The Miami Herald published an article on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, entitled North Miami mayoral candidates have all faced criticism.  In addition to the candidates, one of the individuals mentioned in the article was former North Miami City Attorney John C. Dellagloria, who rushed to defend his former boss-slash-client by quickly dashing off this letter to the editor:  Attacks on former North Miami mayor are unjustified.

Justified or not, there is plenty more to reveal about a certain CRA fuzzy-math deal that Dellagloria cavalierly pooh-poohed as being “in the court of public opinion no one even cares about.”  In his letter, the lawyer bemoaned the fact that the reporter “dredged up” a political football that, in his opinion, is just so five years ago.

Au contrere, John.  You of all people should know better than to dismiss a controversy that you wish would just go away.

Unfortunately, all’s fair in love, war and municipal elections.

Trust me, this issue is not gonna die so easily.

And, I will be making sure of that, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, as for the Herald reporter’s intimation that mayoral candidates Jean Marcellus and Smith Joseph have residency issues, here’s the thing.

While Jean may not stay in one place too long, all of the addresses he’s claimed to live at within the last two election cycles are located in North Miami.  As the article noted, a 2009 lawsuit challenging Jean’s residency was an epic fail.  Therefore, there is no indication that he doesn’t live in North Miami.

Somewhere in North Miami, anyway.

Regarding Smith Joseph’s residency, I previously noted that “On June 21, 2012, Smith Joseph purchased the condominium located at his listed address of 2100 Sans Souci Boulevard, Apt. B706. On June 28, 2012, he quit claimed that unit to his company, SPS Enterprises, LLC. There is no record of where he lived from the time he sold his Miramar home until the day he purchased the North Miami unit. However, when he ran for office in 2013, it appears he was a resident of North Miami. He may or may not have been a bona fide resident, according to the charter, because I couldn’t tell you whether or not he lived the required twelve months in North Miami prior to the qualifying period. Since he didn’t win the election, this is a moot point at this time.”

In my very humble opinion, Smith Joseph hangs his hat in North Miami and is qualified to run for Mayor.

I’m guessing, however, that this is not the last we will hear about residency issues.

Honestly, I wish we didn’t have to even discuss where a candidate lives.  We wouldn’t have to if it weren’t for all the carpetbaggers who leave their homesteads to rent a postage stamp sized room in a municipality whenever election season rolls around (see: Hans Mardy).  Thanks to them, voters and bloggers will have to address where a candidate lives more often than where a candidate stands on the real issues.

My first rant of the day, therefore, is this:

If you want to run for office, then pick a city – any city – AND LIVE THERE!

What the hell is wrong with you people, anyway?  How could you possibly have a vested interest in your community if you’re not a bona fide resident of that community?

As much as I cannot abide North Miami Beach Councilcritter Frantz Pierre’s unethical and corrupt ways, AT LEAST I KNOW WHERE HE LIVES!

As big a dirtbag as NMB EX-Mayor/FELONY defendant Myron Rosner is, AT LEAST I KNOW WHERE HE LIVES!

Whether or not you like or agree with any of the council members sitting at the dais at the hallowed City Halls of North Miami and North Miami Beach, AT LEAST WE KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE!

As far as I’m concerned, if you want to be a public servant and run for office, for crying out loud …

LIVE SOMEWHERE!

ANYWHERE!

AND STAY THERE!

End of Rant #1.

Moving right along…

An article just published in the Miami Herald, MOCA board to form new entity, move out of North Miami, reports that trustees Irma Braman and Ray Ellen Yarkin are hitting the road and taking their Wonderboy, Alex Gartenfeld, with them.

Good riddance!

According to the article, the trustees are forming a new organization, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and will be moving to a temporary facility at the Moore Building in Miami’s Design District.

Again, good riddance!

The only thing left to be decided in mediation now is who gets to keep which of the 600 pieces of the permanent art collection that is now being held hostage in storage while the doors of MOCA remain “closed for re-installation.”

This did not have to happen!

If the board of trustees hadn’t spent this last year secretly plotting to sneak out of North Miami under cover of darkness, they could have been doing their appointed job of scheduling shows for the all important fall museum season.

As a matter of fact, Bonnie Clearwater, formerly the Executive Director of MOCA, just launched the fall season at the NSU Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, where she is now the Director and Chief Curator.

Obviously MOCA’s loss was NSU’s gain.

If the Museum of Contemporary Art’s board of trustees hadn’t been so intent on screwing its host city, they could have been focusing on local talent to foster and showcase.  A prime example is a talented young artist who grew up in North Miami after arriving from Haiti with his family in 1987.  He attended the Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH) and the New World School of the Arts.  The Miami New Times just published an article, Adler Guerrier Shows Miami at a Crossroads, which states:

“While the ink on his diploma was still fresh, he grabbed the art world’s attention as part of the groundbreaking Freestyle exhibition organized by the Studio Museum in Harlem. By 2008, his work was featured at the Whitney Biennial in New York, placing him at the forefront of a rising crop of fresh Miami art stars.”

It’s quite obvious that this young artist’s work is “contemporary” and MOCA-worthy, even by the James L. Knight Foundation’s mysterious “cutting-edge” standards.

Instead of an exhibit at a world famous museum of which he probably grew up within spitting distance, the New Times reported:

“Now the Pérez Art Museum Miami, in just its fourth major public show, is presenting “Adler Guerrier: Formulating a Plot.” It marks the first museum survey of the artist’s works from the past 15 years.”

Yes, THAT museum!

Are your teeth gritting yet?  I know mine are!

As if to add insult to injury, the article just had to continue:

“PAMM couldn’t have chosen a better narrator to convey a vision of Miami at the crossroads.”

Grrrrrrrr!

MOCA couldn’t have chosen a better one, either, but the trustees chose instead to sue the City of North Miami, and leave countless artists like Guerrier to be picked up by the museum’s competitors.

As a result, MOCA’s dance card is empty until further notice.

Nice move, schmucks!

End of Rant #2.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”