Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who?

Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who?
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Exactly how is this a good deal for us?

The mayor’s spokesman, Michael Hernandez, said that the mayor preferred the certainty of a $1 million payment to an uncertain future. “This is not going to be the same team forever. We don’t know what the future holds,” Hernandez said.

“Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush,” the mayor was quoted as saying.

Hernandez said that the $1 million figure was reached after county staff poured over the books and figured out that it was an Screen shot 2014-06-04 at 5.36.00 PMamount the team could pay, guaranteed, no matter what. Wouldn’t you like to negotiate your car loan or mortgage that way? He also echoed the statements of Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, who defended subsidizing sports and said that the publicity and jobs that the Heat generates for us are worth whatever the price.

Hernandez added that the team is committing $81 million to maintain what is basically a county facility.

Yeah, a county facility that still costs us millions of dollars going out, instead of bringing us millions of dollars in every year.

Basically, what the mayor and his staff — led by Deputy Mayor Ed Marquez — said was that we had a crappy deal before and we got screwed. And now he’s fixing it. Gimenez said at the meeting that this contract was better. That he was “protecting” our property, which we have entrusted to him, with this new contract and ensuring that the Miami Heat — which he and others seemed to threaten would leave town without a renewed agreement — stay in Miami.

Pfffft.

The only thing he is protecting is his BFF’s job and the only thing he is ensuring is Jorge Luis’s bonus check.

This deal is more smoke and mirrors disguised as good policy. None of the commissioners missed a close call of any kind. You were all hoodwinked, ladies and gentlemen.

At best, you were fooled. At worst, you are all using this for political cover as the richest man in Florida finds a way to game the system and your favorite lobbyist/fundraiser finds his payday.

 

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12 Responses to "Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who?"

  1. It is 2022 and the idiots at the County are still pandering to the criminals at the Heat. When will County officials force the Heat to renovate Parcel B into the promised park? That 4 acre site should be covered in grass and trees, NOT concrete and dumpsters.

  2. Carlos Gimenez helped the billionaire owner of the Heat get ANOTHER sweetheart lease. Taxpayers get screwed again. And now we learn Carlos Gimenez is a Trump Cult member. How predictable.

  3. I believe Mayor Gimenez, turned a crap Penelas deal, into something much better for the County. My understanding of the deal is the county, if they pick up the naming rights good garner up to and additional 2.5 million per year.

  4. In fact the majority of Lynda time was spent addressing the no compete clause.
    She clearly figured out any sketchy land deal or tax break would trip the clause and she also knew the 9 starry eyed votes were there Tuesday to override.

    So if you agree with Ladra’s above premise this deal was cooked by Mickey and served by the mayor, then clearly Mickey would want the no compete clause left in the contract giving him voice in the the soccer deal.

    So what I thought was really happing was Lynda was going up against the Heat trying delete the no complete clause to lay tracks for her new BFF Beckman. The money had nothing to do with it.

  5. “When I read this agreement…it is much, much, much better and even better than what we have now.. I don’t think that’s to be question.”
    Lynda Bell comments on her opinion of the proposed Heat contract before the vote.6/3/14

  6. An engineering report every two years – that’s what was promised and a key phrase repeated by the a Mayor. Really? The old Miami arena was abandoned as too small and not enough expensive sky boxes – would an engineer have found those flaws?

    The way intelligent people have allowed the entire state to be gerrymandered, this contract has passed by a public that didn’t want to look closely at the figures because of a winning streak. We are lazy. We will pay dearly for it.

  7. Hang on there, sparky. You may not like the Mayor, his decisions and the bulk of the County Commission who took a very bad Heat deal and made it into a reality, but don’t drag Commissioner Lynda Bell into this fight simply because you like Daniella Levine.

    First off, Lynda was majorly against the Marlins Stadium deal even before she ran for the Commission. Once there, when the Dolphins wanted a new renovations for their stadium, she told the team to renovate it themselves.

    When Pretty Boy Beckham brought along his “song and dance” for a soccer stadium at PortMiami, not only did she tell him to build it himself but also questioned the site he wants to build the darn thing.

    Finally, when the secret Heat deal became public, she was one of the first public officials to issue a statement condemning how the deal was conducted. (that was about a month ago for those of you in the “cheap seats.”) And she’s the head of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission!

    Now, you may favor the “Glorified Caseworker” from New York and that’s fine, but if you’re going to criticize do it correctly and fairly. Otherwise, you’re just misleading the public.

    Then again, we do live in Miami!

  8. Not only will time prove what boot licking, starstruck, ass kissing rubes they are. They are going to find by not addressing the no compete clause in the Heat contract yesterday like county attorney tried to warn them, they are STUPID boot licking, starstruck ass kicking rubes. When Beckham comes in next month they will all discover he has to pay off Mickey to let him build his stadium next door.
    And by the way Bell’s No vote was strictly pro forma. She is the head cheerleader of these starstruck ass kissers. Like everyone else in the room she counted that Heat had their 9 votes without her. She needed a “no” vote on the record to defend herself in her district 8 race from Daniella Levine Cava who has figured out the real dynamics of these stadium give away deals and has come out strongly against them.

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