Watchdog Report Vol.24 No.69 September 8, 2024 – EST:05.05.00 – Celebrateing 24-years of free weekly publishing, a community education resource
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.24 No 69, September 8, 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: Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan.
BREAKING NEWS
>>>>Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava faced cries for funding and help at Thursday’s first public 2025 budget hearing packed commission chamber.
In a packed commission chamber, with tee shirted residents begging to stop their eviction from a trailer park. Cava facing the worst budget has restored $16 million in transit funding but that money has to come from elsewhere after years of federal funds supplementing the budget.
Serious salary numbers to be competitive especially in the county’s attorney office. Have eaten some of the property tax revenue. Further, the tax burden is almost like a “taking b government,” for landlords one told the WDR forcing the man to sell at a time of needed rental housing stock
CITY OF MIAMI
>>>What happens when a disgraced county judge Martin Zilber resigns after a shocking controversy?
He is appointed to the city’s code enforcement board and continues (I contacted the clerk to see who appointed the man but no reply by deadline) re the appointment mentioning multiple times to “hurry up” the proceedings because he had to leave. The man thinks I hate him.
No, he is a disappointment since being put on the Public Health Trust board where he told the nominating council he “had plenty of time” for the board but was always late and dressed informally. Zilber was forced to resign from the bench to end the matter and pay a $30,000 fine for using staff for personal choirs picking up tickets etc. He later tried to run for commission District 2 and came in fourth, and he is a contrast to new member Brenda Betancourt a diligent member of the comunit and also speaks at county meetings.
Saturday was the first public budget hearing and a decent crowd turned out to a calm meeting in general since first reading and final is the one that the community pleads at and Commissioner Joe Carollo gave his thoughts about not raising a tax.
Mayor Levine Cava cruises to victory
She raised $5 million for her campaign against a relatively obscure municipal mayor Manny Cid mayor of Miami Lakes who had little name recognition, but the mayor’s proposed $13 billion budget has a chunk in it for the future constitutional sheriff’s office.
The new sheriff whoever is elected could put his name on all the county’s police vehicles the office inherits as the office is created and the labeling and changes of logos in Broward after the sheriff Ken Jenne was arrested and went to prison for tax evasion and outside income that the WDR pounded him on back then. The cost of the name change was around the $9 million mark back in 2001.
>>> Here’s AI’s take on me and the WDR: I assume you are asking about the Watchdog Report by Daniel A. Ricker. The Watchdog Report is a weekly e-mail newsletter that covers government news from the nation, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade Public Schools, the Public Health Trust, Miami and other municipalities in the county 1. Daniel A. Ricker is the publisher and editor of the Watchdog Report 1. The Watchdog Report is widely read by government insiders and a veritable who’s who of Miami 2. It is a compilation of the tidbits and observations he synthesizes from his tireless rounds 2. The Watchdog Report is estimated to bring in about $30,000 a year 2. I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
>>> What about the county property appraiser race that Tomas Regaldo is running on Nov.5 election?
The post, 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 raised $146,000 for his campaign but has two bounced checks expenses and his daughter Raquel contributed $250.
>>> A Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Rita Maria Baez won her race for the group 31 seat, dozens of law firms $1,000, contributions on the 11th judicial circuit race.
However, in reviewing her $285,680 campaign report, it was peppered with $1,000 contributions from mostly law firms and a few from friends but the law firms dominated the money and raises an ethics question though there are oversite with judges but having so many firms seems odd?
>>> Will Miami billionaires help keep government oversight by supporting media of all kinds with $20 billion in tax dollars in play?
With early voting ending the money is rolling in for the candidates and people sometimes billionaires should consider helping the community by having a vibrant diverse media and the blogs and I say this having spent some $365,000 of my own money and why I have worked so hard to try to keep the community informed and these billionaires have cut a wide swath in medical and education endeavors but oversight of government is slowly passing regarding historical knowledge and the thousands of financial disclosure forms I have. I write this since these very successful people are also making political donations to some local races including $500.000 to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, from philanthropist Ken Griffin, and people who financially can should consider stepping up to the local level for there is almost $20 billion in public government funded by your tax dollars.
>>> Miami-Dade Homeless trust will hold its biannual point of contact count of the homeless on the street Aug.22 and having to look for a new rental in this market is proving difficult and hope not to be in the count, trying hard not to.
>>> The RMK Merril Stevens north facility is getting a new 2,700 gross ton syncrolift on the Miami river and can accommodate 200’ yachts for repair and has been much needed in bring such boat owners to the river economy that has gone through a transformation with the new condos.
The Watchdog Report having to move in Miami after 10-years of the rent staying the same and the house being sold is a major disruption at a time when so many elected offices are up in the August primary with county voter turnout is a measly 12 percent countywide and election fatigue has set in for many especially after the presidential election’s divisive rhetoric.
The city is asking Miami voters re voting to dissolve the “independent auditors office,” and replace it with a new inspector general office with subpoena power and this is a welcome change for the auditor’s office was not independent and former commissioner Marc Sarnoff was critical of then auditor Victor Igwe, (who after critical remarks fainted under the withering criticism at a commission meeting and Sarnoff saying “he does that all the time,” and essentially disregard the man’s health. He who would later sue the city for his termination and win so an independent I.G. would be great but it is unknown when the office is legislatively created that will be preserved after the auditor’s position was created back in 2003, years after voters had approved the office and who approves the office budget commissioners or manager tough issue to resolve maybe outside entity.
>>> History Miami needs to archive the digital data from all the investigative blogs including the WDR for residents will not have access to the past and for reporters’ citizens need to go to the lower-level public meetings and see the lobbyists there.>>For Miami is like a giant tapestry getting additions constantly. The public schools audit committee is a key one as well as Miami’s finance committee etc. In my case I did this like a job that I self- financed, which at my age was a disaster since not living this long but someone had to do it back in 2000. Here’s more on early year’s national story: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
Public Health Trust
The WDR was in the hospital last week with a fractured pelvis, no surgery thank God. However, home service for seniors at the county has a “Month long list of applicants,” said a county rep, and the need for seniors housing “has tripled, “said commissioner Raquel Regalado at a BCC meeting July.
But also, must 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 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 -$63 million 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.
>>> Update: Investigators asking Ponzi questions (After Torres CEO of Steward spoke going back to his seat sergeant-of arms Paul Hernandez gave Torre a hug and I asked you know him? Paul responded “it’s a Cuban thing” he “helped our family during the Marial boatlift the officer said back. The bankruptcy of Steward Health Care could have had a Miami connection: CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre Tried to buy Jackson in 2011,
But the health system was reorganized by commissioners from 21 trustees, to seven, and brought community leader and banker Carlos Migoya in, to try to turn it around, which he did as well as getting a $800 million capital bond approved. For the public hospital that gives a single level of care to those who may not be able to pay for healthcare, especially primary care.
In 2011 CEO Ralph de la Torre spoke in front of the Miami-Dade County Commission after submitting an unsolicited proposal buying the Jackson Health System, after the public hospital was in financial distress and giving some $400 million in yearly charity care and the countywide half-cent sales tax revenue was not keeping up and the system was in dire shape with 9 days cash on hand and had lost the community’s confidence after scandals and at least $400 million in capital needs.
>>> Heat wave pushing homeless numbers up brutal for people on street shelter and housing being strained too max.
The massive heat wave is causing a massive need for homeless people and shelters and housing are full, I texted the long-time chair Ron Book recently. I know personally what the heat does after two-years without air conditioning in my car back in 2008 and 2009. And I would be soaked and to be on the streets in this heat is tragic and the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust has its hands full dealing with this surge.
Lotus House Village is full of 240 families and children as Miami reels from economic homeless residents with rents through the roof as well as food etc. And the city of Miami approved some shelter funding for this important service not-for-profit founded by CEO Constance Collins and is a great community asset.
>>> With major local elections, People can’t believe seeing lobbyists vacationing in Greece with senior county officers including Jimmy Morales, the county’s chief operational officer with over a $10 billion budget, and 28,000 employees what do they think?
The WDR has objected to this practice, and I see it locally. What are other employees going to think when they see these lobbyist contacts on Facebook? Morales is very well paid over $300,000, and it also applies to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava after a trip to Japan for the county meeting up with her campaign’s operative and fund raiser had her meeting up with her in the country, I lived in 1977 and worked there commuting every two weeks from Miami for 10years, because it was cheaper than living there at the time.
or service aides to patrol were necessary after recent tragic deaths on the water should be considered.
Community Event the Miami Warehouse has a new exhibit open to the public and for more go to: https://thewarehousemia.com/
>>> With the upcoming election on everyone’s lips and many noting the recount of 2000 in Miami That I attended including the first recount in the glass room on the election department’s floor, along with Republican Sue Cobb and a Democrat Joe Geller, both glued to their phones.
The election night earlier I was on WLRN’s Topical Currents, with host Joe Cooper, Robert Steinbeck, Tony Doris, and independent candidate John Anderson. And at the time predictions where Gore had won Florida, but I disagreed saying it was too soon, and I was criticized because super computers were projecting Gore in the polls, and they teased me while getting phone calls from Palm Beach County asking about “butterfly ballots,” up there. They would later say “good call” and to many the candidates were two Ivy League white guys with a trust fund, and passion would only erupt later. Days later the election outcome really heated up and hanging chads left people wanting to know how this could happen.
At the county level elections were the stepchild of government (where reluctantly they had to hold them) but keep funding to a minimum i.e… would you maintain the machines or spend money on vaccinating the children of Miami.
>>> A new entity is being created from some community leaders called Partnership for Miami made up of a financial titan, and others to help stimulate different opportunities for Miamians, through investments, and they should check out the 1999 Empowerment Zone books for ideas of the challenges facing Miami holistically, and good luck has not been contacted yet and offer my services of key information over 24-years.
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. 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, 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.
>>> All Miami Dade County employees go through county’s ethics training, never takes after in laws of manager get furniture contracts, says WLRN investigation of wife; why at county all employees went through training, under Stierheim administration in 2000,
EDITORIAL
>>> Anniversary of life saving procedure when I was septic at South Miami, Baptist Health, hospital in 2009, and I thank you Dr. Jorge Rabaza for saving my life, back then.
The next few days is the anniversary of my almost passing in 2009. I was septic and operated on at 2;00 p.m., “because I could not wait,” something you don’t want to hear from a surgeon, said Jorge Rabaza, M.D. at South Miami Hospital back ’then and he said, “I was a flip of the coin,” that I survived, he said and since then every day is a free day.,
The Miami-Dade County Children’s Trust is celebrating its 20th anniversary and during its time. There have been no scandals except some trust tee shirts being sold in little Havana decades ago. They trust the brainchild of former Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence, Jr. and mayor Alex Penelas and Will Bleckman, M.D. For more on the trust go to: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/
View a comprehensive list of all the previous project updates at https://miamidadearts.org/coconut-grove-playhouse-updates.
SPONSERS:
Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, the (FL)
CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS
Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, the (FL)
MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED
Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
>>> And to support the WDR go to my Pay Pal account that is easy to use and right now would be a great time: http://paypal.me/WatchdogReport
Further, if you would rather send a check send it made out to Daniel Ricker and mail it to 3109 Grand Ave., #125 Miami, Fla. 33133. Thank you, Dan.
>>> And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents of public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further the www.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings., and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible: Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors
Sponsors
***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000
Mr. ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S. allowed a $1,000 dry cleaning bill, using go slow plan
HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr, Esq. (The first contributor to the WDR)
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com .
THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com (2000-2007)
ARTHUR HERTZ
WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased)
ALFRED NOVAK
LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased)
JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION www.knightfoundation.org
THE HONORABLE STANLEY G. TATE
>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 a year
BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com
RONALD Hall
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov
UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 to $5,000 a year
BADIA SPICES www.badiaspices.com
BERKOWITZ POLLACK BRANT Advisors and Accountants www.bpbcpa.com
JEFFREY L. BERKOWITZ TRUST
BERCOW RADELL FERNANDEZ & LARKIN & Tapanes www.brzoninglaw.com
RON BOOK
BENEDICT P. KUEHNE http://www.kuehnelaw.com/
LINDA MURPHY: Gave a new laptop in Oct. 2001 to keep me going.
Rbb www.rbbcommmunications.com
SHUBIN & BASS www.shubinbass.com
WILLIAMSOM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP http://williamsonautomotivegroup.com/
>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH www.miamibeachfl.gov
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
GREATER MIAMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.miamichamber.com
GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU www.miamiandbeaches.com
HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA www.hfsf.org
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION www.miamidade.gov
MIAMI-DADE COMMISSION OFFICE OF THE CHAIR www.miamidade.gov
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ETHICS & PUBLIC TRUST COMMISSION
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST: www.miamidade.gov/homeless/
MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE www.mdc.edu
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL www.miamidade.gov/ig
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD www.dadeschools.net
MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPT. http://superintendent.dadeschools.net/
MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.miamidda.com
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST & JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM www.jhsmiami.org
THE CHILDREN’S TRUST www.thechildrenstrust.org
THE GOOD GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE http://goodgov.net/
THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES www.mdclc.org
THE MIAMI FOUNDATION www.miamifoundation.org
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA http://www.firstgov.gov/
>>> Public, Educational & Social institutions – subscribers at $1,000 or less
CITY OF MIAMI www.miamigov.com.
CITY OF CORAL GABLES www.coralgables.com
CHAPMAN PARTNERSHIP FOR HOMELESS www.chapmanpartnership.org
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY www.fiu.edu
THE STATE OF FLORIDA www.myflorida.gov
To contribute to the WDR send and make it payable to Daniel A. Ricker
Daniel A. Ricker
3109 Grand Ave. #125
Miami, Fla. 33133