So, the check is in the mail

There are lots of stories in business: The one that has always tickled my fancy is “ The check is in the mail.”

We’ve all heard it so much and in some cases said it so often, that we barely even pay any attention to it at all.

And another story so often heard in government is that “ If you appoint me to the position, I will only be an interim, it’s only temporary, and I do not want this job on a permanent basis. I’ve got other long-term plans…. I’ll just be around for a while and I’ll even help you find my replacement.”

Gotta tell ya, when I hear that, you just gotta know that they really want the job, unless of course something better comes along, like the jobs that he or she has already applied for.

So, now let’s look at the South Miami government and see what’s going on there? City Staffers have been calling & texting to let us know that the “temporary/interim” city manager, Steve Alexander, who previously proclaimed that he only want to be a temporary manager, now wants to become the permanent city manager.

But wait, there’s more…so hold on to your little booty. According to my generally unreliable sources, he wants the city not to do a search and not to interview anyone else and just be appointed.

Can’t wait to see what the clowns on the commission do to keep us all entertained this time around.

So, lets see what else: There are three seats on the commission that are up for grabs 1. Commissioner Wally “The Dude” Harris is up for reelection come next February. Isn’t there somebody out there with at least a half a brain and personality that’ll take this guy out of his spot on the dais?

2. And lets see, the mayor’s seat, currently being occupied by Phil Stoddard is also up for the taking.

3. Then there is the seat that Commissioner Newman has been in for three years. She recently said that she is not running for her seat in February. Hmm… what the heck does that mean? We’ll leave that to you to figure out, BUT how does this headline sound:

Voters elect Valerie Newman as mayor of South Miami.

So, it you want that to happen then start supporting the cause and get others to do the same.

And conversely, if you like what you see up there, then good for you and vote for more of the same.

The Miami Dolphins representatives are taking their message to county voters for the approval of a $400 million upgrade the team believes is needed to attract the 2016, NFL 50th Super Bowl and continue the tradition of drawing the event to South Florida. But is running into headwinds, including auto magnate Norman Braman vowing to derail the deal, after the disastrous Miami Marlins stadium contract that when the financing is complete will have cost $2.5 billion at the end of the bonds life. And that deal has infuriated the local public along with the Marlins cutting of its top players and coming in the basement when it comes to winning games in the major leagues this season. Nat Moore, the Dolphins All-Pro receiver during the 1972 perfect season addressed the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon on Wednesday and Marcus Bach- Armas, the Manager of Corporate Affairs, spoke to the Ponce Business Luncheon on Monday in Coral Gables.

The football team is seeking sales tax concessions from the state and some $199 million in tourist tax money with team owner Steven Ross kicking in just over $200 million, but that deal is now being negotiated between the team and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. And any final deal will likely get better if the professional NFL team expects the upgrade to pass muster with county voters that will now get to weigh in on the controversial matter if the county commission approves the deal that has a local FIU poll commissioned by the Miami- Dade Legislative Delegation finding that 73 percent of the county voters were cool on the idea and currently suggests any deal would likely not pass with the vote. Further, the team is dealing with a May 22 timeline when the NFL will vote on awarding the 2016 Super Bowl and Miami is competing with San Francisco for the designation.

Bach-Armas said Miami was a natural for the Super Bowl and “is the best destination in the nation.” He noted we have “beaches, golf courses and culture,” as draws but said Sun Life Stadium, that sits on county land, “can’t be under par,” if the community is to draw these big time events and the stadium itself still has “35 years left,” on it as a structure and when it comes to the improvements. He said it involves “22 projects in total,” and the “roof is only one piece of the puzzle,” but has gotten a lot of attention in the media. Moreover, the attorney noted that when it came to other sport franchises using the stadium, “We view the future of sports in South Florida as soccer,” he told the Ponce lunch attendees Monday at John Martin’s restaurant. He noted the new field would have natural grass also necessary for soccer; modular new seating that will be more comfortable and can be easily adjusted for smaller crowds like when the University of Miami Hurricanes plays there, and when it came to the deal with the county. “We think we need to put a majority of the funds in ourselves,” and right now the deal is being worked out with Gimenez and the final “deal will be one the community embraces,” he predicted and why the voter referendum. And when it came to the issue of soccer, highly popular in Miami-Dade, he said a major announcement “will be made in the next ten days. But when it came to questions and support of the issue. People afterwards said they would be waiting to see what the deal was before they made a decision and whether they would vote for the tourist tax funding being used for the upgrades that will take three years and be done during the NFL off-season.

(This last item was provided by watchdogreport.net).

At the last commission meeting, Hector Fernandez, an architect, who is also the Chair of the City’s ERPB (Environmental Review Preservation Board), on the Planning Board and on the city manager search committee announced that he is running for the commission. Good for him and hooray for all us. If he is elected to a seat as mayor or a commissioner he will surely bring some new ideas and much needed direction to the city.

Happened to see Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez at Casa Larios the other day. Seem as though a couple of the Roll Back Tolls guys lassoed the commissioner into listening about why MDX should be corralled and maybe put into a sleeper hold and or at least eliminate a bunch of the tolls on a bunch of our roadways.

South Miami resident Peter Jude was over at Deli Lane the other day chumming it up with a couple of buds. No, not the beer, but buds as in buddies. Too bad I wasn’t sitting closer, as the conversation sure look interesting. And just so happens that the CEO of Baptist Health, Brian Keely was also at Deli Lane. BTW, they were not sitting together or anywhere near each other.And of course Ms. Sharon McCain, “The Red Head” was nearby; Peter, by the way, is the Public Relations go-to-guy over at Kendall Regional Hospital and from what I’ve heard, that not too long ago, he celebrated his 22nd year with the hospital. Way to go Peter.

And over at Walls Ice Cream on 67 Ave. and US1, I ran into Paul Marolf and Horace Feliu, the former mayor of South Miami. It seems as though Horace is already out and about lining up support for his mayoral run for the city come February.

Thought of the Day:

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.

— Will Durant

Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to michael@communitynewspapers.com


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