Conexion Miami / Miami passes ‘Responsible Wage Ordinance’

City of Miami Commissioners unanimously voted to pass the “Responsible Wage Ordinance.” The Coalition for Responsible Wages, a diverse group of faith, labor, and community groups came together to make this happen. The ordinance will address multiple challenges: strengthen working families; decrease unemployment and poverty; reduce crippling tax deficits; prohibit wage theft practices; ensure safer workplace conditions; and promote more robust economic development. Research shows that every dollar spent on responsible wage projects generates $1.50 in economic activity – that’s money spent at local businesses such as restaurants, shopping malls, and grocery stores. In other words, money that returns to the community. When contacted by Progreso Weekly and asked what the wage scale would be, Cynthia Hernandez, of the Coalition, said that “the wage is determined by the prevailing wage, so that remains to be determined.” We’re hoping that figure is well over $10. 

Who’s at fault?

Florida’s state politicians in leadership rolls are all republicans: The governor and a super majority of the House and Senate are republicans (republicans outnumber democrats 26 to 14 in the Senate and 80 to 39 in the House): Even the members of the governor’s cabinet are republicans. They are refusing to expand its Medicaid program to cover about 1 million uninsured Floridians under the Affordable Care Act and are therefore scheduled to lose $1 billion in federal health funds at the end of June.

Global Cuba Fest

Global Cuba Fest showcases the work of some of the best contemporary musicians from Cuba and its Diaspora every year. Included this year are outstanding jazz musicians Harold López-Nussa, Aldo López-Gavilán, and Jorge Luis Pacheco, three of Cuba’s most extraordinary contemporary pianists; Volcán, an all-star project featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernández, Giovanni Hidalgo and Armando Gola; and the Latin/rap/salsa ensemble Lariba. For information on the festival, which begins on March 7 and is scheduled for Miami Dade County Auditorium,click here.

Another Jeb business deal he’ll have to answer to

Details uncovered by Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers in depositions and confidential FBI interviews reveal claims that Jeb Bush, while his father was in the White House, has acknowledged publicly he made $648,000 on a project in Nigeria at the center of a federal investigation. MWI Corporation is a South Florida company that last year was found guilty in a federal civil case of misleading the U.S. government to secure taxpayer-funded loans while doing business in the African country. While never accused of wrongdoing, Bush’s role with MWI came up during FBI interviews and depositions as investigators reviewed the company’s practices.

Rubio wants to eliminate Dept. of Education

Sen. Marco Rubio has made clear to key supporters that he will run for president instead of reelection to the Senate. During a meeting with conservative donors last week, he also said that he would like to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, shut down the Export-Import Bank and pass a detailed Obamacare alternative.

Obama nominates Miami judge

A former Miami-Dade circuit judge has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the federal bench in South Florida. Last week The White House announced that Mary Barzee Flores has been chosen as district court judge. The lifetime post requires Senate confirmation. Barzee Flores was a Miami-Dade judge from 2003 to 2011. From 1990 to 2003, she worked as an assistant federal public defender in Miami. She earned her law degree from the University of Miami in 1988.

Costly toll for those in a hurry

Miami-Dade County has special toll lanes on the I-95 Expressway for those in a hurry. The idea was to create a lane (or two) where you can speed by others who are on the ordinary lanes. The cost at certain times of the day is $10.50 to travel on these speed lanes. Even with the high cost, though, those lanes at times have become as clogged as the regular lanes. As a result, the state is considering raising that maximum toll to $14. The I-95 express lanes currently stretch 7 miles between downtown Miami and the Golden Glades.

Rent a tree house in the middle of Miami

AirBnB, the ‘start your own Bed and Breakfast anywhere’ website has some fun tiny places you can rent for usually quite a bargain around Miami. They include a fun-sized awesome treehouse on a farm in Little Haiti – in the middle ofMiami. It is called the Earth ‘N’ Us Farm. It comes with a double bed with mosquito netting and a wooden plank that fits a twin bed. The tree house doesn’t have air conditioning, and an outhouse with plumbing comes with an outside (but private!) shower. It rents for $65 a night.

New lifeguard stands for Miami Beach

Miami Beach is replacing its iconic lifeguard stands, zany and whimisical architectural confections that resemble everything from tiny art deco hotels to Jetsononian fantasies, with new models designed by the architect of the originals, Bill Lane. The old wooden structures, weathered and beaten by hurricanes, and the daily onslaught of salty, moist sea air, are showing their age, and are by their very nature temporary anyways. Others were since replaced with mediocre box structures, merely painted bright colors. These will also be replaced.

Florida millionaires’ club; sorry, we meant Senators

Florida Watchdog reported last week that “the combined net worth of the Florida Senate’s 40 members was nearly $144 million. … The total marks a 7.1 percent increase over the previous year and an 18 percent jump since the 2011 reporting deadline.” The richest lawmaker is former Senate President Don Gaetz, a Republican, whose net worth was listed at $26,077,030. He was more than $8 million richer than the next wealthiest senator, Wilton Simpson. Their filings demonstrate that 17 of the 40 state senators are millionaires. The poorest, by the way, seems to be Sen. Darren Soto, a Democrat from Orlando, who reported a negative net worth.

Creating more paying customers – for themselves

Two bills, HB 313 and SB 102, have been introduced in the legislature that would make Floridians lose their digital privacy when they pass away by requiring online services to give someone broad access to all of your accounts and the information. To those who complained on grounds of privacy the legislators suggested they hire an estate attorney to write a will that would explicitly address these concerns. We checked: as of 2012, of the 120 members of the legislature, 43 were attorneys.

Carrying guns on college campuses

The State University System recently issued a statement against the proposed legislation that would lift a ban on carrying concealed weapons on Florida college campuses. It emphasized that it “is contrary to the values we embrace and could create new challenges in our ability to provide a safe and secure learning environment.” The bills, HB 4005 and its companion in the Senate SB 176, would allow those ages 21 years and up and who hold concealed weapons permits, to carry concealed firearms on all public college and university campuses. For more info, read “Florida wants to step back into the days of the ‘wild west’” in Progreso Weekly.

Columba likes her bling

The British newspaper, Daily Mail, reports that Jeb Bush’s wife Columba has very expensive taste when it comes to jewelry – taking out loans to buy $90,000 worth of jewelry over a 14-year period. State filings show Mrs. Bush owns several Rolex watches and a pair of $25,000 diamond earrings. She took out a loan to buy $42,311.70 worth of jewelry on a single day, according to records filed with the state of Florida by Mayors Jewelers, and seen by the Washington Post.

Floridians saving $$ due to Obamacare

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services issues a release that states: Floridians saved $979,196,447 since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. In 2014 alone, 346,126 people with Medicare in Florida saved $306,016,285 – an average of $884 per Medicare beneficiary – thanks to the Affordable Care Act closing the Part D prescription drug donut hole.

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