Watchdog Report Vol.19 No.56 Sept 23, 2018 – EST:05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 18 Years of Weekly publishing

Rojas

>>>> Supt Carvalho gets three contract extension, new auditor Cartaya peppered on diversity issue after Williams resigns

 

The school Board approved a three-year extension but dragged into the discussion was the new district auditor Iraida Mendez-Cartaya. She got some flack after long time assistant chief auditor Trevor Williams, CPA resigned after he was passed over and the audit committee and school board approved the choice. However, school board member Dr. Steven Gallon, III noted the man was one of the senior black minority members in the administration.

 

>>>> District’s number one mission is to reestablish District Cost Deferential at the state formula for more expensive urban districts, extra $20 million extra security costs are “unsustainable,” says Carvalho, county and municipalities chipping in but only this coming year, since “children safety & security comes first” says mayor Gimenez at county budget meeting

 

Superintendents Alberto Carvalho held a Cabinet Retreat Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the Double Tree Grand and the handouts note that when it comes this year’s legislative session. Past laws changed have left the larger districts in the fiscal lurch Thus in the next Florida Legislative session the nation’s fourth largest public schools district wants the District Cost Differential (DCD) brought back that considers the higher costs associated with a more expensive urban areas that also includes Broward County. Th extra funding formula was stripped in 2004 and with 67 smaller counties these smaller districts want a cut of this funding, but it has hammered the larger districts whose teachers need a salary boost but is not getting the money from the state

 

However, the district is skeptical without a unified effort of the other larger urban districts to get the legislature to kick in more even though the upcoming House speaker is Jose Avila, R-Miami Lakes and the chief auditor Iraida Mendez- Cartaya formerly the school lobbyist in Tallahassee said until the general election that the GOP controlled legislature members are all about winning the General Election in November and Dr. Stephen Gallon, III said “he has given up after three years of lobbying state representatives and senators.” He said after, “he believes in open lines of communication.” He also appreciates that the “legislators were elected by the people,” and thus with the increased security costs that after the Parkland High school massacre   he believed the schools new security plan is “unsustainable next year.” Since the District along with the county and eight municipalities have agreed to assist staffing school sites. The District has 390 school sites “spread across 25 municipalities and unincorporated Miami-Dade and has only 361 sworn officers and 29 armed guards,” state the handout documents and will include a new Enhanced Training Platform and three active attack integrated responses. Further, Mayor Carlos Gimenez had the county this one time kick in some funding for extra police who “will be on overtime,’ to help with protecting and keeping the children safe was a number 1 priority for the termed out mayor, at a county commission budget meeting but also called for more than the $20 million granted by the state of which the county only gets some $2 million.

 

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20170804/senate-pushes-dcd-study-forward

 

>>> Supt. Carvalho since “decade ago,” has replaced some “85 percent, of all principals asst. principals “tenure,” shorter he says

 

At Wednesday’s school board meeting Supt. Alberto Carvalho discussed recent personnel changes and is one of the reasons the district has a A rating. Carvalho back in the great recession understood the depth of the fiscal issues early and he replaced some “85 percent of all principles,” since a “decade ago,” Further assistant principals “tenure is shorter these days, said Carvalho. He also pruned underperforming teachers during this crisis period and his gamble paid off. Because many principals over the years were d avoided protected and attempts to remove principals many times came with blowback but given the fiscal crisis the school board allowed Carvalho to do what he had to and avoided some of the problems found in the Broward County school district the second largest in Florida.

 

>>>BCC puts on ballot: Four-year funding referendum for teacher pay raise and new security costs after state’s unfunded mandate for more police presence at schools, once ramped-up significant ongoing cost for district, needs voter approval, about 75 cents on tax bill, with independent over sight board, past GOB bond 50 percent expended, “projects on time no scandals,” says, Supt. Carvalho to county commission

 

It’s a go Miami-Dade County approves putting a referendum to help fund teacher’s salaries increased police costs for school safety after the state passed legislation requiring districts to have police in every school after 17 people were killed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

 

The unfunded mandate is just another reminder that the state legislature does not get the size of Miami-Dade’s public-school district (where school police can only cover only 90 schools), An A District but with 70,000 students English learners (and 5,300 students in the autism spectrum in the district) and the demographics of Miami-Dade are such “That the county has the smallest percent of Angelo’s in the nation,” said board member Marta Perez and why the A grade for the district is so special in comparison to other districts around the nation without such a high level of diversity.

 

>>> DASH school project tells peers with stickers and help # regarding mental health. “Don’t stall call,” for help it suggests.

 

A DASH school project had students come up with a way to remind students if they need mental health. ‘Don’t stall make the call,” a slogan that will be found on the sides of toilets and the issue of lonely aggrieved students lashing out has been brought home after the Parkland shooting and the role of gamming with these addicted young male students.

 

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

 

>>>> Jackson Health System: has a “lock on charity care,” internal report says $884 million given past year, new high also hitting all hospitals

 

The JHS system has the “lock on indigent care in the county” said, CEO Carlos Migoya,” state’s a recent charity report generated by Jackson Health System and it highlights the amount of uncompensated care countywide and Commissioner Daniel Levine-Cava who represents South Dade. She noted in her district that Baptist Health in Homestead does a significant amount of charity care at the new state of the art hospital that replaced an outdated 1950 hospital flattened after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

 

What about the $884 million in charity care report at JHS?

 

A new charity care report has been released and a consultant’s study says the public health system does some $884 million in charity care and with cutbacks in LIP. The lower income pool the costs are expected to rise and over the years all the hospitals in Dade have had issues with charity care and years ago Mt Sinai Medical Center did some $130 million in uncompensated care and Baptist Health also gets hit with some $250 to $300 million in charity care or 24 percent of the community’s charity care and JHS is still saddled with $78.8 million in uncompensated mandates to the county that began in early 2000 and includes costs for jail inmates and a host of other expenses and to read the complete report go to: the report was requested by county commissioners Barbara Jordan and Daniella Levine-Cava go to http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/legistarfiles/Matters/Y2018/181871.pdf

 

>>>> The PHT closed its last quarter in the black and continues a six-month trend of operating in the black ($55 million cash on hand) despite Jackson Health System (JHS) having a “lock on the charity care market,” quipped CEO Carlos Migoya at a joint BCC meeting and the PHT board.

 

>>> Annual PHT joint board meeting smooth and an upbeat discussion after the county once thought of selling Jackson Health System to Boston investors, now while challenges is public community “jewel,” says chair Bovo

 

The Annual Joint meeting with the county’s commission was a night and day presentation. BCC Chair Estephan Bovo, Jr. said it was a “leap of faith,” when the body reduced the size of the board from 21 members to seven and, but the commission passed and instituted some reforms that at one point some investors from Boston wanted to buy Jackson Health System.

 

Bovo thanked Migoya for the remarkable job and gave a shout out to union leader Martha Baker. for working closely to make the hospital more efficient while keeping the world class medical care. Migoya noted Jackson did over $300 million in charity care and JHS has “cornered that market.” Though other hospitals have the same problem of uncompensated care.

 

>>> Chair of citizens GOB $830 million Making Miracles bond, says on track, low administrative costs, clinics popping up all over Miami-Dade, CEO Migoya gets rave reviews from BBC, though commissioner Jordan was “skeptical,” and gave the banker a “tough time,” that’s changed

 

The chair of the Citizens oversight board Jose Luis Gomez for the $830 million JHS making miracles bond, gave an upbeat report and the low administration costs for the major capital program that includes a host of community clinics. The voters approved this bond back in 2013 overwhelmingly under the leadership of CEO Carlos Migoya who has worked closely with the unions and was a key to getting the public hospital.

 

He also created a “protégé program,” that helps SBAs qualify for contracts and the capital plan is moving at a brisk rate. Ron Frazer an architect said the county should consider doing its own protégé program, he told commissioners on Tuesday where the body got an update on the bond’s progress. For more go to: https://www.jhsmiami.org/webApps/JHSGOBCitizen/getFiles.cfm?MeetingType=c_CitizensMeetingAgenda#

 

>>>> Florida Legislature needs to fund Ryder Trauma, the communities crown jewel for Trauma

 

What about Ryder Trauma?

 

Florida Legislators need to reaffirm the importance of the Ryder Trauma Center and keep funding for the medical center. One of the finest in the world and is the only Class I Center in South Florida and should be nurtured by law makers. I reminded Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R Monday of this fact. He noted when a Florida State Trooper was badly injured it was Ryder that saved his life and he seemed to understand what a jewel the center is to the community.

 

>>> Trust continues to have clean audits, challenges continue ahead, closed the year with $30 million budget surplus, 50 days cash on hand, new rehabilitation Center property prepped Friday

 

The PHT trustees’ meeting was short and sweet Wednesday with the health trust having a “clean,” KPMG audit for last year and the auditing firm has been the trust’s auditor for 7 years but having no audit exemptions is a big deal and back in 2004 under previous management the trust took a $84 million chargeback on past audits going back to the late 1990s.

 

>>> New report on how JHS spending $830 million bond monies, going well

 

Here is the most recent update on the $830 million GOB passed by County wide voters to update the ageing facilities at Jackson Health System and the projects are going very well and includes minority vender participation similar the public schools oversight system and this public money is key to the communities’ health since there is a big push toward prevention and wellness has FIU physicians doing primary and family medicine and is a real boon in keeping healthcare costs down. To read the report go:

file:///C:/Users/DAN%20RICKER/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/8UMCRP67/Mayor-BCC-PHT%20-%20CAC%20Quarterly%20Report%20-%20July%20to%20September%202017.pdf

 

>>> County OIG report on Career Source and workforce development in Monroe and Miami-Dade; to read the report go to: http://www.miamidadeig.org/Reports2018/FinalAuditReport-CareerSourceSouthFlorida.pdf

 

CITY OF MIAMI

 

>>> Dueling U.S. attorneys Martinez & Gimenez representing Suarez and Carollo in law suit challenging strong mayor initiative, Suarez’s net worth from 2014 to 2017

 

Mayor Francis Suarez attended the FOP Negations union talks Thursday and, in an email, he thought the talks went OK and a contract “was agreed upon,” he wrote in an email last week. Miami after a financial emergency cut the payroll for officers for years and the court’s have ruled the employees deserve some $120 million in back pay but when I asked an officer Friday he said they had not agreed, and the city took away some benefits.

 

Miami River vacuum Scavenger gets county funding is also a tourist draw while keeping river clean

 

The Scavenger boat for the Miami River clean-up got funding from the county commission Thursday. The water vacuum is essential to keeping the working Miami River clean and is almost a tourist attraction while the boat ply’s the waterways.

 

>>>>> Mayor Suarez buys tony million-dollar home, won’t say where cash down payment came from, says none of my business

 

Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo continues to be feisty and he took several shots at Commissioner Ken Russell Thursday in a discussion of a at large board member to the Bayfront Park Trust board that Carollo chairs. He carped that Russell serves on the most boards and his choices for a board member should be respected. After Russel thought the need for downtown condos representatives have a voice on the park’s board and all the events like ULTRA.

 

Carollo said he is in tune with the residents’ concerns and they have never had a bigger voice under his leadership, he shot back to Russell and the two of them have feuded on the five-member commission and generally objected to the any political resolutions Russell was trying to pass while he was running for congress but the commissioner later changed his mind and withdrew. However, Carollo is a republican and when he was last running for mayor back in 2001 and there was a large pack of candidates. He once spoke at the Elephant Forum at the Rusty Pelican and he told the quest’s that he personally stopped a 747 after 9/11 from crashing into Turkey Point he told the stunned attendees and I taped it back then, but it gives an idea into his mercurial personality and his ability to embellish his thoughts. Here is an ethics commission report on Bayfront and members getting free ULTRA tickets: http://ethics.miamidade.gov/library/closed%20investigations/2018/pi_18-10_bayfront-park-ultra.pdf

 

>>> Further Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has bought a tony new home in Coconut Grove costing over $1.4 million and given I have all his financial disclosure forms. I asked him Thursday how he came up with the down payment and he suggested it was none of my business, yet the young mayor talks about transparency and good government, but this issue will continue, and he needs to explain especially with him trying to be a strong mayor where trust is a top concern. In some ways the WDR supports a strong mayor but with that comes complete accountability and Suarez has raised so much money for PACS many see it as obscene and lobbying is flourishing in the city and during commission meetings that it is hard not to wonder what his true intentions might be since a campaign tag he had a few years was “our time,” re his generation in power and government.

 

What do his financial disclosures look like since 2014 to 2017?

 

Suarez said he had no income since he had just started to work at a law firm so I checked his financial disclosure forms from 2014 where through June he was worth $13,018.44 and in 2016 it jumps to $100,163 the same net worth he had back in 2016 and in 2017 his net worth was $245,015 and I only checked this information since he is seeking to become a strong mayor and since his salary in that initiative is referenced to be 75 percent the county mayors salary. Suarez got a significant raise since in the county budget there was a pay raise of $250,000 in the budget passed Thursday night for Carlos Gimenez and could even grow higher for Suarez and will be cherry on the compensation cake for the young real-estate attorney who will not confirm he will have no outside income with this bump and is od since most senior officials focus only on their duties ( ask ex Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne about this after he went to prison on tax evasion).

 

>>> Strong mayor petition validity falls on courts, Carollo leads the charge in circuit court, Mayor Suarez says, “let the will of people,” decide new city’s charter

 

A circuit court judge will decide on if the strong mayor petition is a valid document after the plaintiffs met in court last week. And Commissioner Joe Carollo is suing the city and the petition process that followed the county’s statute since the city has nothing in its charter.

 

>>> When it comes to the Miami Charter I have been watching this process since 1999 when the charter Review committee met and was chaired by commissioner Willey Gort and while a charter question is the right of Miami electorate many times It is a staged process.

 

>>> Suarez’s strong mayor initiative runs into iceberg Carollo; language must ban outside employment, for mayor and manager

 

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s bid to put a strong mayor form of government hit an ice berg called Commissioner Joe Carollo as he drilled into the petition process that is not defined in the Miami charter and use the county’s petition guidelines and Suarez hired a firm from Tallahassee to get the signatures and Carollo zeroed in whether theses paid signature gathers either lived in the state or even Miami-Dade and that is important for to gather signatures under county statutes you have to be a registered electorate to perform this function and Carolllo found many of the signatures he checked were bogus.

 

Further in the lobby was a man dressed like a dictator and the mayor’s initiative once was pushed by his father Xavier Suarez a former Miami Mayor. Carollo and Commissioner Manola Reyes also had problems with the way the salary would be written and not what could be up to $326,000 and does not exclude outside employment and it was revealed the city manager is also moonlighting in some capacity and that is not boding well with the discussion starting again this week and for more go to:

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article216436445.html

 

What was the new wrinkle during the meeting Suarez refused to say he would not have outside employment and when that was asked to Miami manager Emilio Gonzalez he did not say no and does something, now unknown in some capacity. However, tax payers expect full time employment when discussing salaries and performance goals for the taxpayers and the fact that Gonzalez is doing something beside his job is disconcerting and, in the mayor’s, case given the political maneuver.

 

Miami Residents get to roll the dice re city leadership and is Suarez the anointed one has the cash to make it happen?

 

Further, if this form of government is approved the electorate will be rolling the dice that the young attorney with a new daughter will have the heft and political skills to work under the five-member city commission that can resemble a verbal lion’s den with a level of diversity not seen anywhere else in America and his judgement sometimes goes off course.

 

Like when Suarez and Marc Sarnoff ate lunch at Versailles with a group of Miami lobbyists and used two sergeant -of. Arms to transport them (and he got an ethics commission slap of the hand) to the tony local restaurant. Suarez when he first ran said he could have run as Xavier Suarez rather than Francis. But by doing that he also dodged his father Xavier’s media moniker of “mayor loco,” coined back in 1997 when he briefly was Miami mayor, yet later removed by county circuit judge Tam Wilson. After it was found there was widespread voter fraud in the election and Joe Carollo was brought back to the office through 2002. Further, Suarez’s father got into a political fray with county mayor Carlos Gimenez and Pepe Diaz and the father Xavier Suarez has brought back his old moniker of Mayor Loco after Gimenez told a story about one of Suarez’s ideas of using helicopters to lift cars out of traffic and the father is coming off as a little strange and is bleeding into the son’s political life who is expected to run for county mayor when Gimenez is termed out in 2020.

 

The freshman mayor believes the strong mayor administration will be more responsive and if voters are dissatisfied the occupant can be recalled he insists and no easy project without serious money. Further, critics wonder why this push for transparency and performance since. He has yet to show that with the no bid Beckham deal as a prime example and was hosted on the commission before it was fully baked and rushed through, until the commissioners pushed on the brakes but in his mind the $3 million he raised for his campaign was not obscene after I asked him about this and I left puzzled what his core values were and Miami will find out if his initiative passes.

 

However, while Suarez may be a prototype mayor. What about his replacement in the future?

 

What about the Miami city Charter and the role of Jessie Manzano who helped organize the strong mayor petition signature process felt the sting of Carollo and asked the lobbyist and a political sidekick of Suarez’s to stop going on Spanish radio telling listeners that the reason the commission is blocking this is because voters would be able to recall commissioners, and Carollo suggested he might be a recall target (which they can already do). However, this feud is missing the fact the charter does not have clear language about how to do a petition effort and Suarez used the county’s requirements and the validly of the petition gatherers as county voters, which Carrolo says had one person “registered in Broward,” with potentially some “ten percent.” Not being qualified petition gatherers under the law.

 

Here is trailer video from his twitter page on ty administration is a rolling social media machine with selfies and the manager having a photographer and some believe this self-promotion is a double-edged sword.

 

>>>> MESA, The Miami Exhibition and Sports Authority is in the news again after its staffer Lourdes Blanco was found to be getting two paychecks and the city employee is calling it a ‘witch hunt, ‘also $10,000 promotion check, given and then rescinded to wrong Jazz Festival, former mayor Regalado attended last MESA meeting June 31

 

The board founded years ago is the back-door entity for deals on Watson Island waterfront and is an obscure board that was funded by the old Miami Arena and had commissioners wining and dining with no; limit on the charges said one city intern back then, while the elected official hit on them and the women rebuffed by laughing at the thought. However, that was years ago and more recently MESA was supposed to have given $10,000. For the Miami Jazz Festival, when it was supposed to be for the DDA’s downtown Jazz festival with a similar name and afterwards the director told the wrong organization, the city wanted the $10,000 back immediately even though it had already been spent on promotion of the earlier event but it shows some of the chaos, and while a very visible tape recorder tapes the meetings rarely are there meeting minutes in the handout documents many of which I have from the past meetings and the board is run by the mayor in this case Tomas Regalado and past staff have included an attorney or any administrator or connected employee an is one of Miami’s sweetheart jobs with car allowance and other perks.

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article215641790.html

 

At the county people are having second thoughts about having a strong mayor calling county Mayor Carlos Gimenez “King Carlos.”

 

However, young Suarez could be taking a Greek Icarus political trajectory and believes given his overwhelming election with 85 percent of the vote. That anything he wants should be on autopilot. And while he talks “Transparency and trust,” Manolo Reyes wants “to trust but verify,” but given support documentation available only at the last hour it appears the mayor and Suarez administration was winging it on the fly. Further commissioner Joe Carollo went after the mayor on details and verbally clubbed Suarez, like a baby seal and the lack of study and transparency he believed going into the meeting and how the deal was crafted was the point of the spear of his criticism and Suarez asked the public to “trust,” him. But after raising some $3 million for his mayoral campaign he is a believer the ends justify the means when I hinted that the amount he raised was “obscene,” for a municipal mayor’ s race, and he did that to challenge any opponents when in fact he ran against five unknown candidates who raised no money for their own races.

 

Francis the eldest son of former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez is the chosen one and he is said to be eying a run for governor in the years ahead. However, he is making a political calculation on this stadium deal and he believes he can make it a done deal with little commissioner input as Wilfredo Gort pointed out and Gort was looking for some attention since the stadium would be in his District.

 

The problem with unsolicited proposals is that Miami could have park waterfront land become developed and this could be that precedent even with city voter’s approval for development on Miami waterfront parks something eyed by the city in years past and is a third rail with many voters but the city does have some underused waterfront land that to the city is just an avenue for money after the city’s boom and bust property value history and has Carollo saying during these boon times Miami was spending city funds Like a drunken sailor.”

 

Why is sophomore mayor Francis Suarez being verbally pummeled by Commissioner Joe Carollo? Suarez blows off the lack of transparency and insufficient documentation and details before the commission discussion and on “trust” says it is a great deal for the city since it’s a $1billion investment deal with Jorge Mas of MAS TEC and an investment group doing the financing and will “not involve any public funding.” Mas noted a stadium is not a “economic engine developer unless there is some retail and an entertainment complex,” and the renderings show a fair amount of green space. Further MAS TEC had a subsidiary JASCO that got an IG audit years ago and to go to that go to: http://www.miamidadeig.org/Archived/01-124jasco.pdf

 

But the administrations info was half baked and reflected on Suarez who also got mauled by the other commissioners for the lack of “specifics,” and Manola Reyes who ran “nine times,” said his “dream was to bring “transparency,” to Miami,” and he is not giving up on that dream,” he told his peers at the dais.

 

>>> Commissioner Carollo and Reyes wants commission auditor to audit BayFront Park Trust, where there is a “$1.5 million” variance said Carollo, brother Frank former chair and CPA headed the trust, Carollo has no trust in CFO and director, back in 2000 major scandal at entity with the director Ira Katz being arrested, case fell apart after federal, state and FDLE agencies lost the evidence, CFO tried to hide laptop in bathroom ceiling tile

 

Newly minted Commissioner Joe Carollo is maintaining his reputation of being a divisive force on the commission and an item trying to abolish the Bayfront Park Trust and the board Carollo chairs was being pushed by Commissioner Ken Russell who later withdrew it to promote peace on the dais and Carollo followed his brother Frank Carollo, CPA.

 

His brother believes there are a variety of irregularities regarding the Trust’s finances and he told commissioners when he met with the director and CFO he was told there was some “$1.5” million variances. Carollo the senior said he did not know these people and wanted the trust to be audited by the commission auditor Ted Guba who is very busy with other audits since commissioner Manola Reyes wants every city trust to be audited. However, outside audits are done for all these organizations already, but the former Miami Mayor thinks some of these could be cooked

 

What about the park’s scandal back in Jan. 9, 2000 when the then director Ira Katz was arrested after Miami herald reporter Tyler Bridges did an extensive investigative series of stories and when the trust was raided by federal and state authorities and the then CFO tried to hide his laptop in a ceiling panel. Further, back then the trust was getting some $500,000 from the city in subsidy and longtime Commissioner J.L. Plummer chaired the trust like a little fiefdom. The reason the city has so many trusts is the commission periodically raids any money in them and see the trusts as piggy banks. Further, Carollo notes the city could be under fiscal siege since a judge ruled in favor of a flagstone project on Watson island and the developers sued the city $120 million and another lawsuit is MESA is said to be coming.

 

What about the city’s finances?

 

Commissioners have been holding private “shade meetings,” where the administration and their attorney’s discuss legal suits and Carollo brought up the need for revenue a number of times and “hard times,” could be coming since a court ruled on a $120 million lawsuit for the city terminating the Flagstone project on Watson Island and another suit is going on for discussions leaders has at Miami Expedition Sports Authorities meeting that I have attended for years and involved a helicopter and seaplane base that was run by Chalk’s Airlines until a high profile crash shut down the service.

 

What about the Watson Island Flagstone project?

 

Suarez Friday told the WDR that he believes the city appeal of a local court ruling will be successful saying past administrations due diligence for the Flagstone Development on Watson Island was flawed and the developer never had the financial where with all to get the project done and the company “had been shopping the deal,” he said, and the final verdict will be determined by the District’s Third Court of appeal. However, this deal has always been political and was selected by the financial urgency board created by the state and at the time was chaired by banker Adolpho Henriques and the Flagstone project was to pay the most of three proposals that were put on the ballot. The selection committee back in 2001 met at the Miami outboard motor club. Further, the city was sued $120 million for it claiming the development was in default and along with pension concerns the city is dealing with a variety of fiscal obligations: Editor: Miami lost this in court and is another fiscal torpedo coming to the city.

 

EDITORIALS

 

>>> Mayor Suarez’s strong mayor proposal flawed should not allow outside income for either mayor or manager, not about him but future mayors, needs to explain financing of new home in the Grove

 

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’ push for a strong mayor an idea not about him. He says he wants a quick decision so that voters don’t have to pay $1.2 million for the Special election in Nov. is a canard. The issue is about the soul of the city, its charter that is constantly reviewed by a city Charter Review panel but the strong mayor form of government never passed muster with the panel over the years and the young commissioner a real estate attorney wants the power and the big bucks but will not commit a strong mayor will not have outside employment and that is a big deal and is what many times gets officials arrested and can raise the ugly head that taxpayers interests could be at risk and conflict and he is lowering the good governance bar.

 

Further, it emerged recently that the Miami Manager has outside employment, but it is not known what that is, and residents should demand to know what that is and the fact. Suarez is not forthcoming on this issue flies in his claim for more transparency and open government and many of his past staffers are lobbyist pitching deals or zoning and his entourage are populating Dinner Key and there are several new staffers.

 

However, Suarez is diminishing the office’s gravitas with all the social network activity and the potential to become a reality star seems to be his plan and with his 75 percent win at his election. The telegenic mayor may feel he is recall proof and that is very dangerous for a politician though he punts with the phrase “let the voters decide while,” he sits on a few million PAC and campaign assets. For more go to: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article216436445.html

 

Further, with voter turnout in many elections in the 15 percent range this lack of participation by the electorate is a corrosive force. Early voting in state, judges and other races start Monday in Miami Dade and will you be participating for we get the government we deserve if voters do not exercise their right and is the bedrock of a democracy.

 

>>> The Florida Legislature should keep its hands off the 20 counties that have Home Rule Charter local government is better with local leaders but yes not perfect, at least we arrest our own

 

Thank you, Florida Legislature, for requiring at local meetings the public has “a right to be heard,” and at the county commission and at local municipal meetings law makers are hearing a host of matters many times with the bark on and usually deal with a local community dilemma that might be heard without this new opportunity to be heard. However, the legislature is wrong to dilute the powers of Home Rule Counties and try to put a state overlay of laws that don’t represent the diversity of the state’s communities and since there are 20 Home Rule Counties local government is always better for residents and voters should let their legislators know they should keep their hands off parenting local government since counties already get beat up in the capital and since Miami-Dade is the state’s largest county with 2.5 million residents and a donor community by some 34 percent of the state’s budget, said the Florida CFO years ago. The state lawmakers should keep that in mind and let local government decide their own legislation regarding issues that affect the local communities.

 

>>> Mayor Suarez needs to lead by example, and be careful who he hob nods with, city needs to tighten-up

 

New Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has a unique chance to change the permissive culture of the city where practically no Miami employee wears their city ID or carries cards. Further, city leaders have to tighten up with whom they associate with and if someone is a convicted felon one might want to steer clear because the mayor sets the tone of the administration and after the last few years things were very loose and who you knew versus your competency, was many times over rode and Miami residents deserve better and every city employee represents all and should never forget that you are a public figure and a public servant something many employees seem to forget.

 

>>> 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 almost 18 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 reached19 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 to keep 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 soon. And I thank these people from the bottom of my heart for the past financial help.

>>> I just ask any reader, once a year who thinks this community resource is valuable to contribute 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 18 years on May 5^th. 2018.

>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan

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        

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

 

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

HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr (The first contributor)

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .

THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2007)

ARTHUR HERTZ

WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)

ALFRED NOVAK

LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)

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

THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE

 

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

 

BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com

RONALD Hall

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov

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

Weiss Serota Helfman & Cole & Bierman http://www.wsh-law.com/ elfHehhh

 

 

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

EIDSON, COLSON & HICKS www.eadisoncolsonon.com

BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com

BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com

JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST

BERCOW RADELL FERNANDEZ & LARKIN www.brzoninglaw.com

RON BOOK

BENEDICT P. KUEHNE http://www.kuehnelaw.com/

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

WILLIAM PALMER www.shutts.com

Rbb www.rbbcommmunications.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

 

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 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

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

Miami Parking Authority   www.mpamiami

 

>>> 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
Daniel A. Ricker
Publisher & Editor
Watchdog Report
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2018, 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

>>>>> 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

Make Checks payable to Daniel Ricker
3109 Grand Ave, #125 Miami, Florida 33133