As reported by us this morning, City Manager Tony Crapp Jr. has hired former FBI agent Paul Philip to be Chief Miguel Exposito's babysitter, with a fancy title "Special Advisor on Public Safety."
The Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office confirmed the appointment, but conveniently left out the $70,000 in salary that City taxpayers will have to fork over to have Mr. Phillip try and keep Chief Exposito under control.
This is the first time in memory that a Miami city manager makes such an unprecedented appointment.
We are also sure that added to his base salary, Mr. Phillip will receive the requisite phone and car "allowances" and other generous benefits that bureaucrats bestow on each other.
Among his duties:
-Provide recommendations ... regarding ... oversight and management of the police department.
-Assess succession plan for all ranks.
-Evaluate all training.
-Assess morale.
We always thought this was the job for the Chief of Police.
Chief Exposito already makes $196,000 a year.
And now add $70,000+ to the equation.
All because Mayor Regalado can't or won't fire Expo.
Local Spanish language blogger Nelson Horta reports exclusively that Tony Crapp Jr. has named former Miami FBI office director Paul Phillip to oversee the operations of the Miami Police Department.
Phillip's former roles in Government included a stint in former Miami Dade County Mayor Alex Penela's office where he led a special team to fight corruption and crime.
We all know how well that ended up.
If this is in fact the case and Mr. Phillip has been brought in to oversee the Chief of Police, it is the first time in city history where this has occurred where an overseer is brought in to reign the top law enforcement official in the city.
It's been over two weeks since the controversial City of Miami Commission meeting where Reverend Richard Dunn called for the Commission to remove Police Chief Miguel Exposito.
Since then, Chief Exposito has been the subject of several press articles questioning his credibility, including Chuck Rabin explaining away the Mayor's lies about the "predator" video and Dianne Fernandez telling us how scared cops are.
Today, the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office yet again publishes more negative news on Chief Exposito, making public what everyone already knows, that the Chief and the State Attorney do not see eye-to-eye.
Lost in all this is the role, or lack thereof, of Mayor Tomas Regalado.
In his typical way, the Mayor is using others to do his dirty work. First it was using Reverend Dunn as his errand house boy, and now it's using his friends in the press.
As Mayor Regalado demonstrated with Chief John Timoney, he knows exactly how to get rid of a police chief.
The Mayor is jeopardizing the safety of the city by not taking decisive action on this matter.
Already it is being rumored that heavy divisions exist within the City of Miami Police department, and we all know the saying about a house divided.
Meanwhile, we already have six police shootings and violent crime continues to rise.
So why won't Tomas fire Expo?
Either the Mayor really has no balls, or Expo is holding something over the Mayor's head.
Rumors abound that the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office will take the negative press on Chief Exposito even further.
Developing...
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Several days ago a very interesting post made its way to the Leo Affairs police blog website regarding Dianne Fernandez and a story she was allegedly preparing on City of Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito.
I have a friend that lives on Brickell Key, who told me that Channel 7 reporter Dianne Fernandez Is getting ready to blast our police department. It turns out that she is a friend and neighbor of Tommy Regalado, the Mayor's son. Their kids play together in the playground, and she and her husband frequently go out together with Tommy and his wife.
As a favor to Tommy, who has a vendetta against MPD, because the chief exposed his potential profitting from the proposed MPD reality show, Miami's Finest, She is digging up any dirt she can get on our department. My friend tells me they are even filming our guys out there in hopes of cathing them doing something wrong.
This is highly unethical when a reporter stoops this low for personal reasons. I know Channel 7 is tabloid news, but this goes beyond anything they've done before. She's not even an investigative reporter.
The news director at Channel 7 better get on the stick before this blows up in their face.
The entire story is based on anonymous sources because the otherwise tough "predator" cops are too afraid to speak out against the Chief.
"Opponents of the chief have expressed fear because of their views concerning Exposito. "Just an atmosphere of fear. It's a gestapo type of atmosphere," one officer said. "The chief is trying so hard to stay there that he's doing things that shouldn't be done, and everybody on the force knows that."
"Officers are afraid. Absolutely I'm scared. I'm scared for my not safety, because they're not going to hurt me physically, but they can hurt my career," a second officer said. "I think it's corrupt from the top. Absolutely."
This is the same police department who trailed former Chief John Timoney, performing surveillance to catch him in the now infamous "Lexus Gate" but they are now too afraid to speak up against Chief Exposito.
Fernandez echoes the climate of fear created by Mayor Regalado:
Another police officer said, "There have been allegations that he's following members of the department who don't agree with what is happening right now."
The allegations were brought to light earlier in the month when City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said he was being followed. "I was concerned for me and my family," the mayor said.
Miami City Manager Tony Crapp, Jr. is currently reviewing the Exposito's controversial tenure as Miami's police chief. Crapp is the only person with the power to fire Exposito.
Perhaps Ms. Fernandez should have asked Mayor Regalado why the fuck he hired Exposito in the first place!
Lost in all this is that Mayor Regalado's first official act in office was to fire John Timoney and replace him with Exposito.
The Mayor brought this upon himself and is now trying to act as though he had nothing to do with it, while a very complicit press let's him get away with it.
Bottom line:
Whether you are Team Tommy or Team Expo, this bullshit two-ring circus is driving the city to a halt.
And while our focus this week has been on the recall over at the County, it's time to start thinking about how a recall can fix the giant mess the City of Miami is in.
Politicians and bureaucrats are the gift that keeps on giving.
Long after March 15th, when the fate of Mayor Carlos Alvarez and County Commissioner Natasha Seijas is decided, and long after a vote to eliminate the position of County Manager...
All three will stick taxpayers with a massive bill.
All three will potentially end up being "fired" from their jobs, Alvarez and Seijas through recall, and Burgess through a vote to eliminate his position.
Yet, all three will collect lifetime pensions that all of us will have to pay.
Also remember that both Alvarez and Burgess will collect six figure pensions for the rest of their lives.
So the question is:
If you are recalled or your position is eliminated, do you deserve a pension?
Billionaire Norman Braman has successfully caused Mayor Carlos Alvarez to face a recall vote on March 15.
What Billionaire Norman Braman has not done is explain to voters what will happen if the Mayor is actually removed from office.
Today we get a hint from the (not to surprising) announcement that County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez is throwing his hat in the ring to be County mayor.
"[I]f an election is held and voters remove Alvarez, commissioners could choose to appoint a mayor for the remainder of Alvarez's term. Such a move would push back a county mayor election until November 2012."
Does anyone in their right mind think that Chairman Joe Martinez and the rest of the County Commissioners are not chomping at the bit to appoint someone to be "interim" mayor?
"I will get back to you with an incredibly well written 'Cover-Your-Ass' memorandum Commissioner..."
Beginning with Miami for Change, and now with Take Back Miami, we have spent the last few years uncovering the otherwise covered underbelly of Miami-Dade politics.
If there is a single story, a single person, that captures everything that is wrong with Miami-Dade County politics, and why Miami-Dade residents should have no confidence in their government, that dubious distinction would go to Bureaucrat in Chief, County Manager George Burgess.
Burgess, who takes $422,000 a year in taxpayer salary, (incidentally MORE than President Barack Obama's $400,000 salary) continues to oversee the complete meltdown of Miami-Dade County government.
A federal audit made public late Monday sharply criticizes Miami-Dade Transit for shoddy financial management and weak internal controls -- including improper accounting for bus fare boxes and a failure to document how federal grant money has been spent.
The audit comes two months after the Federal Transit Administration took the extraordinary step of suspending grant payments totaling about $182 million to the county-run transit agency.
In the latest sign of weak financial controls in Miami-Dade government, the county must pay back $3.6 million in federal grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after a federal audit found that county officials couldn't show the money was properly used.
The county's latest problems with HUD -- which administrators unveiled at a County Commission meeting Thursday -- come just two years after the federal agency returned control of the troubled Miami-Dade Housing Agency to county hands after 15 months under HUD supervision.
The county has spent $6.2 million to renovate the historic Lyric Theater, but its completion is on hold while prosecutors investigate alleged fraud by the project's construction manager.
The renovation of Overtown's historic Lyric Theater has been halted as Miami-Dade prosecutors investigate allegations that the project's construction manager pilfered hundreds of thousands of county dollars.
Individually, any one of these disasters would be enough to place any public official in some hot water, never mind the private sector where such a person would join the rank of the 13% County unemployed.
And yet, Burgess continues to survive, explaining away the mess.
“We’re well on our way to correcting things; it’s a work in progress.”
George, it's been a work in progress since the minute you took over the reigns at the County!
For this "work in progress," we the taxpayers shell out $422,000 to Mr.Burgess.
Granted, Mr. Burgess is no fool. In his nearly three decades in County government, Burgess has surrounded himself with a cadre of acolytes, all richly rewarded in the six figures, who form a protective shield of bureaucracy around him. In this tangled web, he with the most knowledge wins, and Burgess sure knows how to play the game.
And so, Miami-Dade County residents must continue to put up and pay for complete and total incompetence, while Burgess and his army of bureaucrats, with our money, laugh all the way to the bank.
But there is one person who can stop all this, and he faces an election March 15.
So the question becomes:
Mayor Alvarez: why is George Burgess still employed?
The Miami Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee said she turned down the invite to tonight's dinner at the White House "without a moment's hesitation.
"I don't know if it's appropriate as a refugee of Communism to be sitting, with a lot of pomp and chit chat, with a leader who has instituted economic reforms but has not opened the political arena," she said.
The Chairman then took the opportunity of a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao to deliver a letter calling for reforms.
The Congresswoman stated how:
"At the onset of the meeting, I hand-delivered to the Chinese leader a copy of a letter I sent to President Obama outlining strong concerns about Chinese actions on the security, economic, and human rights fronts,”
"I then had an opportunity at the end of today’s meeting to challenge Mr. Hu to free Liu Xiaobo, Gao Zhisheng, and other dissidents held in prison; to respect the rights of the Tibetan and Uyghur people; to end the persecution of the underground Christians and Falun Gong practitioners, and to end China’s policy of forced abortion."
Whether you agree with the Congresswoman or not, at least she stood on principle, and is intellectually honest and consistent in her opposition to Communism.
Contrast with our Mayor Tomas Regalado.
For a man who made a living on Spanish language radio calling everyone a Communist (including Gloria Estefan), the Mayor did not flinch at allowing himself to be used as a propaganda puppet by the Chinese regime.
The Chinese ambassador said how "the people of Miami are lucky to have a mayor who shows great concern on the development of Sino-U.S. relations, the friendship between China and Miami and the welfare of the local people."
"Mr. Regalado expressed his gratitude to Consul General Gao and said his team highly values the relationship between Miami and China."
The same Tomas Regalado who rushes to the airport to great recently released Cuban political prisoners openly embraces the Chinese ambassador.
Such a double standard only calls into question his sincerity, and shows how Communists are "bad" only when it is politically convenient.
If you needed any more evidence as to the depths of how badly the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office is in the tank for Mayor Regalado, look no further than this weekend's puff piece on First Daughter and School Board Member Raquelita Regalado.
In spite of being in office less than three months, Raquelita is already "Forging Change for Our Children" simply through her magical presence on the School Board.
The article, written by local filmmaker Joe Cardona, is replete with platitudes about Raquelita being "assertive, straight-forward, and insightful."
Cardona even threw a soft curve ball:
"The skeptic in me asked if that meant she would be willing to share some of her district's resources with ``needier'' neighboring areas. She instantly responded with a resolute ``Yes.''
Yes! Of course!
The skepticism did not extend to a single question about her open advocacy on the School Board of La Ley Sports (where the Mayor's 4th Son Angel Zayon and City of Miami communications director is listed as a director) or about the involvement of city workers in her school board campaign, working on city time.
Raquelita is "[f]rank, to the point and no doubt daring," but she did not take time to be "frank" about how her father Mayor Regalado is running Miami into the ground, and specifically his circus infighting with his hand-picked police chief.
While we are on it, it seems that the elder Regalado has managed to piss off the other Mayor, Carlos Alvarez, and every Miami-Dade cop with his insensitive comments regarding the recent police shootings.
Appearing on Michael Putney over the weekend, Mayor Alvarez (the former Miami Dade Police director) was asked by Putney why the SWAT was not used in this incident, as Mayor Regalado suggested.
"It's a completely different scenario,'' Alvarez answered. ``This is not a case where you know, for a fact, that there is an armed subject in the house so you call in SWAT, which can plan an attack and bring special tactics."
So much for Mayor Regalado's police tactical expertise.
But this is not a contrast you will find coming from the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office.
We also wonder if the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office will run similar puff pieces on other newly elected School Board members, including young Carlos Curbelo (whom we heard is already making waves on the Board).
Somehow, we doubt it.
For now at the Herald Press Office, It's all Regalado, all the time.
After saying that he would fight "violence with violence" and creating the climate that saw two Metro Dade Police officers shot to death, Mayor Tomas Regalado is once again playing the Spanish/English divide.
At the end of the piece, 28th minute, the Channel 41 reporter says that off camera, the Mayor added how:
This probably would not have happened to the City of Miami police, first because they know and understand this sort of delinquent criminal in that they are used to dealing with them daily and second because we would have sent in the SWAT team that uses a different protocol.
Not only are these comments terribly insensitive and divisive in light of two Metro-Dade Officers being shot, but it is the type of comment that because it was said to a Spanish language TV station, have gone under the radar of English speaking media, especially the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office.
Regardless of which agency served the warrant, two officers are dead.
Let us also remind everyone that had it not been for the Crespo Gram Report, and subsequently Miami for Change, the Miami Herald Mayor's Press Office, would NEVER have shown the "fight violence with violence" statement that added fuel to the Summer of Violence.
In their report, Channel 41 interviewed the mother of the criminal that shot the two officers.
She said her son last told her, they are coming to kill me, so I will shoot first.
This is the type of environment that Mayor Tomas Regalado has created in the African American neighborhoods of our city.
Regalado's was known for reckless statements as a commissioner, but now as mayor, his recklessness is costing lives.
If you would like to help, please make your checks payable to "The Dade County PBA Love Fund" earmarked for Officers Castillo and Haworth in the memo section of your check. Our mailing address is 10680 NW 25 Street, Miami, Fl 33172.
The Dade County PBA Love fund is a federally recognized charitable organization [501 (c) (3)] established in 1984 to aid law enforcement officers and their families in their time of need including assisting the families of officers killed in the line of duty. Your donations are tax deductible and 100 percent of the money goes to the families. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Stephanie Womble at (305) 593-0044.
Does anyone remember Miami ancient history, say a little over a year ago?
Manny Diaz was still in office, and no matter what The Herald wrote about him, every single story contained a quote from the "opposition" Commissioner Tomas Regalado.
Commissioner Tomas Regalado ran his mayoral campaign, not based on ideas or principles, but as the "anti-Manny," a position and moniker Chuck Rabin and the Miami Herald quickly latched onto.
Now fast forward, and with today's piece of drivel "news" story, the Miami Herald has proven once again that they are nothing more than Mayor Regalado's press office.
Where are the opposing views in ANY of the Miami Herald's reporting on Mayor Regalado?
Is there not a single person who disagrees with the Mayor in all of Miami?
Does anyone remember when the Herald would call on their cast of characters: Grace Solares, Elvis Cruz, Steve Hagen, and ethics expert Professor Anthony Alfieri?
Today's story is so biased it could have been written by any member of the Mayor's Press staff.
Here are some more examples:
The Herald article on Tony Crapp Jr.'s salary makes no attempt to compare his $197,000 salary to similarly sized cities, or to the private sector. The wisdom of an $800 car allowance and $200 phone allowance is never questioned. The mayor's assertion that this is "a lean compensation package" is never challenged.
The Herald ran a reprint of a red light camera story from the Palm Beach Post, where an overwhelming majority of those ticketed are having their suits dismissed. The Herald never questioned the $8 million in expected budget revenues to the City from a program that is already in trouble in other parts of the state. The Herald has also never asked how much compensation Lobbyist Armando Gutierrez received for his involvement in the red light camera procurement.
The Herald has forgotten about Pieter Bockweg and the C.R.A., who on Monday will try to reinstate all of the supposed salary cuts and perks he expects as executive director of said agency for himself, and the two former Sarnoff staffers.
Now, just think of all the stories that have been featured here, on Miami for Change, Investigation Miami, and the Crespo Gram Report.
Could the Herald not find the time to further investigate any of them?
And think about why it is that local bloggers beat the Herald to major news stories, only to have the Herald article appear days later, peppered with quotes, explanations, and excuses from the Mayor.
The citizens of Miami deserve and demand that our local newspaper maintain the mayor accountable, not just act as his mouthpiece.
Only in Miami does the "newspaper of record" go out of its way to exonerate and explain away the Mayor's lies.
The Miami Herald, and reporter Chuck Rabin, should be ashamed of themselves for losing all journalistic principles, having left them at the door of the bank on their way to cash the massive check from the billboard industry.
Last year, when this blog uncovered the massive Giant LED billboard deception and when we called for the removal of Chief Exposito during the Summer of Violence, the Miami Herald was late to the game, remaining silent until they were prepared to explain the Mayor's position.
When the Mayor hired the most unqualified City Manager in decades, the Herald didn't miss a beat, excusing the actions calling Mr. Crapp Jr. a "people person."
The excuses continue.
Let us be very clear: we do not care whether Tommy Jr. was or was not the executive producer of the "predator" video. That is not the point.
The point is that when asked, the mayor plainly stated:
"He has nothing to do with that film, he is not the executive producer..."
After that statement, the picture above emerges, with Tommy Jr.s name as "executive producer" and we learn that the "non-involvement" means that:
"The idea for a TV series came up a year ago in a conversation between Moreno and his friend, Tommy Regalado, the mayor's son. Regalado then introduced Moreno to Miami police brass."
Tommy was involved, and then not involved.
A very simple statement from the Mayor should have read how his son was involved, was given credit as executive producer as a gesture from the real producers, but after realizing the conflict, backed away.
That explanation makes sense and would have ended the controversy.
But that is very different from standing in front of the City Commission and saying that Tommy Jr. "has nothing to do with that film, he is not the executive producer..."
And of course the Herald stays silent until they are given the exculpatory emails from the Mayor's office.
Mayor Regalado has a very long history in the City of Miami of having it both ways, with the Miami Herald and Chuck Rabin being willing participants in his lies.
What's sadder than the Herald's acquiescence in Regalado's lies are the utter failure to hold him accountable for a City where poverty remains high, unemployment is at double digits, and the economy stagnant.
It used to be the Herald cared about such issues, now all they care about is protecting one of their own.
(a) U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
(b) U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
(c) The entire Florida Congressional Delegation
(d) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
(e) The Commander of all U.S. Forces in Afghanistan
(f) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
(g) Every member of the President's Cabinet
(h) Every member of the President's staff
(i) The President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate
(j) The Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate
(k) The Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate
(l) The Comptroller General of the United States
(m) Every judge on the U.S. Courts of Appeal
(n) Every judge on the U.S. District Courts
(o) Every single member of Governor Rick Scott's staff
(p) The median salary for an attorney in Miami
(q) The median salary for a retail store manager for Miami
(r) The median salary for a registered nurse in Miami
(s) The median salary for a public school teacher in Miami
(t) The median salary for an accountant in Miami
(u) The median household income for all holders of a Bachelor's Degree
(v) The median household in Miami
(w) The median household in Miami-Dade County
(x) The median household in Florida
(y) The median household in the United States
(z) All of the above
Not bad for a guy whose only job has been staffer to Tomas Regalado.
With the bitch slapping going on between Chief Expo and Mayor Regalado, we almost forgot to tell you, Tony Crapp hit the motherload!
More money than Obama's Chief of Staff William Daley.
More money than U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.
More money than General David Petraeus.
Mayor Tomasito always says Miami is a "poor city" and that we are in a "financial crisis."
But the City always has money to pay its bureaucrats!
$185,000 base salary.
$800 monthly car allowance.
$200 cell phone allowance.
Plus health insurance, vacation and sick day goodies, and other benefits.
But the Herald take the spin...
"Commissioners set Crapp's annual salary, excluding benefits, at $185,000. That is about 16 percent less than the $220,000 a year that the city paid Migoya's predecessor, Pete Hernandez."
And to think, Tony only has about 16 percent less experience than Pete!
These are benefits that are only dreamed of in the private sector.
But Mayor Regalado talks the fiscal responsibility talk:
"It's a lean compensation package."
Yeah Mayor, tell that to all the unemployed and underemployed people in the city, asshole!
"My son was involved in a conversation before here. He has nothing to do with that film, he is not the executive producer, the only thing he did because he was excited that someone wanted to film something good for the City of Miami Police Department, is that he introduced the producers to the police department."
"He has nothing to do with that film. He was not an executive producer. He introduced the producer to the police department.''
Multiple sources can now confirm that Tommy Jr.'s name does in fact appear as Executive Producer at the end of the infamous "Miami's Finest: Special Operations Section" video.
The video is making the rounds in the local media but only Spanish language Channel 41 has shown it on TV. The TBM team is working on getting a copy of the newscast on which the video appeared and will have it posted here as soon as we obtain the footage.
We are told that both the Miami Herald and Miami New Times are sitting on the video.
The end credits were also conveniently cut short by Reverend Commissioner Richard Dunn when he showed the now infamous video to his Commission colleagues, but 41 aired the entire thing, with Junior's name included.
This story has legs, and they reach all the way to the top of City Hall, where Daddy lies to cover up his son's involvement.
The Godson promoted from Lieutenant to Deputy Chief of Police, and now Deputy City Manager...
The former Chief of Staff who after eight months of "shadowing" the former City Manager, and no experience whatsoever is tapped to be the City's top bureaucrat.
The Daughter who used City workers and resources for her election to the School Board, and raided Mayor Daddy's fundraising rolls.
The Elder son who WAS NOT involved in any way with the now infamous MPD "Predators" video, except he put the producers together with the cops.
The Younger Son who is a "volunteer" for Mayor Daddy, working as Chief of Staff...
NOW COMES
The Fourth Son!!!
Angel Zayon, who SPEAKS NO ENGLISH, lands a cushy job at the City of Miami, thanks to Mayor Daddy Regalado.
Even by Miami standards, however, the latest contretemps inside City Hall seem strange.
Many current and former city officials say they are concerned that Miami is backsliding into political dysfunction. After decades of tumult, the city has enjoyed a period of relative stability of late, with balanced budgets, a relatively low crime rate and a somewhat civil political tone.
“It feels like the hand of the past is grabbing us and trying to drag us back,” said Marc Sarnoff, a commissioner whose district encompasses much of Miami’s waterfront.
Back to where Chairman Marc David Sarnoff, Esquire? The days when city commissioners were corrupt? And what exactly are YOU doing to stop it?
When Mayor Regalado ran for his current office, he promised to bring Miami "Back to Basics," and now we see what he meant.
Mayor Regalado has returned the City of Miami to the darkest days of Banana Republicanism, with his cronyism, constant populist bullshit demagoguery and outright lies, and fatcat lobbyist Armando Gutierrez' backroom deals.
The Carollo/Suarez days had nothing on this!
Miami has indeed backslid into the days of dysfunctional politics - fiscal crises, increasing crime, and a coarse political tone - all causing embarrassment to the citizens of Miami.
In the fight for his job, Chief Expo dropped a massive bomb on the city commission, revealing that the Mayor's son is a producer in the infamous "Predators" video.
Commissioner Reverend Dunn engaged in a lengthy diatribe on why Expo should be canned that included showing the video, then calling for the Commission to vote "no confidence" on the Chief.
The motion was quickly canned by Chairman Gort, due to potential legal issues arising from the Charter provisions where the Manager can recommend firing the Chief of Police only for cause.
Then Chief Exposito asked to answer Dunn's charges, a request that Sarnoff supported.
The Chief then said that he never signed off on the video, and that Mayor's son is a producer on the reality show. Exposito expressed concern that the Mayor's son would profit from the actions of the MPD public agency.
Dunn and Exposito continue the feud and the commission will not take action.
Now, as we said earlier, People Person Manager Tony Crapp is caught in the middle...
In a nutshell: unless you are Tony, or authorized by Tony, you have no business talking to the press.
Now don't think that this will have the effect of preventing leaks to the media. Like all other APMs, it will be used as a tool of retribution to go after the Mayor's enemies. Case in point is the APM prohibiting political campaigns on City time. Both Jose "Pepe" Fulgeira and Jose Marrero of the Mayor's staff violated the APM and were never reprimanded.
This APM is indicative of the bunker mentality that has besieged City Hall. Where "the cops" are following the Mayor. And the City Manager's number one concern is to silence any opposition of dissent.
We are anxious to see how this attack on the media is perceived by Regalado's buddy and lap dog Chuck Rabin and the rest of the folks at the Herald Ivory Billboard Tower.
"As far as who can communicate with the media, that number has shrunk from pretty much every employee with an opinion to just Crapp and his staff, and the designated public information officers for the Police and Fire departments."
So much for Regalado's promise of "transparency" and "accountability."
Maybe finally Chuck and the rest of Miami Media will start to realize what an asshole Regalado is.
What is more chilling is that reporters are traditionally assigned to shine a light on the inner workings of public officials, to shed a light so that taxpayers may make informed decision, the press honors its role of holding elected officials accountable.
These actions will make that job that much harder.
Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised the officers' training for reducing the number so greatly over the decades.
"It is a tribute to the police officers' training and restraint as well as a reflection of a safer city that fatalities have plummeted despite an increase in police numbers and in the capacity of their firearms," Kelly said.
The reason for fewer shootings isn't that there are fewer confrontations, it's that the officers are being held more accountable, said Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police studies at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
"Police officers are placed on modified duty, there is a lot of negative press, there is a review after the incident, they face discipline, there is accountability, more now then there has been before," she said. "It can make them think twice before firing their weapons."
Overall, NYPD officers are firing fewer times and the number of people killed by police bullets each year has hovered around a dozen during the past decade. The numbers are low even as it has become easier to shoot: Before 1993, officers were armed with six-shot revolvers compared to today's 16-shot semiautomatic pistols.
The four gold stars, the not so plush office on the fourth floor.
You couldn't choose your number two, the mayor did that for you, and now you will pay the price for pissing off Luisito and making him cry.
You melted our hearts when you delivered toys to the little Italian tourist boy that was shot last New Year, further averting a "public relations nightmare."
We loved your "anti-corruption" press conference alongside Mayor Regalado, and we applauded you for arresting city employees that took extra paper clips home. Never mind that darn state attorney who didn't prosecute any of them.
We shared your frustration at not being able to find Manny Diaz' bike. We wish you would have caught the Grove and Brickell Rapists (yes, they are still on the loose...)
Your boys shot and killed six black men, but they were all crooks anyway. Plus, we were tired of the "kinder gentler" Timoney City of Miami Police.
You brought back the days of the tight shirts, steroids, and "predators."
"We hunt. That's what I like. I like to hunt..." said one of your top cops. And as civilian citizens of a Republic, that's just the type of talk we love from those we give guns and badges to.
In the end, you responded to "violence with violence..."
But in the words of the good book:
"Live by the sword, die by the sword."
Or in your case Expo...
The faxes from the donut shop.
Have fun in your retirement beach apartment (and spending your massive pension)!
P.S., we don't think you're going anywhere, last we heard, you got Sarnoff, Suarez, and Carollo's votes, but it's Miami Bitches, so it can all change...
More trouble at the Miami-Dade County Transit Agency, with the Herald reporting that a late Monday afternoon letter from the FTA to Miami-Dade Transit finding "serious financial management oversight and internal control issues."
Seems like everyone in Miami-Dade politics is fighting for their lives.
County Commissioner Seijas, who now faces the second recall attempt in less than five years, is on the warpath, fighting off the efforts to boot her from office.
Her latest salvo is a lawsuit aimed at the County, citing issues with the recall process. And who at the County is supposed to defend the lawsuit?
None other than bureaucrat County Attorney Robert "Bob" Cuevas.
Check out this county commission love-fest when Cuevas was hired.
Cuevas' response to the suit has been lukewarm, saying that:
Seijas should take up her beef with the Clerk of Courts, who approved the allegedly flawed recall petitions, not with the county, whose ``sole role is ministerial'' in holding an election when told by the Clerk that one is warranted.
But why do you think Seijas filed her suit at the County?
The Herald goes on to state how: Cuevas is in a potentially dicey spot in defending the case. Seijas -- along with other county commissioners -- can fire the county attorney, sets his salary and votes on his office's budget. Former Miami-Dade County Attorney Murray Greenberg said the scenario raises the ``potential for a conflict of interest."
Bob,
Natasha can have you fired, sets your very high salary, and controls your budget...
New developing insider information reveals that Mayor Tomas Regalado, the famed $5,000 man, is possibly receiving monetary kickbacks from the illegal gambling operations that City of Miami Police raided this past late October.
Sources close to the investigation have revealed to us that there is a link between the gambling machine ordinance, the raids, and Regalado's insistence that the raid be canceled by police.
According to these sources, authorities are investigating whether Mayor Regalado received monetary payment from gambling consortia for the passage of the ordinance, and the command to police to stop the raid on the highly profitable machines.
When Regalado could not stop the raid, the gambling operators held Regalado's feet to the fire, causing Regalado to increase the friction in his already tense relationship with Chief Exposito.
If found to be true, these allegations could seriously jeopardize Mayor Regalado's future as mayor, causing him to be removed from office, and a special election for mayor to take place.
Just when you thought it could not get any more bizarre in the City, now we have a paranoid Mayor claiming he is being followed around by the Chief of Police HE PUT INTO OFFICE.
So exactly how many deaths did it take Reverend Dunn until you finally decided to act and call for the Chief's removal?
Remember back in the Summer when Uncle Luke and we demanded the Chief's resignation, where the hell were you?
But now that your Master Regalado is in deep shit with the police chief you all of a sudden wake up and start to call for the chief's ouster, six dead folks later.
Nice try house boy.
THE PREDATORS
Adding insult to injury, the New Times picks up on a story that the Herald won't touch about Exposito's tough boys, "hunting" for criminals in the Magic City.
Fuck professionalism when you can have the two sizes too small shirts on your steroid enhanced body attitude of appetite for destruction patrolling our city streets.
This is what MPD is all about:
"Miami cops smoking stogies, busting down doors and cracking jokes.
"The tone throughout makes it clear: These guys are out for a fight.
"We hunt. That's what I like," an unnamed officer intones at the beginning of the clip. "I like to hunt."
When Regalado said that the City would respond to "violence with violence," he wasn't kidding!
WHERE THE FUCK IS BRAMAN?
We wonder what Billionaire Braman, who applauds Mayor Regalado's leadership skills, would have to say about all this?
What better evidence of Braman's recall efforts being a not-so-veiled attempt at revenge than his refusal to speak up on the meltdown at the City of Miami.
If Norman Braman were truly the civic crusader and savior he claims to be, he would call his buddy Regalado and tell him to step down, leave the business of running a city to someone that is competent.
But every day Braman goes after the "other Mayor" and continues to praise Regalado, it's just another day he reveals his true intent is not civic duty, but pure revenge.
Miami's lack of memory has allowed Mayor Regalado to pull the wool over the lapdog media and distance himself from controversial Chief Miguel Exposito.
The latest victim of this hoodwink is Hank Tester over at CBS 4, writing that: "It also galls Mayor Tomas Regalado, who fears unrest in the streets. Yet the mayor seems to understand the dilemma when he says, "We got to figure out what to say."
But it was only a little over a year ago, when Mayor Regalado first took office, that he made ridding Miami of Chief John Timoney his number one priority.
Back then, Armando Aguilar, president of the Police union gave the reasons for seeking Timoney's ouster:
“There’s been nothing but turmoil since he started at this police department,” Aguilar told the press last weekend. “It’s been hell on our troops. He’s basically destroyed morale.”
Can anyone honestly say morale has improved under Exposito?
Regalado followed with "“My move is to keep saying to the city manager that I’m very uncomfortable with the chief,” Regalado told the press. “I will say that every day. People get messages.”
Does anyone really think that Regalado can't get his lackey Tony Crapp to do what he wants?
So why could Regalado get rid of Timoney and not Exposito?
The answer is partly in today's Herald that reveals that former manager Migoya are accusing Regalado of stalling a raid on gambling machines.
And who is the officer making the accusation? Chairman Sarnoff pal Al Alvarez.
The plot thickens, and Regalado is caught in the middle.
His utter incompetence and "keen knack" have led him to this.
Time to be held accountable, and time for him to exercise some leadership.
If you keep him around, he'll continue to embarrass your boss and mentor Tomasito.
Hell, the cops may even kill more black men, and you may get yourself in the middle of a neighborhood you know nothing about justifying why you, an African American city manager, put up with the killing of African American men at the hands of the cops.
If you fire Chief Exposito, then the question becomes whether your boss and mentor Tomasito will be held accountable for putting Exposito there in the first place.
And oh yeah, there's that multi-million dollar whistle blower lawsuit lined up against the city. Last we heard, the complaint is all written up, all it needs is a signature to be filed.
While Expo and TomAss were having a bitch slap paper fight, City of Miami cops were out on the streets bringing violence yet again to an African American neighborhood.
Family members said Witherspoon was walking to a corner store when he ran into a group of Miami police officers, traveling in a dark tinted SUV.
Witnesses said the officers came out with their guns drawn.
Miami police said the officers were responding to calls about shots fired in the area. When they arrived, officers saw Witherspoon with a gun.
After a confrontation, an officer shot and killed him, police said.
"We don’t know why he was out there with a hand gun in his hand. The officers supposedly identified themselves," said Miguel Exposito, City of Miami Police Chief.
Police are still investigating the shooting.
That's right Expo, we'll never know why he had a gun because your trigger happy cops KILLED THE MAN.
