There’s Free Speech and Then There’s Being a Greedy
#@&hole
Angie,
So glad to see Miami Beach is going to crack down on the
litter caused by what is clearly excessive fliering
[“Don’t Tread on Me,” published April 26].
My wife and I came down from Chicago for the weekend and
the litter caused by the excessive amount of fliers
strewn all over the street makes Miami Beach’s Art Deco
district look like a cheap, low-class spring break
destination.
There is no reason for this. I work in marketing and
have hired many street teams to distribute flyers over
the years. These club owners don’t give a darn about how
trashy your town looks. They only want to maximize their
own profits.
I applaud [the city’s] efforts to reasonably curb this
excess because I do not have a favorable impression of
Miami Beach and will undoubtedly repeat this to friends
and colleagues in Chicago, who in turn will think twice
about spending their own time and money here. I was here
a few years ago and the problem was not nearly as bad as
it is now.
Jim Bilello
Chicago, Ill.
More Love For An Artist With Prose Skills
Michelle Weinberg’s review is thoughtful, well-written
and scholarly [Art Review, “The Bollywood Gaze,”
published April 19]. Not often do we have someone who
writes about the work of the artist and really is on
target with the intent and purpose of the work shown.
You got it!!! Well done, Michelle.
Thanks much,
Rosie Gordon-Wallace
Diaspora Vibe Gallery
Miami
The Life and Times of Miami Beach’s Real Queen
The Queen of Miami Beach, that’s what I will call
longtime resident and Beach activist Bea Kalstein. She
was, simply put, the best thing the Beach had going for
it as a watchdog, a resident and a friend [News Briefs,
“Longtime Beach Activist Passes On,” published April
19]. Honest, sincere and extremely outspoken, she always
had the Beach’s best interest in mind. She lived for her
days in Miami Beach City Hall. Not just to speak all the
time and oppose everything that might not be on the
up-and-up, but also to help the city as if it was her
personal business.
She did so with great honor and integrity. I was at her
funeral, and I was just at simple awe, watching young
and old shed many tears (myself included) listening to
the great stories that were told about her from Rabbis,
friends and even past associates. We all knew she was a
fighter, and a wonderful one at that. The stories about
her helping save Miami Beach millions of dollars were
wonderful to hear as were her triumphs and her
selflessness toward making Miami Beach run like a
well-groomed business.
The stories continue, from the Beach’s firefighters to
local residents, this was really one woman who made her
journey in life to be the genuine, sincere friend to
all. I remember how she lived, so not extravagant, yet
always had children in mind, never forgetting birthdays
(and I’m not talking about just one or two kids, I’m
talking an easy 25 to 30), always calling and asking how
you were, always worried on how she could help, yet
never worrying about herself.
Even to her last days, she had a wonderful working mind,
as frail as she was, still concerned about anything and
everything that was happening around this great city of
ours. I just can’t say enough about such a wonderful,
devoted woman, I’m sure I can write for hours.
I feel with all that she has done for this city, that a
street be named after her. I mean, who else has a rap
sheet half as good as hers for our city? Who cared so
relentlessly for us? Our hard-earned money? Our right to
see as much sun as possible? Who?? No one else I know
but the wonderful inspiration that was Bea Kalstein, the
true Queen of Miami Beach.
I know that Bea got the express elevator straight up to
Heaven’s door and a mighty big entrance. I never got to
say goodbye to her, but maybe she will be reading
Heaven’s version of the SunPost, so here it goes:
Bea,
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for
teaching me some of life’s greatest lessons and helping
me become more of a nonmaterialistic person and more of
a do-gooder! I’m sorry for myself that I didn’t get the
chance to say goodbye, as I really thought you would be
here forever! I will miss seeing you at the many events
throughout the year that I see you at, always with your
smile, always concerned how I am, always asking if I
stopped smoking yet, just always concerned about me and
never burdening me with any of your problems.
Now that you are in Heaven, take a rest for a while, as
I know you will be getting ready, fighting to make sure
that the world is a better place for all. I know you
will, and I know somehow I already feel safer knowing
you are ready at a second’s notice to fight for what’s
right, secure peace and happiness. On Earth, you will be
missed tremendously. As I shed another tear writing
this, I say, Bea, I love you so much and will miss you
like mad. I know from now on I will have to watch over
myself as you won’t be around to keep an eye on me.
I will now be my very own Bea! Rest in peace and G-d
bless you!
Jason Morgan
13-year resident of Miami Beach
Developers: Sucking the Life, and Water, Out of
Florida
Got water? That seems to be the question in many parts
of Florida these days. It’s hard to believe that this
state is running low on clean, drinkable H2O. After all,
once upon a time Florida was dotted with uncounted
bubbling springs, crisscrossed with giant rivers, lakes
and impenetrable swamps. And Florida sits atop the
Floridan Aquifer, once one of the planet’s greatest
sources of clean water. But these days the water
management districts are screaming for restrictions and
Floridians are praying for rain [Editorial, “Hope, Pray,
Beg for More Rain. Lots More,” April 19].
Insane as it seems, don’t expect the disappearance of
drinking water to slow construction. It’s business as
usual for the development machine, keeping Florida’s
city and county commissioners busy rubber-stamping the
next bumper crop of condos and subdivisions. Indeed,
having devoured its own water supply, South Florida is
looking to take North Florida’s water.
It’s the same old story too for overcrowded schools,
gridlocked roads, the morphing of the last old orange
grove into 5,000 homes. You might think reason would
prevail and our elected officials would say, ‘Enough!’
But too few of them seem capable of doing just that.
Why? It’s crazy to loot our water supply and pave over
the last square inch of Mother Nature. Crazy like a fox.
Florida’s land use system exemplifies what scholar Jared
Diamond calls “rational bad behavior.” In his latest
book, Collapse¸ Professor Diamond explains that
when the interests of the decision-making elite clash
with the interests of the general citizens, the elite
“are likely to do things that profit themselves,
regardless of whether those actions hurt everybody
else.” A self-absorbed elite insulated from the
consequences of its actions is highly destructive to the
well-being of society. The elites wreck society and keep
on doing it because, as Professor Diamond says, “they
are typically concentrated (few in number) and highly
motivated by the prospect of reaping big, certain, and
immediate profits, while the losses are spread over
large numbers of individuals.”
Bingo. Professor Diamond is explaining Florida’s
development machine, the marriage of city and county
commissions to the development industry. Here in Florida
we have a powerful development elite who control
land-use politics and, accordingly, benefit at the
expense of the losers: the citizenry, not to mention
whole ecosystems. There’s so much money at stake, and
all they need is a few votes on the commission to make
the next bundle. They will not stop, even when there’s
no water in the tap.
Who makes the biggest contributions to local county and
city commission elections? Developers. Who spends the
most time down at city hall haggling for a land-use
change? Developers. Who hires the most lobbyists? The
development machine. What issue takes up most of local
government’s time, energy and money? Development. Who
benefits the most from the favors of local government?
The development machine. Who pays the price? You: the
voter, the taxpayer, the citizen. You are the one stuck
with the tax bill for endless growth, worn down by a
deteriorating quality of life. In Florida, the sad
reality is that government exists to serve the
development machine, not the citizenry. That’s why it’s
proper to say that in Florida we have government of the
developer, by the developer and for the developer.
Never mind that under Florida law a land-use change
should not be granted unless the larger public interest
is improved, or at a minimum, not harmed by the proposed
change. The “public interest” has been redefined to mean
keeping the development machine humming full throttle.
They call it “economic development” and “growing the tax
base.” Never mind that in 1999, a researcher added up
all the development authorized by land use plans in
Florida and found that housing for 101 million-plus
people had already been factored into the plans. Since
then, local governments have continued to dole out tens
of thousands of plan amendments increasing density even
more. Never mind that growth doesn’t pay its way and the
bill is paid by citizens. Never mind that parts of
Florida are out of water.
It’s depressing, but finally there’s something you can
do to reform this sick system. It’s simple, it’s honest
and it is purely American: LET THE PEOPLE VOTE. If the
people want more density in their community, then let
them approve it. Let’s bring some accountability back to
the process: Do your part to put the Florida Hometown
Democracy amendment on the 2008 ballot.
What is Florida Hometown Democracy? A state
constitutional amendment mandating that all
comprehensive plan amendments approved by a city or
county commission must be submitted to the electorate
for final approval or rejection. We must collect 611,000
petitions from Florida voters by the end of this year to
make the 2008 ballot. Download the petition at download
at
www.floridahometowndemocracy.com
or call us at 1-866-779-5513 for petitions.
Lesley Blackner, president
Florida Hometown Democracy
Palm Beach
