Watchdog Report Vol.24 No.56 May 12, 2024-EST:05.05.00 – A free educational resource for 24-years weekly
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 56, May 12, 2024, Celebrating May 5th,2000: 24 -years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald news & editorial columnist. 05.05.00, I go when you cannot, for almost 22-years & a trusted community education resource & news service, without the attitude.
>>> 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.)
>>> ARGUS REPORT: HEARD SEEN ON the STREETS
BREAKING NEWS
>>> I still have a touch of covid, and another issue and will hopefully return next week. Sorry about this wish otherwise.
I am getting more tests so will be back after a while and I will find out my health destiny in the future. Thank you all for all the support over the years and saving my life Baptist Health South Miami Hospital in 2009.
>>> A new entity is being created from some community leaders called Partnership For Miami made up of a financial titans, and others to help stimulate different opportunities for Miamians, through investments, and they should checkout the 1999 Empowerment Zone books for ideas of the challenges facing Miami holistically, and good luck.
And they should read the 1999, two volume Miami-Dade County “Empowerment Zone books” to get a real sense of what the challenges to the community really are, including all the polluted super fund sites, yet to be addressed etc. It is a must reading and I still have some since I was giving them out to leaders, including Katherine Harris, an later tooTom Fiedler in county commission chambers for the Miami circle debate that is still festering and not open to the public.
>>> Inflation impact impacting healthcare not just JHS, &after Steward Medical declares bankruptcy with $9 billion debt, many owners’ equity firm over the years.
Many, local hospitals are now for the moment facing fiscal challenges, it is reminiscent of the 70s, inflation &15 percent interest rates at the time. Steward a Massachusetts based system and has changed owners over the years, once owned by a private equity firm is attempting to sell off hospitals. When I saw this, I wondered if there was any cascading impact here.
The community’s healthcare options have impacted another large healthcare system with Steward Healthcare System filing for bankruptcy. The physician owned system has numerous hospitals in South Florida including Palmetto General and Coral Gables hospital and patients with good insurance making up the difference, in cost is another example of low reimbursement rates coupled with out-of-control inflation touching a whole swath of goods and services, including medicines and staffing.
Since hospitals are like aircraft that need certain staffing regardless of volume and paying customers. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates are not keeping up with the impact inflation is happening in healthcare, from Jackson Health System to others in the area, which has us becoming a medical tourist destination with all the facilities available to a growing elderly population. The labor shortage is not helping and governments underpaying, supposed to be helped under the Affordable Care Act, is being wiped out by inflation and prices show no sign of going lower in the future.
Inflation is brutal today and I experience it every day unfortunately.
HAPPY MOTHER’s Day to all the mothers that probably deserve a week honoring them. May health &Peace be with all our mothers.
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Carollo goes after senior federal judge Moore’s redistricting maps, may impact whether the judge’s stay stays, Carollo & Reyes both termed out, so won’t affect them he says, its future commissions that worry him, he claims.
Thursday’s commission meeting did not resolve the redistricting map and Joe Carollo went after Senior District Juge K. Michael Moore handling the case. He said the “Supreme Court was not happy with the judge. “Further Carollo felt there was a good chance overturning his ruling,” the bombastic commissioner said.
Judge Moore is a former Director of the U.S. Marshall service before being appointed to the bench. He is a FSU grad and Fordham University law grad and is highly respected and does not have to extend the stay in place that does not require new elections in the newly drawn districts. And the commissioner’s comments may not help the city’s case that has residents waiting for a final decision on the year-old item festering citywide.
>>> Last Wednesday: Jackson Health System “reports to date $11 million loss,” and cost cutting heading right, says trustee Sabater.
The recent Miami Herald article on Jackson Health System and its financial challenges in today’s post covid environment is not just limited to the public hospital but other health systems are also feeling the fiscal squeeze, in staffing supplies cost lingering after Covid as well as an ageing population adds to the cost challenges, and it is not just Jackson with an affiliation with UM’s Miller medical school. Other health systems are also feeling the pressure as well and trimming costs are the order of the day including the WDR funding.
UPDATE: At Wednesday’s trust board meeting a somber affair based on the fiscal challenges in the black since 2011. That has changed and the trust to date has “a $11 million loss to date,” said vice chair Carmen Sabater, also treasurer.
The One Day for Jackson campaign by the foundation raised $550,000 in contributions said CEO Carlos Migoya, who has helped turn around the public hospital losing up to $400 million in 2002. Further, the system is seeing “outstanding trends regarding MERS infections,” said trustee Laurie Weiss Nuel at the meeting.
>>> Further, I am going to do a story on assisted living facilities and what it’s like for a lucid patient like me surrounded by residents with dementia, or memory issues and glad a registered nurse is going to be around.
Politicians being public figures bothers some of them, asking why the media is so interested?
Especially when they are out of the spotlight, which many consider their own business. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez made that same comment to me at a restaurant in coconut Grove long ago and believed it was not relevant since on their own time. The city with numerous investigations is going through many investigations and could be a watershed and real turning point for the Miami residents who are tired of the corruption and a federal judge may change with any new redistricting he is demanding.
CITY OFMIAMI
>>> City allows illegal parking lot to run 13-years, Carollo claims tenets “we’re connected,” Not first time some get favorable treatment from past administrations,”
I have seen many times documents or reports disappear, over the years, poor record keeping means inaccurate public record, when gaps exist, “is that God speaking from a burning bush?” challenged one attorney about a tape with a gap statement, at a disputed contract hearing.
A illegal parking lot ran “for 13-years,” since it was first cited. Commissioner Joe Carollo, suggested the firm was connected and “how [could the city allow so long, and no one knew about it]? He asked. The manager Art Noreiga who was also director of Off-Street Parking said it “feel on deaf ears,” and Carollo believes it was intentional “because some employees we’re doing something they shouldn’t,” a persistent problem of past administrations, from mayors Diaz, Regalado, and Suarez.
Doing story on City of Miami Civil Service board where members get $3,600. For being on the board and serving a two-year term.
Financial support critical now if you can. Thank you, Dan., I want to thank the recent supporters for helping me keep at this after the cost to the community after Covid, and inflation decimated many of our healthcare systems and ER diversions were widespread with healthcare stretched to the max and have yet to recover, still facing “head winds,” like Jackson Health System, said CEO Migoya recently at a board meeting.
BREAKING NEWS
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was reelected Friday at noon with no opposition to her seventh four-four-year term held since 1993.
She has faced few challengers during her time in office and has been fundraising with local lobbyists, but she scared off any challengers in an office that handles some 250,000 cases yearly and is considered one of the toughest jobs around. She has her critics who note she rarely charges law enforcement incidents including the scolding death of an inmate in boiling water in a shower in prison, with man screaming for help, and had calls for her resignation from parts of the black community.
>>> “Perception,” is driving the rumor of endless corruption in south Florida and Miami in particular,” said Miami Commissioner Manola Reyes, and it is true to the public.
The issue was the manager’s wife’s company doing business with the city, which hanged in the air for months as further stories developed in the media with commissioners getting grilled about the perceived conflict of interest with no accurate response by manager Art Noreiga until Thursday’s commission meeting “that should have come sooner,” said commissioner Gabela.
The city’s attorney Victoria Mendez, is also facing scrutiny, was terminated that day as well given some real-estate deals done by their family of elderly residents that she disputes and criticized the media for the false allegations.
>>> Menedez was replaced Thursday by George Wysong, a senior in house attorney, works on many city boards including Miami Exposition & Sports Commission (MESA), that was handling a sea base dispute negotiation on Watson Island for a terminal and restaurant along with city attorney Robin Jones.
He has gone along with Mendez’s past judicial decisions and people wonder if he will be the change agent hoped for.
>>> Further joe Carollo continues to rail against the local media, regarding corruption accusations that has a past commissioner indicted.
Carollo also appointed Al Cardenas, a past state Republican Party Chair and close with Gov. Jeb Bush while in office in 2000. His appointment gives Carollo another vote on the Bayside Park Trust. A trust in 2000 that was subsidized $450,000 a year from the general fund.
Deceased commissioner J.L. Plummer chaired the trust that was investigated by the state attorney’s office. After the trust was buying $5,000 in wings from a neighboring Hooters and sharing the money a Miami Herald investigation found by Tyler Bridges at the time. Bridges would later do an extensive profile on me in the Metro section. (The trust investigation collapsed after the files were lost between the numerous authorities investigating and it fizzled out).
Lotus House is full of 240 families and children as Miami reels from economic homeless residents with rents through the roof as well as food etc. And the city of Miami approved some shelter funding for this important service not-for-profit founded by CEO Constance Collins and is a great community asset.
The United Way of Miami celebrated its one hundred anniversary, and the organization is a frequent pass through for funding of CBOs by the county has evolved over the years and is where The Children’s Trust holds its board meetings. THE WDR gives it a Tip OF The Hat for all it does in our community.
>>> You need real proof to convict corruption, but fundraising while legal is part of it for politicians. A woman on Miami Beach once told me “I don’t mind we are corrupt, but what bothers me is we are so cheap,” the older women said (Further it was so blatant and obvious, that prompted the WDR.
Since I was single with “no children, or wife when someone asked if my wife had a scar on her face?” Or “did I know where my children we’re.” back in the early days. Good governance has been elusive but may come yet from a federal judge hearing the city’s redistricting case.
>>> Corruption is very insidious and subtle, with friendship, relatives playing a mixed role.
Miami has had real corruption over its hundred plus years but recently throughout the region many political scandals have occurred, and people removed from their office. I’m not trying to sugar coat it, but as the state attorney told me once, “Being stupid is not always illegal, “she told me. And “friendships,” play a huge part in political landscape and again perception is a big factor when it comes to the millions being raised for candidates from lobbyists and developers. Who have a vested interest in south Florida. It is for this reason I returned money from some like disgraced judge Martin Zilber, when he punched his community service card at the PHT board, showing up late or not at all, but got the support from family friend Sally Heyman, a past county commissioner who gave the man a pass, but later had him stepping down as a judge after a scandal,
However new commission Damian Pardo is getting his first transparency test after Carollo did a record request from the dais for a folder Pardo held up showing how he loaned $105,000 to his campaign, which Pardo said he “would consider,” but is required to produce the document under Florida’s Sunshine Open records Law and will see if he complies and is a first easy test. But only if Carollo resigns the commission, but that doesn’t change since requested. He must comply under state records laws and not as some deal, re his resignation.
>>> Federal judge April 1 gives Biscayne Bay life preserver with demand for “Marine Reserve,” creation, after years of delays and political interference stymied efforts with Bay at a tipping point, major economic generator, and is great news for South Florida and the bay, an ecological treasure and economic driver.
A federal judge in Washington has ordered the National Park Service to create a Marine Reserve Zone in Biscayne National Park after years of delay and cites the harm that has been done with the delays that has the Bay at “a tipping point,” states a local grand jury report on the bays health but has been delayed by political pressure. To read more go to: https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/04/nps-ordered-create-marine-reserve-zone-biscayne-national-park
County Mayor Levine Cava postpones new $2.5 billion GOB initiative announced at her state of the county speech after mixed reactions by commissioners who must approve the issue going on the ballot in November 2024
She is now proposing a 2016 bond vote if she is reelected in the nonpartisan race that is becoming more partisan. She is getting support from many municipal mayors and is facing Miami Lakes mayor Manny Cid a republican.
She may have realized this bond could hurt her reelection that has the new county courthouse in mediation with the developer over millions and could remind voters that large capital projects by the county have historically had major overruns and an army of lobbyist benefitting the contracts. By postponing it won’t be used against her in the campaign. The general election will include the presidential race and a host of state questions for voters, and campaign ads will be very expensive in the media.
>>> Miami Mayor Suarez’s wife Gloria television personality on city 77 station, a first in history, promoting a clothing store on air.
>>>Gloria Suarez, wife of Miami mayor Francis Suarez is a television personality promoting a city clothing store on channel77, the city’s cable station is used often to promote a local business, but never has featured someone’s wife.
>>> Thursday was a big day for a lobbying firm hosting cocktails with state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, among other candidates from the county mayor to county commissioners. Rundle was elected six-times since 1993 and has cruised to victory since. She is coming under criticism by many defenses attorney’s objecting to some of her assistants’ tactics in court and the judge agrees to reassign two of them from a case.
She is progressive, a Democrat in supporting domestic violence initiatives mental health and human trafficking. In 2020 she faced a serious challenger Melba Peterson, in the democratic primary for the office and Rundle prevailed. Said to have one of the “toughest jobs” in world with some 250,000 cases in a year. It is the largest state attorney in Florida. (Editor’s note: political fund raisers are legal but at the local level it gives the impression of undue influence to the host and is a major gripe of the voters, especially those in law enforcement offices. I brought this up because a lobbyist’s brother was a Miami Herald county reporter, and I was barraged with negative comments re how it enhanced his brother’s reputation. The reporter was reassigned later, ending the appearance of a journalistic conflict.
>>> I bring this up because life is short.
>>> THE PHT held its televised board meeting Wednesday. CEO Carlos Migoya told members that JHS was facing “headwinds,” with rising expenses and equipment costs. The trust has been implementing efficiencies but with “15,000 employees,” it takes time he said.
Also, the trust by a “reduction in pay,” saved “$8. Million and March was a better month with a $1 million profit, said fiscal committee member Amadeo Lopez Castro, whose father was a past trust chair decades ago. The clearing house breach of collection agencies is “resolved, and did not have a serious impact,” on trust revenue said Castro, delivering his report.
The trust also had a “great legislation session,” this past year in the capital. A big difference from decades past when its management was being questioned, and the county commission was thinking of selling JHS, but made revisions and it has been on the right track.
Since I watched Carlos Migoya interview for the job, he has done a great job guiding the fiscal side of the public medical health system. The man a former banker, helped by a countywide half-cent sales tax, which was inadequate in 2000, later became insufficient for the around $400 million in charity care being given in the 2000s why the potential sell off debate.
>>> HUD NOFA application gets $46 million for county’s homeless trust.
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust on Friday announced that the trust had received $46 million in funding. The trust reported that Jan.25 2024 unsheltered point of count had 1058 in 2023, and now1033, and is a reduction and the trust is a national model and Ron Book the long-time chair went to L.A.to see former Supt. Alberto Carvalho, and the homeless is widespread and they don’t have a program like here he said at the meeting. Here in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation to allow communities to create homeless encampments, but with facilities and other benefits. Book a major state lobbyist said given the county’s continuum of care he expects “no encampments here,” he said and rehabbing of properties for housing is the way the trust is going and about Miami’s homeless, where there was a mayor, decades ago dropped from 8,000 homeless to 631 in January and year prior was 608 on the streets, state trust documents.
>>> Miami-Dade County Chief Bay Officer Irela Bague resigned recently and is the Director of Governments &Water resilience for Black &Veatch.
A environmental firm with projects around the world. Bague, a former South Florida Management District member appointed by Jeb Bush her focus was on Biscayne Bay, and coordinating efforts to clean up the bay was done with great fanfare and her profile was elevated. Her resigning to the private sector will further slow the county’s efforts to clean up the bay, a major tourist draw on its last legs. And at a “tipping Point,” some say without immediate help.
>>> NO progress on synchronizing traffic lights county wide 2027 deadline in question, sold to public back in 2002, vote.
In 2002 Miami-Dade County passed a one-half cent sales tax to upgrade the transportation system and one of the big hooks to its passage was synchronizing the traffic lights county-wide, that has yet to be achieved by the county and these monies have been siphoned off over the years for a variety of uses, and last Tuesday the county once again was still sending millions to a politically connected vender for the conversion and Commissioner Raquel Regalado when the issue of software problems that she has been working on this when a school board member and their performance gives her heart burn, she said.
>>> Florida Ethics Commission is trying to collect $851,994. In delinquent fines, the body shows little consequence to not paying penalties.
With ethics and conflicts of interest at the top of the public’s mind. The Florida Ethics Commission is a sad example “given it has $851,944 in “delinquent fines in state collection agencies,” state commission documents https://ethics.state.fl.us/
>>>The deal pitted the public school i Prep, against the Centner’s $10 million sports dome project. The school is the brainchild of former Supt. Alberto Carvalho near the administrative office with 1500 students.
>>> Further the City of Miami Finance Committee has not met for months and should be investigated, public’s firewall of finances.
>>> Here’s AI’s take on me and the WDR: I assume you are asking about the Watchdog Report by Daniel A. Ricker. The Watchdog Report is a weekly e-mail newsletter that covers government news from the nation, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade Public Schools, the Public Health Trust, Miami and other municipalities in the county 1. Daniel A. Ricker is the publisher and editor of the Watchdog Report 1. The Watchdog Report is widely read by government insiders and a veritable who’s who of Miami 2. It is a compilation of the tidbits and observations he synthesizes from his tireless rounds 2. The Watchdog Report is estimated to bring in about $30,000 a year 2. I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Learn more.
1zoominfo.com2sun-sentinel.com3communitynewspapers.com
>>> The Florida ethics Commission updated their financial disclosure system and it’s terrible. I tried multiple times to review county mayor Daniella Levine Cavas’s financials and nothing came up. Further, county commissioner Rene Garcia’s disclosures are not online and the commission webpage in this are needs to be corrected Here’s a link to the page:
>>>Further, financing of the WDR needs help and if you can support a neutral long serving news source, consider supporting
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/WatchdogReport
>>> Homeless deaths on Miami streets down for year, was 189, last year over 200, says Trust chair Book: >>>New version next week with my computer finally back thank you supporters.
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust did its annual somber ceremony remembering the people passing on the streets. This past year. This year it was 189 and down from last year when over 200 passed last year. The trust a national model has helped transform the homeless issue facing so many American cities. The county decades ago had over 6,000 homeless with even a mayor, and through community efforts and tourist sales tax funding has created a continuum of care capability.
with a sergeant-of-arms standing by.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> The benefit of two medical schools in Miami-Dade came through recently that up to 120 to 130, (I lost the notes on the exact number,) fellows and residents at JHS who were in good standing in their specialty graduated from the programs.
This is good news because physicians many times stay in the community where they trained. The FIU medical school and UM, via Jackson Memorial Hospital, and Baptist Health will be helping the community when more physicians and staff will be needed with our ageing population.
>>> Dade residents get numerous medical choices, from FIU & Baptist affiliation, to public JHS, preventative care main mission, reduces uncompensated care costs countywide.
Miami-Dade County will be benefitting from the relationship with Baptist Health and FIU’s Wertheim College of Medicine, a school dedicated to preventative community-based medicine after its first dean Dr. Joe “Pedro” Greer instilled preventative medicine to the school’s students and has many FIU trained physicians doing a good examination of the patient, given my own personal experience.
This along with public JHS and UM affiliation will give residents top notch medical care, and keep more physicians in the community they train in. Further, it helps south Florida be a medical destination, offering specialized healthcare here. Jackson Health System is also benefitting from the approved county wide $830 million bond program that in the end financed almost $2 billion in capital projects drawing a host of new patients with a past campus that was frozen in time. For more go to:https://news.fiu.edu/2023/baptist-health-and-florida-international-university-to-begin-exclusive-negotiations-on-comprehensive-alliance :FIU medical school launches partnership with Baptist Health | Miami Herald
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> All Miami employees go through county’s ethics training, never takes after in laws of manager get furniture contracts, says WLRN investigation of wife; why at county all employees went through training, under Stierheim administration in 2000,
Includes mayor Suarez under SEC & FBI investigation, with mayor representing middle East countries, from Qatar to others, Isreal Flag replaces Ukrainian Flag at city hall entrance, WDR first reported on mayor’s income rise 9 months ago from 2013 disclosures which he now has to explain the high new worth and outside income as calls for his resignation increase, Carollo is waiting to stick political knife in wounded mayor.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
https://historymiami.org/ & The ART Warehousehttps://www.margulieswarehouse.com/ Will be closed for a while for a new show.
EDITORIAL
>>> Anniversary of life saving procedure when I was septic at South Miami, Baptist Health, hospital in 2009, and I thank you Dr. Jorge Rabaza for saving my life, back then.
The next few days is the anniversary of my almost passing in 2009. I was septic and operated on at 2;00 p.m., “because I could not wait,” not something you don’t want to hear from a surgeon, said Jorge Rabaza, M.D. at South Miami Hospital back ’then and he said, “I was a flip of the coin,” that I survived, he said and since then every day is a free day.,
The Miami-Dade County Children’s Trust is celebrating its 20th anniversary and during its time. There have been no scandals except some trust tee shirts being sold in little Havana decades ago. They trust the brainchild of former Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence, Jr. and mayor Alex Penelas and Will Bleckman, M.D. For more on the trust go to: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/
View a comprehensive list of all the previous project updates at https://miamidadearts.org/coconut-grove-playhouse-updates.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Charter schools have expanded to 155 schools and receive $797 million from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The schools do not have to follow the same procedures as public districts, and many are managed by private for-profit companies. The district does audits of these schools. Further, the Fla. Leg.is proposing expanding vouchers, which could cut funding by over 20 percent, adding to the charter school hit. However, many scandals with these schools many sexual in nature, and they need better background checks.
>>> Past WDR: Cardiac EKG screening should be required by state, number one killer of young athletes in schools, highlighted at school board Wednesday, after Bills player cardiac arrest should ACDs? be included on the field?
Student Athletes dying from sudden cardiac death, was highlighted at Wednesday’s school board meeting. Sudden death is common with athletes and the need for an EKG screening is important. And advocates say screening should be mandatory. And Florida has nine districts that have this screening requirement before entering school. Further, some parents are hesitant to screen, and just must be notified, said advocates including a girl with an implantable defibrillator. For more go to: https://nzdsos.com/2022/09/09/unexplained-coincidental-collateral-damage/
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COMMUNIITY EVENTS
https://historymiami.org/ The ART Warehousehttps://www.margulieswarehouse.com/
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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. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>>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
>>> 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 of public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further the www.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.
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