Watchdog Report Vol.16 No.9 July 26, 2015 EST.05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 16 years of weekly publishing

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center www.knightfoundation.org to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>>> The Watchdog Report publisher needs fiscal help and new Supporters and I have for 16 years now, reported back weekly how your billions of public dollars in government are being spent. And how to do that is at the end of the WDR. Thank You.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher was on Topical Currents WLRN 91.3 FM and readers can listen in to the show as we discuss the hot topics in the community today. And to listen to the show go to: http://wlrn.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/watchdog-report-publisher-dan-ricker-june-2015-edition

And to watch an Investigational Story done by Tony Pipitone a featured investigative reporter with NBC 6.com on waste at Miami-Dade County go to http://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/Sloppy-Oversight-Missed-Deadlines-Plague-208-Million-Miami-Dade-County-Contract-309888921.html

>> And to my Supporters and Sponsors I thank you for your confidence over the past 16 Years.

ARGUS REPORT: Heard and Seen on the streets

>>>> Candidate Hillary takes shot across the bow at Bush, says hard for people to rise without health insurance

Hillary Clinton in Broward County Friday at the National Urban League conference tried to stake her claim and chops to be President of the United States. If she is nominated by the Democratic Party in the primary and she took a shot at former Gov. Jeb Bush, for wanting to repeal Obama Care. Bush who spoke before the former Secretary of State touted his achievements while governor but Clinton is getting hammered in the media for contributions made to the Clinton Foundation and includes a $2.5 million payment from the Swiss bank UBS for a question answer session that is raising eyebrows and people are talking about her is now including her income for which seems to be approaching some $150 million. And is in contrast to her saying when she and Bill left public office they were “broke,” and both have been active paid public speakers at a host of events.

And later at FIU she called for an end to the Cuban Embargo that only Congress can do and while her negatives are still trending up she is trying to introduce herself to the American electorate and also has Sen. Bernie Sanders of Maine to deal with and he still is drawing strong crowds only eclipsed by Mega showman Donald Trump who is still leading in the polls with Bush and others trailing but the GOP debate is in the wings and could be a breakout event for the pack of Republican candidates. Who have had trouble getting traction with the Donald getting all the media coverage that appears almost nonstop on the airwaves and has other hopefuls having to respond to some of his outrageous statements and with the GOP debate Thursday. And Reagan’s 11^th amendment about speaking ill of Republican candidates is going out the door and with two tier of candidates of which ten are known based on nationwide polls. And Clinton may face a new challenger in Vice President Joe Biden who is weighing jumping into the race and could change the dynamics of the race.

>>> Michael Lewis of Miami Today details pitfalls that might dog any new MLS stadium next to Marlins stadium, all the terms are in the ball team’s favor, and even have rights on naming any new facility

With David Beckham meeting with Major League Soccer  and Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado becoming the team’s major cheerleader for the site next to the Miami Marlins Stadium. Publisher Michael Lewis has done a great community service in actually reading the Marlin’s stadium document passed by the County and Miami Commission and the terms are all in favor of the professional baseball team and that organization will have approve even the naming rights of any new stadium next door and Lewis wrote a great editorial on the possible pitfalls that might stymie any new soccer team’s stadium, that is required for Beckham to get a soccer franchise at the reduced team cost.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/opinion/ and for more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/article29708206.html

What about the GOP field of candidates?

All week insurgent candidate Donald Trump was on the airwaves and the blunt talking developer worth around some $5 billion is drawing a bigger entourage than Mitt Romney did running up to the election in 2012 and he has taped into a vein of discontent with the political status quo that does not seem to ebb with voters and a recent ABC poll has Trump leading in the run up to the Aug.6 FOX run Republican debate. And there could be blowback from voters to the man’s comments that Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona was not “a war hero,” and the Donald is saying the quote was out of context and he is going after the media for only taking snippets of what he is saying and the Republican establishment is waiting for the Trump personality to flame out. And pundits are all complaining about how they are having to give the man all this media time given his brash style and stream of conscious way of speaking calling one candidate a ”loser.”

And the developer called  former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush “terrible,” in a variety of policies including “immigration,” where the governor actually wrote a book, called Immigration Wars, on the subject and the Watchdog Report once joked with Bush, after  a funeral service for a passing dear friend. I said to the governor that he had “more guts than I did,” and he replied “looking puzzled, what do you mean?” and I said over the last 16 years I had only written one story concerning immigration, because of the intensity of the emails I received at the time, and “he had written a whole book on the subject.” And he admitted some of the correspondence he got was also very intense on the subject. And the issue for many Republicans is a third rail subject that Trump has brought to the forefront of the GOP pack of candidates and how the upcoming candidate debate Thursday,  goes is the 24 million dollar question at the moment.

>>> Press release: Possible Upgrade of Cuba in State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report is Indefensible Concession to Castro Regime, Says Ros-Lehtinen

“If true, this upgrade in Cuba’s status in the annual report is nothing short of appeasement and it is a disgrace unbecoming of an administration that claims to hold human rights as one of its top priorities.”

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, made the following statement after reports stated that the State Department is considering upgrading Cuba to the Tier 2 Watch List from Tier 3 of the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen: “In 2014, the same TIP report cited that child prostitution and child sex tourism runs rampant in Cuba, with children as young as 13 being the most vulnerable to human trafficking. Yet, the Obama administration has chosen to once again discard the hard facts to continue the President’s legacy shopping. Furthermore, the Castro regime not only fails to prevent sex trafficking of adults and children, but it actively supports and sponsors the sex tourism industry on the island in order to reap the financial benefits. If true, this upgrade in Cuba’s status in the annual TIP report is nothing short of appeasement and it is a disgrace unbecoming of an administration that claims to hold human rights as one of its top priorities.”

>>> Zogby Press release: John Kasich Is the Real Deal: Pay Attention to Him By: John Zogby Forbes.com Contributor

Seemingly lost in the all the “Donaldfoolery” of late is that a real candidate announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President: Governor John Kasich of Ohio. Mr. Kasich brings a singular level of experience to this race as both a legislator and executive, significant business success, four decades of winning elections, and impressive (even historic) accomplishments in public policy. He is what Governors Scott Walker and Chris Christie can, at this point in their tenures, only aspire to be. He has more experience than both former Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio combined. And he has won the kind of blue collar support needed in a GOP must-win state. Please click on the link below to view the full release:
http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/609-john-kasich-is-the-real-deal-pay-attention-to-him

>>> Zogby report card: Obama gets his own trophy in Africa trip successes

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

In his weekly presidential report card, pollster John Zogby finds that President Obama is so far looking like he will avoid the pitfalls of past August summer breaks and he starts on a high with his successful trip to Africa. “It is now August — traditionally President Obama’s cruelest month — and things are looking pretty good for him. Please click on the link below to view the full release: http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/612-zogby-report-card-obama-gets-his-own-trophy-in-africa-trip-successes

OBITUARY

>> Father of CPR Jude passes at, 87, giant among heart surgeons and preservationists’

>>> James Jude M.D., 87, the father of modern day CPR, he documented in the late 1960s has passed and the man was a highly respected cardio thoracic surgeon, trained at the University of Minnesota Medical School and later at the University of Miami Miller medical School. He and his wife, Sallye were long time preservationists and to visit their home Java Head in South Coconut Grove was always a treat where many a environmental fundraiser was held and had the couple showing the people around the beautiful compound with beautiful Indonesian murals on the walls and the physician had great skill and temperament in the operating room and he was captain of the ship and the gentleman man who dressed in a tweed blazer many times,  had a honest yet kind approach to his patients of which there were legions who had gotten a heart bypass by him or his partner A.J. Furst, M.D. or Marvin Erbesfeld, M.D. back in the early 1980s and the Watchdog Report in my previous life was in the OR with Dr. Jude when he did pacemaker replacements or insertions of which he was very skilled.

Later Back in 2000 Dr. Jude and I walked Bicentennial Park one Saturday with a group of activists that included now deceased Commissioner Arthur Teele, Jr., and the man told me at the time what I was doing going to all these government meetings was important to the community reeling from scandals at a variety of public institutions  at  the time and “public corruption,” was the top priority of the local U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis at the time before Sept 11, which Changed everything though the local federal office still pursues the issue aggressively along with the FBI. And he would later financially support my efforts to keep the community informed. And the man had a host of interests including a Christmas Tree farm in Georgia and with his son Rod (a County Commission candidate in 1995 who lost by one percentage point to Maurice Ferre in his political comeback bid for elected office), they created a company that supplied plants to corporate offices and taking care of the plants. And for more on the Great One who saved so many lives go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article29237104.html And I send my condolences to the Jude Family on their loss, may you rest in peace Dr. Jude for you left the world a better place.

STATE OF FLORIDA

>>> Rep. Diaz says “it is mayhem in Tallahassee, now,” with redistricting back in spotlight, special session set, after court’s throw out districts, because “tainted,”

With Florida Legislators having to call a second special session to redraw the Congressional redistricting maps, “it is mayhem in Tallahassee, now” said state Rep. Jose Diaz at a Miami Commission meeting Thursday, where he gave an update on local state funding that got vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott, and “gave him heartburn.” He responded to a question about Scott’s vetoes “The governor’s office is interesting,” and “I wish there was a rational explanation.” for the items that got “vetoed,” he said. The legislator said why the governor vetoed some items is a mystery and the budget was hoped to include $1 million for the Miami Museum

Senate Districts will get redrawn as well

The Florida Legislature has a twofer to deal with now with the state Senate District’s drawn by the body’s leadership being thrown out in a court and lawmakers believed it was bad enough. When they just had to draw the new House Districts but this new wrinkle that some suggest should probable be done by the Courts but have other  Republicans fuming and the legislators will be trying again working under the guidelines of that Fair District Amendment that was overwhelmingly passed by state voters in 2010 but the Florida Courts ruled the new districts were “tainted,” politically, and the public hearings  had one senate member at Miami-Dade College Downtown and one prominent member said he was just a “proud redneck,” from the Panhandle and I had a feeling after hours of testimony by the public that not much would probable change in the end and now lawmakers have to deal with this issue with elections looming.

What about Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah?

State Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah (Net worth $85,000) has taken a licking he said for his aggressive campaign to expand Medicaid during the past Legislative session where that failed but he was swimming against the political tide and worked the media locally on the issue and he joked you can see “the scars on my  back,” given the blowback but he stuck to his guns and is expected to try again and the healthcare executive notes he is a fiscal conservative but the money saved would not go to paying down the $18.3 trillion national debt but would just go to another state, he has said in the past. And to read Garcia’s financial disclosure form for the year go to http://public.ethics.state.fl.us/Forms/2014/43980-Form6.pdf and to read any of your state or county’s elected leaders disclosures go to http://tbo.com on July 1 to the Florida Ethics Commission go to and type in the name, it’s that simple: 24%2016:50:15%27} CFID=1258734&CFTOKEN=cb30f60057724e8a-920B6A15-AB65-CB1F-8B3A3006F08D1C0D

>>> And state lawmakers have figured out ways to avoid term limits that have fattened up their pensions significantly and includes lawmakers in Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties. For more go http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article28644853.html .

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. The shortest message you might see this week:

Click here to read a meaningful piece that ran in The Miami Herald this morning. It’s by Vance Aloupis, The Movement’s splendid state director. Have a nice weekend…
Dave Lawrence
Chair

Miami-Dade County

>>>> Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Reaches Agreement with City of Miami to Fund 150 New Beds for the Homeless – City comes to agreement with Trust

Press release: The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust board today approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City, the County and the Trust that will provide an additional 150 beds with wrap-around services for Miami’s chronic homeless.  The agreement states that the City of Miami will purchase at least 75 beds at Camillus House, and the Homeless Trust will purchase a minimum of 75 beds through a competitive bid process. The MOU is effective October 1, 2015.

“This agreement is a solid resolution to our discussions about the best way to treat the chronic homeless population in Miami,” said Ronald L. Book, Chairman of Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. “By the holiday season, we expect to have moved more than 240 people off the streets.  So after more than a year of healthy debate, comes a better opportunity for those living on the streets.”

The MOU states that all purchased indoor beds must be in compliance with the Homeless Trust’s Standards of Care, which means the contracted beds refer to indoor pieces of furniture with a mattress used as a location to sleep or relax.  The additional beds will be used to help transition 73 individuals who were using the courtyard mat program at Camillus House and for more go to and (Book later apologized for calling Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff ‘despicable’ at a joint meeting with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.) http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article29699047.html

What about outside employment?

>>> PAST WDR: Commissioner Juan Zapata at a committee meeting asked what the County policy was for “outside employment” and how many county employees had outside employment. Zapata asked. Staff said some 1,000 employees file the required outside income forms to the Miami-Dade Elections Department. However, Zapata said he was concerned about the “distraction” of an outside job and if you own a business there are “emergencies,” he considered. Zapata noted the commissioner’s job was part time and they needed outside income and his concern was tax payers are not getting their money worth since the County pays “fair wages and salaries,’ he considered and working for the county “ was a privilege,” he said.

However, Joe Centorino the Executive Director of the Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust Commission noted the commission does review some conflict of interest cases, but only after first the employee gets approval from his department director but the former state prosecutor said “there is a disconnect,” and it is “unknown” how many employees might have outside employment but just don’t notify the administration.

Centorino said there is “no countywide standard,” for how outside employment is treated and he believes there should be a “uniform standard. “Zapata gave one example saying he had a “meeting with a Chinese Delegation,” and he was “given two cards.” One was for a local real estate company and the other was the “card of a county employee,” and the lawmaker did not know what the man’s relationship was with the delegation.

Centorino

GMCVB press release: TOP STORY: #1 – LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY LEADS MIAMI-DADE’S JOB GROWTH RATE IN JUNE 2015 FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH

Greater Miami and The Beaches’ Leisure and Hospitality Industry was #1 in the rate of new jobs created for Miami-Dade County in June 2015, marking the third consecutive month leading all industry sectors in percentage of job growth. Most industry sectors saw some job improvements in June with Leisure and Hospitality leading the way with an increase of +6,600 jobs, registering the highest percent increase at +5.1% over the previous year.

TOP 25 MARKETS: JANUARY – JUNE 2015 DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES DURING JANUARY – JUNE 2015 REMAINED STRONG WITH #2 RECORD RANKING IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR), RECORD #4 IN AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE (ADR) AND #4 IN HOTEL ROOM OCCUPANCY AMONG THE TOP 25 U.S. MARKETS AS DEFINED BY SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH.

January – June 2015 – Miami #2
Record Average Daily Room Rate (ADR)
January – June 2015	January – June 2014	% Change vs. 2014
$217.62	$202.20	+7.6%
January – June 2015 – Miami #4
Record Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)
January – June 2015	January – June 2014	% Change vs. 2014
$175.80	$163.71	+7.4%
Average Daily Occupancy
January – June 2015	January – June 2014	% Change vs. 2014
80.8%	81.0%	-0.2%

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

>>> District plans to serve 50 million meals next year, 6 million pounds of food purchased in course of year

And the District in the coming months will serve some 50 million meals to students including 900,000 breakfasts and 200,000 lunches daily and includes 6 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables daily and 75 million worth of food is purchased states a District press release on the issue that also notes 74 percent of the public schools students are on free or reduced price luncheons and food with trans fats and hydrogenated oils are “banned from our menu,” state’s the press release last week.

>>> Press release: M-DCPS also offers free breakfast to every student, for a healthy start to their academic day. From August 24 through November 2, students who eat breakfast at school every day will be entered in a weekly drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. Thirty winners will be randomly selected each week.

>>> Press release: M-DCPS’ 2015-2016 ‘BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOL KIT’ NOW ONLINE

Miami-Dade County Public Schools will open its doors on Monday, August 24, 2015, to approximately 355,900 students to begin the 2015-2016 school year.

In order to help parents and students have a smooth transition back to school, a tool kit has been created with information regarding registration, vaccination requirements, school hours, important dates, and school safety. The kit is available online at www.dadeschools.net in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Students can benefit from the tool kit’s information about various Choice schools and diploma options, and parents may use it to find out about important dates; the school district’s free app for phone or mobile device; free lunch service; and policies regarding their child’s education.

>>> Aug. 24 kicks off 355,900 students going to public schools, causes traffic congestion to double — The nation’s fourth largest public schools System is opening Aug.24^th and 355,900 students will be going to one of the almost 400 public schools around Dade County and the opening of schools impacts traffic by almost double when it comes to getting around the County. And while the District has a $2.9 billion budget, the District’s debt load is not for the Faint of heart,” said Dr. Richard Hines the now retired District CFO and has done an amazing job saving the district money by refinancing and his replacement will be filling some large shoes and to read the schools budget go to http://financialaffairs.dadeschools.net/ES15-16/ES15_16.pdf

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Jackson South to get 25 new rooms in new buildout, building will have Everglades theme, hospital having “double digit growth,” says CEO Migoya to PHT board

The PHT is expanding Jackson South Community hospital and the PHT is adding a fourth floor and some “25 private rooms since growth is “in the double digits” at the hospital and has become the health Systems “anchor in South Dade,” said CEO Carlos Migoya at the board’s monthly televised board meeting and the renovation and “build out,” that will have a Everglades theme and the art at Jackson South will become part  of the County’s Art in Public Places collection said the healthcare executive’s staff who has successfully turned around the beleaguered healthcare system After years of hemorrhaging red ink with major concessions from the organizations unions and the health trust has “39 days of cash on hand,” said CFO Mark Knight and Jackson is closing the year $18 million in revenue “ahead of the prior year said the CFO to the trustees. And receivables accounts are at 42 days and the health trust has $109 million in accounts payable and “while the length of patients stay is flat,” it is higher “than projected volumes,” Knight said. And the Trust is seeing “year over year growth.”

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Commissioner Sarnoff is dropping off books detailing his nine years in office, will it impact on his wife’s Teresa’s race to follow him in office?

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff is Santa Clause and the commissioner is going to people’s homes to give them a bag that includes a book on his nine years in office and all his achievements because he wants an accurate history of all that he has accomplished in the years in office and some say it is better than an obelisk on the Coconut Grove Convention site or one across the street from the man’s compound home on Blanche Park that has undergone a number of improvements over his years in office that included having to move his maritime law practice from the home to a shared office downtown with Jay Solowsky. And for more on the book go to http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/07/miami-commissioner-hand-delivers-publicly-funded-accomplishment-books.html

And his wife Teresa who is running to succeed her termed out husband in the office has sent a campaign flyer a couple of pages long on her life and the piece is called the “Teresa’s Story, Where Family is everything,” and features photos of herself as a child growing up and when she got married to the commissioner but her life seems to have started in 2001 when she got married and there is no mention of her first husband and what she did before she married the commissioner and that blank space in her life has people asking what has she done Since then because she excluding her husband’s races has not been visible at community events and she is seen as a  perpetuation of her husband’s controversial tenure in office where the man has offered to fight a critic from the dais along with harsh criticism of others and the commissioner who says you can have your own opinion but that does not apply to the “facts,” and his wife is being viewed as being  a manufactured candidate with $460,000 in her campaign war chest thanks to her husband’s fundraising skill but for some of the electorate the large sum is becoming a negative factor but there is no inclination that number will not grow further and will give her an edge with Brickell condominium voters who will have to be wooed by the television airwaves Since candidates have difficulty  campaigning in the buildings that represent a large voting block and has diminished the role of Coconut Grove in the Miami District 2 elections in November.

Further the brochure says President Barack Obama awarded her the “President’s Volunteer Service Award for the Protection of Animals,” and both of them are dog and animal lovers but animals can’t vote and Teresa is not a comfortable candidate and her facial expressions are almost frozen when she attends events like recently at  a women’s club meeting at a Grove restaurant And when she and her team are campaigning they walk right by Grove residents walking their dogs rather than striking up a conversation and she seems to some people like a “snob,”  . And this attitude could come back to haunt her in the race.

What about the other candidates?

Longtime community activist Grace Solaris (who has $139,000 in her campaign war chest) held a fund raiser at Berries in the Grove and some political leaders came to the event that included a meeting with the candidate in the loft area of the restaurant and County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava attended the event along with Paul Schwiep, Esq., the chair of the CITT board that looks after the countywide half cent sales tax funds for transportation passed by county voters in 2002. And people are looking at Solaris as someone that has at least put in the time to seek public office in a pack that has neophyte candidates who have raised very little money but one Ken Russell ( who has $83,614 in his campaign war chest) who has gotten some media attention with his first campaign ad and all the challengers have been given a bonus after Marc had a book done on his years in office, something the Watchdog Report has never ever seen done before, and for more go to : http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/07/miami-commissioner-hand-delivers-publicly-funded-accomplishment-books.html and Russell is outraged by the book that coincidently coincides with an election. That he says it is just a puff piece partially paid with public money. But Sarnoff argues he just wants History to know what he has done in his nine years in office, and it could be he needs a connection to his alleged grandfather Gen. David Sarnoff who founded NBC and has a library in Princeton New Jersey. Where a granddaughter told the media when asked about the long lost relative, the family did not have a clue who he was and the commissioner after the story broke had scrubbed any mention in his bio and has totally ignored explaining what that discrepancy was about.

And I was a speaker once at the University of Miami Oshman Lifelong learning Center and the retirees were a perfect focus group and I mentioned the issue of Sarnoff’s grandfather, that is “part of his lineage,” he said before a show on www.WLRN.org when asked about the connection. So he is still believing it to be true I guess and one of the retirees said after I told them the story. One women a retired attorney 92, said “That is such a fundamental defect in someone’s soul,” she believed and I thought yes, why would someone do that especially if he was a Great One, but Sarnoff is cut from a different cloth having gone to a University on a swimming scholarship before law school.

And his wife has to deal with the fact there is a trust defect with her husband and she should be prepared to answer if she buys into this fantasy, and people also fear her husband, who started his political career as a Grove activist, but later changed, and retribution seems to be a frequent observation, which is odd given how much he sermonizes on the dais where he has the habit of making fun of people at their expense.

What about any gifts received last year?

Below is the financial disclosure amounts on Commissioners’ Mark Sarnoff, Francis Suarez and Mayor Tomas Regalado. And this week the Watchdog Report reviewed the gift disclosure forms for the leaders. However, Sarnoff’s form for the year was not with the Miami Clerk’s office but could be on file with the County, but Suarez and Regalado’s was available to review. Suarez listed gifts over $100.00 a $695.00 pass to the eMerge Americas and Regalado lists a $438.20 airline ticket to Washington D.C. and the ticket came from the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and included a $300.00 hotel and he was given two tickets for the Arsht Center Gala and the Clerk’s office only had the 2014 gift disclosure form on file for Sarnoff whose term ends in November.

Sarnoff net worth rises to $2.9 million, up from $2.28 million in 2008, real estate rich, but cash poor

Every year the Watchdog Report runs the financial disclosure forms for Miami Commissioners and this year Commissioner Marc Sarnoff is the big winner and his net worth jumped from 2.28 million in 2008 to $2.9 million in 2014 and the bulk of the

>>> Commissioner Sarnoff’s increase is from his compound in Central Grove and the man is real estate rich but cash poor given his debt. The admiralty attorney termed out after eight years in office owes Bank of America $458,373, Citibank wants $155,000 and American Express is owed $54,318 state his disclosure form on file with the Miami Clerk’s office. And his wife Teresa, who he married in 2001, is running to take his place on the dais and she has raised $465,561 for her Miami District 2 candidate and another challenger Ken Russell has $83,614 in his campaign coffers through the end of June’s reporting period. And the escalating war chest for Sarnoff’s wife is getting so large she is being seen as being bought with the tony voters of the Grove which was a base for her husband’s past elections but the locals have a different opinion of the man something that the wife and candidate will have to deal with since voters should be glad Teresa is running in her husband’s mind. And to read all the candidate’s campaign fundraising disclosures forms go to http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/City_Clerk/Pages/Elections/CampaignReports15.asp

>>> And Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado lists his net worth for 2014 at $93,125 and that is up from 2008, when he listed his net worth at $5,000 and his total assets are $5,125 for the year and the mayor is termed out.

And Commissioner Francis Suarez up for reelection this November has a net worth of $115,539 which is up from a negative $81,100 back in 2008 because his real estate investments were under water in value back then. The married attorney with a young son has a mortgage of $360,000 at Chase Bank, N.A., and his investment property is valued at $144,860 and there is $207,516 in a savings account and $7,523.00 in a checking account and he has $25,000 in listed assets. And the man is facing one challenger in the November commission race, and a few years ago he tried to unsuccessfully run for mayor but withdrew after some controversy that included a staffer and he is now the vice chair of the MPO at Miami-Dade County and was on the Miami Charter Review board recently and he is the son of County Commissioner Xavier Suarez.

Regalado

Sarnoff

Suarez

>>> At ED 5 program at Miami issue of affordable housing first became apparent in Aspen Co.

A conference of attorneys and developers and others met in the Miami Chambers last week and attorney Mikki Canton was the host and the event was part of the Office of International Business Development and the topic was the federal EB 5 program that is hoped to spur some investments and private projects in Miami, that if approved could provide a green card to the investor’s family. And the issue of affordable housing, that first emerged in Aspen Colorado, years ago, and has become acute in Miami and in the tony town of Aspen teachers and firefighters lived miles from there vital and needed jobs

And while the investors want the projects to “finish,” they many times are not doing it for the money,” For “their return is a green card for the immigrating Family,’ an attorney Robert from Cleveland said. He said there are some safe guard in place for investors and the SEC watches over this program and “is involved in the process,” said the attorney.

PAST WDR: What is Teresa like as a candidate?

You either have it or you don’t, I tell people when it comes to political charisma and Teresa Sarnoff does not have it and she is a very similar candidate, to Linda Haskins who her husband first beat back in 2006 by two to one votes despite her raising almost $700,000 with the help of then Mayor Manny Diaz’s campaign fundraising machine. But Haskin’s was portrayed as being under the thumb of the mayor who was losing popularity, by Sarnoff and Haskins was appointed to the body after Commissioner Johnny Winton was suspended from office after a scuffle at a bar at MIA and that opened up the seat and Haskins was picked by the commission to fill the vacant seat that disappointed many voters.

Further, the wife gets to carry all the political baggage her husband has generated during his eight years in office, where his first year in office was significantly different then when he won a full four year term and he first showed his new political personality that was remarkable different (And he seems to believe voters should be thankful he is in office)  from the past and she has to deal with these drawbacks with the public while she campaigns and Teresa in a big ad in Neighbors is saying she has gotten support from the Fraternal Order of Police and that type of endorsement is similar to what Haskins got back at the time. And Teresa has yet to define herself with voters. (And she does not seem to appreciate how odd it is for her to try to follow her husband in office, given city voters overwhelmingly approved term limits of eight years, years ago, and he has yet to explain why he embellished his family “lineage,” that turned out to be untrue but gave him early status. When he first ran for office, and he extensively referred to his supposed grandfather Gen David Sarnoff who founded NBC at his first inauguration, which was not true) and Former Mayor Matti Bower on Miami Beach tried such a political maneuver when she ran for a commission seat, and lost and she had been termed out, but voters thought enough is enough on the Beach.

Teresa is also finding there is voter fatigue of her husband in office and his imperious attitude.  She responded when asked about the fundraising money by saying “she was sued by developers,” regarding the Mercy Tower condominiums pushed by the Related Group and mega developer Jorge Perez and she believes that shows her independent chops when it comes to these people. (Though she got a job with a prominent condominium real estate brokerage firm).

Russell said in this regard that under Commissioner Sarnoff, the Grove has changed and there is a “changing façade of the Grove,” he believed though many people believe. It is too late and the face of the Grove has forever been changed under Sarnoff’s watch.  She also noted she and her husband fought the Home Depot project that ultimately was built but others are asking where she has been since then. And Commissioner Sarnoff might consider putting his assets into a blind trust. If his wife wins the election since controversy seems to follow the man in or out of office. And Russel was grilled about his lack of voting in municipal elections and only presidential races. He said he was busy raising a family and starting a business like many other people and only recently began to engage but that could apply to many of the candidates regarding their past spotty civic engagement history. And to read the campaign disclosure forms for all the candidates go to http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/City_Clerk/Pages/Elections/CampaignReports15.asp

VILLAGE OF COCONUT GROVE

>>> Spring gives WDR update on Playhouse activity, “process is underway,” says Culture maven

The Watchdog Report emailed Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Michael Spring last week asking for an update on the Coconut  Grove Playhouse and the plan proposed by attorney Mike Eidson where he was willing to raise some $40 million along with help from Kevin Spacey, and Spring on Saturday emailed back . Here is the update: “The Board of County Commissioners approved a contract with the design team that is led by Arquitectonica and an operating agreement with Gable Stage for the resulting theater at the Playhouse. The Board also approved an agreement between Gable Stage and FIU for cooperative programs at the Playhouse. Arquitectonica will work within the approved and secured budget of $20 million to accomplish the project and the resulting, approximately 300-seat Theater will be developed as the new home for Gable Stage. Gable Stage, in collaboration with the design team’s theater and acoustical consultants and theater professionals on the staff of the Department of Cultural Affairs and at FIU, will provide artistic direction for the project. This process is underway. The Miami Parking Authority will work in cooperation with the County to develop a parking garage at the Playhouse; the financing for the garage will not rely on any of the County funds approved for the theater. There are no other monies or plans approved for the Playhouse project,” wrote the cultural maven and senior advisor to Gimenez. However, critics believe this is not enough money and Eidson Chair of the Arsht Center board is still pushing for a larger 1,000 seat facility as well in the design and he is actively raising money for the Playhouse Foundation to help bring the iconic theater back to life and be the economic engine people in the Grove want it to be but is a hot potato politically with elections looming at Miami and the County.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> By a vote of 6 to 1, Beach planning board approves Baptist Urgent Care Center, but with six conditions, board members noted any contacts with Sinai before meeting

The Miami Beach Planning board approved Baptist Health South Florida being able to open an Urgent Care Center but with six conditions. The facility had become a hot potato with elections in November and Mt. Sinai Medical Center at first opposed the facility in South Beach, and Baptist even got blackballed when it applied to the Beach Chamber, though that later changed but there were concerns some of the planning board members had a conflict of interest (since they were on the Mt. Sinai executive board) and before the hearing started the City attorney assigned to the board individually asked each of the seven members if they had been contacted by anyone and the members on the record stated. If they had and under what circumstances. And Baptist argued that Sinai also had satellite clinics with one in Coral Gables and argued Baptist’s request was essentially no different, and felt it would give consumers a healthcare choice that had one Fischer Island resident saying she had more “choices for her dog,” when it came to Urgent medical care, but Sinai is an integral part of the City and has been the only hospital there for decades and some residents are very passionate about the institution, that is also a teaching hospital. And last week I contacted Beach Mayor Philp Levine on the issue and his thoughts and in an email back Sunday he wrote, “As an entrepreneur and Mayor, I believe strongly in competition especially as it relates to more health care options for our community. I welcome Baptist to our community and am confident they will come to the Beach. I voted for the [$15 million] grant to Mt. Sinai to assist in a state of the art emergency room and command post for our community and do not believe that this has anything to do with the current unfortunate feud between these hospitals,” wrote Levine who is running for reelection in November. And for more on the planning board meeting go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article29205544.html

>>> And Helen Ferre on Issues over the weekend had a discussion on Miami Beach and its 100 year history and the show includes a video of some of the past starlets like Jackie Gleason who when he got sick had a suite with a balcony in Mount Sinai Hospital at the time back in the day. And to see the show go http://wpbt2.typepad.com/issues/ And to hear Mayor Philip Levine’s explanation of a Miami Beach PAC after senior political reporter Michael Putney criticized it on his show, last week on This Week in South Florida to see the show go to http://www.local10.com/news/TWISF/18416996 And Levine has yet to endorse any of the candidates yet, he told Putney Sunday.

>>> Voters need to engage and see what crop of new commission candidates are like, civic forums are one great way to see neophyte candidates in action with policy bark on and here is the list of people running for the commission

Group 4:

Kristen Rosen Gonzalez

Isaiah Mosley

Elizabeth “Betsy” Perez

G. Scott Diffenderfer

Michael DiFilippi

Group 5:

Mark Weithorn (Whose wife is on the commission)

Jose Rickey Arriola ( Who chaired the Arsht Center board and his father José is vice Chair of the Public Health Trust that oversees Jackson Hospital)

Josef Jorzak

Group 6:

Jeff Cynamon

Mark Samuelian

John Elizabeth Aleman

While the Watchdog Report on Tuesday was on Miami Beach at City Hall I asked for copies of the required gift disclosures of Mayor Philip Levine, and Commissioners Deedee Weithorn and Jonah Wolfson. And Wolfson has only one gift listed, a $150.00 ticket to the Miami Beach 100 concert and mayor Philip Levine was the giver of the tickets. Further, the commissioners all had an attached sheet of gifts ranging from tickets to a Jackson Brown concert and the gifts seem benign in nature, and nothing unusual jumps out on the forms on file at the Clerk’s office for a small fee.

TOWN OF MIAMI LAKES

>>> Note to Mayor Pizzi, there is nothing wrong with peace and quiet when it comes to political drama

The saga of Mayor Michael Pizzi just goes on and on and now a third town employee has left and the man is a magnet for controversy and some consider him a bully for his brash style with people, and controversy seems to follow the man, the most recent  a car crash involving a tree, but he walked away from and he needs to cool his jets for the residents are looking for a little peace and quiet after all the past  press the mayor has received including beating a federal corruption trial  indictment where the jury found him not guilty of bribery.

VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE

>>> Sarnoff picked as “delegate,” in discussions to find solution to Miami Boat Show issues with Key officials

A taped joint mediation meeting of Key Biscayne elected leaders and the City of Miami commissioners ended with outgoing Commissioner Marc Sarnoff being asked to be the “delegate,” of the commissioners and try to strike a compromise between the two municipalities leaders that are suing each other over Miami holding the Miami Boat Show at the Miami Marine Stadium and the large event is a major economic generator but Biscayne leaders are concerned about traffic getting to the event that is featuring a water taxi but given the environmental sensitivity of Virginia Key the idea of Miami having some 400 boat slips at the site seems excessive some speakers thought about the event held in the winter and some wondered how DERM was responding to this. Since a former mayor noted for four years he has tried to get a dock permitted but the County’s DERM won’t budge and wondered how the City planned to get that done. However with the city planning to spend some $18 million to prep the site Sarnoff suggested the Key collaborate with Miami and make the adjacent area a real park that Miami at the moment cannot do given the funding, and that idea got some traction. Further, the issue of traffic came up and that is a problem given only the Rickenbacker Causeway can take cars to the Key. And Sarnoff now that he has heard his peers concerns will be the designated point man to try to come to a resolution that makes sense to both sides and former Florida Supreme Court Judge Gerald Kogan was the judicial mediator at the event and his sage advice was well received and while Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado noted the Key’s back up plan was “litigation,” which Kogan said is always an option but it was the “resolution,” of a problem that was the goal of any mediation and is governed by state laws, and with the clock ticking and the event coming in the winter months ahead. The arguing sides who stayed very “civil,” during the discussion need to come up with a solution if the Boat Show is to go ahead and is a big revenue generator for the local hotels supporters said, but environmentalists made their concerns known and that includes the cutting of the Mangroves by a Miami City contractor and while the city has to plant hundreds of new trees as mitigation, these Mangroves are not mature specimens that will take time to gain a hold.

And a local restaurant nearby got some ink and it is the Bayside HUT and the lease agreement that involves the Lacasa family where the father and son were both lawmakers and the younger was a state representative chair of the House appropriations committee back in 2001-2002 before his loss for the Florida Senate to Alex Diaz de la Portilla a fellow Republican in 2002. And to read the Miami Herald story go tohttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article28707655.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS

LADIES LEADING FILM SERIES Fridays, August 7 – 28 at 7 p.m. Social Miami press release: Ladies take the lead in The Wolfsonian’s Ladies Leading Film Series, four summer film screenings inspired by the hard working, trailblazing women featured in the current exhibition, “Women, Art and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise.” Each Friday relax and enjoy the distaff side of life. August 7, “His Girl Friday” (1940) with Rosalind Russell, an ace reporter, and Cary Grant, her dashing ex-husband/editor, kick off the series. August 14, “Adam’s Rib” (1949) – the he-said, she-said classic starring Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. August 21, “Norma Rae” (1979) – A young Sally Field, a funny, smart and inspiring modern-day heroine, stars in this powerful story about workers’ rights. And August 28, “Nine to Five” (1980) – the hilarious finale of the Ladies Leading Film Series featuring three incredible females – Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. Catch them all – admission is free! The Wolfsonian-FIU 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach 305-531-1001 www.Wolfsonian.org

BLAME IT ON RIO Thursday, August 20 at 8 p.m. Join Coral Springs Museum of Art as it welcomes special guest Romero Britto at Blame It on Rio, a tribute to the famed artist, his art on display at the museum and his treasured homeland. This lively fundraising event will have you thinking you’re in Brazil enjoying the spirit, flavor and flair of Rio’s carnival festivities. A VIP cocktail reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by general admission to the event at 8. Tickets are $75 p/p and $150 for VIP guests. Coral Springs Museum of Art 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs 954-340-5000 www.CoralSpringsMuseum.org

Editorials

>>> Drones and lasers not benign when it comes to impacting the flying public, lawmakers must beef up laws, to end this scourge before a tragic crash

The American flying public should not have to worry about a plane in flight hitting a drone or the pilot being blinded with a laser while flying the plane but incidents of this nature are happening and are on the increase and drones have even caused feuds, with neighbors and there needs to be more stringent guidelines on how these devices are used for it would be a tragedy if a plane had to crash before lawmakers took action for these new devices are not benign and can cause great harm and while people note it is people using them wrong and should not be regulated, but the pervasiveness of the reports is of concern and could cause a lack of confidence to the flying public that deserve better when it comes to their safety while flying in the nation’s crowded skies.

>>> Elected leaders do the public a favor and get to the point at public budget hearings rather than drone on, for audience as much fun as a root canal

With public budget meetings being held will these be a vocal marathons where elected leaders just drone on and repeat themselves and for the public listening to this dialogue, it is quite painful and voters would really appreciate if they got to the point for repetition by the public or the leaders gets old fast and lawmakers should spare the public some of their monologue that is as popular as a root canal.

LETTERS

>>> Press release: Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and Mayor Carlos Gimenez Hold Homes For All Pets Summit, Identify Solutions to Animal Well-Being Challenges Miami, FL- Today, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and Mayor Carlos Gimenez hosted the Homes for All Pets Summit at PortMiami to discuss challenges and find creative ways to continue working towards the County’s no-kill goal and to find homes for all our pets. 200 participants, including animal rescue and protection groups, community leaders, concerned citizens and elected officials, discussed the following topics: the progress we have made on animal welfare, the health and safety of animals in Miami-Dade and strategies to increase public awareness on this issue. Dr. Julie Levy, Director of Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida was the keynote speaker.

“500 animals are abandoned at the Animal Services Department every week. Much progress has been made; we have a terrific plan and we have made additional investments in programs and partnerships. But we cannot fully implement our plan without more volunteers, more partners, more funds for our programming We are here today to work together to find solutions,” Commissioner Levine Cava said during her opening remarks.

In order to encourage a solutions focused and proactive workshop, participants came together in small group discussions that rotated throughout the day. Ideas and recommendations shared throughout the summit were consolidated and will be used to identify innovative ways to close the current gaps in the animal welfare system as the County continues working towards its no-kill, adoption and animal safety goals.

Dr. Levy kicked off the morning with a presentation on the progress made by the Animal Services Department compared to the rest of the state: “Miami-Dade has many innovative programs in place and is far ahead of many other metro areas in Florida, like fostering underage kittens and numerous partnerships with rescue and veterinary groups. However, intake has not declined and the community needs to find ways to tackle this issue through programs that make maximum use of limited resources and offer the most bang for your buck,” she suggested.

“I would like to thank Dr. Levy for coming to Miami-Dade and speaking to our community about best practices and ways we can improve our animal services. I would also like to thank the many municipalities who attended and co-sponsored the summit. All our Miami-Dade communities face the same animal well-being challenges and we can solve these issues quickly and efficiently through increased collaboration and communication. A special thanks to Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his staff for co-hosting today’s events and for their dedicated service to our community and our pets,” said Commissioner Levine Cava.

Mayor Gimenez spoke about the many inroads made at the Animal Services Department and thanked the Department for their help in organizing the summit: “I thank Commissioner Levine Cava and Animal Services Director Alex Muñoz for their hard work in putting this important event for Miami-Dade together.”

The ideas discussed at the summit will be consolidated and sent to the event attendees. Commissioner Levine Cava spoke of the many ways that residents could get involved and stay engaged in constructive solutions. “It gives me much hope that so many concerned residents are interested and engaged in finding solutions. I urge all community members to contact their Commissioner and find ways that they can get involved through volunteering. The Animal Services Department offers several volunteering programs at www.miamidade.gov/animals<http://www.miamidade.gov/animals>. I also encourage all residents to attend the County budget hearings on September 3rd and 17th at 5:01 p.m. at the Stephen P. Clark Center so that they can express their budgetary priorities to the Commission and the Administration,” explained the Commissioner.

Broadcasts from the summit are available on Periscope through @dlcava and highlights can be seen on Twitter (@dlcava), Facebook (/CommissionerCava) and Instagram (@dlcava).

Sponsors: PortMiami, City of Miami Beach, Village of Pinecrest, City of Coral Gables, City of Doral, City of South Miami, City of Sunny Isles Beach, City of Hialeah, North Bay Village, City of Homestead, City of Miami Springs, Village of Virginia Gardens, City of Miami, City of North Miami, Town of Cutler Bay, Town of Bay Harbor Islands, City of Opa-Locka, Village of Palmetto Bay and Village of El Portal. Special thanks to Fare to Remember Creative Catering for providing an animal friendly, no meat meal.[cid:image003.jpg@01D0C790.02E51510] Commissioner Levine Cava greets attendees at the Homes for All Pets Summit [cid:image005.jpg@01D0C790.02E51510]Mayor Gimenez spoke of the advances in the Animal Service Department and his rescue dog, Beemer  cid:image007.jpg@01D0C790.02E51510]

Dr. Julie Levy of the University of Florida presented on best practices and possible solutions [cid:image009.jpg@01D0C790.02E51510]

Participants discussed two major topics: animal safety and increasing public awareness [cid:image016.jpg@01D0C790.02E51510] an idea bank gave attendees the opportunity to brainstorm and make last minute recommendations.

>>> The Watchdog Report is going to hit 16 years of weekly publishing and while I have taken a licking over the years including some medical issues I have kept at thanks to my supporters who I thank so very much over the many years.

The Watchdog Report is Celebrating 16 years of weekly publishing since May 5^th 2000 and when I started back then I never thought I would be doing this so

either gotten better or worse and here is a national story done on why I started to watch government back in 2000  http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog and to all the people along the way that have helped me I thank you from the bottom of  my heart.

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