Campaign sign violations are nothing new in North Miami Beach. Every election season, you can count on candidates simply ignoring sign laws and ordinances because, frankly, there are no consequences for not complying.
Unfortunately, no one gets bonus points for doing the right thing.
Candidates who do comply with signage laws are naturally at a disadvantage when their opponents run amok with signs. Whether it be asking for permission to post signs or not exceeding the maximum size, height, or number of signs permitted, there is no reward for following the rules.
Seasoned politicians know that by the time the city, county or state gets around to citing them for signage violations, the election is usually over and the signs are long gone. In North Miami Beach, for example, oversize signs on residential property is against city ordinance.
However, the only thing code enforcement officers can do is cite the owner, who has thirty days to cure the violation or pay a fine. By the time the owner has to take the sign down, the election is over.
Florida Statute 106.1435(3) states: “Pursuant to chapter 479, no political campaign advertisements shall be erected, posted, painted, tacked, nailed, or otherwise displayed, placed, or located on or above any state or county road right-of-way.”
Obviously, certain candidates don’t give a damn about obeying state laws.
Since this is an individual who has never before run for office, one would ordinarily take the time to explain the rules to a novice candidate.
But Paule Villard is campaigning on her “experience” as a “law enforcement officer,” where she boasts on her Facebook page, “Crime prevention is what I believe in.”
She could start preventing crime by obeying the law, no?
Then again, this is a former police officer who had trouble complying with Departmental Orders and Departmental Rules and Regulations.
Sign laws? MEH!
Obviously, taste doesn’t matter, either.
Aside from the sheer butt ugliness of Phyllis’ signs, notice the pandering to the Jewish community.
By the way, for those who don’t know what those Hebrew letters mean, they translate to “I want my lifetime benefits!”
Okay, kidding.
They really mean, “Woody takes care of his own Hummers.”
Okay, kidding again.
It really says, “I LIE!”
Seriously.
Would I lie to you?
The only way to let candidates know that we won’t put up with all their violations, lies and deceptions is to VOTE FOR THEIR OPPONENTS!
That would be the most effective consequence of all.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Stephanie, to enlighten your readers, those Hebrew letters printed on Councilwoman’s campaign signs mean G-d Bless.
It’s insulting to any Jewish person that knows,
“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God” (NRSV) and variants) is one of the Ten Commandments. Also, just as important is that the Torah forbids discarding holy objects by throwing them into the trash. Objects which have innate holiness, kedusha, must be wrapped in plastic and buried. What constitutes an object of kedusha? One of them is Any paper or material on which is written one of the names of HaShem. However, the Hebrew letters IY”H (Im Yirtzah Hashem), BE”H (B’ezras Hashem), and B”H (Baruch Hashem) may be discarded according to the halacha and Jewish custom. I’m wondering with all of the signs Phyllis Smith has throughout the city, is she ever concerned that someone may take them and discard them NOT according to the Torah? Is there a Rabbi out there that will oversee her discarding her campaign signs according to the Torah when the election is over? I would feel better knowing that, but then again Councilwoman Smith thinks she’s above the law anyway so why would she follow the laws of the Torah.
Another nerve trotting candidate is Pauly Villard. As you state, she should know better as a former LEO. Her signs are EVERYWHERE and NO, she hasn’t received permission for almost EVERYWHERE. They are sprinkled inside the 163rd Street Shopping Center and other properties of so many commercial establishments. I guess her partner in crime, Councilman Frantz Pierre could care less as well, since he’s the one who brought her into this race and he’s the one seen campaigning with her. Wake up NMB. If candidates can’t follow the most basic rules during elections what rules will they bend or tailor to themselves when THEY ARE SERVING YOU? VOTE RESPONSIBLY!
I totally agree, the campaign signs blitz is out of control. The biggest schmucks out there by far are Smith, Vallard, and Pierre. To top it off I know very little about what they have done or plan to do in office. Photo ops dont count in my book. lol. I have received great information from Marlen Martell and I think she is the greatest!!!!. I also have received good platform info from Michael Joseph, in fact I received a Jewish Leadership endorsement for him today. If I had to vote today it would be for Marlen 🙂 then Joseph, and then anybody running against pierre. Anyways, those are just my thoughts and please go vote.
What happened to separation of Church and state?
These people are arrogant with a capital “A”. It is with hope that the voters are smarter and can see through the “mess”!
The signs are annoying, but this too shall pass. What will not pass is the destruction left in the wake of dishonest politicians and weary,apathetic voters. In several cities, not too far from here, voter fraud went unchallenged and they got officials with the scruples of alley cats. I hope NMB is ready to be vigilant about the vote count, especially the absentee ballots.
I can tell you one thing, Michael Joseph #70 is the best candidate to win.
Michael Joseph is perfectly qualified. He has lived in NMB for years, owns his own home, married at the Old Spanish Monastery.
He’s also a civil rights attorney with business experience. An MBA too.
#MikeIsRightForNMB
Hector in Miami, please keep your lies in Miami. I checked out Mr. Joseph and he established residency in NMB in May of last year. If he had “lived in NMB for years” where did he live and how come no one ever heard of him?
Advice to Mr. Joseph, get a new campaign manager as Hector is hurting your reputation, something you can’t afford right now when you are running for office. Hector is a 200 pound anchor on your campaign.
If Michael Joseph has lived in NMB for years, please tell this resident as well as the rest of the NMB resident’s that read this blog, why he only registered to vote in NMB less than a year ago? Who are you, his campaign manager or something? You posted for him on another blog. Let Mr. Joseph join the community before he thinks he can run it.
Stephanie, why do you keep allowing this free publicity on your blog? It’s annoying.
Free publicity? Anyone can post whatever they like about candidates. What I won’t allow are cheap shots at each other. Last night someone posted some crap about Bruce Lamberto, then someone else posted crap about Michael Joseph, and it got out of hand so I deleted all those comments.
The person who wrote the first comment wrote to me, “Yesterday I submitted a comment to your website related to comments about Bruce Lamberto’s candidacy … however those comments were never posted. Can you tell me why those comments were not allowed to be posted?”
I responded: “Because I felt like it. I deleted other comments that were attacking Michael Joseph as well. I give my opinion freely because this is my website. If candidates wish to engage in negative attacks on each other, I will not allow free ad space for them to campaign. I understand the going rate for hit pieces is about $5,000.00 or so. If you want to pay me to do it, I’ll be happy to consider it.”
According to a source in the biz, $5k is a bargain. Therefore, I just raised my rate to $10k.
Howard, I don’t claim to know the inner workings of the mind of Michael Joseph as “why” he did this or did that… but I can tell you that no one buys their first home, invests significant sums of money to fix it up and then chooses to live there with his new wife without being convinced about that this is where they want to be.
Who are you Howard? Why do you sound like you have it out for Mike?
I’m a resident who cares about the city. I have nothing against Michael Joseph as a person, although I don’t know him. Perhaps when he knocks on my door or I meet him at a campaign forum, if there’s any of those this year, I will have a true opinion of him. Right now I don’t care to support, let alone vote for someone this new without any track record in NMB. I watch from afar and I speak to enough residents to know he is an unknown. That’s not comforting to many.
Give Mike a call 786-471-6183. He’ll meet you personally if you want.
He has knocked on a lot of doors. I’m sure he’s been to your home at least twice.
Hector, do you just make this stuff up or are you hallucinating? Almost every one of your posts contradicts the previous one. He’s never been to my house and if you have to lie about it, I don’t need him to stop by anyway. This is a case that the more you talk, the more votes your candidate loses.
This is what NMB residents think of signs planted without permission:
Good job!
Stephanie, Villard is not the only candidate putting signs on lawns without permission. I have seen Councilwoman’s family installing signs on properties of home owners when no one is home. One neighbor told me her husband just waved at him and the next thing he knew the sign was on his lawn. When I read your blog and I read the comments I cannot help but realize that her whole family is a force to be reckon with when it comes to doing the right thing. I remember not that long ago, the herald had an article relating to her auto tags being from another State. She said they were her husband’s vehicles and she had nothing to do with it. Councilwoman Smith needs to put her husband on a restraining leash, between the tags and the signs they really have blurred vision when it comes to morals.
Not only is the Smith Family putting up signs everywhere without permission in people’s yards, two days ago there was a large yellow Smith billboard sign placed on the Shell Station property on the corner of Sunny Isles Blvd. and Biscayne Blvd. Today it was removed.
Another case of a “No Permission” installed sign by Woodrow Smith and Co. whose motto seems to be “We don’t need no stinkin’ permission”
The chutzpah here is Mike Joseph’s campaign manager being allowed to lie blatantly.
Mike Joseph has NOT lived in NMB for years. In fact, it’s questionable whether he’s legally fulfilled residency requirements and faces a court challenge.
Phyllis is a nasty, self-centered blowhard. But she ain’t stupid. The legal challenge to Mr. Joseph is probably in the works.
Mr. Joseph might have some good qualities. The problem is voting for him is throwing away a vote and causing a legal free-for-all.
What “redeeming qualities” does he have? At best, he barely passes the legal threshold for residency. At worst, he’s another political opportunist who has not done a single tangible thing to demonstrate otherwise.
I met him when he ran for the state legislature. Meh.
I’m tired of our city being the training grounds for wannabe candidates. Show you commitment to our city before running. Serve on a board, volunteer at one of our many events. Do something, anything.
Right now this guy looks like the 3rd member of the Frantzie-Paule slate.
I’m trying to be open-minded, but I need something to work with.
I believe as another commenter said that Michael Joseph (Punch #70) is a true community servant.
Michael Joseph servs on civic boards, Michael Joseph is active in service to the community, and Michael Joseph has been a long-time resident of the community.
The single naysayer keeps attacking Michael Joseph’s character and making baseless claims about his residency is desperate.
Michael Joseph has rented in NMB long before he bought his first home here.
Michael Joseph is the new guy trying to do what is right and there are people who do not like that. As the expression goes, “the flak is strongest over the target”.
I would ask voters reading this comment to consider the credentials of Michael Joseph before passing judgement.
Michael Joseph’s Bona Fides:
One more time, Hector. What don’t you get? WHAT HAS HE DONE IN NMB. And no dude, I’m not desperate one bit.
Hector, as I stated in a previous comment on another post, I don’t feel Michael is a legit candidate as he has done nothing for the city. Let him join a few boards and over the next 2 years learn more about the city, then he should run for one of the three seats coming up in 2017. The city needs volunteers for the RAB, Beautification, PUC, EDC, and many more. One caveat, he would need to be nominated by a current commissioner after he fills out an application and files it with the city clerk.
http://www.citynmb.com/vertical/sites/%7B7D026603-3FD1-47D7-B72B-A998702CDBDA%7D/uploads/Board_application.pdf
Why is everyone being so nice to this guy Michael Joseph? Stop the political correctness. We are deciding our city’s future and who should be the council members deciding our city’s future.
Hes a carpetbagger. Nothing else matters.
I am so sick and tired of this. When will NMB enact real, no nonsense residency requirements that keeps people like Joseph from getting on the ballot?
Put some teeth into the law. Beth Speigel has been fighting for this since she faced a carpetbagger. Thank goodness she sued and won to expose her carpetbagger opponent
What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
I agree with the above comment about their being a Pierre-Villard-Joseph slate in the works behind the scenes.
Michael Joseph is a great guy who lives in NMB, owns his home and grew up here. He has a lot of family in NMB, too.
Stephanie Kienzle used to live a few blocks away from Michael Joseph. She knows he is no carpetbagger.
But ask Michael Joseph for yourself, his phone number is 786-471-6183.
Michael Joseph is his own man and people know it. He does not belong to some slate. He is actually running on issues.
The attacks on his character or his “residency” are threats from people who do not believe their own candidate has what it takes.
Michael Joseph stands for a clear and concise platform.