Watchdog Report vol.24 Vol. 87 January 12, 2025: EST:05.05.00 – Soon celebrating 25 Years of weekly publishing – A free community education resource
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 87, January 12, 2025, Celebrating May 5th,2000: 24-years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald featured, news reporter & 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
>>> I am recovering after learning I do not have cancer, thank God. That may seem odd but it weighs on our mind and I have partially completed getting back to my past WDR format that changed after an IT issue and trying to get back to normal layout. Further, few government meetings have been held to cover. I will be back next week still looking for a rental apartment reasonable priced no easy task in today’s world.
>>> The wildfires in L.A., should put all elected leaders on notice that competence in administrative offices has to be paramount, not who you know in these jobs. Santa Ana winds can reach 100 degrees and are surprising powerful, having lived in Ca. in 1970s the winds surprised me of the intensity.
I bring this up because MIA expansion is being discussed and the county commission should again think of an authority like in 2002-2003, and numerous stories on connected venders if a new bond is wished for the airport construction cost and termed as lifetime employment resulting in the high landing costs some of the highest in the nation, but they won’t and the overruns will continue. For years I gave the county the benefit of doubt but nothing in 24-years has changed except for the facilities directors.
STATE of FLORIDA
>>> The idea that Matt Gaetz might run for governor of Florida has voters puzzled, after his failed nomination as attorney general. The former congressman who resigned to keep the release of an ethics report which eventually was released and he claims is false.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust closes on La Quinta property, last week in Cutler Bay, being named “Hideaway by the Bay,” in future, needed beds for county after residents’ concerns addressed.
The county’s Homeless trust has closed on the La Quinta property last week and will now be called Hideaway by the Bay, texted long time chair Ron Book.
During the cold weather the Trust offered housing for over a 100 homeless, that wanted shelter said the chair.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Former county public schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho is in the middle of the deadly fires in L.A. and so far, he has been the man for the job but this disaster is unprecedented. Next week there will be more on this subject.
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> Come support the tree canopy of the Grove Tuesday’s commission chambers at noon, public welcome
Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo is having a sunshine meeting on Wednesday at noon open to the public to discuss and hear residents concerns regarding a modified tree ordinance sponsored by commissioner Miguel Gabela that has caused outrage in Coconut Grove where the tree canopy is cherished and being cut down by developers ignoring city guideline’s for tree preservation and the canopy has been sacrificed before by the city when long time commissioner J.L. Plummer failed to get a deal done that would have created a central park in the Grove, since the state was willing to connect the Barnacle property with Peacock Park, and the commission instead passed the Cloister’s development project between the two properties ending that residents dream. Here is the info:
| >>> City of Miami City Hall, Chambers; 500 Pan American Dr. Miami, FL 33133; Miami; | |
| 12:00 PM | Public discussion of a proposed amendment to the City of Miami Tree Ordinance with District 2 Commissioner and city staff. Other commissioners may be in attendance subject to their availability. Liaison: Allison Arias (305) 250-5333 |
COMMUNITYEVENTS: https://www.margulieswarehouse.com/
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 https://rlbookpa.com/team/
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/
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