A quick look at the mayor candidates in South Miami's upcoming election.

The Miami Herald did a pretty good piece that in my opinion went unnoticed regarding the mayoral candidates in South Miami's upcoming election.  Here's a few quick quotes from the three candidates...

From incumbent City of South Miami mayor, Phillip Stoddard...

“Professionalism is important, but so is neighborliness,” Stoddard said. “A really big issue for me is corruption. The government doesn’t work if people don’t trust it, so it’s really critical in our small city.”

Fair enough.  It's unfortunate that in a state where our own congressman Alan Grayson claims that we have "more corrupt officials than alligators" that we don't have more like public officials fighting governmental corruption.

Next up we have political newcomer Rodney Williams.  Mr Williams who is currently a barber in South Miami has had a few brushes with the law in the past and want's to use his run ins with the law to help his fellow citizens...

“My arrests and situations happened,” Williams said. “I did some things and got arrested as a person not afraid to speak his mind. Some officers take offense to this. The officers have a job to do. My goal now is to encourage the younger guys to understand the law and if you are ignorant to the law, to just keep your mouth closed.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/28/3898316/seven-candidates-running-for-south.html#storylink=cpy

Ok, that reminds me of this like minded attorney's business card, check the fine print...

Last but not least we have current city commissioner, Valerie Newman, who is also running for the Mayor's seat, unfortunately, the Herald article only gives us this...

"Newman declined to be interviewed by the Miami Herald."

That's strange?  Why wouldn't a candidate in an election only days away refuse to be interviewed by the regions largest newspaper?  In lieu of a remark from candidate Newman, the Herald was kind enough to leave us with this bit about the esteemed commissioner...

In 2011, the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust dismissed a slew of complaints against Newman, but issued a letter telling her that "rude, boorish and tyrannical behavior by elected officials, while perhaps not actionable under an ethics code, is inexcusable nevertheless."

That's nice, "rude, boorish and tyrannical behavior", those make for some especially endearing qualities for a public servant!

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/28/3898316/seven-candidates-running-for-south.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/28/3898316/seven-candidates-running-for-south.html#storylink=cpy

An insightful comment from one of our readers as well as a video that illustrates just how screwy candidate for Mayor of South Miami Valerie Newman really is.

Lately it seems like we've been having a number of comments on our posts that depart from the regular "this guys an asshole" or "you're an idiot" etc bullshit.  Here's a comment one of our readers left us last Friday regarding the upcoming mayoral race in South Miami...

Please keep writing. The city of South Miami is a soap opera, and, the ever-shifting face of the City Commission, and their ability to hire/fire City Managers, is the cause of the overall malaise.

Maybe it is naïve to think that people are drawn to government because of a desire to be involved in public service - to make their community a better place to live? Why does South Miami seem to summon up the odd-balls, the cranks and the grand-standers to run for the city commission? Straw Buyer - your blog is important, and it does provide a valuable public service: you are usually right on the money, in calling out the crooks and rooting out scandals.

It might be difficult for an ordinary citizen to understand the politics at work - and what needs to happen to make this City a better place. What you do helps, a lot.
I can tell you one thing: the absolute worst outcome of the upcoming election would be for Valerie Newman to be elected Mayor. She is a despot, a scheming, conniving personality who would create even more conflict and chaos. At a recent commission meeting, the single most repulsive character involved in city government, Sharon McCain, was forced to identify where she was living. Having to suffer again through her bi-weekly five minute diatribes, her accusations and hysteria, she admitted her residence: the home of Valerie Newman. That's all you need to know folks. One of the craziest people in the known world is living with Commissioner Newman.

If Newman is elected, South Miami can expect more firings and more instability. Was she not the direct cause of Ajibola's ouster, and a subsequent $350K payment to settle his lawsuit? Our tax-dollars at work. Roger Carlton lasted all of six months, why did he leave? With the city's misguided hiring of Hector Mirabile, Newman fought to save him, because his police-state bullying matched up with the way that Newman sees the world - agree with me, or you are wrong. And will be terminated.

I'm not sure what Newman's platform is, and what her vision for the City of South Miami is? The city needs stability, for the new City Manager to settle in, and to have an opportunity to build a better team. I don't know if a new City Manager is on her agenda, or maybe she is plotting the return of Martinez de Castro?

Newman is not the face of reasoned discourse. Or, of a civilized populous. She is not a leader, or a consensus builder. She is divisive and spiteful, and would serve in the manner of a third world dictator. I pray that she is roundly defeated, otherwise the City of South Miami will continue to be the laughing stock of South Florida municipalities.

I couldn't have said it better myself.  One of our readers also sent us this video montage of mayoral candidate Valerie Newman acting bat shit crazy...

If that video isn't a good enough example of what kind of self aggrandizing bi polar moron she is, I don't know what is.  Whoever posted the comment and took the time to make the video, keep it coming!

Does any of our work here really matter?

Honestly, after nearly five years of writing about all kinds of mischief that takes place down here in Dade County, does any of what we've done over the years really matter?  I have to admit, I haven't been writing much lately partly because I've been swamped at work, but part of not keeping up with the blog has to do with the frustration of watching the same old shit going on day in and day out.  No matter how many scams and schemes we uncover, no matter how many times we bust politicians and public figures with their hands in the cookie jar or out them for being involved in some nefarious scheme or another, it just seems like nothing happens.

Sure we've gotten our fair share of people indicted, we've managed to get a fire chief thrown in jail, a police chief fired, as well as saved a few people from going to jail but considering the magnitude of some of the cases that we've written about, we should have seen ten times the amount of arrests and indictments that we've seen.  Same old shit, day in day out, all in all it's a bit disheartening.

With that said though, I was just about to give up on the fair city of South Miami, what with the dirty police chief gone, and the politicians that are running for office swearing to their constituents that if elected they wouldn't bring him back, it seemed like our work was done.  I was willing to walk away until one of our readers called me and told me that none other than disgraced former City of South Miami police chief, Orlando Martinez de Castro, was actually driving commissioner and candidate for Mayor of South Miami, Valeria Newman, around to different campaign functions.

The fuck you say?  Why the hell would this guy be driving Newman around if not to curry favor with her if she became mayor?  I hardly think the Mr de Castro is angling for a job as Newman's chauffeur?!  Any thoughts?

A comment from one of our readers...

We received this comment from one of our readers last week on this post...

There are days, albeit not many when I miss my crazy little city. Now that I have left the City of Pleasant Living for the West Coast of the State, I have to admit... As much as people criticize South Miami, it is by no means alone or unique in its dysfunctionality or absurdity. Still it is nevertheless a thoroughly crazy (and very entertaining) place. I miss you my little nut farm...

Hector C. Fernandez

Nice.  While I understand the sentiment, I don't necessarily agree with Mr. Fernandez.  The way I see it, South Miami is a microcosm of greater Miami Dade county, the same corrupting forces at work, the same charlatans that have been chased out of one town or another trying to screw the taxpayers in order to subsidize whatever schemes and scams they have running, the same guys lurking behind the shadows funding politicians in order to ensure that their friends get preferential treatment when it comes time to hand out city contracts, etc.  The only difference between South Miami and all the other cities in our fair county is that we get to watch first hand a small group of citizens who vehemently fight back against the typical South Florida corruption even if it means getting their own lives screwed with, whether by the police or opponents on the city commission who openly make slanderous remarks in public against their fellow commissioners.

With that said, it's that time of the year again, there's an election coming up in South Miami where incumbent mayor Phillip Stoddard and two commissioner's seats are up for grabs.  Commissioner Valeria "you're a scumbag" Newman is giving up her seat in pursuit of the Mayor's job, and Commissioner Walter Harris has drawn an opponent in the race for his seat.  From what I've been told there's already been considerable misbehavior in this race, in fact I'm told there have already been several ethics complaints filed.  I'm working on getting copies of those complaints to post up.

Holy smoke!

Jeeze, with the holidays and all as well as a major project that I'm working on for Homeland Security/Customs & Border Patrol as well as the Treasury Department, I had no idea that this much time had passed since I posted!  Regardless, today's post isn't much of a post, I'm just checking in to let all those who've contacted me via email, text or phone, that all is well and yes I am still "walking amongst you".

With that said, it seems like there's lots going on, we'll start tomorrow with the upcoming elections in South Miami and see where that takes us.