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Dear
Ryan,
Thank
you for showing interest in what we are doing [“Green, Green
Gas,” published April 19]. We really liked the article and
wanted to thank you again for writing it.
Sincerely,
Christian Miranda and Lisa Bowman
Sol
Atlantic Biodiesel LLC
Seeing the Environmentally Friendly Light
Apparently our very own Mayor Manny Diaz has recently begun to
champion the environmental cause, preach the gospel of “global
warming” and promote more energy-efficient green buildings and
vehicles.
It looks
like he finally got around to seeing Al Gore’s film, An
Inconvenient Truth. It was released last year, so apparently
it recently arrived at the Diaz home via Netflix.
Is it
possible that our very own Mayor Manny Diaz has recently had an
epiphany and “gone green”?
Was this
some sort of a biblical-style environmental conversion that
resulted from staring too long at a Sylvania energy-saving
fluorescent light bulb?
Did he
recently take a pilgrimage to a Toyota dealership and inhale the
hybrid car vapors at the Oracle of Prius?
Did he
have a miraculous experience that revealed a face similar to
that of Al Gore in the splattering of gravel and cement
like entrails from a cement truck?
Did he
wander for 40 days and nights through the cement canyons of
Miami amongst all of the cranes, bricks, scaffolding and
undocumented immigrants (illegal aliens) and then return with
tablets carved in cement declaring the 10 commandments of “Green
Is Good”?
The big
oil companies have caused most of the carbon pollution in our
environment, and now they are professing to help make things
better by researching and possibly developing alternative energy
sources.
President George W. Bush and his family have been significant
partners in the oil industry for decades, and now he too
declared that America is dangerously addicted to oil.
Mayor
Diaz has almost single-handedly been the driving force for the
overbuilding and glut of unnecessary homes, condos and offices
in our community. This has resulted in the total disregard for
our zoning codes, destruction of neighborhoods, disrespect for
citizens, increased traffic, increased demand on potable water,
electricity, sewage and flood control systems.
How
terribly convenient of Manny and his developer, attorney and
lobbyist pals to now jump on the bandwagon of environmental
issues!
Harry
Emilio Gottlieb
Coconut
Grove
Load
This! Give Businesses the Loading Zones They Deserve, Gosh Darn
It
Dear
Editor:
Re Ryan
Brown’s article “Illegal-Loading Sweep” [published April 12].
Before Ms. Nannette Rodriguez came out with the “give
them tickets” program she should have looked at the real
problem. Give the businessmen (i.e., taxpayers) a loading zone
like all areas across this nation have, which they are entitled
to. In addition, while she is sitting around, she should come
down to 71st Street and Collins Avenue and see the problems the
truck drivers have navigating that street. Some inventive person
put a blockade or planter on the corner, which is run over every
day.
Wake up,
Ms. Rodriguez. Seventy-First Street should be made one-way,
going west, or make the trucks turn on 72nd or 73rd as the buses
now do. Again, I must say that giving tickets will only raise
the tempers of stores and restaurants, bars, etc., not to
mention the truck drivers. I do hope the mayor will look into
this problem. He did when I fought for the North Shore Open
Space Park and saved it from becoming high-rises. Let us support
the hard-working truck drivers.
Sincerely,
“The
Fighting Irishman”
Ronald
D. Hayes
Miami
Beach
[Editor’s note: “Ms. Rodriguez,” who is quoted in the
above-mentioned April 12 article, is the media relations officer
for the city of Miami Beach. She has no role in the city’s
ticketing policy other than communicating the program to the
media.]
I’m
Not Mad … I Just Don’t Like Pinheads Writing Headlines on My
Letters Saying I’m Mad
The
rage is for the pinhead who came up with the “Road Rage”
headline on my letter [Letters to the Editor, “Road Rage: Send
the Cops My Way — or Else,” published April 19]. In 54 years of
driving I got only one ticket. I’m annoyed at Miami Beach Police
spokesman Robert Hernandez for his comment in Saturday’s
Herald. And I quote: “Ten years ago we might just let
criminals go. But now we are finally cracking down.” End quote.
Jerks like that are the reason crime is rampant on Miami Beach.
Sincerely,
R.C.
Stossel
Miami
Beach
The
Big Box Fight Continues
How
disappointing it is to the citizens and residents of Coconut
Grove who have fought so hard for the past two-and-a-half years
with their hearts and their wallets to save their village from
the misuse of the former Kmart site. City officials continue to
ignore and misinterpret the NCD-3 Ordinance passed in December
2005 prohibiting any “big box” store from coming into
Coconut Grove without obtaining a special exception for the
operation of any retail space over 20,000 square feet in size
with a limit of 70,000 square feet. This law helps protect the
neighborhoods: By way of example, the law forces delivery trucks
to approach from arterial roads such as U.S. 1 versus the
smaller Bird Road. Without required review or hearing, the city
has made unique exceptions for Home Depot as it continues to
build out the Kmart store.
There is
presently pending a lawsuit by the site’s neighbors against the
city of Miami. The aim of that suit is to require the city to
obey its own laws. When our city’s executive branch fails to
abide by the laws the commission passes, citizens must turn to
the courts, and the residents must continue their fight.
During
these legal proceedings, public disclosure of the neighbors’
legal tactics would be inappropriate. We are sure all Grove
residents will agree and understand our quiet determination to
see this through. The Grove First is increasingly confident of
the ultimate strength of the legal strategy. We look forward to
a successful conclusion of the long campaign to keep big box
operations out of Coconut Grove’s residential neighborhoods — or
remove them if they should open illegally. That conclusion
likely lies at the end of this legal phase.
You may
see the doors open, but don't give up. We will continue to fight
to save our quality of life in Coconut Grove!
Mel
Meinhardt
The
Grove First
Miami
Don’t
Drop Concrete on Me — or on My Car for That Matter
My new
car got covered with concrete on 4/9/07 at 12:15 p.m. while I
was waiting for the traffic light to change across from the
Trump Tower construction site numbered 15901 [Collins Avenue].
Immediately, I reported it to the on-duty police officer at
the site, [who] told me that a concrete pipe on the higher floor
exploded, causing the problem, and gave me a number to contact.
After numerous calls I was told that this person was on vacation
for another week.
Ten days
later, I met with the rep and showed her my car, which is still
covered in and out with concrete. Without apologizing or
concern, she told me that since I tried to remove the concrete
they were not responsible and suggested to contact my insurance
company. I live across from the construction site, and for over
one year we have had to cope with their mess.
The City
Commission’s responsibility is to protect the neighbors and stop
the exploitation of our city by these mega-rich with no other
interest but their own.
Rafael
H. Barrera
Sunny
Isles Beach
Coming Soon: A Northeast Miami-Dade Tax Rebellion
What
Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach have done borders on criminal:
They have sold out to the developers, become so rich in the
process, and they think the longtime residents of both cities,
many retired, on good but fixed income, are going to pay for a
performing arts center when the one we already have is not
making ends meet and the county government is already planning
to subsidize its operation, plus luxury City Halls, tons of
policemen and excessive personnel, all at the public’s expense.
As our leaders, the commissioners and mayors should be on the
front line fighting for reduction of the tax and insurance
burden that the residents of these cities have had to face since
Hurricane Wilma [“Bracing for Tax Reform,” published March 29].
For
purposes of insurance, the condo I live in was property tax
reassessed $20 million higher! And as a result our insurance
bill has been increased from about $200,000 to $700,000!!!!
There are condo associations, like mine, that have had to do
special assessments in the thousands, plus almost 40 percent
increase in maintenance fees....
The time
for a new Boston Tea Party is upon us, but it won’t be in
Boston, it will be in Aventura Mall, or at the Rascal House.
Celia
Suarez
North
Miami-Dade |
