'We are tired of being deceived'
Our commissioner, Marc Sarnoff, writes and talks like a robot with a few wires missing. In his Thursday letter printed in the Miami Herald, he rambles on about the great things he's done for the city, complains about his critics and adds, "truth is the daughter of time."
In truth, Mr. Sarnoff has done some positive things for Miami but at the same time, many disagreeable ones as well. The gap between his thoughts and the public has grown wide. While I first supported him years ago I soon found him to be remote, self-righteous, and unwilling to share his intentions with the citizenry.
We need someone to replace Sarnoff that will be open, straight with the people he (or she) represents. We are tired of being deceived.
The Grove needs additional parking yet the Mary Street parking garage was recently sold to a developer. The voters had no idea Sarnoff was having a "garage sale." We still can't figure it out. [Al Crespo has video of the meeting, part one here, part two here].
Commissioner Sarnoff didn't like our much-loved symbol of "the old Grove," Scotty's Landing restaurant, so he handed it over to a developer friend. City parks and property are being given out to big-money interests like there's a garage sale going on at City Hall.
Mr. Sarnoff showed up at a public meeting last month to discuss commuters speeding dangerously through the South Grove. He chose to lecture us on how we, the people attending the meeting, were causing the problem because "we talk on cell phones while driving." He added incongruously, "I'm guilty too. I texted while driving here tonight." Sarnoff can be so out-of-touch with his constituents.
Mr. Sarnoff is term-limited, forced to give up his office soon. His current project is to get his wife, Teresa Sarnoff, elected to replace him. In campaigning for her he tells us she is most qualified candidate to lead District 2 but does he really believe this? I would love to hear him say, "I love this job and hate to leave it. Your vote for my wife will allow me to extend my term another four years."
Sadly, he is unable to utter anything like that. If truth is the daughter of time, deception is its son.
Glenn Terry,
Coconut Grove
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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25 Comments:
If Mr Glenn wants to attack, who does he recommend ?
#anyonebutasarnoff
I, Seth Sklarey am a candidate for Miami City Commissioner in District 2. Election day is Tuesday November 3rd and early voting will be available daily until Sunday November 1st.
I am running because I love and care about Miami, where I have lived for 48 years. As an elected member of the Coconut Grove Village Council I deal daily with the problems and concerns of the community. Together we fight crime, beseech the city to prove adequate services including keeping an open government at all times and timely keeping the people informed of upcoming deals which are often hatched and negotiated in private back rooms and foisted upon the public for the first time at city commission meetings.
I am running to change the way the city of Miami works or doesn’t work. As a former building and structural inspector for Miami and the father of a City of Miami firefighter, I understand the problems and concerns of the employees as well as the residents and the services they seek.
As a concerned member of crime watch I understand the frustrations of the resident who are the victims of crime as well as the frustrations of the police officers who are not allowed to do their jobs and do good police work because of petty jealousies, friends and family liaisons and the buddy system within the department in which the good cops suffer and the bad ones get the plum assignments because of who they are affiliated with.
I am running for commissioner because I am sick of the misappropriation of CRA monies which are supposed to be to “eliminate slum and blight” yet wind up in the pockets of already wealthy developers as “tax increment financing” which means any increase in taxes they pay returns to them as a credit which translates into profits in their pockets instead of benefiting the community as was intended and as Professor Frank Schnidman of FAU clearly exposed.
I am running to help resolve the homelessness issues. The Homeless Trust has a $57 million dollar budget to deal with 5,700 homeless Miamians. That’s $10,000 for each homeless person, but most are still on the street and don’t see a penny of that money. I don’t agree with the current commissioner or his wife that the solution is to provide mats so they can sleep on the floor like dogs, while denying them basic amenities like public bathrooms. The downtown residents feel like prisoners and are afraid to go out at night. Downtown should be a vibrant, beautiful clean enjoyable place, not a dark scary place where all the shops are barricaded behind metal shutters, restaurants close early and parking is outrageously high. We need to address sea level rise, crumbling infrastructure and beautification. Increase parks and green space and invest in affordable housing, workforce housing and parking.
Brickell needs a left turn light at 15th road, not cops ticketing everyone, tying up traffic. Brickell also needs increased schoolrooms up to the eighth grade and planning for all the young people living there.
I have solutions for most of these problems and not enough space here to discuss them. A commissioner votes on issues concerning the entire city including the upper east side, Morningside, Flagami, Little Havana and hundreds of other neighborhoods I know and love and understand. Elect Seth Sklarey for a wonderful Miami which we will all be proud of.
Seth Sklarey
Box 332172
Coconut Grove, FL 33233-2172
reply to: seth@citydebate.com
305 525-6982
http://www.thegroveguy.blogspot.com/2015/10/we-support-grace-solares.html
Of the nine candidates, Grace Solares is the best person to represent us in City Hall.
Francesca and I got to know her when the three of us served on the committee to fight for Scotty's Landing two years ago. We learned that Grace's involvement in our community goes back nearly 20 years. The North Grove resident is the President of Miami-Roads Neighborhood Association, Vice-President of Miami Neighborhoods United, and the President of the Urban Environment League. She's served on many city and county committees. None of the other candidates have anything close to her experience.
We invited her to our house to meet the neighbors. They left impressed by her background (UM grad, Phi Beta Kappa), her zeal (not afraid to take on big issues) and extensive background in law and community affairs.
Both of us have spent time campaigning with Grace. She is smart, savvy, and she has a big heart. We hope you'll be giving her your vote on November 3rd.
In South Coconut Grove,
Glenn Terry & Francesca Violich
The best candidate for this seat is Ken Russell, who does not see himself as a politician but is a true activist for the benefit of the community
What impresses me about Ken is what this city needs, an expert negotiator , with clear communications skills and real experience in managing people for a common goal. We want a positive passionate representative that is clearly for the people and not big government. We've had enough disconnect and Ken Russell can unite the commissioners with only positive results for our beautiful community.
It has been said before: first and foremost this election has been an outcry against what has been done in favor of developers and what is perceived as a threat against the interest of long term residents and small businesses. Some people even say “anyone BUT Sarnoff”. Well, a couple of days before the election, we need to decide who that “anyone” really is. I’ve had the opportunity to meet most candidates but I have been lucky to listen to all of them. Let me start by saying this: Teresa Sarnoff is the least qualified to take over her husband’s seat as District Commissioner. Not only would it mean a third term for the Sarnoff’s but Teresa does not seem committed to all the issues she talks about. If she was, she would be running against her husband’s record.
The other candidates proclaim to have what Sarnoff does not have: his constituents’ interests in mind. I have always heard great things about Ms. Palomino and Ms. Solares and in all truth they have done a good job in dealing with some of the real issues that concern the residents. However, I believe Mr. Russell did an amazing job with X-Mas Park and has more of an open mind, a less aggressive tone, a willingness to listen and work with the parties involved and perhaps more open to reaching a compromise. Russell has gone from being a business owner/activist to becoming a well- informed candidate. Don’t mistake the fact that he has great political skills for him engaging in political tricks. I have spoken to him on several occasions and not ONCE has he ever said an ill word about any of his fellow candidates. I think his education, past and present business experiences, hobbies, talents (which are many) and integrity are exactly what the residents and businesses of District 2 need right now.
No one has been able to legitimize corruption and pay to play in Miami like Commissioner Sarnoff.
That's the problem with Ken Russell. Empty rhetoric. How is he a "true" activist? Organizing to clean up the park in front of his house was good, but self-serving at the same time. A "true" activist would have gone onto the other parks with the same problem. How does he plan to unite the commissioners? You really believe he has the power to do that? He can't even handle a negative ad campaign without whining and crying. What's he going to do when the other commissioners try to screw him, write to the Grape crying foul? A likable guy, but lets give him another 4 years to walk the walk. If by then he proves himself to be a true activist, I will vote for him, but not now!
It really bothers me when the people in the Grove all line up to vote for a guy that didn't care enough to vote because he's a Grove "activist". That's what we believed when Sarnoff told us he was an activist. Crespo is right. The Grove will never vote in their own best interest.
What has Grace Solares actually done to improve our lives?
Are we to believe that her resume of suing the city and working out deals with the city for her law firm's clients is in our best interests?
Or should we support someone because they actually care to do what they preach?
It seems everyone BUT Russell or Solares has actual experience improving people's lives.
I'd never vote for Russell because he has never proven himself and he attracts shady people.
I'd never vote for Solares because she is part of the Miami Machine run by the Mayor.
Of course, if Marc Sarnoff were running again and wasn't so whiny himself I might actually think about voting for him again!
That leaves a lot of candidates (thank G-d for choices) that I'd rather cast my vote for.
Woods like Russell is too new and untried.
Jav is OK.
Rosy makes sense but can she win?
Isn't William Armbrister the guy who keeps running for office?
I like Mike but he's not looking to win.
Seth, I'm not sure what he stands for. I heard he's run a bunch of times too.
So for me it comes down to Jav the realtor or Rosy the teacher.
Jeeezzuzsss, could anyone read past the first paragraph of political crap up here? "I am runing because... blah, I am running because.." Are you all sick and tired of the OBVIOUS political crap? How stupid do they think we are, precisely?
It's simple: we have to knock off politics as usual. The Sarnoffs and the Solares and the guy there Seth talking constant political crap we've heard a trillion times before.
I would vote for Javier, but the man has no financial support, so he can't win. 2nd. choice therefore, is Ken Russel, can't be as bad as the Sarnoffs etc. Simple as that.
Ken Russell is the person for the job. I have know Ken for over ten years through the Watersports community and can attest to his character and morals as a family man, friend, and neighbor.
However, there are many politicians who are also good family folk, friends, and neighbors.
What makes Ken unique and separates him from the other "seasoned" politicians in this campaign is his lack of personal agenda and no ties to special interests with the city of Miami. He's not in it for personal gain...and that, I think, is priceless.
Respect Our Zoning Codes For Betterment Of Our Community
The City of Miami recently invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours over several years to replace and improve the so call outdated zoning code with Miami-21. So why are we always circumventing it by granting variance and special permits to allow developers to build greater height and density? Our Planning and Zoning Department and Commissioners have a duty and responsibility to respect the zoning code that we have chosen. A resident can’t buy a house and petition for a change of zoning to build a gas station, shopping center or condo complex. So why do we more often than not bend over backwards for developers that promise increased employment, more property taxes or some additional green spaces? Let’s “Stand Our Ground” and enforce our own Zoning Codes. You buy a property and you can build on it as long as you abide by the rules set down by our community. There must not be any further spot-rezoning as a result of variances and special permits. Planning and Zoning Department and Commissioners must just say “No and No Mas”! By eliminating the possibility of altering the zoning, our elected leaders will no longer be placed in a compromising position. They will no longer feel obliged to support an undesirable change in a neighborhood, just because their election campaign was funded by the developer that now desires to cash in his chips for greater profits. We must put our neighborhoods first. And we can do this by respecting and supporting our zoning codes with no exceptions.
I read in Russell's website that he lost his life savings in 10 years of business deals. I don't get how people keep talking about his business experience if it's all failures. Am I crazy or are the claims about his business experience stretching the truth too much?
Ken keeps shaking the establishment, keep shaking them gooooood
Another vote for Ken Russell here. Politics isn't supposed to be a life long career.
🇺🇸VOTE for KEN🇺🇸
The same anonymous Ken Russell supporter keeps posting about how wonderful he is and how many supporters they have. But these comments don't create voters, only more words. Russell's while has faithful paid volunteers and engaged donors doesn't have much of a message. I'm the better Marc Sarnoff isn't appealing!
The shocking news is how no one promotes Grace Solares anymore in the comments. That's the power of negative mailers. I wonder between Russell and Sarnoff which has spent more money attacking Solares.
Glenn:
That ending in Sarnoff's letter that "truth is the daughter of time" might seem like a disconnected outside thought, but it's actually Sarnoff trolling his critics pretty hard in a backhanded manner. Truth Is The Daughter Of Time is the name of the soft money PAC Sarnoff has been using to get unlimited campaign money from big developers. The name comes from a Francis Bacon quote "Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority." In the context here, it seems like Sarnoff is issuing a defiant "history will show I was right" kind of sendoff to his critics. But I can also see Sarnoff, a very intelligent man, savoring getting that phrase into the Herald as a massive middle finger to everyone who's criticized his wife's campaign war chest.
What's a bit ironic is Sarnoff seems to have missed the full history of this quote he so likes. When Bacon wrote this, it had to do with Galileo, and was meant as a criticism to the idea that a fact should be believed just because someone in a position of political power said it was truth. In other words, it's a full throated endorsement of the idea people outside the political system might be right, even if the suits, the judges, the priests and the badges say they are wrong. You know, like maybe the fat, foul-mouthed orctagenarian ex-con with bad teeth is right and the slick guy with the gavel in the sharp flannel suit with the American flag pin is wrong?
I find it amazing that everyone commenting blames all of the City's problems on Sarnoff. He is one of 5 Commissioners- do any of you attend or watch City Council meetings and see how things work in this City?
It is very easy to dwell on problems but difficult to to contribute viable solutions and so far I have not heard any. Those that complain and continue to harp on the same old issues are stuck in a time warp. It's time to move into the 21st Century. Wynwood and the former sleezy Design District have left us in the dust. They let their areas develop into wonderful artistic, shopping and dining areas. The Grove spends time trying to save the past- Scottys is an old run down place. How many of those that don't want it to leave actually frequent the place more than once a year? And what about the Charthouse- a restaurant that has minimal focus in the waterfront it occupies. Look around- we are almost a ghost town now and thank God developers have realized there is a lot of potential in making changes and have bought Grove buildings and property to enhance it. This takes time- finding quality tenants (not crummy chain outlets & fast food joints) doesn't happen in a month. So do building permits and construction, but the Grove can't wait and see- they want new and improved establishments still selling at prices from 1978 and they want it now. They want to see the water but not eat, shop, or drink at new venues when those type of places would make the Grove a fun destination. The center Grove will still get traffic from tourists as long as they have quality products.
When casting our vote for District 2 Commissioner we should stop looking at a tree- and look at the forest. Russell is a failure in business and has never offered anything more than being proud of being apethetic, Gonzalez keeps bragging about his Matsaratti and Rolex which suits him more for a Dezer building in Adventura or Sunny Isles. Grace has a posse of mud slingers that dwell on the negative and don't promote what she can offer us. I'm not sure Teresa isn't the best of the bunch- do all of you readers have the same exact opinions as you spouse/ significant other? I don't, and that is what makes life interesting.
The options should be researched on who is able to influence a group to go with their ideas, not those that have "Grove agendas" - The District is not just 33133. I hope all voters open their minds to vote for someone with ideas for positive progress to solve real problems for the entire District and stop dwelling on the past.
Ken Russell receives contributions from 11 different corporations in his 10/29 campaign finance report.
Including a $1000 from each of the following companies that are special interests within the construction development industries.
Drywall Unlimited LLC.
3034 Oak Park LLC
Domino Square LLC
Urban Atlantic Group LLC
Stambul LLC
Tropical Trades
Ken Russell is only campaigning and is already selling himself to the same industry that Marc Sarnoff sold himself to.
http://dev.miamigov.com/city_clerk/Pages/Elections/CampaignReports15/CampaignTreasurersRpt_G3_Ken_Russell_Oct29_2015.pdf
Teresa Sarnoff raised $747,000 and that doesn't include the PAC money, all other eight candidates combined have not raised half the commissioner's wife has, that is the definition of pay to play, disgracing our democratic system.
That's probably right, anon @10:14AM.
Ken is advertising his own kids, college is expensive these days.
Hell with it, I'll vote for Javier, just for kicks&fun.
I hear that for every Russell sign on a property, Ken has promised that many units on said property. So, 2 signs can be 2 lots, 6 signs can be 6 lots, and the property on Miami Ave. and Brickell is going to be a high-rise. Thanks for all the visual pollution for as much time as legally possible, even before that! After this election, we really need to make new laws and regulations about how these signs are being used. 2 weeks is plenty for all these signs.
The commissioner has promised his wife a brand new face lift and her own penthouse on South Bayshore drive.
A vote for Ken Solnoff is a vote for more of the same.
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