Important Elections Coming Up

With the removal of County Commissioner Natacha Seijas and County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, we will be having an election to fill these 2 seats on May 24th.

Less talked about, County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez will be running for Mayor. He will have to resign very soon to run and that will open up his Brickell/Coral Gables/Coconut Grove/Key Biscayne seat. We have many UEL Members from this district. We need good people to run for office, maybe you could be the next County Commissioner! You can enlarge the map with your mouse to see if you live in District 7.

County Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez to appear on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Tonight!

Commissioner Carlos A. Gimenez will appear on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 10 p.m. to discuss about his stance against the Florida Marlins Stadium deal and the controversy about the Marlins’ finances in documents released by Deadspin.com this past August.

A clip of the show can be seen at this link and the show will rebroadcast throughout November.

Check with your cable service provider to find the appropriate channel broadcasting HBO. For more information, please contact Commissioner Gimenez’s office at 305-669-4003.

Oct. 20th EAR Meeting is cancelled.

Please be advised that the October 20, 2010 Board of County Commissioners (BCC) public hearing for the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) on the CDMP is cancelled. You will be notified of the new date for the EAR public hearing. In addition the County Calendar and the Department’s EAR website will be updated to reflect the new public hearing date when it is established.

Mr. Norman Braman Has Announced A Recall Effort Against Mayor Carlos Alvarez

Yesterday afternoon Car Dealer/Community Activist Norman Braman announced that he will finance a recall effort against Mayor Carlos Alvarez over the new budget, because, according to Brahman:

"This outrageous tax increase has been enacted while citizens are suffering economically, property values have crumbled, foreclosures are rampant and unemployment has reached almost 13 percent in our county."

Critics believe charter changes would be a better tonic for what ails the county, such as some at-large commissioners (to combat district colonialism) and term limits. For instance, former UEL President Nancy Liebman and others, formed a PAC a few years ago, called Eight in Enough to advance Term Limits on County Commissioners.

The Mayor has about two years left in his term. The Commissioners can serve as long as the voters return them to office. That has turned into a very long time.

Many at the UEL had hoped for long range changes. The Mayor's recall appears to many as a short term fix.

Commissioner Joe Martinez Couldn't get enough signatures to call the ads in parks meeting.

Joe Martinez needed seven signatures of his fellow commissioners to call a special meeting. He only had 4. For now, the plan to place ads in parks is dead as there isn't any time to get it on the ballot for people to vote on changing the charter. The charter forbids ads in parks except during events.

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.

Advertising in Parks? Do we want it?

This week we learned that some Miami-Dade county commissioners want to change the county charter so that they can sell advertising in county parks. They have scheduled a meeting to consider this on August 26 at 11:00 a.m.

The UEL thinks that Parks are an important part of Miami-Dade County not only because they provide areas for recreation, but because they are places where residents can escape the pressures of urban life and find some peace. A vibrant, well-supported parks department is a vital part of our community.

Should we open our parks up for advertising in order to raise revenue? Parks are exactly the kinds of amenities that should be supported by the whole community (through property taxes) because we all benefit from their existence. A $20 addition to annual property tax per household would completely make up for the budget deficit in park maintenance. Changing the charter to allow advertising would be a short-term way to raise revenue, but with long-term negative consequences.

The UEL opposes any proposals that would litter our parks with advertising. During the great depression, our government responded by building more parks and creating jobs. We think it does not make any sense now -- during our own economic downturn -- to lease our parks away to advertisers.

Readers, what do you think?

P.S. Dan Paul, who recently passed away, was the father of Amendment 7 in the County Charter, it was called "The Dan Paul Amendment." This is the Amendment that will be threatened on August 26th. The charter change would not only change policy in County Parks, it would change policy for most City parks as well.

We are proud to say that Dan Paul was a longtime member of the Urban Environment League Board of Advisors.

Register to Vote Today so you can Vote in the Primary.

If you want to vote in the Primary, Registration closing is July 26th. Contact the elections department. Remember, most County Commission races are decided in the primary election. However, with so many candidates in the district 8 open seat, we expect the decision will be made in the regular election. You need 50% plus one to win in the primary and with 6 candidates this will be nearly impossible to achieve. The top two voter getters will face a runoff.

We have set up three candidates forums for the dog days of summer. We specifically chose locations near/or in the districts so people in the neighborhood would get a chance to meet the candidates. Please try to attend (see last post on Friday).

County Commission Committee Discusses Charter Changes

The County Commission, having rejected the majority of changes proposed by the Charter Committee a couple of years ago is proposing THEIR OWN charter changes including a salary increase. This will be the 12 time they have asked the voters to increase their salary according to Miami Today.

The Commission also wants to wrestle some power from the Mayor, now that they believe he is unpopular with the public for the Marlins Stadium vote and giving raises to his staff. Miami Today said:

Commissioners Barbara Jordan and Carlos Gimenez each proposed ballot items that would return executive authority to the commission, Mr. Gimenez's immediately and Ms. Jordan's in 2012 when Mayor Alvarez's final term ends.

The question is: Does the public want the County Commission to have more power? The issue would have to be voted on by the electorate as this is a charter change.

The full commission will decide whether these issues make the ballot as there was not a vote in committee.

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.

Commissioner Natacha Seijas's Remarks at UEL Meeting June 10th.

The award Copy: Natacha Seijas is recognized as a one-of-a-kind Commissioner, daringly unpredictable, strong and determined. This year she was nominated for both an Orchid and an Onion -- a first in our history -- so we had to invent a new recognition, The Hybrid, just for her. We didn't agree with her stance on the UDB (which earned her an Onion), but we laud her efforts in water conservation, which earn her an Orchid. We hated the stadium deal for the Marlins (Onion), but her ordinances to protect people and properties in foreclosure are heroic (a whole flurry of vandas!). For these votes in particular, we anoint the Honorable Commissioner Seijas, as Hybrid to the 2nd power -- with kudos for her sense of humor!

Here is the text of Commissioner Natacha Seijas’ remarks made upon receiving the Urban Environment League’s Hybrid Award.

Thank you. I want to thank you all for creating my own special category – the HYBRID award. It suits me just fine. I have never identified myself as an environmentalist. I have never belonged to Tropical Audubon, the Sierra Club, or Friends of the Everglades. But, to get this Hybrid Award from the Urban Environment League is sincerely appreciated. This is the very first time I have been recognized for my Conservation work as a member of the Board of County Commissioners.

For many years I have been sponsoring legislation that has made Miami-Dade County a leader in conserving energy and water resources. I do not issue press releases or hold press conferences. Some officials are attracted to cameras “like moths to a flame.” It is simply not my style. I get plenty of satisfaction in just knowing things are getting done.

I have always had strong convictions about the importance of Conservation. I do not use terms like “sustainability” and “Ecosystems” when I talk. But I know good policies when I see them, and I believe in being accountable and responsible. One thing I know for sure: for future generations to live here, we will need to preserve and protect our water supply.

I am proud of the 20 year Water Use Permit the County got from the Water Management District. There were a number of actors involved, but this crucial agreement was struck when two strong willed women looked each other in the eye and agreed to get it done. I will not forget the day Carol Wehle and I had our heart to heart, eye to eye, conversation.

All of the Conservation proposals I have sponsored have been supported Unanimously by my colleagues. Despite the objections of the County Manager, we joined the Chicago Climate Exchange. We are the only government in the Southeastern United States that now buys and sells Carbon Credits. I passed the Water Use Permit. My Ordinance to require the most efficient plumbing fixtures in the nation passed. My motion to require residential applications outside the Urban Development Boundary to include alternative water supply plans was adopted. When I created the Climate Change Advisory Task Force, it was approved unanimously. My resolution to get a grant for the EPA to review our Urban Development Boundary passed. Despite what Kermit the Frog says, for a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, it is easy being green.

But getting things done is not always easy. That is why, tonight, I want to ask for your help. Your organization, with its focus on citizen engagement and getting actively involved, is uniquely positioned to help me with a couple of things. So, I accept your award and leave you with a to-do list:

1) The Climate Change Advisory Task Force was created to give the County Commission recommendations. They are an Advisory Board. They do not need to work out the details. I will sponsor legislation to implement their recommendations. Time is not on our side. Please push them to publish their final recommendations by the end of the calendar year.

2) I have been working with a group of local elected officials from around the
country to make sure that the Cap and Trade bill in Washington includes money
for local government projects. Please push for passage of the Waxman – Markey
bill . . . and remind them of the importance of local government funding.

3) Miami-Dade County has two-day water restrictions. Let the South Florida Water
Management District board members know that you believe everyone in South
Florida should live under the same rules.

4) When the EPA finishes its review of the Urban Development Boundary, let’s
have a civil conversation about their observations. Promise me everyone will
put down their pitchforks. I am hopeful the EPA will have its report ready by
the end of the calendar year. I look forward to meeting with you to see how we
can lower the volume when we debate land use issues.

Sorry I took so much time saying thank you – but I am not sure when I will be invited back. Thank you and please continue to speak your mind. I am listening.