The North Miami Beach City Council meeting tonight was a hoot! Things went along rather smoothly until Mayor George Vallejo announced his intention to change the seating arrangement.
Then all hell broke loose.
First Councilwoman Beth Spiegel gave an impassioned speech on why she believed the Mayor was wrong and that this was a political move. She soon became visibly upset and announced she was leaving the meeting, and that she would see everyone back at the next meeting.
Faux Councilwoman Phyllis Smith, of course, took this as a opportunity to bloviate loudly, and launched into one of her nonsensical tirades about absolutely nothing. Seizing the moment to make a spectacle of herself yet again, Phyllis also announced that she was leaving the building and stormed off.
At that point, Faux Councilman Frantz Pierre began his grandstand moment, claiming that he had to be the “voice of reason again.”
Yeah, I laughed so hard I hurt myself.
When Frantzie got up to leave, all of a sudden, the Mayor and remaining council members realized they were about to lose their quorum with much legislation yet to be voted on, and literally begged Frantzie to stay.
At that point, I threw up in my mouth.
The P Man, of course, took this opportunity to puff up his tiny little chest and bask in the glory of actually being relevant for the first time in his pathetic life.
Surprising no one, he strutted off the dais with the sole intention of being the center of attention.
The Mayor and remaining legitimate council members had no choice but to take a recess, with the Mayor announcing that they would wait until a fifth council member could return and there would be a quorum.
A few minutes later they returned to the dais.
And they waited…
And waited…
And waited.
All the while, the Buffoon of NMB, a/k/a L’il Frantzie P, was pacing the hallway outside Council Chambers, while I’m told that City Manager Ana Garcia was trying her best to lure him back inside.
At that point, I became livid at the mere thought that Frantz Pierre was holding the meeting and the entire City of North Miami Beach hostage.
I was also furious that the City Manager of my former home town felt it necessary to degrade and prostate herself before a heinous creature so completely unworthy of walking among actual human beings. I am truly embarrassed for her.
I also walked away from my computer because I couldn’t stand to watch the insanity any longer. By the time I returned, the video had stopped, so I will assume they finally adjourned the meeting for lack of a quorum.
And that was that.
People are constantly asking me why I rarely write about North Miami Beach anymore. Well, there’s your answer.
There are two absentee-ballot-fraudulently elected individuals sitting on the dais – Phyllis Smith and Frantz Pierre – who act as if they were legitimately elected.
By virtue of the fact that no legislation can be passed without a quorum of five members, the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk have no choice but to acknowledge their presence and recognize them as if they were welcome on the dais.
At any given moment, Phyllis and Frantz can and do wreak havoc on the entire City of North Miami Beach, and their combined stupidity gave me plenty of material for your entertainment.
At one time it was hilarious.
It’s not funny anymore.
In fact, it’s beyond pathetic.
I’m so glad I moved to Davie, where people appear to be normal.
Stephanie
What a trio of petty and moronic Council members. They are worse than entitled middle schoolers.
There are clear grounds for removing these three from office if they pull this crap one more time.
The City Charter and Florida law are very clear concerning officials who are either unable or who refuse to do their jobs.
So last night I get a text to tune in to the Council Meeting, this as I’m glued to the RNC. I evidently missed some of the hoopla, but what I did see was nothing short of a temper tantrum by adults, elected leaders of good ole NMB. I have yet to really get what the fuss was all about since I was switching back and forth and then there was no meeting. The blog has somewhat filled me in, but it all sounds so stupid.
Where’s your post on the police shooting?
Patience.
It’s getting to the point (if it hasn’t already) where decent, qualified, educated and ethical people, with an interest in a public sector career, will start looking for work in other fields…or at the very least, in other locations. It’s degrading to one’s sense of self-worth and flat-out embarrassing to have to answer to, serve and be represented by corrupt elected morons and buffoons who lack the knowledge, skills, ability and professionalism to serve the public…but most importantly, have ulterior and sinister motives for seeking elected positions in the first place. To any objective outside observer, it’s become painfully clear that some cities simply should not exist (North Miami Beach, Opa Locka, Lauderdale Lakes, etc.). They make a mockery of representative government, only further the personal goals of crooks and pretenders and are dysfunctional and irresponsible custodians of hard-earned taxpayer money. The misfits who descend upon these mostly poor minority communities like locusts pass themselves off as distinguished and competent statesmen and philanthropists, when nothing could be farther from the truth.
It’s a sad, bitter pill to swallow for the public that pays the bills…but the unabashed strategy of these parasites seems to be…when you’ve failed at or are incompetent in every career path you’ve ever attempted…just become a city councilman! Qualifications and ethical behavior don’t make a damned bit of difference! There is no bottom!
Thank you for your report on this meeting. I watched with bemusement at what unfolded. I don’t understand why you were so harsh on Smith and Pierre but gave Spiegel a pass for her juvenile behavior.
It seems to me, as someone who follows our city’s government for many years, that Spiegel has some serious issues of her own. She seems to hate anyone that disagrees with her. People disagree with her a lot because she is wrong a lot. It’s very unbecoming and unprofessional. Unless you have something constructive to say, don’t say it.
Smith is a opportunistic hack and Pierre is a crook. I tend to ignore them. It’s people like Spiegel that are really holding our city back. She is always sniping at the city manager, city attorney, and the mayor. All of these three individuals are doing an excellent job. They are helping our city move forward. I find it ironic that Spiegel heaped praise on their incompetent or corrupt predecessors that kept our city in the dark ages for so long.
Thankfully Spiegel will be gone soon because of term limits. I am sure we will have no problem finding her replacement.
I apologize for the long post. I believe I am saying what a lot of people in NMB are saying. Spiegel needs to shut up and do her job.
Ms. Spiegel is not leaving because she’s termed out. She is entitled to run for one more term but has chosen not to do so. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. However, I feel that for the past seven years, Beth has dedicated untold amounts of her own time, money and resources solely out of a desire to selflessly serve the residents of North Miami Beach, never once for her own benefit.
Unlike Phyllis and Frantz, Beth won her elections by legitimately cast votes.
Unlike Phyllis and Frantz, Beth understands and respects the law.
Unlike Phyllis and Frantz, Beth has never used her office to enrich her own coffers.
Unlike Phyllis and Frantz, Beth has never pandered or lied to get votes.
Unlike Phyllis and Frantz, Beth’s votes on the dais are not for sale to the highest bidder.
You might not like Beth’s personality or the fact that she speaks her mind, but Beth never expressed a desire to win a popularity contest. Her ONLY intention has ever been to be of service to her community. She is the very definition of a public servant.
If you think that Beth will be so easily replaced by someone as honest, ethical, and selfless, good luck with that.
Councilwoman Spiegel isn’t the friendliest, sometimes she’s downright nasty, but I agree she isn’t up there serving the residents for selfish reasons. I must say I’m surprised at what happened that night. As ridiculous as the seating arrangement becoming an issue, the fact that three council people left the meeting, leaving unfinished business on some very important issues is much more ridiculous. In fact it’s unethical that they did that and I’m very surprised that Spiegel, with a sometimes wretched personality, couldn’t handle that little fire to the point that she had to walk of the dais. She, the lawyer, should know better.
We do need people to step up to he plate and want to serve the NMB resident’s. I think it will be hard press to find good people that serve for the right reasons.
This is not the first time Spiegel and Smith have walked off the dais and left the meeting. They were cautioned when they did it previously and they were read the Florida Statute that states voting is not an option, its mandatory. The actions last Tuesday evening will be written up on an ethics complaint.
“If you think that Beth will be so easily replaced by someone as honest, ethical, and selfless, good luck with that.”
You can take it to the bank that Beth is honest. No issue there.
Ethical, not always. especailly now that she broke quorum on the dais at THREE seperate Council Meetings because she had a temper tantrum. That’s not ethical. It cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars to reschedule the business of the city and in her latest tantrum, pay attorney’s who represented the City Charter to have to be rescheduled to come back again.
Selfless, not always there too. She get a thrill out of picking apart anything proposed by the Mayor, like the Mayor’s State of the City Address, yet has no problem asking her collegues to authorize the use of City funds to send the same Status of Women boardmember for yet another paid junket on the taxpayers dime. Last year the taxpayers paid for her to go to Las Vegas, this year Beth, with a straight face, proposed sending her to Hawaii. How ethical is that?
She creates her own problems and her years of tantrums and caustic attitude make many say “good riddence” to her at the end of her term. While her honesty will be hard to replace, her other traits won’t be.
Well now this just validates my exit from NMB. As Steph observes the folks in her new digs at least appear normal, up here in Ormond Beach I’m coming to the conclusion they are normal.
That is not to say there aren’t some pecker-wood communities up here in Volusia county; for your delight and edification just check out the antics of the DeBarry city council