Although the county has more than 500 vacant budgeted positions — salaries that are never collected though the expenditures are reflected in the 2014-2015 budget — Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has laid off almost two dozen county employees so far this year. These are reportedly only the first “heads to roll” in an expected employee […]
It’s hard to believe it, but we saw it with our own eyes. And it’s on video tape for proof: One after another, people came before the Miami-Dade County Commission Tuesday evening and basically begged commissioners to tax them further to save libraries, fire-rescue services and dogs and cats. But mostly libraries. More than eight […]
A ‘message’ to the mayor: Careful, they may veto you. Without a doubt, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was already walking a fine line. Last week’s last minute veto of an 8-4 decision by the county commission, for many, is just the last straw in a series of possible political abuses by the man we elected […]
On tonight’s big budget night, which everyone has been anticipating, commissioners are flying blind. Pretty much just like the rest of us. That’s because the last minute about-face made by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who first proposed a small tax increase to maintain services and then switched to a more politically convenient (really? how’s […]
Pick a commissioner, any commissioner. A group of activists will go to County Hall this afternoon and pick a name out of the hat. The winner, if we can call the chosen that, will face a recall effort for their vote on keeping the tax rate flat and slashing county services. “We are on a […]
When the unions come to heads with the Miami-Dade Commission today on their multiple impasses, one commissioner may be even more aggressive toward them than others. Judging by Monday’s committee of the whole performance, Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bobo has taken on the role of labor raider in the county’s very obvious efforts to lay blame […]
Remember way back when in June, when Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez wanted to raise taxes just a bit, less than a 4.5 percent, to keep services in tact and libraries open all the hours that we are accustomed to? Well, he didn’t do backwards flip flop to a zero increase because it was his own […]
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in July, when he presented his severe budget cuts at a county commission meeting, that he was no magician. But it turns out he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. It’s really no surprise to anyone that no libraries are closing. We heard the drumroll as we saw […]
According to a recent poll, many people think our county firefighters do a better job than the mayor. A survey of 450 voters who were called live from Aug. 2 to Aug. 5, voters gave our first responders more than twice as many approval points as Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez. Almost […]
Maybe he was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez made a very well publicized about face last month when he backward flipped on his original budget proposal — going from what he said would be a necessary but small tax hike to keep services at current levels to a […]