What is it with people who get elected to local offices and then become drunk with power?  We saw this phenomenon with former North Miami Beach mayor Myron Rosner, who used his position to bully anyone who stood in his way when he wanted something.  We saw this with current councilman Frantz Pierre, who actually believed he could have the former city manager Kelvin Baker block the alley next to his home with a barrier to keep traffic from driving on a public access road.  (I hear the barrier has finally been removed.  How’s that working out for you, Frantzie?)

The biggest offender of all, however, is the current mayor of North Miami, Andre Pierre.  This dude is so power crazy, he makes Myron and Frantz look like amateurs.

Andre’s latest act of chutzpah is documented in this Miami Herald article, North Miami teacher called to principal’s office after call from mayor.

Words fail me.

Okay, not really.

According to the article, Andre Pierre called the principal of a teacher who brought her two children to last Tuesday night’s meeting and all three spoke out against the proposed privatization of the garbage services.  All three were well within their rights as citizens to protest the actions of their government.

But, not according to Pierre, who feels it’s well within his rights to silence all opposition.  It wasn’t enough that he allowed extra speaking time to the few who were for the proposal, but made sure opponents stayed within the three minute time limit.  He even had someone escorted from the chamber after two minutes for disagreeing with him.

Apparently, when a teacher spoke up, Pierre decided that she was fair game.  Since teachers just happen to be public employees, Pierre decided he could silence her by going to her boss, the principal of the school at which she teaches.

According to the Herald article:

Pierre said he called the school out of concern for comments made by Futterman’s children — although he said he didn’t realize their mother was a teacher at the school.

“I wasn’t concerned about the teacher; I was concerned about what the children were saying,” said Pierre.

“I have a moral and legal obligation to let the principal know,” he said.

On top of this brazen attempt to stifle his critics, he lied by claiming he didn’t know she was his own child’s teacher, when she stated to the reporter:

“He very well knows that I am his son’s teacher because he came into my classroom to say hi at least three times this school year,” Futterman wrote. “And on one of those visits , about two months ago, my principal and I personally escorted him outside to see the [school’s] waterfall.”

Then again, is anyone even remotely surprised that Pierre lies?  I know I’m not.  Just business as usual for him.

All of the myriad of alleged criminal and unethical acts of mayor Andre Pierre have been well documented by now.  This latest act of arrogance and chutzpah is just one in a long line of jaw dropping things perpetrated by one of the most blatantly corrupt politicians South Florida has ever seen.  One of life’s greatest mysteries is how he got himself re-elected last May.

The Herald article further stated:

The [privatization] proposal has been the subject of scandal and controversy for months: The mayors nephew and reelection campaign manager, Ricardo Brutus, was arrested in March for allegedly accepting $4,000 from a local businessman to ensure the ordinance was delayed until after the election. Brutus was caught on tape describing his influence in City Hall, although he has denied wrongdoing and Pierre has sought to distance himself from the case. But in a meeting last month the mayor bristled when Councilman Michael Blynn brought up his nephew’s arrest, and angrily referred to Blynn’s daughters as prostitutes — a comment he later apologized for.

And that’s just the short list of examples of Pierre’s shenanigans.  The list goes on and on.

As I’ve stated in earlier columns, this man is a perfect example of the type of individual who should NOT hold public office.  Andre Pierre is the most corrupt elected official to ever hold office in any municipality in Miami-Dade County, and quite possibly the entire State of Florida.

Hey, Andre!  I hear the Village of Chicago is short an Idiot.  How ’bout I buy you a one way ticket?

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the wealth”