Hit the refresh button on Miami politicians
Al’s Loupe
Hit the refresh button on Miami politicians
By Alvaro F. Fernandez
alvaro@progreso-weekly.com
Miami-Dade county commissioners last week demonstrated they’re still in denial. They continue to think they can continue to rig the system to favor – them. Forget the voters. All they care about are themselves.
After the mayor and a powerful commissioner were both recalled by 88% of the people who voted on March 15, the 12 remaining commissioners last week tried to pass off a badly acted play, which they called a special meeting, as good and responsive government.
“We’ve heard you,” they told the voters. Sure…
They came together to set a date to hold a special election to name a new mayor and commissioner – who will complete the terms of the two aforementioned victims of voter unrest. During the meeting they also spent more than eight hours debating the merits of reforming how the county is governed. Term limits, a substantial raise in salary and no outside employment were among the issues discussed and debated.
In my opinion it was all a sham.
You see, in Miami-Dade, elective public service is no longer a service to the public – but a way to enrich oneself.
Why take up charter reform now when they’ve never demonstrated ANY interest in it? In 2007, the county’s charter review task force put together a plan that addressed many of the issues now, suddenly, being discussed: term limits, commissioners’ pay, outside employment, etc. The county commission, who had appointed the task force, did not consider any of the proposals.
This is what happened. The Miami-Dade charter calls for the review process, which was done. But commissioners had NO intention of ever considering any suggestion that may have been offered. Unstated was the fact that some of the suggestions may have not been good for the well-being of most of the commissioners whose intentions seem to be to hold on to their posts for the rest of their lives.
Fear of voters, though, has changed all of that. Seeing what happened to the mayor and the commissioner, the remaining commissioners suddenly became the 12 faux apostles of reform.
We can debate the merits of the changes proposed, but all it takes is discussion of the term limit proposal to see that these commissioners continue to show disdain for the public. Proposed was limiting commission terms to eight years. The commission offered 12 years. But… commissioners would begin their term after the next election. In other words, for example, Commissioner Joe Martinez’ term limit would come due in 2024 – he was first elected in 2000. That’s 24 years on the job. Javier Souto is an even better example. Souto was first elected in 1993. If he were to continue winning elections until his term ends in 2024, he would have served for 31 years.
So as far as term limits on this useless bunch, real term limits would NOT really kick in until after 2024.
“What’s my point?”
Eleven of the 12 commissioners remaining on the county commission must go. As voters we must rid ourselves of each and every one of them. And I know. This does not guarantee anyone better following what we have now… but if we turn them over, the easier it becomes to turn them over again – if they turn out bad. (By the way, the 12th I leave in his place for one reason only, he was just elected last year. Jean Monestine, the first Haitian American elected to the commission, unseated one of our biggest disappointments – actually too nice a word to use in reference to former Commissioner Dorrin Rolle.)
I insist on getting rid of 11 of the 12 because I sense there is an opportunity to actually accomplish this. Voters in Miami seem fed up with what is happening, from higher taxes and unemployment rates soaring, to underfunded schools and teachers getting screwed, improvement does not register in the horizon. In the meantime, though, most of our politicians are worried – about themselves.
In this day and age most of us work on computers. Oftentimes we must hit the refresh button. It’s time we did the same with our politicians. Miami is ready for new faces.
