Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, if you’re not pissed off at politics in Washington, you’re not paying attention.  For the most part, politicians are so adept at lying and pandering, are so despicably unethical, and have absolutely no respect for the Constitution, that surely our Founding Fathers are turning in their graves.  The task of trying to clean up the culture of corruption in our nation’s capital is tremendous, but like charity, housekeeping begins at home.  We may not be able to fix DC all at once, but we can start by being watchdogs at City Hall and demanding ethical governance from our local elected officials.

South Florida is home to some of the most corrupt politicians in the country.  We certainly have our fair share here in North Miami Beach and in our sister city to the south, North Miami.  Almost every week there’s a new story about North Miami’s mayor Andre Pierre’s shady dealings.  Our own North Miami Beach councilman Frantz Pierre isn’t far behind in negative publicity.  Other members on the council of both cities have also made headlines in recent years for engaging in questionable ethics.  Current North Miami councilwoman Marie Steril and former NMB mayor Myron Rosner immediately come to mind, both of whom have been investigated by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  Myron is currently under investigation by the Florida Elections Commission for possible campaign finance fraud.  No wonder there is much Public Dis-Trust!

Speaking of Myron, the EX-mayor still has to deal with the building code violations he committed while he was a councilman, despite his valiant efforts to avoid facing the music.  As I reported here in Queen for a Day, Myron has postponed his appearance before the North Miami Beach Code Board since October 11, 2011.  The Board meets once a month to hear various cases of code violations and then submit its findings to the Code Compliance department.  Myron came up with a different excuse not to attend the meetings in October, November and January (December’s meeting was canceled).  Then in February, Myron requested a “special meeting” to be held on March 22, 2012 because he wanted the full three hours to present his case without the inconvenience of having to wait his turn in line at a regular meeting.  The Board agreed, but then the meeting was rescheduled to March 29th, and then rescheduled (due to a lack of quorum for the Board) to a date for sometime in April, however, at the April 12, 2012 meeting, Code Compliance Manager Eric Wardle requested yet another date for Myron to appear “due to medical problems.”

Having had enough of the bullshit, the Board voted unanimously that he would not be entitled to another “special meeting” and that he had to appear before the Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting on May 10th.  Guess what, folks?  He decided AGAIN that the rules don’t apply to him.  He simply did not show up!

According to a report I received from a member of the Code Board, Myron merely sent a letter to the Board and asked for yet ANOTHER extension to a date in June “due to illness.”  Apparently, he’s still milking the “medical problems” he used a month ago to avoid the April meeting.  One of the Code Board members asked why Myron’s wife, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL couldn’t attend since she is co-owner of the marital property, and inquired if she was also in poor health.  No response.

The Board unanimously voted “NO” to the extension.  Even though all three cases (a driveway, an awning and a swimming pool all encroaching the setback) were permitted and signed off on by former building official Tom Vageline, all three projects required setback variances for which Myron never applied, thereby bilking the city out of tens of thousands of dollars in lost variance fees.

Although Mr. Wardle advised the Board that he gave Myron forty five (45) days to apply for the variances, MYRON SAID HE WOULD NOT DO IT!  The Code Board voted to give Myron Rosner and CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL, his wife, sixty (60) days to bring their marital property into compliance with code.  If they did not comply at the end of the sixty (60) days, they would be fined $250.00 a day until they did.

(Speaking of CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL, she is also a POLITICIAN!  Her elected term is up this year and if she has no opponent, she will automatically keep her seat!  As co-owner of the marital property, she’s just as much to blame for this mess as her husband.  If there are any lawyers out there interested in taking her place on the Bench, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know and I will personally recruit for you a Campaign Manager, a Campaign Treasurer and a full staff of volunteers!  Deal?)

I’m told that Mr. Vageline, who signed off on the permits, once admitted that Myron coerced him into doing so out of fear of losing his job.  He eventually resigned.

We already know that Myron does not intend to comply with the Code.  He blatantly said so himself.  Once the daily fine of $250.00 starts kicking in, we also know he won’t pay those, either.  At $91,250.00 a year, he’ll owe more than the house is worth in about two or three years.  Eventually, the City of North Miami Beach will have to place a lien on his home, which he then won’t be able to sell unless he settles the debt.  Even if he doesn’t try to sell his house, he won’t be able to refinance it or even bequeath it to his kids in his will without saddling them with a mountain of debt.  Note:  I was just advised by a member of the code board that the fine is $250.00 per day PER VIOLATION, or $750.00 per day, or $271,500.00 PER YEAR!  At that rate, the city will own his house in about a year or so!

In the meantime, if Myron ever has the chutzpah to run for office again, which I hear he’s threatening to do, this whole mess will be great fodder for blogging and in campaign ads against him.  I’m just saying.

The moral of this story is:  While we may have little to no control over the exasperating lack of ethics our representatives in Congress exhibit, we can and we will kick ass at City Hall.

Politicians, take heed.  We are watching your every move.  That includes you, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”