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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Ken Russell running for District 2 Commission seat

It seems that each time the calendar months change, another person steps into the District 2 Commission Race. Grovite Ken Russell (left) has announced that he will be running for the office, too.  Others running are Grace Solares, Mike SimpsonRosa Maria Polamino, Teresa Sarnoff and Lorry Woods.

Ken's qualifications, from his website: "I believe that an experienced business person skilled in communication, negotiation, and management is very well equipped to be a successful and effective Commissioner.  An entrepreneur knows how to listen to the needs of the people and find creative ways to meet those needs.  I've always held a business philosophy of building relationships through collaboration."

Ken is concerned with traffic, green space (he's been very active in getting Merrie Christmas Park cleaned up) and smart development. More at his website here: kenrussellformiami.com.

I have a friend who approached me recently suggesting that he might run. Is there room for one more? We'll see, I don't know if he was serious, but he seemed to me as if he was.

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11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The more folks that campaign for District 2 Commissioner seat, the more the votes will be diluted. The result will be a greater opportunity for the candidate with the largest War Chest to be victorious. It’s a shame that Egos seem to be preventing a united front behind the best qualified candidate. These candidates and our community will all be very unhappy when their efforts help elect Ms. Sarnoff.

February 24, 2015 4:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I've always held a business philosophy of building relationships through collaboration."

The usual meaningless, regurgitated political crap that 'builds relationships between the stomach and the mouth through the esophagus'..

February 24, 2015 4:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

4:51 Collaboration in democracy as opposed to special interest democracy.

February 24, 2015 8:06 PM  
Anonymous al crespo said...

I think that the best way to respond to the first anonymous poster is to encourage all of the candidates to take part in several debates, sooner rather than later, so that folks can get a clear understanding of who is up to the challenge.

I think that there should be a qualifying amount of money that each candidate needs to have raised in order to participate. I think $10,000 - $15,000 in the campaign account should be the minimum amount for a person to participate. If any of these candidates can't meet even that minimum, then they should voluntarily drop out because they are just wasting their time, and gumming up the process.

I think that the debates should be live,open to the public, and held at a location in the north, central and southern part of the District.

February 24, 2015 9:59 PM  
Anonymous Too many condidates said...

The Sarnoffs popped a bottle of champagne tonight to celebrate their win.

February 25, 2015 12:04 AM  
Blogger Headly Westerfield said...

Now there are 8.

Last night Coconut Grove Village Council Chair Javier Gonzales resigned as Chair to announce he's running in District 2 to replace [allegedly] corrupt Miami Commissioner Marc D. Sarnoff, who is term-limited but is running his wife as his puppet.

Meanwhile, I'm running an ABT - Anybody But Teresa page over on Facebook. Come join the fun.

February 25, 2015 8:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

8:06.. more political crap? Wake up. Democracy doesn't exist, in the Grove or in America for that matter. It's an incorporated polyarchy of sorts, driven by the Federal Reserve millionaires and other big special interests, or the City Hall clowns here.

February 25, 2015 8:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Al Crespo makes the most sense of all above commenters. Let's hope the winnowing process begins sooner rather than later.

Consider including Mrs. Sarnoff in all debates, just to see how she compares to others.

JRL

February 25, 2015 10:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Teresa has been working on her voice and demeanor, she wants to growl like a lioness, not a timid secretary.

February 25, 2015 2:45 PM  
Anonymous Ken Russell said...

Thanks for calling out my flowery website rhetoric. "relationships through collaboration" is definitely an empty platitude... But you know what? it's the best way. If you demonize your enemy, you'll never get him to the table. -- now that's less platitude and more fortune cookie. But here's an example:


After the second meeting I held at Merrie Christmas Park last year, Sarnoff saw that the masses had their eyes open on this one, and that he was on the wrong side of things with regard to the contamination cleanup plan. I didn't know him before then (other than a couple emails), but he came to my house the next day to discuss how he could "help" us achieve our goals. I didn't look at him as the enemy, but rather a tool. He wanted to be our hero in the situation-- a situation that he had approved in the first place. I could have called him out in public as the cause. He knew they were unearthing and spreading contamination without removal. He knew that a sloppy Brownfield designation that would affect our homes was being pushed through without neighborhood notification. Instead, I let him switch sides and come to our rescue. I worked with the media to make sure that he stuck to his promises and to call him out on the unreasonable conditions (like asking the neighbors to raise $50k).


In the end, the city completely reversed their plan. The contamination is all but gone, an 18inch layer of compacted lime rock eliminates potential re-exposure of anything they missed, and the Brownfield designation is being dropped-- All without any name-calling or hard-ball tactics.


As angry and disenfranchised as everyone may feel, the solution isn't to try and elect a fiery super hero who's going to wipe out corruption. That's just wishing. My father used to say, "Wish in one hand and $H!T in the other... then see what you get more of."


Instead, look for someone who knows how to navigate and negotiate-- who knows how to work well enough with the other side to do what needs to be done.


Sorry-- I'm doing it again. As I continue to sound more and more like a politician, I'll count on the Grapevine to keep me in check.


thanks,
Ken

February 26, 2015 11:31 PM  
Anonymous Liana S said...

Great response Ken Russel. Politician with great attitude, available to discuss and willing to do things for the city in a open and correct way are worthy voting and believing. Absence or not get involved don't take anywhere. That's my belief.

February 27, 2015 7:32 PM  

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