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THIS WEEK'S STORIES
MIAMI BEACH
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Design Approval of New St. Patrick
Pre-K Building Stalls in Wake of Resident Outrage
MIAMI BEACH
Miami Beach Commission Candidate
List Grows
NORTH
MIAMI BEACH
North Miami Beach’s
New City Attorney Sworn In
Letters
Columns
BOUND>>
Hood chats it up with Shawn C. Bean, author of The
First Hollywood, a book about the early years of
silent movie making in Florida’s very own movie mecca —
Jacksonville?
THE 411>>
Yeah, there were more stars out during Miami’s New Year
celebrations than you could shake a stick at, but the
big news was that the gold laden, skimpy speedo sportin’
Michael Phelps was spotted swimming in the rooftop pool
at the Gansevoort…
FILM>>
Go
ahead punk, make our day and watch the latest flick from
the greatest, oldest tough guy left in the effete world
of movie making. Yup, Clint Eastwood is back baby and
although he’s an old coot, he’s an asskickin’ one and
that’s all that counts. Oh, and Hudak actually liked
Gran Torino.
FILM CAPSULES>>
MUSIC>>
Real Animal
is
the strongest album that Alejandro Escovedo has ever
made. Well, at least that’s what he tells Alan Sculley.
But, who cares about that, this guys band Nuns was the
opening act for the infamous last ever show by the Sex
Pistols. And, that rocks!
THE 2008 SUNPOST
YEAR IN REVIEW>>
The 2008 [Somewhat Accurate and Mostly Sarcastic, or Perhaps the
Other Way Around ] Year in Review
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| The 2008
SunPost 50 |
April
24, 08 |
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|
 Hiram
Ruiz
The People’s Politico
Depending on perspective, Hiram Ruiz is either a sinner or a saint.
He’s the savior of the poor and downtrodden worker, and a thorn in
the side of any employer that ends up in his crosshairs.
As deputy director of the Service Workers International Union Local
11, Ruiz acts as a political operative, working deals with
commissioners and mayors to win support for the SEIU’s
organization of condo and other service workers.
Just in the last two years, Ruiz has helped unionize
University of Miami janitors and St. Thomas University workers,
and is involved in a heated battle to organize the 700 or so
workers employed on Fisher Island.
Last year, Ruiz, a frequent lobbyist around
Miami Beach City Hall, helped elect a commission sympathetic to
his cause. For instance, the union gave Matti Herrera Bower
$10,500 toward her mayoral victory — $500 as a direct contribution
and another $10,000 funneled through a mysterious electioneering
communication organization.
In the ongoing battle to unionize
Fisher Island workers, Ruiz is seen as a formidable opponent by
the island’s management, who is rumored to have spent upwards of
$800,000 in its fight against the SEIU.
Still, he’s not perfect. Ruiz and crew didn’t do a thorough
background check on one of the
Fisher Island security guards the union used as a poster man for
its cause. The guard, Willie Floyd, was arrested in March after
failing to show up to a court hearing for illegally collecting
more than $3,000 in unemployment checks when he had a job. Oooops!
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