Watchdog Report Vol.24 No. 78 November 10, 2024: EST: 05.05.00 – A free community education resource for 24 years, without the attitude
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 78, November 10, 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. I feel hypocritical when compared to the devastation and human misery after Hurricane Milton asking for help during these challenging times. Zero support help last three months, sorry to ask.
ARGUS REPORT: Heard & Seen on the STREETS
CORRECTION: The chair of the Public Health Board is Amadeo Lopez Castro, III. Further, the one cent food & beverage tax for the homeless trust was not on the ballot in Surfside. COMMUNITYEVENTS: https://www.margulieswarehouse.com/
>>> May we take time to salute our veterans Monday who allowed this election to take place on Veterans Day from centuries past, and may we all come together as a nation.
The nation is taking a long deep breath, after Tuesday’s historic election with the House still up in the air. The WDR has stayed out of this because of the deep divisions in America. A month ago, I started to feel the same way when Hillary Clinton ran.
But locally we already have GOP partisan action after county Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was stopped and unable to congratulate Republican sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz, at her victor party attended by a host of politicians, including Sally Heyman, who just bought a house in Tallahassee, most republican county commissioners and Katherine Fernandez Rundle were among the people surrounding the new sheriff at the podium accepting the win against the mayor’s candidate Jamie Reyes.
Further new Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia said she is keeping current supervisor Christina White, who ran a smooth election.
Also, Tomas Regalado,77, won his race as the proper appraiser as did his daughter Raquel Regalado a county commissioner of Dist. 7. And the former Miami mayor said the community “needs to understand this is an independent office,” he stated at his victor speech at the sheriff’s event.
The man will need to bring in expertise since a journalist by trade and has in the past brought in friends and supporters, including some with little authority or experience for the job and I am going to keep watch on him in this critical job that in the past had some tax examiners being friends with certain appealing attorneys and getting property taxes reduced.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>>> For the 13th year, Jackson Health System (JHS) has closed the year in the black, by $25.9 million. The administration and staff took cost savings efforts months ago as reported in past WDR. The public community hospital faced the headwinds of higher “market prices,” a “higher rate of uninsured,” said CEO Carlos Migoya on Wednesday at the trust’s televised board meeting. Further, 13,000 staff engaged in a team building exercise at Miami-Dade County College Kendall branch, and “showed an energy truly a team,” said a trustee. There was “positive great authentic discussion,” said Chair Amadeo Lopez Castro, III. Further,4 trustees are leaving the trust and legislation is being reviewed for possible action in the future said the chair at the end of the meeting.
>>> Former state Rep. Mike Abrams honored for help getting half-cent sales tax, approved by legislators and countywide voters in 1992 when hospital administrators agreed one really outstanding one was necessary, hence Ryder Trauma Center &UM.
Agenda not edited: RECOGNITION FOR MR. MIKE ABRAMS (Continued) Mr. Migoya explained that during a critical period when Miami-Dade County was facing the closure of trauma centers due to profitability issues, Jackson Health System remained the only hospital treating trauma patients. This led to the establishment of a separate trauma center, now known as the Ryder Trauma Center. To facilitate this initiative, Mr. Jay Weiss, a former member of the Public Health Trust Board of Trustees, approached Mr. Mike Abrams, who was then a Florida State Representative. Together, they developed a proposal for a half-penny sales tax to benefit Jackson Health System, while also maintaining a percentage of the ad valorem tax directly for Jackson. Mr. Abrams played a crucial role in passing the legislation that implemented the half-penny sales tax, which has provided ongoing support for Jackson ever since. In addition to his work on this initiative, Mr. Abrams has served on the University of Miami Board for many years. He continues to be a strong ambassador for Jackson, providing lobbying support for decades. To honor Mr. Abrams, a formal recognition event will take place in November. This recognition will include a plaque prominently displayed at the entrance of the Ryder Trauma Center Resuscitation Unit, ensuring that his decades of support for Jackson and the Ryder Trauma Center are acknowledged by medical staff, patients, and visitors. Amadeo Lopez-Castro, Chairman, expressed his appreciation for Mr. Abrams’ continuous support of Jackson Health System and the State of Florida. Laurie Weiss Nuell congratulated Mr. Abrams on his many years of public service and his significant impact on the community. She also expressed her personal gratitude for his mentorship and guidance, highlighting his commitment to being a role model in the community. Senator Calatayud thanked Mr. Abrams for his leadership at Jackson Health System and for being an exemplary figure in the Florida State Legislature and as a community leader. Mr. Abrams expressed his heartfelt gratitude and emotions upon receiving this recognition.
>>> Miami-Dade County Inspecter General (IG) Jimenez, rather than take up his contract, jut waits expected blowback, by community not a good look for the body
>>> Count Commission makes IG Jimenez cool his heals
Wednesday at the commission meeting the county’s IG Feliz Jimenez, sat in the audience waiting to see if his contract extension is brought up and he went through a selection committee I attended years ago. The office was created after extensive corruption arrests including three commissioners and has been a boon to residents who support the independent office.
Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust: UPDATE:
The County is waiting Miami Beach’s response to being asked to contribute $10 million for services received by the county, and new retired judge Steven Leifman’s mental health facility as one example.
>>> Miami-Beach Commissioners voting Wednesday to rescind the vote for a 1percent food & beverage tax for the homeless trust vote approving the tax. The new funding was contributing $10 million to the trust and 15 percent to the county’s Domestic Violence Trust Wednesday. After voters already going to the polls to vote on the referendum were shocked. A commissioner new elected last November told the media he was unaware of the item, that staff say he was briefed on with a memo. The Mayor Steven Meiner on www.wplg.com with Glenna Milberg said while legal, it was bad timing with the ongoing vote happening. He said the city is spending money on homeless and questioned why the hotels were exempted, he said.
What’s the new controversy?
>>> Last week 50 homeless at Camillus House were bused by Miami to a Miami Beach hostel. And commissioners claim this is retribution for rescinding the food & beverage1% tax, to help fund two county service agencies.
The WDR contacted long time trust chair Ron Book by text and he responded, “the city did the right thing, one man was in their seventies, six were in wheelchairs, and one person was blind, the only opportunity to shelter them last night was the bikini hostel at $33.50 night rate and includes two hot meals a day,” texted Book.
>>> The issue also heated up at the Miami-Dade County Commission where Chair Oliver Gilbert, III has a November 6 agenda item asking “the mayor to take all necessary steps to amend the interlocal cooperation agreement with the City of Miami Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.” Editor’s disclosure Note: Book is a long-time supporter of the WDR, and kept me off streets in early years. I went undercover onetime as a homeless person at government center outside on plaza.
People I knew flicked cigarettes at me and I learned these people needed help and many were veterans with mental issues, and why I have kept track of the trust all these years.
homeless countywide, trust also supports county’s domestic violence trust, badly needed after Covid, when domestic violence increased countywide.
The Miami- Dade County Homeless Trust is at a pivotal point with the vote Nov. 5., to expand the food and beverage tax at three municipal cities not participating since 1992, when the trust was created and some 8,000 homeless were in Miami and even had their own mayor at the encampment. The number now is about 1,000 and if passed the expansion is estimated to bring in $10 million in new revenue and could provide the resources if voters pass to end homeless countywide, said long time trust Chair Ron Book. The cities being asked to approve this new measure are Miami Beach, Surfside, and Bal Harbour and voters will determine to help the trust and end homeless in our tourist driven economy. The trust has been free of any scandals and Book’s favorite word is “free,” he has said many times at trust meetings televised in the commission chambers with a diverse board.
>>> 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. www.lotushouse.org
>>> City of Miami residents are tired of “contempt for residents,” by commissioners, said Grant Stern Thursday and many speakers from Nathan Kurland a Coconut Grove Playhouse supporter agreed and FIU adjunct professor.
Kurland, holding a bag of M&M candies spoofed commission Chair Christine King’s remarks calling Miami residents “mean & miserable [M&M] people,” in the Miami Herald when it came to city voters approving lifetime retirement benefits.
Mayor Suarez vetoed and commissioners did not take up the self-serving legislation that the mayor vetoed to keep his political career viable and would have gotten $4million in compensation, given how long he lived he stated in his veto memo.
A firestorm erupted after the commission passed the retirement package sponsored by King on Spanish media and had Commissioner Miguel Gabella claiming he is getting all the tough questions from the press because he doesn’t have a past radio personality as an employee like Manola Reyes. The commissioner responded that was “asinine,” and his employees work for only him, he snapped back to Gabella.
Commissioner Joe Carollo continues to defame film producer Bill Corben, calling him, “little Billy who doesn’t even live in Miami, and insulted his family,” to a saddened audience objecting to such insulting personal attacks, that is Carollo’s, trademark.
>> Last week WDR: Gabella changes mind re pension & retirement package for commissioners, mayor Suarez who benefits unlikely to veto if past outside income a trend, will hurt any higher political aspirations, Suarez did veto legislation
>>> In 2002 the Miami Commission boosted their salary after some 7 attempts by ballot to get a raise, and all failed. The issue came up Thursday when a discussion of pensions and retirement for commissioners. The pension passed with commissioners Pardo, Reyes, voting no, but Gabella wants to bring the item back after a firestorm with only Mayor Suarez, unlikely vetoing it as he also benefits with the legislation and will be an important test if the young man runs for higher office in the future. For if he does not veto it, he shows his true colors at the expense to the public.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>>> The war on where to put an incinerator in Miami-Dade County has expanded too another municipality in Broward County. Pembrook Pines has joined the location battle contributing to Miramar’s court case against Miami $100,000, at a recent commission meeting on Facebook from a commissioner.
The City of Pembrook Pines (voted to contribute $100,000 to Miramar’s lawsuit” to help suing Miami-Dade on the incinerator’s location possible in Doral and just miles from the location and residents objecting to smell and air pollution such a facility produces.
>>> The Miami Dade Count Homeless Trust Thursday met. The Chapman Partnership, as at “full operational capacity, “said the representative I thought was the CEO. Further, she said, “1,841 homeless were placed by reunification,” and “400 [were placed in] permanent opportunities, said the Chapman spokeswomen not listed on the organization’s web page. The organization along with Camillus House, and Lotus Village for women with children are sheltered are critical components to the county’s efforts to end homeless and three municipalities’ voters Miami Beach, Surfside, and Balharbour have the opportunity to assist Nov.5 by approving adding the food & beverage tax now exempted to the trust’s efforts. www.chapmanpartnership.org & www.lotushouse.org
>>> Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust: at pivotal point if voters in three municipalities vote yes to an expansion of the food & beverage sales tax estimated to bring in $10 million in new funding if passed could end
>>> 2024 State of School District message, “20,000 new foreign students from 95 countries, taught in 95, languages $7.4 billion budget 80 percent goes to classroom instruction,” says chair Rojas
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Chair Mari Tere Rojas gave the district’s 2024 State of the District Speech, Wednesday and ticked off a number of achievements including the state’s A rating multiple years in a row now. She noted 20,000 foreign students enrolled last year “from 95 countries, and 95 languages,” she said. Rojas said the district third largest in the nation, with a $7.4 billion budget is similar to the state of Maine’s budget. She said “80 percent of that revenue is directed to teaching [and] direct services,” Rojas stated. The speech is not up yet. The district in the past had some 85,000 students in ESOL i.e. English as a second language.
Miami Dade County Public Schools State of District Report Wednesday – Search News:
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT: controversial Mary Blanco’s financials?
School Board member Mary Blanco is being criticized for using a district email to campaign for more go to https:https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/teachers-allege-miami-dade-school-board-member-breaking-electioneering-rules/3447415/
Blanco appointed to the school board by Gov. Ron DeSantis, after Lubby Navarro was indicted for misuse of a school credit card.
Blanco’s net worth on 2023 was $578,833 and in 2024, I could not find the form on line and on lists the past filings though in 2023 her net worth was $551,516, and she is being challenged by Max Tuchman for the District 7 seat on the nine-member board. For more on disclosures go to https://ethics.state.fl.us/
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Public Record being shredded, by poor minutes officials not speaking into mics at Miami, and County commission meeting where a budget vote number was not announced a number of times and makes for incorrect minutes.
An attorney in an appeal when the taped minutes were not clear. “He asked is that God talking from a burning bush,” he asked because of any gaps or confusion. Televised meetings only work if there heard.
>>> May South Florida pray for those victims of Hurricane Milton and its devastation and loss of life, and flooding storm surge at a new height and severe damage, and to help try www.redcross.org in any way you can. Further president Biden announces $612 million in federal aid today.
Editor’s note: Double whammy hits Florida after the storm insurance rates will go up but citrus revenue to state will go down as well as tourism with resorts in shambles.
Further, I have been asked many times why I wrote so much about the county public Jackson Health System, it is because so important to everyone regardless of income and of course the community crown jewel Ryder Trama Center, created in 1992 when local hospital administrators agreed to one great Trauma Center versus smaller less specialized ER’s, and staffing.
The center has trained hundreds of military surgeons in America and Israel, and anyone in a bad car crash, or gunshot wound and survives will thank Ryder, and once when I was with Cordis Corp. here in Miami I had to wait for a certified check (because of their bad finances) in the OR suite before I could give Dr. Richard Thurer a pacing electrode, to the nurse, and that always stayed with me and why a healthy JHS had a major impact on the community but wasn’t getting the attention it deserved at the time under community icon Ira Clark, who had failing health in 2002.
But JHS was in financial trouble after rebuffing an offer to share indigent care costs I think $12 million in Homestead with Baptist Health after executives made the offer that was rejected at the time and began JHS losing money when the county had some 500,00 residents without health insurance and JHS by 2004 was giving $500 million in charity care and the countywide half-cent sales tax going to JHS could not keep up to the vast number of patients.
>>> Another hot topic is the powers of the new Inspector General’s office, that voters overwhelming approved after years of scandals in the city. Carollo wants all investigations begun be sworn statements to limit bogus claims, but IG has own decision to make on credibility of accuser passes.
Miami commissioner Carollo is 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.
>>> 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.
>>> Are Miami Watson Island projects cursed as decades go by and none are completed, Voters being asked again, as so many others have deal wording promises never fulfilled, was supposed to be a public park, past city ads have suggested wheels on meals would be cut back if not approved other scare tactics, always works in past. Ads claiming $1billion in free new revenue, normally in past not this much, but probable will pass, given possible fear for many residents needing city services, (last deal being litigated in court’s could cost city $20 million in damages, said city attorney months earlier).
>>> Is Watson Island cursed in the city of Miami as voters vote on another supposed project bringing free money to the general fund and other future gifts for residents at of course no cost and is one of a long list of deals that never came about like Watson Island, and now Flagstone and of course the troubled Jungle Island, that taxpayers bailed out with taxes, under the Regalado administration almost a decade ago. A campaign brochure paid for the “residents of Miami for Watson Island Inc. hit my mailbox calling the project “This our moment, to make the most of Watson Island,” at of course no cost to residents says the campaign piece. Almost word for word to past Watson Island wording on projects, if you believe in the fantasies look at the old Scotty’s Landing deal and what we got not the laid-back casual spot beloved by many
A Sunshine meeting of the Miami commission Monday, was concerning creating a CRA for Allapattah in Miami and little progress was made with Commissioners not optimistic of the funding potential, given the other commitments baked into the Omni CRA, said Joe Carollo. Commissioner Carollo noted, they may be losing some bonding capacity, “but you can’t have both CRA’S,” he thought. And Allapattah Will “Only get a bone,” regarding funding he speculated at the sparsely attended meeting, missed by most media.
OPINION
>>>> “The lesser of two evils,” is the refrain I hear from young voters, and their role in the election as the first batch of voting on up children with iPhones introduced in 2007, and will they vote, many want competent efficient government, and honest leaders with no insider stock trades, insider gripe with these voters. Now what you didn’t run ourself will you at least vote?
>>>> Miami-Dade County starting new era, 5 new constitutional offices, each will have a public information officer, maybe sgt. -of-arms, political conflict on budgets expected, if history a predicter of behavior.
With five new constitutional offices’ being voted on Nov.5., Miami-Dade County joins the other 57 counties after a statewide vote created the new offices, currently under the county administration and are now political offices with a standalone budget funded by the county and if Broward County is an example the clash of these two political offices can be a spectacle, look at Sheriff Gregory Tony and past supervisor of elections Miriam Oliphant, who sent her self-flowers ever week on her office budget. Both had a contested time with their county counterparts. Further, the new Sheriff’s office in Miami-Dade County will take over all the municipal police service provided to the smaller communities.
>>> Jackson Health System (JHS) 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
>>> 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.
>>> 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 starting Monday 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.
>>> 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 to the tune of $165,000, which at my age was a disaster since not planning 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 I 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.
>>> Community periodicals running campaign stories on candidates receive roughly $1 million in county funding in periodical contributions IG 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.
>>> Community Event the Miami Warehouse has a new exhibit open to the public and for more go to: https://thewarehousemia.com/
>>> 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 voters the candidates were two Ivy League white guys with a trust fund, and the political 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 a newgroup of leaders should two books.
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.
>>> NO progress on synchronizing traffic lights county wide 2027 deadline in question, sold to public back in 2002, transit funding 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.
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.,
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.
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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/
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
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