Even though he received an official blessing from the Florida Commission on Ethics, Miami Beach Mayor Levine didn’t wait for the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission’s opinion when he decided to recuse himself from tonight’s commission vote on a controversial land use matter.

As reported by the Miami Herald in Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine to recuse himself from Sunset Harbour vote, City Attorney Raul Aguila met with ethics commission executive director Joseph Centorino yesterday to elicit an opinion as to whether or not a proposed height variance being brought before the commission would present a conflict of interest for the Mayor.

Because the development being considered is located next to one of the properties owned by Levine, there was concern that he might realize a financial benefit if he voted in favor of the developer.

As it turned out, though, no official opinion was needed.

In a “shocking” move, Hizzoner took it upon himself to abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Even more “shocking,” it was only at Mayor Levine’s request that the ethics commissions were even consulted in the first place.

Of course, the doubters will no doubt continue their frantic search to find something … anything … to bitch about in order to keep their anti-Levine obsession alive.

Even the media was skeptical about Levine’s decision.

Although the county ethics commission never issued an opinion, Joe Centorino’s statement that county laws are stricter than the state’s was all the Herald needed to run with, “The decision comes almost two weeks after the Florida Commission on Ethics ruled Levine had no conflict.  It appears as though the opinion from county ethics officials might not have turned out the same way.” [Emphasis mine.]

Without any evidence whatsoever that the Miami-Dade ethics commission would have opined in favor of a recusal, the Herald pressed on.

“When asked if he decided not to vote because he felt he wasn’t going to get a favorable opinion from the county ethics board, Levine said no.”

Of course, his rabid detractors won’t believe for one minute that he meant what he said.

The article further reported:

In a statement, Levine said that while the state ethics commission ruled he did not have a conflict, he said he decided to recuse himself because there was a “small group of detractors” whose sole purpose was to “create a crisis.”

“Therefore, I will be abstaining from tomorrow’s zoning vote affecting a very limited area, and as such, have communicated with the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission that we no longer need an opinion from their office as I have made my own decision,” he wrote.

But, because his haters don’t need a reason to hate, it won’t matter whether he does the right thing or not.

All the grudge posse needs to know is that Philip Levine is rich, powerful, good lookin’ and … he’s the Mayor.

‘Nuff said.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”