Back when I was in high school, the cheerleaders’ job was to stir up the crowd of spectators into a roaring frenzy of encouragement for the players on the field or the court. While we had no direct impact on the final score, we cheerleaders believed wholeheartedly that we were an integral part of the team. We took our team’s wins as personally as we did our losses, and accepted our victories and defeats as if we were equally as responsible for field goals and jump shots as we were for fumbles and turnovers. We may not have been the ball handlers, but we certainly didn’t consider ourselves bench warmers, either.
I totally get the passion of the newly formed cheerleading section over at North Miami Beach City Hall. Our City Manager, Ana Garcia, is nothing if not a cheerleader – and a Team player with a capital “T.” She’s all about leading the charge to bring our city into the 21st century in terms of commerce and development. Each and every email I receive from her is chock full of “team spirit,” so it’s easy to see why the Mayor and Council are being swept up and into the frenzy of roaring encouragement. Ana is the ultimate “Rah Rah Rah.”
Having been there myself, and personally experiencing the joy of victory and the agony of defeat both in sports and in life, I’ve become a bit jaded. I’m not one to be easily caught up in the drama of the snap. I’d much rather hold my jubilation in check until the six points are on the board. I am no longer that cheerleader on the sidelines satisfied by so much trash talk and not enough action.
While I also get that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” having lived in North Miami Beach for nearly 25 years, I have personally witnessed the decline of our city due to our severe lack of growth and development.
For the last quarter of a century, I have watched the demise of our commercial sector. Some businesses fled for greener pastures, while others surrendered to the inept bureaucracy at a City Hall that made it impossible to survive and simply closed up shop.
I have seen properties devolve into disrepair due to an utter lack of necessary code enforcement, while watching an overzealous enforcement war be waged against others for political purposes.
I have seen the recent dismantling of our once great police department, as have the criminals who obviously have taken advantage of the situation, and taken over our neighborhoods.
With the lone exception of Mischon Field, our parks are a complete disaster and have been for years.
North Miami Beach Boulevard, a/k/a 163rd Street, is still a two and a half mile hodge-podge stretch of tattoo parlors, palm readers, pawn shops, adult XXX stores and parking lot barbeque pits. Instead of being a welcoming gateway to our city, it is merely a thoroughfare along which commuters exiting from Interstate 95 have no choice but to travel on their way to Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and North Miami.
Even a previous administration’s “brilliant” idea of Hanford Boulevard as Downtown NMB was an epic fail.
Little wonder the disillusioned among us (especially here on the “mainland”) were never quite able to visualize NMB as “Now More Beautiful.”
So, please pardon our skepticism about our city’s newly coined slogan, “It’s Our Time.” We’ll believe it if and when we see it.
The Mayor, Council and City Manager are understandably enthusiastic about each other, and their plans for the “re-branding” of North Miami Beach. They’ve held workshops, visioning sessions, ribbon cuttings, award ceremonies, and then patted themselves on the back for all the great ideas they plan to implement. How nice for them.
The problem is that all the style has not yet translated into substance. The Miami Dolphins also “re-branded” their team with new uniforms last year. At the end of the season they were still losers.
I, for one, would love to see some progress made in our city. I’d love to believe that “It’s Our Time” to be put on the map as a destination city instead of merely an overpass. I just hope it doesn’t take another quarter of a century to undo the damage that prior administrations did by simply sitting on their asses while our neighboring cities not only ran circles around us, but then sprinted off to the finish line while we ate their dust for breakfast.
A few of the Council members have been on my case for not writing “something positive for a change” about the direction in which they believe they are taking North Miami Beach. I’m trying. I really am!
But, despite the desperate enthusiasm of the cheerleaders, those of us in the bleachers need a little something more to hang on to before we join in the “Rah Rah Rah.” So, pardon me while I reserve my judgement for the time being.
On a more positive note, however, this past Thursday night, the City of North Miami Beach Police Department held an Award Ceremony in conjunction with Police Chief Scott Dennis’ 100th day in office. Resident/unofficial “city photographer” Mubarak Kazan put together a pictorial of the event, which will be posted in a separate column right after this one. I want to thank him for his awesome pics and permission to reprint them on VotersOpinion.com.
There is also another bit of good news to report. Here is an email that City Manager Ana Garcia sent out yesterday regarding her hiring of a new Assistant City Manager, Ralph Rosado:
Mr. Rosado’s credentials are impeccable. This much needed addition to the City Manager’s office should give us all hope that NMB is really moving in the right direction.
I’d be pleased as punch if this North Miami Beach Mayor and City Council will be able to pull it off and really, finally get the job done. Skeptical Steph will be watching from the sidelines, with low expectations but the highest of hopes.
Go Team NMB! Beat the Dolphins!
That should be easy enough.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
How many managers, deputy managers, and assistant managers are needed to run a city (I mean team) of this size? They don’t come cheap with six figure incomes plus benefits. I guess there goes another parking spot the police lot….
And how many captains, majors and other brass are needed to run a PD of this size? They don’t come cheap either. BTW, the new ACM will be posted at PSA, so he/she will not be taking another one of your precious parking spaces. And while that garage is physically located behind the PD, I am pretty sure it is not the “police lot.” I could be wrong, but in the many years I have worked for the city, I was given to understand that was the parking garage for all City Hall employees. I’m just saying.
Between the newly hired ACM, Deputy Chief, The city attorney fiasco, Major promotion, Commander promotion, CM pay raise after 6 months, this city is spending money like it’s going out of style. You act as if we at the pd feel these recent promotions were necessary. This mayor and council are always promoting the difficult financial times were facing so where did this endless money supply come from?? Between city hall and the pd, the administration is handing out raises and lavish salaries like the banks did during the bailout crisis from the federal government. As far as the garage goes, or “precious parking spaces” as you refer to, if an officer parks in the shady spots of the garage, city hall employees go running back to their supervisors crying how they couldn’t find a parking space and the officers need to move their personal cars. How do we know this?? Because that has actually happened!!! We’ve arrested enough civilian employees to not feel too confident on the background procedures this city conducts. As you know, our background requirements are much stricter, so you SHOULDN’T be allowed to park in the secured parking section of the police department. I think the public would rather you walk an extra few feet to your desk job and allow the police cars to be parked on the first floor for quicker response to their emergency. Now go away desk jockey, theirs probably papers you need to file.
But you didn’t say anything about the promotions in the PD. Only the “desk-jockey” staff. So how would I know how you “at the PD” feel about those promotions? I’m also a little confused about the parking garage. You state that city hall employees complain if they can’t find a shady spot, and so police officers have to move their personal cars (which I wholeheartedly agree with you is some real BS); but then you said the public would rather “you walk a few extra feet to your desk job” to allow the police cars to park on the first floor. Are you talking about police cars, or personal cars? As far as the background checks go, I don’t see why that should make any difference about where one parks. And just because you’ve arrested civilian employees does not mean they had a prior criminal record. And no, I do not know that your background requirements are stricter. To the best of my knowledge, any candidate with a criminal record is disqualified, for any position.
The attitude I detected initially, which was confirmed by your final jab, “go away desk jockey, theirs (I assume you meant ‘there’s’) probably papers you need to file” is the very reason I responded to your comment in the first place. I truly understand the resentment the force feels about what has been happening the last couple years. What I don’t understand is why you all seem to feel that you are “separate but not equal, better” than the rest of us. Do you really think that law enforcement is the be all, end all, and everything else is a superfluous waste of money? Do you feel that way about wherever you live? I for one really like having water come out of the tap when I turn it on. And I like having my garbage picked up on a regular basis.
BTW, it is a “desk jockey” who makes sure you get paid every week. We are all on the same “team,” my friend. And yes, that “team” BS makes me as sick as it does you. This is not a game. It’s a job.
the economic success of a city is not necessarily related to the initiative taken by city commissions to entice development.
Entrepreneurs go where they think they can make profit. If they don’t see that opportunity, financial enticements by municipalities doesn’t change the reality. It only gets a business open shop for as long as they can cash in, they’ll be gone soon there-after.
What keeps Lorezon’s in business but kept the Starbucks across the street from lasting very long at all?
What kind of message do they send to locals and outside investors when they enforce regulations and codes with nepotism? When they don’t take public safety as a priority? and when the most likely pedestrian zones are unfriendly both visually and commercially?
I have lived in NMB since 1967. There was no Eastern Shores back then, but other than that, the biggest change I’ve seen (is) in our Elected Officials. Although we are still a tiny city of about 4 square miles, elected officials of today believe they need an army of minions to allow them to do their jobs!
In my humble opinion, all those layers of bodies do, is put huge WALLS between themselves & the average Citizen. Surrounded by YES drones who only tell them what they PAY them to say.
Or, they listen to the handful of voices that bombard them with negative opinions that rarely reflect what the majority feels. We had civic associations in every area of the city (before Rosner.)
Most elected officials back then attended every meeting, & hundreds of citizens would attend. Elected Officials held Town Meetings in every area, & knew most people by their FIRST Name. And not just the names of the same few people who only COMPLAIN.
I thought Mac was doing a GREAT Job as assistant manager. (He’s the only person to return my calls personally, since Ray Marin was Mayor)
Maybe they should get out more, & not rely on Facebook or email to meet people..
(Especially when I don’t know 5 people who can name even ONE elected official in my area anymore)
Instead of paying more money to people to buffer themselves from the people, perhaps having coffee with us at a town meeting, they might learn what is really important to the regular guys.
If nothing else, it’s cheaper.
Peter, I think you should send this as an email to the elected officials and ask for their response. I do know that I personally have no problem reaching any of the elected officials when I call them (except for Frantz, whom I do not contact). I know that Barbara Kramer returns every single phone call from anyone, for example. When I told her about your comment, she said you have never called her. I also know that Marlen Martel holds her own meetings at Highland Village on a regular basis. Honestly, I think you should call or email any one of them and discuss these issues.