Watchdog Report Vol.19 No.65 December 23, 2018 EST:05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 18 Years of weekly reliable publishing
See you next week and hope you will consider supporting a reliable news service and keeping me in the field and I think over the years I have done my best work covering Jackson health System and the school board and these still need to be monitored and hope you will help. If you are no longer getting the WDR please send me an email after my internet service earth link account was hacked by a foreign actor a few months ago and the cost for the IT was not cheap. Thanks for all the past support!
>>>> Further today is my Vol.19, 65th weekly edition since 05.05.00 of publishing the Watchdog Report and while I have had a variety issues over the past years, I thank my supporters again for the privilege of doing this free news service along with the internet.
My you and your family have a great, safe Merry Christmas with your families and may the New Year bring health, peace and happiness to all.
>>> This national story ran in all the Tribune papers around the nation and covers the early years of the WDR: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190045_1_ricker-miami-watchdog and here is a different versionhttp://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american
Further, if this works the WDR will go back to my original schedule over the last 18 years. bailed me out of this IT nightmare that coincided with my 18th anniversary of weekly publishing since May 5, 2000. However, this hack has deleted several my email addresses and hope those readers just go to the web page to see the latest issue
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: 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
>>>And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents to public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further thewww.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings, and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
CONTENTS
ARGUS REPORT: The WDR did jury duty Dec. 5 with Haitian Judge Serephin’s court room, appointed to bench by Gov. Jeb Bush and his family fled from the brutal Pappa “doc” Duvalier regime – The super bowl is not the big enchilada of upcoming events, but the 2020 Census is, undercount costs millions, maybe even a new house seat like in 2000, the worse count ever after Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez sent fear through the Cuban community of the federal government, some $800 billion at stake for some counties
STATE of FLORIDA: state senator Garcia and lt. gov Lopez Cantera honored by school board, both men helped Miami-Dade in legislature – Gov. elect: DeSantis in course of term will make 4,000 board appointments, not happy with a few water district board members and some of their deals —16 states have strong cyber stalking laws but not Florida, Legislators should look at this before it happens to them!
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: Arsht CEO Richard honored at county and school board, some 200,000 children have seen free educational performances, Rock Odyssey, Kitty Hawk, Ailey Camp, the man took PAC to higher community involvement level, says Supt. Carvalho
Miami-Dade County Public Schools: Board taps Tabares Hantman & Dr. Martin Karp for leadership positions, will WLRN license controversy come to an end, will have upcoming workshop four options?
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST: Cerner IT pilot program at Jackson north app “brings the voice of the customer alive with just a click,” says JHS staff a couple of months ago — JHS like a phoenix rebuilds itself, Bariatric and transplants two areas for growth girders rising on the campus
CITY OF MIAMI: Questions arise with UM needle exchange pilot program in Miami that sunsets next year, homeless trust chair Book questions if it works, or creates “open opiate sex den,” after past encampment cleaned up and “825 syringes were found and “thousands of yellow caps,” that the syringes come with, was a public health problem, to reduce communicable diseases
EDITORIALS: Mayor Suarez’s strong mayor proposal flawed should not allow outside income for either mayor or manager, not about him but future mayors – Politicians don’t realize voter’s frustration is they are such hypocrites, many times (like now when congress gets paid but no other federal departments with a gov. shut-down) in their own actions Florida Constitutional commission should insist on transparency, not darkness as Sunshine law gets diluted — Most politicians hate the press- Florida needs Sunshine Amendment many municipalities out of control and get little press coverage or oversight, legislators are on wrong side of this one
Community Event: Lotus Village gala https://lotushouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2019-Gala-Sponsorship-Package-final.pdf
>>> If you wish to be deleted, just e-mail me with that message.
>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)
>>> 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
>> 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 observe
Object: to be the Public Citizen for all those out there who can’t attend, and to connect and serve as an information bridge[electrolyte] among the special-interest-dominated Miami-Dade governmental institutions that seem newsletter, The Watchdog Report, celebrates its [18h] 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 even though 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!”
ARGUS REPORT: Heard Seen on the Street
>>> The WDR did jury duty Dec. 5 with Haitian Judge Serephin’s court room, appointed to bench by Gov. Jeb Bush and his family fled from the brutal Pappa “doc” Duvalier regime
The WDR recently was called for Jury Duty at the criminal court in the Miami’s health district and after a few hours and a movie I was called to serve in Judge Fred Serephin’s court room however, because of a “technical issue,” it was ‘Postponed,’ said the Haitian American judge appointed by then Gov. Jeb Bush in 2003 and he discussed the two civic duties is to serve on a jury and military service to the nation and he thanked us for showing up to do their duty and he said many people have so many excuses.
The U.S. government is shut down and now the withdrawal of troops in Syria over the holidays and the resignation of the secretary of defense shows the administration is stumbling and part of the problem is President Donald Trump’s tweeting some of these important policy decisions and in some hacked email servers a number of foreign leaders have expressed their displeasure of his style of “bullying,” and shooting from the gut.
>> The super bowl is not the big enchilada of upcoming events, but the 2020 Census is, undercount costs millions, maybe even a new house seat like in 2000, the worse count after Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez sent fear through the Cuban community of federal government
While Miami-Dade county is preparing for the Super Bowl next year a bigger event is coming in the 2020U.S. Census that in Miami the count has been generally a flawed process and the worst count was the 2000 Census after the young boy Elian Gonzalez was extracted from Little Havana and the community erupted in ethnic tensions and fear for many residents since even though the count is done by the commerce department many saw a “federally,” and would not participate and years later the numbers had to be revised and south Florida got an extra congressional seat that was later filled by U.S> Rep. Mario Diaz Ballart, R-Miami and the census count per person back then brought some $23,000 in federal funding and was in stark contrast to other counties around the nation where very high count was achieved. Further for some counties the undercount could result in some communities losing some $800 billion in lost federal funding that includes Medicare funding and a host of other programs.
School Board member Lubby Navarro is part of the 2020 census taskforce being assembled an she spoke in front of the county commission about the important matter and noted residents will get a form with a number on it and they can file online using that number. She also noted there will be Major outreach at schools’ libraries and other sites with NGOs to get an accurate count and the community’s fair share of representation and federal funding. She also noted we might get a new house seat if the census is done accurately.
Back in 2000 I watched and wrote a lot about the undercount and how it starts and then stops, though the county did get an extension back then but that is no longer assured.
https://www.naco.org/articles/2020-census-what-counties-need-do-now-prepare
Pam Gigantea the host of This Week in South Florida is moonlighting and doing ads for the Miami Health system and one appeared on WPLG channel 10 last week and continues a troubling trend such as when Helen Ferré was said to be inconsideration as a Republican Lt. governor candidate when Charlie Crist ran. She later became the Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Trump campaign. I write about this because WPBT is the last bastion of what should be objective reporting and having a host hawking the healthcare system just seems tacky.
>>> The Miami Foundation is starting a program where people can tell their Miami story and to tell your story go to :https://miamifoundation.org/mymiamistory/https:
Give Miami Day was a rousing success with donations topping a new record and Camillus House did very well and shows that Miami is a very giving city something that was always not the case.
> October is Rett Syndrome Awareness month “I am her voice she is my heart,” and to support Julianne Espinosa at http://events.rettsyndrome.org/goJulianne Espinosa2018
What about the internet back in 2000?
Back then everyone was using e-mail and would say to people at the time “my email is on the card,” very proudly and even then, there was a question if this would stay around but later exploded to what it is today. Further the community’s major public institutions were like giant ships in the night not knowing what each was doing in an aggregate way. Wasting millions in public tax dollars since they operate in a discrete fashion.
>>> I also pushed to have schoolboard committees taped. Since I had the only tapes of these and contained what was said about a variety of land purchases sold by politically connected individuals with one piece needing some $49 million in demucking given the containments.
During the 1990s one trick in Miami was to sell contaminated land to a public entity which would in one deal involve some $44 million to demuck and clean up the site but the land was owned by a politically connected man. Now deceased school member Betsy Kaplan once said to me “Dan your trying to keep us out of jail,” she said. I responded, “no kidding.” And to read the early years go to Maya Bell’s long profile in the Orlando Sentinel and she spent weeks with me in an old BMW without air and it captured my journey in this endeavor and to read the national story go to:http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american
>>> Connect Miami is a new program trying to get residents to engage with their neighbors and friends to broaden community interaction something that at times may be difficult to do. And for more go to www.connectmiami.org And Many of the events are free.in the future.
STATE OF FLORIDA
>>> state senator Garcia and lt. gov Lopez Cantera honored by school board, both men helped Miami-Dade in legislature
Out going Florida Lt. governor Carlos Lopez Cantera along with termed out state Se. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah and a recipient of the Children’s Trust Champion of Children Award and in Tallahassee he was the go-to legislature and he chaired a board studying how Jackson Health System should be governed. The Miami-Dade Public Schools District honored them on Wednesday for their legislative work for the county’s children and Garcia will be missed in the county delegation that recently have worked together.
>>> DeSantis in course of term will make 4,000 board appointments, not happy with a few water district board members and some of their deals
Florida Tax Watch has estimated that an incoming governor in the course of one four year term will appoint some 4,000 people to a host of boards around the state and incoming Gov. Ron De Santos is said to be looking closely at a number of people especially in the water management districts that have done some unusual land deals and the man is softening some of his past rhetoric since winning the close race.
>>> 16 states have strong cyber stalking laws but not Florida, Legislators should look at this before it happens to them
The upcoming Florida legislature must pass legislation strengthen laws regarding cyber stalking and such laws are common in 16 states and with cameras in dorms and many other sites even a home is capable of being hacked Floridians need greater protections. For it is clear this threat is not going away. Here is what some states are using re legal laws and the Florida legislature should beef up the statutes. For more go to http://www.ncsl.org/
What about the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County?
The county commission voted on new trustees for the Children’s trust and they are Lourdes Gimenez, Constance Collins, Jose “Félix” Diaz, and Dr. Kate Callaghan our youth and the trust is a community treasure nurturing our youth to excel in life.
What about the United Ways new program?
United Way of Miami-Dade County has several programs for-not for-profits with good ideas fostering their growth for more go to: https://unitedwaymiami.org/contact-us/media-kit/
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Arsht CEO Richard honored at county and school board, some 200,000 children have seen free educational performances, Rock Odyssey, Kitty Hawk, Ailey camp, the man took PAC to higher community involvement level, says Supt. Carvalho
John Richard, the retiring CEO of the Adrianne Arsht Center of the Performing Arts after ten years in the job and the low key man and his board have created some great educational and community organizations and “some 200,000 fifth graders,” have seen free works of art with an educational bent including Rock Odyssey, said Supt Alberto Carvalho at Wednesday’s school board meeting where Richard was honored that details the story of Homer and includes Ailey Camp, Kitty Hawk and the performing arts center has risen to a new level. The Peacock program brings children with disabilities to the stage and a host of programming brings mentoring programs.
Richard has done a superb job with the Arsht and making performances available to a wide swath of Miami-Dade, many free and the PAC helped fuel the cultural renaissance being experienced in South Florida.
What about the history of the PAC?
Parker Thomson was the father of The PAC and he chaired the oversight board where. I back then never missed a construction committee meeting and was there since they held it on Wednesday and was only a block away from the school board in construction trailers and county trouble shooter Bill Johnson was brought in after the construction had already generated over $100 million in change orders and county commissioners were discussing what to do with “the big hole,” that was later finished but was 20 months late and needed some $480 million to complete the extraordinary facility and the local CRA has helped fund the fiscal hole back then and when it opened in 2006 it was the pride of South Florida and has proven to be a major economic developer with condos dotting the neighborhood..
What about the 2009 IG report?
Years ago the county’s OIG office checked some 30,000 water meters on residences and in the fields where fire hydrants were supplying free water to farmers and in homes investigators found 15,000 private meters had been bypassed and was a local cottage industry costing the county “$35 million,” the report found in loss revenue an these smart meters will be introduced in the coming years.
What is the new elderly crisis coming?
Homeless seniors are becoming the biggest threat facing the county in the future and it is a “Crisis, said Ron Book,” the Miami-Dade County Homeless trust chair. At past trust meeting and the need for permanent housing for this emerging group is critical and he is on a crusade to find permanent housing the trust can buy but in Miami the inventory is small an expensive he has said in the past. And to review the task force recommendations: go to Bing addreshttp://www.miamidade.gov/charter/library/2018-02-26-meeting-materials.pdf
Ron Book has been making the political rounds speaking at a Miami commission meeting about a new encampment in the inner city that has been blocked off by the health department after open sexual acts and drug dealing has resulted in a spike of AIDs cases and the finding of drug paraphernalia around the local schools and the trust has gone into emergency mode to get these people into rehabilitation and other programs and those coming back are being addressed where one Women had “black lips,” gangrene and was “spotted having a rat eating the food in her mouth,” in her stupor condition said Book to city commissioners and she was taken into rehabilitation but this is the challenge the county’s homeless trust faces. For more go to https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/downtown-miami/article219921130.html
What about shot spotter technology 80% of shots residents hear do not call 9/11? Going to be combined with license plate readers in Miami and Miami Gardens, along with Ring security systems helping
A presentation by a regional rep of shot spotter which employs sensors around the county and the facts show only a small number 80 percent of people who hear shots” will not call 9/11 when they hear shots and many families have a “protocol,” when they hear shots and the rep believes they are afraid of being known as a “snitch,” and residents why call after hearing shots and no police coming. Commissioner Dennis Moss suggested they think “the police just don’t care.” One thing the shot spotters is good at is recovering shell casings which helps law enforcement on who the shooter might be. Further county police will soon be equipped with “license plate readers’ already in use in a variety of municipalities. And for more on the technology go to: http://www.shotspotter.com/ Update: In Miami Gardens which along with Miami are getting license plate readers one resident said large number of residents are using Ring security systems as well and hope all these efforts will reduce the violence facing the two municipalities.
>>> New continuum of care center coming for homeless with mental issues, JHS involved one stop center
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust along with Jackson Health System is opening a one stop public facility for homeless who qualify for a new diversion program with a mental illness and includes many veterans on the streets and is an old facility previously used by the state, but it will offer a continuum of care and was briefly discussed at the trust board meeting Friday. The whole community has been seeking ways to resolve the mental health issues of the homeless now drawing in people with opioid addiction and a drop of fentanyl can kill and many times is cut with cheap yellow Mexican heroin that appeared years past and is causing thousands of overdoses and the city of Miami spent $150,000 in procuring the miracle drug Narcan that can revive a overdosed person almost immediately and these people cut across all ethnic lines and the issue was discussed Sunday on “This Week in South Florida,” and to see the show go to https://www.local10.com/this-week-in-south-florida/this-week-in-south-florida-oct-29
| HOSPITALITY JOBS, JOBS, JOBS… | |||||||||
| RECORD HOSPITALITY JOBS IN GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES REPORTED FOR NOVEMBER
>>>> MCVB2018 Greater Miami’s Accommodations and Food Service jobs increased +4.9 percent, resulting in an increase of 6,000 jobs in November 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. This demonstrates the continued strength of the destination’s travel and tourism industry in generating local jobs that can lead to great careers. |
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Chapman, Jr. partnership go to: https://www.chapmanpartnership.org/about-us/leadership/ https://www.chapmanpartnership.org/wpq_events/nextgen-gala-party/
The trust has a new program where people with rental housing can register their rental units with the county and for more on the program go to: http://www.homelesstrust.org/rentconnect.asp
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
>>>> Board taps Tabares Hantman & Dr. Martin Karp for leadership positions, will WLRN license controversy come to an end?
The school board voted its new leadership and long serving chair Perla Tabares Hantman was reelected and Dr. Martin Karp is the vice chair on the nine-member board. That years go voted over 100 times on new leadership but Hantman who believes in diplomacy versus fighting with the Florida legislature or by suing the state she has said in the past. She also asks for civility among the board and has a great memory when it comes to past board legislation and is also on the county’s Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) as a long-time member with great attendance.
Karp in the past has been on the WLRN oversight board that is slowly working on an operating agreement that keeps the station independent of the administration and includes an advisory board of prominent media professionals working to craft a satisfactory agreement with the district that holds the station’s license. Critics believe the schoolboard and the station should be independent and not require staff to be school district employees. Supt. Alberto Carvalho has argued that the district when it comes to this should be with consistent with other such agreements, especially approving the general manager and his level of pay. Further, this s issue may be discussed at the Dec11 Audit and Budget Review Advisory meeting and I will be there.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Cerner IT pilot program at Jackson north app “brings the voice of the customer alive with just a click,” says JHS staff a couple of months ago
The trust on June 13 went live with a Cerner IT update that allows the Jackson North pilot program to “bring the voice of the customer alive with just a click,” said It staff a few months ago and if a “patient needs a blanket,” and is expected to improve the “patient experience,” said staff and the ap is a boon for patients in the emergency rooms where “75 percent of the patients come through the emergency room,” said JHS staff.
Residents need to drive by the public Health trust campus as girders and new construction is occurring on the campus
What about Bariatric surgery and the UM transplant program?
The health system is running ads for the bariatric surgery and a woman gave a testimonial at a committee meeting saying her weight was the same as her weight when “she was 22 and can now do exercise and climb stairs. The trust is also running television ads,” she said, and the system is great and a big supporter.
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
>>> 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:
>>> 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
>>> Questions arise with UM needle exchange program in Miami that sunsets next year, homeless trust chair Book questions if it works, or creates “open opiate sex den,” after past encampment cleaned up and “825 syringes were found and “thousands of yellow caps,” that the syringes come with, was a public health problem, to reduce communicable diseases
The Miami-Dade County Homeless trust board Friday discussed the homeless encampment, in Miami under the freeway that was broken up recently and along with the UM syringe exchange program created a “open area,” for rampant drug use and sexual activity,” said trust Chair Ron Book at the meetings. He noted that City of Miami “workers picked up 825 syringes and there were “thousands of yellow plastic caps, “after the people living were helped. Book noted the syringe state law was a “pilot program and would sunset next year. Further, he appreciates the sensitivity of the program and its reduction of AIDs and other communicable blood diseases, but does not know “if the program works?” He noted a town in Pennsylvania had tried a similar program and was a front-page story in the New York times.Editor’s note: Book disclosed he was a lobbyist in the state for UM and had not disccsed the program with them.
Miami administrator Vickers wonders why the program is only in Miami?
Miami administrator Milton Vickers a trustee wondered why the program was only in the city of Miami. The program was championed for years by an UM medical school physician at the state level, Miami Chair Keon Hardeman once referred to UM as treating Overtown and parts of Miami “like a freak show,” so there is a under lying tension with this public health program in Hardeman’s District 2.
However, Gonzalez, a Grove realtor can come off as arrogant and when he last campaigned, he noted he had the American dream since he owned a “Maserati and had a Rolex watch.” However, Sarnoff now a lobbyist was seen last week going into city hall and he had a forlong look as he walked from his car since he no longer had a parking spot and here is his lobbying form on file with the city.
Sarnoff, Marc D. Address: 200 S. Biscayne Blvd Suite 4100 Organization City Miami Telephone 3054159072 Fax: State : FL Zip : 33131 Email: msarnoff@shutts.com
Principal Name Issue Description Registration Date Amount Payment Comments
Annual Lobbyist Registration Fee 05/31/2018 $525.00 00553869 Dmitry Kulkov, individually negotiation in connection with potential dockage agreement 07/11/2018 $105.00 00555851 MCD Miami LLC Magic city zoning changes 10/03/2018 $105.00 00560338 Orange Barrel Media Installation of interactive informational kiosks 08/23/2018 $105.00 00558159
http://ethics.miamidade.gov/library/closed%20investigations/2018/pi_18-10_bayfront-park-ultra.pdf
What do Suarez’s 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).Editor’s note: My biggest issue is not the banning of outside income.
COMMMUNITY EVENTS
Lotus Village Event
Join Us at the 2019 Gala Benefiting Lotus House and celebrating All Things New at Lotus House, most importantly, new lives and brighter futures with your help. Your sponsorship provides essential programs that heal, support, nurture, educate, and uplift women, youth, and children to improve the quality of their lives on every level and build the foundation for a safer, healthier, brighter future.
2019 LOTUS HOUSE GALA
ALL THINGS NEW! New Village, New Programs, New Clinic, New Lives
Thursday, April 18, 2019, at The Margulies Collection at the WAREhOUSE Wynwood Arts District: 591 NW 27th St., Miami, 33127
6:00pm VIP Reception, 7:00pm Dinner and Program 6-9pm Silent Art Auction
EDITORIAL
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
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, 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
Daniel A. Ricker
Publisher & Editor
Watchdog Report
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2018, Daniel A. Ricker
The trust has a new program where people with rental housing can register their rental units with the county and for more on the program go to: http://www.homelesstrust.org/rentconnect.asp
>>> 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 go to: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-01-20/news/0301190341_1_ricker-school-board-president-miami-s-first-cuban-american
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***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000
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THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2007)
ARTHUR HERTZ
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JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST
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RON BOOK
BENEDICT P. KUEHNE http://www.kuehnelaw.com/
LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.
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CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
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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
Daniel A. Ricker
Publisher & Editor
Watchdog Report
Est. 05.05.00
Copyright © of original material, 2018, Daniel A. Ricker
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
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