Leaving Out Facts? What Is This, The Miami Herald?!?

[Re: “Public Mistrust,” by Ben Torter, published July 31.]

You did not mention that the allocation disbursement came from the administration (Mayor and Manager) and was only ratified by the [Miami-Dade County] Commission. This was not commission-driven. Maybe I misunderstood the article, though I read it twice, but it made it seem that the commission had generated the appropriation of funds. I almost thought I was reading the Herald and not The SunPost. Thank you.

Joe A. Martinez

Miami-Dade County Commissioner

Torter, You’re a Menace

[Re: “Public Mistrust,” by Ben Torter, published July 31.]

The SunPost’s cover story “Public Mistrust” implies something underhanded or sneaky took place when the Board of County Commissioners recently approved a recommendation to allocate money to federally-qualified health care facilities around the community. Like Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH), these centers serve the poor and uninsured. The services they provide complement those provided by Jackson, and, ultimately, better serve the thousands of people in our community with no affordable health care options.

The recent allocation was not the first — but the third — time monies have been allocated to area clinics. Each time, the allocations were properly placed on the agenda, sent to committee, reviewed by the County Attorney’s office, and put before the full board for discussion. More importantly, all of the allocations were in keeping with the General Obligation Bond Amendment voters passed overwhelmingly in 2004. 

To suggest, or imply, that there’s any hint of scandal here is irresponsible. Every step of the process was transparent. The county administration would have spoken up had these allocations been anything less than responsible.  Because of the board’s decision, more people will now have greater access to much-needed health care services.

Carlos Alvarez                                                                      

Mayor

Miami-Dade County

You Get What You Pay For

[Re: “Takeover Deferred,” by Ben Torter, published July 24.]

On ice is where the consolidation idea belongs. As a lifetime resident of the city of Miami, having once campaigned with the late Chief Hickman for increased funding of rescue equipment, I oppose the consolidation of services. We Miami residents pay for it. We pay double taxes and have paid for the development of the infrastructure to support our emergency services. Our emergency services are the best, and yet when one does have an emergency, it seems like forever before rescue arrives. But it is not. Our response time is excellent. Again, we pay for it, and we also pay county taxes.

If county residents want better service, let them pay for it. Instead of basking in the glory of finding a nice home with only county taxation, reach in your pockets and come up with the money to fund your own county emergency services. You can’t have it both ways: only county taxes and superior emergency services.   

Barreiro is up to no good again, probably to get his name in the papers for upsetting people. Obviously, he probably lives in the county and desires better services, so he’s gotten the bright idea of taking away from municipal residents. He wants to thin out the quality of services provided by municipalities, after we Miami residents have paid dearly for such. If the municipalities have to cover all of the unincorporated areas of the county, common sense indicates that response time and other factors will come into play and diminish the quality of services the municipal residents now enjoy.   

Municipal residents have borne the costs of their municipal services, structures, vehicles, equipment, etc., and are willing to continue to do so in order to maintain their level of excellence. For the county to usurp our assets certainly would be an unlawful taking.  
County residents: You get what you pay for.

Patricia Kolski

Miami

I Spit On You, Michelle Obama!

[Re: Make Me The President, “Episode 28: A Laundry List,” by Lee Molloy published July 17.]

As a registered Democrat, it’s a party I want no more of. For one thing, I despise hypocrites. For months I watched all the mud-slinging between Hillary and Obama — now they are sucking noses.

I know McCain is an old man, but I like his soft tone and wife Cindy — she does it the way I like it — lovely dresser, smiles for the camera and keeps her mouth shut.

I spit on anybody who says my lovely USA is “downright mean.”

I immigrated to America 52 years ago — the most generous country in the world — and, to quote my friend Bill O’Reilly, “The spin stops right here because we are definitely looking out for you.”

God bless our wonderful America.

Doris Hurst

North Bay Village