Not only did Barack Obama pass over Manny Diaz as secretary of HUD, but also he is widely expected to name Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion as head of his newly created Office of Urban Policy, another position Diaz was considered in the running for. But with the nasty habit our most powerful local congresswoman has of hanging up on Obama, wouldn't it be nice if someone in Washington had the Magic City's best interests at heart? Anyone? Please?Carol Browner, who was director of the EPA in t
Owing to the laziness of Transportation Security Administration and Miami-Dade County Aviation Department bureacrats, a company with a lucrative venture at Miami International Airport won't be getting any competition anytime soon. For the past eight years, Secure Wrap of Miami has held the exclusive rights to wrap luggage in a cellophane-like material that prevents unscrupulous baggage handlers from pilfering travelers' belongings. It's not a business model that requires a lot of rocket s
Turns out Miami International Airport bureaucrats aren't so lazy, just a bit slow at fostering competition. Earlier today, I wrote about the Miami-Dade Aviation Department's reluctance to competitively bid the baggage-wrapping concession operated by Secure Wrap of Miami, which has held on to the lucrative business for more than eight years. Department Director Jose Abreu insists that is not true. He forwarded me a December 8, 2008 email he sent to Miami-Dade Inspector General Chris Mazzella. In
Yesterday, I blogged about Secure Wrap of Miami's eight year lock on a Miami International Airport contract to wrap travelers' luggage in a cellophane-type material to deter theft of personal items. The post was based on a recent report by the county's inspector general criticizing the Miami-Dade Aviation Department for allegedly not putting the contract out for competitive bid. Turns out, that's just not the case at all.I recently spoke with Miami-Dade Aviation Director Jose Abreu who em
