Former Hialeah Police Chief Rolando Bolaños continues his social media attack on the city's mayor, Julio Robaina. This past September 26, via a Facebook status update, Bolaños informed his friends network about the generous amount of tax payer dollars that have been allocated to Hialeah's communications and events department run by Carmen Cue, mother of city Councilwoman Katharine Cue. Bolaños notes the increases to the department's budget comes as Robaina eliminated 250 jobs and demanded firefighters take furloughs.
For example, Bolaños found that Robaina increased the communications overtime budget by $20,000 as well as adding more taxpayer funds for advertising and marketing materials. Read Bolaños' full status update after the jump.
Rolando wrote:
My dear friends, the problem as I see it is that you do not pay close attention, or understand Spanish, when Mayor Julio ROBAINA conducts his weekly state of the city address to the citizens of Hialeah and, if you happen to be from the greater Miami-Dade County area, you too. ROBAINA is doing everything he said he would do. The honorable Mayor ROBAINA promised he would "do more with less." And ROBAINA is doing more with less. ROBAINA laid-off and terminated 250 jobs, including essential services personnel, and will soon furlough Firefighters. BUT, let me show you what else he is doing for you folks that will have some free time, not money, time in your hands this COMING fiscal year.
* ROBAINA did not cut any positions from the Communications & Special Events CUE Division. No he didn't. Nada, beyond the two entry level and part time positions ROBAINA eliminated back in April, 2010. Two, dos, no mas.
* In facto, ROBAINA funded an INCREASE of $20,000 dollars to the CUE OVERTIME account, even though total revenue projections for the CUE division dropped 15% compaired to last year. So you see, ROBAINA is doing MORE overtime with LESS revenues. Now, that's management.
* This coming fiscal year, ROBAINA over funded the Employees Retirement account by 30% more than required by the Actuarial. Last year, ROBAINA under funded the Employees Retirement System to HIDE the General Fund DEFICIT. This year, ROBAINA over funded the Employees Retirement System to HIDE the General Fund Balance - SURPLUS
* This coming year, CUE asked for and ROBAINA increased the Contractual Services Account by a WHOPPING 320% more than this year.
* CUE asked for and received Travel & Per Diem money. It's only $100 dollars, but it's 100% more than what was budgeted this year, and it raises the question - WHAT can CUE do with $100 travel & per diem funds? Nothing. It does support my contention that ROBAINA is hiding surplus fund balance money left over from this current fiscal year. The $100 should have been cut from expenses instead of adding to expenses.
* CUE asked for and ROBAINA increased the Repair & Maintenance Auto account by 150% more than what was budgeted this current fiscal year.
* CUE asked for and ROBAINA increased the Printing & Binding account from$9,000 budgeted this current year to $14,000 for next fiscal year.
* CUE asked for and ROBAINA funded $6,000 for Publicity & Advertising. This account spent $5,000 in fiscal year 2009, and the projected actual expenditures for the end of this year is $10,000.
* CUE asked for and ROBAINA approved $95,625.00 to produce and mail the Que Pasa Hialeah monthly magazine for the current fiscal year. For the coming fiscal year, ROBAINA funded $56,000 to Que Pasa Hialeah - Production & Mailing accounts. No need to sacrifice political propaganda.
* ATTENTION ALL LAID AND FURLOUGHED EMPLOYEES: The Special Events CUE division has funded the folllowing Special Events for this coming fiscal year:
* $78,200 for the Annual Independence Day Celebration - July 4, 2011. Up from $73,452.00 spent in 2009 4th of July celebration.
* $23,000 for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. A WHOPPING 44% increase in allocated Expenditures compared to the current year.
* $20,000 for the Annual Art on Palm Street Festival. A WHOPPING 54% increase from $13,025 budgeted for this fiscal year. And, a whole lot more money than it cost the City in 2009. All I can say is we must have money.
* $17,950 for the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. A WHOPPING 38% increase in eggs expenditures as compared to this fiscal year. Well, at least you will have the time off to go Easter egg hunting this coming fiscal year.
* $10,000 for the Annual Employee Golf Outing. Up from $7,042.00 spent this current fiscal year. That's a WHOPPING 43% increase in expenditures that ROBAINA and CUE are budgeting for golfing. Question, if your job has been eliminated, are you still considered an employee?
* $2,000 for the Annual Partnership Event. Up from 0.00 spent this current year. I can only assume that Hialeah is undergoing a Reverse Deficit OR a deficit of shame. Who knows.
* $50,000 for the Annual Mayor's Gala. Now, this current year ROBAINA and CUE expended $81,000 in the Mayor's Gala. The budgeted amount was $45,000, but what's a 79% cost over run? Right. That was about the same time that he was laying off personnel and cutting public services.
* $10,000 was spent this fiscal year on the Annual Eco Festival. Whatever that is. But, it must not be too important because only $3,000 was budgeted for this coming fiscal year. I bet that ROBAINA and CUE de-prioritized the Eco Festival and are padding the account with the $3,000.
* $10,000 was spent this fiscal year on the Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. That's 21% more than the $8,323.00 that was budgeted this fiscal year. $6,000 has been budgeted for the coming fiscal year. I don't understand. ROBAINA testified (under oath) 3 times so far that there was a $5.8 million deficit this fiscal year. And, Councilman Luis GONZALEZ said that he personally looked into it, and met with ROBAINA every day for several days, and that he personally verified that the city had a $5.8 million deficit. Not to be out done, the Oh well, at least the employees had fun before they got laid off and furloughed.
* $3,000 for the Annual Turkey Trot. Yes, Slick, this is one is for you my brother. Who said ROBAINA & CUE were not an equal employers.
* $5,000 for the Annual Youth Appreciation Week event. Up a WHOPPING 25% increase from the %4,000 budgeted this coming year. Oh yeah, there must have been some funds left over after all those employees got laid and furloughed.
* $20,000 for City Hall Events funded for this coming fiscal year. This year, $22,752 was budgeted, but there must have been a few more City Hall events than ROBAINA and CUE had planned for because they spent $25,000.
* $5,000 is funded for the Annual Art Exhibits. This current fiscal year, $8,000 was budgeted, and $10,000 was spent. Another 23.75% cost over run on expenditures.
$12,000 has been budgeted this coming fiscal year for Charitable Contributions. Yeap, you got it right. But, I think if you got laid and/or furloughed you may qualify for a ROBAINA & CUE Charitable Contribution Grant. Somebody must have gotten more than a fair share of this current fiscal year's charitable contributions from ROBAINA & CUE, because the authorized budgeted amount was $9,600 and they spent a WHOPPING cost over run of $12,000, or a 25% increase in expenditures.
$12,000 has been budgeted for Office Supplies for this coming fiscal year. Up from $8,177 budgeted in the current fiscal year. The CUE division must have had a hell of an office party because the Office Supplies account expended a WHOPPING 47% more than authorized in the budget. WOW. What a year the ROBAINA & CUE Propaganda & Special Events Division had. It appears that they CUE was not around for the deficit.
