The mayor recently took credit for the 200 person peace march which took place in the ah ah ah Black part of town. It’s sorta of like, the guy that throws a banana peel on the ground, then waits a few minutes till there are lots of people around and then picks up that same banana peel and proclaims that he is cleaning up the city.
The honorable mayor also said that the “cops are now smiling” since Police Chief Orlando Martinez de Castro left was forced to leave. Folks I’ll just cut to the chase. What a bunch of …… The mayor is now acting like he is the big supporter of the law enforcement and of wanting to do something about the violence in the black community.
This is the same mayor that last year condemned the police for drawing their guns when they were serving an arrest warrant at 5 a.m. He also said something along the line of “…is that anyway to treat a visitor to our city…” that was in the house when the cops were searching for the alleged drug dealer.
This is the same mayor that tried to intercede when a homeowner called the cops about a guy that was knocking on his front door and a confrontational conversation took place. This is the same that was upset when a federal fugitive was “caught” by the South Miami Police.
I was recently told that the mayor wanted to talk to the police officer who had just arrested a citizen for allegedly hitting a minor.
And aint it great that the mayor wants to go riding around with the cops.
Golly Gee guys and gals, doesn’t he have enough to do besides getting in the way of law enforcement to show that he cares?
Oh yeah, the mayor cares, now that the election is coming up.
Where has our esteemed Mayor Phil Stoddard been over the last 3 years? Well, lets look at it. He’s been on a rampage to get rid of the police chief, and has been involved in the hiring and firing of a bunch of city managers.
He has also been the “leader” of city than has created more lawsuits in recent history and that has now lead to the insurance company raising its annual policy by some 68% and maybe now they will push back from concerned citizens.
Brad Cassel summarily blasted the city commission for putting together “the worst budget he has ever seen.” Brad, who just became a first time grandfather, stopped just short of calling the manager, the commission and the budget a bunch of dog poop.
He pointed out that the city is expecting its liability insurance to increase about 68%, which is about $245,000 more than last year. The city learned that the massive increase is due to the numerous lawsuits that the city has being involved in recently. The chicken has finally has come home to roost. For years, folks have been saying that the city has been making bad decisions that would lead to lawsuits and there have been plenty of them that not only costs a bunch in legal fees and in time spent dealing with them, now the taxpayers have to pay and pay big.
Just wonder which elected official and in what city is being followed by undercover cops in the hopes of catching them breaking the law? Hmmmm.
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
It was a great journey down memory lane Saturday night at The Guess Who concert at Casino Miami. You realize that you’re getting older when you hear songs from the mid 1960s to early ’70s and they seem like yesterday. Before going to the concert, I goggled The Guess Who, and recognized one or two of the titles. However, when they started belting out all their hits, it was amazing that I knew most of the words and music of the songs.
From “These Eyes” to “American Woman” it was a trip down memory lane, and encouragement to never give up on your passion. It was a sight to see the 50- PLUS crowd of over 1,000 channeling their inner hippie from back in the day. The band sounded better than ever, and even with their advancing age, they rocked the Casino for almost two hours. It was interesting to realize that a band like The Guess Who is still so relevant today. Their artistry of timeless classics is as powerful in 2013 as they were over 40 years ago.
The next time you get the chance to see a blast from your past, I would encourage you to go, and perhaps you just might learn more about yourself and your generation. It was truly entertaining, and a great time for all ages, and not just the Baby Boomers.
Guess who Casino Miami is hosting soon? Yes, you got it right, The Pointer Sisters and America will be coming real soon. So, go online and get your tickets and we’ll see ya there.
Oh yeah and speaking of seeing folks, while rocking’ and rolling at Casino Miami, I ran into Rene Guim, Horace and Seida Feliu, Miles Moss, Jeff Hackmeier, Dr. Don Harris, Shawn Wexler, new grandpa Brad and Robin Cassel and a few other fans of The Guess Who.
Thought of the Day:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Keith Byington contributed to this column.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com
