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FICKLE IS, AS FICKLE DOES: FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 8 MONTHS FRANCIS SUAREZ IS CHANGING LAW FIRMS

NUMBER 38 - MAY 27, 2018

Last September when Francis Suarez announced that he was leaving Gray Robinson - where he'd only been for about a year - to join Carlton Fields, one of the reasons that he gave was that his sister was a partner at the firm, and they would have offices next to each other, and gee wasn't that great.


Well, it turns out it wasn't that great because The Crespogram learned that Suarez is expected to announce within days that he is leaving to join a prestigious national law firm, the kind of firm that an ambitious politician with aspirations of state-wide or national office would join.


In fact, since his joining Carlton Field, Suarez has had at least one conflict of interest that probably played a part in why he's leaving and why he's refused to hold a meeting of the MSEA Board, because the attorney representing Chalks Airline is a Carlton Field's Partner.  That meeting is now scheduled for May 31st.


This raises an even more significant question not only about conflicts between his being Mayor and working for a law firm who has clients either suing the city or trying to get favors from the city,  but with his desire to become the Strong Mayor, and Chief Administrator, how could he have any time left to do any legal work for a  law firm?


This is the real question that citizens should be aware of going into this Strong Mayor issue, because when you are the Mayor of a city and also maintaining an outside law practice there are conflicts over the time required to be a Strong Mayor, and also about the conflicts laying all over the ground like land mines,


Although our relationship has become rocky as a result of my reporting on the financial operation of his campaign and other issues surrounding his actions as Mayor, I sent him a text message on Friday afternoon asking him to provide me with the name of this new firm.

Alas, though he's bragged for years about his willingness to respond to anyone who calls or sends him text messages on his "personal phone number," he has decided not to respond to me.


That's okay. I understand.  I just hope he's just as understanding when he reads my upcoming stories on all the other reasons why no one in their right mind should ever allow him to become a "Strong Mayor."

IF YOU LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, THEN YOU NEED TO MAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS VIDEO. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CITY OF MIAMI'S SEA LEVEL RISE COMMITTEE SAYS SOME THINGS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY IMPACT YOU PERSONALLY IF YOU OWN A HOUSE OR A BUILDING ANYWHERE ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST

I think that I have been very clear that I personally have a very dystopian view for the future of South Florida.  


I don't think that any solutions being discussed or proposed have a serious chance of actually undoing, or changing the damage that global changes to our environment will be delivering.


For me, it's immaterial whether it's man made, or an act of a vengeful god whose decided to take umbrage over our collective misbehavior as human beings.


Shit's happening, and it's going to continue to happen, and I fully believe that long before water starts coming over the seawalls, streets will start buckling and cracking because of the water table rising, people's yards will become squishy like water soaked sponges, the term "backflow" will become a word that is used in conversations everyday, the communities with septic tanks will see them become all but useless and a lot of our drinking water in the aquafuers below us will become unusable because of seawater seepage.


I believe that we'll see real examples of all of this and more within the next 10 years, and I don't believe that there is enough political will, or worse, money to do much about any of it other than pack up and move to higher ground.


This is a community that has never been willing to deal with reality, which is why it is only now that there is some beginning of attention being paid to this problem, and even with this, as with traffic, the talk, the bickering and political posturing will hinder, if not derail many solutions, temporary though they may be.

That being said, I appreciate and respect folks willing to step up and try to do what they can to mitigate the impact of the impending catastrophe that's headed for all of us who live along the coastline of Florida.


The video below is of a presentation made to the City Commission last week by Wayne Pathman, the Chairman of the City of Miami's Sea Level Rise Committee.


First I must point out, and you can clearly see that both Commissioner's Carollo and Russell were absent from this presentation.  Secondly, only Commission Chairman Hardemon asked a question based on the issues raised by Pathman, the other two members of his Committee, who also gave presentations, and Jane Gilbert, the City's Resilience Officer.


This failure of attendance, and lack of questioning underscores the level of ignorance that these individuals have about this issue, and goes to a core concern about the kind of decision making that has resulted in not only the City of Miami, but so many other costal communities, coming to the table so late to express  concern about the issues surrounding sea level rise.


Stupid is, as stupid does, and we as Americans have demonstrated an absolutely amazing willingness to elect people to public office who are dumber than rocks, and all too often devious to boot.


In any event, Here is the video.  It is 24 minutes long.  I cannot urge you too strongly to take the time to watch this video, and I would ask you to share a link to this video with everyone that you know, whether they live in the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, or anywhere along the coastline of Florida.


Thanks!

THE PEANUT GALLERY WEIGHS IN ON COLONEL KLINK'S ORDER TO PROTECT CITY HALL ON COMMISISON DAYS WITH COPS CARRYING AR-15'S