But first came the gag order on all city employees.
And now, the Miami Herald is suing Mayor Tomas Regalado to obtain his phone records.
We all know how chummy the Mayor has been with the Herald, including his own personal press secretary Chuck Rabin continually writing glowing reviews of the worst Mayor in Miami's history.
So what does it say about Mayor Regalado when even his friends at the Herald can't get information from him?
How can the regular citizen get access to public information when the Mayor won't answer to the Herald?
This case is quite simple really.
Regalado skirts public records laws by having a "personal" cell phone. He is paid a "cell phone allowance" of $300 a month, a figure we all pay as taxpayers. But he is able to avoid public records requests.
This conduct violates the Sunshine Laws, in letter and spirit, showing us what type of "open" and "transparent" politician Tomas Regalado really is.
"Bru stressed Monday that Regalado was willing to turn over the records, but she advised against it because she thinks it would set a poor precedent."
BULLSHIT!
Like always, Tomas wants it both ways.
If he really wants a "personal" cell phone, he can always turn down the incredibly generous $300 a month/$3,600 a year phone allowance and pay for his own damned cell phone.
Turn the records over Tomas!
Metro PCS most expensive plan on their website is $60. So why give Tomas $300? This is an abuse of taxpayer money!
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Re: Another Miami Herald Article
Postby Tino on 02/07/11 23:46:26
METRO PCS?
This guy gets $300 a month for a cell phone, and he spends, at best $60 on a METRO PCS?
What does he do with the $240 he has left over every month?
Does he pocket it?
But wait a minute, this can't be. No way he pockets that leftover cash.
The Mayor cares for the little people. He probably donates the money to the Mother Teresa Fund for the Indigent and Compulsive Gamblers.
That's more like the Tomas we all know and love.
He donates the rest of the money to the "poor" = himself!
ReplyDeleteTomas Regalado ran his 2009 Mayoral campaign promising that if elected he would be open and transparent. Now once elected Regalado refuses to provide his telephone logs?
ReplyDeleteIt is very apparent that the Mayor is not being Transparent!!!!
ReplyDeleteeveryone gets a $300 cell phone allowance, including the city clerk
ReplyDeleteTelephone allowance scam is another way "public sector" employees and elected officials steal.
ReplyDeleteRegalado? Imagine all the calls from Armando and other lobbyists Regalado wants to hide?
So much for transparency, really! By the way, I don't know much about case law, but Ms. Bru might want to review the case against New Smyrna Beach where a judge ruled that cell phones are public records.
ReplyDeletehttp://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Florida_circuit_judge_rules_that_calls_made_on_public_cellphones_are_public_records
Good luck City of Miami. More taxpayer waste in a time where there is a budget crisis.
Elected officials get $300 per month cell phone allowances. They conduct 80% of their City business calls on cell phones. Obviously the records are subject to public review.
ReplyDeleteIf elected officials want privacy they should not run for office.
Miami Herald caves in to Tomas Regalado. Herald let's Regaldo pick and choose which calls he discloses to Herald. "Cave in" announced in Herald's February 12th paper. Think Regaldo will voluntarily disclose he tipped off gambling operators of pending raid?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone really think Regalado will disclose his calls to Armando and the gambling machine operators?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Regalado make the taxpayers pay him $300 per month for his phone? Aren't the bills subject to public review?
Did Regalado tip off the gambling machine operators to the pending raid?
How can the Herald investigate Tomas Regalado if he refuses to provide all his phone bills?
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