Watchdog Report Vol.17 No. 37 February 4, 2017 EST: 05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 16 Years of reliable Weekly publishing

 

>>> And here is the story done by Miami New Times when they named the publisher as the community’s Best of Miami and Best Citizen and to read the story go to: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517    

 

>>> And here is the verbiage related to the award: Three years ago we said Ricker was our Best Gadfly. Given his dedication and perseverance, this new honor, Best Citizen, is well deserved. Ricker goes to 2500 mind-melting meetings annually, from the Public Health Trust’s purchasing subcommittee to the Efficiency and Competition Commission to the Alliance for Human Services’ nominating council to the school board’s audit committee. Sometimes he’s the only public observer. Object: to be the Public Citizen for all those out there who can’t attend, and to connect and serve as an information bridge among the special-interest-dominated Miami-Dade governmental institutions that seem so problematic and indifferent to the democratic process. This month his e-mail newsletter, The Watchdog Report, celebrates its [16^th] Anniversary. In a former life Ricker made a handsome living as an international salesman of heart pacemakers. As the hard-working publisher of Watchdog, though, he’s struggling financially — this despite the fact that his weekly compendium of meeting summaries, analysis, interviews, and commentary has become essential reading for anyone involved in public affairs. What his written work may lack in polish, it more than makes up for in comprehensiveness. So raise a toast to the man whose official slogan says it all: “A community education resource — I go when you cannot!”

 

>>> And checkout the new Watchdog Report merchandising campaign

Featuring Knowledge is Bliss coffee cups and includes premium cotton super soft tee shirts.

 

ARGUS REPORT- Heard and seen on the street

 

>>> M-D County’s Opiate Task Force has grim job, 28 member board looking for ways to stop heroin, cocaine, fentanyl ‘epidemic,” killing users across the board, including singer Prince, illicit drugs are poisoning our community,” says Mayor Gimenez, dramatic uptick in deaths despite miracle drug Narcon

 

“It’s poisoning our community,” and it is an epidemic, said Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez regarding the Heroin and Cocaine deaths from Maine to Florida and in the middle west. But are occurring at a very rapid pace in south Florida and is a bigger number than many other deaths like murder,” Further, the mayor noted it is ripping apart the social fabric of the county when heroin is mixed with fentanyl for a lethal dose, said County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. At the first Opiate Task Force Meeting Jan. 31, 2017. Further, Gimenez a former Miami fire department medic said the current situation reminded him of the rampant ‘heroin addiction in the 1970s,” that would later be replaced by cocaine.

The task force is made up of 28 members from the county’s department of health, coroner’s office, state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, (the chair of the local legislative delegation). The County’s Public Defender is a member on the task force along with county Circuit Court Judge Jerri Beth Cohen, and academic medical leaders from FIU and The University of Miami physicians are included. Since the University of Miami has a state sanctioned needle exchange program that is going well, but there are challenges because this exchange program is being hampered by the lack of treatment beds that has a waiting list for patients in need of a continuum of care, said one speaker on the exchange program. And County Commissioner Sally Heyman is also on the task force.

 

What about Citizen Jon Schmidt who first sounded the alarm of the impending crisis years ago?

 

Schmidt who is a former addict runs a clinic for addicts and he had a Sunshine meeting a few years ago with County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, who did not attend but his staff did and heard Schmidt point out when the pill mills in Florida shut down many of these opiate users had become addicted to their pain pills and that would create this new wave of population addicts looking for an alternative. Further while NarCan can bring overdose people back, there was a discussion if the County’s police officers should get trained in the use of NarCan, a nasal mist and similar to what the county did with the police when it came to training officers in the use of an external defibrillator. Possible loss of life, families and children are all consequences said Schmidt who wants to put emphasis on public service ads directed to reduce physician subscriptions via announcements of the programs available and the destructive nature of the activity, many times started to ’relieve pain,” and many people don’t know some of these drugs are addictive.” And some of the forms of this drug symptoms include (a withdrawal after two weeks), loss of appetite. And the deadly heroin mixture mostly of the potent Fentanyl [and not so much of heroin “[where 2 mg of fentanyl can kill since it is more potent]’ and can even be in the form of “lollypops,’ said one speaker “and the drugs may “help people sleep but you can get withdrawal systems after stopping in “two weeks,”

 

And many people addicted to opioids “often move on to heroin,” and part of that is because of the “ease of access [and by many is not considered addictive] because oxycodone is a “prescription drug and thus less addictive,” and is why we “have this epidemic,” the expert said.

 

Further the number of prescriptions written by physicians in volume would be the equivalent in Florida of “75percent” of the scripts “subscribed.” And Judge Jerri Beth Cohen who over sees the County’s Drug court believed some of these abusing physicians “should lose their medical licenses,” she considered. Given that prescription pain killers are a gateway drug to harder more lethal drugs and physicians need to follow the “CDC guidelines,” because unused medicine can end up in our community “water supply,” and why the police have “drug boxes,” where people can drop off unused drugs and the police ’incinerate, the drugs. At no cost to the police department and keeps the drugs from children ingesting and getting hooked on these prescription drugs.

 

Further Miami Commissioner Keon Hardeman is on the task force and he noted his District 5 seat is a “hot zone,” “when it comes to overdose deaths and involves cheap Mexican yellow heroin mixed with fentanyl, manly from China and the lacing of the heroin with fentanyl is a killing formula and Hardemen asked if the sellers of the drugs should be charged with “murder?” Hardeman a former defense attorney said. Since the dealers know it can kill he said and law enforcement has been concentrating on dealers in Overtown and a number of them are in jail and is is part of a crackdown in the State Attorney’s Office spearheaded by Katherine Fernandez-Rundle who also brought the Opiate Task Force together a few months ago. Further around the state and community “the best heroin,” is known to be in Overtown.” And Hardeman noted when individuals are released from jail it is an easy walk for them to get to Overtown and get these drugs. Since he sees them walking towards Overtown area since he sees the street, he closed.

 

What about Opiates around the nation?

 

Around the nation 30,000 Americans died from overdoses and it cuts across all social lines when it comes to the user demographics that reaches as far as Maine where the overdoses became part of the presidential campaigns. And the problem has only grown since years ago when only “5, 000,” related deaths occurred.

 

And the next Task force meeting is Mar.27, 2017 in the County Commission Chambers in the Stephen P. Clark government Center. And readers should stay tuned as health care and public health officials try to grapple with this “complex,” social problem where addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such said numerous speakers and County Vice Mayor Russell Beneford is the chair of the Task force.

 

President Donald J. Trump is signing executive orders at a brisk rate and congressional Republicans are restless when former president Barack H. Obama did such orders and essentially by passed Congress, County Mayor Gimenez drawn into controversy, protests erupt around the nation.

 

Further Trump’s action to end sanctuary cities by ending federal funding (mostly for social services) is reverberating in South Florida and Mayor Carlos Gimenez is feeling the blow back after he ordered county law enforcement to follow federal guidelines because the $300 million lost of federal fundinng would have a huge impact on the county budget. However despite protests at County Hall all week Gimenez is not changing his mind and he got a shout out by Trump on tweeter but Miami with such a diverse population and in the public schools teaches English in 59 languages and has 450,000 students and this kind of clampdown is frightening many immigrants without proper documentation and was one of the things Trump pushed during his campaign http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article128984759.html

 

President Donald J. Trump is signing executive orders at a brisk rate and congressional Republicans are noting the actions when former president Barack H. Obama did such executive orders and essentially by passed Congress.

 

Further Trump’s action to end sanctuary cities by ending federal funding is reverberating in South Florida and Miami-Dade County’s Mayor Carlos Gimenez is feeling the blow back after he ordered county law enforcement to follow federal guidelines because the billions lost would have a huge impact (mostly in social service programs) on the county budget. However despite protests at County Hall Friday Gimenez is not changing his mind and he got a shout by Trump on tweeter but Miami with such a diverse population and a public schools that teaches English in 59 languages and a District with 450,000 students and this kind of clampdown is frightening many immigrants without proper documentation and was one of the things Trump pushed during his campaign. And in the Cuban American community one said while they benefited under the old laws. They also thought, “The borders need to be secure.” And keep dangerous people from entering and doing harm.”

 

And the courts will probable rule on the order that a local ACLU representative Howard Simon says is unconscionable and abridges the Human Rights of People some with proper documentation but Trump is finding out in politics things generally don’t go smoothly and protests at airports have erupted around the nation. Trump also reorganized the NSA and appointed his political strategist Steve Bannon to the national Security Council. However, since the county was appealing the sanctuary status designated by Obamas’ DOJ that also included the seven Muslim nations on the list and President Jimmy Carter banned a Muslim nation once.

 

What about extreme vetting and a Green Card?

 

Further, Trump does not appreciate what it takes for an immigrant to get a Green Card, no easy task and while diplomacy is not his strong suit and he says he is just doing what he said he would do on the campaign trail. However, he is moving at a fast pace and the question is how long the public will buy into this tectonic shift in the presidency and on the whole many of his supporters say let’s wait and see and Trump by saying Christians are welcome and only heightens them as targets within Islam.

 

Trump’s order to tighten entry requirements re into the U.S. has set off a firestorm

 

>>> Press Release: Ros-Lehtinen Objects To President Trump’s Executive Order Creating Moratoriums on Visas and Refugees Instead of Heightening Scrutiny Of Such Programs  -Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL – 27) issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order suspending visas from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

 

Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

 

“I object to the suspension of visas from the seven named countries and of the US Refugee Admissions Program because we could have accomplished our objective of keeping our homeland safe by immediate implementation of more thorough screening procedures. I do note, however, that at least some individuals will continue to be admitted during this suspension period on a case by case basis and that the suspension period is temporary. In no case should this order be applied to individuals to whom visas have already been issued, are already permanent legal US residents, or have already been granted refugee status.
Both the letter and the spirit of the rule of law, on which our liberties rest, require that we honor legal commitments and procedures established by law, including existing visas and approved refugee status, absent specific articulable reasons for reversing a prior decision. The new Administration needs to pay careful attention to crafting orders that honor existing legal commitments and existing law, in contrast to this broad brush approach which doesn’t focus on the precise problems.”

 

>>>>Local entrepreneur Martinez- Otera heading west, was pro bono IT person for WDR and gave me better understanding of millennials and social media be well my friend

 

Watchdog is losing my very competent pro bono It person and he was plugging me into the world of social media. Louie Martinez-Otero and his management partner Felipe Ojeda two aspiring entrepreneurs in Coconut Grove and they manage the iconic Taurus Whiskey. & Al House and the two thirtyish gentleman are quite accomplished and Martinez –Otero graduated from Rutgers University in mass communication and was an associate producer with CBS, the Food and the History channel and Ojeda, is a Belin graduate from Fordham University in Finance.

 

And both men after a strong rainstorm where a tree went down blocking all traffic on Main Highway. It was they who ran outside in the heavy rain and were able to pull the large branch enough to clear a passage for the day’s rush hour traffic.

 

Further, Otero is heading to Mountainside California where his girlfriend got a job with Google and his views on social media and current event observations will be missed by me and there is a roast for Otero at Taurus Wed. at 8:00 p.m. And the WDR wishes him the best of luck as he makes his mark in the Golden State and you helped me understand what early 20s something people were thinking of and some of the internet terms like? “What is a Troll?” He responded a troll is someone that stirs people up with posts on the internet. Good to know.
 
>>> Business Leaders Split on Trump’s Job Performance and Executive Orders

 
Zogby Press release: Analysis–Zogby Analytics conducted an online nationwide survey of 301 business decision makers with 100 or more employees on 2/2/2017. Based on a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error for 301 is +/- 5.7 percentage points. Overall, a plurality (48%) of business leaders disapprove (strongly and somewhat combined) of Donald Trump’s job as president so far, while slightly less (44%) approve. At the moment only a third think the country is on the right track and 45% think it’s going in the wrong direction.

 

Business leaders were more optimistic when it came to the economy over the next four years; 48% thought things would go well (excellent and good combined), while almost as many business leaders thought things would not bode well for the US economy (fair and poor combined). When it came to the recent immigration executive orders, business leaders were also split on Trump imposing a 90-day ban on refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) entering the U.S—48% agreed with the order (strongly and somewhat combined) while 47% disagreed.

 

Please click on the link below to view the full release:
https://zogbyanalytics.com/news/766-business-leaders-split-on-trump-s-job-performance-and-executive-orders

 

>>> Dolphins Cancer Challenge Feb. 11 has room for participants over the years the signature race has raised $16.5 million and had 4,000 riders last year.

 

The Dolphin Cancer Challenge is coming Feb. 11 and last year some 4,000 participants biked and all the money goes to the University of Miami Miller Medical School and the Sylvester Cancer research center and is doing cutting edge Cancer research and to get tickets for this great event that over the years has raised some $16.5 million for cancer research and for tickets go tohttp://dolphinscancerchallenge.com/

 

Further Given the Great Experiment the U.S. Republic there have been 50 transitions of power and all of the went smoothly on the whole.

 

Further Trump is going to find there is no magic wand and he has to get legislation done and that process is longer than a business memo, he will also find legislator and chairs of congressional committees weld some incredible political power and may find Trump’s demands need to be modified..

 

 What about 10 mile long Under Line?

 

U.S. Rep Ileana-Ros Lehtinen, R-Miami on the floor of the U.S House recently talked about the 10 mile linear Park known as the Under Line and the extensive exercise trail will also have public art and it is gaining momentum with millennials and the municipalities it runs through including South Miami and the city of Miami. And the line stretches from Dadeland under metro rail and is model after the Under Line in New Yok City. And is expected to be tourist draw like Wynwood has become where the streets are filled with street art and tourists pose to get selfies in front of the street murals.

 

America must get a handle on cyber security with it evolving so rapidly the nation and world are many times all defenseless

 

Fast paced events that are evolving in the world and the issue of cyber terrorism, should rise to the level of the Manhattan Project, or the moon shot with the hack of a Vermont wanted to ‘influence the election’ power company where malware was found suspected to be from Russia and cyber sabotage ( and confirmed last week in a FBI,NSA, CIA released report) noting that the nation did not hack into any voting machines or change outcomes to the number of voters–Russia can be just as destructive as weapons and computer specialists say every “organization has been hacked, they just may not know it yet.” But with the presidential election over. The nation must design a cyber fire wall as we become more and more dependent on computers. And maybe a bounty for hackers if they find a backdoor and Chrysler Motors was the first company to hire hackers and look for vulnerabilities and later had Apple paying $25,000 for bug hunters. For it is clear there are some very determined and smart people out there and it may be time to try the economic incentive of a bounty for hackers who find a backdoor in software and for more go to http://abcnews.go.com/US/russian-hacking-malware-found-vermont-utility-computer/story?id=44479579   http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/223266-report-russian-hackers-infiltrate-us

 

What about Trump and the press?

 

The national press “and the dishonest media,” is taking a beating and Trump still has no press pool that follows him around just in case something happens and can be reported on and has been in effect for decades and the WDR has gotten the pool reports. Since George W. Bush. And this disdain the billionaire has for the press should be considered and Steve Bannon said the media, “should shut up and listen,’’ he is quoted saying because the media is the nation’s watchdog. But after the terrible lection polling Americans believe the press is slanted and that it tends to favor liberals made worse when Clinton called Trump supporters “the basket of horribles,” because of what some supporters were saying. And for more go: Further every president has carped about the media and the media is the “party of opposition,” on the Trump administration. However the opposition is not always the enemy in a Democracy and should not be treated as an appendage and the press plays a key role to check government oversteps of power. But the Trump team argues “The dishonest media,” never gave Trump a chance in the election and now that he won the media is getting the stiff arm but the Watchdog Report believes there will be blow back to such a policy, Even though most Americans hate the media and the IRS.

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-american-press-is-under-threat-as-never-before/

 

what about the press being the “opposition party,” and the alternative news argument and why newspaper’s run corrections to stories and is similar to what the white House is doing in pushing the voter fraud issue that while having multiple voter registration cards is legal what is illegal is if you voted twice.

And the Trump administration went ballistic when a Time pool reporter tweeted out the bust of MLK, Jr.,had been removed but was blocked by a secret service special agent and the tweet caused a firestorm and the reporter had to retract the story. And had Spicer calling the erroneous tweet “shameful,” said the administration will correct any media stories that are wrong, and hopefully he will stop feeding on the media bias and the nation. For the role of the media in today’s new world where false news become acceptable and hyperbole is the coin of the realm it seems for President Trump

 

And at a press conference Trump went after a CNN reporter after CNN that Russia might have a unverified dossier on his time in Russia some that are salacious and Trump denies the suggestions and essentially feels he cannot be blackmailed by the nation. A nation that plays hardball and along with China will be his first foreign challenges after he chastised China concerning the nation claiming parts of the South China sea including an artificial Island with an air strip and the Middle Kingdom said in response that America had better be prepared for ‘war.’ And for more go to http://en.mercopress.com/2017/01/14/warning-to-trump-beijing-prepared-to-a-large-scale-war-over-the-south-china-islands

 

Further Trump’s tweets are reverberating around the globe and the China response is an example of what happens when foreign policy is made by the technology and should remind Trump the world is a dangerous and complex challenge.

 

What about President-Elect Donald Trump?

 

Trump is still deciding his cabinet, some of whom are having tough confirmation hearings and some of his choices are sending howls in parts of the foreign policy community and with environmentalist. Who are aghast but the billionaire businessman, is picking some unorthodox people and it remains to be seen what transpires during the confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate. Though the GOP has 52 seats enough to carry a Trump nomination and the nation with this man is in uncharted waters and the Democratic Party is trying to re build after the drubbing in the general election but in fighting is still occurring and the party has to rebuild its bench and here in Florida only one Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. has a statewide profile and he minority party has some soul searching to do to stay relevant in the world of politics.

 

What about China?

 

Trump who had tough words for the People’s Republic of China is going to find the Chinese are no pushover either and the nation deals in hundreds of years as it seeks its rightful place on the global scene. And China is introducing its new fighter with the J-20 stealth fighter After the Middle Kingdom hacked into the Pentagon and stole the plans   and for more go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/asia/china-zhuhai-airshow-j-20/

 

 
New J-20 with stealth technology.

 

And Trump will soon learn every word he speaks has real consequences as the nation digests how this could have happened and one millennial told me Saturday the race was “rigged,” even though all the polls and pundits had the nation going for Clinton. Who just had too many controversies, the Clinton Foundation and then the emails and people wanted some of that too end. And having her husband Bill campaign so much looking old and tired probable did not help and reminded many voters of his own controversial time in office despite being re-elected and popular. And now people are floating Trump might get indicted because of things at his Trump foundation.

 

STATE OF FLORIDA

 

>>> The open enrollment for the Florida ‘Stanley G. Tate” Prepaid College program ends Feb.28 and the program is an education bargain and to sign up your children for this education bargain before this year’s deadline go http://www.myfloridaprepaid.com/

 

And many of the over 1 million parents enrolled often include many elected leaders. Since they may have college bound children and the program while paying for any college or university in Florida the money can also be used for other higher educational institutions outside the state.

 

And many in government when this program was being created by the legislature resisted having such a potential educated population that this program has created and is one of the most successful in the nation.

 

>>> What about the state budget submitted by Gov. Rick Scott that comes in at $83.5 billion?

 

Scott has to now deal with the state legislature to craft the new budget but some lawmakers are baulking at some of the governors ask, like cutting taxes and lawmakers are likely to find Scott is more feisty this budget year as he closes in on the end of his third term in 2020.

 

>>>> Miami-Dade County is the big enchilada, contributes “36 percent,” of Florida revenue and is the “economic engine that carries the state,” says CFO Atwater at Chamber luncheon

 

Florida CFO Jeff Atwater told the luncheon crowd at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon that Miami-Dade was the big enchilada when it came to funding 36 percent of the state’s 79.3 billion budget. Further Miami-Dade is the “economic engine that carries the state,” said the former senate president and banker.

 

He noted the state’s bond rating was AAA and Florida has $24 billion in “outstanding debt and is much less than many other state’s budgets and Atwater and Gov. Rick Scott have since 2000 paid down the state’s debt. He said “ people are still coming to Florida,” versus many other states and with this population boon comes state revenue and the former legislator elected in 2000 said Florida is “in solid shape,” and did not include raising taxes. Here is more on the state budget http://www.floridafirstbudget.com/content/current/reports/Budget-Presentation-FY-17.pdf

 

>>>> The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade served 25,000 children in a host of programs, has operated without hint of scandal, new CEO James R. Haj, over sees $119 million budget, 6,686 eye exams and 60 percent get glasses, 25,000 children served in the 2016 year, service providers to ensure every child gets the intellectual nourishment and youth development reading skills to be prepared for preschool and start off their education in a strong manner and thousands of kids get this help in a broad way and can include health exams and clinics in public schools, collaboration is one key to a child’s success along with reading skills

 

>>> The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade created by voters back in 2002 has released its annual report and through collaborations with the County and public schools the agency funded with a small millage over the years is currently budgeted at $119

Million. Further the trust funds a host of health checks and 6,686 eye exams were given for the year given to some an included another 61 percent received glasses states the report and   in glasses and the trust has not had a hint of scandal `excluding some store on Flagler selling trust tee-shirts and that was immediately shut down back in around 2004 and the large board was created to minimize the influence of political issues since a number of officials from the County to the school board and the schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is a board member. And the trust’s programs impacted some 25,000 children served for the year

 

And the Trust board has an assistant state attorney Esther Jacobo who deals with human trafficking a major problem here in South Florida and these people are all volunteers and put in significant time and the Trust was the brainchild of former The Miami Herald Publisher David Lawrence, Jr.

And Laurie Weiss Nuell is the chair of the trust board and she was a long time member of the Public Health Trust board that oversees Jackson Health System and is a solid leader and wants children to succeed and the diverse board also has state rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami.

Further the Trust is looking for nominees for The David Lawrence, Jr. Champion for Children Award given to people for trailblazing work and the deadline to submit names is Jan.31 and over the years I have covered the nominating process and some of the people are doing outstanding programs to make Children’s more productive with fuller development and teen bullying along with violence continue to be the number one issue of the county’s Youth Commission and to nominate someone go to the www.childrenstrust.org.

 

And some past winners are very impressive children advocates over the decades. And Lawrence who when he retired he used his passion to get such a Trust created and was untimely approved by voters back then and a few years later it overwhelmingly passed again reaffirming the community’s belief ,” Because All Children are Our Children,” is the organizations motto and they are delivering on that promise.

What about Pam Bondi on human trafficking?

Bondis Weekly brief email: Today I announced efforts to spread awareness of human trafficking and call Floridians and travelers to action. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and in an effort to encourage people to learn how to identify the signs of human trafficking, I am launching a new website, YouCanStopHT.com. Additionally, starting this month, digital signs will be displayed throughout the Tampa International Airport encouraging travelers to visit the site for tools to spot human trafficking and report suspicious activity.

Many people will be traveling to Florida this weekend, especially to the Tampa Bay area. Having a high volume of visitors can attract traffickers. Thousands pass through the Tampa International Airport every day, and ensuring these travelers know how to identify a human trafficking victim and how to report the crime could save a life and free someone from abuse.

 

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

 

>>> When it comes to trash dumping, “you go to jail,” M-DC “needs respect,” said Commissioner Souto, Illegal Trash landfills catch fire and are a life safety issue says environmental staff, Moss envious of counties up north “where” I don’t see the same kind of illegal dumping,” in counties north of Miami,” said commissioner Moss

 

Trash dumping and sludge huge problem and landfills when burnt send harmful pollutants into the air said Jose “Pepe “Diaz. And the County’s DERM officials said even with millions in fines the property is now contaminated and if the county assumed ownership it would be the county’s obligation to clean it up and the cost was unacceptable said county staff.

 

>>> Former county manger Burgess dips his toe in lobbyist water at county hall

 

And neophyte lobbyist former County Manager George Burgess made his first appearance in from of the county commissioners representing Crystal Moving Systems and the extension of the contract and Commissioner Joe Martinez was surprised to see him in the pit, ‘what’s up George,” next to the podium and Burgess’s claim to fame was the Miami Marlins Baseball stadium financing that was to cost some $600 million but after financing charges the number balloons to some $2.8 billion with all the big loan payments coming due during the last 15 years of the loan.

 

And outgoing Chair Jean Monestime was given a crystal gavel

 

The outgoing chair was given a crystal gavel by new M-DC Commissioner Chair Estephan Bovo (who noted leaders in the legislator have gotten cars and motorcycles) and Monestime said his dad was “tough,” but his mom who died last year always told him “he was going to be great,” and she would have never imagined a Haitian American, in the country only 32 years would ever chair the commission, he said in conclusion.

 

>>> Should the Community be concerned when we run out of elected leaders to take a course program at The Good Government Initiative run by former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson who represented South Dade on the 13 member body?

 

The founder of the Good government Initiate former county Commissioner Katy Sorenson attended a reception Thursday at the Coral Gables law firm of Weiss Serota, Helfman, Biermann and about 100 people and good government advocates attended including Miami-Dade Ethics and Public Trust CEO Joe Centorino and County Commissioner Daniela Levine Cava attended to thank Sorenson for her work and the programs she produced “did make a difference,” said many of the 90 officials who had taken the course. Further, The program that teaches ethics and good public policy, and dealt with corruption. However, Sorenson noted that 90 elected officials, from multiple counties and municipalities went through the course and there was no further pool of leaders that wanted to go through the program headquartered at the University Of Miami. And was why she wanted to shut down the not-for-profit and for more on the program go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article85073537.html

 

Good job Katy though a little disconcerting that so many politicians are so smug about not needing any guidance on the Florida Sunshine Law and being ethical and I attended many of the organizations programs and they covered a host of subjects and it is a shame it is being wound down for lack of officials who think they know everything right up to the moment they may get arrested something not uncommon from Palm Beach County to Monroe County.

 

Ethics Commission calls for “civility” oath for public officials

 

Ethics Commission press release: The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust (COE) today approved a proposed resolution requesting that County and municipal governments add language requiring a civility pledge to oaths of office for elected and appointed officials.  According to the resolution, “the practice of ethical conduct by public officials requires that those who hold the public trust practice and maintain respect for the human dignity of their peers, subordinates, political allies and adversaries, as well as members of the general public,” noting that “rude and insulting behavior… has become too prevalent and too accepted in government and political campaigns at all levels…”  and “threatens the integrity and proper functioning of government and politics…”

 

The measure will be sent to the County and all municipal clerks, and requests that their governing bodies adopt the following language to the oaths for swearing in:  “To my colleagues and to all of those I represent and serve, I pledge fairness, integrity and civility, in all actions taken and all communications made by me as a public servant.”

Ethics Commissioners also reviewed a resolution filed by Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo calling for the County to ensure that its current lobbying team does not include the firm Gomez Barker Associates or lobbyist Fausto Gomez, and that would prevent them from contracting with the County for three years. That measure is scheduled to go before the Board of County Commissioners later this month and stems from an investigation conducted by the Ethics Commission last year.  It determined that Mr. Gomez failed to disclose a conflict of interest while representing both the County and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), leading to his promotion of an MDX version of a transit bill during the 2016 state legislative session over the County’s version.  The investigation concluded that Gomez’s efforts undermined the County’s potential to receive nearly $1 billion in state transportation funding over the next 30 years.  The report also noted that Mr. Gomez was previously found by the COE to have failed to disclose a conflict of interest regarding a prior County lobbying engagement.

Town Officials and Town Employees.”  The Honor Code, created by the Ethics Commission in 2015, calls on public servants to report criminal misconduct, place public interest ahead of personal loyalties and cooperate truthfully with investigations regarding government operations. Also today, it was announced that the Ethics Commission will sponsor a day-long conference on Friday, March 10, 2017, on Doing Business in Cuba: Legal, Ethical and Compliance Challenges, in conjunction with the Barry University School of Business. Further details will be released as the program is confirmed.

The Ethics Commission was created in 1996 as an independent agency with advisory and quasi-judicial powers. It is composed of five members, serving staggered terms of four years each. Through a program of education, outreach and enforcement, the Commission seeks to empower the community and bolster public trust.   

 

What about the County report on women and discrepancies in pay in the workplace released Tuesday?

 

On Tuesday The Miami-Dade Commission will release a report on the economic discrepancies women face in pay and Commissioner Daniela Levine-Cava is eagerly waiting for the study and she discussed it Friday on WPBT 2 Issues, hosted by Hank Mack who is apparently the new moderator. http://www.wpbt2.typepad.com/issues/

>>> PAST WDR: The Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is asking Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a member to the regional planning board and the request came from Rebeca Sosa and she is close with Scott. And other municipal representatives come from Dade cities with over 50,000 residents and back in 2001 one governor representative Ron Krongold tried to get the MPO back then to fund to the tune of $10 million a local A.M. radio station to-do traffic updates (owned by prominent Haitian Rudy Moise, D.O. that I pointed out these were free from all the other stations and was part of their federal community benefit package with federal agencies. And had then Commissioner Joe Martinez said “You’re on fire, bail out,” he told Krongold who was fighting the issue on the MPO and Bush would later remove him from the body after this incident.

 

>>> And Commissioner Javier Souto wants the MPO to study water taxis and using the extensive canal and water routes to reduce road congestion and Miami used to be a major boating manufacturer he said during World War II and it could become a considerable tourist draw he suggested at the MPO on Thursday and the man is the longest serving commissioner along with Commissioner Dennis Moss.. And such a service is being started on Miami Beach

 
During the months of January – December 2016, international passenger arrivals into Miami International Airport (MIA) increased by 0.4 percent compared to 2015. Domestic passenger arrivals increased by 0.1 percent while total passenger arrivals increased 0.2 percent compared to the same time last year.

Record MIA Passenger Arrivals
International Arrivals
January – December 2016	January – December 2015	% Change vs. 2015
10,944,924	10,902,372	+0.4%
Domestic Arrivals
January – December 2016	January – December 2015	% Change vs. 2015
11,602,247	11,595,495	+0.1%
Total Arrivals
January – December 2016	January – December 2015	% Change vs. 2015
22,547,171	22,497,867	+0.2%

 

 

Miami -DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

>>> Posse Foundation sponsors 33 students to such Colleges as MT. Holyoke, Syracuse University, Colleges like F&M, and Hamilton College

 

The Posse Foundation that brings scholarships to students and pays for all their university or schools cost. And Supt. Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday at The school board meeting recognized the, 33 students from 15 high schools and included $6 million in scholarships for students to such higher education students such as MT Holyoke College, Syracuse University, Franklin and Marshall College, and Hamilton College and these are great schools and students will come out with great educations and for more on the Posse Foundation

 

The Posse Foundation has identified, recruited and trained 6,993 public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential to become Posse Scholars. Since 1989, these students—many of whom might have been overlooked by traditional college selection processes—have been receiving four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s partner institutions of higher education. Most important, Posse Scholars persist and graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers.

 

What about Charter Schools?

 

The explosion of Charter Schools that offers parents’ choice have become very profitable for people running them like Academica that manages 39 of the charters said audit staff. Further Supt. Alberto Carvalho noted that Charters student enrollment “reached 63,000 students,” or 18 percent,” of all the district’s enrollment and is a huge number of students and is similar in size to a school region.

 

However, some charters have some unusual practices and there are cases of loans unaccounted for and in one case district Charter School funding was sent to different county which is “illegal,” states a letter from the Florida department of Education. And to read all the agenda and back-up go to and the charter school reports are a great read.

http://mca.dadeschools.net/AuditCommittee/AC_December_6_2016/Agenda.pdf

 

And here is an IG report on stealing, http://www.miamidadeig.org/2016MDCPS/SB1516.1002CutlerBayArrest.pdf

 

And since the district is self-insured when it comes to Medicare fraud the IG office is much needed and recently discovered some coaches bringing baseball players from Mexico and Cuba who attended sports academies in violation of Florida statutes and it is a great read. http://www.miamidadeig.org/2016MDCPS/SB.1213.1005.pdf

 

>>> Pets for Vets and Teaching Responsible Pet Ownership to Kids

 

Press release: County Commissioners have unanimously adopted two initiatives, sponsored by Commissioner Sosa, to better the lives of Miami-Dade County’s pets. In a move to help connect veterans with pets, Commissioner Sosa advanced legislation that waives adoption and spay/neuter fees for qualifying individuals. This new initiative is meant to give Miami-Dade County’s over 60,000 veterans of war greater access to the health benefits of pet ownership. Recent evidence suggests that bonding with animals greatly reduces stress and the effects associated with PTSD, a condition identified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as afflicting the veteran population.

Additionally, Commissioner Sosa filed legislation to expand the Responsible Pet Ownership Curriculum. The incredibly successful program, an initiative sponsored by Commissioner Sosa in 2013, now teaches over 89,000 elementary school students the principles of responsible pet ownership. This new measure seeks additional funding to bring the program to our community’s junior high and high school students.

“I truly believe that our veterans are this community’s greatest source of pride, and I know that they will give our pets warm and loving homes,” said Commissioner Sosa. “We are forever indebted to them for their service and protection of our freedoms.” Continued Commissioner Sosa, “In 2013 when I sponsored the initiative to teach our children the importance of responsible pet ownership I could never have imagined just how great the program would have turned out. It is my hope that we can grow the program to our older students, who can play a larger role in saving animals.”

Pets for Vets legislation:

 

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

 

>>> Special Trust meting confirms host of new attending physicians, after board discussion  

 

The PHT board of trustees had a Special trustee meting and the bulk of the special meeting Tuesday was to approve the confirming of a host of physicians to specialties at Jackson and a good discussion on the physicians credentials took place and the Trust confirmed the physicians and is done usually once a year.

 

>>> The latest update on JHS and the institution’s GOB BOND PROGRAM has come out

 

And Unfortunately I could not copy the summary but things are going well and the metrics below lay outs what is moving forward

 

 

 

>>>New update on GOB oversight board doing good job, main campus hospital looks great, halls glisten and welcome patients to world class public healthcare, major change since 1997

 

The Watchdog Report covered the GOB oversight board made up of citizens with specific skills sets and is the public firewall of how the $830 million in GOB bonds are being spent. And the GOB committee chair is Jose Luis Gomez and the group overseeing these new dollars are taking their job very seriously and are doing a good job of overseeing the projects including approving new fuel lines for generators in dire need of replacement and cost $205,839 of which $234,489 will come from bond proceeds state’s committee documentation.

 

CITY OF MIAMI

 

>>> Miami revenue for 2016 comes in around $326 million, healthcare costs come in $2 million higher than expected, in past cost of diabetic employees causing rise commissioners should consider healthy life style bonus for medical costs could erode fiscal stability

 

Miami after years of budget crisis has come back and financial officials with the city said at a commission meeting the preliminary budget numbers are $326 million in revenues and there is $20.6 million in higher surplus from the preceding year. However. Healthcare costs are $2 million “higher than expected.” And years ago at a Miami Finance Committee the rising healthcare costs were flagged and much of the increase is from diabetes and is an expensive chronic disease that afflicts many city of Miami employees.

 

>>> Former Mayor Carollo jumps into commission District 4 race Monday, resurrecting his political career

 

Former Mayor Joe Carollo filed his papers to run for the commission District 4 seat Monday now held by Frank Carollo who is considering a run for mayor and could be facing off against Francis Suarez for the top job.

 

>>>> With the pack of candidates running for a variety of City of Miami commission seats the slogan of a new generation takes an autocracy aspect as Francis Suarez seeks the mayoral spot and he has been pushing for a “strong mayor form of government.”

 

And controversial former Miami Mayor Joe Carollo is eyeing the commission district 4     seat (and filed papers last week) now held by his brother Frank Carollo and Carollo the elder was never accused of being dishonest (which was a big deal given the arrests of a couple of commissioners), but was perhaps a little paranoid getting the press moniker “Crazy Joe,” given his mercurial moods that. I witnessed first-hand years ago and some of his drama and antics made me realize a Watchdog was needed (since everyone was getting emails by then) and had Anglo Miamians throwing bananas (and it was an ethnic meltdown) in front of city hall and ethnic tensions were exploding all over the county and Miami had lead national news for almost nine months over the saga of Elian Gonzalez.

 

The young Cuban boy who was extracted by the federal government and returned to Cuba after his mother died in the crossing. And tensions were so high that in South Dade Anglos were carrying confederate flags and African-Americans were chanting “F… the Cubans, “and the Herald had a great shot of that protest back in 2000. And at that point I thought we had crossed a line as fires and demonstrations rocked Miami and the older brother after a divorce said. He “was worth more dead than alive,” he considered at the time and the WDR was at the divorce proceedings.

 

Further, he threw a tea container at his then wife and believed much of the social turbulence in Miami was the fault of the Miami Herald and the mayor back then actually flew (on his dime) to San Jose to complain to Knight Ridder Publisher Tony Ritter about the paper’s coverage of Elian. Since Carollo believed he helped the Herald get another Pulitzer Prize years earlier for the voter fraud story when his election was thrown out in 2007 by the courts for widespread voter fraud and included Manuel Yip voting for years after his demise. And the courts invalidated the election between Xavier Suarez and Carollo was made mayor.

 

And in 2002 Carollo lost to Manuel “Manny” Diaz after one of his media operatives Carlos McDonald had a Spanish radio station saying that outgoing voter were voting for Diaz and the move was said to diminish Carollo’s voters from bothering to vote before the polls closed and he lost the close race to Mayor Diaz.

 

And When I asked Carollo why he just did not call Ridder since they knew each other and why fly there because it was not an easy connecting flight back then to San Jose?

 

“He said I was being setup by The Herald,” and I walked out and told his chief of staff Rhonda Vangates. In the future I will just cover him out in the public but no more one on ones. I told her back then. Further, with him following his brother in the district he has more than a good chance of winning, given voters lack of political memory in these races.

 

>>> The 2017 mayoral race will be contentious but will candidates Suarez & Carollo remember why they are running or will mayoral perks be the reason. —heads would roll in private sector, “says Carollo to manager after police evidence contaminated in leaky moldy trailer, 11 guns missing from Homicide evidence room warned by Miami attorney not to discuss, causes a call for manager Alphonso to be fired saved after 2-3 vote but has to be super majority,

 

“Heads would roll,” carped Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo regarding the revelation that the Miami Police Department evidence room was contaminated and will subject the city with a host of legal cases, and Carollo said the city’s attorney Victoria Menéndez advised him not to discuss the issue in public given the legal ramifications and was brought to light by blogger Al Crespo and has attorneys lining up to sue the city an also includes the loss of a number of guns and the commission had an extensive discussion on whether to fire Miami Manager Daniel Alphonso and commissioner Wilfredo Gort, and Suarez noted with the current form of government “It is not easy to work with commissioners,” Further Commissioner Ken Russel noted “there was an agenda error,” relating to puppy mills legislation he was proposing and the city has to tighten-up its act, if they want to pass a GOB in the future.

 

What about Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo?

 

Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo is mulling whether he should run for mayor next year since , Mayor Tomas Regalado is termed out and if he does he will likely face Commissioner Francis Suarez who wants to follow in in his father’s footsteps Xavier Suarez as mayor and Suarez years ago beat the elder Joe Carollo but the race was voided after one dead voter Manuel Yip, cast a ballot but the elder Suarez was never implicated or charged but the whole affair was tumultuous and gave Miami a major black eye and might explain why the younger Suarez is working the political circuit and showed up at the Miami-Dade School board meeting for the creation of student “safe zones,” that are being pushed to keep kids out of the line of violence that has been plaguing parts of Miami’s inner cities where young people have been getting killed almost daily and has been vexing for local leaders to correct including a bullet missing a child in a portable at Francis Tucker Elementary and had Supt. Alberto Carvalho saying this is totally unacceptable and had school officials promising to redouble their efforts to stop this student carnage..

 

>>> Miami taxpayers better hold on to their wallets as leaky rusted police evidence trailer has 564 cases compromised from homicides to suicides, will be a wok program for suing attorneys and calls into question the integrity of all these cases and is another unacceptable Miami moment that will have legs.

 

What the heck is going on at the City of Miami Police Department that has a rusty leaky trailer as the evidence room for some 564 cases including homicides and suicides compromised because of exposure to the elements under the 1-95 underpass near police headquarters and was exposed by blogger Al Crespo and to read the disturbing story go tohttp://www.thecrespogram.com/miamis-police-chief-and-city-manager-need-to-be-fired-mobile-.html
What about potential lawsuits against Miami?

 

While the city is flush with some $220 million in reserves Miami taxpayers better hold on for attorneys are salivating at the lawsuits they will be able to bring and given the condition of the container this neglect may have come while Johnny Martinez was city manager because the determination and rust is significant. However, this kind of neglect is almost criminal and defendants cannot be cleared or correctly charged for some of these violent crimes and this kind if dereliction of duty and responsibility to Miamians is beyond belief and since this kind of stuff still surfaces it must not be condoned for taxpayers and the code of justice for all deserves better as the city fills its coffers with traffic congestion and overdevelopment.

 

What about Miami commissioner’s net worth for the year?

 

Miami Commissioners Francis Suarez, Frank Carollo, Keon Hardeman, Ken Russell and Wilfredo Gort, and Mayor Tomas Regalado financial disclosures show Regalado’s net worth was $12,000 through July 2016, Carollo is worth $952,534 Gort lists $414,000 for 2016 Russell has $397,603 Hardeman has ($153,000.00) and Gort owns a property in Tavernier worth $200,000 and another house in Sebring Florida valued at $7,000.

 

>> As you can see, there are several units represented, but a lot may be missing. Please help to promote this project for its potential for interdisciplinary curricular integration, and feel free to contribute work to this collection, which can be as easy as emailing a PDF, URL, or other file (even if some things aren’t captured, they can help with that, too)! Contact Jamie Rogers (rogersj@fiu.edu) or Dr. Robert Gutsche Jr. (rgutsche@fiu.edu) for more information, or to add the work of your units or recommend others.

 

As always, you can visit our Communications Coordinator

 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/11/fSLSC website for more info, or email us (slsc@fiu.edu) with any questions and/or recommendations for other events to include. Thank you,

 

City of Sweetwater’s running man video totally different from the one in MIAMI and has certain City of Sweetwater edge to but it’s a must see it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t9M2zTxtfI

 

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

 

>>> Mayor Levine says sayonara, will not seek reelection, mayoral field could be Grieco, Gelber but field still in flux

 

Mayor Phillip Levine has decided to say sayonara to being mayor and is feeling out the political landscape for a possible gubernatorial run in 2000 when Gov. Rick Scott is termed out and Levine pushed a let’s get it done agenda and he was shocked at how slow the county government moved and he pushed the pumps projects to stop street flooding during king tides but these pumps came with a dark side since testing showed the ejected water carried some bacteria that leached from the streets into the Bay. However when Levine was first elected he was thin skinned when it came to criticism but he has gotten less sensitive over the four years in office and one of his allies Michael Grieco has announced he will run for mayor and Grieco is a defense attorney on the Beach.

 

Levine made his fortune in the publishing business supplying magazines for the cruise lines and the University of Michigan graduate was a big Hillary Clinton supporter and he went to the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and diplomacy and the Spanish speaking Levine if Hillary had won was considered possible the first U.S. Ambassador to Cuba. However he appears to want to set his sights higher.

 

What about state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami?

 

Gelber who lost his bid to be Florida AG to Pam Bondi is said to be considering running for mayor too and his father is a past mayor and Gelber is weighing his options but he could have good chance given his name reconition and he was a former federal prosecutor. And he would face Commissioner Michael Grieco an defense attorney.

 

>>> Long time Miami Beach activist Del Veechio publishes fascinating memoires called “City Streets, the aviator has intriguing story to tell

 

PAST WDR: Longtime community activist and community leader Frank Del Vecchio has a new book called “City Streets, “and it is a memoir of the naval aviators life after graduating from Harvard law and it is a great read and explains why he became so involved in local politics and at the Pensacola naval aviation school he roomed with Donald Rumsfeld and the man has had a very full life in public service and Miami Beach residents should check it out

 

>>> While president-elect Trump says Climate Change is a “Chinese hoax,” octopus in water in Miami Beach parking garage says otherwise, more sea creatures on land expected in the future! Beach cleared of Zika zones says state

 

An octopus was found in a Miami Beach parking garage and brings home climate change and global warming and experts say to expect more creatures from the seas to be seen on land and while the city is trying to mitigate the sea level rise damage that has fish coming through gratings when the King tides hit as last week demonstrated and the moon was closer than it had been for years and for more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article115688508.html

 

COMMUNITY EVENTS

 

 

 

http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/index.php#/exhibitions

 

>>>> Now open and the Warehouse has a new exhibit and check it out at http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/#/home

 

 

>>> And the Margulies Warehouse will be opening the season in weeks and to see what art is on display and when it plans to close the season for this community treasure go to http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/#/home

 

>> Press release: The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and Miami Science Barge join together to bring the expression of art to a scientific experiment. Visitors will have the opportunity to create artworks on a drift card that will be deployed into the ocean. These drift cards will help scientists gain understanding of how the ocean currents distribute debris through the Biscayne Bay. Admission is free. Miami Science Barge 1075 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami 305-434-9560www.dwntwnartdays.com
EDITORIALS

 

>>> Public servants need to remember that the job they do is not a right but a privilege especially given some of the perks that many in the private sector lost long ago and has – Miami tax payers holding on to their wallets. A place where people are allowed to double dip and get significant payouts when they retire and after watching Miami for 16 years. I can’t believe some of the stuff that goes on like the wet and moldy police evidence trailer under 1-95 that involve homicides and other cases and has attorneys lining up to sue the city. Money that would be better spent on raising cops salaries but because of this fiasco any extra money Miami might have will be spent in settlements. A practice that has gone on for years and is a standard operating procedure. And while Miami has a history of unusual events this police evidence room issue takes the cake

And Braman is right hate breeds nothing good and when one group’s liberty is gone all of us are at risk, and president elect Trump has to deal with this deep divide and quell fanaticism for the very Republic could be at stake and the Great Experiment could come to an end. For Hate and bigotry is an equal opportunity message and when the blow torch of hate turns on you, its scorched earth policy will only cause the bleak charred remains of how special America was and hopefully people will fight this viscous racism and hateful acts. And to read his complete editorial go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article120067443.html

 

>>> After 564 cases compromised in Miami police wet and rusty evidence trailer, law suits will fly along with the miss-justice of Miami residents, what will final bill be?

 

Miami police rusted and leaky evidence trailer of contaminated evidence in 564 cases will cost taxpayers big time and denies justice in homicides and suicides

 

The contamination of Miami Police Department evidence raises the question can Miami govern itself and provide justice as was the cases with the 564 criminal cases ranging from homicides and suicides and is totally unacceptable that this was allowed to happen and police leadership must raise the bar for these kind of disasters just continue and after all the lawsuits it will make it more difficult for the city to pay more in police salaries because the law suits could result in real stiff settlements and frankly one can barely believe this was allowed to happen in an American city and Mayor Tomas Regalado has to raise the bar of performance and put an end to this. Since ‘Miami still stumbles through one disaster after another and shows a real house cleaning has to be done because it just keeps happening and an audit turns out to be bogus and why did the blogger Al Crespo http://www.thecrespogram.com/story-page-mobile-.html have to discover it. Which actually makes it worse and police leadership better get this cleared up and resolved quickly for it taints the whole arrest process and gives the impression that the city is an ongoing criminal enterprise and residents and taxpayers deserve much more of Miami if it is to continue to exist. Which something like this puts into doubt? And must end if the City is to survive and not have a citizens revolt something that has been percolating in some parts of the city.

 

>> And is one of the recommendations on an economic prosperity report done by FIU and is at www.FIU.edu

 

>>> One of Watchdog Report’s main missions is to keep watch on all the host of Trust’s in Miami-Dade and these organizations involve some serious public money in the billions

 

Residents in Miami-Dade County periodically ask why I cover all the trust’s found in the county, from the Children’s Trust to the Public Health Trust to the County’s Homeless Trust and it is because elected county leaders are always looking for new funds and while the raids of these public dollars periodically occurs like in the case of the Citizens Independent Transit Trust where the county is slowly paying back the sales tax dollars absorbed by the county’s transit system in what was called “unification,” by county leaders

 

But the Public Health Trust was also raided back in 2001 when county commissioners shifted some $ 70 million in unfunded mandates on to organization and that cost has risen to over $100 million a year and was one of the reasons the Public health trust needed a $830 million GOB passed overwhelmingly by voters a few Years back to upgrade its infrastructure and ageing main campus

 

After this past money was diverted over a decade by the County commission that does provide some $250 million in public funds for a maintenance of effort contribution. But in Miami-Dade where everything is political. I keep watch so that these organizations are kept whole and politics is kept to a minimum and this oversight helps keep the organizations on the straight and narrow when it comes to public dollars and it is no small amount of money and helps explain why there have been so few scandals in the past that plagued the county back in the 1990’s and was a frequent topic in the media.

 

LETTERS

 

>>> I was reading your report, by the way thank you for your reports. However, I need to make some corrections, first off thank you for realizing my email was hacked, and I have not used the yahoo email in years. Further I would like to clear the airway about any relations to anyone in office, it’s false. I’m not a cousin or close relative to the Suarez folks. As a matter of fact, one of my focal points is to let voters know that I’m a fresh pair of eyes for the commission and indeed I’m ambitious. I’m 27 years old, foster child, a war veteran, and 6 year board member to the Civilian Investigative Panel, and boy did I make changes to that panel. I’m tired of these old family names trying to keep our City in the dark ages. I envision a City with Commissioners who give a darn, and I give a darn. See you out there.

 

Best,

 

Daniel Suarez

 

>>> A Reader on danger of yellow pole barriers on 195, and sign petition asking FDOT to modify polls https://www.change.org/p/florida-department-of-transportation-change-i95-plastic-poles-to-unable-movement-in-and-out-of-the-express-lanes

 

>>> Great story on the Pets’ Trust.  I’d love to speak with you and tell you more.  You are right…..it will be an issue in the Mayor’s race.  

Please watch this…      Pets’ Trust…the Story    password is     movie

And read this……..  http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/joe-cardona/article2087823.html

 

Michael Rosenberg

President Pets’ Trust

Rita Schwartz Cofounder

 

>>> And another reader sent the following the shocking truth about Miami-Dade Animal Services, http://www.animalliberationfront.com/ALFront/Actions-USA/MiamiAnimalServices.htm http://www.examiner.com/article/questions-about-fatal-mauling-by-group-of-dogs-miami-dade-county

 

DR

Coconut Grove

 

>>> The Watchdog Report is Celebrating 17 years of weekly publishing since May 5^th 2000 and when I started back then I never thought I would be doing this so

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog. And while I have taken a licking over the years including some medical issues I have kept at the job thanks to my supporters who I thank so very much over the many years. And the community’s public institutions are better when it comes to them knowing what the other is doing and why I have tried to be an information electrolyte for these giant institution’s leaders and things 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.

 

Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible:  Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors

 

***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000

 

>>> LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & INITIAL SPONSORS IN 2000

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .

THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2008)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION www.knightfoundation.org

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

 

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year

 

Mr. NORMAN BRAMAN http://www.bramanmotorcars.com/dealership/normanbraman.htm

BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com

RONALD HALL

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org

 

>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 to $5,000 a year

 

COLSON HICKS EIDSON, PA www.colson.com

Badia Spices www.badiaspices.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST

RON BOOK

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

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

Rbb PUBLIC RELATIONS www.rbbpr.com

ROYAL MEDIA PARTNERS www.royalmp.com

SHUBIN & BASS www.shubinbass.com

WILLIAMSOM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP http://williamsonautomotivegroup.com/

 

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

 

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC. www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov

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

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/

MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu

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

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPT. http://superintendent.dadeschools.net/

MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com

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

THE BEACON COUNCIL www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

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

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

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI www.miami.edu

 

>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less

CAMILLUS HOUSE, INC. www.camillushouse.org

CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov

CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu

THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov

GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com

HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA www.hfsf.org

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov

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

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/

MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION ON ETHICS and PUBLIC TRUST www.ethics.miamidade.gov  

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

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPT. http://superintendent.dadeschools.net/

MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com

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

THE BEACON COUNCIL www.beaconcouncil.com

THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org

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

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

THE MIAMI FOUNDATION www.miamifoundation.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA http://www.firstgov.gov/

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI www.miami.edu

 

>>> Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible:  Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors the Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the fourth year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 250 reports and Extras have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain. I welcome letters via e-mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

 

>>> 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 for 16 years now, has reported back weekly on how your billions of public dollars in local government are being spent. And how to help support me providing this information is at the end of the WDR. And I hope you will consider supporting keeping an independent news service out in our community, where what is going on with all our government entities is of critical benefit for both the public institutions but voters as well l. Thank You.

 

And to my Supporters I pledge to keep ‘going when you cannot.’ And we have about $9 billion in GOB funds being spent through a variety of public institutions and that is no small number and in the past I have broken the story on Cuban refugees coming in droves and also the Oriental fruit fly quarantine and its huge economic impact to name just a few of the more recent stories in past WDR’s.And I also keep watch for the all-important tourism industry and with the Zika Virus people are starting to understand how vital these tourists are for a host of amenities like culture and the arts, Jackson health System and transportation dollars all entities that benefit from tourism sales tax dollars.

 

>>> And while the Watchdog Report has reached 16 years of using my own money to survive in the costlier Miami community. And while I have cut expenses I need my readers help. In this fast changing world and with Pay Pal now you can easily use a credit card to contribute and I hope you will consider helping keeping someone out in the field. And I have not wanted to be a lobbyist but rather a lobbyist for everyone and is why I use the tag line ‘I go when you cannot’. But things were made worse after spending 18 days in the hospital with a badly infected finger. And is why I am behind sending my traditional thank you letter to any supporters contributing and hop to catch up in the near future. And I thank these people from the bottom of my heart for the past financial help.

 

>>> And one of my sponsors who hates reading the above financial pleas suggested to me. I just ask any reader, once a year who thinks this community resource is valuable to contribute five or possible ten dollars via my Pay Pal account for the fiscal issues sometimes keeps me from going to a meeting sometimes, and the stress also affects my health and only with my readers support can “I go when you cannot,” thank you and hope you will help so the WDR can celebrate 17 years on May 5^th.

 

>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account at https://www.paypal.me/WatchdogReport

>>>And you can now easily support the Watchdog Report by going to my new PayPal Button account, you know you want to do it at https://www.paypal.me/WatchdogReport for as media resources contract residents still need to know that someone is also watching out for their interests. Because government watched is a better governing experience for voters and their local quality of life?

 

However, it is no easy task to do the WDR weekly. And years ago the county Ethics Commission did a report that suggested over the past decade some $50 million had been spent fighting waste fraud abuse and public corruption and having the press at public meetings (some very obscure) changes the tone of the meeting (and is why you don’t speed past a state trooper, if you’re smart) Further, I have tried to be an information electrolyte available to all free between these large public institutions when I first started back in 1997. And many public meetings back then were not being recorded except by me and that is no longer the case.

 

For an accurate public record is key and diminishes future legal action. For you either have an accurate public record or you don’t. And I hope you will consider helping me in this effort to keep the community informed and saving taxpayer monies in the process. And I thank my supporters over the last 17 years. And to read a national story and profile of the WDR publisher in the early years and background back in 2003 go to: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american        

             

 

Daniel A. Ricker

Publisher & Editor

Watchdog Report

Est. 05.05.00

Copyright © of original material, 2016, Daniel A. Ricker

 

>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years.

 

Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, the (FL)

CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS

 

Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, the (FL)

MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED

 

Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog

 

>>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times

 

The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored.  Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517

 

>>> Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible:  Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors the Watchdog Report covers a few of the meetings attended weekly. It remains my belief that an informed public will make better decisions. Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the 16^th year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 250 reports and Extras have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain. I welcome letters via e-mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net

 

>>> General subscriber’s names will not be published in the Report. To subscribe to the Watchdog Report please use the form below as a subscription invoice. ***********************************************************************************************************

 

Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form Thank you

 

Supporting Sponsors $5,000

Sustaining Sponsors $2,000

Corporate Sponsors $1,000 (All levels above will be listed in the report with web-site link if desired)

 

Large Business Supporters $500

Small Business Supporters $250 

Individual Supporter $150

 

Name & Address Make checks payable to Daniel A. Ricker

Send to 3109 Grand Avenue, #125

 

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