Is it hurting rather than helping?
I'm running this Postcard from a friend because I find it interesting that this little booklet that has been making the rounds is bothering people. I have heard from four people already via text, phone call and email. People are disturbed by it. One guy wanted to know who paid for it. Another felt it was silly and others feel that it is hurting Teresa rather than helping her. Here's one person's view.
A few days ago my mailbox had a very well prepared four page, four color political brochure. Its purpose is to help familiarize myself with Teresa Sarnoff, her family history and her desire to be the next City of Miami Commissioner for District 2. It has a most touching family narrative and arch. She expresses her love of family, joy of sailing and recent honor for her support of the Miami Homeless Shelter program. The fact that no date was included to indicate when she first volunteered to help MHS, may be a bit of red flag.
Everyone has a story to tell about their life journey , challenges, accomplishments and dreams. Those that feel compelled to share that story should consider taking a Memoir Writing Class. Those that feel the calling to elected public office should first put in years of community service, demonstrate knowledge of issues, competence and the deserving of our trust. Teresa’s story would no doubt make an interesting Memoir.
One must wonder if Teresa would have considered this political campaign if her husband was not the sitting Commissioner? Would all those many developers and attorneys still be generously supporting her campaign if her husband was not the sitting Commissioner? Are they financially supporting her campaign because they wish to remain in his good graces while he is in office?
Does the candidate who raises the most amount of funds always become victorious? Not always. In fact, you may recall the efforts of former Mayor Manny Diaz to champion his personal choice for District 2 Commissioner that ran against Teresa’s husband. He too was able to motivate many of his developer and attorney pals to create a gigantic War Chest for media ads. But even that War Chest was not able to overcome the efforts of the motivated voters that wanted no part of his choice.
It is a fact of life, that our elected system presently permits large sums of money to be raised to help candidates reach out to voters. And too often non-qualified candidates are elected by voters that are sold a flashy marketing campaign. But more often than not, there are voters that have considerable knowledge of the issues and accomplishments of the candidates. Those voters will rally around the right choice, no matter how much money is spent to promote the candidate that is undeserving of our respect, trust and vote.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:45 AM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
26 Comments:
There's a significant difference between a candidate with a whole lot of money, and another candidate who has enough money to cover the actual costs of mounting a credible campaign, and then there are a bunch of wanna be's who can't raise any money what-so-ever.
Lori Woods, Mike Simpson, Rosy Palomino, Seth Sklarey and William Armbrister are the candidates in the District 2 race who fall into that category. As the Center grove debate revealed, no one was interested in asking them questions, and clearly no one has been willing to give them any money, other than what money they've given themselves or what money they've gotten from family.
This is really a 3 person race, and for all of those who really believe that the goal this year is to make sure that Marc Sarnoff and Teresa Sarnoff are stopped in their tracks, then folks need to start thinking very seriously about which of the 2 viable candidates, Grace Solares or Ken Russell can accomplish that goal and start supporting them.
And if Teresa Sarnoff is the right choice, so be it.
We received two of those booklets and were amazed at what must have been an expensive project to produce and mail.
As far as considering who would make a good leader, I think someone who takes the time to grammar check such an expensive publication is important. British punctuation, grammatical errors, and bad writing are not the candidates fault in a first draft, but the carelessness in letting it go out like that is telling. But maybe I'm just a disgruntled former English major!
The first comment above is totally correct. There ARE only 3 real choices...and I grudgingly include Teresa Sarnoff ONLY because she has...by hook or by crook....raised a lot of money. I don't see anything else to commend her. Solares and Russell have each come to the race on different paths but each has a legitimate story to tell. People really need to hone in on these two options between now and November. To do anything else would be to seriously harm our community.
Grace Solares has the background and the most experience. She is the most qualified of the mutts running.
Anon 4:13 - Although I despise the reality of which you speak, i.e., I made numerous attempts to influence the general public via the written word, I failed miserably, namely due to ignorance, a lack of education, a failure to pay attention to detail. Generally speaking the general public is not stupid! If you folks really, REALLY dislike this candidate, use the Grape, and other sources to bring attention to your objections, use facts, use reality and make sure she and her husband cannot prevail.
Ms. Solares is most qualified to find fault with what the Commission is doing and sit in the gallery to hurl insults and complaints. She is totally unqualified to be a member of a 5 member commission where one person can only have an impact if they are able to enlist the support of at least two other commissioners. That requires an attitude and skill set that I see ONLY in Ken Russell....
I really hope Donal Trump wins.and gets all these crooks out of Miami politics.
Haywood Jablomee
Of course we don't know how Ken Russell or Teresa Sarnoff would have behaved at commission meetings because neither one have been to any...
You mean like the time back on November 25, 2009, page 13, when Grace showed up to brag how much she thought about Sarnoff, and how hard she worked to help him get elected:
"Why? Because Linda Haskins was appointed to that seat when Johnny Winton left. What happened to Linda Haskins? I walked -- this man didn't have any money, $70,000 -- I think he had 780. We, the people, walked for him. We, the people, wrote letters for him. We, the people, got people to vote for him. With $70,000 against $800,000, she lost; he won."
Marc Sarnoff used city and DDA staffers, all being paid by taxpayers, to write and produce puff pieces to promote Marc Sarnoff. These puff pieces are now being distributed at taxpayer expense to get Teresa Sarnoff elected. Very unethical. By the way, where has Teresa and Ken Russell been the past 20 years? They never attended any Zoning Meetings? Never attended or spoke at Commission meetings? Neighborhood meetings?
It's sad to see we have people in the City of Miami who think this is Boston or Philadelphia where if you haven't lived there since the Revolution you have no standing. No voice. No right to offer yourself for leadership. It seems we have a few of these dinosaurs who think that way. And THOSE are the people who stand in the way of progress. Who shrilly oppose EVERYTHING! All change. All efforts to make the city better. All alternatives to the ways of the past. These are not the people we want on the City Commission. We need bright, wide awake thinkers and problem solvers with original ideas. People who can work effectively with the other Commissioners AND Residents and Business owners to make Miami better.
After all the campaign by you and your friends against her, I made up my mi mind: I will vote for Teresa Sarnoff. Thank you for helping me in my decision.
10:12 PM.....Bless you! It's good to know that Teresa will get her Mom's vote
Is this the mailer that was only sent to women and was all about her being a woman? As a woman, I found it patronizing. I hope it's recyclable because it went into the bin.
I would hazard a guess that not one of U knows anything other than "rumor". jOBIE sTEPPE
The City of Miami now has a $600+ Million General Fund Budget. Who wants more novices making decisions? Novices are the reasons crooks like Michelle Spence-Jones is getting a $127,000 per year pension for 4-5 years of "employment". At least Grace Solares has attended meetings for over a decade and she knows how things work.
I don't even know "rumor", but it's good to know folks are perplexed, or lay awake, or feel a need to invoke my name regarding nothing, nothing at all, out of some degree of envy, jealousy or whatever! WOW. The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all. JS
I wish I was a mom, but unfortunately I am a man!
Your comment must be a joke, although you are not very funny!
Grace doesn't know all that much because if she did she wouldn't have filed 4 lawsuits and lost every single one.
Anon 10:23
Many of us admire people of principle and those that take action. Grace has been willing to speak truth to power. She has championed our communities concerns. She has litigated government policies that many find to be blatantly unfair. She is respected by many. So what have you done to benefit your community recently, other than type up a comment?
She comes across as a dour-faced, self-important braggart fixated on the number of meetings she’s attended. People like that are known as “gadflies” who buzz around, make lots of noise, demand to be heard, drone on endlessly with no point in sight and accomplish nothing.
10:27,
How do you know this? Could you site at least 2 instances with dates and time to justify this position? I'm sure that if you review city meetings footage, you might find something. Or how about "letters to the editor", of which there are many. Thanks. I just want to make sure you're not just throwing pooh and hoping it sticks. Right or wrong, at least Solares showed up and showed she cared. Did you?
I've "showed up" many times since first moving to the Grove in 1975 and have watched Grace spin her wheels for many years. She DOES mean well but has NONE of the skills needed to be effective. She would be the ultimate 5th wheel on the Commission....useless at best and counterproductive at worst.....
Anon 9:26
Glad to hear that you have also “"showed up" many times since first moving to the Grove in 1975”. Please be so kind as to share with us the skills and positive affects you have contributed to help preserve and benefit Coconut Grove! Perhaps you should consider campaigning for Commissioner.
I'm not a braggart. But PLEASE do tell us about YOUR contributions to the neighborhood
Post a Comment
<< Home