What are they hiding?
Is there a reason why Joyce Nelson, Ron Nelson's wife, is holding a meeting at their house in favor of the Waterfront Mall project? What is her interest? Her husband Ron, of course is Chief of Staff of Commissioner Marc Sarnoff.
Is this legal? Is this just a private resident meeting to discuss the subject which supposedly has nothing to do with them, and why? And why is she so gung ho about it? This is throwing up a big red flag. Here is the email she is circulating. I only share it here because a bunch of people who are not thrilled with her meeting and non stop push for the project, sent this to me. Her neighbors and friends are not amused. Keep in mind, I am not part of their email list, I feel that says A LOT, I am on everyone else's email lists, so I get these complaint emails from their neighbors who think there is something strange going on here. I got a lot of complaints about this. Neighbors may go out of curiosity and obligation, but not because they are in favor of the development.
And for those of you who think we are NOT in favor of anything new and different, no, we are in favor of honest, upfront development. Secret meetings like this are a BIG part of the problem.
Here is Joyce (and dare I say Ron's) email:
"The Civic Club worked to preserve the Historic Pan Am hangers, got them on the National Register of Historic Places, and made the city resend their order to have them torn down.
"This also included the Coast Guard hanger that is now Shake-a-Leg. All of this took 12 years to preserve the waterfront.
"Preserving the waterfront is very important to me as I am sure it is to you.
I would like to get together to discuss the Grove Bay Waterfront issue Tuesday, August 27 at 6 pm at my home.
"I believe there needs to be communication on what is happening instead of the emails that are being sent.
"If you would like to being someone else just let me know first.
"Please let me know if you can join me ASAP."
END OF EMAIL
With all due respect, I have asked Ron Nelson via email why he is so in favor of the project, is he getting a job there after he leaves Sarnoff's office at the end of the term? Is Joyce getting a store for her jewelry, which is amazing, but still? He wanted tot talk on the phone or in person, I wanted a typed answer that I could copy and paste, as most things I write, Ron tells people that I get incorrect, so copy and paste is the answer I would like. So I can have a written copy to verify the answer. They are more than welcome to email me the answer now. What's with the meeting? Why not leave it all alone unless you have a major interest in the waterfront project?
Is this legal? Is this just a private resident meeting to discuss the subject which supposedly has nothing to do with them, and why? And why is she so gung ho about it? This is throwing up a big red flag. Here is the email she is circulating. I only share it here because a bunch of people who are not thrilled with her meeting and non stop push for the project, sent this to me. Her neighbors and friends are not amused. Keep in mind, I am not part of their email list, I feel that says A LOT, I am on everyone else's email lists, so I get these complaint emails from their neighbors who think there is something strange going on here. I got a lot of complaints about this. Neighbors may go out of curiosity and obligation, but not because they are in favor of the development.
And for those of you who think we are NOT in favor of anything new and different, no, we are in favor of honest, upfront development. Secret meetings like this are a BIG part of the problem.
Here is Joyce (and dare I say Ron's) email:
"The Civic Club worked to preserve the Historic Pan Am hangers, got them on the National Register of Historic Places, and made the city resend their order to have them torn down.
"This also included the Coast Guard hanger that is now Shake-a-Leg. All of this took 12 years to preserve the waterfront.
"Preserving the waterfront is very important to me as I am sure it is to you.
I would like to get together to discuss the Grove Bay Waterfront issue Tuesday, August 27 at 6 pm at my home.
"I believe there needs to be communication on what is happening instead of the emails that are being sent.
"If you would like to being someone else just let me know first.
"Please let me know if you can join me ASAP."
END OF EMAIL
With all due respect, I have asked Ron Nelson via email why he is so in favor of the project, is he getting a job there after he leaves Sarnoff's office at the end of the term? Is Joyce getting a store for her jewelry, which is amazing, but still? He wanted tot talk on the phone or in person, I wanted a typed answer that I could copy and paste, as most things I write, Ron tells people that I get incorrect, so copy and paste is the answer I would like. So I can have a written copy to verify the answer. They are more than welcome to email me the answer now. What's with the meeting? Why not leave it all alone unless you have a major interest in the waterfront project?
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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15 Comments:
This is incredible and ethically morally wrong. They are bypassing the system b/c it is his wife and just wants to talk about the community. This smells rotten and they have an interest in this. In her email she stated wanted to preserve the water front, Really we can not even see the water and at the end it just a hanger that none really cares for. The only historical building is City Hall. We all have to go out a vote to be herd.
She invited everyone so if you for it or against it show up at her house for the meeting! Let all sides be heard! How wrong is this? I can't believe they are allowed to do this when her husband works for the Commissioner, I bet both Ron and Marc speak to all that show up!
Are You and the ones against the project the only ones allowed to speak? Thank God you are not the President, otherwise we would have a dictatorship!
We can also wonder what are you hiding, but we don't!
Let's listen to all the voices!
The usual suspects simply trying to recruit the 4.5% constituents who elected Sarnoff to support the project "en masse" and over rule the silent majority. The problem is with society that allows bozos to a abuse their freedoms. So show up and be heard instead of behaving like serfs and stop bozos intimidating and silencing you.
Add to this Ron's wife's sneaky attempt to steal the stack of Charles Corda's anti-development flyers being distributed at a recent public discussion about the project, and you have a very stinky and politically corrupt situation. It's time for the Nelsons to stop the pretense of being regular Grove folks and fess up that they have joined the Dark Side.
I love when supposedly intelligent people don't use the correct words when sending out an email.
I don't mind a typo, ie being a friend rather than bring a friend.
Using an incorrect word when trying to sound smart and authoritative really defeats the purpose. An order is rescinded when it is cancelled not resend.
Now can we resend our comments to Sarnoff et al to convince him that this plan should be rescinded?
I will forever be an English major.er
RE: Anonymous 9:49pm
As an English Major and for the sake of continuity and fairness, are you going to point out the major punctuation, spelling, grammar and structure mistakes in Tom's copy:
"He wanted tot talk on the phone or in person, I wanted a typed answer that I could copy and paste, as most things I write, Ron tells people that I get incorrect, so copy and paste is the answer I would like. So I can have a written copy to verify the answer."
Let's face it, those two sentences are crimes against the English language. The infinite Monkey theorem could probably write better sentences.
JB
P.s Tom, if you publish this comment I'll buy you a coffee sometime.
As a private citizen Joyce is entitled to her own opinion, the problem for her is that she is married to Ron Nelson. Last Friday, she stopped by Timo's where a group of us Center Grove neighbors were having our first social network. Also, the guy who is circulating the post card against the project dropped by. Well, Joyce abruptly grabbed the post cards from the guy, for a moment it appeared there was going to be an argument, the guy wouldn't let go the post cards also Joyce removed the ones laying on top of a table and stormed out of the place, some of us where shocked, but later we were explained by the host of the event who she was and the whole thing about the project. As the young Gen in the Center Grove we learned a lot from the social network and we look forward to more events.
Joyce showed at that meeting how unstable she is! A grown up and wife of a City representative should not behave that way! Wish I had video , did anyone get video? Tom's right what's in for the Nelson's? What have they been promised? You want to build the project? Give us Citizens $$ too maybe we'll fold as well? NOT!!!!!!
Joyce writes " If you would like to being someone else just let me know first". Besides her typo she is censoring who she wants to attend! I wonder how she would feel about Charles Corda attending or Tom Falco ? Would she let them in or she just wants to speak to people that are agreeing with her? DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR ! Oust Ron Nelson and you get rid of Joyce that's what should happen . Bozo banana republic behavior at it's best.
Do you mean that only people with a Major in English can express their opinions? English is not my native language, but as a tax payer U.S. citizen, is am entitle to my opinion, even if my writing is not at your level. Your comment is pretentious and discriminating. Hope you can understand my poor English.
The point is why Joyce Nelson the wife of Commissioner Sarnoff's chief of staff advocating for our waterfront being blocked and overdeveloped. It has not got anything to do with her knowledge of the English language.
There is nothing wrong with this email from Joyce Nelson, or the meeting itself. She is entitled to her opinion, and is free to support any cause. That she supports the same as her husband would only seem to indicate a marriage of shared values, not some sinister plot to pave Coconut Grove.
As I've mentioned in other comments, I initially was against this waterfront development plan, with that disapproval fueled by the picture featured in this blog. However, I've since looked at the plan in detail, and am now a supporter of the development. The picture featured in this blog is not representative of the development overall.
I encourage all readers to look at the detailed plan, available at the following:
Sasaki Waterfront Master Plan:
http://www.miamigov.com/Planning/pages/master_plans/Coconut_Grove_FINALREPORT-12_08_WEB.pdf
Grove Bay project “The Harbour”
http://www.miamigov.com/PublicFacilities/pages/1213001/RFP12-13-001_Illustrative%20Boards.pdf
http://www.miamigov.com/PublicFacilities/pages/1213001/RFP12-13-001_Technical_Proposal.pdf
Mr Hawkins,
I'm not sure how long you have lived in Miami in general or the Grove in particular but one of the major concerns of any long time resident (and I mean MAJOR) is the habit of politcians and developers to push something through the process as quick as possible, change plans mid stream, and then just pay any fines to insure that what the developers want is what they get no matter how it affects the local community.
I honestly feel that if, before they were built, the Ritz-Carlton and Sonesta had the kind of transparency and discussions that sources like this blog are creating over the waterfront project, they would never have been added to our skyline.
Whatever we end up with on the last of our waterfront, I get the sneaking suspicion that it will involve lots of astroturf. Lots and lots of astroturf.
Both kinds.
Whenever anyone points to the Saski plan I keep getting this déjà-vu of Donald Rumsfeld pointing at that drawing of Bin Laden's underground bunker at Tora Bora.
Smoke and mirrors.
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