Conexion Miami / Miami at the center of the FIFA scandal
The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting reports that as news spread of the massive racketeering and corruption indictment against 14 top world soccer executives it didn’t take long for a direct connection to Miami to emerge. Federal agents raided the Miami Beach regional headquarters of the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football, otherwise known as CONCACAF, the culmination of a three-year-old investigation into FIFA that has left the world’s soccer organization reeling. Among those facing charges is Aaron Davidson, 44-year-old president of Miami-based Traffic Sports USA, which had the marketing rights to the Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League soccer tournaments. The 163-page, 47-count indictment lays out how Davidson and other Traffic executives agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars in bribes to CONCACAF officials to win the lucrative marketing rights contracts for soccer events in the western hemisphere. They funneled the money from bank accounts in New York City and Miami.
Rubio ready to supplant Bush
This bit of news from the Tampa Bay Times: Florida’s political elites are fast revising their views about the strength of presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, with perceptions of Rubio dramatically improving and Bush’s slipping, according to our latest exclusive Florida Insider Poll. “Marco Rubio is doing what many said was impossible 6 mos. ago — slowly edging Jeb Bush out in Florida, who struggles to find his mo-jo,” wrote one Republican.
Summer in Paris
Summer’s almost here and that means vacation time. So why should it surprise anybody that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is going on vacation with a bunch of his friends? Gimenez will travel June 12th with Aviation Director Emilio Gonzalez, Port Director Juan Kuryla, Internal Services Director Lestor Sola, Intergovernmental Affairs Director Jose Rasco, and the mayor’s chief of staff Alex Ferro — as well as Ferro’s cousin, former State Rep.-turned-lobbyist Marcelo Llorente, his partner Alex Heckler and former driver turned lobbyist Ralph Garcia-Toledo. They will travel to France for the Paris Air Show and a side trip to Marseille. In all there are 21 people going. The lobbyists attending are sponsoring the trip, and we’re sure taxpayer dollars will find their way in too.
Solar gaining strength
Floridians For Solar Choice is an organization gaining strength in Florida. It’s a group currently gathering signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment, which might appear on the 2016 ballot, that would allow third-party solar power sales in Florida. Presently, only Florida’s utility companies, such as Florida Power & Light, can do that. If voters approve the proposal, individuals who use the sun to generate electricity would be able to sell that electricity. Supporters must collect 683,149 signatures to get the proposal before voters. And then at least 60 percent of voters must approve the amendment for it to be placed in the Constitution.
Florida panther a problem
State wildlife officials surprised the conservation community by proposing to refocus the management of the Florida panther, suggesting the endangered status of the big cats in Southwest Florida may need to be reviewed, reported the Daytona Beach News Journal. Panthers have likely “exceeded their carrying capacity” in Southwest Florida and “are straining and currently exceed the tolerance of landowners, residents and recreationists in the region,” stated a memo from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Nick Wiley, FWC executive director, said the intention is not to “reduce protection for the panther.” But Laurie MacDonald, director of Florida programs for Defenders of Wildlife, said the memo seems an “uncharacteristically harsh” departure for the FWC.
Gambling continues to grow
Gambling continues its slow but steady growth in Florida. Next are the slot machines which could be coming to several Florida dog and horse tracks if a far-reaching court ruling holds. A Florida appeals court ordered state regulators last week to award a license for slot machines to a north Florida facility located west of the state Capitol. The First District Court of Appeal ruled by a 2-1 margin that the state improperly denied a slot machine license to a horse track located in Gretna in Gadsden County.
The court said the license should have been granted because Gadsden voters approved a referendum authorizing slots.
Calvin Klein: What a jerk!
Calvin Klein, yep, the guy who dresses some of you, seems to be tiring of Miami and he is kinda bashing it on the way out. He is selling his longtime Miami Beach home at 4452 North Bay Road, according to the NY Post. He appears to be headed to his Los Angeles pad, a “glass box up in the hills.” Take a look at his parting comments: “Not to compare apples to oranges, but Miami Beach is a resort. LA is where people work, not only in the entertainment business, but all different walks — the social media world — it’s a new experience.” In other words, Miami is no longer good enough. Think about it next time you think of purchasing one of his suits.
Social Security turns 80
Can you believe Social Security will soon turn 80? The Social Security Act was signed into law on August 15, 1935. “Social Security offers hope and protection for millions of people and some of the most vulnerable members of the American public,” Acting Commissioner Colvin said. “This was President Franklin Roosevelt’s vision in 1935, and the vision has never been clearer, nor has the work of our agency ever been more important than it is today.” It seems some of our republican presidential hopefuls don’t agree with that statement. Ask Marco, or Jeb, especially Ted and Rand…
Marco Rubio the good Christian
Marco Rubio to David Brody, Christian Broadcasting News: “We are at the water’s edge of the argument that mainstream Christian teaching is hate speech, because today we’ve reached the point in our society where if you do not support same-sex marriage, you are labeled a homophobe and a hater. So what’s the next step after that? After they’re done going after individuals, the next step is to argue that the teachings of mainstream Christianity, the catechism of the Catholic Church, is hate speech. And that’s a real and present danger.” Enough said. We’ll let you decide who’s the hater.
Hillary and medical marijuana
Her husband once said he smoked it but didn’t inhale. Now John Morgan, the wealthy Florida attorney behind the state’s medical marijuana movement said he wants democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to join his bandwagon – that’s if she expects his sizable contributions to the campaign. There’s a good reason for Morgan’s marijuana push: His younger brother is paralyzed from the neck down and uses marijuana every day to manage the pain his condition causes. Hillary supposedly met with Morgan during her Florida visit last week. Nobody knows what was discussed. But the Daily Beast described Clinton’s stance on medical marijuana as being “as obtuse as Morgan’s is clear.”
Tampa Bay moving on marijuana
Hillsborough County (Tampa Bay area) is moving tentatively toward making possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil instead of criminal offense for minors. The county’s Juvenile Justice Board agreed recently to appoint a subcommittee to study adding misdemeanor pot possession to a list of offenses eligible for civil citations. If all members of the committee agree, a pilot program will begin in public schools in late August.
Faux-bama’s tour of Havana
From Havana and not Miami and straight from Politico: President Barack Obama has indicated he hopes to make a visit to Cuba in the near future, and, as diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the communist nation continue to grow warmer, it’s possible he will make it to Havana before his term ends in 2016. But passers-by in Havana may think that day has already come thanks to Cuban performance artist René Francisco Rodríguez, who last week was seen walking the streets and sipping mojitos in bars dressed as the U.S. president. According to The Telegraph, Rodríguez decided to dress like Obama and record the reaction he received as part of an art performance.
Not all on board with All Aboard
Car-less travel from Miami to Orlando has been a dream of many for years. All Aboard Florida, the private railroad line that will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach to Orlando set to be completed in 2017, we thought was the solution. The problem? According to a new study, tickets will be about $143 for a one-way, business-class journey between the Miami and Orlando stations. This is much higher than the $34 price tag first announced. At $143, it makes little sense. One car, three people on board, with tolls and gas, the trip would cost around $50. Three people via All Aboard would run north of $400!
