On December 11 and December 15, 2021, the City of North Miami Beach held a “Publix Gift Card Distribution.”

According to the flyer, which was advertised only on Facebook and not on the City’s website, recipients had to show “proof of residency” and were “LIMITED TO 1 GIFT CARD PER HOUSEHOLD.”

And even though the flyer stated that the event was presented by the “Mayor and Commission of the City of North Miami Beach,” you probably didn’t realize that this was nothing more than a Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Rally for Criminal Commissioner Paule Villard’s re-election.

Watch!

You also might not have realized that when you signed up online to receive one of her Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Rally Gift Cards, your names and addresses would be entered into a public database available upon request from the City Clerk’s office.

We here at VotersOpinion obtained that database by public records request and examined it with a fine tooth comb.

Not surprisingly, we discovered that 37 of Paule’s Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Rally Gift Cards were distributed to only 19 addresses, with two cards being given to non-NMB residents.

So much for the “proof of residency” and “1 GIFT CARD PER HOUSEHOLD” requirements.

Let’s review exactly who received these 37 Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Rally Gift Cards.

• Glennys Jean and Duvisien Jean Baptiste (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1041 NE 151 Street
• Lubin Denise and Rosalie Saint Fleur Joseph (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1059 NE 160 Street
• Unnelle Belizaire, Chaperone Yasmin, and Marie Andrele Mercius (3 cards) are listed as residing at 1101 NE 151 Street
• Avila (no last name listed) and Rodriguez Rafael (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1323 NE 180 Street
• Marie Alcime and Joseph Gabriel (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1535 NE 153 Street
• Decembre Presendieu, Yaneliz Mengana, and Christpher Mathews (3 cards) are listed as residing at 15500 NE 15 Avenue
• Millions Figura and Louise Marie Rochasma Jean Baptist (2 cards) are listed as residing at 15781 NE 14 Avenue
• Davidson Similien and Lubermique Jean Charles (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1599 NE 154 Street
• Sulfise Clenador and Guitiel Lorcy (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1633 NE 158 Street
• Pierre Richard Beauge and Judith Dordoye (2 cards) are listed as residing at 16853 NE 4 Avenue
• Willie Ed Hightower II, who has not lived in the city since 1999 and presently lives in Opa-locka) and Dawn Simone Lovelace (2 cards) are listed as residing at 170 NE 170 Street
• Rebecca Vilain and her son Shawn Nicolas Vilain (2 cards) are listed as residing at 1860 South Glades, Dr., #6
• Glenda Garcia and Reyes Beatrise (2 cards) are listed as residing at 2085 NE 135 Street
• Ville Sainte and Violette Dossous (2 cards) are listed as residing at 221 NE 169 Street
• Monica Benavente and her father, Jesus Pedro Reynaldo Benavente (2 cards) are listed as residing at 2821 NE 163 Street
• Filius Felix and Merina Douarzil (2 cards) are listed as residing at 82 East Drive
• Eleteze Dumel (2 cards in his own name) is listed as residing at 1765 NE 158 Street
• Rafael Luxama (1 card), who owns and resides in the home located at 135 NE 132 Street, NORTH MIAMI, FL 33161

UPDATE:

Because the City’s public database was incomplete in that it did not specify whether a house was located on a street, avenue, terrace, court, place, etc., we were advised that four of the names on the above list actually do live in four separate households, and did not receive duplicate gift cards, as follows:

• • Davidson Similien resides at 1599 NE 154 STREET
  • Lubermique Jean Charles resides at 1599 NE 154 TERRACE
  • Pierre Richard Beauge resides at 16853 NE 4 PLACE
  • and Judith Dordoye resides at at 16853 NE 4 AVENUE

These four individuals are thus eliminated from the list of Paule’s fraudulent gift card recipients.

We just emailed the City Clerk and asked her to have the database completed properly and sent to us again.  We apologize on behalf of the City of North Miami Beach for their screw-up.

The fraudsters might think they’re oh-so-clever for scamming “free” stuff from the government, but there’s nothing clever (or legal) about stealing from the hard-working taxpayers who actually funded these Campaign Rally Gift Cards.

Who also funded Paule’s $1,274.85 Campaign Tent!

There is no such thing as “free” government stuff.

There is no money tree behind City Hall.

Regardless of whether the gift cards were purchased with the City’s General Fund or with Federal CARES Act funding, the money came from taxes paid by ordinary working stiffs like the rest of us.

If anyone is upset for being outed as a scammer, too bad, so sad.  Next time you want to put your name and address on a government list for “free” stuff, keep in mind it becomes a public record.

The city employees who ran Paule Villard’s Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Rally were responsible for verifying that only North Miami Beach residents received these gift cards and that residents received only one per household.

But the City’s current administration is so inept — and corrupt — that no one is minding the store.

City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey couldn’t care less if the city’s own rules and regulations are violated as long as he keeps getting his overly generous paycheck.

Chief of Staff/Professional Campaign Consultant Willis Howard’s only job is to get Criminal Commissioner Paule Villard re-elected.

It’s our job to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Stephanie