Nov. 7th Voting Recommendations

Dear Friends,

  Some of you have asked me for recommendations on the upcoming Nov. 7th vote.  Early voting has started.

I don't pretend to know about all of the issues but here's what I've gathered:

1. Miami Forever $400 million bond issue.  YES. 

   They say most of the money will be used to prepare our city for sea level rise.  Miami is already flooding during certain times of the year.

  Maybe these funds will be used to turn us into another Venice (a fabulous city!)  Also,  $100 million will go towards affordable housing.  
   I'm being optimistic here. This being the City of Miami, the funds could be diverted elsewhere.  Already Mayor Regalado is talking about using ten million to help build his mega-version of a Grove Playhouse.

2. Monty's, extending its lease, NO.  

Why did Ken Russell propose extending Monty's lease another 52 years (last July) without public input?

Why are the developer's campaign ads so deceptive? 

Like it or not, its on the ballot.  The lease holder already has another 29 years remaining on his existing lease. Extending it for more than a half century will allow him to get better financing on future improvements.

When the current lease finally ends in 2046, let's make it an underwater park! 

3. Coconut Grove Village Council Candidates:  15 people are running for 9 positions.  Here are my recommendations.

At least three of them represent the West Grove:

 

Johannah Brown ,   Rachel Cardello   Steve Dloogoff  
  
Marcelo Ferdnandes    Courtney Omega        S. Larissa Ozols 
   
Hank Sanchez-Resnik   Thaddeus Scott   Linda Williams

4.  Two Miami City Commission seats are up for grabs. Vote for the ones who have never been abducted by aliens.

5. Mayor of Miami?  Golly, it seems like there's only one guy running.  He's the one smiling with the very slick hair on all the bus stop signs.

6. Charter amendments?  There's not much at stake other than something about a independent auditor which, I had assumed, we already had.

That's what I know, friends.  Now make your own decisions when you get out there and VOTE in the next two weeks. 

Positive change starts at the ballot box.