…And Chicago.  And Baltimore.  And Boston.

All courtesy of the taxpayers of North Miami Beach.

Councilman Frantz Pierre really, really likes to travel.  See the reprint of my column from February 16, 2011 below entitled Fly Me to the Moon!

And now L’il Frantzie P is going to Washington DC to attend President Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony on January 21, 2013.

Courtesy of … you guess it! … the taxpayers of North Miami Beach.

I’m told he’ll be using his Very Special Travel Allowance of $3,000.00, which apparently doesn’t have to be used for the benefit of the taxpaying residents of the City of North Miami Beach.  As long as Frantzie gets to play Big Shot in DC, it’s all good!

This expense is in addition to the unlimited (yes, UNLIMITED) amount of money that gets deposited into the Executive Contingency Account, according to Resolution No. R2012-14, a copy of which you can see right here.

This Resolution states that “from time to time, during the normal conduct of the City’s operations, situations arise which require the amendment or modification of the City’s annual adopted budget,” and “from time to time, the City Council may transfer money from one fund, account or department to another, as necessary” and that the City Manager has the “authority to fund unforeseen, incidental Council expenditures that may arise…”

There are two very disturbing aspects about this Resolution.  First, it was implemented for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2011, and it doesn’t seem that there was one implemented for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2012.

The second problem is that “the City Manager is authorized to transfer funds in increments of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) from the Legislative Contingency Account … to the Executive Account” – the key word here being “increments.”

What that means is when the Council blows through $50K, they can just ask the City Manager to give ’em another $50K!  Isn’t that special?

The P Man obviously sees this as a neverending source of income to spend as he wishes.  So far, this fiscal year alone he’s already tapped the Executive Contingency Account for a grand total of $4,149.00, and he has a request for another $999.00 pending for “radio appearances.”

And it’s only January 19th – not even four months into the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year!  At this rate, he could spend another $15,000.00 by September 30, 2013 with no problem!

Frantzie might be a very small man, but he’s living large on our dime!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”

Fly Me to the Moon!

In addition to all the corruption and dirty politics going on in North Miami Beach, let me direct your attention to some interesting travel expenses incurred by two of our elected public, ahem, servants, Myron Rosner and Frantz Pierre.  Resident Mubarak Kazan asked for and received a detailed description of the costs of their trips from May, 2009 to and including February, 2011.  He also received a copy of a future trip planned by Myron, but more on that in a moment.

Our elected officials think nothing of spending our money on their taxpayer funded vacations.  If travel to the moon were commercially available, I’m betting we’d be footing that bill, too!

Looking at these spreadsheets (and I will be happy to provide copies if you shoot me an email at stephanie.kienzle@gmail.com), I see some highly questionable “events” these two council members attended.  For example, in October of 2009 alone, Councilman Frantz Pierre ran up $3,386.84 of our tax dollars to attend two “conferences.”  The first was the National League of Cities in Boston, Massachusetts, to the tune of $2,084.07, and the second for the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network at a cost of $1,302.77.

Now I realize that lots of elected municipal officials attend events sponsored by the various and sundry Leagues of Cities.  I don’t know much about this organization, but I do wonder how attendance at these conferences are beneficial to the City of North Miami Beach.  I’m not criticizing, mind you.  I’m saying I don’t know, but I’d love to find out. If you folks want to fill me in please feel free to post a comment here or send me an email.

As for Mr. Pierre’s attendance at the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network convention, other than swapping business cards and inviting other Haitian American Elected Officials to their kids’ Bar Mitzvahs, does anyone know what specific benefit our “investment” of $1,302.77 brought to our city?  I’m just saying…

While you’re at it, ditto for his attendance at the Haitian American Nurses Association Scholarship Gala on April 17, 2010 for $100.00.  Or, and this one’s a real head-scratcher, Mr. Pierre’s attendance at the Haiti Tourism Development Gala on December 4, 2010, also for $100.00.  Why are we spending our tax dollars to PROMOTE TOURISM TO HAITI??  We don’t spend money to promote tourism to North Miami Beach!  Then again, even if we did, we have no place to put tourists BECAUSE WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A FREAKING HOTEL IN NORTH MIAMI BEACH!

Now I’m not saying that all these Haitian American organizations aren’t worthy and beneficial to the exclusive groups they serve.  What I am saying is that they serve no purpose and provide no benefit to the residents of North Miami Beach.  Does Frantz Pierre realize he is an official elected to be Councilman of North Miami Beach and not Haiti?  If anyone out there can prove me wrong about this, PLEASE!  I’d really love to be wrong.  Clue me in!

But, folks, the real act of chutzpah committed by Frantz Pierre is his trip to Baltimore, Maryland last month for five days to attend (Can I get a drum roll, please?  Thanks!) the NATIONAL SOCCER COACHES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA CONVENTION!

No, folks, this is not a typo!  North Miami Beach’s very own “Papa Doc” in training spent $1,676.80 of our tax dollars to brush up his soccer coaching skills.  Considering he wasn’t elected Head Coach of the NMB Soccer Team (do we even have one of those?), can ANYONE justify the spending of this money?  ANYONE?  Can the State Attorney help me out with this one?  The Ethics Commission?  THE CITY MANAGER?  ANYONE?  I guess this is one of life’s greatest mysteries.  Maybe I’ll run for office just so I can expense a trip to Nashville in June for the CMA Fan Fest so I can stalk Dwight Yoakam on your dime.  Would I have your vote?  Seriously, folks, do you believe we are financing this crap for Frantz?

Don’t go yet, Myron.  It’s your turn now.

Myron “No Rules” Rosner also has travel expenses for various events, including conventions, conferences and luncheons, although none quite so exotic as a soccer coaching convention.  I do, however, wonder what the heck he was doing at a Cuban American Bar Association Gala.  Maybe he didn’t have his readers on when he got the invitation and thought it said “Canadian” American, and then wondered why they were all talking in Spanish when he showed up.  Psssst, Myron.  What they said when they were smiling and shaking your hand was, “Who invited the gringo?”  I bet no one took credit.

Five of Myron’s trips that really stand out because the dollar amounts have a comma in them, are a trip in September of 2010 to Philadelphia for the National League of Cities 18th Annual Leadership Summit for $1,491.41.  Leadership?  Myron?  Yeah, that was money well spent, huh?  NOT!

The second big ticket item was in May of 2010, which cost the taxpayers $2,176.45 so he could attend the International Council of Shopping Centers Conference.  Oh, yeah, that trip REALLY brought home the bacon for the residents of North Miami Beach, considering we have sooooo many world class shopping centers here.  [Long Pregnant Pause]  I just choked my on coffee laughing over that one.  Sorry for the interruption.

That trip was such a rousing success that Myron decided to waste $2,244.68 to attend yet another International Council of Shopping Centers conference, this time the New York National one.  But, check this out…  Of that amount, the hotel bill alone for TWO NIGHTS cost us $1,316.14!  IMAGINE HOW MANY WATER & SEWER BILLS YOU CAN PAY WITH OVER THIRTEEN HUNDRED BUCKS!

Two more items of note and then I’ll let you get back to your business.

1.  Back in August of 2010, We the Taxpayers of North Miami Beach shelled out $298.00 for a hotel room in HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA (yes, the same Hollywood, Florida that’s about 10 miles or so north of North Miami Beach) so that Myron could attend a Florida League of Cities Conference.  The conference began on Thursday, August 19, 2010 and ended on Sunday, August 22, 2010.  Now, you and I both know that driving to Hollywood, Florida, from North Miami Beach takes about 15 to 20 minutes, so I’m sitting here wondering why the schmuck has to charge us for a hotel room.  There is a specific note on the spreadsheet provided by the city on the same line as the hotel charge that says, “Accom. Due to Sabbath.”  What this means is that Myron demanded we pay for a hotel room to accommodate him over the Jewish Sabbath, which runs from sundown on Friday night and ends after sundown on Saturday night.  Religious Jews (a/k/a Shomers) aren’t allowed to drive on the Sabbath.  What is insane about this is that MYRON IS NOT A SHOMER SHABBOS JEW!  I know this for a fact because just last Saturday afternoon, he was out campaigning with his ACORN/PanZOu buddies in his Siz Construction van!  I mentioned this to someone and I was advised that Myron never claimed to be a Shomer, but apparently his wife, Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel, is, and that this hotel room was for HER benefit.   OMFG!  WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR A HOTEL ROOM FOR HIS FREAKING WIFE????  DOESN’T SHE HAVE HER OWN EXPENSE ACCOUNT WITH THE FREAKING COUNTY????  How many freaking trips has she brought Myron on that We the Taxpayers have purchased on HER expense account?  Excuse my French, folks, but this shit stinks to high heaven!

2.  Finally, Mr. Kazan also requested information on any future trips planned by Myron and Frantz.  It appears that Myron is going to attend this weekend the MDCLC Annual Installation Gala, which is being held at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa.  The event begins on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.  AGAIN WE ARE PAYING FOR HIM AND HIS WIFE TO STAY AT THE HOTEL BECAUSE OF THE JEWISH SABBATH!  His Garden View Room with Balcony is costing We the Taxpayers $449.74 for Friday and Saturday night!  According to my handy-dandy Chabad.org Jewish Calendar, the Sabbath begins at 5:59 p.m. on Friday and ends at 6:52 p.m. on Saturday.  What this means is that Princess Sarah has to arrive at the hotel before sundown on Friday, make sure she doesn’t drive or ride in a car or even take an elevator until after sundown on Saturday, SO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR HER ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TWO FREAKING NIGHTS!  Folks, I contend that if Myron doesn’t want to attend the event without a date, HE SHOULD PAY FOR THE FREAKING HOTEL ROOM, NOT US!

Sorry for screaming, but I’m mad as hell.  This guy is just really pushing the envelope.  Aside from all his dirty (and I believe ILLEGAL no matter what city attorney Darcee Siegel says) campaign tricks, he’s bilking us for every dollar he can.  It infuriates me even further that we should have to pay even one damn penny more to accommodate his wife.  If you agree with me, please get involved here and start sending letters to every resident you know, the city attorney, the city manager, the state attorney, the ethics commission, the freaking governor if you can.  We obviously can’t shame him out of office because this man has no shame whatsoever.  We can vote him out, but I’d love to see him behind bars where I believe he really belongs for fraud, corruption, election fraud, ethics violations, and all around schmuckery.  I’m just saying.

Message to Myron: I don’t care what it takes.  I am not giving up on bringing you down.  I’m going to be so far up your tuchus you’ll think I’m a hemorrhoid.  As the song goes, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

To be continued…