County Commissioner endorsement for the District 8 Race

At a press conference yesterday, County Commissioner Katy Sorenson endorsed candidate, Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn for the District 8 race. Also in the runoff is former Mayor of Homestead, Lynda Bell.

We had a chance to hear both these candidates, Eugene Flinn and Lynda Bell, during two UEL debates and we were impressed with their knowledge and commitment to a better Miami Dade County.

We wish them both luck in the race.

The UEL Dinner Last Night

There are so many people to thank for making this one of the events of the year - about 180 people came to thank County Commissioner Katy Sorenson for her years of service. First of all we want to thank all of the toasters, thank you for your messages. Jim DeFede thank you for your role as a masterful Master of Ceremony. As Commissioner Rolle would say: "You done good."

Motes Orchids, your flowers were smashing especially the Orchid for Katy. Martin Motes made a new hybrid orchid, registering this new orchid as "vanda Katy Sorenson". Thank you Chief of Staff Sylvia Farina for helping us with logistics. Thank you Rusty Pelican for making a delicious dinner for all of us and the view of downtown was spectacular. We thank our Pianists Albert Harum Alvarez and Su-Gi Min.

Best of all, the sense of family in the room was strong - That sense of Community is what Katy inspired, uniting all of us from different corners of the County.

The UEL Dinner in Honor of County Commissioner Katy Sorenson

We are looking forward to celebrating Katy Sorenson's public service to the community tonight at the Rusty Pelican at our Orchids & Onions Award Dinner/Annual Meeting.

Still Time to RSVP for May 19th Dinner.

The UEL dinner May 19th has openings, sign up today! Call us at 786-472-0011 or email us at UELinfo@bellsouth.net. We have most of the candidates coming, it should be informative. Katy Sorenson's County Commission seat leaves big shoes to fill... here's hoping that we will identify that candidate on Wednesday!

June 16 Dinner to Thank Katy Sorenson

County Commissioner Katy Sorenson
This dinner is for you!

Orchid and Onions Award Dinner
The Urban Environment League is hosting our Annual Award Dinner/Annual Meeting
in honor of:
County Commissioner Katy Sorenson

Masters of Ceremony:
Jim DeFede and UEL President Fran Bohnsack

Commissioner Sorenson will be leaving office this Fall to pursue a new and exciting chapter in her life. Those of us who want to thank her will “Roast” with an Onion or “Toast” with an Orchid.
Please join us in saying goodbye to ‘Katy’:

Wednesday - June 16th

6pm Cocktails (Cash Bar) & 7pm Dinner
At the Rusty Pelican Restaurant
3201 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne


3 Course Dinner $50

Your Payment is your reservation. No payment at the door!

Check/Paypal by June 11th - Space Limited Indicate whether you want to speak at the event.

Use Paypal at: button on right side of page
or
Send a check (made out to UEL) to:

Urban Environment League - Suite 114
1000 N.W. North River Drive
Miami, FL 33136

Questions? uelinfo@bellsouth.net - Phone: 786-472-0011
Ask about being featured in our keepsake program!
Include your email or phone number for reservation confirmation.

May 19th: UEL Dinner on County Commission District 8 Election

Katy Sorenson With Some Good Advice for The Community

In an Op Ed in the Miami Herald yesterday, County Commissioner gave some good advice to the community. Here are some excerpts:

• First, we must listen to voters and we must educate them. Political leaders are elected to do just that, to lead. It is our duty to make responsible decisions and let our citizens know why we are making these decisions.

• Second, we need to have an honest discussion about what kind of community we want to be. Do we want an expansive public transit system? Do we want a safety-net hospital that provides charity care to those who would otherwise go without healthcare? Do we want libraries to be open every day?

• Third, let's have a real discussion about taxes. Government officials need to explain how revenue is generated, where tax money goes and which pots of money can be used for which services. I was a vocal opponent of the baseball stadium, but it would be irresponsible for me to claim that the stadium money should be used for the Public Health Trust. State law does not allow for this. Too often, conversations about taxes contain both vitriol and misinformation.

She takes issue with pollster Dario Moreno's assessment:

While Moreno made some valid points about the need for political courage, he unfortunately reinforces one of the same obfuscations he accuses the county of making. Moreno says that we live in a poor county and that in order to protect our poor residents, we should not increase taxes. He has it backwards.

The poor Moreno talks about have been and will continue to be hurt by budget cuts and service reductions. They are the ones hurt when Jackson reduces it services, when there are fewer domestic violence shelters, when after-school programs in parks for their children are drastically cut. On the other hand, they get no savings from a tax cut, as most of them do not own their own homes.

The County Commission District 8 Seat.

Commissioner Katy Sorenson is not running for reelection. With an open seat, many citizens are considering a run. Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn has an early start, announcing his candidacy at the Sorenson press conference. There are, however, other candidates that are weighing their options and considering the run.

We are sorry to see Commissioner Sorenson go, she has been a longtime supporter of the UEL, however, we look forward to a fresh face on the Commission that will bring new ideas to County government.

Katy Sorenson will not seek re-election as County Commissioner By Fran Bohnsack

Katy Sorenson's announcement yesterday that she will not be seeking re-election to the Miami-Dade County Commission in District 8 came as a shock, not because I don't think that 16 years of service is enough, but because Commissioner Sorenson has been the embodiment of a respected public servant that it is so much needed in our county. My fears that her absence from the public weal would create a role model vacuum were quickly assuaged, however, as I learned of her intention to collaborate with the University of Miami to develop a community initiative on Excellence in Public Service. Certainly the UEL has taken steps in this direction, as has a small coalition of activists led by Marty Margulies and others, but obstacles for organizations without significant fiscal resources -- where the work is undertaken by volunteers -- usually mean that the work is piecemeal and the vision never fully realized.

So I am encouraged that Katy Sorenson has decided to use her talents in this way. And I am pleased with the support of the Knight Foundation and the Dade Community Foundation, two venerable institutions of positive influence. As Sorenson describes it, the interdisciplinary effort "will seek to train, advise, and hone the skills of current and potential political leaders in order to foster professionalism, knowledge and ethics among the elected officials who serve this community." I think we can agree that these goals are laudable, and these skills are much needed.

But can Katy really accomplish something along these lines in a community that has so often been intractable? I think she can. When she first ran for office in a crowded field of eight, she was a stand out and she turned the race upside down. My political intuition is telling me that she's just about to shift the paradigm again -- for a greater good that reaches beyond District 8. I say "Congratulations, Katy -- and thank you." Really.

Marlins Stadium: Price Tag for the County: $2.4 Billion. By Fran Bohnsack

As reported in the Miami Herald today:

As Miami-Dade County commissioners worked late into the night to finalize financing for the Florida Marlins stadium last week, Commissioner Katy Sorenson posed a simple question: What's the total cost of financing going to be?

Burgess fudged: "I don't know off the top of my head."

Commissioner Katy Sorenson asked the question because she wanted it on the record. The Commissioner had to wait until the following day to get the answer from Bond Counsel. Perhaps the vote would have been different if this was on the record earlier. As the Herald reported:

The total cost is finally in black and white: $2.4 billion, spread over 40 years, to repay $409 million in bonds that will primarily, though not exclusively, cover stadium construction.

Was George Burgess trying to hide this information or was it that he truly didn't know? Why would he promote this deal without all the information on the table, especially the bottom line!