Due to the highest inflation rate in over 40 years, the price of food has increased 9.4% over the last 12 months, and gas has jumped an astronomical 43.6%.  Most Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck, having to make agonizing choices and sacrifices just to get by each week.

But the Criminal Commissioners of North Miami Beach are feeling no pain whatsoever — thanks to their unlimited access to your tax dollars.

A special thanks also goes to their corrupt personal manservant, City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey, whose only specialty is bankrupting cities.

Literally.

In Part 1 of P Card Madness, we told you how Criminal Commissioner Paule Villard simply whips out her Purchasing Card, a/k/a P Card, whenever and wherever the mood strikes.

Unlike the charges on your personal credit card, for which you are responsible, in the first six months of this fiscal year, she has charged $9,027.48 on her Bank of America P Card with not a care in the world how it will be paid.

Believe it or not, she’s not even the worst offender.

That “honor” goes to her co-conspirator on the dais, Criminal Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond, who didn’t even blink as he charged $13,457.23 on his Bank of America P Card in a short six month period.

But, we’ll save the “best” (and by “best” we mean the worst offender) for last while we first review the P Card charges of the only two fiscally responsible elected officials in North Miami Beach.

Commissioner Barbara Kramer did not charge a single dime on her P Card.

Not that anyone should be surprised.

Unlike the four Criminal Commissioners, who regularly plunder the City coffers for their own benefit, Barbara Kramer has never spent a single penny of taxpayer money that didn’t have a public purpose for the benefit of the residents of North Miami Beach.

Also unlike the Criminal Commissioners, Mayor Anthony DiFillipo charged a scant $891.91 on his P Card — $726.16 on a legitimate trip to Washington, DC for the United States Conference of Mayors, and $105.75 to Orvieto Awards.

End of story.

Commissioner Fortuna Smukler, on the other hand, whose P Card charges were nearly ten times what the Mayor did in the first half of the current fiscal year, still managed to spend less than any one of the four Criminal Commissioners.  While $4,065.65 of her total charges of $8,742.60 were travel expenditures, $2,000.00 of that total was to purchase one hundred $20 Target gift cards for the children of Highland Village at their annual Christmas party.

Of the remaining $4,676.95, Fortuna spent $325.00 on membership dues, $787.50 to Orvieto Awards, $30.00 for the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, and the rest on food and decorations for her City-sponsored events.

Don’t think for one minute we’re letting Fortuna off the hook.

While we have plenty more criticism in store for a future blog or two, Fortuna’s P Card usage is not on the list.  For the most part, all of her expenditures appear to have a legitimate public purpose for the benefit of the City’s residents.

Her moral compass, not so much.

But, whatever.

Criminal Commissioner Daniela Jean kicked off the fiscal year on October 1, 2021 by charging $783.67 for some sort of self-promotional item at Quality Logo Products.  We’d love to tell you what vanity product she had imprinted with her name, but as usual, we still don’t have the invoice per our public records request made on May 19, 2022.

Of the $9,153.83 that Daniela charged on her P Card, $6,411.83 was spent on five trips in just the first six months of the fiscal year.

The girl really loves to travel.

Especially when she’s not paying for it.

In October, 2021 Daniela and Paule took a trip to Fort Myers for the Florida Redevelopment Association Annual Conference.  That trip, including registration fee, hotel, rental car, and gas, cost taxpayers $1,058.92.

Curiously, even though they both attended the same conference, Paule and Daniela each rented their own car to drive the same route 144 miles across the Everglades, at a taxpayer cost of $389.87 and $413.16, respectively.

Then again, why should they care?  It’s not their money.

In January, Daniela the Freeloader attended the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON)’s Leadership Retreat Program.  This trip cost North Miami Beach taxpayers a total of $1,350.54, including $187.00 for transportation by Jet Limousine, none of which was deducted from her discretionary funds despite the fact that there was no public purpose for this trip and no benefit for the residents of North Miami Beach.

The very next month in February, Daniela took off for Miami-Dade County Days in Tallahassee, which cost taxpayers $1,043.00, and in March she traipsed around Washington, DC for three days for a National League of Cities event to the tune of $1,271.04, before jetting off to Orlando for two days at a cost of $569.55.

Told ya the girl loves to travel!

On March 8, 2022, Daniela also charged $595.00 to Access Intelligence, a private sector company in Rockville, Maryland which advertises itself as “a multi-million dollar, leading worldwide information and marketing company that provides unparalleled business intelligence and integrated marketing solutions to nearly a dozen key global market sectors.”

Which has absolutely nothing to do with public service, and has no public purpose for the benefit of North Miami Beach residents.

Par for the course.

Another one who really, really likes to jet around the country on your dime is Criminal Commissioner Michael Joseph, who topped even Daniela in the “free” travel department.

Of the $9,711.65 he charged on his P Card, $7,372.26 of that was spent on his globe-trotting.

Although these totals are only for the first half of the current fiscal year, it’s worth noting that in September of 2021 Michael charged a whopping $3,921.66 on his P Card, which included a trip to New York City to attend the “United Nations 76th General Assembly,” which hosted “world leaders from Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean” for an “Economic Recovery and Restructuring in Emerging Economies.”

It’s quite obvious that Michael Joseph is not a “world leader” of any country in the world, much less one that has an “emerging economy.”

That reality didn’t stop Michael from spending the night in a $500.00 hotel room at the ultra-chic Gotham Hotel on taxpayer dime.

Although he was authorized to spend $765.37 on this non-essential trip, it ended up costing taxpayers a total of $830.86.

Then again, Michael likes to travel in style.

As long as he doesn’t have to pay for it.

This trip, which had absolutely no public purpose for the residents of North Miami Beach, reminds us of Ex-Commissioner/Current Convicted Felon Frantz Pierre’s equally non-beneficial trips around the globe, including a trip to Haiti for a bogus “Leadership and Management” conference, a soccer coach convention in Baltimore, and a trip to Washington, DC to attend President Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony on January 21, 2013.

And residents didn’t even get a lousy tee shirt!

Michael also used his P Card in September of last year to charge his $1,000 membership in the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network , and another $1,000 in dues for the Haitian Lawyers Association, neither of which has any public purpose for the benefit of North Miami Beach residents.

In fact, Michael Joseph, Esquire is a member of the Haitian Lawyers Association solely because he’s Haitian and he’s a lawyer.

Michael Joseph, Esquire’s membership in that organization has absolutely nothing do with his public service as an elected official in North Miami Beach!

This is not a city expense!

Michael Joseph, Esquire has some freaking nerve using public funding for something that should have been paid by his private sector law firm, Galbut, Walters & Associates, LLP, which can surely afford to pick up this bill.

North Miami Beach residents should demand a full refund of their money!

Let’s take a look at how Michael Joseph wasted your money in just the first half of this fiscal year.

Like his co-conspirators, Paule Villard and Daniela Jean, Michael also traveled to Fort Myers in October, 2021 for the Florida Redevelopment Association Annual Conference.  While Paule and Daniela each spent $1,075.66 and $1,058.92, respectively, Michael’s expenditure of $895.20 was frugal in comparison.  But that difference was only because he didn’t rent a $400.00 car to drive the short distance across Alligator Alley like his cohorts.

Then again, Michael’s hotel bill alone was $354.58 for one night at the pricey Holiday Inn Fort Myers, which cost more than both Paule’s ($143.84) and Daniela’s ($99.24) rooms combined at the more affordable Hyatt Place Fort Myers.

As an aside, Criminal Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond was scheduled to go on that same trip, but like Paule’s, his hotel bill was only $143.84.  As you will see shortly, however, McKenzie more than made up for this sudden burst of frugality.

On December 2, 2021, Michael Joseph took a $332.81 flight to Tallahassee for no apparent reason, charged a $404.00 room at the Doubletree by Hilton, and spent another $102.92 on airport parking and ground transportation, billing North Miami Beach taxpayers a total of $839.73.

Twelve days later on December 16, 2022, he jetted off to New York City, again for no apparent reason, this time charging $881.21 on his P Card, including a $345.46 room at the Westin New York at Times Square.

He also charged $194.94 for two, count ’em two, Uber rides, and $34.00 for airport parking.

Less than one month later on January 13, 2022, Michael Joseph took off to the Nations Capital for no apparent reason and for an unknown length of stay, while ringing up $557.31 on his P Card, including a night in the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf.

Not even two weeks later on January 27, 2022, Michael trekked across the country with his co-conspirators to Chandler, Arizona to attend the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON)’s Leadership Retreat Program.

This pleasure trip, which had no public purpose, cost taxpayers a grand total of $1,663.24, including an outrageous $432.50 for limousine service to tool around the city.

Remember, that even Paule and Daniela, who went on that trip, spent only $97.00 and $187.00, respectively, on limousines, which was costly enough.  Michael really went to town in style with your money.

Michael Joseph miraculously managed to stay put during the month of February, but on March 13, 2022 he took off once again to Washington, DC for the National League of Cities event, where he charged $1,512.76 alone on a hotel room in the luxurious Marriott Marquis!

No Motel 6 for this entitled prince!

Michael also charged $125.09 on his P Card to Uber around DC.

If anyone likes to live the high life on someone else’s dime more than Daniela Jean, it’s Michael Joseph.

But neither of them have anything on McKenzie Fleurimond, who charged a scandalous $13,457.23 on his taxpayer-funded P Card without blinking an eye.

As we mentioned above, McKenzie planned a trip to Fort Myers for the Florida Redevelopment Association Annual Conference last October, letting taxpayers off easy with only a $495.00 registration fee and a mere $143.84 hotel bill, but not before dropping $93.00 at the Dollar Tree in North Miami Beach for who knows what.  The only thing we do know is that he bought 93 tchotchkes at a dollar a pop.

Keep in mind that until last November you could still buy anything for a dollar or less until inflation forced Dollar Tree to raise its prices to $1.25 per item.  Since the store didn’t change its name to the Buck Twenty Five Tree, this is a blatant case of false advertising, but whatever.

Also in November, McKenzie raised the cost of his care and feeding as a Commissioner.

In his case, though, it had nothing to do with inflation, but everything to do with old fashioned greed combined with an overblown sense of importance.

According to his December 4, 2021 P Card statement, the Hyatt Place in Fort Myers refunded his full hotel bill of $143.84, so we can assume he canceled his trip.  Taxpayers, however, were still on the hook for his apparently non-refundable $495.00 registration fee, which he may as well have just flushed down the toilet.

On December 1, 2021, McKenzie charged not one, but two, memberships to NHAEON at a total cost of $750.00, for which there is no public purpose or benefit to the residents of North Miami Beach.

UPDATE #2:  The $750.00 was not for membership fees, but two registration fees to attend the NHAEON event in January 2021 by McKenzie and his taxpayer-funded personal assistant, Nadia Brewster.  Nevertheless, this expenditure has no public purpose or benefit to the residents of North Miami Beach.

On December 3, 2021, he “donated” $300.00 of your allegedly nonpartisan money to the very partisan Florida Democratic Party.  If you are a Republican or an Independent, you are on the receiving end of a giant middle finger from McKenzie Fluerimond and you should immediately demand a refund from McKenzie for misappropriation of municipal funds.

Just saying.

According to his January 4, 2022 P Card statement, on December 5, 2021 McKenzie traveled to Orlando for no apparent reason, dropping $662.74 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando and another $39.88 on brunch at the Briarpatch Restaurant in Winter Park.

Because greed and “free” food go hand in hand.

Not to mention the $365.00 worth of tchotchkes he picked up at Dollar Tree on January 14, 2022.

The mystery of the double NHEAON membership was also solved in that same P Card statement when two airline tickets to Phoenix, Arizona were charged for his and Nadia Brewster’s attendance at the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON)’s Leadership Retreat Program.

Apparently, McKenzie was incapable of traveling across country without his taxpayer-funded personal assistant waiting on him hand and foot so he wouldn’t have to open his own doors, pull out his own chair, or carry his own luggage.

We can’t help but wonder if she was obliged to put his napkin on his lap and cut his steak for him, too.

McKenzie’s weekend excursion to Chandler, Arizona, which did not benefit the residents of North Miami Beach whatsoever, cost taxpayers an obscene $3,013.75, including an unbelievable hotel bill for $1,292.92!

Which is even more startling when you consider that he stayed at a generic, cookie cutter Marriott known for its meeting space.

We can’t help but wonder if that tab included around the clock room service that he took full advantage of.

His assistant, Nadia, had to slum it in a $645.46 hotel room, but at least she got to tool around town in McKenzie’s limousine, for which North Miami Beach taxpayers were billed $209.50.

Keep in mind that even McKenzie’s three co-conspirators didn’t spend anywhere near what he did on that same trip to Chandler.  He spent nearly two times Michael’s tab of $1,663.24, and more than double the $1,350.54 Daniela spent.  And compared to McKenzie, Paule’s total bill of $874.68 was a bargain.

Regardless of how much or how little each of the Criminal Commissioners spent on this trip, which set taxpayers back a grand total of $6,902.21, there was absolutely no public purpose for the benefit of the residents of North Miami Beach.

On February 26, 2022, McKenzie traveled to Las Vegas for no apparent reason, billing taxpayers a grand total of $1,391.94.

On March 13, 2022, McKenzie went to Dallas, Texas for no apparent reason except that it was a good excuse to charge $1,537.87 on his P Card, including a $978.07 stay at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and $115.75 in flight upgrades.

Because VIPs like McKenzie should never fly economy.

Fortunately, no personal assistants were involved in that adventure.

Three days later, McKenzie ended up in Orlando for what may have been a Florida League of Cities conference.

Or it could have just been brunch.

Either way, that particular trip cost taxpayers a ridiculous $1,277.00, including a $129.00 room at the decidedly proletarian Embassy Suites before upgrading to the stately Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress for an obscene $1,148.00.

Which is infinitely more suited to the lifestyle to which McKenzie has become accustomed.

Courtesy of North Miami Beach taxpayers, of course.

And, finally, McKenzie purchased a $572.20 airline ticket to travel on March 13, 2022 to Washington, DC for a National League of Cities event, but it appears he ended up not attending.

Although a $855.00 registration fee charge appears on his March 4, 2022 P Card statement, he received a partial refund in the form of a $755.00 credit two weeks later.

His plane ticket was apparently non-refundable since no credit for this expense appeared on that statement or on the following one.

But, hey.  It’s not his money.  Why should he care?

And in case he didn’t spend enough of your money on jet-setting across America, on March 8, 2022 — the same day Daniela charged $595.00 to Access Intelligence, the private sector public relations firm, McKenzle also whipped out his taxpayer-funded P Card and did the same thing.

We can’t help but wonder where they both got the same idea on the exact same day to spend your tax dollars on marketing, when the City already has a Public Affairs Department.

Then again, it’s common knowledge that the incompetent, government teat-sucking parasites posing as City employees are just taking up space on the fourth floor.

But let’s not forget that those incompetent, government teat-sucking parasites are the crowning achievement of Daniela and McKenzie and their two co-conspirators, Michael and Paule, who hired Duke Sorey to staff City Hall.

They own it.

UPDATE:  FYI, Fortuna Smuker inexplicably voted to hire Duke Sorey.  While we didn’t understand her decision at the time, sadly, we do now.

How far the mighty City of North Miami Beach has fallen.

In the first six months of this fiscal year, the four Criminal Commissioners and their pet brown-noser, Fortuna, have charged over $50,000 on their taxpayer-funded P Cards on self-promotion and excessive travel.

We can only imagine the damage they’ll do in the second half of the year.

If North Miami Beach taxpayers are even remotely interested in saving their City from financial destruction, you have one last chance to do something about it by voting out Criminal Commissioner Paule Villard in November, and also electing a non-criminal, fiscally responsible candidate to fill Barbara Kramer’s vacating seat.

As long as you have a four-Criminal majority on the dais, the corrupt Duke Sorey will keep his job, and North Miami Beach will end up in Bankruptcy Court within a few short years.

You can’t say we didn’t warn you.

Stephanie