A budget of over 2 million dollars of taxpayer money.
15 employees, 5 making over $100,000.
Robert Meyers - $230,747
Michael Murawski - $146,671
Ardyth Walker - $137,097
Manuel Diaz - $106,859
Christina Seymour - $102,320
And what do they have to show for it?
In a County where politicians run free to do as they please.
Where the Mayor of the City of Miami violates state laws by campaigning for his daughter on city time, and allows his staffers to do the same.
Where police so called "sergeant at arms" drive around lobbyists in city SUVs.
Where lawyers for billionaire developers write city ordinances behind the closed doors of the Mayor's office.
When was the last time the Miami Dade Ethics Commission found anyone to be unethical?
Marc Sarnoff operating a law office illegally from his house? DISMISSED
Joe Martinez having a house built by the Latin Builders Association? DISMISSED
Complaints against Jose "Pepe" Diaz? Natasha Seijas? Dorrin Rolle?
ALL DISMISSED
We have an idea.
The entire Miami Dade Commission on Ethics should be DISMISSED.
Starting with Robert Meyers.
They have shown themselves to be a waste of time and taxpayer money.
20 comments:
It does seem the Commission on Ethics is not very cost effective. Obviously, there is massive corruption in Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami yet Robert Meyers and his employees seem oblivious.
Very overpaid employees...
The Ethics Commission is just another way that politicians cover their ass, they can point to the commission and say "oh we did nothing wrong" while the commission is in bed with them. Meanwhile the state attorney does nothing. Miami is a cesspool of corruption and the US Attorney needs to come in here and clean house, starting with Regalado and Sarnoff.
Can't the Ethics investigators see Miami is controled by 2-4 lobbyists? Armando Gutierrez, Steve Marin, Mike Abrams... Who elected them?
Where are the Feds?
Never thought Liaroff would be part of this .. damn!
You can't clean house without replacing Rundles drunk ass.
Rundle a drunk?
The concept of an Ethics Commission is good, it is just that the existing employees in that department are not smart enough to identify the massive number of crimes.
Maybe they should read the blogs?
Executive Director's Message
Robert Meyers
Most people associate gift giving with goodwill, especially during the holiday season. However, County officials and employees may never accept gifts intended to influence their official actions or decisions. Gift regulations help government workers maintain their independence of judgment and treat all citizens impartially. Even lawful, well intentioned gifts can create an appearance of impropriety and contribute to the erosion of the public’s trust.
Below are questions County employees frequently ask about accepting gifts. If you have additional concerns, please contact the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics.
What is a gift?
A gift is something of value that you’ve been given and haven’t paid for.
What are some examples of gifts?
In the office, gifts may include holiday baskets, flowers, or food trays. At conferences and meetings, gifts of travel, lodging, meals, beverages, or souvenirs may be offered.
Tickets or passes to parks, sporting events, entertainment performances, and charitable galas are also gifts. Rebates or discounts may qualify as gifts, too, but not when the rebate or discount is made in the regular course of business to any member of the public.
As a County employee, may I accept a gift?
You may never accept a gift intended to influence you in making an official decision or in taking an official action. You may never accept a tip or gratuity for performing your public duties. If a citizen is pleased with your service, the citizen may write a letter of commendation to your supervisor.
Even if no influence is intended, accepting a gift may create the appearance of impropriety.
What is the best way to prevent an appearance of impropriety regarding gifts?
Many individuals and departments donate gifts they receive to nonprofit organizations and then send letters to the donors stating how they’ve disposed of the gifts.
May my department accept a holiday food basket intended to be shared?
If the gift is sent with no intent to influence official actions, some departments allow food baskets to be shared among workers. Check first with your department supervisor to be sure that no specific restrictions apply to your department. Again, donating the gift to a charity is always a good option.
Are any gifts absolutely not allowed?
Yes, gifts from County vendors related to travel may not be accepted. This means that a County vendor may not pay for your transportation, lodging, meals, registration fees, or incidental expenses associated with travel. The prohibition does not apply to travel expenses paid by other governmental entities or by organizations that the County has joined, if the travel is related to the County’s membership in the organization.
Is the value of the gift important to know?
Yes, gifts valued at more than $100 must be disclosed on a gift disclosure form. The form can be found at http://www.miamidadeethics.com/RighthandBarWebsiteTools/FormTable.html.
Are there any situations when a gift need not be reported, regardless of its value?
Yes, the following is a list of gifts that are not required to be disclosed:
Political contributions specifically authorized by state law
Gifts from relatives or members of one’s household
Awards for professional or civic achievement
Materials such as books, reports, periodicals, or pamphlets that are solely informational or promotional in nature
Gifts solicited for use solely in conducting official County business
May I ask for or accept a gift to be used solely by the County?
Yes, you may ask for or accept gifts if they will be used solely for conducting official County business.
As a County employee, may I ask for a gift to benefit a good cause?
Only County Commissioners and their staffs may solicit gifts on behalf of nonprofit organizations. The gift must be used solely by that organization and neither the Commissioner nor his or her staff may receive any compensation as a result of the solicitation.
What the hell has Robert Meyers actually done in his capacity as the Director of the Miami/Dade Ethics Commission?
From what's being discussed around the office, this isn't the first time Mr. Meyers has acted "unethical"..
I really think it's time to clean house there. The entire upper management is just as corrupt as the politicians they're supposed to be investigating instead of worrying what the sexratary is wearing for her "nooner" with the boss.
It's all so very sad.
Fire them ALL,
let God sort it out.
Isn't Robert Meyers married?
Investigation Miami and/or Take Back Miami:
How effective is Ethics Commission? I would like to see a list of all the cases filed and investigated by the Ethics Commission and the action taken for the past three year to determine their effectiveness.
If they have been non-effective, it is time to really have Robert Meyers remove along with the investigators or abolish the Office all together.
Pepe Diaz was told: "Commission letterhead must be used only for official county business" hmmm....what about lunch dates with the Ethics Director's secretary? Read on what Booby says:
Use of a county letterhead seal for non-government related purposes caused an extensive discussion last week between Commission vice Chair Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Robert Meyers, the ethics executive director. Diaz when discussing some proposed legislation asked if it was okay to send a letter on commission stationary to a constituent after say graduating from college or school, but Meyers said that was not an official public duty, especially if the person was not known or had not worked for the commissioner. The ethics director said such a letter with the commission seal could be used for other purposes, and while he understood that it is done at state and federal levels. If the correspondence is not related to a commissioner’s county’s duties, official county commission stationary should be avoided. Meyers said it could say “from the desk of” but Diaz and others objected to these constraints, with the commissioner asking what it even means when a letter says from the desk of, since the desk is not writing the letter. This one issue is going to be further refined in the future and it will come back to the committee.
Finance Department Employee says....
I read the Crespo-Gram Report and you have it all wrong about this woman Melania Basile.
Now my Director, Diana Gomez and Melania Basile, are going around saying that they know the folks behind these blogs and can use their connections to post whatever story they tell'em to post.
Please tell me this is not true IM, Crespo-Gram Report, and Take Back Miami.
Mr. Meyers, now that Commissioner Sarnoff, as of last Friday, officially received violation notices #3 & #4 for operating an illegal law firm out of a residential home and operating a business without a BTR, is your lazy ass going to skip one of your "lunch dates" and actually do what the taxpayers pay you to do?
Stop chasing pussy and start chasing down the crooked politicians who are making you look the proverbial monkey and the organ grinder!
Have you no shame sir?
Is Robert Meyers married?
Yes, he is married, but he likes to tell the ladies that he's having "marital issues".
This is Al Crespo, and I'm the one that you need to address your post to, not IM, or Take Back Miami. I know that people continue to believe that somehow these blogs/websites are all the work of one individual and/or that we're in cahoots, but that is not the truth.
I wrote my piece about Melania Basile based on the information that I obtained from a public record's request of her personnel file, and from conversations that I had with several people at the MRC building.
No one in Finance, and/or any other department can tell me what to write. I ask for documents and try to track down information, if they give it to me, then I try to do the best that I can with the information that I have.
I have received additional information today that wasn't complimentary about Ms. Basile, and then again, I revisited one of my sources who was - and is no big fan - of Ms. Basile, but who maintained the same position that they had taken last week, that she's a worker bee, who isn't the smart bee in the hive, but who does her job, and doesn't fuck it up.
That Ms. Basile was a friend of Ms Gomez, and that that friendship played a part in her getting her job, I have no doubt. But the same could probably be said for 25% or more of the people who work for the city. The real world is complicated, messy and most of all human. We all do things for any number of reasons that don't always match up with the ideals that we espouse. I after all, used to rob banks.
I will continue to keep track of Ms. Basile, but quite frankly, with the flagrant levels of outright chicanery that is going on in City Hall - where today I had a senior official tell me that they wouldn't reveal information to me because it would get them in trouble - a city employee who makes $44,000 a year and isn't in a position to engage in the kind of outright corruption that I'm uncovering on a daily basis, is like the cops going after somebody smoking weed on their porch. I'm after the dealers, the wholesalers and the importers, if you understand the analogy.
But, no matter what, when you read it on the Crespo-Gram Report, you address your concerns to me. That's why I put my name on it.
Al,
I love your candor. What a blessing you are to the citizens of Miami. Thank you!
City of Miami Taxpayer
Ethics Commission needs to take a course on ethics.
This is Miami. Members of the Ethics staff seem deaf, dumb and blind.
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