When you’re a dedicated worm digger, sometimes dirt just falls in your lap.  Hazard of the trade, I guess.

For months now, I’ve been watching North Miami mayor Andre Pierre on what seems to be a path of self-destruction.  Not to mention self-delusion.  Folks, if you thought former North Miami Beach mayor Myron Rosner was a corrupt and shameless public official, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

As I reported yesterday in Soccer-Gate, Andre Pierre is yet again in hot water, this time for using the North Miami stadium for his personal use without paying the usual and customary fees to the City of North Miami.  He did this for almost two years under his own name until September 10, 2011, and then in the name of a non-existent company he dubbed North Miami Taxpayers Soccer Club.  City Manager Stephen Johnson admitted he waived the fee because he said he’s allowed to do so for non-profit organizations.  I’m guessing Mr. Johnson didn’t know that the words “non-profit” and “non-existent” aren’t interchangeable.

The truth is that “North Miami Taxpayers Soccer Club” is NOT a registered corporation or a registered fictitious name with the Florida Secretary of State.  Last time I checked, North Miami was still located in Florida.

My sources told me that “North Miami Taxpayers Soccer Club” applied to the State of Florida for non-profit status but was rejected.  I was also advised that no application was made to the Internal Revenue Service for 501(C)(3) status.  That stands to reason since only registered organizations can apply.  DUH!

The mayor cannot use the excuse that he didn’t know he wasn’t entitled to use the North Miami athletic stadium for free.  I have in my hot little hand here North Miami Resolution Number R-2010-33, dated April 13, 2010, described as:

This Resolution states first and foremost that any organization requesting a fee waiver for use of the city’s facilities “must be a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization and submit documentation demonstrating its status.”  Secondly, “The organization must furnish the names, addresses and telephone numbers for officers and/or director [sic] of the organization.”  (Yeah, in North Miami, Spelling R Not Us.)

The Resolution lays out further requirements of the requesting organization, including that it must be located in the City of North Miami, that it not discriminate “on the basis of gender, race, age, national origin, disability or sexual preference,” and that it must provide its most recent bank statement.

But, the most restrictive part of the Resolution is that it specifically states that the requesting organization is limited to “one (1) fee waiver during any twelve (12) months.”

Considering that Andre Pierre’s “private group” used the North Miami field for two years at a loss to the city of $29,000.00, I’d say he used the city’s “one (1) fee waiver” policy at least once a week, never mind once a year!  THE CHUTZPAH!

The real kick in the ass is that this Resolution was signed by none other than Hizzoner himself.  See that?

That’s his little ol’ signature right there

City Manager Stephen Johnson thinks claiming stupidity will get him off the hook.  Not this time buddy!  According to The Miami Herald, “Johnson, formerly the city’s police chief, said he could not account for what happened before he became city manager in August 2011.”

Dude!  Wake up!  You’re SUPPOSED to be a City Manager.  It’s your freaking job to know what’s going on!  You are so totally responsible for the fact that from September 17, 2011 through now, you allowed a make believe, non-existent, certainly not non-profit, group of soccer players use your city’s athletic stadium whenever they wanted ALL FOR FREE!  That’s another nine thousand ($9,000.00) dollars the City of North Miami will never get back.

You were most definitely the City Manager on September 17, 2011.

You cannot produce a verified request form.

You cannot produce a verified waiver of fee authorization.

You are beyond incompetent.

On top of the City Manager’s total screw up and obvious cover up of Andre Pierre’s money and power grab, I’ve also been told that the City of North Miami is also out about $6,000.00 for wages paid to city workers to tend to the stadium during Pierre’s “pick up” soccer games.  According to my sources, every time Pierre & Co. took to the field, city workers had to remain throughout the game to oust any residents who DARED to wander into the PUBLIC FACILITY.  Taxpaying residents, expecting to be able to use the facilities for which they pay, were told the PUBLIC PARK was closed due to a PRIVATE EVENT.

WTF?

I’m also told that Andre reserved the field on December 23, December 24 and December 25, 2010, during which days city workers had to miss Christmas just to babysit the soccer game.  UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!

Here’s a little tidbit to chew on while we wait for Andre Pierre to outdo himself yet again:  Remember his mortgage foreclosure problems?  He is being sued by Bank of America, which is also the City of North Miami’s official bank.  He allegedly borrowed funds for home improvements, including electrical work and flooring.  My sources told me that The Miami Herald has requested copies of building permits for work done.  Guess what?  No permits were ever pulled.  Either Andre did construction work on his home without proper permits, thereby ripping off the City of North Miami yet again, or he did something else with the money.  You decide.  Either way, it doesn’t matter because the bank is about to own his house, improvements or not.  Pierre, of course, made out like a bandit.

Apparently, Andre Pierre hasn’t quite grasped the concept that the word “Mayor” is not synonymous with “King.”  He has surrounded himself with yes-men, flunkies and bootlickers who follow him around and attempt to clean up his messes.  He grossly overestimated Stephen Johnson’s ability to get that job done.  Then again, Pierre blithely goes about his dirty business without even trying to cover his tracks.

Shameless doesn’t even begin to describe his attitude.

Hopefully, “imprisoned” will soon describe his status.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”