One of the things my readers should know about me by now is how much I despise identity politics, a/k/a “Playing the Race Card.” Despite the fact that our world is in Technicolor, there are those who see things only in black and white. These people are those who refuse to accept any responsibility for anything they do if they happen to be black. And, if you happen to be white, according to Race Card Players, any action you take, or don’t take, or contemplate taking…or not taking, confirms one thing and one thing only: You are a RACIST!
In the minds of Race Card Players, you might be a RACIST if…
…You fire a black person.
…You don’t give a black person a raise.
…You don’t give a black person enough of a raise.
…You stop a black person for a traffic violation.
…You arrest a black person.
…You sentence a black person.
Well, you get the picture. According to People Who Play the Race Card, blacks are good and whites are bad. Bad to the bone. Ironically, Race Card Players would be shocked to learn that they themselves are the RACISTS.
At last night’s North Miami Beach City Council Meeting, Race Card Playing was the order of the day. North Miami Beach resident/self-proclaimed community “leader”/4,500 absentee ballot holder/jailbird/bullshit artist, Volney Nerette, spoke to the council (at hour 42:27) during public comment and accused them of RACISM.
He had the audacity to first thank the Mayor for proposing an $88,000.00 salary to the Clerk, “However, it was not welcome because she is a black woman.”
Uh, oh! Heeeeeeere comes the Race Card!
Nerette continued, “It’s a shame! In 2012, you have that attitude. It’s a shame! If Ms. Latimore was a white woman one of you would say, ‘Yeah, she deserve it. I would propose $100,000.00 because she does a good job.’ And the second one who opposed would say, ‘Yes, she did a good job. I would propose $120,000.00.’ The third one who opposed would say, ‘She even deserve more. I would propose $130,000.00’ And then the last proposition would pass very easy because it was in the favor of a white woman. Once again, shame on you. It is too late for racisms [sic] and discrimination against black people. Once again, shame on you.”
No, Mr. Nerette. SHAME ON YOU!
How dare you accuse ANYONE of RACISM? This is the exact same Council that hired the City Clerk in the first place. Where was the RACISM then? I’ll tell you where … IT WAS NON-EXISTENT! It didn’t exist then, and it doesn’t exist now!
For the record, Ms. Latimore happens to be a very good City Clerk. Any North Miami Beach resident will tell you that she is professional when dealing with the public and that her response to public records requests is immediate. However, the Council members have been concerned, with good reason, that the minutes of the Council meetings are not up to date. They are not completely satisfied with her performance in that area. This is no small matter since a municipality’s minutes must always be current and posted within a reasonable amount of time. I’m told that right now the minutes are only current through May, 2012, and it is now November. Six months is a very long time for Council meeting minutes not to be published. In addition, as one resident pointed out, the City Charter requires that minutes are to be published within thirty days of the conclusion of every single Council meeting. Regardless of the reason they aren’t current, this obviously has everything to do with the fact that the Clerk received a 10% raise instead of a larger one.
It has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE COLOR OF THE CLERK’S SKIN! That much I can tell you, Mr. Nerette. HOW DARE YOU PLAY THE RACE CARD?
Besides, how dare you PRESUME to know how any Council member would vote if the Clerk were white?
HOW DARE YOU?
I am sorry, sir, but YOU ARE THE RACIST!
Oh, and by the way, a 10% raise is a hell of a lot more than the vast majority of employees are receiving during this time of severe economic crisis. In fact, I don’t know anyone in the private sector who has received a raise at all, much less TEN PERCENT!
Which also has nothing to do with the color of their skin. IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!
It felt like the Ghost of Kelvin Baker was haunting the Council Chambers. HOW DESPICABLE!
Fortunately, Councilwoman Beth Spiegel immediately told Mr. Nerette that his false accusations were inappropriate and that he owed the Council an apology. He refused to do so.
RACISTS NEVER APOLOGIZE!
At that point, there was an inescapable cloud of embarrassment hovering over the Council Chambers after that UGLY OUTBURST by RACE CARD PLAYER VOLNEY NERETTE. Several residents came up to the podium to apologize to the Council for VOLNEY NERETTE’S SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR even though they had nothing to do with it.
One such resident was former Councilman* John Kurzman, who was “flabbergasted,” as he put it. He opened his speech by telling the Council and audience that he has been in North Miami Beach since the 1960s, and that there has never been a racial problem in our city since he moved here. He turned to RACE CARD PLAYER VOLNEY NERETTE and said, “I don’t know where that is coming from, sir, but you are not talking about North Miami Beach!”
As if RACE CARD PLAYER VOLNEY NERETTE hadn’t done enough damage in his first go around, during the First Reading of Ordinance No. 2012-27 regarding the establishment of a new Code Enforcement Board, he had to have an encore.
During public comments about this Ordinance, RACE CARD PLAYER VOLNEY NERETTE first started complaining about never being appointed to a city Board. Gee, I wonder why! He was especially bitching about not being appointed to the Code Enforcement Board, even though he’s been trying for four years. HAH! Can you even begin to imagine what a disaster that would be? RACIST that he is, I imagine he’d give every person who happened to be black a pass on code violations.
How about that, Volney? Two can play the imaginary Race Card!
RACIST VOLNEY NERETTE even had the audacity (hour 2:18:23) to threaten newly crowned Vice Mayor/Councilwoman Barbara Kramer by telling her, “What is the problem? I need to know at least. Because for several times I asked question for this Board. Tonight please if you can tell me. Hah! Vice Mayor [evil laugh], I’m your enemy. I have no enemy. All of you my friend. But, don’t fight with me. It’s no good for you.”
OH, REALLY? Did he threaten Vice Mayor Kramer BECAUSE SHE’S A WHITE WOMAN? To paraphrase RACIST VOLNEY NERETTE’S own words, “Once again, shame on you. It is too late for racisms [sic] and discrimination against white people. Once again, shame on you.”
How does it feel, VOLNEY NERETTE, to have the Race Card turned over and played back on you?
Your RACIST comments and behavior are not good for North Miami Beach. “It’s no good for you,” either.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
*CORRECTION: I reported that Mr. Kurzman was a former Mayor; however, he was a Councilman, not a Mayor.
It seems as if he did threaten Councilwoman Kramer. Is that how people get on the boards? by threatening councilpersons? No one is fighting with Mr. Nerette, however, dirt digging is an entirely different subject.
I suspect that he is pulling the race card in preparation for defending his absentee ballot holder issue. How could he have the nerve to pull our city clerk into his issues? I am really impressed with our city clerk.
Can fingerprints be checked on absentee ballots?
What an ass-clown! In the meantime we have Hispanic elected officials for the first time ever, and I cannot think of a single Hispanic in upper management, yet I don’t see any spanish speaking residents making accusations during Council meetings. It is people like this who bring the quality of life in our city down while bringing racial tensions up. Maybe I missed it but did any of his compatriots on the dais tell him to STFU?
By the way, he may be a “resident” but there is no record of him owning a property (or paying any taxes) to our racist city, unless the house is only under his wife’s name, Marie. I know you don’t agree with taxes paid determining how much you can complain, but perhaps if his (supposed) property had paid more than $751.00 in taxes to the city last year, and $605.00 projected for next year, the city could afford to give his color-matched buddy, and everyone else a raise. And to Anonymous: The clerk is NOT all that impressive.
I didn’t hear L’il Frantzie P or even Derose tell Nerette to cut the racist crap. I know that Pee-Air is one of Volney’s good buddies (more to be revealed on that at a later date), but I am disappointed in Derose. Then again, the only time I’ve ever seen him animated was when the council was discussing giving freebies to Haiti. Then he comes alive all of a sudden.
You are absolutely correct – North Miami Beach is now 37% Hispanic, and growing. I have yet to see one Hispanic at a council meeting coming in for a handout or even demanding more free stuff for the Hispanic community. As a matter of fact, when the first Cubans came to Miami in the early 1960s, they didn’t go on welfare or apply for food stamps. They rolled up their sleeves and went to work. I don’t know if you remember, but in those days NO ONE went on welfare because it was a SHAMEFUL thing to do – admit that you couldn’t take care of your own family. People turned to the government for assistance as a last desperate act, and even then they were mortified to do so. Now it seems that no one has any shame and they think nothing of leaching off the government (i.e., taxpayers) even if they are able bodied and fully capable of working. What’s up with that?
Yeah, I’m on a rant today. I just can’t stand freeloaders.
Apparently Mr. Nerette’s attacks are not always verbal, here is a link to his mug shot: http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Volney_Nerette_3156309/
And I have to wonder, since in his mind everything is racially motivated, what was the color of his victim. Nice pic Volney boy!