You got that right Reverend Commissioner Dunn.
Your antics have landed our fair city in the New York Times.
Once Allies, Two Miami Leaders Are Now Anything But.
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
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.
Miami is once again the laughingstock of America.
Only one person is to blame for all this.
Mayor Tomas Regalado.
Like you said, "it's all on you."
Hold on.... We have always been the laughing stock of a lot of places. People just shuffle around. Nothing changes. Sounds like a Marc Sarnoff and Timoney plant story to me (Why would the NY Times even care????) - just my humble opinion. Timoney had his own problems and I think we all can remember former Commissioner Winton's airport brawl with Miami-Dade County cops......
ReplyDeleteSure, like Timoney has the time or inclination to plant a story like this.
ReplyDeleteRegalado's complete incompetence is what led the New York Times to care, especially when they were accustomed to running stories about successes in Miami (yes, look them up). In fact, the New York Times often covered the City better than the piece of shit excuse for a newspaper Herald did.
Like the post says, this is worse than the days of Carollo and Suarez, and now we have their proxies on the Commission!
As long as the Cuban old people vote absentee in droves and the Herald looks the other way, Miami will keep sliding into the shit.
The two men “cannot possibly co-exist anymore,” said Richard P. Dunn, a city commissioner who represents Northern Miami. “It’s just embarrassing.”
ReplyDeleteThe only thing the dishonorable Dunn got right is just that...it's embarrassing! I found it ironic that Dunn described himself when leveling accusations at the Chief. Dunn is the embarrassment. Dunn is the incompetent one. Dunn is the liar. It was all there, live and in living color for all of us to see. He spoke out of one side of his mouth and the Chief embarrassed him with video of him speaking out of the other side of his mouth. Typical politician. If anyone should step down, it's Dunn.
Sarnoff has nerve talking about a hand pulling Miami back ... He is one of the biggest reasons for this situation ...sarnoff must go ...
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MANNY DIAZ
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I felt a sense of hope and peace sweep over me as I witnessed Tomás Regalado being sworn in as Mayor today.
ReplyDeleteThe part in his speech about accountability and ethics really got to me.
What happened to your sense of "peace and hope" there big guy?
ReplyDeleteNow it's "I think the whole City is confused."
Yeah no shit, and whose fault is that?
You didn't get your calls returned before and now good luck with Gestapo Tony's new gag order.
Go back and hang out with your pals Harry, Grace, Elvis, MNU and the rest of your "activists" that spent 8 years kissing Tom Ass.
Regalado is a clown
ReplyDeleteI'm getting misty!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting indicted!
ReplyDeleteRichard Dunn and the disbarred lawyer Koteles Alexander who wrote his silly self-serving speech should be fired. Recalled and fired.
ReplyDeleteChumps.
You mean that Richard Dunn has a disbarred lawyer as his chief of staff?
ReplyDeleteYup. Koteles was accused of beating up a female attorney and stealing from an estate. Disbarred.
ReplyDeleteNow he gets Spence-Jones and now Dunn in trouble.
Dear Take back Miami,
ReplyDeleteOn Friday night I posted some comments about some sexist comments made on this site about Lynn Westhall. This morning, I discovered that my comments were removed.
If you're going to allow post, please don't do that again!
Al Crespo
Lynn Westall has always been a very professional public servant. No ego. She just does her job. Sure she gets paid a massive amount but she is much more competent than 98% of other employees.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with Richard Dunn who is mad at Chief Expo for not ordering cops to let illegal gun toting felons go after they point their illegal guns at cops. Dunn wants the cops to get shot first and investigate after?
ReplyDeleteI took issue with a number of decisions on the part of former mayor Manny Diaz. But let's look at the other side. He was accused of being Concrete Manny because the city became over-developed in a decade. That development was made possible courtesy of Code 11000 whch was in existence prior and whose purpose was in fact to attrct development; and more thanks to the commissioners that passed the variances and MUSPs that allowed excesses. The mayor had no vote. He took the hit for them all - all 5 of them.
ReplyDeleteHe created Miami 21 to curtail the rampant development, and the same commissioners that had passed all those developer give-away variances, fought him tooth and nail for its passage. Flawed, as some called it, it was far better than Code 11000, and protected the citizenry of encroacing commercial development.
Then he became involved with the US Conference of Mayors and elevated Miami's standing nationwide from the prior Banana Republic Suarez and Carollo fights, and an unruly bickering commission. For a while it felt like Miami had regained its dignity - locally and nationally. Now here we go again.
Yes Mayor Diaz did not guide the administrtion and the commission well on the union contracts, and a number of other issues.And he strongly worked the Marlin deal which I have a problem with.
But we have got to give him credit for this vision and civil demeanor.
In the meantime, the over development which was viewed negatively is now seeing many residents living downtown (renters or owners) and turning our city center into a lively and vibrant downtown - which deters crime and fosters business. And that kind of hi-rise development totally belongs downtown.
So that's all to say that I'm missing Manny a lot. Our city is now plagued with cronyism, corruption, backroom deals, back stabbing, power struggles and pissing matches. City employees are scared that if they don't do "as they are told" they will lose their jobs in a bad economy. There is lack of trust and a highly charged political environment in the administration - which should have no place there.
The mayor and commissioners break the Charter, break the law, and expedite their projects through allies in the administration.
No one is perfect, and we will always criticize our leaders - but I'll take Manny back right now, and feel blessed. Hell, I'd even take back Joe Carollo, instead of what we have now.
Our apologies for the malfunction.
ReplyDeleteWe never censor/delete posts.
Thank you.
The Team
Manny Diaz ran the City to benefit Manny Diaz. He gave out no-bid contracts to his friends. The overdevelopment caused the loss of billions to individuals and investors. Miami prices have gone down to 2000-2001 levels but residents income has been reduced, if they even have a job.
ReplyDeleteManny slithered out the door with a taxpayer paid pension for which he paid NOT a penny, $100,000 a year to Manny escalating to $200,000 per year. His last year the City expenses exceeded revenues by $100 Million.
Don't re-write history.
Manny Diaz forced the commissioners (4 of 5) to divert over $3.5 BILLION to bailout the foreign based owners of the Marlins. Debt service in later years will exceed $120 Million, annually. Manny Diaz demanded the taxpayers pay for the Stadium and the Garage yet the Marlins get 100% of all revenues. Manny Diaz (and fellow idiot Carlos Alvarez) never demanded financial statements from the Marlins.
ReplyDelete$3.5 Billion. Lost. Nice job, Manny.
YES YES
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I am proud of you my minions, keep diverting attention from me, keep arguing the past while I steal from our present and future...
MANNY DIAZ
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Anon 732 ... R u on crack ?? ... In the dictionary under puta is a picture of Lynn Westall ... Many thanks !! ... Worthless county puta ...
ReplyDeleteTo 11:51
ReplyDeleteManny Diaz was not qualified to manage a business or a city. He stole, he put taxpayer money in his pocket and he surrounded himself with unqualified staffers who made hundreds of mistakes. Serious "we're going bankrupt" kind of mistakes.
Tomas Regalado shares the same faults but Regalado has A lower IQ.
YES YES!
ReplyDeleteMANNY DIAZ WAS PURE EVIL!
THE WORST MAYOR EVER!!!
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MANNY DIAZ
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Hey Harry Gottlieb .. you take on this issue? We miss you!
ReplyDeleteRev Richard Dunn orders the Police Chief to "Let my people shoot first..." and "Stop infringing on my people's God given rights to shoot cops..."
ReplyDelete