The newest Fan of the Blog is none other than NORTH MIAMI lawyer Frank Wolland, who also happens to represent North Miami Beach Faux candidate Yvenoline “Yve” Dargenson in the lawsuit filed by NMB Councilwoman Beth Spiegel.  Ms. Spiegel, as do the rest of us with working braincells, contends that Yve doesn’t live in our city, but in MIRAMAR.

Seems that Mr. Wolland is such a fan that he brought copies of my blogs to court last Wednesday as proof that “this is all about politics.”

Really, Frank?

Here’s a News Flash:  Running for office IS all about [drum roll, please] POLITICS!

DUH!

Frank is so freaking smart, proving yet again that he’s earned every penny a $50.00 an hour lawyer deserves.  He truly deserves the North Miami Rocket Scientist of the Year Award.

Apparently, Frank and his client are unclear on the nature of this lawsuit.  It isn’t about politics.  It isn’t even about Beth Spiegel.  (Even though she’s the only candidate in that race who had the balls to step up and do something about it!)

This lawsuit is about the integrity of our election and the integrity of our North Miami Beach government.  We have rules.  One of those rules states that candidates who run for office in our city must be actual residents of our city.  They also need to live in our city for at least one year prior to qualifying to run.  They also need to live here TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER PLACES.

Frank’s client doesn’t understand the concept of “TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER PLACES.”

So, it takes a lawsuit to define what that means, and to tell her that WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ MIRAMAR RESIDENTS ON OUR CITY COUNCIL!

Beth Spiegel should NOT have had to file this lawsuit, nor should she have been forced to pay the exorbitant legal fees she has incurred.

Clearly, it is the city’s responsibility to ensure that all candidates who apply to run for office here are BONA FIDE RESIDENTS of the city, as spelled out in our Charter.

Clearly, the city dropped the ball.

Either because the residency requirements are not worded properly, or because they don’t spell out in greater detail what proof is needed, or because of some other unknown reason, the bottom line is that we have a poser who LIVES IN MIRAMAR on the ticket.

Thanks to the legal power of discovery and subpoenas, Beth’s attorney Joseph S. Geller, has uncovered what looks to be damaging evidence that Yvie lives in MIRAMAR.  A hearing on Monday will determine whether or not Judge Gayles rules in the Plaintiff’s favor based on that evidence.  It is in the best interest of everyone who actually lives in North Miami Beach that justice prevails.  If not, we run the risk of inviting more corruption into our city than we already have up there in the person of Frantz Pierre.

As heinous as that would be, we have an issue that is just as great as the one to be decided in court on Monday.  And that is the matter of who should pay for what I believe is the city’s gross misconduct in allowing Dargenson to run in the first place.  It is my understanding that Beth Spiegel has already spent over $20,000.00 on legal fees DEFENDING OUR CITY’S CHARTER AND THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTION.

Is that fair?

Absolutely NOT!  Ms. Spiegel should not have had to reach into her own pocket or her campaign donations to do the city’s job, and I for one, would ask that she be reimbursed by North Miami Beach.

If you agree with me, please write to your city council, city manager and city attorney and let them know that:

We the Taxpayers deserve free and fair elections.
We the Voters deserve to have BONA FIDE candidates on the slate.
We the People deserve an honest and open government.

Beth Spiegel should not “take one for the team.”  We ARE the team!

This lawsuit isn’t about politics.  It’s about all of us.  As such, all of us should pay for it and demand that the city pay the legal fees.

Send Frank Wolland back to NORTH MIAMI.

Send Yvenoline “Yve” Dargenson back to MIRAMAR.

Keep corruption out of NORTH MIAMI BEACH!

ON MAY 21, 2013 PLEASE VOTE RESPONSIBLY!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”