The Florida Legislature has them by the balls!
"Miami commissioners say they are being squeezed into settling a lawsuit by a politically connected owner of a billboard company that is using its Tallahassee influence to undermine an ordinance that could mean more than $4 million a year to city coffers."
Squeezed?
By who? A couple of well connected lawyers?
What bullshit!
Why does the City of Miami spend hundreds of thousands on high paid Tallahassee lobbyists?
Can't any of them talk with the Speaker and Senate President?
Why doesn't the Mayor get the Speaker and Senate President on the phone and tear them a new one?
What about rallying the Dade delegation (the largest state delegation) to your side?
What about calling his pal the governor?
Nope.
For Tomas, it was just a lot easier to blame everything on Manny Diaz.
Tomas has ZERO influence in Tallahassee.
His army of lobbyists can't change that fact.
That's why it's so easy for a well connected lawyer bring the entire city to its knees.
Thanks a lot TomAss!
Tomato is "in" this apparent blackmail deal. Look up his buddy/lobbyist Jose Fuentes' clients and you will find Outlook Media. See who hangs out with the city's insiders behind this deal and you will continue unraveling this tangled political mess.
ReplyDeleteTomas not tomato.
ReplyDeleteBINGO! The fix is in, Tomas is behind this 100%
ReplyDeleteThis deal will more than likely go down because only Carollo has the balls to stand up for the taxpayers, and also because this deal has a impact on Siffin's new deal which will soon be announced, once the City surrenders to these guys.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a new story that will be published on Friday morning that details what Siffin's next move will be.
Who are are city's lobbyists?
ReplyDeleteAngel Zayon, his 4th son and mayor's spoke person, said "Marco Rubio is Gay" huuuu, another one bites the dust !!!!
ReplyDeleteThe city's main lobbyist is Tomas Regalado and his charming personality.
ReplyDeleteOne City lobbyist is Ron Book. Oh great. Book owned illegal billboards in N. Miami. Total conflict of interest,
ReplyDeleteA conflict at the city? Will Rabinlado report on it?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that there are only laws for the common man and not politicians and their well connected friends. I wish I had some politician friends so I could get something in return.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think people run for office? For public service? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe theme that our local government is corrupt and predatory driven whereby residents are being abused, intimidated, harrassed, and pressured by selective enforcement is no more evident than this story reported by Carmel Cafeiro of WSVN Channel 7 News.
ReplyDeleteCopy and Paste the following into your address bar. http://www.wsvn.com/features/articles/carmelcase/MI91705/
County residents are fed up and fighting back!
Here is another Blog site with good information and material. http://politicalcortadito.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHAPPY READING!
Al and TBM, if you look into who does the lobbying for the city you will be very surprised.
ReplyDeleteSTEVE MARIN BABY!!!
ReplyDeleteThe house bill threat is a self-inflicted threat part of the political sham. Not a single City lobbyist showed up at the Committee hearing in Tallahassee today to advocate against the bill.
ReplyDeleteAn entire lobbying team with an in house staffer and NO ONE showed up? This smells to high heaven, and it has Tom Ass all over it...
ReplyDeleteIs that true? Not one of the City lobbyists showed up at the House Committee hearing when HB 1363 was being discussed? I thought they were all told to get the offensive language removed? At least that's what Kirk Menendez stated on the record.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with Regalado? Isn't he the Mayor?
Hartley Thornton and his Miami partner Santiago Echemendia are blackmailing the City of Miami.
ReplyDeleteExtortion much?
Al Crespo,
ReplyDeleteIs it safe to say that it was I who introduced you to the lady and blogsite -Elaine de Valle and Political Cortadito- whose writing stole your heart while reading her work.
Give me some credit here. I hooked you up!
Take care buddy....Happy Easter :)
I hate to break your heart North Observer, but I learned about the lady on Tuesday, before she was touted in the Herald on Wednesday...Unfortunately my posts for Wednesday were already done, and I was tired, so I didn't post about her till last night, but I'll give you props if you can tell me what the Easter Bunny is giving Regalado this year :-)
ReplyDeleteSantiago Echimendia is an attorney with Tew Cardenas. He is also a billboard promoter.
ReplyDeleteEchimendia and his partner Hartley Thornton are the two men accused of blackmailing the City of Miami. City of Miami Commissioners mentioned extortion and blackmail during their televised discussions.
Do the partners at Tew Cardenas know what Santiago Echimendia is doing? Do they condone blackmail?
Blackmail has become an accepted form of doing business, especially in Miami. Just consider Tony Crapp's refusal to fire the Chief of Police.
ReplyDeleteWord is that the boys in Blue have at least 1 very damming photograph of Crapp.
I'm sure that other deals have been done, or ignored because of information that was used to "persuade" someone to do something they didn't want to do.
It's Miami, Bitches!
The Miami Herald picks up the breaking news reported by Elena De Valle on her blog site Political Cortadito.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/21/2179268/rep-artiles-admits-he-does-not.html
Al Crespo,
ReplyDeleteI spoke to the Easter Bunny and he is delivering to Tomas Regalado rotten eggs for easter. The eggs will be painted on the outisde with the faces of Tomas Regalado, Tony Crapp, Larry Spring, Diana Gomez, Johnny Martinez, Alice Bravo, Commissioner Sarnoff, Commissioner Suarez, Commissioner Carollo, Commissioner Gort, Commissioer Dunn, Julie Bru, Chief Exposito, Chief Kemp, Sergio Guadix, Orlando Toledo, Pieter Bockweg, Victor Igwe, Peter Korinis, Gary Rashefsky, Kenneth Robertson, Maritza Suarez, Mirtha Dzeidzic, Jennifer Ramirez, Madeline Valdez, George Mensah, Luis Cabrera, Basil Binns, etc.
Many, many rotten eggs will be delivered and people of the City of Miami will be complaining about how bad the City of Miami Sewer System is smelling. However, they will soon continue to find out it is not the sewer system that smells, but the City's internal infrastructure, such as their Mayor, Commissioners, and the entire City Administration.
QOur state reps from miami are mostly freshmen. They do as the leadership wishes. In this case Carlos Lopez Cantero. Dean Cannon, which is really close friends with Mr. Thorton
ReplyDeleteFrom outlook media (just look at Cannon's contribution list and see that both Mr. Thorton and his wife were #2 and #3 on Cannon's list) has told Lopez cantero to deliver. Carlos lopez cantero has been going around Tallahassee saying, carol better see the light or else! None of the freshmen from this town except for Jeanette Nunez has questioned the bill! The senate has no companion bill. I would
definately press senate president, which is already campaigning for US Senate against BIll Nelson. Let them know screw the city with the bullshit bill and will and turn will make sure he voters know what they did to us!!!
So the blackmailer Hartley Thornton and his wife donated $500 each to Dean Cannon? The City of Miami has paid it's lobbyists over $1,000,000. WTF. What are the lobbyists doing? What is that lightweight Kirk Menendez doing? If Sarnoff wants to save some money dump Kirks $112,000 salary. That guy is too full of excuses.
ReplyDeleteBillboards. When you get into bed with criminals...
I interviewed several city employees today. I collected information that Kirk Menendez was previously an Assistant City Attorney. He was fired by Julie Bru for being incompetent. Soon thereafter, he was hired by the former City Manager Pedro Hernandez at the behest of Mayor Regalado. "Garbage in and Garbage out".
ReplyDeleteI watched Kirk Menendez on TV. What an idiot. Is he the reason none of the City's lobbyists showed up at the House Committee meeting when HB 1363 was being discussed and voted on? Is he the reason the controversial language was not pulled?
ReplyDeleteWhen is novice City Manager Tony going to act like a man?
No wonder the City is going bankrupt.
Who are the city's lobbyists?
ReplyDeleteI read the Crespo Gram story on City Employees "Cashing out their Vacation Time". After giving it some thought I contacted several city employees today to discuss the issue.
ReplyDeleteThis is what they said. This sort of action of city employess cashing their vacation time will increase for two major reasons. First, city employees will offset their salary reductions by cashing out their vacation time. Second, city employees are fearing further salary reductions for next year's budget cycle, so they will be cashing out their time now at their higher salary rate.
Interesting enough on the list of employees are two City employees who should be fiscally responsible and lead by example. Instead Chief Financial Officer Larry Spring and Treasurer Pete Chircut cashed in their vacation time for a check of $6,182.79 and $11,530.68 respectively.
City empoyees are upset because their was a new policy implemented last year limiting the amount of vacation time they could "Cash-in" and any and all such request would be reviewed by the City Manager for approval/disapproval. City employees were under the impression that this sort of behavior would not be allowed unless the employee could demonstrate a true "emergency" to cash in their time. Plenty of city employees are surprised and upset by the amount of city employees approved by City Manager Tony Crapp. Interesting enough my sources said that managers such as Tony Crapp, Larry Spring, Johnny Martinez, Diana Gomez, Pete Chircut, etc. do not log in their time, so if they take a day or a 1/2 day off, it is never deducted from their vacation or sick leave time. Thus, allowing them to roll-over their vacation time year to year and cashing it in for large amout of monies.
They have informed me that both Police and Fire employees abuses this more than any other employees in the City. As a matter of fact, the City wanted to implement time management clocks and software system (known as KRONOS) in the past and both FIRE and POLICE said no. The system is currently being used in Solid Waste and GSA.
This is further proof that THAT MORON Larry Spring, Peter Chircut and too many of the 4,000 other City employees spend too much time gaming the system. They spend too much time dreaming up ways to steal from the taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteAll the silly perks including take-home vehicles and defined benefit pension plans should be eliminated. Hard working taxpayers are fed up.
Blackmail. Extortion.
ReplyDeleteMore news on HB 1363.
It was heard at the Committee of Economic Affairs on April 21st from 11:30 to 11:37. Several Representatives asked about the $500 maximum fee per sign. Jeanette Nunez from Miami and Jim Waldman from Coconut Creek. It was a Public Hearing. The Chair asked if any representative from Miami-Dade County (or Miami) were in the room and wanting to speak.
Rep. Jeff Brandes advocated the $500 maximum.
WHY DIDN'T ANY OF MIAMI'S LOBBYISTS SHOW UP?
North Observer you are right on!
ReplyDeleteDear North Observer (disgruntled former City employee - Purchasing Dept). Get psychiatric help. You need it.
ReplyDeleteIf you disagree with Regalado, then you are insane.
ReplyDeleteNo lobbyists showed up when HB 1363 was heard.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Kirk Menendez being paid by the taxpayers? He is useless.
Who is in charge of telling the lobbyists what to do?
None showed up for the Hearing. The Chair asked if any were in the chambers. She offered the opportunity to opponents to speak.
As usual, Miami incompetence.
That is disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteHeads must roll.
Anon 11:25
ReplyDeleteThe name is Lopez Cantera. None of the Dade delgation would dare say anything to Dean Canon. People think that they are voting for someone who will fight for them but there wrong. If they say anything they will be black balled and never chair a committe. People the State of Florida is runned by 3 people. Speaker of the House, Senate Presidentand the Gov. And North Florida doesn't give a shit about South Florida. Time to vote out or recall, all imcumbents. Lopez Cantera, Frenzen, Flores, Artilles Etc...
Anonymous @ 6:40. I don't understand your message. is it directed to the Purchasing Department?
ReplyDeleteTo 16:35
ReplyDeleteHB 1363 was presented and debated at a public hearing. Anyone could speak up. The Chair of that sub committee even asked if anyone from Miami-Dade County, meaning Miami, was in attendance and wanted to speak. Not one lobbyist for Miami was there and spoke up. In fact, Tomas Regalado could have sent anyone. He didn't.
The sub committee even discussed the $500 per sign max fee.
What a great opportunity wasted. More incompetence.
Anonymous @ 19:04. Who gives a shit what Anonymous @ 6:40 is trying to say. I am one of few city employees who fed information to the North Observer. Trust me when I tell the North Observer is not a City employee. If anything, I'm one of many current disgruntled city employees who are sicken tired to be fucked by the Mayor, Commissioners, Union, City Manager, Assistant City Managers, and Directors.
ReplyDeleteAnother one bites the dust. City of Miami employee Corina Esquijarosa who is the Mayor of North Bay Village has been caught lying about claiming Homestead Exemption on her Investment Property. The Property Appraiser's Office has fined her more than $3,000. Ms. Asquerosa, I mean, Esquijarosa you fit in extremely well at the City of Miami where both the politicians and most employees are equally corrupt.
ReplyDeleteRead the article at: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/23/2181241/mayors-resignation-sought.html
Miami New Times has the story too. Another City of Miami employee with a $100,000 pay and benefit package is caught lying.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should look into Frank Carollo's claim of homestead.
ReplyDeleteTake it easy on Frank Carollo. Carollo is the only commissioner asking questions about the deals corrupt City administrators enter with corrupt companies.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Frank has a little residency problem?
I read these blogs every few days and catch up on the latest information. I was "shocked" to read the massive list of employees who cashed out their vacation time earned from 1-1-11 to 4-20-11 for a grand total of nearly $500,000.00Look carefully at this list of names....most of them are from the Police or Solid Waste because when the Mayor replaces them with new Directors to squeeze in his friends at the top then these employees will get the "boot".
ReplyDeleteI looked back and the City of Miami issed a memo from the former City Manager that this practice was to cease(memo dated 4-22-2010) due to the budgetary problems. So tell me why 122 employees cashed out their time???? Some of the names are questionable because they work in Employee Relations and may know something no one else knows. Bankruptcy soon????
I read in one of the earlier blogs on this page about this same story and what they wrote was correct. Those persons at the "top" earn vacation time like everyone else yet they save it on the books for just this purpose....a huge cash out. Tell me how Toledo took home so much money??? Is he leaving soon and this is a "bonus" to him?
Anyone who has half a brain knows these so called executives claim they are "out of the office at meetings" but on their City cell phone.....hell I've seen them very far "out of the City(like Orlando) and still claim they are on City business.....
So print the article on Corina Esquirojos or whatever her name is and how she is being recalled from North Bay village yet still holds a City of Miami position. Unbelievable. See whether or not she has filed a form showing either job with Metro Dade.
This is so depressing reading this corruption every day. We need a large backhoe to haul them out of here. Clean the slate once and for all with fresh "new faces" with ideas of building the City not stealing and tearing down the City.
14:37
ReplyDeleteSo true.
What ever happened to the $100,000 that was stolen from the taxpayers by fired employee Meredith Nation and by whoever enabled her?
What's up with Fire Dept employee Veldora Arthur who appears to be getting a $250,000 pay and benefit package while she sits at home and travels to the Bahamas? She was indicted. That earns her a paid vacation?
So much corruption, such a weak corrupt Mayor..,
Makes the greedy fire union look even worse...
Meredith Nation
ReplyDeleteVeldora Arthur
Keith Carswell
Ola Aluka
Disgraced CFO Larry Spring.
ReplyDelete