Getting Personal

By now you've seen the articles on Corina Esquijarosa and her tax problems. The Miami Herald and the New Times simply reprinted an old story from October, and a bad story at that. And you have heard the outrage. You may even have gotten an anonymous email from NobVoice attacking the mayor and others. I don't consider what was written about me an attack. I thought I was explaining but griping is a fair word.

Some things to consider. The email was anonymous. So that's bull. Real men sign their emails. And why the personal vitriol?

You don't have to have an advanced degree to understand what's going on.

A group, North Bay Village Voice, has said, "Enough." We're tired of the petty mean girls clique of the city government and rather than continue being dragged into the deep, dark psyches of the cabal, we are looking for fundamental changes in the governance of North Bay Village.

• Make tax increases and abatements subject to a super majority of the commission.
• Put professional standards in place to ensure that nonunion employee contracts and city contracts over $10,000 meet the minimal ethical standards of Miami-Dade County, the state and the federal governments.
• Prohibit the post electoral employment of elected officials by the city for the same period of time that the state and federal governments have.
• Get the police department expenditures and political investigations under control.

North Bay Village Voice is modeled after the serious demands that Miami Voice has put forth on the county level. If you have followed how that worked, they first brought the solid ideas to the county commission and when the commission refused to act on them, they began recalls. Turns out that the tactic works.

In North Bay Village, we have the same issues as the county at large. Our taxes were raised, our services are being cut - side yard pickup is next when the garbage outsourcing is complete, employment contracts laden with expensive benefits and golden parachutes are in place in the middle of the worst recession since the 1930's.

The commission agreed to hear these concerns last night on April 21 and abruptly cancelled the meeting. Supposedly they are on the agenda for April 27.

North Bay Village Voice wants to fix the government, not destroy the commission, but will use recalls as the way to get the commission to cut the bickering and focus.

So when you read that Esquijarosa has tax problems, or random people are selected for attack by cowards who don't sign their emails, ask yourself, what is the investment that these people have in maintaining the status quo? Why are they attacking people but ignoring issues? Then decide based on the answer.

It's time to take the city back.

Kevin Vericker
April 22, 2011