While we here in North Miami Beach were fortunate enough to purge our city of a majority of corrupt government officials during the last election, the folks in North Miami weren’t so lucky.  A small majority (slightly over 51%) of voters re-elected a mayor so blatantly and deviously corrupt, you’d think he was from Chicago (a/k/a The Windy City).  Considering that Mayor Andre Pierre’s foibles and highly questionable acts were well publicized during the election by the Miami Herald, the Miami New Times,  several of my own columns, and many other online periodicals, one has to wonder if half the voters of North Miami are just plain stupid or if there was something more sinister going on. 

I wouldn’t be surprised, for example, if absentee ballot voter fraud had been committed, which is rampant here in South Florida.  The statistical results of that election alone should have been a red flag.  According to the city’s own website (http://www.northmiamifl.gov/departments/city_clerk/elections/2011_results.asp), the number of “register” [sic] voters who cast a ballot was 27,274.  Of this figure, EIGHT PERCENT (8%) of the votes were by absentee ballot.  In Andre Pierre’s race, however, 1,132 of his 3,020 votes, or nearly THIRTY SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT (37.48%), were by absentee ballot!  Kinda makes ya wonder, eh?

Long before the election, Corruptocrat Andre Pierre had been plagued by scandals, such as a Porsche-Gate (http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/North-Miami-Mayor-Called-Out-for-Sweet-Ride-105164339.html), Police Badge-Gate (http://corruptauthority.com/north-miami-corruption-government-waste-politics-city-hall-council/), Security Camera-Gate (http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/North-Miami-Mayor-accused-of-abuse-of-power-for-implying-threats-to-cops-121368674.html), and just days before the election, the now infamous Nephew-Gate (http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/03/north_miami_mayor_andre_pierre_1.php).

And yet, he was re-elected.  Go figure.  Makes you wonder if anyone in North Miami even gives a crap about political corruption at all.

According to an article in today’s Miami Herald, North Miami finance director says he was fired for doing his job (http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/09/2506899/north-miami-finance-director-says.html), it does appear that the last thing Andre Pierre wants is accountability of taxpayer money.

Once this wannabe dictator was reinstalled at City Hall, he decided to ensure his mayoral seat for years to come by hiring and promoting his cronies and firing anyone who potentially stood in his way.  Pierre promptly forced the resignation of the then City Manager, Russell Benford, and installed his favorite henchman, now former Chief of Police Stephen Johnson (who is Pierre’s Camera-Gate co-conspirator), as interim City Manager (who was recently crowned as the Permanent City Manager).  Johnson then turned around and fired long time Finance Director Carlos Perez, citing “performance reasons” even though Perez had always received “outstanding and above average performance reviews” each year of his employment with the City of North Miami.  The Herald quoted Perez as stating, “How do you judge my performance with only 24 days observing me on the job?”

Unfortunately for Carlos Perez, the only problem with his “job performance” is that he performs it too well.  Mr. Perez was instrumental in helping to uncover Camera-Gate, for which North Miami Police Officer James Mesidor was investigated by the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  According the Miami Herald, “The ethics commission’s advocate found probable cause Mesidor violated ethics rules, and asked the commission to fine Mesidor $2,500. The commission has not yet ruled on the matter.”

Judging by the Ethics Commission’s recent non-ruling against North Miami Beach former mayor Myron Rosner on charges of abuse of power (https://www.votersopinion.com/?p=1655), I’m not expecting Mesidor to be held accountable for his part in the unsavory affair.  We all know the “Ethics” Commission is a great big cosmic joke.

But, I digress.

Even more interesting than the Miami Herald article itself are several reader comments, which are most likely made by employees and other “insiders” who need to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, but who also seem to know more dirt than the casual observer could possibly know.

For example, “WhichElphaba61” wrote, “Johnson also threatened to fire any director who spekas to the media or citizens. Also he has disallowed inter office emails, so that there can be no public records. Officer Mesidor was thrown under the bus for the illegal acts of Johnson and former manager, Benford (now at County).”

Reader “suttonmh” summed it up best by writing, “The City of North Miami is controlled by the absolute overbearing power of a dictator.  It is under the thumb of Andre Pierre in his position as Mayor of North Miami.  Those that work for the City could call this the reign of terror.  People like City Manager Stephen Johnson and Chief of Police Marc Elias are part of the conspiracy.  Character, competence, dedication, and honesty no longer have any meaning in North Miami,  My condolences to the residents of this once great place to live and work.”

The only good thing I can say about our “sister city” to the south is that she’s making North Miami Beach look really great.  Keep up the fantastic work, mayor Pierre!  We need all the good publicity we can get.

In the meantime, I’ve got a great new nickname for North Miami…The Even Windier City!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”