Miami’s game of wheel of the fortunate

Al’s Loupe

Miami’s game of wheel of the fortunate

By Alvaro F. Fernandez
alfernandez@the-beach.net

Miami is a great place to do business — if you’re a politician or were one.

Monday morning I woke up to the news that Barbara Carey-Shuler, a former Miami-Dade county commissioner, had received cash payoffs from a prominent developer during the 1990s (while still a commissioner) in exchange for her support on deals having to do with the county. Here’s the kicker: It is now too late to levy any possible criminal charges against Carey-Shuler because the statute of limitation has run out.

What I find most interesting, though, is that anyone (and this includes the state attorney’s office and The Miami Herald) who has been around Miami politics long enough, and I have, knows that Ms. Carey-Shuler had her hands in the cookie jar long before the wrongdoing was reported by The Miami Herald this past week. For my Miami readers who might not remember, this is the same Carey-Shuler who was paid as an executive by the Miami-Dade County School Board, while she served as commissioner (not a crime), for a mysterious job no one was ever able to pinpoint. In other words, the commissioner used to get paid (close to six figures, if I remember correctly) for a job that did not exist and that she never showed up for. Long-time Miamians will also remember that Carey-Shuler the politician had a now defunct Liberty City technical academy (Carey Technical Institute) which was loaned taxpayer money in its day. Several million dollars later, it was never paid back.

Carey-Shuler, now 69, retired from her commission post in 2005. If she had run then, she would have won again. A source who did not want to be identified assured me that the reason for her retirement (at the time she said she was retiring to care for her ailing husband, who later died) was a deal worked out with the authorities — don’t run again and we won’t prosecute!

But what boggles the mind is the fact that today Carey-Shuler works as a political consultant and lobbyist on many deals that come before the county commission. And from what I am told, she is making more money than when she was receiving under-the-table envelopes full of dirty money. Who knows? Maybe she’s the one delivering the envelopes these days…

Then there’s the venerable Carrie Meek. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, she was the first black member of congress from Florida since Reconstruction. She retired abruptly in 2003. Carrie’s surprise exit paved an easy road for her son Kendrick to take over her seat in congress immediately thereafter.

Ms. Meek then became a paid consultant and lobbyist for the notorious Dennis Stackhouse of Boston. He’s the guy who promised to bring thousands of jobs to Miami’s Liberty City by promising to build a high-tech center (amongst other things) in the inner city. Carrie Meek’s job was to push buttons in congress (where her son now sits) and at county hall in Miami-Dade (where she is revered) to get taxpayer dollars loaned to Mr. Stackhouse.

Not only did Stackhouse receive money, he also got land from the county. Over the years nothing ever developed from the Stackhouse promises, but amazingly, the politicians who had ‘given away’ millions and land never noticed that Stackhouse’s promises were empty… Also claiming ignorance of Stackhouse’s apparent scam were Carrie and Kendrick Meek.

But Stackhouse treated Carrie royally. While our taxpayer dollars and land were being (shall we call it) wasted, Meek received at least $40,000 from one of Stackhouse’s companies, a leased Cadillac Escapade and rent-free use of a 2,600 square foot office for her foundation. Kendrick received thousands in campaign contributions.

Revered Carrie is now back before the county commission. You won’t believe what she’s asking for. She wants a conflict of interest waiver. At issue is Meek’s representation of both the county and Wackenhut Corp., despite their high-stakes showdown. Miami-Dade says the security company overbilled taxpayers $3.4 million. Wackenhut is suing the county for more than $20 million in damages.

Meek is asking the county to disregard the conflict and allow her to continue representing BOTH Miami-Dade taxpayers and the security company. It’s important to point out that she has received $150,000 from the county since mid-2007. As for Wackenhut’s pay, we’re not sure… But before Carrie, son Kendrick used to do work for the Palm Beach Gardens-based security company. After Kendrick’s election to the U.S. House, his wife took over the account.

By the way, representing Carrie Meek before the county commission is Miguel de Grandy, another prominent, former legislator-turned-lobbyist.

As you can see, it’s a revolving door. All it takes is a pass which comes after you get elected and accept the status quo.

Editor’s Note: During their Tuesday (June 30) meeting), the Miami-Dade County Commission, in á unanimous vote, cleared Carrie Meek of any conflicts in her dual representation of the county and Wackenhut Corp.