Watchdog Report Vol.6 No.5 July 12, 2015 EST 05.05.00 I go when you cannot – Celebrating 16 Years

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Center www.knightfoundation.org to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.

>>>> The Watchdog Report publisher needs fiscal help and new Supporters and I have for now 16 years, reported back how your billions of public dollars in government are being spent on a weekly basis. And how to do that is at the end of the WDR. Thank You.

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher was on Topical Currents WLRN 91.3 FM at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday and readers should listen in as we discuss the hot topics in the community today. And to listen to the show go to: http://wlrn.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/watchdog-report-publisher-dan-ricker-june-2015-edition

And to watch an Investigational Story done by Tony Pipitone a featured investigative reporter with NBC 6.com on waste at Miami-Dade County go to http://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/Sloppy-Oversight-Missed-Deadlines-Plague-208-Million-Miami-Dade-County-Contract-309888921.html

>>> And to my Supporters and Sponsors I thank you for your confidence over the past 16 Years.

ARGUS REPORT: Heard and Seen on the streets

>>> Bogus federal arrest warrants and Jury duty scam emerging new scams in South Florida

With the local U.S. Attorney Wilfredo Ferrer calling South Florida the “graduate school,” of “fraud,” years ago a number of new scams are emerging and many times these scams are “exported,” to other state’s around the nation and other U.S. Attorney’s around the nation contact the Miami office when they bust people from Miami who pop up in these unsuspecting communities. These two scams were popular back in 2014 but scammers are a persistent lot and each of us must stay aware of these threats. And to read the press releases on these go to the following links. A new scam is emerging in South Florida and it is a federal jury scam that asks for personnel information and to read about it go to http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/14-07-31-Press-Release-Fraud-Involving-Jury-Duty-eJuror.pdf And another is an arrest warrant scam that is gaining popularity and for more go to: http://www.uscourts.gov/news/2014/06/02/warning-arrest-warrant-scam

>>> Ros-Lehtinen Comments After Chapo Guzman Escapes from Mexican Prison

Press release: Today, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, made the following statement regarding the escape of Mexican drug lord Chapo Guzman from a maximum security prison in Mexico. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“This is yet another example of how intimidated the Mexican authorities are of gangs, thugs and cartels who seek to totally take over every aspect of law enforcement. It is not possible for this high level drug lord to have escaped twice from jail without having had help from Mexican authorities. It is time for the U.S. to reexamine our coordination with our so called allies until they can demonstrate that they can tell the difference between the good and bad guys.”

>>> Could a Cuban Consulate open in Little Havana? Cuban government owns property in area says Miami Mayor Regalado

With the opening of relations with Cuba and a new Embassy possible opening in Washington D.C. in the future, will Little Havana be the location for a new Cuban Consulate? Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado a while ago said that was a possibility. Since the country owned some land in the historic neighborhood that is Cuban Exile Central he said recently, to the Watchdog Report.

What about GOP candidate Trump?

While the GOP shudders presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to draw headlines and the self-promotion developer and television personality has dominated the airwaves this past week and the man with a controversial coif says his sharp criticism of immigrants from Mexico was directed toward the Mexican government and not the people and he predicts in the GOP primary he will “win the Hispanic vote,” because he will be talking about “jobs.” The developer also took shots at other Republican Candidates including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for his stance on immigration calling him “terrible.” And GOP party officials are asking him to tone down some of the rhetoric, but he is drawing the largest crowds in the border states of any of the Republican candidates in the pack of candidates running to win the Party’s nod but the convention and primaries are a long way off and much can happen in this evolving field of candidates trying to court Hispanic voters, who proved so valuable to President Barack Obama in his 2012 reelection that had Miami-Dade in his win column.

State of Florida

>>> Florida Supremes throw wrench into 27 congressional Districts, eight GOP races in particular,

The Florida Supreme Court last week threw out the congressional redistricting districts drawn up by the Republican controlled Florida Legislature for the state’s congressional districts and some of these have to be redrawn based on the Fair Districts Amendment passed by voters back in 2010 after it  garnered 64 percent of the statewide vote back then, but  the new maps were challenged in the Court’s by the Florida League of Women Voters and while pundits predict it could give Democratic Party candidates (And both parties have gerrymandered Districts over the years) an edge that is unknown until the new draft Districts are created and approved by the Florida Legislature and Court. And the Court is giving Florida lawmakers 100 days to redraw eight Districts of the state’s 27 Congressional Districts and also must approve them with elections only 16 months away. Congressional Districts affected locally are the ones held by U.S Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, Mario Diaz Balart, R-Miami and Carlos Curbello, R- Miami, and Fredericka Wilson, D- Miami and while Democrats believe they might be able to pick up some seats in Congress. In Florida voter Turnout is key to any party’s victory. For more go to http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article27007141.html

On the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Jr., Chair the Children’s Movement. >>> Update: Two encouraging meetings… The first, a visit from the Governor to the Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care center in Little Havana where he discussed his early learning priorities. That includes his support for “Help Me Grow,” a statewide parent resource system where parents would be able — via phone and online — to get and she thought answers to questions about their child’s development and connected with the proper resources. The second, a meeting with future House Speaker, Rep. Jose Oliva from Hialeah. He’s a father of three, a real reader of history and student of policy, and committed to better understanding early learning. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

Miami-Dade County

>>> With a whopping $6.8 billion M-DC budget and 9 percent property tax growth, will elected leaders and municipalities spend or put some in Rainey day funds, level of property growth values cannot be sustained

The $6.8billion budget presented by County Mayor Carlos Gimenez last week includes $1.7 billion in discretionary revenue and with property values rising 9 percent. Happy Days are back at local governments but Miami-Dade County will only have some $48 million in reserves, but Gimenez is shooting for $100 million by 2020 and that number fell after countywide real estate values tanked in 2008 through 2011 and pushed government into austerity programs especially at Miami-Dade where significant reductions were made by Gimenez but critics say the cuts were not strategic and the Gimenez administration is now making up for these past cuts says the mayor’s only challenger school board Member Raquel Regalado in a rebuttal to the new 2015-1016 budget submitted by the mayor. And to read the proposed budget go to http://www.miamidade.gov/budget/fy15-16-proposed.asp and for more go tohttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/communimenezity/miami-dade/article26645788.html And the mayor faces reelection in November 2016 and only Regalado has thrown her hat  into the ring that could likely include County Commissioner Xavier Suarez who constantly snipes at the mayor from the dais, and some of his self-serving comments are getting old.

And here is County Commission Chair Jean Monestime’s response to the mayor’s proposed budget.

Press release:  “The Proposed Budget appears to respond to calls by the County Commission to improve the quality of various services to our residents. That’s a good start. While the operational budgets of many departments will increase, the overall strategic direction of county government remains uncertain. Ultimately, the county budget should be an expression of the shared vision of our commission.  I look forward to hearing from the public, consulting with our community based organizations in service delivery, and working with my colleagues to define a collective vision for the future of our county.”

Monestime

What about past years of property values running up to the crash?

And Gimenez has to also deal with the around 1,060 Special Taxing Districts that were incorrectly taxed for over a “decade”  and were providing lighting and other services to developments but the charges and costs were comingled said Gimenez when he “apologized” at a commission meeting for the mistake and he noted 834 of these district’s would have a flat rate but County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava wants the administration to give some relief for some of the Districts facing large increases in her Commission District in South Dade. However, commissioners have to realize that property tax increases cannot keep up with the 9 percent growth like back in 2006. When values jumped 23.1 percent in property tax values to $240 billion from $212 billion the year before and municipalities should also be cautious with any new money for there are still structural issues such as debt which Miami-Dade has in excess of 20 billion and municipalities are carrying a significant amount as well.

>>> Commissioner Moss wants “sit down with MDX board members because of “public relations nightmare,” commissioner’s face with general public because of toll hikes

County Commissioner Dennis Moss wants a “sit down,” with some of the board of the Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) to try to get a solution to the “public relations nightmare,” the authority has caused with the public given a rise in tolls on the expressways that crisscross through Miami-Dade but the commissioners get the calls from angry constiuents on not just the tolls but also the County’s transit system where people are tweeting Commissioner Estephan Bovo, Jr.,  the chair of the Commission’s Transit and Mobility Committee and has been the public face. He joked some of the complaints range “from people who think I am driving the bus,” to other complaints like people who leave “dentures” on the mass transit, and Bovo particularly dislikes hearing about encounters with “cockroaches,” “Which would freak me out,” and he said this is just another example of what riders face in the “maze” of the public transit system, he said at a commission committee last week. Bovo also said when it came to MDX the organization has become “such a toxic,” issue with South and West Dade residents he agreed with Moss’ suggestion that a public relations program should be considered since ultimately the finger will point to them and “Commissioners’” will get the “blame” with the public and the public needs to now it is not them, even though the commission appoints some of the MDX board members the commissioners echoed.

>>> Press release: Miami- MDX has announces the results of the 2015-2016 MDX Board of Director’s election. Rick Rodriguez Pina was elected as Treasurer of the board by acclamation. Rodriguez Pina has served as a MDX board member since January of 2013.

Founder and President of Rodriguez Pina & Associates. Rodriguez Pina was the manager of business expansion and retention at the Beacon Council in Miami-Dade County. Rodriguez Pina also served as the policy and program director for the Florida Department of Commerce and as a governmental liaison at the United Way of Dade County.

“Thank you for the opportunity and for your faith in me,” said Mr. Rodriguez Pina. “I appreciate this opportunity to continue to serve as treasurer of this good board.

Also during the board of directors’ election, Louis Martinez was elected as chair, and Shelly Smith Fano was elected as vice chair. The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority’s Board of Directors brings a broad cross-section of transportation, business and professional expertise, as well as civic, environmental, county and state interest and commitment. Of the 13 members, 12 are volunteers, non-paid local business and civic leaders. The 13th member is the Florida Department of transportation District Six Secretary, who serves as an ex-officio MDX board member. Florida’s Governor appoints five members and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners appoints the remaining seven Members.

About MDX

MDX operates and maintains five user-supported expressways in Miami-Dade County – SR 112/Airport Expressway, SR 836/Dolphin Expressway, SR 874/Don Shula Expressway, SR 878/Snapper Creek Expressway, and SR 924/Gratigny Parkway. MDX expressways are funded by toll revenue, which is reinvested back into the community and funds the construction of projects that alleviate traffic congestion, create thousands of local jobs and provide new opportunities to small and local businesses. The agency also gives back a portion of its annual revenue to drivers through the MDX Advantage cash back program. Miami-Dade Expressway Authority is a public entity subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes concerning public records. E-mail messages and addresses created in connection with the Authority’s official business are public records and are subject to disclosure. If you no longer wish to receive messages! From MDX, please unsubscribe and let us know.

>>> Commission will get reports on what was accomplished on trade junkets, leaders “work like heck,” says Commissioner Moss

Moss also brought up the need to get a report on what is accomplished on International Trade shows like the recent Paris Air Show trip by Mayor Carlos Gimenez because Commissioners’ work “Like heck,” on the missions and he thought it was unfair when the media jumped on the trips and what was accomplished and Commissioner Xavier Suarez went after new  ITC director Manny Gonzalez when he could not come up with a name of one person, he had met  on the Paris trip with except for “Sylvia,” but he had no last name and Suarez was not impressed with the staffer. Commissioner Rebeca Sosa noted the Miami Herald in past stories suggested “there were no results,” from the trip she said at the Tourism committee meeting. And we need the reports so we can tell the “story” of what was accomplished she said. Moss who took his first trip to the Paris Air Show back when he was first elected in 1992. He said it was his idea to bring such an event to Miami and that was where the idea of the Air show was first brought up, he said at a committee meeting last week. He also noted people in other countries want to meet the elected leaders and if we don’t go other leaders, from competitive areas will met with them, he believes when discussing the trips.

Bovo

Moss

Suarez

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article27039589.html

>>> MPO gets a shake-up

And the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) a county regional transportation planning organization is hiring a new director and the usually staid organization is getting a major shakeup as transit issues percolates into the spotlight with the public and a more aggressive attitude to get transit done is taking center stage at county hall.

Where did all the PTP money go?

The half-cent sales tax for new County transit projects,(passed by voters in 2002) but later “unified” to supplant the County’s General Fund by the County Commission has largely gone to servicing existing mass transit including $400 million for new Metro Rail cars and another $75 million for the new downtown People Mover cars that needed to be replaced said Charles Scurr, the executive director of the Citizens Independent Trust (where the executive  director makes $200,000) that is supposed to watch over how this new public money is spent but also falls under the thumb of the County Commission.) Further, the new Metro Rail Orange Line to MIA received $500 million of the roughly $220 million in monthly sales tax proceeds going to transit projects and ageing infrastructure and the tax proceeds for new mass transit is not keeping up partially because around “80 percent” is picked up by local government and not the 50 percent of the cost thought to come from federal funding.

What about outside employment?

Commissioner Juan Zapata at a committee meeting asked what the County policy was for outside employment and how many county employees had outside employment. Zapata asked. Staff said some 1,000 employees file the required outside income forms to the Miami-Dade Elections Department. Zapata said he was concerned about the “distraction” of an outside job and if you own a business there are “emergencies,” he considered. Zapata noted the commissioner’s job was part time and they needed outside income and his concern was tax payers are not getting their money worth since the County pays “fair wages and salaries,’ he considered and working for the county “ was a privilege,” he said.

However, joe Centorino the Executive Director of the Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust Commission noted the commission does review some cases, but only after first the employee gets approval from his department director but the former state prosecutor said “there is a disconnect,” and it is “unknown” how many employees might have outside employment but just don’t notify the administration.

Centorino said there is “no countywide standard,” for how outside employment is treated and he believes there should be a “uniform standard. “Zapata gave one example saying he had a “meeting with a Chinese Delegation,” and he was “given two cards.” One was for a local real estate company and the other was the “card of a county employee,” and the lawmaker did not know what the man’s relationship was with the delegation.

Centorino

Zapata also later said in the week that County Libraries should be located near “public schools” and the County should think “strategically,” about how these things can complement each other he suggested.

County food service at food court going to Juvenile Court House?

What about the new contract for food services won by JM Foods at the new Children’s Juvenile Justice Courthouse and what did Commissioner Juan C. Zapata say about it? When he learned only “seven firms” bid on the food court at the Stephen P. Clark government Center and the contract is with the same company that runs the Food Court in the government Center. The commissioner was not “impressed” with the food there and he wondered why so few companies submitted bids and he just wanted to maximize the revenue the county would get since it “is a captive audience,” of people working in the building having to eat he suggested.

>>> GMCVB press release: During the months of January – May 2015, domestic passenger arrivals into Miami International Airport (MIA) increased by 6.7% compared to 2014. International passenger arrivals increased by 4.7% while total passenger arrivals increased 5.7% compared to the same time last year.

Record MIA Passenger Arrivals
Domestic Arrivals
January – May 2015	January – May 2014	% Change vs. 2014
4,764,454	4,464,373	+6.7%
International Arrivals
January – May 2015	January – May 2014	% Change vs. 2014
4,446,428	4,247,259	+4.7%
Total Arrivals
January – May 2015	January – May 2014	% Change vs. 2014
9,210,882	8,711,632	+5.7%

Miami-Dade County Public Schools:

Monday kicks off 355,900 students going to public schools, causes traffic congestion to double

>>> The nation’s fourth largest public schools System is opening this Monday and 355,900 students will be going to one of the almost 400 public schools around Dade County and the opening of schools impacts traffic by almost double when it comes to getting around the County.

And while the District has a $2.9 billion budget, the District’s debt load is not for the Faint of heart,” said Dr. Richard Hines the District CFO and has done an amazing job saving the district money by refinancing and his replacement will be filling some large shoes http://financialaffairs.dadeschools.net/ES15-16/ES15_16.pdf

>>> Press release: M-DCPS’ 2015-2016 ‘BACK-TO-SCHOOL TOOL KIT’ NOW ONLINE

Miami-Dade County Public Schools will open its doors on Monday, August 24, 2015, to approximately 355,900 students to begin the 2015-2016 school year.

In order to help parents and students have a smooth transition back to school, a tool kit has been created with information regarding registration, vaccination requirements, school hours, important dates, and school safety. The kit is available online at www.dadeschools.net in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Students can benefit from the tool kit’s information about various Choice schools and diploma options, and parents may use it to find out about important dates; the school district’s free app for phone or mobile device; free lunch service; and policies regarding their child’s education.

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> Oversight boards at health trust working properly watching over $1 billion budget and $830 million in new Bond money

The public has an opportunity to see how the Jackson Health System is managed and the seven member Public Health Trust board and the $1 billion plus medical facility delivers Miracles Every day to the public regardless of their ability to pay and JHS gets only some $350 million of public funding but yet gives over $500 million in charity and uncompensated care, and this level of charity care is also spread out among other hospitals in South Florida and JHS management under CEO Carlos Migoya has done a remarkable job keeping the health trust in the black over the three years he has been CEO and with county residents approving a $830 million bond the administration is charting a new course and there is an oversight board created to watch over the new bond money and below is one of the bond committee meeting announcements.

>>> Press release: JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The date/time/location of the JHS GOB Citizens Advisory Committee meeting previously scheduled for Friday, July 17, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. in the West Wing Board Room at Jackson Memorial Hospital has been changed.  The JHS GOB Citizens Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. in the West Wing Conference Room 126B located at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

>>> Press release: RESCHEDULED PHT BOARD OF TRUSTEES ONE-DAY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The PHT Board of Trustees One Day Committee Meetings previously scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 9:00 a. m. has been rescheduled.  The PHT Board of Trustees One-Day Committee Meetings will be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 (same day as the PHT Board of Trustees televised meeting) in the West Wing Board Room from 9:00 a.m. until adjournment.

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Sarnoff carps for six months County administrator has not dealt with transit interlocal agreement, wants new transit Dir. Bravo to help with issue

Commissioner Marc Sarnoff railed at a commission meeting Thursday that a interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade County has been sitting on administrators desk for some “six months,” and he asked the potential new transit department Director Alice Bravo to resolve this issue when she takes the post, that is frustrating the use of traffic calming devices in Miami such as traffic circles and now take forever to approve if the city wants to do it after residents’ complaints.

Sarnoff who is termed out is promoting his wife Teresa at City of Miami press events and there was a photo of her in The Miami Herald front and center of the photo and she is also getting free air time when the City of Miami runs tapes of City events, especially at St. Albans Child Enrichment Center in the West Grove and the city’s television station should consider letting the other eight District 2 candidates have some airtime to state their platforms as well. The commissioner’s wife has raised some $300,000 for her campaign war chest and she will likely do an air war campaign since candidates cannot get into the critical Brickell condominiums to talk to voters as one Congresswomen found out a few years ago, and the block of Brickell voters is considerable in Miami Commission District 2, that snakes along the Miami coast and has the largest property tax base of any city commission district, hence the large amount of campaign contributions from developers who also want to curry favor with the commission.

>>> After decades Wagner Creek & the Seybold Canal will get $23 million cleanup of toxic mix said to be health hazard.

The Miami Commission on Thursday voted to approve and to use $ 22.4 million from a zero percent state loan fund to finally clean up the two water bodies heavily polluted with dioxins and a variety of viruses and was not done when the Miami River was dredged. Since money was tight just to get the dredging done and completed on time and now deceased Miami Commissioner Arthur Teele was a major advocate to clean the Creek and canal and in 2003 he held a public meeting at the old Holiday Inn site in the Hospital District and since demolished. And the bond will be paid off by using revenue from storm water fees, which are not currently encumbered. And The Miami River Commission played a key role in getting the River dredged along with law makers and a local congresswomen was key in getting the first federal money for the dredge.

What about the new Visitor Center next to Krome that will open July 20^th

The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is opening up a new Visitor’s Center on Grand Ave in Coconut Grove and it will help draw visitors to the developing area at Douglas and Grand Ave and the Bureau will man and stock the facility welcoming visitors to the Grove. And County Commissioner Xavier Suarez said the corner “location is going to be very important in the years ahead,” he said at a County Committee meeting discussing the new Center and its opening.

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff

Commissioner Marc Sarnoff railed at a commission meeting Thursday that a interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade County is sitting on administrators desk for some “six months,” and he asked the new transit department Director Alice Bravo to resolve this issue that is frustrating the use of traffic calming devices such as traffic circles and take forever to approve if the city wants to do it after residents’ complaints.

When it came to a request to remove the language in Miami 21 for a “media Tower,” District 2 commission candidate Ken Russell said the city was placed in a “real pickle, with this one [and] what happens to the developer if you pull the plug, what he is left to do but sue the city,” the candidate said. If commissioners torpedoed plans for such a Tower that includes two acres of LED lights on a building and would help commercialize the structure that is some 633 feet high and is raising howls in the local community believing it is too much and the designation should be removed from the Miami 21 zoning legislation. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article19292724.html

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Local Municipal mayors protest lack of beach nourishment funding, Mayor Gimenez says $10 million for activity

Beach nourishment and a subsequent PR push has Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez looking for ways to jump start funding for the critical tourist amenity, clean well maintained beaches and the Beach is suffering says Beach Mayor Philip Levine. However Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez fired back saying he wished the mayor had talked to him before a press conference, last week, because there is some $10 million in a fund http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article26903749.html that could be used for the activity. He said on Helen Ferre’s show Issues over the weekend and to see the show go tohttp://video.wpbt2.org/program/wpbt-issues/ . Further, Levine known for his impatience of how long it takes government transportation projects has helped shake up a County planning organization MPO that is moving faster than ever before after the large board was critical of the lack of traffic congestion relief around Miami-Dade and at a County with little relief in sight and is coinciding with working closer with the Miami Expressway Authority (MDX) where an increase in tolls has caused a firestorm with the public and commuters. Levine up for reelection this year is finding peace on the dais more difficult to maintain then in the past and a controversy erupted concerning a political action committee and where the donations came from and for more go to: tohttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article27011503.html And with elections in November the jockeying on the dais is likely to continue and could make the next months of meetings a diplomatic challenge for the media mogul where both Ed Tobin and Jonah Wolfson are both termed out on the dais and periodically verbally spare.

>>>Press release:  Miami Beach city commissioner Deedee Weithorn will be the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club speaker, 8:30 a.m. July 14, Abuela’s Cuban Kitchen, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach.

Weithorn

City of Hialeah

>>> Ethics Commission finds mayor violated Citizens’ Bill of Rights

Commission press release: The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust (COE) today determined, by unanimous vote following a public hearing, that Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez twice made false statements to the public about interest income he earned from a private loan and, in doing so, violated the Citizens’ Bill of Rights “Truth in Government” provision as alleged in a complaint (C 14-36) filed by the Commission Advocate. Mayor Hernandez was fined $3,000 for two counts of violating County ethics rules and assessed another $1,000 for investigative costs. The amount of the fines was doubled as a result of a finding by the commission that Mayor Hernandez knowingly violated the rules. The Commission further authorized that a Letter of Reprimand be issued against Hernandez, who did not attend the hearing this afternoon.

During the hearing, Commission Advocate Michael Murawski presented evidence that in October 2011, the then-interim mayor said one thing at press conferences in English and Spanish, but made contrary statements while testifying under oath during the federal tax evasion trial of former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina early last year. At the 2011 press briefings, held during the mayoral campaign, Hernandez repeatedly disputed reports he failed to disclose tens of thousands of dollars in interest income on his Source of Income Statements for 2007, 2008, and 2009 when he was a Hialeah Councilman. Instead, he contended the monthly payments from Hialeah jeweler Luis Felipe Perez represented the return of his principal investment and not interest payments on loans.  However, under oath during the Robaina trial in April 2014, Mayor Hernandez testified that he did receive monthly interest payments totaling approximately $100,000 over the three-year period, contradicting his previous public statements denying any reportable income. “He was really insulting the intelligence of the public,” Murawski said during closing remarks about the mayor’s claim he expected to receive no up-front interest on his loans to Perez.

Among the witnesses presented to the Commission was Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Gregorie, the prosecutor in the Robaina tax evasion case. Also testifying as a witness was Perez, since convicted on federal fraud and conspiracy charges, who told commissioners that he and the Respondent were friends when now-Mayor Hernandez wrote him checks totaling $180,000 as loans to his businesses. Lead investigator Larry Lebowitz also testified about the authentication of video evidence from the mayor’s statements at the press conference. Following the presentation of the evidence, Ethics Commission Chairman Nelson Bellido noted that although Mayor Hernandez chose not appear before the Commission to present a defense, he received “a very fair hearing.”

>>> Press release: During its regular monthly meeting this morning, the COE found No Probable Cause to uphold a complaint (C 15-15) filed against current and former administrators with Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) accused by a Metro mover technician of preventing him from receiving time cards and other documents he sought in a public records request. The employee, Lorenzo Jones, sought the records in connection with a union grievance in which he alleged his supervisors were denying him the opportunity to earn overtime pay. The investigation did not find any violations of the Citizens’ Bill of Rights, but did find the Transit agency did not follow state guidelines by taking 113 days to respond to the January 2015 records request and by seeking more than $5,900 in reproduction costs – an amount COE Staff Attorney Martha Perez described as “exorbitant.”  The commission asked for a revised Letter of Instruction to Cathy Lewis, Chief of the agency’s Office of Civil Rights and Labor Relations, and conspiracy charges, who told commissioners that he and the Respondent were friends when now-Mayor Hernandez wrote him checks totaling $180,000 as loans to his businesses. Lead investigator Larry Lebowitz also testified about the authentication of video evidence from the mayor’s statements at the press conference. Following the presentation of the evidence, Ethics Commission Chairman Nelson Bellido noted that although Mayor Hernandez chose not appear before the Commission to present a defense, he received “a very fair hearing.”

>>> During its regular monthly meeting this morning, the COE found No Probable Cause to uphold a complaint (C 15-15) filed against current and former administrators with Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) accused by a Metromover technician of preventing him from receiving time cards and other documents he sought in a public records request. The employee, Lorenzo Jones, sought the records in connection with a union grievance in which he alleged his supervisors were denying him the opportunity to earn overtime pay. The investigation did not find any violations of the Citizens’ Bill of Rights, but did find the Transit agency did not follow state guidelines by taking 113 days to respond to the January 2015 records request and by seeking more than $5,900 in reproduction costs – an amount COE Staff Attorney Martha Perez described as “exorbitant.”  The commission asked for a revised Letter of Instruction to Cathy Lewis, Chief of the agency’s Office of Civil Rights and Labor Relations, and Jose “J.C.” Carbonell, Acting Supervisor of Metromover Maintenance, requiring that they undergo training for state public records law and the county’s Citizens’ Bill of Rights, which contains a provision allowing for the inspection of public records. The commission further requested MDT be required to report back to COE any follow-up actions taken in response to the complaint and Mr. Jones’ public records request.

>>> In an unrelated action, COE dismissed for lack of legal sufficiency complaints (C 15-19 and C 15-20) filed by three Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) employees against the department’s chief of infrastructure and an electronics technician – both of whom serve as union stewards. The commission found the complaints involved personnel and labor matters outside the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission, and thereby found them to be Not Legally Sufficient.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Miami-Dade Public Library System presents Create Your Own Video Games

The Miami-Dade Public Library System presents Coding for Video Gaming on Tuesday, July 14 at 5 p.m. at the Concord Library Branch located at 3882 SW 112 Avenue; Tuesday, July 28 at 4 p.m. at the South Miami Branch located at 6000 Sunset Drive; and on Wednesday, July 22 at 5 p.m. at the Arcola Library Branch located at 8240 NW 7 Avenue.

This event is made possible by The Knight Foundation. Read the full release.

LOOKINGGLASS ALICE July 8 – August 16 Perfect for Date Night! Family Night! Girls Night Out! You-Name-It Night! Experience this modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland when your favorite Wonderland characters defy gravity in this circus-infused marvel for all ages! Journey down the rabbit hole and immerse yourself in Alice’s magical world when the Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House stage is transformed into an intimate 450-seat theater space. You will feel like you are in Wonderland with Alice – from every seat! Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $55 and $75. Don’t miss the exclusive VIP White Rabbit Experience: Walk through the looking glass and get an insider’s look at the magic of Lookingglass Alice! See first-hand how Wonderland comes to life with a special meet-and-greet with the cast, backstage tour, and digital photo with cast members, limited edition Lookingglass Alice merchandise and more! Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Ziff Ballet Opera House 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown Miami 305-949-6722 www.ArshtCenter.org

OPERA ARIA NIGHTS Tuesday & Wednesday, July 7 & 8 Singers from the Miami Summer Music Festival will bring their best operatic showpieces to the stage for two evenings of Opera Aria Night. It is the first event of the 2015 season for the Festival and is followed by a robust program that is sure to please all. Enjoy a concert featuring artists in a vast range of favorite opera arias. Free. Barry University Andy Gatto Gallery (Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.) 11300 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores The Betsy Hotel (Wednesday at 8 p.m.) 1440 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach www.MiamiSummerMusicFestival.com/All-Concerts-and-Events

Int’l Hispanic Theatre Festival Presented by Teatro Avante, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami-Dade County Auditorium and MDCulture, the International Hispanic Theatre Festival kicks off its 30th season in the company of distinguished theatre groups from Latin America, Spain and the United States. The three-week festival will present twelve productions from seven countries each weekend at various venues in Miami-Dade County from July 9 through 26.

FREE SUMMER STARRY NIGHTS Thursday, July 9 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday’s the day for Summer Starry Nights at NSU Art Museum | Fort Lauderdale through September 3! Beat the heat and enjoy special programming each week that complements the Museum’s exhibitions. See the screening at 6 p.m. of La Belle Vie: The Good Life, a story about Haitian-American filmmaker Rachelle Salnave’s (pictured) journey to discover her Haitian roots by examining the complexities of the Haitian society as it pertains to the overall political and economic dichotomy in Haiti. The film chronologically uncovers the rationale behind Haiti’s social class system and also how it has affected the Haitian-American migration experience as well. The Museum Café will offer two-for-one beer and wine specials and a light tapas menu. Enjoy From Within and Without: The History of Haitian Photography, providing the first comprehensive history of photography in Haiti and featuring more than 350 historic and contemporary images depicting Haiti’s culture and people. Admission is free from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Also on view this summer at the Museum are the exhibitions: War Horses: Helhesten and the Danish Avant-Garde During World War II; Julian Schnabel: Portrait of Olatz; Pablo Picasso: Painted Ceramics and Works on Paper, 1931-71; and Selections from the William J. Glackens Collection. NSU Art Museum | Fort Lauderdale One East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale 954-262-0204 (RSVP) MOAReservations@MOAFL.org

DANCE BAND NIGHT – SECOND THURSDAYS Thursday, July 9 at 7 p.m. The Rhythm Foundation will continue its new signature series – Dance Band Night, part concert, part dance lesson, and all Miami Beach! The 2nd Thursday of each month, the North Beach Bandshell will be converted into an impromptu ballroom under the stars. This free event is open to all for an evening of music and dance, harkening back to the golden age of the Bandshell in the ‘60’s and 70’s. This month’s program will showcase Contradance featuring “Cornbread” with dance lessons by the Hollywood Contradance Ensemble. Free and open to the public. North Beach Bandshell 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach 305-672-5202 www.NorthBeachBandshell.com

OPENING OF 30TH INTERNATIONAL HISPANIC THEATRE FESTIVAL Thursday – Sunday, July 9 – 12 The International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami will pay tribute to Brazil as it celebrates its 30th season in South Florida July 9 – 26. Presented by Teatro Avante, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami-Dade County Auditorium and MDCulture, the Festival will present works from distinguished theatre groups from Latin America, Spain and the U.S. at various venues in Miami-Dade County. The Festival will open with an Afro-Brazilian dance-theatre performance, a play written and performed by a person with Down syndrome and a zarzuela (Spanish musical) for children. With performances each weekend, twelve productions from seven countries will be offered in Spanish, English or Portuguese, some with English or Spanish supertitles. Peace Transcends opens the Festival with performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5. Choreographed by Vera Passos, Rosangela Silvestre, Shelby Williams Gonzalez and Luiz Badaró, four stunning works of Afro-Brazilian dance-theatre will be presented. An homage to Nancy de Souza e Silva (Dona Cici), wise elder of the Candomblé culture, it celebrates peace, ancestry, and the forces of nature and the power of women. Creative soundscapes and enticing forró dances captivate audiences with irrepressible physicality, power, passion, and exuberance. General admission tickets are $34; seniors, students and persons with disabilities $29. View complete list of Festival events. Adrienne Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater Ziff Ballet Opera House, 1300 Biscayne Boulevard Downtown Miami 305-949-6722 www.TeatroAvante.com

Editorials

U.S. gets wake-up call when it comes to Cyber Security with breach of 1.2 million federal files hacked

The hacking of 21 million federal employees personal information that cost the director her job should wake these hackers will be back and the nation must create a firewall to block these intrusions and is a wake-up notice for every American to the threat of cyberterrorism in today’s world and federal lawmakers should get to the bottom of the breach and insist some of the nation’s top computer specialists take on the task of protecting our nation’s secrets across all levels including weapon systems and as cyber experts suggest that can last for many months at a time where secrets are compromised and this cannot be the same old policy of just getting rid of the department head but a thoughtful full scale solution must be found and to give it the same priority as the Manhattan Project did in WW II for if our computers are not secure, there definitely cannot be security for all and the Obama Administration must direct the resources and talent necessary to end these type of intrusions by potentially enemies of the nation.

Letters

Animal advocates outraged at M-DC Animal Shelter

THESE ARE REAL PETS! These are the lives that die on the streets of Miami Dade County every day… Please read below and SHARE!!!

Ready for Change at Miami Dade Animal Services

These are real pets, found on the streets by volunteers and rescuers in Miami Dade County. The fortunate ones were caught and went to rescue. Many others perish … de from starvation or died in agony from being run over.
What say you, Ms. Kathleen Labrada? Mr. Muñoz? Mr. Gimenez?
In March 2014, you told Jacey, “For strays the doors are always open. We have no option in taking in strays,” said Labrada. “Based on that video, that’s a miscommunication. We were absolutely open for stray intake. In fact, we took in 66 animals on Saturday, so we were open. That is a miscommunication from staff regarding a stray animal.”
And yet your Enforcement Supervisor sent an email, in June 2015, with your knowledge, instructing the employees to “Due to the current number of animals at the shelter, enforcement will only be responding only to i/As, Police Assists, Animal Bites to Humans and Dog Tag Checks….”
So Labrada, did you stop picking up strays so they could DIE on the STREETS so your kill numbers will look better???
MDAS does not track the number of pets to whom they slam the door. We may only know about a few hundred cases, but there could be thousands more. Is this what you want your tax dollars to pay for? Is this $17 million worth of suffering OK with you?
…
News Story about MDAS turning away stray pets:
http://m.local10.com/…/video-shows-stray-dogs-shun…/25062212
Copy of the email:
https://www.facebook.com/TheHiddenTruthBehindTheBars/photos/a.402161836460585.103990.402132819796820/1012661455410617/?type=1&theater
SPEAK UP FOR THESE PETS IN NEED
July 14th at 9 am at the Government Center. Wear RED
https://www.facebook.com/events/467148380115294/
CONTACT THE MAYOR & COMMISSIONERS
http://www.miamidade.gov/commission/
https://www.facebook.com/MayorGimenez

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