Now that I got all that girly sweetness and light stuff out of my system, it’s time to go back to my usual hard hitting pseudo journalism and get down to some serious business. I’m now going to yet again revisit the Agenda for tomorrow night’s North Miami Beach City Council meeting.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF
Right out of the box, our City Clerk will be swearing in our new Chief of Police, J. Scott Dennis, Sr. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome him to NMB and congratulate him on his appointment. May the Force be with him!
THE PRODIGAL SON
Now on to the not so fun stuff. On top of all the reasons I already stated in Just say “No!” to the Council’s granting extended hours to the strip club known as Black Diamonds, certain items have come to my attention that I hope will drive home the point even further. Despite the fact that Black Diamonds has been advertising on its Facebook page that its operating hours are from 6:00 PM to 4:00 AM, it appears that the police had to be called on three separate occasions significantly after the club should have been closed.
On November 20, 2013, there was a dispute between an employee and a patron, and the police were at the scene at “0517 hrs.” That’s 5:17 AM in civilian-speak. I understand that Black Diamonds had been given permission to remain open until 6:00 AM during a grand opening event on October 26, 2013. However, since the club was not supposed to stay open past 4:00 AM since then, clearly it broke curfew on that particular night. Or, I should say on those particular wee hours of the morning.
On November 30, 2013, while most of us were still overdosing on turkey leftovers, at 4:44 AM the police were again called to Black Diamonds due to a complaint of “loud music.” The police report states that the complaint was “unfounded,” but apparently the business was still open past its Council mandated bedtime.
Undaunted (and obviously unpunished), the very next night on December 1, 2013, a complaint was made that the club was still operating after hours. The police were summoned at 4:24 AM, and at the request of the officer on call, the management closed up shop.
According to a copy of a letter I received from a North Miami Beach resident, the original of which he sent to the Mayor and Council, he claims he drives home from work on Biscayne Boulevard right past Black Diamonds daily between the hours of approximately 4:30 and 5:00 AM. It would appear that he is the person who called the police on the mornings of November 30 and December 1, 2013. This resident also wrote:
“This past Thanksgiving Thursday Night 11\28 while on my way home from work driving on Biscayne Blvd at approx 5 am i witnessed club patrons still trying to get into the club’s parking lot having Biscayne Blvd blocked up. I parked my car accross the street and walked over to the clu[b] entrance to witness the club in full operation… Girl[s] dancing, alcohol being served, money being thrown in the air, the club reaping in Marihuana and patrons openly smoking and rolling up weed in plain sight. There were no City of North Miami Beach Police Officers anywhere in sight.”
I have no idea why he didn’t call the police on that particular night, er, I mean morning, but I’m sure glad I missed that party!
To me, this is a clear pattern of rebellion and disrespect for our city’s laws, as well as a violation of its Business Tax license. The regular operating hours for adult entertainment establishments mandates a closing time of 2:00 AM. At the sole discretion of the City Manager, the Black Diamonds strip club was given the privilege of extending its business hours from 2:00 to 4:00 AM. As further proof that no good deed goes unpunished, the management continues to push the envelope by staying open way past that time. HOW RUDE!
And now Black Diamonds is coming back before the City Council tomorrow night to push that envelope even farther by requesting an extension of those hours until 6:00 AM. HOW ARROGANT!
The people who run Black Diamonds have not at all proven that they can or will comply with their already extended operating hours, yet they have the freaking chutzpah to ask to stay open even longer. I certainly hope the Council turns them down this time, and that they keep denying Black Diamonds the privilege of extended hours until the management can learn how to follow the rules.
FRANTZIE’S FOLLY
When this issue came up at the last Council meeting, our favorite Council Weasel Frantz Pierre, who was apparently going to vote in the affirmative for extending the club’s hours, likened North Miami Beach’s three strip clubs to having three children. He mumbled something about having to treat all three children the same way. This was his lame way of saying that if the other two strip clubs are allowed to stay open until 6:00 AM, then Black Diamonds should also have the right to do so.
Sorry, Frantzie, bad analogy! If one of your three “children” misbehaves, there should be consequences. At least that’s how I raised my three real children. I never punished one for the misdeeds of the others, and I certainly never rewarded bad behavior!
By its blatant disregard for our city’s laws, Black Diamonds has already exhibited bad behavior and it should be treated accordingly. The best way to raise good children is to teach them the value of the word “no.” If there are consequences for breaking the rules, it sends a clear message that misbehavior will not be tolerated.
In the world of commerce, there are also rules with which businesses must comply. Noncompliance should have consequences. In the case of Black Diamonds, those consequences should include restricting them to regular operating hours until they learn how to comply. It really is that simple. A resounding “NO” will work wonders!
As for Frantz Pee-Aire, I’m just wondering how he is all of a sudden justifying his newfound approval of strip clubs staying open until 6:00 AM. Avid Frantzie Watchers (present company included) are well aware that when Dean’s Gold came before the Council to request that privilege, Frantz voted “NO.” Likewise, when the strip club known as G5 also requested extended hours, Frantz voted “NO.”
Curiously, now that Black Diamonds wants to play in the same sandbox as its “siblings,” Frantzie is all for equal treatment of “his children.” WTF?
I wonder if it has anything at all to do with the FACT that the real owner of the business known as Black Diamonds (which is NOT SMG Entertainment, Inc.) just happen to be Haitian Like Him. Unlike the owners of both Dean’s Gold and G5. Then again, I’ve already proven time and time again that The P Man doesn’t give a crap about anyone who isn’t Haitian, so I won’t waste any more time on that topic. Suffice it to say that Frantzie’s inherent racism continues to shine through. ‘Nuff said about that.
In any event, I’m done with this crap for now, so I’ll stop here.
I will not, however, stop at one last, absolute final, attempt to knock sense into the Council’s collective head about an issue that I’ve been nitpicking to death. It STILL bothers me, so here I go again.
A DEAL IS STILL A FREAKING DEAL!
OMIGOD! I don’t know how to say this any clearer to make my point, but I am going on one last raging rant in the hope that someone, ANYONE, will get it!
Item 15.2 on the Agenda is the Second and Final Reading of Ordinance No. 2013-20 regarding the amending of the retirement plan for police officers and firefighters of the City of North Miami Beach. As I’ve stated, ad nauseam, on June 17, 2003, the City Council adopted City Ordinance No. 2003-4, which provided for an additional pension contribution by the police officers in an amount equal to 2.5% of their salary, the payment of which was for the express purpose of being able to retire after 20 years of credited service.
As such, this being the year 2013, the officers have been making this additional contribution for the last ten (10) years with the expectation that they will, in fact, be able to retire after 20 years of credited service.
The new pension plan expected to be adopted by this City Council will force those officers to stick around an additional five years before being able to retire, thus COMPLETELY DISREGARDING the fact that they have been continuously making this additional 2.5% contribution since 2003. They bought it. They paid for it. They should have every reason in the world to expect to get it!
HELLOOOOO! What part of that equation is so freaking difficult to understand?
I’m not making any assertions that any or all of the rest of the proposed pension amendments are legal, or that an objection to any of them would stand up in a court of law. Both sides have reasonable arguments for and against most of those proposals. A judge’s decision could slant in either sides’ favor.
However, when someone pays for something out of his or her own pocket, THEY OWN IT!
In this case, the police officers paid for their retirement after 20 years of service, and it is my unyielding opinion that THEY OWN IT!
Seriously, people, A DEAL’S A DEAL! Reneging on this deal is, in my most humble opinion, unconscionable.
Okay, I’m done screaming. I gave it my best shot. The ball is now in the Council’s court. I can only hope that reason prevails.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
People get screwed all the time.You get a master’s degree expecting reimbursement per your contract only to find they will no longer pay for it. You have a job with a pension, only now you have to pay into it. The fault here is in the union. They are the ones who overlooked this, aren’t they? It should never have been negotiable because the officers paid directly to a specific,dedicated fund. So, show me the money No one ever gets a “forever contract”. It’s not a stamp.
You’re right that this should not have been a negotiable issue. However, I don’t think the union had much say in what in the proposal at all. I’m not sure if it was even on anyone’s mind from the start, but once I was told about it, I brought it up immediately.
The bigger issue, though, is that just because “people get screwed all the time,” doesn’t make it right. When someone signs a contract, he or she has a reasonable right to believe that it’s a signed, sealed and delivered deal. If someone breaches a contract, there are ways to legally enforce it. Just saying.
Lets go over your comments shall we.
#1) You stated “People get screwed all the time”. Your writing that as if it’s okay to screw us or anyone for that matter.
#2) You stated “You get a master’s degree expecting reimbursement per your contract only to find they will no longer pay for it”. Did this happen to you? Why didn’t you sue for a breach of contract?
#3) You wrote “You have a job with a pension, only now you have to pay into it”. Well here in North Miami Beach we’ve always had to pay into it. I’m sorry if you were lucky to have pension that you never paid into and now they want to change it, but then again, you have no vested financial interest like we do so I’m sure they can change it on you like they did the Florida State Retirement System. We have no choice but to pay into ours as it was a condition of our employment. You might be thinking of the a different pension system if your under the assumption that we’re just now starting to pay into it. Do your research, our contribution is one of the highest in the state of Florida.
#4) You wrote “The fault here is in the union. They are the ones who overlooked this, aren’t they” Uhhh Noooo…Sure, jump on the anti-union bandwagon. Our UNION (rrrrr, such a scary word, hahaha) didn’t get involved in pension issues until recently. Again, knowledge is power, do your research.
#5) You wrote “It should never have been negotiable because the officers paid directly to a specific,dedicated fund”. Exactly!!! Let the pension board run the pension and let them make responsible pension reform without the city trying to force it during contract negotiations.
Good luck to the new Chief. 3 shootings within the week and a homicide this morning. Hope he can make a difference because the mayor and council have destroyed this department.
There was a homicide this morning? I hadn’t heard. Why has there been no press release or media coverage?
Stephanie,
I may not agree with thinking or conclusions of your first commentor, but unlike our mayor and council at least he or she is willing to admit that we are being “screwed”. The city sold us a 20-year retirement. They collected our money for more than a decade. Now, they say “no deal”. And not only are they refusing to handover the product they sold us, they intend to force us to continue making payments on it forever. That’s right, they want to force us to continue paying that same 2 1/2% even though they now have no intention of honoring the 20-year retirement they agreed to sell us. They intend to keep everything we’ve paid them, keep the 20 year retirement they agreed to sell us and continue forcing us to make payments on an item they no longer intend to sell, namely, a 20-year retirement.
Yes, we are getting “screwed” alright. Royally “screwed”! I wish I could open a business and run it the same way. I could sell a product, collect the money, then refuse to sell the product but continue collecting the payments on the item I now refuse to sell. Now that sounds like a successful business model! Unfortunately, that sounds like the kind of deal that only exists for oppressive governments and not private business owners. Any private business owner who conducted business that way would end up in jail, no doubt!
As usual, politicians operate by their own set of rules, morals and standards.
KeepinItReal, “examples” of being screwed do not have to be researched. I didn’t say or imply that this particular police department was experiencing these specific “screwings” I merely cited them as contractual items that I know of in public employee contracts that were negotiated away. More than once, Ms Kienzle has offered that it was she who “uncovered” the 2 1/2% of the salary that was directed to the pension account. It is not “union bashing” to ask why they didn’t come to the table with that information. It is also not “union bashing” to ask the hierarchy to cram a little before they meet with the council about a new contract. I do think the officers who will not be permitted to retire after 20 years and who paid money into this earmarked fund should have that money rolled back into their paychecks or pensions. “Keepinitreal”, I do hope you aren’t one of the contract negotiators as your style is unnecessarily contentious and disagreeable. It would explain a lot.
By stating “the fault here is the union”, your not gonna win much support from us. If you took the time to meet our union president, Sgt. R. Rand, like Stephanie has, you’ll see there’s not a more honest dedicated public servant to better serve the men and women of our union. All our negotiations have been in good faith even when we were faced with city officials that stated “off the record” that they don’t know why the mayor and council are trying to destroy our benefits. Although Stephanie has published to the city at large the destruction and theft this mayor and council is trying to impose on its officers, the union has been vocal at contract meeting after contract meeting, in public comment and at council meetings on the financial destruction they are trying to impose on the pension. The city even paid a pension expert thousands of dollars to present a reformed two tier pension system for new hires and when we agreed to it, they turned their backs on it and ignored it. Pension reform could have been completed over two years ago and we all know this mayor wanted it done ASAP, but he’s kicked the can down the road and know it’s going to take even longer and cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees since their forcing us into a lawsuit. Educate yourself a little, you sound like every moron that comes on here blaming the union.
Horses,
Thank you for acknowledging that the city should refund the 2 1/2% the officers have paid in exchange for the 20 year retirement they will no longer receive. Hopefully, the city will do the right thing and agree with you.
Likewise, it is unfair for the city to continue to collect that 2 1/2% from its officers. If the deal is off, the officer’s contributions should be lowered by 2 1/2%.
Likewise, the city should refund all of the 185 monies it has collected.
If the city no longer wants to sell these benefits, they should refund all of the money they collected for them. To keep the money is inherently unfair.
Lets not forget we also agreed to give up our 185 monies for a guaranteed COLA after retirement which they aren’t going to give, but there gonna keep those 185 monies to themselves. The mayor and council should be criminally charged with grand theft. To think you take someones money and keep taking their money after failing to deliver the product is such am immoral and disgusting act that it blows my mind. At least give us back or 2.5 % for the past 10 years which will help pay for the increase of my insurance rates. Thats a whole other issue, the police department, historically, has been healthier than the general employees but yet they decided to raise our insurance rates higher than them. Oh yeah, they also gave them 6 hrs of sick leave a month but the cops only 4. Punitive behavior by the mayor and council, out in the open for everyone to see.