Although the corruption charges against James Burke, Calvin Grigsby, and Billy Hardemon had been expected for nearly a year, the days and weeks leading up to the federal indictment played out behind the scenes like a high-stakes poker game. The principal source of tension: Howard Gary. The former Miami city…
For the past month Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez has been inviting members of the media to meet with him in an effort to improve his rather strained relations with the press. So far he has met with reporters and editors from the Miami Herald and executives from local television and…
Whenever Paul Philip’s name is mentioned, I recall the scene earlier this year in front of the Miami Beach houseboat where Andrew Cunanan killed himself. Metro-Dade police raided the floating home just before dusk and found Cunanan’s body in one of the upstairs bedrooms. A communications snafu initially caused Miami…
For nearly a year Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan has been under criminal investigation by the State Attorney’s Office for allegedly providing false information on an application for a home mortgage. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle last week confirmed the ongoing probe but said she couldn’t provide any specific details…
Packed into the conference room of Sen. Bob Graham’s downtown Miami office, Miami-Dade County officials gathered two weeks ago for a meeting with attorneys from half a dozen federal agencies overseeing the transfer of Homestead Air Force Base. Among those present: Mayor Alex Penelas and several members of his staff,…
James Burke didn’t seem to want to leave. The November 18 county commission meeting had been adjourned, and while his colleagues quickly packed up and left, Burke remained in his chair, papers and reports scattered in front of him. Who could blame him for lingering? For the past fourteen months…
Foutanga Dit Babani Sissoko’s $1.2 million contribution to Camillus House last week was secretly orchestrated by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore and has raised questions about whether the West African millionaire made the supposedly voluntary donation in order to buy his way out of federal custody. Earlier this…
Three months ago Rev. H.C. Wilkes, presiding elder of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, decided there was just one man who could represent the black community on the Miami City Commission — Art Teele, the erstwhile chairman of the Dade County Commission. There were a few small problems, however. First,…
After months of criticism and allegations of misconduct surrounding its handling of a water and sewer department paving contract, Church & Tower is facing a new controversy regarding their proposal to supervise construction of Dade County’s performing arts center. Alberto Ribas, president of the engineering consulting firm A2 Group, Inc.,…
After 43 days in federal prison, West African millionaire Foutanga Dit Babani Sissoko this past Friday returned to his Brickell Key condominium to begin serving four months of house arrest. Sissoko will be confined to his posh, bayview pad through February — unless his attorneys are successful this week in…
On November 16, 1994, newly elected County Court Judge Ellen Venzer strolled into a $250-per-person AIDS fundraiser in Miami Beach without paying, scanned the crowd at the private home to see who was in attendance, and quickly recognized a recent acquaintance, William Ofgant, a retired IBM executive who maintains homes…
Over the past twelve months, Dade County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan has asked officials at Jackson Memorial Hospital to treat at least six indigent patients from Bolivia. One of those patients, a fifteen-year-old girl suffering from cancer, cost Dade taxpayers more than $99,000. A thirteen-year-old boy with leukemia accounted for nearly…
After seventeen years of duty as director of the Port of Miami, Carmen Lunetta deserves a testimonial that will stand as a reminder of his managerial skills and his dedication to protecting taxpayers’ money. What would be appropriate? A plaque? Too meager. A bust? We’ll let the FBI take care…
On the morning of September 23, Dade County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan made a motion to dump Peggi McKinley from the county’s Film, Television, and Print Advisory Board because she had expressed her support for allowing Cuban artists to participate in next year’s Midem Latin American and Caribbean Music Market. Officials…
Passed last week with all the subtlety of a kidney stone, Dade County’s $4.1 billion budget immediately sparked a debate as to its political winners and losers. Tops on everyone’s list of winners was Dade County Interim Mayor Alex Penelas. The big loser, by general agreement, was the county commission,…
The drive from Brickell Key, in downtown Miami, to the federal prison in South Dade normally takes about 30 minutes. But for Foutanga Dit Babani Sissoko the journey took a full year. This past Friday the West African millionaire entered the minimum-security facility, where he will serve 43 days for…
This past January 22, shortly before 5:00 p.m., Dany Toussaint arrived at Miami International Airport aboard American Airlines flight 1292 from Port-au-Prince and was detained by officials from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Although he is a legal permanent resident of the United States, Toussaint had become accustomed to…
Since last October’s election of Alex Penelas as Dade mayor, Natacha Millan has emerged as the most commanding — some would say domineering — influence on the county commission. None of her colleagues on the dais moved as quickly to fill the power void created when Penelas, Art Teele, and…
Here, this is the spot,” Jeffrey said as he guided Karen a few inches to her right. “That camera there is CNN.” Settling into the prescribed position, the 28-year-old part-time model adjusted her tight black top so that her considerable cleavage could indeed be considered by millions of viewers around…
Looking to add a little zing to their lineup, officials from the Office of Cuba Broadcasting have proposed several new programs for Radio Marti, including one featuring Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and County Commissioner Miriam Alonso. According to an internal Radio Marti memo, the show would be “aimed at…
The following is a copy of a letter I sent last week to Chief Justice Gerald Kogan of the Florida Supreme Court. Your Honor: I am writing to you in the hopes of preventing a great tragedy. On your calendar is Supreme Court Case No. 90,805 — The Florida Bar…
Last month’s decision by the Dade County Commission to reject an ordinance that would have guaranteed equal protection for gays may have been the most important vote that body has taken in years. It is doubtful, however, that commissioners realized the significance of their action. After all, it’s hard to…
