Like I said, you can tell a lot about a candidate by looking at their Campaign Treasurer’s Reports (CTRs). Unlike NMB, over in North Miami, Reports listed on the Clerk’s election webpage are only posted through December 31, 2012. Residents have no way of knowing who has donated to the various campaigns or how the candidates have spent their funds since the first of this year. I guess the Clerk has been too busy running interference in the North Miami Beach election to pay much attention to his own. Our city’s CTRs are posted through March 31, 2012, thank you very much.
As a result of the delay, you can view only four of North Miami’s eight mayoral candidates’ Reports. Prior to January 1, 2013, Kevin Burns, Modira Escarment, Michael McDearmaid, and Lucie Tondreau did not report any contributions or expenditures. With a scant five weeks until election day, voters have no way of knowing who these candidates are in bed with (financially speaking, of course) or how prudently they are spending their donors’ dollars.
As for the council races, there are no reports posted for Mary C. Irvin, Carol Keys, or James Herard. Ms. Keys only threw her hat in the ring on February 5, 2013, so it’s understandable she has no report yet. However Ms. Irvin filed on on September 14, 2012 and Mr. Herard on November 21, 2012. They had plenty of time to start raising money and campaigning if they were serious about winning.
As everyone who has ever run for office knows by now, in order to get elected, candidates rely on getting their names and pictures out into the public eye and in your face as nauseatingly often as possible. Just ask North Miami Beach EX-mayor Myron Rosner and North Miami current mayor Andre Pierre about their strategy of renting bus benches to post their pre-campaign (but really campaign) signs under the guise of wishing voters a faux happy holiday season. Myron’s attempt at name recognition was an epic fail, but Andre’s tomfoolery got him re-elected, which only proves that there are more low information voters in North Miami. As well as more tolerance for public corruption. Hopefully, this time around voters will wake up. I aim to help them do just that.
The Campaign Treasurer’s Reports that are posted are quite interesting, to say the least. For starters, Gwendolyn V. Boyd has raised a total of $38,577.00, of which $32,540.00 were loans from herself. Luckily, she’s only spent $5,797.97, so if she’s careful with the money and is able to collect more contributions, she’ll be able to pay herself back most, if not all of the loans. I’d hate to see her lose all that money, even if she wins the election. That’s a lot of scratch. As for her expenses, aside from feeding her volunteers somewhat frequently, but not expensively, and $576.31 on a photo shoot for her campaign literature, both of which are typical campaign expenses, Ms. Boyd has been extremely frugal and responsible in her spending. Very telling of how fiscally prudent she’ll be as mayor.
Smith Joseph has raised $34,700.00, of which $30,000.00 are loans, and has spent $20,907.08. Most of his money was spent on radio advertising and a much smaller amount on print advertising, but he also spent $3,000.00 to lease a “campaign headquarters.” WTF? Is he running for President? Dr. Joseph also spent $2,000.00 on a “concert book” for a church and called it advertising. I hope the Lord appreciates it. One thing that glaringly stood out, however, is his payment of $3,000.00 to the ubiquitous Volney Nerette for “media/ad.” Regular readers of my blog know that Nerette is a highly questionable “campaign worker” (read: ballot broker) who is well known for telling candidates ‘he has control of over “eighty to eighty five percent of the Haitian vote.” He also tells candidates that “no one gets elected in this city unless they hire him.”’ In the last North Miami election, Nerette claimed to have “4,500 absentee ballots” at his disposal. We are still waiting for the authorities to nail his ass. Mr. Smith would do well to disavow Volney Nerette and perhaps try to get his money back. Just saying.
Jean R. Marcellus has raised $4,000.00 in the form of $3,700.00 in loans and $300.00 in actual contributions. He has spent $2,983.11, most of it on radio advertising. What? No Volney?
First time candidate Anna L. Pierre has raised $3,005.00 to date, only $650.00 in loans, and has spent $2,533.90. As expected, most of her spending has been for advertising in the form of signage, mailers and far too much on a website. Curiously, she spent $333.00 on the purchasing and service for two “campaign phones” to Metro PCS. Didn’t she have her own cell phone already? Just asking. I’m surprised Volney Nerette hasn’t badgered her yet.
My critique on the collection and spending habits of the other four candidates will have to wait until the current Campaign Treasurer’s Reports are posted. Get a move on, Clerk!
I will also review and report on the CTRs for the council races later on. However, I couldn’t help but notice and share (make that blurt out while ROFLMAO) that council candidate Katiusquie Perre had the chutzpah to charge her campaign $135.00 for “hair preparation” and $80.00 for “beauty supplies” for her “campaign pictures.” Jeez, maybe I’ll run for office so I can get a makeover, too!
A final caveat to all candidates who have not yet figured out that there are campaign finance laws in the State of Florida with which you must comply: It’s illegal to collect cash donations in excess of $50.00 from any one source. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
