The shit continues to hit the fan.  An article in today’s Miami Herald, North Miami foots the bill for Haiti president’s security detail, reports that taxpayers get to spend $8,800.00 of PUBLIC MONEY so that North Miami police officers could babysit the Haitian president while he was in town for a PRIVATE PARTY.  The party was a celebration of the eighth anniversary of a PRIVATELY OWNED Haitian website.  The taxpayers shelling out for the security detail didn’t even get an invitation.  Isn’t that special?

While many residents were understandably pissed off that “roughly one third” of North Miami’s population gets all the spoils, this is just one of the many slights the non-Haitian residents suffer at the hands of a mostly Haitian city council and staff.  Even though mayor Andre Pierre denies that he plays identity politics, stating, “It’s a blatant lie that this administration only helps or does things for Haitians,” the record speaks for itself.  The only blatant lie being told is Pierre’s claim that “his administration celebrates the culture of all residents.”

As I reported in We don’t need no stinkin’ sunshine. Part Deux., the North Miami city council is considering spending “$270,650.00, for a “Carnival or Mardi-Gras,” which is “one of the most sacred festivities in the Haitian community,” and an additional commitment for an unknown amount to host the festival for five consecutive additional years.  Assuming no annual increase in the cost of the festival, this “commitment” will cost the City of North Miami a minimum of $1,623,900 over six years.  Probably much more than that.

According to a recent Miami Herald article, Cash-strapped North Miami balks at covering Radio Mega carnival, the council only tabled this issue until August under pressure from residents.  (As an aside, Miami Herald reporter Nadege Green could have given me credit for breaking the story about potential Sunshine Law violations when she wrote her article a full FIVE DAYS after I published my blog, but she didn’t.  I guess, like Michelle Malkin, I’m “just a blogger.”  But I digress.)

As for Pierre’s comment that the city “celebrates the culture of all residents,” he is probably referring to the annual Winternational Thanksgiving Parade for approximately $50,000.00 and the annual Fourth of July fireworks show for approximately $20,000.00, or a total of $70,000.00 per year for two 100% American holidays.  Over the course of six years, the City of North Miami will spend $420,000.00 to “celebrate the culture of all residents,” but shell out more than $1.6 MILLION to celebrate the culture of Haitians.

Obviously, the American holidays are nowhere near as important to mayor Andre Pierre and his fellow Haitians.  That’s hardly surprising since they constantly refer to themselves as Haitians and not Americans.  Pierre may as well have said that North Miami spends four times the amount to “celebrate his culture” than it spends to “celebrate the culture of other residents.”

Bottom line, “roughly one third” of the population gets FOUR TIMES the goodies!

Andre Pierre was insulted that anyone would criticize this expenditure and claim that he only cares about Haitians.  Sorry, Andre.  It’s not at all “outrageous that as diverse as North Miami is someone would make that statement.”  The facts speak for themselves.

The most telling and disturbing line of all in the Miami Herald article is a quote by former North Miami mayor and one time Florida State Senator candidate Joe Celestin.  He was quoted as saying, “A large group of our residents are Haitian-American.  If the Secret Service can’t give protection, this is something minor for North Miami to give respect to our president.  He’s our president, at the minimum he deserves that kind of respect from us.”

Really, Mr. Celestin?  Your president?

Just in case you forgot, you were the mayor of an American city!  You ran for office in an American state!  THIS IS AMERICA, NOT HAITI!

Let me remind you that OUR president is Barack Obama, not Michel Martelly.

If you have trouble with that, please feel free to go back to your country.  And take Andre Pierre with you.  I’m sure the taxpaying residents would be happy to buy your plane tickets.  Heck, I’d even chip in.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”

Cliquez ici pour la traduction française.