A County Charter Amendment That Will Not Be On The Ballot. By Geniusodespair

I hate Charter Review time. The County Commissioners always try to put shit in our Citizens Charter. This time they want to change it so County Attorneys (beholden to the Mayor and Commission), not our ELECTED County Clerk, to approve the language in petitions. But that is another story.

We voted in 2012, by a whopping margin of 77%, that we wanted term limits on County Commissioners.  Some have been serving for almost 25 years. So what were the Commissioners debating yesterday? Repealing term limits.  WHAT?  Yes, They wanted a revote on that. We voted for it because the lobbyists were ruling the County. It has helped a little. At least we will finally get rid of the demented Javier Souto who has served since 1993. What a blessing that he will be gone.

Here is what Commissioner Audrey Edmonson said about term limits -- I believe she is very close to a County Commission lobbyist (it is the rumor that she is dating  Roosevelt Broadley but we do know she has had help from him in her campaigns):

Miami Herald Today: Audrey Edmonson's Unbelievable Quote. Hello, the County has always been run by Lobbyists.

Because you are all in the mode of Facebook and Twitter, I won't bother writing anything more because you won't read it - go read the article in the Miami Herald.

But this is what TERM LIMITS got us for 25 years (some of the other Commissioners leave when he starts talking):

Here is a video I made of Javier Souto in 2011. Thank your lucky stars we will be rid of him soon. He mentions Miguel DeGrandy (a lobbyist) in this speech. He always, always mentions Cuba in every speech and he has a euphonium for me and some you: "The wine and cheese set living East of Biscayne Blvd."  He did have one good vote against chain link fences in front yards.



Here is one I made from 2010 about bi-lingual phonebooks:



CDMP hearing Truck Parking outside the UDB:



Genting Casino hearing:

Help Eileen Higgins get elected to the County Commission. By Geniusofdespair

This is a campaign on steroids. The election is May 22nd.

Bruno Barreiro “resigned to run” from the County Commission so he could run for...wait for it...U.S. Congress. I think that is pretty funny. Anyway, his seat is open. Eileen Higgins is running for it and Miami Beach had better vote for her, if they don't they will get Bruno's wife.

Everyone, send a check, tell your friends about her, we NEED Eileen Higgins on the County Commission.   It would change everything, all government is local.

entire district

Do you know anyone who lives here? Make sure they vote on May 22nd.

Her Platform:

Traffic and Transit

IMPROVE RELIABILITY • EXPAND ROUTES

If you ride public transit, like I do, you know Miami-Dade needs more reliable transit options - both bus and rail. There’s too much traffic and too many unfinished road construction projects. We need local officials who demand that these projects finish on time to get traffic flowing again and that they always keep pedestrian safety and small businesses in mind.

Crossing the causeways is an ordeal. Apart from the frustrating inconvenience, our County's economy is at risk if we don't implement solutions soon. We need County leaders who are ready to act on transit on the first day of the job.

Our Economy

ATTRACT HIGHER WAGE JOBS • GROW SMALL BUSINESSES

Our district is one of the start-up capitals of the United States, but we need to help these new local businesses scale up, too. That’s why we need a commissioner who will fight to keep these new businesses in our district and connect them to resources, expanding their ability to grow. This means higher-paying jobs at the new companies themselves, and a resulting benefit to the community as we attract more entrepreneurs and fresh ideas for the County.

Housing Costs

SMART HOUSING DEVELOPMENT • HOUSING WE CAN AFFORD

Our housing costs are skyrocketing out of control. We all know someone who has made the decision to live in another part of the County or leave Miami-Dade because rent was too high. In turn, this hurts small businesses that lose potential customers.

I will work for reasonable solutions to our out-of-control rent. Affordable housing builds safe, successful, connected communities, and that’s why keeping our district affordable is a priority.

Homelessness

PRIORITIZE OUTREACH • FIND COMPASSIONATE SOLUTIONS

The sad fact that hundreds of our neighbors live on the street concerns me deeply. Chronic homelessness is not easy to solve, but our local experts all agree that we need more funding for daily, consistent outreach that assists people in finding a safe place to stay and a path out of poverty. The Commission’s current plan just isn’t doing enough.

As Commissioner I am committed to representing this vulnerable population while improving the quality of life for local residents and businesses. I want to hear from all involved stakeholders to make District 5 a safer, more friendly place.

Sea Level Rise

PREVENT FLOODING • PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

The horrifying flooding from last fall’s Hurricane Irma was a stark reminder of what we’ve known for a long time: our district is vulnerable to rising seas. We need commissioners who take this threat seriously. From drainage to street levels, every building project must consider what we can do to keep District 5 above water.

Our Environment

CLEAN ENERGY • KEEPING MIAMI BEAUTIFUL

Miami-Dade County can’t lead in the 21st century if we continue to rely on 20th century technology. We should make smart investments that conserve our taxpayer dollars and our natural resources. I’ll promote adoption of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency for all County buildings. As Irma showed, FPL needs to meet its obligations to keep the lights on during severe weather and be better prepared to restore power in the aftermath. I’ll oppose any attempt to frack or drill offshore. Our drinking water and beaches are priceless public assets and I won’t allow them to be threatened for private development.

There is nothing more empowering than standing between a mother who has lost her son to gun violence and a son who is ready to make sure that this never happens to another mother again. #NeverAgain — with William J. Breslin and MJ Wright. - Eileen Higgins

Florida Power and Light Turkey Point Nuclear and Its Cooling Canals Polluting Biscayne National Park ... by gimleteye

(UPDATED: 3:00PM) So what happened at the county commission on Tuesday, with the "joint power agreement" between county taxpayers -- represented by the county commission -- and FPL, represented by former Scott environmental chief Mike Sole and Steve Scroggs?

It is hard to say. From the vantage point of county TV, it wasn't clear that anyone on the dais was on the same page. And that includes the county attorney who should be helpfully parsing dialogue from commissioners and matching it to the legislation and amendments under consideration.

Yesterday (the morning after the meeting), Chairman Esteban Bovo muddied the waters even further when he tweeted:

Solar power charging stations were not "making history". They weren't the main event by a long shot.

FPL's Turkey Point facility is authorized by the state of Florida to use nearly as much fresh water per day as all the visitors and residents of Miami-Dade combined. The key purpose of the joint participation agreement, which was not settled at the end of the day (when FPL normally gets its way -- and that might truly be historic) -- was to sequence approvals, investments, and monitoring requirements that the county could impose on FPL in the event that the county's wastewater is piped down to South Dade, subsequently treated then used as coolant in one gas-fired reactor and as a "contribution" to solving the crisis of its law-breaking cooling canal system. Oh, and FPL's need to get Miami-Dade on board with a 20 year renewal license for two of its reactors, among the oldest in the nation.

Somewhat less than .5% of electricity users in Miami-Dade have a clue about the controversies surrounding FPL's fortress-like, nuclear power plant in South Dade, at the shoreline of America's degraded Biscayne National Park. Brief explanation.

At Turkey Point, hidden behind security cameras and gates, the owner of a massive polluting industrial facility is dictating to taxpayers the terms of its pollution, its monitoring, and the costs of cleaning up what should never have occurred in the first place.

Miami-Dade county has been a compliant partner of FPL for decades. In exchange for reliably supplying low cost energy (FPL reminds us), the county willingly ceded local authority without giving its critics an inch.

That began to change a few years ago, when it became clear that the nuclear reactors were spreading a toxic, underground plume of water from the cooling canal system (required by law to be self-contained) toward south Dade drinking water wells and God knows where else, because FPL had throttled the expansion of monitoring stations into Biscayne National Park. (Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to be caught dumping toxic waste into Florida waters or a national park even if you are FPL.)

So here is the meat of the matter at the county commission that didn't remotely make it into Bovo's tweet. Commissioner Rebeca Sosa offered an amendment to the joint power agreement, which no one had time to preview from the outside but appeared to reflect a torrent of criticism (from the Miami Herald to this blog) about the wild and costly experiment FPL is undertaking at the nuclear power plant to stop and to reverse its pollution. Efforts which, by the way, avoid what its critics want: conventional cooling towers, close the cooling canal system, and clean up the damage FPL caused and should be required to pay.

To make a long story short, when faced with the Sosa amendment and an important clarifying amendment from Daniella Levine Cava to close trap doors that would have further frittered away county leverage -- FPL did its level best to steer the outcome its way.

Commissioner Levine Cava attempted to amend Sosa' language to include: "The approval of the JPA for the advanced reclaimed water project shall not be considered as an endorsement of Florida Power & Light Company’s request for license renewal of nuclear power units 3 and 4."

FPL's goal is to dictate both the terms and the expenses (funded by you and me, ratepayers!) to clean up pollution that would not have happened in the first place but for the willingness of state environmental regulators (thank you, Gov. Rick Scott and the South Florida Water Management District!) to turn a blind eye.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez was the one who let FPL off the hook.  He had brought the matter to the dais. As for the commissioners' long-standing request for a report on wastewater reuse, Mayor Gimenez staff dropped the 400 page report -- requested exactly a year earlier -- the night before the meeting.

The way it happened (and again, there was so much dust in the air at that point in County Hall, you needed a flashlight to see your hand): an agreement was made by the county commission to proceed with the FPL agreement, including provisions that continue to push the county to align with FPL on the failing cooling canal system and polluting facility while postponing to some indeterminate date -- (after more brutal negotiations between county staff and FPL) -- on the specific accountability for water quality involving treated wastewater.

Commissioner Sosa refused Levine Cava's amendment. A spokesman for Levine Cava explained: "Commissioner Levine Cava was seeking to add stronger water quality language to the agreement, so was initially very supportive of the edits offered by Commissioner Sosa, until the language was softened to permit it (ie. water quality) to be a negotiation point." Her vote was an objection to the surrender of leverage by the county and the willingness to let FPL kick the can down the road on water quality standards until an indeterminate date in the future. (Civic activists, who painfully waited the entire day for a chance to speak, were denied the chance at speaker's podium by Chairman Bovo.)

A press release by the Southern Alliance For Clean Energy after the meeting offered the following:

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), a clean energy advocacy group, shared serious concerns numerous times about the agreement with the Commission. SACE argued that using reuse water lacking stringent water quality standards without a commitment to also close Turkey Point’s antiquated canal system and upgrade the cooling technology to cooling towers would substantially delay the cleanup at Turkey Point, resulting in long-term impacts on the region’s drinking water resource and the health of Biscayne Bay. SACE joined local organizations before Tuesday’s vote in demanding the inadequate agreement be strengthened before the County approves to prevent additional nutrients being flushed into the aquifer and the Bay.

“We appreciate the Commission’s attempt to strengthen the agreement with FPL, but the devil is in the details and we believe FPL was ultimately given yet another pass despite their track record of failure at Turkey Point. We remain concerned that a comprehensive solution to clean up the aquifer groundwater and Biscayne Bay from pollution caused by the FPL’s facility using the best technology was not approved,” said Dr. Stephen A. Smith, executive director of SACE. “Moving forward, especially as FPL seeks approval to extend the nuclear plant’s operating life for another 20 years, we implore the Commission to remain vigilant holding FPL’s feet to the fire. Commissioner Cava’s amendment would make it clear that the County is not tacitly supporting the relicensing of Turkey Point and that is step in the right direction.”

SACE contends that if the Joint Partnership Agreement was approved without a commitment to closing the cooling canals and installing cooling towers, the pollution plume will be exacerbated by the daily addition of tens of millions of gallons of treated municipal wastewater to Turkey Point’s canal system.

Dr. William Nuttle, a leading expert on coastal hydrology and ecosystem restoration, with over 25 years of experience working on projects in South Florida, said in a statement last week that the cleanup process could succeed in a much shorter time frame if key modifications are made. Dr. Nuttle’s analysis, which was shared with the Commission, demonstrated that if the canals were replaced by cooling towers, the timeframe for successful remediation will decrease by many decades. Without any changes, it will take over 60 years for FPL to completely retract the plume using recovery wells, while the utility claims 10 years. The cooling towers would use reclaimed reuse water, also providing a solution for the County’s mandate to stop dumping treated wastewater into the ocean by 2025. Dilution was not the solution FPL has committed to through the consent agreement and consent order.

FPL -- one of Florida's biggest suppliers of electricity -- does not freely disclosure science and fact to anyone, including the mayor and county commissioners. In addition to downplaying its pollution of Florida waters and Biscayne Bay, it has seriously impeded the monitoring of pollution eastward.

The company has tangled on its plan to site new power lines in Everglades National Park and down the US 1 corridor with a number of municipalities, including the City of Miami. It has funded through third parties; nasty, dirty political tricks against perceived opponents (cf. South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard). It exerts huge pressure on the state utility commission, where its petitions for rate increases -- like those to design two new nuclear reactors for more than $20 billion of ratepayer moneys -- have been rubber stamped. It has supported anti-citizen ballot initiatives including one to tighten its grip on the state's solar power future by making it harder for consumers and busineses to adopt home solar panels. According to Politico on April 10, "An accountant hired by the state Office of Public Counsel is calling for a $70.4 million reduction in Florida Power & Light Co.'s request for Hurricane Matthew's expenses. FPL on Feb. 20 filed an updated damage cost estimate of $316.7 million. But Helmuth W. Schultz III of the Larkin & Associates accounting firm in Livonia, Mich. says the FPL failed to justify $24 million in charges to replenish the utility's storm reserve." And ratepayers are already paying hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the engineering and design for new nuclear reactors in a market area defined by low lying topography whose chosen supplier, Westinghouse, is struggling to emerge from bankruptcy.

FPL could do so much better. Spend the money for the conventional cooling towers. Fix the pollution that should never had occurred in the first place and for which FPL should have been penalized from the start. Get on the side of ratepayers and taxpayers. If FPL won't listen to reason, maybe NextEra -- the parent company and its board of directors -- will.


County moves toward using wastewater in FPL canals, but won’t set water standards yet

BY JENNY STALETOVICH
jstaletovich@miamiherald.com
April 10, 2018 09:18 PM
Updated April 10, 2018 09:53 PM
A plan to use treated wastewater to freshen Florida Power & Light’s troubled nuclear cooling canals will move forward, for now, without meeting strict water standards set for nearby Biscayne Bay.

On Tuesday, Miami-Dade commissioners authorized the county staff to negotiate the deal, but put off setting the standards.

Barreiro resigns: a mystery how and why he was ever elected in the first place ... by gimleteye

Bruno Barreiro resigned yesterday from the Miami-Dade County Commission. Barreiro had represented Miami Beach since 1998. For anyone who interacted with him on legislative matters, it was a mystery he was elected in the first place. Trying to talk to Barreiro was like addressing a cotton ball.

Name recognition played a part in his success -- maybe constituent services -- , but for the most part Bruno (who long ago, EOM dubbed "Dim") was acquiescent and pliable to trade association, lobbyists, and campaign contributors from the Great Destroyers. Bruno was the kind of politician who believed that paying twenty five dollars for a membership to the Audubon Society qualified one as an "environmentalist".

On soft issues, Bruno talked the talk but on hard issues, especially when it came to supporting development in Miami's metastasizing suburbs, Bruno was a reliable affirmative vote. We called him a charter member of the Unreformable Majority.

Maybe Barreiro will return to the county commission once it becomes clear like it did to Joe Martinez, that being "respected" at County Hall isn't so bad after all. For now, we wonder if anyone told Bruno or his contributors that the congressional seat he is seeking is for Democrats to lose. Or, that Trump's negatives have launched a tsunami across Republican political fortunes.

One thing for sure: Democratic spending in the crowded primary is going to have their candidate scrambling for the general.

Barreiro resigns, plans to run for Congress
BY DAVID SMILEY
dsmiley@miamiherald.com

March 31, 2018 07:46 PM
Florida’s newly amended resign-to-run law claimed its first casualty Saturday when Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro resigned his seat in order to run for Congress.

In a letter to Miami-Dade’s supervisor of elections and its clerk of courts, Barreiro announced he was giving up the position he has held since 1998 as he prepares for an August primary to claim the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. In an unexpected wrinkle, Barreiro said he was giving up his commission seat immediately.

“As you know, [Friday] Governor Scott signed to reinstate the Resign to Run law, therefore, I hereby resign my office as Miami Dade County Commissioner for District 5 effective immediately,” Barreiro wrote.

Read more here: 

Munilla Construction : the FIU bridge collapse is a tragedy but what about Munilla itself? ... by gimleteye

Eye On Miami from time to time has dipped into the story of the massive influence of Munilla Construction aka MCM. You won't hear electeds opine on the influence of Munilla because of their outsized weight as campaign contributors to political campaigns. Read our archive, here.

Running for their last term as County Commissioner unless you vote to change the charter. By Geniusofdespair

So far only 3 of the  6 even number districts have candidates.  Levine Cava is off to a big start with a quarter of million dollars in funds.

A. D. Lenoir is the only new kid on the block, running against Jean Monestime. This isn't the first time Pastor A.D. Lenoir has run for District 2.

There are also plenty of Judges up for reelection.

All County Commissioners are limited to 8 years. Although I hear talk they want to change the charter to get rid of the limit. You have to vote on charter changes. Don't vote to extend their term 8 is enough.

Move the Urban Development Boundary (AGAIN)? ... by gimleteye

Today is the first Town Hall meeting to consider a massive change to Miami-Dade County: the extension of SR 836 and sprawl beyond the Urban Development Boundary. Once upon a time, Miami Dade county commissioners wisely decided to discourage development that involves moving the UDB. The state of Florida supported its efforts. 

Six meetings will be discussing the County Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) 2018. Every seven years, the Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP) is reviewed and updated as required per Chapter 163 of the Florida Statutes, a process known as an Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR). The EAR includes an evaluation of the progress the County has made in implementing the goals, objectives, policies, maps and text of the CDMP and also recommends changes.

There is a meeting TODAY in Kendall. For those of you who can attend please ask questions and voice your concerns. If you can't attend please encourage others to do so.  If you want to read some history on the UDB, involving old battles fought along the same line, click here.

The Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX)-SR 836 extension project plans to extend the Dolphin expressway beyond the Urban Development Boundary (UDB), which serves as a buffer to agricultural lands and adjacent Everglades National Park. 

Allowing development outside the UDB will jeopardize in a significant way our water quality. It would reduce wellfield recharge and speed salt water intrusion into the aquifer, leading to increased vulnerability of the region to sea level rise as the location is sitting on the most low lying areas in the County.

Although an extension of the expressway sounds attractive to lessen the congested traffic for people living in the southern and western parts of the County, it has been proven that building more roads does not decrease traffic but the opposite. We need to encourage massive public transit projects if Miami wants to lead in smart growth and sustainability targeting infill areas. Changing our CDMP in the midst of what is the crisis of our lifetime- climate change- is exactly the reason we have CDMP and a UDB line, to protect us from additional sprawl that will not serve this County and our future needs.

Although an extension of the expressway sounds attractive to lessen the congested traffic for people living in the southern and western parts of the County, it has been proven that building more roads does not decrease traffic but the opposite. We need to encourage massive public transit projects if Miami wants to lead in smart growth and sustainability targeting infill areas. Changing our CDMP in the midst of what is the crisis of our lifetime- climate change- is exactly the reason we have CDMP and a UDB line, to protect us from additional sprawl that will not serve this County and our future needs.

Although an extension of the expressway sounds attractive to lessen the congested traffic for people living in the southern and western parts of the County, it has been proven that building more roads does not decrease traffic but the opposite. We need to encourage massive public transit projects if Miami wants to lead in smart growth and sustainability targeting infill areas. Changing our CDMP in the midst of what is the crisis of our lifetime- climate change- is exactly the reason we have CDMP and a UDB line, to protect us from additional sprawl that will not serve this County and our future needs.

Although an extension of the expressway sounds attractive to lessen the congested traffic for people living in the southern and western parts of the County, it has been proven that building more roads does not decrease traffic.  More roads inevitably increase traffic!

Changing our CDMP in the midst of what is the crisis of our lifetime- climate change- is exactly the reason we have CDMP and a UDB line, to protect us from additional sprawl that will not serve this County and our future needs.

Get Involved

Help shape the future of Miami-Dade County! Your vision can make an impact on the future of the County. You are invited to attend a workshop, take the EAR2018 Survey or email your comments.

Opportunities for public participation are as follows:

Survey:
Take the EAR2018 survey.

Town Hall Workshops:
Town Hall Workshops will be held in six locations throughout the County to inform the public about the Evaluation and Appraisal Report process and obtain feedback. Below are the dates and locations for the Town Hall Workshops:

• Tuesday, June 6 (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.)
  • Kendall Village Center-Civic Pavilion 8625 SW 124 Ave, Miami, FL 33183
• Wednesday, June 7 (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.)
  • Ruben Dario Middle School 350 NW 97 Ave, Miami, FL 33172
• Thursday, June 8 (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.)
  • African Heritage Cultural Arts Center 6161 NW 22 Ave, Miami, FL 33142
• Saturday, June 10 (10:00 am to noon)
  • Norman and Jean Reach Park 7895 NW 176 St, Miami, FL 33015
• Tuesday, June 13 (6:30 to 9:00 p.m.)
  • Highland Oaks Park 20300 NE 24 Ave, Miami, FL 33180
• Saturday, June 17 (10:00 am to noon)
• South Dade Regional Library 10750 SW 211 St, Cutler Bay, FL 33189
• QUESTIONS:

1. Why are we building in low lying areas?
2. Why don't we concentrate our tax dollars within the county we already have.
3. Fund public transit!
4. What are we really doing about sea level rise?

The County Commission's Toxic Vote. By Geniusofdespair

Yes, Steve Bovo, the Chair of the Commission, did a good thing. Bovo wanted to ban lobbyists from the Charter Review Committee. It is bad enough that the Commissioners and the Mayor appoint the people on the charter review committee -- the citizens charter -- but now they are allowing lobbyists on the Committee to propose changes. If we the citizens want to change the Charter we have to do it by petition which is cumbersome because the County Commission added all sorts of crap - we have to have each petition notarized, etc. So this was our only chance to make real changes easily and now it gone.

It is the citizens charter and the changes made will probably be without citizen's input. The only way we have to control it is -- we vote on the changes they propose. And most people out there are pretty stupid so we will get bad changes because they will be written in a form only a lobbyist knows how to understand. And Pepe Diaz is hoping that with the lobbyists they will re-visit term limits. Over my dead body that should happen.

This is Bovo's resolution, it made so much sense:

It says here it was adopted by the BCC and I am pretty sure that is an error. 
There was an attempt by Sosa to salvage the resolution, she amended it to include the following to be banned from serving(they were rejected):

1. Land use attorneys with CDMP or zoning applications in front of the Miami-Dade Commission
2. Political party employees, officers, and officials
3. Candidates for current office
4. Representatives of labor unions that participate in the collective bargaining process with Miami-Dade County
5. Campaign workers, campaign consultants, campaign treasurers, and campaign attorneys.


It was voted DOWN by a vote of 6 to 4.  The 4 who supported it: STEVE BOVO, DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, AUDREY EDMONSON and XAVIER SUAREZ. THANK YOU.  The rest of you feh!

Fabiola Santiago of the Miami Herald wrote an opinion piece on the vote: Miami-Dade residents don’t stand a chance to be heard when lobbyists write the rules. She calls it "the foxes guarding the hen house:"

This is a county where conflicts of interest and influence peddling rule the day, the week, the month, and most notably, the public agenda.

I love Florida Plunder and Loot (FPL) ... by gimleteye

I'm exasperated. I love Florida Power and Light. I love that my lights turn on. My internet works. I love that my a/c makes us cool when it's hot outside. My problem with FPL and its corporate parent, NextEra Energy, is that it misleads its consumer base with respect to safe water supply, safe air quality and a safe environment.

Have you ever noticed how FPL makes an instant television ad buy, the moment that bad news about its corporate malfeasance leak out? In these ads -- you know them- FPL is a good corporate citizen tirelessly working 24/7 to keep our electric rates among the lowest in the nation.

It shouldn't be up to bloggers to point out that politicians -- from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, to the county commissioners around him, to state legislators and especially Gov. Rick Scott and his heir apparent, Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam have bent over backwards to accommodate FPL at Turkey Point, including approving higher output for its aging reactors and blessing early cost recovery (ie. additions to our electric bills) for two new nuclear reactors that in all likelihood will never be built.

In fact, if you want to understand how "truthiness" of corporate America-subsidized democracy morphed into the current ecosystem of "fake news", you would do well to review the turgid history of FPL's problems at Turkey Point and damage to surrounding natural resources that are now the tattered remains of the Everglades ecosystem.

Turkey Point, uniquely in the United States, relies on a vast radiator system to cool water used in the electric generation process before said water is expelled into the environment.

Demonstrably, it has been failing nearly since the moment the two reactors were commissioned in the early 1970s because FPL (Florida Plunder and Loot) has used adjacent lands it owns and lands it does not own, in public trust, as dumping ground for its mistakes. Time after time, FPL made legal binding commitments to the state that it would monitor its pollution plumes. Year after year, FPL failed to disclose the extent of problems until the emerging facts were unavoidable.

Nearly fifty years later, the scientific evidence is piling up that the cooling canals were allowed by the state of Florida in violation of legal, binding agreements FPL made to operate in a manner protecting water resources. What is lost in the mix: that environmental groups have been shouting for decades about the mounting problems at Turkey Point but politicians closed their ears. Maybe it had something to do with the TV ad buys. Maybe it had something to do with the huge campaign contributions FPL and its allied industries make to local office holders, to state legislators, and to members of Congress from Florida.

Last year, FPL came up with an expensive, highly engineered plan to "mitigate" the damage caused by the leaking cooling canals. The system was supposed to be "closed loop", but highly saline and polluted water from the canals is turning up everywhere else. The "mitigation" is anything but assured.

There is a better solution: to require FPL to build conventional cooling towers like those used at every other nuclear facility in the U.S. What is holding FPL back? Hubris.

The corporation doesn't like being told what to do by regulators. Or the public. Or the state. Or the courts. No, this is a corporation that, like so many other industrial enterprises, considers shareholders interests above any other value that might interfere with quarterly profits and "Wall Street expectations".

I am among a dwindling number of fishermen who enjoyed the southern end of Biscayne Bay, near Turkey Point, before the nuclear reactors and the failed cooling canal system. I recall vividly days in the early 1970s spent observing marine life in some of the richest sea grass meadows anywhere in south Florida. Those places are a desert now, plundered and looted by FPL -- a "valued" corporate citizen that keeps our lights on and blocked the collection of data and science violating binding, legal agreements with the state while elected officials looked the other way. Sad!

The Miami Dade County Commission Dominated by a Half Wit, a Poison Pill, a Trump Wannabe Mayor and a very Confused Democrat - Sally Heyman. By Geniusofdespair

There is one vote you can always count on to be wrong, that of County Commissioner Javier Souto. He is the Half wit that makes no sense when he speaks, but speak he does and no one listens. Even the other Commissioners don't listen to him, and the Chair always shuts him down mid-sentence.  Yet, he gets reelected. It is baffling to me. The problem with him is: he is always there to vote. Here is a video of him ranting....



Then we have the poison pill that X-County Commissioner Juan Zapata doomed us with. By announcing he was no longer a candidate until after qualifying was over, he assured the really sneaky Joe Martinez a win. I was so glad we were rid of him but now that he is back we have reverted back to the old evil County Commission. He is like a poison pill that taints the whole process. And we will have 8 years of Martinez because of Juan Zapata.



To top off a dysfunctional County Government we have a not very bright, bully Mayor (Sound familiar on the Federal level?) with a mouthpiece that puppets him along....Michael A. Hernandez: The Mayor's KellyAnne Conway.

Add caption

Because of Democrat Sally Heyman's faux pas (she didn't have to add a resolution to the discussion Friday) and the Mayor, the Camel's nose is not just under the tent because of Friday's vote: THE CAMEL IS IN THE TENT ON IMMIGRATION. New rules including more classes of immigrants who can be picked up have been instituted this week by Republican darling and BFF of Mayor Gimenez, Donald J. Trump. Like, we all knew that was coming.  Gimenez had to know they were coming, the mayor's son is working with Trump as his lobbyist.  Please read my previous blog.

So let's round up all those pesky immigrants -- we are not a sanctuary county thanks to the majority of the county commission (mainly Cubans). The only exceptions to the lethal vote for undocumented immigrants: Xavier Suarez, Jean Monestime and Daniella Levine Cava.

Now two of our State Representatives came out vocally against this weeks rules on rounding up more immigrants. Finally they are vocal: Miami Republicans Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Rep. Carlos Curbello. Where were they last week when we were at the county commission?

My biggest disappointments on the County Commission: Dennis Moss and Rebeca Sosa.

ANGRY CITIZENS at the Feb. 17th Hearing on Sanctuary Designation, THEY EVEN THROW STUFF. By Geniusofdespair

It is not just me. Finally Citizens get their fill of this crappy County Commission. Hear them voice their displeasure with a vote of the County Commission on supporting the Mayor's  --- NO SANCTUARY HERE IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY.

Watch the damn video.  ONLY 2 MINUTES BUT GREAT! THEY ARE EVEN THROWING STUFF AT THE COMMISSION.

Read my previous post about this meeting too.




THE HEROES TODAY:

DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, JEAN MONESTIME, AND THE X-MAN - XAVIER SUAREZ

County Hall Meetiing Today on Sanctuary County. By Geniusofdespair

I am going at 10 and I don't expect much. This County Commission is in lock-step with the Mayor.

Rush, Rush, Rush (Friday 10am Be at County Hall.) By Geniusofdespair

Old News: The Chair of the Democratic Party, Juan Cuba, was ejected from the County Commission meeting last week. He has another go at it this Friday.

Here is an interview with him by Michael Putney and Glenna Golden Milberg. Also Sally Heyman is interviewed, both she and Juan are discussing the County's Sanctuary policy.

Miami Beach passed a resolution that they are a sanctuary City. The County issue will be heard this Friday at County Hall at 10 am because the friggin' Mayor does not make policy even though he thinks he does. Get there early if you want a seat.

Where are the Republicans? In a County with 66.8% Hispanics you would think that they would care about this issue.

New news: Why is the County in such a friggin' rush to NOT be a sanctuary city? Nothing is happening now. Nothing Trump said about them is locked in stone. This would be a process. The funding cuts would have to go through the courts. Sanctuary cities would have to be defined by congress. The County Commission can change their status at anytime during the process. Mayor Gimenez is using the funding cut as a smokescreen and the Commissioners are partaking in the Kool-Ade he cooked up because they are covering for him instead of standing up tall and rejecting the beginning of "ANYONE THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE US HAS TO GO" Trump policy.

I hate to tell you Commissioners, but only Sally Heyman is palatable to the Alt Right. They couldn't give a crap about the rest. Daniella Levine Cava: Jewish -- the "Jewish Problem" is one of their bigley issues. Oh wait, Sally is Jewish too. There isn't anyone in this government safe from the alt right target list. They hate you all "minority folks." Hispanics, lets face it -- Cuban or not -- you are not liked by the Alt Right. They call Rubio "a Spic" on their websites. If you consider that Steve Bannon is the most powerful man in the country, than the Alt Right is in charge and their agenda will be followed: " At the Vatican he (Bannon) praised the rise of radical populist parties that promote a xenophobic brand of nationalism."

Message to Commissioners: NO RUSH - NO FUNDS GONE - IT IS A PROCESS - YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GIVE UP SANCTUARY STATUS - DON"T COVER FOR THE MAYOR WHO IS IN TRUMPS POCKET. Once upon a time Governor Christie was Trumps BFF, Trump turned on him big time. Don't feed Gimenez's ego to be Trump's Man of the minute and dump on your people instead. Anyway here is a video of the TV interview. Sally Heyman: You have time, you never ran scared before, why now?

Re the Commission Meeting where Juan Cuba was ejected: Cecilia Tavera-Webman said "No commissioner questioned Bovo. Or let me put it more bluntly, no commissioner was willing to do the right thing!!!"

The video footage of Juan is the first segment.

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

County Commissioners: TODAY - Vote for Xavier Suarez as Chair. By Geniusofdespair

Vote for balanced government -- for the people, do it for us.

1pm THE NEW CHAIR IS STEVE BOVO.  Xavier Suarez got 5, himself ,Pepe Diaz, Joe Martinez, Daniella Levine and Barbara Jordan.  Audrey Edmonson got the Vice Chair  and she and Dennis Moss and Sally Heyman voted against the interest of their districts -- yeah do you really think that North South corridor is on Steve's horizon? And especially Sally Heyman voted wrong on this one. Oops forgot Bruno Barreiro same goes for him.

What is with these commissioners....major promises from the Mayor I think. Big loss for the County people, Steve Bovo is a big win for the Mayor.

ON YOUR BALLOT: Charter Amendment on Control of Special Purpose Districts in Municipalities. By Geniusofdespair

Sucker punch on your ballot.  Thanks for educating us about this....

I said to myself: What the hell is this on my ballot? Of course, when I don't  know -- I vote no. I asked around about it. I am always hesitant to amend the Charter anyway.

A person in the county I trust said that she could argue either way. "Taxing districts are hyper-local, so maybe cities should run them. Or the County has an economy of scale and it is easier to handle lighting districts with a single point of contact. Also, many cities didn't want the added responsibility."

Bovo sponsored it. Always suspicious when I don't like sponsor.

If a political wonk like me doesn't know what the hell is on the ballot: How is everyone to vote without knowing the issue? Unfair to the people. I am glad I voted no.

County Commission Chair Contenders, What the Gossips IN THE KNOW are Saying. By Geniusofdespair

 Audrey Edmonson feels dissed by Chair Monestime and they had words on the dais. Perhaps other Commissioners feel her pain and will make her the Chair.

Nah, It is the Hispanic turn. Yes, the County Commissioners run a strict, albeit fair, racist enterprise, except to White non-Hispanics. The Blacks and Hispanics take turns being chair every two years. The two White Commissioners don't get a turn. They do get to be vice chair sometimes. There hasn't been a White Chair since Gwen Margolis. Funny when you consider the make-up of the county population in 2015 Census data, 4% separate Whites and Blacks but there are twice as many Black Commissioners.

 Steve Bovo is the most likely choice. He has been being very nice to everyone, not the kind of nice he is to the pretty aides, just more polite. He is lobbying hard, minimizing the ethical lapses surrounding him.

 This one, Joe Martinez wants to be Chair so bad. What a nightmare this guy is. Thank the lord he doesn't have a prayer this cycle and then he will have to wait for the Black Chair reign. I hope to never see this bully as chair ever again.

Why not the X man? County Commissioner Xavier Suarez is in the running with Bovo according to my gossip pals, although they feel Bovo is the favorite, they like Xavier Suarez's chances. The money is on him as well. I think he would be fair. He would be my choice.

Rebeca Sosa is a long shot, she was a very efficient chair last time except for the fatal flaw: Becky appointed Lynda Bell as her vice chair and Lynda Bell tried to out-chair Becky. That was a Big Mistake!

Oh Lord, this would never happen. Even the Commission is not that dumb, to make Pepe Diaz the chair. He is a chair....just there, taking up space, parroting the lobbyists, reading their scripts.

So, Sunshine out the window, they are all jockeying for the position,  buttering up the never will be -- offering them Committees and most probably candy. I would guess Godiva, not shitty, cheap candy.  Maybe they are offering expensive cologne like "The Commissioner." I am sure there is a warehouse somewhere full of the stuff. Check with Joe Martinez, its creator.

Never to be: Souto. That is one thing you can count on. I don't think Souto would even vote for himself. He will die senile in office...if he isn't already...senile. I know he is not dead because he still talks and we all know after 6 seasons of the Walking Dead, they do not speak once dead.

Well, who do you think it will be. Give us a guess. The winner will get a bottle of the Commish.

Breaking News: Judge William Thomas Decides that Petitioners Could Not be Stopped by Evil County Commissioners. By Geniusofdespair

Judge undoes what evil lurks at County Hall. Yesterday Commissioners decided not to put a petition on the ballot. Today a judge decided they were wrong to do that.  Four Commissioner voted right: Jordan, Levine-Cava, Suarez and Monestime. The rest are turkeys. Really.

Rubio would not blue slip Judge William Thomas for the Federal Bench. But Judge Thomas did a solid for the citizens with the campaign finance reform initiative (I heard he gave both sides a thorough grilling):

If there is a question, the Charter should ALWAYS be interpreted liberally in favor of the citizens. It says that in the charter stupid commissioners.

From the Charter

What is wrong with Juan Zapata? Is he having a melt-down. He wants to give Joe Martinez legs? They both are certifiable. This commission is so dumb they will probably make Martinez the chair. It should be the ethically challenged Bovo. Although more fun: Souto. Commission meetings would last 15 hours all the time. and we could have a shot every time he said Cuba -- we would all be drunk every commission meeting.

How about the X man? They would never vote for him.

Breaking News:
Oops the County filed an appeal. These commissioners are really guarding their turf. All you commissioners stop deluding yourself that you are helping us. "This Government has been created to protect the governed not the governing." Every few years the charter review committee rewrites it NOT TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE. The Commissioners appoint the committee.

Campaign Reports as of March 31st: Juan Zapata and Barbara Jordan. By Geniusofdespair

Did you give to Juan Zapata's campaign? He holds the least of any County Commissioners in his account: $130,355 except for Bruno Barreiro (who has no one running against him).

Zapata did get contributions from the Dolphins and the Wet Dream Mall people: Ghermezians.

Dreaded lawyer and lobbyists were also on there, Rodney Baretto, Ron Book, Tracey Slavens. Lasarte law firm and Miguel DeGrandy.

Dreaded developers were also there Century, Kendall Investors 172 and Limonar Development - Alfonso Cordoba). Cordoba is the GREEN CITY developer that wanted to move the UDB for his development. Apparently he still does giving handsomely (at least $5,000 in the campaign account) to Zapata, who did not support the development at the commission last time it surfaced.

Before you judge Juan, know that Barbara Jordan has collected $244,051 with 354 contributions.  Juan has 176 contributions, about half and he has the threat of Joe Martinez running and the threat of the Mayor helping Joe. Dennis Moss has a whopping $318,200, with 416 contributions and no one with any money running against him. Moss also was given an in-kind donation from the Biltmore Hotel of $1,000 (food and beverages) for a fundraising event.

From Barbara Jordan's campaign report.

We, the public, never dreamed that donors would be giving multiple donations from more than one of their companies and also giving to PAC's and ECO's to help a candidate get elected. How do you compete with someone like Barbara Jordan who already has a quarter of a million dollars in her account? Daisy Black is a credible candidate but can't raise that kind of money. She has $4,235 to run against Audrey Edmonson who has about a third of a million.

How do you compete with Mayor Carlos Gimenez who has $1,103,306 in his account? Everyone will say to you "Run for office" but no one will give you money to run against an incumbent. Ask Raquel Regalado how hard it is to raise funds against an incumbent. She has $265,100 -- a very respectable sum -- but next to Carlos Gimeneez's $1,103,306 it is just peanuts.

Barf Report: Joe Martinez wants back in the picture in District 11. By Geniusofdespair

One of the worst County Commissioners we ever had -- Joe Martinez -- is threatening to run again even though he has not opened a campaign account for the District 11 seat.

I think that Carlos Gimenez hates the current Commissioner Juan Zapata so much that he would help Joe raise funds even thhough Joe ran against him for Mayor. The Mayor has spoken to Joe and Jorge Lopez is rumored to be behind the move to get Joe to run. Heaven help us if Joe Martinez gets back in office again. He was so toxic to the County Commission.

I like Juan Zapata. Maybe the moratorium he is requesting for his district has the developers up in arms against him. This is such bad news...I hope it does not pan out. Joe Martinez, the little power hungry thug tried for Mayor and for Congress, nothing worked so he is resurfacing for the County Commission. Ugh. Really, a barfable strong rumor till it is official. But, it would be like having Lynda Bell all over again, someone that the Mayor can count on to do his bidding: another puppet.

County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa Disappoints...There I Said It. By Geniusofdespair

I always liked our Becky, she gets things done. She is a sucker for the spectrum in her dress, she always looks dazzling on the dais but this week Rebeca Sosa disappointed me. Can she still make the righteous move or has she been co-opted by the mayor?

We need Rebeca Sosa to remove Resoultion Item 160277 and replace it with the Executive Mayor Charter Change (or if she lost her cojones she needs to release the Executive Mayor item to another Commissioner). What am I talking about?

Rebeca Sosa has in the county pipeline a Charter Change Item to allow us a vote to repeal the Strong Mayor and return to the Executive Mayor form of government.  But this item is STALLED. Probably on purpose.  I have been calling about it for weeks.

With 160277, that Rebeca just put on the agenda, the Commission will reach their 3 Ballot items limit allowed. We don't really need this Charter Change Ms. Becky. We need to decide about the Executive Mayor vs. the Strong Mayor instead.  We have a bully form of government we did not anticipate. Stupid us - we voted in haste to put a strong mayor in power and we got a bully mayor system instead.

You might not want to fuss with the bully Mayor Carlos Gimenez even though you are a woman of action, but maybe another Commissioner will.

So I most respectfully request that you release the Executive Mayor Resolution or MOVE ON IT and get rid of that stupid Item 160277 that is not in the least important to do.  Is the Mayor pulling your strings?

I still love you Becky, but come on...all us political wonks know what is going on. We just don't know WHY.

4pm ---Her office called and assured me this is going to get done, that I should not despair.  I will take them at their word. I doubt that they made a call,  just to lie directly to me.