South Miami Vice Mayor Newman sent this email around town

I will not be attending the State of the City Address as I believe that shamefully nothing has been accomplished outside of Police Department reform and an outstanding effort to reduce crime.

We do not have a current EAR. 2 story land use for 62nd Avenue has not been accepted by DCA! So yes Beth, the fight you thought was over is NOT.

Our attorneys have come up with a scheme to go to mediation with the 62nd Avenue property owners, bring it back to the commission and have the commission vote to accept the terms of Mediation. They have opined that if for example the compromise is 3 or 4 stories it will just take 3 votes to accept the terms. This circumvents the 5 votes required to up-zone voted into law by 67% of the voters! SHAME ON YOU… and you know who you are!

Unfortunately our City Attorney refused to answer my question at the meeting giving me double speak. I already knew the answer.

Mr. Goldstein contacted me to ask if I would favor this idea. My position was a resounding “NO.” Perhaps others have not been as clear. The mayor for example stated at the meeting he would not vote to up-zone 62nd Avenue. We all know how he likes to think of himself as King of compromise. Is voting on a compromise different?

Farmers Market was just a move to help Mr. Llanes meet the terms of his $750K grant. He pays no fees. Why? He did not need $10K in start up fees, that was a selling point.

• A resident broke her wrist on the ridiculous Green Tent at the Farmer’s Market. Sand bag, really?

• Codes continue to be ignored or circumvented WITH THE HELP OF STAFF AND LEGAL

• New parking system works… sort of

• Fanny pack man still alive and well…..

• MR Properties not in compliance with contract

• Mattingway not in compliance still leasing spaces

• Pool… still no consensus

• CRA… A magic act… watch money disappear on road improvements over and over…

• SMH of no benefit to South Miami residents

• Pension… Nothing

• Union Negotiations… incomplete

We just learned that the EAR we passed a year ago has not been accepted by the DCA. It is waiting for an administrative hearing. This is why there has been no progress on the new EAR.

Sound like the delay with the bank development agreement? You bet and it stinks! Who is the face behind this?

I guess we did not do a good job of cleaning house because we are still dealing with the same corruption. Some of those whose signatures have been on every debacle in this city, still have their jobs. Some new hires have quickly gotten into bed with special interests as have some elected officials.

We spend hours debating items for what? It does not matter if we vote it up or down. We are still not in control. The shadow government gets what they want through the back door and with help from the very ones we put in charge!

Valerie Newman 786-351-1648


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11 COMMENTS

  1. Donna,
    Good point..Sometimes we say or write things on an impulse, then after a bit. go ooops, maybe that was not the best way to approach the subject. A reasonable person might then, issue an I'm sorry about that letter or statement. But that's not going to happen with Vice Mayor Newman, because she doesn't seem to be sorry for a thing that she does. I can tell you though, I'm sorry that I voted for her and sorry then she won.

  2. If these are positions written in the heat of the moment, the Vice Mayor may wish to print an apology to all offended parties. If these are positions she supports and defends, then the residents should be very concerned about the direction in which VM Newman is attempting to steer our city.

  3. South Miami just lost a city attorney with decades of municipal experience, then this commission hires one with NO municipal experience. Why would they do that?

  4. Valerie Newman is the Natasha Seijas of South Miami. Full of bile and hate (and dunkin donuts). What is the recall process for the City of Unpleasant Living?

Comments are closed.