can provide input and ask County staff about the proposed amendment to the Home Rule Charter  to permit additional uses and facilities at Parks, Legistar 141370, sponsored by Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Jr. On July 7, 2011, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 11-44, which states “the County shall hold six public meetings regarding any resolution calling an election on a proposed Home Rule Charter amendment.”

Amended proposal

When and where:

Tuesday, June 17, 6:00 p.m.

West Kendall Regional Library

10201 Hammocks Blvd.

Miami, FL 33196

305-385-7135

Wednesday, June 18, 6:00 p.m.

North Dade Regional Library

2455 NW 183 Street

Miami, FL 33056

305-625-6424

Wednesday, June 18, 6:00 p.m.

South Dade Regional Library

10750 SW 211 Street

Miami, FL 33189

305-233-8140

Thursday, June 19, 6:00 p.m.

Arcola Lakes Library

8240 NW 7th Avenue

Miami, FL 33150

305-694-2707

Monday, June 23, 6:00 p.m.

Miami Beach Regional Library

227 22nd Street

Miami Beach, FL 33139

305-535-4219

Tuesday, June 24, 6:00 p.m.

Kendall Library

9101 SW 97th Avenue

Miami, FL 33176

305-279-0520

Wednesday, June 25, 6:00 p.m.

Miami Lakes Library

6699 Windmill Gate Road

Miami Lakes, FL 33014

305-822-6520

Thursday, June 26, 6:00 p.m.

West Dade Regional Library

9445 Coral Way

Miami Beach, FL 33165

305-553-1134

>>>Press release: In other action today, The Ethics commission approved a resolution to honor retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Gerald Kogan with a “Lifetime Achievement Award for Ethics in Public Service.” In addition to his legal and judicial experience in the state and county courts, Judge Kogan has served as President of the Alliance for Ethical Government and as a member of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Ethics Advisory Committee.  He has been an adviser and mentor to countless public servants, attorneys and citizens, as well as law students at four different universities.   The award will be presented at the opening session of the “Ethics In Education: A to Z” conference on Friday, May 1, 2015 at the University of Miami’s Storer Auditorium beginning at 5:30 p.m.  Anyone wishing to take part may learn more and register by visiting www.ethics.miamidade.gov   >>> Finally, the Ethics Commission paid tribute today to Deputy General Counsel Miriam Soler Ramos, who is leaving the agency after more than nine years.  Ms. Ramos begins her new position as Deputy City Attorney in Coral Gables on March 16th.

>>>>The Long awaited audit of the Miami-Dade County’s Value Adjustment Board (VAB) is out with some recommendations, and the County’s OIG was copied.   The long awaited audit pushed by Board Member Raquel Regalado and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho by the Miami-Dade County School Board of the Miami-Dade County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) has been released and the report makes a number of recommendations and the County’s Office of Inspector General is copied on the document that has become a political hot potato since legal suits are in play and the roughly $40 million funding impact it is having on the District because of taxpayer appeals and the length of processing these filings. To read the audit go to http://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_March_10_2015/item3.pdf. And there was extensive discussion at Wednesday’s monthly school board meeting on the matter and Regalado is going to be the point of the spear when it comes to the VAB and trying to “reform” it said board members and Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman will also lend her weight to the proceedings and the need for changes and the District Auditor is still waiting for some responses from the County entities involved in this VAB process.

The Public Health Board is beginning to make moves to upgrade the facilities at the Jackson Main Campus and is part of the $830 million bond approved by county voters by a large margin last November to update the ageing campus so it is state of the art. And the PHT board at their monthly televised meeting last week discussed the Request for Proposal “for a program manager and owner’s Rep service that had five firms responding and the five firms will be a “consulting pool and will also involve a “program manager,” to oversee the overall project and “ultimately  one firm will be selected and Lynn Barrett a VP had asked the Miami-Dade Ethics and public trust commission for an opinion for one employee Isa Nunez, and below is that opinion written by the Commission’s Executive officer Joe Centorino, Esq. since Isa Nunez’s is the VP of facility design and construction and her husband works for a company that applied to be selected to do some of the work and below is the Ethics ruling unedited. Lynn Barrett, who asked for the opinion is The PHT’s Vice president of compliance and ethics Officer, as the Health trust begins this massive upgrade of the facility that also includes Isa Nunez, the PHT’s Vice president of facility design and construction and below is the ruling from Centorino unedited: (I highlighted part of it) “INQ 15-06 From: Centorino, Joseph (COE) Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 6:14 PM To: Barrett, Lynn (lynn.barrett@jhsmiami.org) Cc: Diaz-Greco, Gilma M. (COE); Sanchez, Gerald (CAO) Subject: INQ – Lynn Barrett, Compliance/Ethics Officer, Jackson Health Systems (JHS) Conflict of Interest Lynn, You have inquired regarding whether a prohibited conflict of interest exists in connection with the RFP for a Program Manager to manage the construction and capital improvement bond program at Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH), where the Vice President in charge of bond construction at JMH, Isa Nunez, is a county employee subject to the Miami-Dade County Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Ordinance, and one of the contractors contending for a sub-contract in the program is Corradino Group, an engineering consulting firm that employs Ms. Nunez’s husband as a project administrator. It is my understanding that Ms. Nunez’s husband is not scheduled to be involved, nor will he be involved, directly or indirectly, in any aspect of the JMH project should Corradino succeed in obtaining a contract. It is also my understanding that he is a salaried employee rather than a co-owner or stockholder in the company, and that his job entails the management of other projects that Corradino is involved with in Miami-Dade County, none of which concern the County or JHS. It has also been stipulated that Ms. Nunez herself has recused herself from and will not serve on the selection/evaluation committee for the project, and that she will not participate in the decision-making process regarding the hiring of a firm for the sub-contract for which Corradino Group is competing. It is also understood, however, that she will have overall supervisory authority over the construction bond program in which Corradino, if successful in obtaining the sub-contract, would be performing services. A secondary issue has also been raised concerning whether a staff person who works very closely with Ms. Nunez may serve on the selection/evaluation committee for the sub-contract for which Corradino Group is contending. Based upon the information provided, it is my opinion that there is no prohibited conflict of interest for Corradino Group to contend for the sub-contract in question. Under Sections 2-11.1(c) and 2-11.1(d), the employee’s immediate family member would have to have a controlling financial interest in the company for a prohibited conflict to arise, which is not the case in this situation. There is also no financial interest in the project on the part of Ms. Nunez or her spouse that would implicate the provisions of Section 2-11.1(n) in the event that Ms. Nunez should supervise the work of Corradino. Given the heightened standard of ethics that is imposed on JHS by the County Commission as well as by the Public Health Trust, however, I think it would be appropriate for Ms. Nunez to take the additional step of insulating herself from the oversight of Corradino’s work, in the event that Corradino Group is successful, by delegating oversight of the company to a staff member with the understanding that Corradino would be held to the same standards as any other contractor or subcontractor. While there may be no clear prohibition in the Code for the participation of a close staff member of Ms. Nunez’s on the While there may be no clear prohibition in the Code for the participation of a close staff member of Ms. Nunez’s on the selection committee, I would recommend that no such staff person serve on the selection committee to avoid any appearance of favoritism or impropriety and to maintain public trust in the integrity of the process. If you have any further questions, please call me,” wrote Ethics CEO Joe M. Centorino.

For the first time in a while the Watchdog Repot attended the all-day PHT committee meeting Thursday and CEO Carlos Migoya has added some new staff and one new member to the administration is former Miami CFO Larry Spring and his job is to enhance efficiencies in the staffing operations he told the board during a presentation Thursday and the Trust continues it’s remarkable turnaround.

Jackson is reporting $1 million over budget for the past month and that is “$3 million over the prior year,” said Trust CFO Mark Knight. And the health trust is benefitting from strong countywide one percent sales tax collections that came in “$1.5 million ahead of budget,” and since consumer “spending is up,” sales tax revenues for the month came in at “$8.8 million ahead of what was budgeted,” said Knight. And cash on hand is 28 days and reflects the stringer performance of the health system that at one point only had about 12 days of cash on hand.

Al Maloof, a county lobbyist registered with “Perez Gurri Corp., doing business as N.J. Construction Maloof,” attended the public meeting and  he left his card and while I did not see the influential county lobbyist who was also on the Miami Expressway Authority (MDX) Board he left his card on the Trust board table and I don’t know why he was there but with $830 million in bond proceeds for massive infrastructure improvements I have been waiting for the County lobbyists to arrive at the PHT and also the County school board with some $1.2 billion in contracts to award in the coming months for construction and school enhancements.

Merrie Christmas Park in South Coconut Grove (http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/commissioner-sarnoff-toxic-soil-at-merrie-christmas-park-will-be-removed-soon-6546637)  has reopened and on Saturday a few hundred parents with their children attended a Neighborhood pot luck event organized by Commission District 2 candidate Grace Solaris and candidate Ken Russell and the park was packed with children after intensive remediation was done by the City of Miami. Commissioner Marc Sarnoff and his candidate wife Teresa also went to the event that had a number of candidates attending including Seth Skarley but there are a host of candidates in the field trying to take on the termed out Sarnoff who is helping his wife follow him on the dais and his wife Teresa was with him and she is just getting her political footing and is not a natural campaigner on her own but will have to be more so in the future, especially  when she faces the press that is getting antsy with her lack of communication of what her platform will be or just more of the same as her husband who went from being a Grove activist to almost creating a cult of followers and gives the impression it’s his way or the highway which is getting old with many Miami Grove voters but the attorney has the ability to raise serious campaign cash from developers, but his political persuasion seems to change with the times. Since he was a big Barack Obama supporter in 2006 but did not do much campaigning for Obama in 2012 and this past year. He supported GOP Gov. Rick Scott so people have no idea what the admiralty attorney believes in. And here is a campaign webpage that came up in a searchhttp://www.marcsarnoff.com/connect/voter-information/  and click here to see all the candidates running for the District 2 seat and how much money they have raised.

http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/City_Clerk/Pages/Elections/candidates.asp and later in the day

Teresa Sarnoff and her husband were canvasing Irvington Ave. in the South Grove and both were riding in the backseat of the car, said one source that saw them campaigning and they were unable to determine if the driver of the car was a Miami sergeant of Arms that Sarnoff uses extensively for his political duties but non city employees are not supposed to ride in City of Miami cars because of liability issues.

The Watchdog Report attended the City’s Finance Committee meeting Wednesday and the volunteer board watches over the city’s finances and is a very important board for it helps keep the city off the fiscal rocks as has occurred so many times over the years including having for five years a state appointed financial Advisory board appointed by then Gov. Jeb Bush and only dissolved in November 2001. Staff told committee members that “the budget process is well underway,” and budget Director Chris Rose said he will be making a presentation “next week to the commission, “and he indicated the preliminary surplus for the year was likely to be “$14.5,” million but that number is not set in stone. And Rose also updated the committee on union negotiations and he stated the tentatively agreed contract with AFSCME made up of “general employees passed a union vote by 579 to four against he told committee members. Rose said the new agreement gives all employees a “three percent” raise across the board and “fixes pay tables,” that for many employees was prevalent, Rose said. He also mentioned a major new “Wellness Program” for the City’s workers and a gym is becoming available that “has the same rehabilitation equipment,” and “getting workers more healthy is a win win,” the budget guru concluded, and over the years the increased costs for diabetes, for example has shot through the roof for Miami employees and was discussed a couple of years ago at a past meeting I covered.

One of the committee members said he recently went to Jungle Island that has a $25 million HUD loan that is part of the County’s HUD obligations of around $225 million and he noted it took some “ 40 minutes just to get into the uncrowded attraction and he only found the Flamingoes by accident with his family and he noted the Commission Auditor 2013 had done a report on the attraction and the report was critical of the attraction and the man wanted to know the status of “the going concern issues,”  his report cited and he noted that the fiscal status can change from year to year and he wondered if it was under the committees sphere of responsibility but the city attorney who was not the usual attorney of the board and was not aware of the request for a legal ruling he said. And Mayor Tomas Regalado said later JI had made the January million dollar payment but it was the big one in the summer that he expects the attraction to pay to be compliant with the contract with the city and the loan runs to 2020. He also noted when I asked about the attendance issue that the attraction makes much of its money holding banquet events there for a wide range of organizations.

The City of Miami has some $200 million in bond holdings and the Signa Cyber Security guidelines after a breach a while ago was discussed by one of the board members and Cyber Security in a host of ways is becoming a major worry for municipalities.

Because of the lack of appointments by the Miami commission the critical Audit Committee has not met in the “past year,” and commissioners need to make appointments to this critical oversight board for it also plays an important role in keeping the city on an even fiscal keel.

Teresa Sarnoff has decided to knock on doors with her husband Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff who she wants to follow in his seat since he is termed out after eight years in the office and there is clearly voter fatigue for the man. Who comes off irritating and has trouble connecting with people and could be the wife’s downfall in the crowded Dist.2 Miami Commission race with a host of challengers who just need to get 50.1 percent to prevail in the primary and the expected general election in late November and having a strong organization getting voters to the polls will be key to any victor.

And When it comes to the Miami Commission District 2 race things are very quiet and the Watchdog Report has yet to see any of the candidates in my neighborhood or down at Miami Commission meetings but campaign reports show candidate Grace Solaris has raised some $77,210, (up from 57,680) to her likely challenger’s Teresa Sarnoff who has increased her war chest to $172,149 through February,

Gimenez

(Up from $82, 875,). And in the District 4 race incumbent Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez is reporting $23,125 for his campaign and the younger Suarez is facing long time perennial candidate Manolo Reyes who has raised $70,710 and another challenger Antonio J. Diaz has $23,125 for his own campaign but Reyes has been trying to get elected for years. And there are gaps on who contributed this money and the only listed expense was $3,360 paid to Dark Horse Strategies and for more on the company go to  and to review all the candidates campaign contributions go to: http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/City_Clerk/Pages/Elections/CampaignReports15.asp  and for more on Dark Horse go to  http://www.darkhorsestrategies.org/meetus.html

The Discussion on the proposed agreement for the Coconut Grove playhouse plan had county commissioner Xavier Suarez Thursday at the commission Chambers starring in the lead role. As Gables Stage, run by Joe Adler was picked to be the artistic arm of the planned renovation that will have a 300 seat intimate theater and possible an 11,000 seat larger stage. If there is funding (though arts maven Mike Eidson said he and a foundation are looking to raise some $40 million for the effort If there is space to put the larger theater in the Historic Building and is vital to the Grove’s prosperity given the number of theater goers prior to its sudden closing in 2006 and Suarez chaired the County Commission committee meeting that discussed a host of issues to the bored audience of theater supporters in the audience for a couple (while commissioners discussed low cost and affordable housing issues) for  hours before taking up the Playhouse discussions that had a good turnout of theater activists who came to the Chambers in strength and Suarez  just asked the potentially hostile crowds to be “civil,” and brief in their comments  and everyone was given two minutes each to speak on the iconic heater, but Suarez seemed a little rusty on the dais and he made  numerous little quips including saying he felt like “Rodney Dangerfield,” and noted one of his staff members “a Vassar College” grad was capable of cleaning up his spilled coffee and it was an odd comment and after “Waiting for Godot was brought up a number of times, He joked about the Samuel Beckett play asking rhetorically “did Godot” every show up? He wondered but his fascination with how many seconds the speakers did not use just extended the meeting even longer and the economic prosperity committee passed the agreement and the full BCC will vote on it again on April 21.

Why was Suarez “hilarious?”

A woman new to the County Commission Chamber said she was a constituent of Suarez’s but had never met him before, and she told him in her remarks, that “he was hilarious,” as the Harvard trained attorney kept thanking speakers for saving “6 seconds,” for example while  clearly his many side remarks slowed the proceedings going but his many side remarks just lengthened the length of the committee meeting but proponents for some kind of action got their wish and the full county Commission will hear the item and vote on April, 21 on the final contract with Gables Stage that also has an affiliation with FIU to provide training for a graduate degree in acting. And a host of high profile people spoke in support of Adler with one person calling him “a god” who seems to have limitless energy said many people and Adler seems to be considered a community treasure. And here is what Playhouse activists are saying about the proceedings last week http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coconut-grove/article13911635.html and see what is being said on the Save the Coconut Grove Playhouse web page and you can see he passions the theater generates. And a video of the proceedings. SAVE THE COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/saveourplayhouse SAVE THE COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE, Miami, Florida. 9656 likes · 827 talking about this. This is dedicated to the efforts of preserving the Playhouse from.

Suarez

With Miami Beach warming up for its 100th Anniversary March 26 and the bash of the year is expected to take place during the celebrations that will highlight the past years changes and how the sleepy retirement community morphed into a tourist Mecca and the place to be and the Watchdog Report gives the Beach a Tip of the Hat for reaching this benchmark and in many ways is the tourist crown jewel for Miami-Dade that depends so much on tourist tax dollars. And for more http://www.local10.com/news/free-concert-to-o to: feature-andrea-bocelli-kymani-marley-barry-gibb/31298890 And officials will be hosting a major party the Beach is throwing and will feature the Bee Gees and a host of other performer’s, in a free signature concert.

Beach residents are gearing up to fight the large project proposed by a local developer for Watson Island and has been delayed since voters approved it back in 1999 and was selected because they agreed to pay the highest fees back to the city back then but since then traffic on the MacArthur Causeway has ben horrendous and is becoming a nightmare that this new development would only make worse and the lawsuits are flying.

>>> Meeting Date: Tuesday March 17th, Meeting Time: 8:30 AM, Meeting Place: Abuela’s Cuban Kitchen, 1654 Meridian Ave., South Beach. Roger Craver and Stephen Herbits of the Coalition against Causeway Chaos, the moving force behind the challenge to the Watson Island Flagstone project, will be the guest speakers at the March 17th meeting of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. The Watson Island project is a major mixed-use development (hotels, condos, shopping, and a mega yacht marina) approved by voters about ten years ago but never built.  Flagstone is now seeking approval to enlarge the scope of the project which could cause major traffic problems for the McArthur Causeway and Miami Beach. There is no charge for attending and everyone is welcome.

Visit our web site at www.MBTMBC.com (Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club).

The Coral Gables Mayoral election has gotten more interesting with a gigantic mix use project creating a wedge issue and is seen to work against incumbent Mayor Jim Cason who voted for the Mediterranean Village complex that residents fear will dwarf other buildings in the City Beautiful and could give challenger Ralph Cabrera, Jr. a boost with voters on election day April 14 in the winner take all race with Election Day April 14th.

>>>> The Coral Gables upcoming elections got a surprise when Jeanette Slesnick filed candidate papers recently to run for the open commission seat when Commissioner Bill Kerdyk Jr. steps down in the spring. Slesnick is the wife of former three term Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, II and the candidates will have further forums in the weeks ahead. And Slesnick’s wife may get some blowback from voters for things her husband Don did when he was mayor. In a surprise move Gables realtor Jeanette Slesnick has filed running for the slot on the dais and other candidates are Tony Newell, Sandra Murado and P.J. Mitchell. And Rip Holmes rounds out the field of candidates and to review the candidate list go to http://www.coralgables.com/index.aspx?page=292 and the low key election is April 14 and the elections are a winner take all race. Since his time as mayor Slesnick’s wife has continued to be active in Gables issues and her entry could make the race a little more exciting.

>>> Press release: The Coral Gables Forum will hold its bi-annual Candidates Forum for the upcoming city elections. Our first forum will be for Group IV and V on March 2nd.  Our second forum will be for the Mayor’s race (Group I) on March 9th.  Both events will be held at the Coral Gables Congregational Church (3010 DeSoto Boulevard) from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.The doors will be open at 6:45pm so audience members can submit questions to ask the candidates.  Our moderator will be Eliott Rodriguez of CBS WFOR-TV.  If you have any questions please contact us at coralgablesforum@gmail.com.For more information on the Candidates Forum and future events please visit our website at www.coralgablesforum.com   and here are other planned debates:

The Coral Gables Forum, Inc. “Keeping you abreast of the pressing issues affecting Coral Gables.”  We meet the first and third Mondays of the month at JohnMartin’s restaurant (253 Miracle Mile – 2nd floor) at noon.  Lunch is $20 for members and $25 for non-members

The third debate will be Group IV, at the Coral Gables Congregational Church (3010 De Soto Boulevard) this Monday March 16, 2015.  This event will be held in the Church’s main chamber.  The candidates for this Seat are:

1.)  Frank C. Quesada (Incumbent)

2.)  Enrique Lopez

Mr. Eliott Rodriguez of CBS-WFOR television will be the moderator.  The doors will be open to the public at 6:45pm.  Entry will be through Fellowship Hall where cards will be distributed to the audience to submit questions to the candidates.

The forum will begin at 7:00pm.  You may RSVP at coralgablesforum@gmail.com.  The final debate will be on March 16th for Group IV.

For more information please visit our website at www.coralgablesforum.com

The Miami-Dade Office of the Inspector General found some irregularities with how children were being classified at the Early Learning Coalition of Monroe County and the IG report is a good read at http://www.miamidadeig.org/newsreleases2015/IG13.06CHSarrests.pdf

M-DC Ethics Commission press release: The COE found No Probable Cause that a former county employee exploited his public position in assisting a recently-elected Miramar City Commissioner transition into office during time he was on the Miami-Dade payroll.  Billy Hardemon retired from his job as a senior administrator in the county’s Public Works and Waste Management Department on August 31, 2013. A former colleague of Hardemon’s in Public Works, Yvette Colbourne, ran for and won election to the Miramar City Commission in March of that year.  An investigation found that on several days between March and August, Hardemon was in Miramar during regular business hours attending meetings and working as a de-facto Chief of Staff to Colbourne, without requesting leave time.  While Ethics Commissioners agreed they did not approve of his actions, because of the broad definition of “job-basis employee,” which permits staff to work variable hours as long as they  fulfill their responsibilities, they could not prove that Hardemon did not accomplish his County duties or that he directly used his position to provide a special benefit to anyone.   The COE did find Probable Cause to one count of the complaint (C 14-41) that accuses Hardemon of failing to report outside income during Colbourne’s campaign that he earned for “B&B Consulting,” owned by Hardemon’s wife, Barbara.

M-DC Ethics Commission: A city commission may not approve a wholesale waiver of the ethics prohibition of travel-related expenses paid by government vendors, according to another opinion approved by the Ethics Commission today.  It came in response to a Request for Opinion (RQO 15-02) regarding a proposed City of Homestead resolution that would waive the ban on payment for meals and other activities at 14 upcoming out-of-town events, but does not name the public officials, contributing vendors nor the value of the benefits anticipated.  The Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Ordinance specifically prohibits elected officials and public employees from accepting travel and related expenses by vendors to avoid undue influence or exploitation and, at the very least, the appearance of impropriety.  That ban may be waived by a majority vote of the county or city commission.  Today’s opinion states that such a waiver must be decided by a separate public vote of the governing body and include the disclosure of who is providing any travel-related benefit to a public official, as well as the identity of the public official receiving the benefit.

Press release: Spring is near and as the weather gets warmer unaltered stray cats begin to reproduce prolifically. As a result, it is not uncommon to find nests of what appear to be unattended or abandoned newborn kittens. Before jumping to the rescue, Miami-Dade County Animal Services (Animal Services) advises residents to consider the following recommendations to ensure the best chances of survival for the kittens.

Resist the urge to immediately touch them or move them. Instead, observe the kittens quietly from a distance for 12 to 24 hours as the mother may simply be out looking for food or a better place to move them to and is likely to return to care for them. Very young kittens cannot fully feed themselves and need their mother’s milk to survive until they are fully able to eat on their own or weaned off the mother.

You can put out cat food for the mom and a box that the mother could use to keep her kittens in (don’t put the kittens inside it, just put it near them). Don’t disturb the kittens as this may discourage the mother from returning to them, or she may move them away from you.

If you sense the kittens are in immediate danger or a dangerous area, such as underneath a car, in an area that is flooding due to rain, etc., look for the nearest safe area to which you can move them—close enough to the original spot— that will still allow the mother to find them. Place them in a sheltered area, away from direct sun, rain or traffic and continue to watch for the mother.

Only take them in if you have observed the kittens for 12 to 24 hours and are SURE the mother is not likely to return. Get tips on how to care for them at home by visiting www.alleycat.org or www.peggyadams.org

The best way to reduce the overwhelming number of unwanted cats is to spay or neuter your cats starting at 4 months old. Miami-Dade Animal Service offers low cost spay/neuter surgeries as well as free a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for community cats. For information on low-cost spay/neuter surgeries or free TNR call 3-1-1 or visit animals.miamidade.gov. Become a foster parent or volunteer at Animal Services. Volunteers and foster parents receive training and supplies and the joy that comes from saving a precious little animal’s life. For information on becoming a pet foster parent or volunteer email: pets@miamidade.gov

For more information click here or visit: http://www.brucesilverstein.com/

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), The Fish, c. 1924, gelatin silver print, printed c. 1924, 7 1/8 x 9 1/4 inches

Auxiliary gallery at the warehouse

Photographs by Miami artist Annette Bonnier

India’s Elephants

The photographs of South Florida artist Annette Bonnier capture the many facets of elephant’s lives and their interaction with humanity. This collection of photographs is a cultural documentation of elephants in Indian society. The elephant’s role is changing as wildlife conservation and concerns for the health and safety of domesticated elephants are growing. This complex and majestic animal, with its intelligence, intricate social hierarchy, and highly evolved communication skills, is caught in a changing world between the past and the future.

For more information visit: http://www.annettebonnier.com

A discussion at a Miami-Dade County Commission meeting that involved a discussion of articulated buses turned painful Tuesday when staff took forever to answer questions clearly like how much did a 40 foot articulated bus cost? $900,000 and this lack of clear goals and determination by staff has the county drifting when it comes  to a thoughtful mass transit system and a half cent sales tax dedicated to helping to alleviate that historically that  has had numerous carve outs and what this funding would resolve was over sold  to the public back in 20002 and there is now a transit bureaucracy and while there is a Citizens Independent Transit Trust (CITT) these people can only approve items after the county commission has weighed in and the body is not truly independent  and it has spawned the need for county staff  and its CEO Charles Scurr is the poster child of why so little progress has been made and he is not cheap, getting some $200,0000 in salary that should be measured by what he has gotten accomplished  for no one seems to have a handle on transit  yet the CITT still rakes in millions that come in with the half cent sales tax, and only passed after a 20009 effort for a full cent sales tax failed after numerous scandals and no oversight on how this money was going to be spent but the tax went down in flames in a late July vote back then that commissioners thought they could sneak through the sales tax, since many voters were out of town, but that was not the case and it went down and the second effort in 2002 was much more transparent and was on the ballot of a general election day and it passed but  little progress has been made since then and plans lurch forward after one study after another and this legislative grid lock needs to end and the department needs to pick up the pace for voters want solutions now and in keeping what they were promised.

A revolution is  occurring at County Hall and Miami-Dade County Commissioners are leading it as they continue to challenge the strong Mayor (Form of government) and the Carlos Gimenez administration and commissioners are pushing county staff to explain more fully how the County’s 25 Departments are running and what they are trying to do versus other things they have not been done but were requested  in the past by commissioners and one of the challenges is to actually create a new mass transit corridor that has been discussed and studied to death but has yielded no real results and Gimenez up for reelection in 2016 is going to have to deal with the new found independent voice of the commission that seems to relish challenging the administrative assumptions and the way things have been done in the past and given the new budget cycle in September, Readers should expect commissioners to have framed the overall budget to their liking much more than in the past for the 13 member legislative body is feeling more empowered in their deliberations and this past week’s County Commission Committee meetings. Could be just a taste of this new found freedom With the Gimenez administration and the Commission now being Chaired by Jean Monestime who is pushing a “prosperity initiative” and the role of the body under this new legislative relationship the strong mayor form of government created and resulted in ex-Mayor Carlos Alvarez getting recalled by voters overwhelmingly in 2011 and he was succeeded by Gimenez in the office.

HEARING – APRIL 7, 2015

CITY HALL – AT 3:00 P.M.

SAVE 3529 SAINT GAUDENS ROAD

FROM BEING DEMOLISHED!

Good afternoon. Please note that the City of Miami’s Preservation Officer, Megan Schmitt, has advised us that the hearing before the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board on the 3529 St. Gaudens Road Historic Resource Nomination application. We will keep you informed and hope that all of you can attend.

Regards,

Richard M. Zelman, Esq.

Sacher, Zelman, Hartman,