Watchdog Report Vol.24 No.72 September 29, 2024: EST:05.05.00 A free community education resource
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 72, September 29, 2024, Celebrating May 5th,2000: 24 -years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald news & editorial 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
>>> Tough times if you can support thank you to my supporters who did: 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.
BREAKING NEWS
>>> Jackson Health System (JHS) noon Tuesday kicks off “culture & safety,” survey, last one done in 2022 reduced “harm incidents by 35%,” said CEO Migoya, too the public health trust board, passes 2025 $3. 471.billion budget and capital budget for 2026 to, 2034, jumps to $2.7 billion in future state fiscal documents.
Jackson Health System Tuesday kicked off a survey of “culture &safety” and involves a wide array of questions that are confidential and employees are encouraged to speak up. The last such survey in 2022 “reduced harm events by 35 percent, said CEO Carlos Migoya at Tuesday’s Public Health Trust meeting
>>> Charter School administrators being paid $600,000. in Newark, N.J. voting in Coral Gables violating state law requiring public money funding only going to state residents and under investigation for the Maria L. Varisco Rogers Charter School in Newark. The husband Jose is a family law attorney with an office on LeJeune Rd. Charter schools in Miami-Dade in the past have gotten $140 million in district funding so over sight is important. The law offices were closed when being notified about this from a New Jersey resident. I know and there may be an explanation but for more go to:https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/married-nj-school-leaders-making-nearly-600k-actually-live-in-florida/ar-AA1rjL8z
A couple living in coral Gables is being investigated for running a charter school in Newark N.J. but not living in the state as required by state law and the school administrators a couple are being paid $600,000. In their school capacity but are registered to vote in Coral Gables, and are being investigated as reported in www.N.J.advancedmedia Charter Schools get their funding from public revenues and abuses have been reported in the past. However, living and voting in the Gables is a real stretch.
>>> 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.
>>> What happens when a disgraced county judge Martin Zilber resigns after a shocking controversy, Diaz de la Portilla appoints him to the Miami code enforcement board, a board that mitigates $100,000 in fines down to $35,000 sometimes.
He was appointed to the city’s code enforcement board by arrested commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, pleading innocent, and Zilber at the meeting recently continues mentioning multiple times to “hurry up” the proceedings “because he had to leave.”
The man thinks I hate him.
No, he is a disappointment since being put on the Public Health Trust board where he told the nominating council he “had plenty of time” and signed a notarized application form that said he would resign from any county boards, but never did being on the Cultural Affairs committee (And Dir. Michael Spring never enforced it for the board, but at PHT he was always late and dressed informally. I referred to him as a Citizen Lite in the past given his performance.
He got protection from county commissioner Sally Heyman who had a street named after his father by the county.
She did chastise Zilber for his performance years ago and he ignored it. Code enforcement is an important board that can be manipulated through fine mitigation sometimes over $100,000. Fines by the board. He also used a recommendation from former. Jeb Bush to get on the PHT high profile trust, Bush would have been embarrassed by Zilber’s performance.
Zilber was forced to resign from the bench to end the matter and pay a $30,000 fine for using staff for personal choirs picking up tickets etc. He later tried to run for commission District 2 and came in fourth, and he is a contrast to new member Brenda Betancourt a diligent member of the community and also speaks at county meetings and was appointed by commissioner Manolo Reyes.
What about the new Miami inspector general?
Miami commissioners are demanding all investigations be a “sworn complaint,” by the IG too reduce frivolous complaints and ultimately the IG at the county can initiate investigations own their own and the system and inspector at the county has worked well.
The voters overwhelmingly voted for the IG., but given Miami’s history with creating voter IG legislation but many are skeptical how they will create this new oversight office.
>>> What about the county property appraiser race that Tomas Regaldo is running on Nov.5 election?
The PA post, is usually ministerial in nature, will under his guidance become political and he already is calling for the state Homestead Exemption to be increased from $25,000 decades ago to $50,000. However, the former mayor of Miami has never been an administrator or detail person and his claim to becoming mayor was his opposition to the Marlins stadium deal a $6.2 billion financing boondoggle. He has also hired friends and will his family members. If the past is a clue.
He has raised $146,000 for his campaign but has two bounced checks expenses and his daughter Raquel contributed $250.
>>> A Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Rita Maria Baez won her race for the group 31 seat, dozens of law firms $1,000, contributions on the 11th judicial circuit race.
However, in reviewing her $285,680 campaign report, it was peppered with $1,000 contributions from mostly law firms and a few from friends but the law firms dominated the money and raises an ethics question though there are oversite with judges but having so many firms seems odd?
>>> Will Miami billionaires help keep good government oversight by supporting media of all kinds with $20 billion in public tax dollars in play?
With early voting ending the money is rolling in for the candidates and people sometimes billionaires should consider helping the community by having a vibrant diverse media and the blogs and I say this having spent some $365,000 of my own money and why I have worked so hard to try to keep the community informed and these billionaires have cut a wide swath in medical and education endeavors but oversight of government is slowly passing regarding historical knowledge and the thousands of financial disclosure forms I have. I write this since these very successful people are also making political donations to some local races including $500.000 to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, from philanthropist Ken Griffin, and people who financially can should consider stepping up to the local level for there is almost $20 billion in public government funded by your tax dollars.
The city is asking Miami voters re voting to dissolve the “independent auditors office,” and replace it with a new inspector general office with subpoena power and this is a welcome change for the auditor’s office was not independent and former commissioner Marc Sarnoff was critical of then auditor Victor Igwe, (who after critical remarks fainted under the withering criticism at a commission meeting and Sarnoff saying “he does that all the time,” and essentially disregard the man’s health. He who would later sue the city for his termination and win so an independent I.G. would be great but it is unknown when the office is legislatively created that will be preserved after the auditor’s position was created back in 2003, years after voters had approved the office and who approves the office budget commissioners or manager tough issue to resolve maybe outside entity.
>>> History Miami needs to archive the digital data from all the investigative blogs including the WDR for residents will not have access to the past and for reporters’ citizens need to go to the lower-level public meetings and see the lobbyists there.>>For Miami is like a giant tapestry getting additions constantly. The public schools audit committee is a key one as well as Miami’s finance committee etc. In my case I did this like a job that I self- financed, which at my age was a disaster since not living this long but someone had to do it back in 2000. Here’s more on early year’s national story: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>> History Miami needs to archive the digital data from all the investigative blogs including the WDR for residents will not have access to the past and for reporters’ citizens need to go to the lower-level public meetings and see the lobbyists there.>>For Miami is like a giant tapestry getting additions constantly. The public schools audit committee is a key one as well as Miami’s finance committee etc. In my case I did this like a job that I self- financed, which at my age was a disaster since not living this long but someone had to do it back in 2000. Here’s more on early year’s national story: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
But also have to move after ten years with a benevolent hand lord who kept rent same, but taxes pushed him over and is selling the property and I am looking for an efficiency, and also selling Chinese Art from feudal age to 1977 after artists were over the cultural revolution. The Miami Commissioners are all millionaires from small to large and most are in property value increase except Joe Carollo with a million negative net worth disclosure forms show
>>> The Watchdog Report celebrated its 24th anniversary, May 5, 2024, and much has changed since then when I saw our public institutions employees treating residents like only a nuisance and “working there was a right, not a privilege,” and savings could be seen, but ignored especially at MIA where director Gary De Lappa, kept saying regarding overruns “it’s not county money,” only challenged by Raul Martinez, “ who said “its someone’s money,” and you better find out whose,” the Hialeah mayor suggested. And why no low-cost carriers are at MIA because landing fees are so high.
>>> Inflation impact impacting healthcare not just JHS, & after Steward Medical declares bankruptcy with $9 billion debt and going higher, many owners’ equity firm over the years. Update: Company looking for buyers, for profit system.
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.
>>> Heat wave pushing homeless numbers up brutal for people on street shelter and housing being strained too max.
The massive heat wave is causing a massive need for homeless people and shelters and housing are full, I texted the long-time chair Ron Book recently. I know personally what the heat does after two-years without air conditioning in my car back in 2008 and 2009. And I would be soaked and to be on the streets in this heat is tragic and the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust has its hands full dealing with this surge.
Lotus House Village 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.
>>> Community periodicals running campaign stories on candidates receive roughly $1 million in county funding in periodical contributions found 18 periodicals got funding and six could not be found wrote the IG back in 2000 following an audit of the program that can be helpful to candidates in a host of languages.
>>> With major local elections, People can’t believe seeing lobbyists vacationing in Greece with senior county officers including Jimmy Morales, the county’s chief operational officer with over a $10 billion budget, and 28,000 employees what do they think?
The WDR has objected to this practice, and I see it locally. What are other employees going to think when they see these lobbyist contacts on Facebook? Morales is very well paid over $300,000, and it also applies to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava after a trip to Japan for the county meeting up with her campaign’s operative and fund raiser had her meeting up with her in the country, I lived in 1977 and worked there commuting every two weeks from Miami for 10years, because it was cheaper than living there at the time.
>>> The Miami-Dade County Biscayne Bay Watershed Management Advisory Board met and boating chaos and closing of spoil islands many controlled by cities was the discussion of the day. Interim chair Vince Lago, mayor of Coral Gables noted when he dives in the bay now, there are very few sponges that historically were plentiful in the past.
Further, Alex Fernandez a Miami Beach commissioner noted there was a need for “more county money for Florida Wildlife commission patrols, “and said the city has committed $1 million, for Monument Island, and it’s a free for all, he suggested.” The issue of trash and overall pollution of the bay caused Miami to close their spoiled islands over Memorial Day, a solemn day because of trash and rowdy impacts. Ironically, there is grant money but the “cities are not applying for the grants,” said Spencer Crawley of the Florida Inland Water District commission. The issue of fines and more enforcement and park rangers or service aides to patrol were necessary after recent tragic deaths on the water should be considered.
Community Event the Miami Warehouse has a new exhibit open to the public and for more go to: https://thewarehousemia.com/
This is why MIA has such a high landing fee and that attitude is surfacing at the Central Terminal RFP, where a member of the selection committee did not read the proposal because it was too long.
>>> With the upcoming election on everyone’s lips and many noting the recount of 2000 in Miami That I attended including the first recount in the glass room on the election department’s floor, along with Republican Sue Cobb and a Democrat Joe Geller, both glued to their phones.
The election night earlier I was on WLRN’s Topical Currents, with host Joe Cooper, Robert Steinbeck, Tony Doris, and independent candidate John Anderson. And at the time predictions where Gore had won Florida, but I disagreed saying it was too soon, and I was criticized because super computers were projecting Gore in the polls, and they teased me while getting phone calls from Palm Beach County asking about “butterfly ballots,” up there. They would later say “good call” and to many the candidates were two Ivy League white guys with a trust fund, and passion would only erupt later. Days later the election outcome really heated up and hanging chads left people wanting to know how this could happen.
At the county level elections were the stepchild of government (where reluctantly they had to hold them) but keep funding to a minimum i.e… would you maintain the machines or spend money on vaccinating the children of Miami.
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 read and I still have some since I was giving them out to leaders, including Katherine Harris, and later too Tom Fiedler in county commission chambers for the Miami circle debate that is still festering and not open to the public.
Financial support critical now if you can help. 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.
The United Way of Miami celebrated its one hundred anniversaries, 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.
>>> 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
>>> 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.
>>> 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.
>>> 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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EDITORIAL
>>> Anniversary of life saving procedure when I was septic at South Miami Hospital, 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.
SPONSERS:
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.
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
Sponsors
***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000
Mr. ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S
HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr (The first contributor to the WDR)
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .
THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2007)
ARTHUR HERTZ, deceased one of the first supporters
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
>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 to $5,000 a year
BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com
BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com
JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST
BERCOW RADELL FERNANDEZ & LARKIN & Tapanes 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.
Rbb www.rbbcommmunications.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/
>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
To contribute to the WDR send and make it payable to Daniel A. Ricker
Daniel A. Ricker
3109 Grand Ave.#125
Miami, Fla.33133