Dermer Is the Best Solution

[Re: “Dermer Redux” by Ben Torter, published March 20.]

I commend Mayor Bower and the other five members of the Miami Beach City Commission who voted recently to consider appointing former Mayor David Dermer to fill out the remaining term of Commissioner Richard Steinberg, who must resign in order to seek a seat in the Florida House. I think the idea of this appointment is in the overall best interests of the people of Miami Beach and to all who desire to run for the three seats that will then be in play in 2009. As a former candidate for the City Commission, I know how difficult it is to raise money and mount an effective campaign. To do so in the midst of a presidential election would be an enormous challenge and lead to the influx of even more campaign contributions than we saw in the last commission election, when all records for campaign contributions were broken.

The city charter clearly calls for the City Commission to fill any commission vacancy within 30 days; a special election is required if and only if it fails to do so. The proper role of the commission is to fill the vacancy and the potential selection of former Mayor Dermer is an excellent choice; he will continue to serve the people of the city, albeit for just one more year. To all those who claim they are being disenfranchised, that cry is a white elephant. In 2009, the people will have the opportunity to elect three commissioners and the mayor — that is the way our system is supposed to work, and it should be put back on track again.

Frank Kruszewski

Miami Beach

Of Course Lawmaking Attorneys Want to Ban Free Speech

[Re: “Zoned Out” by Angie Hargot, published April 17.]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that a proposed law in the state of Florida could ban free speech. The Florida Bar, under the direction of Henry Coxe III, begot the saga of Crackhead Jesus (www.crackheadjesus.com) to avoid threats of censorship from rogue attorneys who make and interpret law for trusting constituents. 
To find out exactly who has oversight over the man who determines the standard of ethics and competency for lawmakers in Florida, the offices of Gov. and potential vice presidential candidate Charlie Crist, along with Sen. Mel Martinez and Attorney General Bill McCollum, were contacted. Turns out they were all under the impression that the Florida Supreme Court was in charge of the Florida Bar. Wrong.
It appears government confusion has left the fox guarding the henhouse. Only in the state of Florida is a higher level of ethics and competence expected of Miami panhandlers than of lawmaking attorneys.
The Florida Commission on Ethics has gotten involved since no one in government seems quite sure what to do about this unexpected and embarrassing predicament facing Florida government during this election year. 
Government officials appear ill at ease about the whole thing, I assume because they fear a credible news outlet might actually see this as a national news item should Gov. Crist be offered the vice presidential nomination, the death penalty moratorium be removed or more Florida residents, business owners and newspaper readers come forward with allegations that some Florida courts are being used by rogue attorneys to legally extort constituents while no one is watching.
Free speech and justice concerns are things that should make someone go “hmmm” in this election year, which may ultimately be determined by the same system that appointed George W. Bush in 2000. 
    
Victor Hugo Vaca Jr.

Shorecrest

Write as Many Stories as You Want, Commissioners Don’t Care

[Re: “Waterworld” by Cynthia Archbold, published April 24.]

What’s the use? Why run an article on the inevitable effects of global warming on coastal cities when our elected politicians are blinded by immediate monetary gains from some corporate interest? 

Cynthia Archbold’s article laid out in no uncertain terms that we are going to be impacted by rising oceans in the next 70 years. So, are our politicians concerned? Not in the least. 

Just a day after the SunPost article, the Herald reported that “Miami-Dade County commissioners ignored the pleas of their mayor, their planning and zoning board, the state and multiple speakers … to let developers build a home improvement center and an office complex outside the Urban Development Boundary.”

Nine commissioners voted to violate the long-established limits to our sprawling metropolis. The only sane commissioners on this vote were Carlos Gimenez, Katy Sorenson, Sally Heyman and Dennis Moss. 

There is something wrong when we consistently get reports that global warming is taking place and that coastal cities are going to be under water, but our elected politicians can’t seem to grasp that they should forget about growth. Growth used to be the catchword for all politicians in the mid-20th century, but we are in the 21st century now and there is a paradigm shift. 

Growth is not good! We should be discouraging growth, and for every variance that our politicians allow, some developer gets rich and the rest of us have to deal with overcrowded roads, overextended infrastructure and drains on our water reserves.

I won’t be around to see my home awash; nor will the myopic politicians who continue business as usual today with no foresight further than the next developer who buys them off. But our great-grandchildren will see nothing but a water park in Miami Beach and much of Miami. Maybe they will erect an underwater monument on Collins Avenue, between the crumbling condos: “This artificial reef was made possible by the narrow-minded politicians of the United States and Miami-Dade County who totally disregarded Earth’s ecology at the turn of the century.”

Rob Boyte

Miami Beach

Corrections:

A SunPost 50 article published on April 24 reported that David Sugarman “worked as a vice president and financial advisor for Deutsche Bank.” Sugarman is currently a vice president of Deutsche Bank.

Another SunPost 50 article reported that Peter Ehrlich owns properties in the Miami neighborhood of Overtown. His properties are actually located in the Lemon City neighborhood.

The SunPost regrets these errors.