Down in flames!
How big a Fail was North Miami’s campaign to pass the GO Bond?
It was a tremendous Fail.
It was a stupendous Fail.
It was a supreme and extreme Fail.
In fact, it failed on such a large scale, we’re pretty sure it set a new record of Fail, even by North Miami standards, where the bar is set pretty damn low.
We’re gonna gloat just a bit more because, like revenge, victory can be so sweet.
And because we just love being right.
But, it really is much more than just being right.
It’s about being on the side of righteousness.
It’s also about having an unlikely victory against a well organized circle of corruption designed to silence all opposition.
In the case of North Miami, where all the top players in government, including the Mayor, the City Manager, the Deputy City Manager, and especially, the Chief of Police, are literally in cahoots, covering for each other, the righteous don’t usually stand a snowball’s chance in hell to prevail.
This time, however, the residents of North Miami did prevail.
And it was a beautiful thing!
Dirty Money, Dirty Elections
North Miami’s GO Bond referendum was no different from any other election in the history of the city.
Lured by the smell of dirty money, the usual and customary shady cast of characters were out in full force, employing their usual and customary campaign tricks, to get this Bond passed … by any means necessary.
Radio show phone lines were jammed with callers telling personal accounts of being offered groceries for votes, having their absentee ballots stolen, and being threatened with gentrification if the Bond doesn’t pass. There’s never a shortage of voter victims during election season in North Miami. But this time, they fought back.
During the campaign, city officials wasted well over $300,000.00 in taxpayer money in a desperate attempt to shove this boondoggle of a Bond down the throats of North Miami residents. They used all the resources available in their arsenal, including political committees, lawn signs, colorful flyers, daily newsletters and especially, radio advertising.
A total of $35,500.00 was spent on radio advertising to pull the wool over the eyes of unsuspecting voters. One of the six Professional Services (Consulting) Agreements entered into on April 1, 2018 was with The Business Corner, LLC, a radio show hosted by Rotschill Anderson. Article 2.1.1 of this contract states that the scope of work for Mr. Anderson was for “Outreach and Education on Radio.”
Unfortunately, it appears that the radio host didn’t get the memo. When he wasn’t violating terms of his contract (while a complicit City was violating campaign laws) by spewing pro-Bond propaganda, he was outright lying to his listeners. On the day before the election, Mr. Anderson went on a particularly egregious rant, accusing “a group of people” of committing absentee fraud in order for the Bond not to pass.
Um, sorry, Rotschill. Everyone knows the real absentee ballot fraudsters were members of the Go Bond Brigade. (Groceries, anyone?)
In the same breath, Mr. Anderson claimed that if the Bond does not pass, the wealthy will purchase the “ugly buildings” and have them rezoned “just like they did in Wynwood,” which will displace Haitians and make room for a “more affluent class of people.”
Oh, come on, Rotschill! You know that’s not even remotely true!
We know you’re smarter than that. Then again, we’ve always suspected your “opinion” is for sale … especially when North Miami is writing the check. Guess it’s not called The Business Corner for nothing.
Just saying.
Even as North Miami residents were being relentlessly accosted by the Mayor and Council’s Department of Propaganda, a groundswell of resistance was growing that absolutely no one at City Hall saw coming.
David vs. Goliath
A loosely formed coalition from all corners of North Miami came together for a common cause – to keep the corruptocrats at City Hall from getting their hands on taxpayer money.
With a meager budget of $5,000.00, the five-member political committee, NoGoBond.com worked tirelessly to get the truth out to residents. PAC Organizers Laura Hill, Judy Brown, John Porter, Jim Garrett and Jessica Alston spent countless hours walking from door to door, personally speaking with residents about the true cost of this boondoggle of a Bond.
In a press release just issued, the committee announced:
Many other residents worked behind the scenes, but prefer to remain anonymous for fear of a backlash by vindictive city officials, who have been known to use code enforcement as a weapon against anyone who challenges them.
A few brave souls, however, publicly came out against the Bond, and were instrumental in helping its defeat.
The most outspoken of those Bond opponents was community organizer Ringo Cayard, who spent nearly every day for weeks blasting the Mayor and Council, explaining to the Haitian American community of North Miami why this Bond was not in their best interest.
North Miami resident and civic activist Ellen Abramson has been sending out daily email blasts to her extensive mailing list warning voters not to buy into the hype.
Several former North Miami elected officials also worked behind the scenes to help defeat the Bond. When interviewed, they expressed utter disgust with this referendum as well as the rampant corruption at City Hall.
The final results of this grassroots campaign should scare the hell out of this Mayor and Council, especially those seeking re-election, and those aspiring to higher office.
The residents of North Miami sent a loud and clear message that their elected officials, who serve at the pleasure of the electorate, will be held accountable for each and every piece of legislation they try to pass from here on out.
With budget season looming just around the corner, the Mayor, Council and the City Manager had best start listening when residents address them from the podium.
Just saying.
In the immortal words of the late, great Bob Marley, “David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone.”
North Miami residents, you did it. You fought the Goliath of Government Corruption and WON!
Time to take your hard earned and much deserved victory lap.
Stephanie
YAY!! We have been heard,loud and clear. Shows just how much the residents do not want MORE tax implemented to what we already need to pay. Just,for the record,any and all Goliath,remember North Miami residents have a say. You asked we responded… Let’s see what is next.
This should serve as a warning shot that we’re no longer a community divided. Every district joined together to make this happen and we are going to continue to bring our community together for our greater good. I have said this from the beginning and I would like to reiterate it here today, I was never against a bond, I was against this bond. The City needs investment, but not in the form of a blank check.
I am sure the Mayor will fire Larry Spring very soon, but for me this was not Larry’s loss and I don’t believe he is the cancer which is killing the City administration. That honor goes to Duke and we will never clean up City hall as long as he is still involved. If the City is going to “have someone’s head” over this loss, it should be Duke. I don’t believe Larry has ever been able to do his job properly without being under cut by Duke and his friends and family administration.
You nailed it! Arthur “Duke” Sorey is the head of the proverbial snake. On the day Larry Spring was hired, we warned him to watch his back (https://www.votersopinion.com/2016/02/24/north-miami-city-manager-the-decision/), but he paid us no mind. Instead, Spring kept Sorey around and – worse – takes his advice. Sorey is the reason you have one of the most corrupt police chiefs in the history of North Miami. Unless voters step up and elect honest and ethical individuals as their representatives, who will in turn, hire honest and ethical contract employees (city manager and attorney), you will never get rid of the stench and corruption at City Hall.
Don’t drop the ball. Thanks to the residents who organized and assisted with the incredibly successful NoGoBond.com campaign, you proved that you have the power and the political clout necessary to clean up your government for once and for all!
It is absolutely necessary for an outside agency to scrutinize the finances of the City of North Miami. They spend with reckless abandonment. As examples the city spent over $200,000+ on a street party last year to over $300,000+ on the bond election. That’s more than a half of million dollars. THE CITY OF N MIAMI IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF AN INVESTIGATIVE, INDEPENDENT, FINANCIAL AUDIT. This should come from the Governor’s office if possible.
The trips to China and Haiti and the ridiculous cost of the city council are items that are way out of line. N Miami is not a rich city but the council and administration spend like there is no tomorrow. IT IS OUR MONEY AND AN INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED!!!!
Ellen: This entire week of Haitian Heritage is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. This City needs a finance czar who cannot be fired, like a special counsel to finance who can be objective, make hard choices and the change necessary to right the ship. As long as the staff are at the chopping block of personal gain (ie council/mayor) nothing will change. No one can do their job effectively when they’re constantly scared they will piss off the wrong person and get a pink slip. Duke has created a friends and family City administration where everyone protects everyone and no one blows the whistle.
The actions of Duke Sorey, Larry
Spring, and the city council are disgusting. Everybody in the city has a heritage of some kind. Focusing on one ethnic group is racist. This is a racist city!
NORTH MIAMI AUDIT FINDINGS:
No background checks, pension issues, bad bookkeeping among North Miami audit findings
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/north-miami/article179772346.html
My best advice to our City administration going forward is to focus on getting our financial house in order.
I think cutting 70% of the special events, focusing on making sure all our contracted revenue is actually being received, looking line by line through our budget and eliminating unnecessary spending, and really focusing on building up our financial reserves is imperative before even considering bringing in a bond again
From the beginning, this Bond felt like a cash advance. It felt like we were hitting up a check-cashing facility, it felt very desperate. Just like the sick cycle of these check cashing companies, if you don’t have the money to be buying what you want to use the money for it’s only going to make your situation way worse.
I feel like it was a very painful fight for our city to have gone through, but I hope it leads the way to better times. I hope this city can use this experience and take what they can to learn more about what the residents want out of our local government. We want specific problems addressed, direct ties to projects with specific amounts of money attached to them. We want Financial accountability, good customer service in City Hall, well run meetings, and a sharp decrease in the impulse spending. We want to see the money that our residents earn and pay in taxes invested in things that make our community better.
What North Miami needs is a city manager like Ana Garcia, who turned North Miami Beach from a city in a downward spiral into a vital, sustainable, and desirable place to live and work. Considering the unforeseen political turmoil that has recently beset NMB, Ana might be in the market for a new place to work her managerial magic. I could be off the mark, but … just saying.
The beloved spirit of Joseph H. Weil has awakening me again during our early morning hours (3:45 am) for the good of our wonderful city. First, if you watch & review the City Council meeting video of October 10, 2017 – Part II, Tab # O, you will witness 15 out of 15 citizens speaking against original bond issues but the city council and administration did not listen (Exhibit A). Second, if you read the actual Florida Auditor General’s Report, # 2018-038, issued in November 2017 regarding our city actions on audit, budget, and financial actions and results, it was a clear indictment against our city elected leaders and administrators to stop this proposed GO bond campaign and focusing on fixing its own fiscal issues and challenges before asking the good citizens and voters to assume any debt paid through our tax dollars (Exhibit B). Third, the bond issue campaign has demonstrated wreckless conduct, poor misinformation, and excessive overspending by the city administration in their so-called educational campaign with its own citizens and voters. Our city manager, Larry Spring, who is competent, should have advised the council to postpone any bond issue election until our city proves their actions, outcomes, and results in conducting the public business in a fiscal responsibility manner before considering any bond issue. Our deputy city manager, Arthur Sorey III, who believes and lives in our city, exhibited carelessness in communicating information in his public presentations regarding all aspects of this bond campaign with the general public. Our police chief, Larry Juriga, allowed his public image to be used by Our City Our Future, the Vote YES PAC in favor of the $ 120M bond issues, in their brochures and yard signs. Chief Juriga should have issued a public press release from his office in disavowing his public image in being used by the Vote YES PAC and in expressing his neutrality with the bond issue campaign. However, he expressed in oral answers to some city residents that his image was lifted from the city’s web site. In the future, Chief Juriga, in the spirit of Joseph H. Weil, speak out and take a stand for the good of our city if you believe in your claims for the love of this city. Fourth, the city council should consider legislation to require top three administrators of our city: the city manager, the city attorney, and the police chief; should seek residency in our city limits based upon their terms of their employment with the city within six months of their hiring date. Our city compensates our three top administrators in very good salaries and benefits so they are able to buy and/or rent a nice residence in our city. Fifth, the final results of our bond issue election (Exhibit C) demonstrate many concerns and doubts of my fellow neighbors and voters in our elected leaders and our city administration in providing basic required services and actions of good & progressive city government based upon democracy. Yes, we need another financial audit and public accountability on the conduct of bond issue campaign by the city administration and some of city elected leaders in their excessive spending and propaganda campaign of misinformation conducted by questionable characters and persons paid with city’s taxpayers dollars collected from the good residents and businesses of this city. May God Watch Over Our Wonderful City and Its Residents, Businesses, and Voters!
Exhibit A – City Council Meeting – October 10, 2017 – Tab O
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xuzOYo2c8f0
Exhibit B – Florida Auditor General – Report # 2018-038 – City of North Miami – Issued on November 2017
https://flauditor.gov/index.htm
Exhibit C – Miami Dade Elections – City of North Miami Special Election – May 1, 2017
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/FL/Dade/75048/196953/en/summary.html
From one of my favorite movie — Little David versus massive Goliath — Hoosiers
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao50y1xdfW8
Memo to “Ashley”: Nice try, Joey.