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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 
amount 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.
Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who? added by Ladra on
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