So who is the Wizard?

To all,

One of the best scenes in the Wizard of Oz, is when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal that the great and most powerful Oz, is neither great nor powerful.  Oz turns out to be just a normal guy who in real life happens to be a fortune teller/snake oil sales man who runs an entire city as if he was a Wizard.

So who really runs the Village of Palmetto Bay?  Is there a Wizard, Fortune Teller, Snake Oil Salesman or just an individual playing Village Manager?   

Our Wizard’s name is Ron Williams and he controls the Village.  I’ve had the opportunity this week to review his personnel file and this is what I’ve found. 

First, I’m obligated to disclose that I’m not exactly Ron William’s biggest fan.  I find him to be arrogant, condescending, elusive and never forthcoming or cooperative in regards to providing me with answers related Village finances.  

Prior to becoming the Village Manager, Mr. Williams was employed to be the Director of Public Works for the Village of Palmetto Bay in May of 2003.  Previously to being hired by the Village he was a math teacher, worked for the State of Florida in a management position and City of Miami in various administrative positions.   Apparently, Mr. Williams left both the State of Florida and City of Miami for what he states as “political changes” in his employment application.  Nowhere in his previous employment did he serve as a City Manager of a Municipality according to his employment application.     

Mr. Williams initial salary at the Village as Director of Public Works was $75,000, after approximately four years in that position he was hired as the Village Manager for $137,000 plus benefits.  Not a bad jump in salary for four years worth of service and no prior experience as a City Manager.    Mr. Williams’s current salary is $150,316 plus numerous benefits.  Nine years at Palmetto Bay has resulted in a doubling of his salary.  These increases occurred during the worst recession the United States has ever experienced.

While in the position of Village Manager, Mr. Williams has had one ethics complaint filed against him for an alleged oral meeting with a vendor prior to contracts being awarded.  That ethics complaint was dismissed on January 24, 2012.

One of the most interesting items I found missing from Mr. Williams personnel file was the lack of annual reviews.  Per his employment agreement dated May 10^th 2007, states the Village Manager shall be given a written evaluation by the Council and Mayor.    Has Mr. Williams really been employed in the most important position in the Village without a yearly evaluation?   Were the evaluations pulled from his personnel file before his information was given to me or was it just a dereliction of duty by the Mayor and Council in forgoing his yearly assessment?   That question needs to be answered.   

So, David, where is the smoking gun?  There isn’t one.  I can tell you that Mr. William’s has been at the helm with large salary and benefit increases while the Village loses millions of dollars every year from its reserves.    After five years of on-the job training, Mr. Williams has so far been a wizard of cloudy and questionable financial decisions.  Our travel down the yellow brick road will prove to be a long and prosperous one as long as there is sound Village financial management.  For that to happen, Mr. Williams and his Village Staff must be financially prudent and transparent with our tax dollars. 

David Singer

Congrats to John Dubios and Tim Schaffer

Hello,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Well it’s back to work for me and the first thing I would like to do is congratulate John Dubois and Tim Schaffer on winning the election.   I hope that this will be the first step to normalcy on the Palmetto Bay Village Council.

Numerous people have emailed me over the last couple of days and asked where we are on the Recall effort and if in fact we are going to forward.  I’ll get to that bit of information at the end of this email.  Let me first address what I plan on doing in the immediate future with the email names I’ve obtained from the Village.  Please remember if you do not wish to receive any future emails please just let me know and I will delete your email address.  Alternatively, if you know someone who you think should be on the list, please reply to any of my emails with their email address.

I still plan to send out emails either weekly or bi-weekly reporting a fiscal analysis of Village expenditures.  I will also be reporting on any ordinances that the Council is planning on passing that affects the citizens who live in Palmetto Bay.

Some of the items I plan on addressing:

• Litigation occurring in the Village and any associated costs on a monthly basis
• Losses incurred for Coral Reef Park, or other parks in our Village including tennis courts
• Village operating deficits
• Any planned Capital Expenditures 
• Positions on items to be voted on by the board
• Land use related actions by the Council

Please note that any information I disseminate will have appropriate supporting documentation available on the recallpalmettobay.com website.  I pledge not to send any emails addressing the finances of Palmetto Bay unless I have fully reviewed financial information received directly from the Village.  There has been numerous emails that have been sent by other who will not be named with eregious misinformation regarding the Village of Palmetto Bay finances.
In regards to the Recall effort, I presently have petitions that are ready to sign.  I was hoping that these petitions would not have to be used, but feel there is still an opportunity to improve the Village by recalling one additional Council member in January.   I don’t take this decision lightly and neither do any of the individuals who are working with me on the Recall.  We feel if this individual is left on the Council the Village will still be headed down the wrong path.

In January, we plan to start the Recall effort.  The Recall effort shall be performed under the auspices of the Statutes of the State of Florida.  The same laws that allow us to have elections in our municipality allow us to have a recall.  It has neither positive nor negative attributes, it’s just a tool afforded us as part of our political process.   So in January, please do your part to direct the Village of Palmetto Bay down the right path by signing the Recall petition.
David Singer

Recallpalmettobay.com

Remember to Vote Tomorrow, November 20th

To All,

Tomorrow, Tuesday,  November 20^th  is the day that voters will set the direction the Village of Palmetto Bay will move for the next four years.  We as a community can stay where we’ve been for the last four years or we can move in a much more positive direction. 

A direction where the word “COMMUNITY” actually means something to the individuals who represent us on the Council.     A direction where the phase “FISCAL RESPONSBILITY” is not just a phase batted around by those who have wasted and will continue to waste your hard-earned income.  A direction where “OPINIONS” are actually listened to at the Village, not just brushed aside by a group of “condo commando” types who dictate to you how this Village needs to be run.

As you vote tomorrow please remember how we got to the point where we are at this time - it has all been caused by the current Mayor Shelley Stanczyk, the Vice Mayor Brian Pariser and Councilwoman Joan Lindsay.  Here’s a list of their failings to date:

·         Over 1.65 million dollar in losses over two years at the Coral Reef Tennis Courts since the Jane Forman contract was canceled.  Prior to that there were no losses.

·         A  1.1 million dollar hot dog stand, the cost of which exceeds the value of 99% of the homes located in the Village of Palmetto Bay

·         Over $800,000 and counting for attorney fees paid to the Village Attorneys Eve Boutsis and White and Case to fight Palmer Trinity expansion over the last four years.  This equates to a $3,200 attack on each student the Mayor and Vice Mayor tried to disapprove.

·         A 2.3 Million dollar operating deficit for the Villages 2012-2013 fiscal year budget.

·         Over 10 Million dollars of taxpayer’s money spent out of reserves over the last 3 years. 

·         A possible 12 million dollar judgment against the Village in Palmer Trinity’s favor.

Please remember this is the damage they have accomplished over the last four years, can you imagine what they can and will do in the next four?  We all will pay the financial price with “INCREASED REAL ESTATE TAXES” if Brian Pariser and Tim Schaffer are elected to the Council and the wasteful financial shenanigans continue.

Numbers and facts don’t lie, but rhetoric does.  Please tell all your friends and neighbors to get out and Vote tomorrow for John Dubios and Jim Araiza.

Hello From Canada

Hello, from Canada . (No, I’m not trying to escape the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance by moving to the Great White North.)

I will have very little internet access for the next couple of days and as my friends keep asking me “Why So Serious David?”, I’ve decided to have some fun with the characters of Star Wars.  I must tell you that the Star Wars series are my favorite Science Fiction movies because my father took me to see the original and I’ve luckily had the opportunity to share these movies with my children.

Therefore, for giggles, I have recast Palmetto Bay political lumimaries, (thank you South Dade Matters for indirectly giving me the idea) as Star Wars characters.  Some people will agree with my recasting and some won’t, but please remember it’s all in good fun.

Five main characters, which were very easy to recast;

Darth Sidious – Joan Lindsay, I think this recasting speaks for itself.  There has been a direct correlation between her appointment on the Council and the downward spiral of the Village.  She and her band of misfits have allured Mayor Shelly Stanczyk to the Dark Side.

Darth Vader – Shelley Stanczyk,  Shelley’s inner-turmoil between the Force and the Dark Side.  It’s unfortunate that the Dark side seems to be winning with no possible redemption.

Luke Skywalker – John DuBios, along with the silent majority of Palmetto Bay residents, he will defeat the Dark Side in the end.

Princess Leia – Who else could play the part besides the lovely Karyn Cunningham

Han Solo - Howard Tendrich, I’m hoping with a little prodding that Howard will realize the only way to avenge his election defeat will be to continue to fight the Dark Side, whether he’s on the council or not.  I’m rooting for you Howard.

Supporting cast of characters;

Obi Wan Kenobi -Jim Araiza, in my version of events Obi Wan is the final nail in Darth Vader’s coffin, not the other way around.

Grand Muff Tarkin  - Brian Pariser, commander of the first Death Star, which is destroyed with him on it by Luke Skywalker.

Anakin Skywalker - Tim Schaffer, his character is at the crossroads in life but he eventually decides to be transformed to the Dark Side by Darth Sidious…… or does he?

Jar Jar Binks  - David Zisman, just as Jar Jar Binks couldn’t keep his mouth closed for any extended period of time in the movie, Zisman appears to have the same issue.

Chewbacca –  JB Harris, serious who yells louder than JB Harris?

Yoda - South Dade Matters, for his/her brilliant writing and insight.

Ok, so there you have it, my not so serious blog for the day.   If I’ve missed any characters please send me your thoughts, I’d be interested in feedback.

All joking aside, please remember we must do our part and vote for John Dubois and Jim Araiza on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. 

David Singer

Who is the person that keeps sending me all these emails?

Who is the person that keeps sending me all these emails?

I would be asking that same question too, if I kept being bombarded with emails related to the politics and financial integrity of Palmetto Bay. 

First off, my name is David Singer.  I was born and raised in what is now considered the Village of Palmetto Bay.  I attended Coral Reef Elementary, Palmetto Middle and Palmetto Senior High.  I also graduated from Florida State University and the University of Miami.  I am a CPA who practiced public accounting for approximately 10 years focusing on auditing.  I now run (CEO/CFO) a Real Estate Development Company, located in Coconut Grove, which specializes in large retail Shopping Centers averaging over 200,000 square feet in size.

      

The only reason I mention what I do for a living is there is misinformation or, as the Mayor said to me, “just rhetoric” being disseminated that I am an evil developer who has his eyes on Palmetto Bay - this is completely inaccurate. There is absolutely no available land within the Village of Palmetto Bay to develop the type of Shopping Centers the firm I work for develops. 

I have received many, many emails from individuals wondering why I’ve taken such an active interest in the politics of the Village of Palmetto Bay.  I must tell you until about six months ago I honestly had no idea or interest for that matter, to the extent of the problems, which were occurring in the Village.  It was an eye-opening lesson. Once I realized the political and financial integrity of the Village was on the line, I decided to get involved.

My dad, who was a holocaust survivor, always taught me to defend those who needed to be defended, fight against discrimination and to stand up for principles and ethics.  I would hope he would be proud of the stance I’m taking.

I have met Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman’s Lindsay’s supporters. I find a majority of them to be narrow-minded, prejudiced and intolerant, if not bigoted.    Why should we tolerate this type of behavior in our Village?

Having spoken to and received emails from residents of Palmetto Bay, I know that there is a silent majority who are just tired of the nonsense.  They are tired of the litigation, tired of the operating deficits, tired of the constant lies, tired of wasted tax $$$$, tired of the misinformation, tired of the rhetoric and tired of being represented by individuals with questionable ethics.

I've done a lot of research and have found misdirected public spending at the Village.  I draw this conclusion from analysis of documents I received from the Village of Palmetto Bay.  For your reference they are all scanned onto my website RECALLPALMETTOBAY.COM.  I have requested repeatedly to meet with Village Manager Ron Williams to review these various documents, but he has repeatedly rebuffed me.

The Village has not been receptive to citizens like me lately.  John DuBois, Jim Araiza, Karyn Cunningham and Howard Tendrich have all done their part trying to make the Village of Palmetto Bay a nicer and friendlier place to live.  It’s time for us to do our part and vote for John and Jim on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my Emails.

If you would like to be removed from the blog, please email me at info@palmettobayrecall.com

David Singer

Excerpts from the 11-20 Miami Herald with Commentary

To all, please find excerpts from the November 20th Miami Herald with my commentary below;

Palmetto Bay’s Village Council could witness a power shift when voters return to the polls Nov. 20 to cast ballots in a runoff election for two council seats.

Since none of the six candidates broke the 50-percent threshold required by village charter, four candidates remain on the campaign trail.

First casualty of the polls: incumbent Howard Tendrich, who, from his district seat, often clashed with the council majority led by Mayor Shelley Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Brian Pariser and council member Joan Lindsay on issues like the Palmer Trinity School expansion legal fight, a divisive Neighborhood Protection Ordinance and a similarly-titled Neighborhood Protection Amendment that Palmetto Bay voters overwhelmingly supported Tuesday.

Tendrich finished about 10 percentage points behind challengers Jim Araiza, a businessman who previously ran unsuccessfully against Stanczyk in 2010 for the mayor’s seat, and political newcomer and financial advisor Tim Schaffer who finished first by 57 votes. Nearly 10,000 votes were cast in that race.
Tendrich expressed anger Thursday, saying Stanczyk and others spread false information about him.
“When you have people who don’t tell the truth you can’t win against them,” Tendrich said. “If you have a mayor and a council person’s spouse [Lindsay’s husband Jerry Templer] who are recommending someone else — two people as a slate — it’s hard to win. I can’t be at every poll trying to fight their lies. It’s sad but when you have a mayor who sends out an email through the village’s email list telling people to look at sites that aren’t true, she doesn’t care. She wants her control. You think the mayor is not going to give out misinformation but the people accepted it.

“It will be an interesting race,” Tendrich continued. “In my seat you have the one the mayor put up, Tim, and Jim who is on the completely other side. No matter who the village picks, it’s going to be bad. For vice mayor you have Brian, who she supported, and John, who she doesn’t support. I’m hoping for the best for the village, more than for myself. …When Gene [Flinn] was mayor, he wasn’t a perfect person but the town went forward for eight years and in two years this mayor has brought dissention and bitterness to the council and the town. I’ll miss sitting up there. I know I did a good job.”

Stanczyk said she used her personal email list to discuss her views on the race and didn’t endorse anyone until the final days of the campaign.

“I’m very sorry Howard feels that way,” she said. “I have a lot of respect toward the many years he’s been a strong supporter of our community and the Deering Estate and the parks — his commitment has always been especially strong there. Howard has donated his time over the years to the village in many different ways and has shown his worth. I would never have said anything about Howard in a negative way. My focus was on the charter amendments and the use of my personal email, not the village’s, was something I chose to do in the last couple of days of the campaign. I’m a voter and I did that.”

MY COMMENTARY

What the Miami Herald is not reporting is the Mayor Stanczyk is lying once again. When she and Councilwoman Joan Lindsay realized they could not control the way Howard Tendrich voted (he has principles), they and their supporters approached Tim Schaffer to be their shill to run against Howard in this year’s Council race.

Mayor Stanczyk and Councilwoman Lindsay ultimately want four controllable votes on the Council. They already control Councilman Brian Pariser, since he has voted in lockstep with the Mayor and Councilwoman 99% of the time in the past two years. This is fact, just look at his voting record.
The Mayor, Councilwoman and their group will stop at nothing including lying and deception to control the council. They appear to have a master plan that includes continuing to divide this community, which needs to be stopped.

Please don’t consider voting for Brian Pariser or Tim Schaffer unless you want;

• Higher Real Estate Taxes and Village fees
• Operating Deficits (The Village has run with Operating Deficits the last two years)
• Needless Litigation and Legal fees
• Wasted taxpayers dollars

I implore everyone to please vote on Tuesday November20th, and don’t be mislead at the poles.
Next, find out if the Tennis Courts at Coral Reef Park have really lost over 1.65 million dollars in the past 2 years?

David Singer
Recallpalmettobay.com

Palmetto Bay is certainly lacking where Village of Pinecrest isn't

A good friend of mine, who lives in The Village of Pinecrest asked me yesterday why I thought there was such a disparity in politics and leadership between Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest. I thought it was a very acute observation since this individual doesn’t live in Palmetto Bay and doesn’t necessarily follow politics. It was also a very interesting question since Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay have relatively close demographics in regards to education and income and we both incorporated at basically the same time.

To start, I’ve had the pleasure to know the Mayor of Pinecrest, Cindy Lerner, for the last couple of years. Mayor Lerner is a beautiful human being inside and out. She is also extremely, extremely professional in her position as Mayor.

Regarding the remaining Pinecrest Council members, I’ve only had chance meetings with them, but my observation is that they too are very professional and represent all Pinecrest residents, not just the minority. With Mayor Lerner at the helm, the Council’s main objective is to resolve the issues of their constituents rather than inventing problems that don’t exist.

The leaders of Pinecrest appear to genuinely love children and families and they are very welcoming to religious organizations, schools, outside events and all the things the current leaders of Palmetto Bay seem to detest due to noise, dust and traffic. The Pinecrest leadership is also welcoming to non-residents, while the Palmetto Bay leadership has repeatedly proven not to be.

Visit one of Pinecrest numerous parks on any weekend and you’ll find children of all ages playing soccer, baseball (the Howard Palmetto Khoury league that was kicked out of Coral Reef Park), football, tennis, basketball all hours of the day. In fact, a large majority of children playing organized sports in Pinecrest live in Palmetto Bay. Can you imagine?

I hate to publically disclose this, since I’ve lived here for over 50 years, but if I had to recommend a “Village” which was family-friendly, I’d recommend Pinecrest due to the shortcomings of Palmetto Bay’s current leadership.

You might wish to compare all the warmth you feel in Pinecrest versus that of Palmetto Bay’s leadership. If Palmetto Bay Councilwoman Joan Lindsay spoke to you, would you feel all warm and fuzzy? Is she a person who would talk to you in a way that engages you as an equal and is interested in your concerns? Would she have a tone of camaraderie and cordiality or would she seem distance and condescending? I think the answer is obvious. How about Councilman Brian Pariser? Is he the kind of Leader that represents friendliness or warmth in our Village? Those two alone, with the power they wield in our Village, create the feeling that the Council is anything other than warm, inviting and inclusive. That is just a fact.

Therefore, my analysis to my friend is just that, the Majority of our Leaders in Palmetto Bay have their own agenda. They really could care less about being inviting, and are certainly not family-friendly.

The way a City, or in our case a Village, carries itself starts with the Mayor and Elected officials. They have made our Village just the opposite of Pinecrest, our sister Village. For now, there’s only one good sister. Hopefully, one day in the near future, if the run-off election turns out like it should, our sister Villages will become twins.

November 1st - Lunacy at Coral Reef Library Early Voting

I spent a little time over the last couple of days at Coral Reef Library observing the lunacy at Dade County’s busiest early voting location. My recommendation is that you DO NOT go to Coral Reef Library for early voting - it has the longest wait time of any polling facility in Dade County.  The average wait time has been three hours, which is an hour or two longer than any other early voting location in the county. 

I would recommend that you cast your early ballot at the Kendall Branch Library at 9101 SW 97^th Avenue - it’s an extra 10-minute drive but definitely worth the time.  I suggest that you go to an alternate location so you won’t be accosted by the zealots who are trying to convince you to vote for all of the Palmetto Bay Charter Amendments they are trying to pass. 

In my opinion, and once again it’s my opinion, I would recommend you vote “NO” on every single Palmetto Bay Charter Amendment - especially the Neighborhood Protection Charter Amendment which really should be called the “Property Rights Reduction Act” It has all the elements necessary to bring more land-rights litigation to our Village and restrict freedoms.

Observing the antics of Charter Supporters at Coral Reef Library was reminiscent of cabdrivers in Caribbean cruise ports overwhelming tourists demanding to drive them to the closest t-shirt shop.  It was a little disconcerting to see citizens of our Village acting that way. 

It has been reported that Jerry Templer, Councilwoman Joan Lindsay’s husband, has had the Miami-Dade police called on him twice in four days,  once for physically abusing an opponent’s political sign (kicking and punching it, to be exact,) and once for a verbal confrontation with Councilmember Patrick  Fiore.  Patrick did the appropriate thing and walked away from Jerry three or four times before he had no choice but to summon the police for his own protection.  It’s nice to see that at least one of our Councilmember’s has a little class and decorum.

Speaking of class and decorum, or lack thereof, apparently the Mayor has been seen and photographed wearing the official seal of the Village of Palmetto Bay while canvassing at Coral Reef Library polling location.  Apparently, this is a big “no-no.” Rumor has it that a complaint is in the works to be filed with the ethics board.

While this might seem to be a petty reason to file a complaint, the Mayor has repeatedly claimed the high-ground on ethics.  In the generally accepted definition of ethics, there is no wiggle-room.  Maybe the Mayor has her own definition.  Apparently there are rules against an elected official publicly campaigning for an issue as an official representative of the government. 

Also troubling is that the Mayor has admonished citizens at public hearings for wearing emblems on their shirts.   The people she admonished were wearing shirts that represented groups that she had, at times, been politically at odds.  So certainly, she is aware of the power of institutional association.  Maybe she should brush up on the definition of rules of ethics as Mayor.

So remember, the titles of the Charter Amendments do not reflect their content.  I suggest that you know the issues, use your judgment and find an alternate polling location to save time and avoid the Palmetto Bay circus.  Maybe if we all vote intelligently, the circus will become the fading memory of an insignificant sideshow and we can move towards a productive harmonious future.

October 30 2012- A Morally Unacceptable Zoning Story Revisited

Close your eyes for a moment and contemplate what could be the most terrifying and agonizing life event to occur.   Now imagine it is not just a nightmare, but its reality. 

Mine would relate to the health and welfare of my children.  If the health of your child was an issue, who would you pursue for help, support and guidance. Doctors, family, friends and co-workers?  What if there was a way our Village elected officials could help?  What if there was a way they could help but the refused?

Below is a quick snap shot of what occurred in the Village of Palmetto Bay, December 12^th 2011. 

A Doctor, with a 10-year-old son who is chronically ill, was seeking a routine variance for 5% more lot coverage than is permitted under the zoning code for his home.  Variances as such were granted routinely without a hearing when we were unincorporated.  The 5% more was not to cram a McMansion or a gigantic garage to house motorized toys; he wanted to make room for his extended family to be able to all fit on the ground floor of his house.  It’s this family that would take care of his son who is afflicted with cystic fibrosis. 

Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a life-threatening disorder, but given proper care, the child will have a chance to live to adulthood.

The variance request was denied. Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsay rejected the good Doctor’s application. They had very little empathy for a family struggling with their 10 year-old son’s potentially fatal disease. 

To add insult to injury the variance process cost thousands of dollars because it requires attorneys, architects and other expenses as part of the process.  Variances as such, in our Village of Palmetto Bay, include the requirement of having surrounding neighbors approve and sign off on the request.  The Doctor did just that and had all of the signatures of his neighbors for approval at the zoning hearing.   I would have considered this a legitimate request and it should have been a slam-dunk, right?

Well it wasn’t a slam-dunk, because certain members of this Council don’t really care about anything unless it’s one of their pet causes, which, apparently, does not include a chronically ill minor.

The entire December 12^th, 2011 Palmetto Bay Zoning hearing is available to be viewed on the Palmetto Bay website.  Be prepared to be outraged.   While my opinion is clear from what I have written above, if I was to express myself without reservation this email would be nothing but expletives.

There is a line in Spiderman that fits: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”  Whoever wins the Village election this time should memorize that line and repeat it to themselves each day they serve in office.  This is necessary because the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Councilwoman shirked their moral responsibility.  If they cannot look out for the weakest of us all, then what do they stand for and why do we need them?

David Singer

October 24, 2012 - Help define our COMMUNITY

To All,

I would like to apologize in advance for this email. I’m sure at this point in the election cycle you are as tired as I am from receiving hundreds of emails related to this election. That being said, I feel this email is extremely important as the Village of Palmetto Bay’s direction and future is at stake.

The election of candidates and charter changes related to the Village of Palmetto Bay – the choices that you will make on this election cycle’s ballot – is a referendum on how best to define COMMUNITY.

The present Council, including Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsey have demonstrated during their tenure that their definition of COMMUNITY can be defined as purely residential housing and nothing else. They support policies that result in the restriction of private schools that could ultimately eliminate them from our neighborhoods. They feel that residents should leave the Village to worship, eat and shop because those activities are an annoyance to residential living. They feel that reasonable noise and lighting from children playing baseball, football and basketball is more of a nuisance to them than it is a joy to those of us who are parents and a benefit to our future generation. They’ve all been a part of depleting the Village coffers by 10+ million dollars in three years, part of which was on an overblown Village Hall as an extravagant monument to their wasteful bureaucracy. And, maybe this is the worst of all, they support policies that build a virtual moat and wall around the Village to out keep non-village residents. To them, COMMUNITY stops at our borders.

Candidates running for office including John Dubois, Jim Araiza, Karyn Cunningham, Howard Tendrich, believe in a different definition of COMMUNITY. While I am in not endorsing any of them by including their names or pointing this out, their view includes a measured balance of homes, schools, churches, businesses and opportunities for children. Furthermore, they support a sensible, responsible fiscal plan going forward.

This email isn’t meant to disparage the Mayor, Vice Mayor or Councilwoman. If you asked them, they would admit they desire to have ultimate control of all growth, lighting, noise, traffic and construction and they certainly have a right to their point of view.

But to what end? Should a church be allowed to expand if they have the land to do so? Should children be permitted to play outside even if you can hear their distant laughter in your yard? Wouldn’t you like to eat and shop in your COMMUNITY rather than driving 20 minutes or more?

Is it really sensible to place virtual roadblocks in an attempt to keep non-village residents out of our COMMUNITY? Is that what you do if you’re proud of where you live? Imagine if Pinecrest, or Coral Gables, or Cutler Bay did that to us?

This is not a type of atmosphere, which I choose to live in. I love the fact that there is the possibility for our Village to be an all inclusive COMMUNITY to live in.

I’m requesting that before you vote on November 6th, you take the time to delve into what the candidates are advocating. I would request that you ignore lawn signs and petty tit-for-tat issues. I would hope that you vote based on the definition of COMMUNITY on its most all-encompassing meaning.

For the record, and hopefully to give you a level of comfort about my intentions: I, David Singer, have not given any contributions, committed my vote, endorsed, placed signs, run, walked or played patty cake with any candidate in this election. I am beholden to no one and no one is beholden to me. That’s just how I roll.

On November 7th, the day after the election, everyone in our COMMUNITY will still wake up, go to work, pay our bills, feed our families and celebrate life. The real question is in what type of COMMUNITY would you like that to be? Only you can decide with your vote.

David Singer

10-23-12 Recall Meeting Location & Time

A recall meeting to organize and discuss recall procedures will be held on Thursday, November 1st at a location and time (probably 7pm) to be decided. Anyone who would like to help in the petition process needs to attend for specific instructions. For more information please contract David Zisman at eve9621@aol.com or dmsinger@bellsouth.net.

10-22-2012 How do you spell Hypocrite?

How do you spell Hypocrite?   B-r-i-a-n  P-a-r-i-s-e-r

Truthful politics is an oxymoron at best.  However, Vice Mayor - Brian Pariser takes the contradiction to new levels.  Nothing proves this more than Brian Pariser’s comments regarding campaign contributions from out-of-Village individuals at last week candidate debate.   Actually, the debate was extremely professional and reserved until the Vice Mayor suggested that a few candidates had their credibility impaired because they received campaign contributions from various attorneys who had defended Palmer Trinity, or had received contributions from out-of-Village family, friends and businesses.   He later stated that he has received 80% of his contributions from Village of Palmetto Bay residents.   

Brian’s statements were extremely misleading. This is very important since creditability is playing an important role in this year’s Vice Mayor race.

Lets look the Vice Mayor’s numbers:

Brian Pariser has received $13,305.00 in contributions; he has self-funded $5,152.23 and received $8,152.77 in other contributions.

Out of the $8,152.77, about a 1/3, or $2,550.00 has come from attorneys and individuals outside of the Village.  This leaves an amount of 2/3’s, or $5,602.48 from individuals who live in the Village of Palmetto Bay.    By the way, in my math 2/3’s, is less than 80%.

The interesting part is, of the donations received from individuals who live in Palmetto Bay almost half or $2,236.00, was donated to the Vice Mayor from people associated with the Concerned Citizens of Old Cutler, Inc. (CCOCI.)

So, if Brian, as stated, is so concerned with the creditability of candidates taking contributions from individuals who live outside of the Village of Palmetto Bay, and he’s so concerned about candidates taking money from attorneys who represent Palmer Trinity, why is he taking campaign contributions from associates of the CCOCI (Probably Palmetto Bay’s largest special interest group)?   Need I also remind you that CCOCI is a named defendant, along with the Village, in the litigation brought by Palmer Trinity in an attempt, as the court rulings have shown, to preserve its rights under the law.  This litigation has caused the divisiveness that’s disturbing the quiet enjoyment of our sleepy little Village.  And who, you might ask, kept voting to appeal and prolong this litigation racking up the risk to the tune of a potential $13,000,000 judgement against our fair Village?  Brian Pariser.

In fact, a contributor to Brian’s campaign, Gary Pastorella, is the Vice President of CCOCI.  Mr. Pastorella arrived at the debate last week with over a hundred flyers promoting the Neighborhood Protection Charter Amendment.    The back of the Mr. Pastorella’s flyer additionally included misinformation; some might say libel, about opposing candidates.  You may have seen the same yellow flyer in your Palmetto Bay mailbox last week.   It’s titled ”Palmetto Bay Concerned Residents independently of any candidate.”  (Mine is lining my parakeet cage.)  Independently?  Really?  Not-so-much.  Seems as though Palmetto Bay Concerned Residents is not a real organization – I can’t say for sure but it appears to be a fake front for the CCOCI.  Another question, are there any campaign ethics violations that could potentially surface against the Palmetto Bay Concerned Residents?

It’s the old glass house theory, which I guess they didn’t teach Brian at law school.     If you accuse people of doing things you yourself are doing, the hypocrisy is going to come back and bite you. 

Brian’s Campaign Treasure’s reports are easily found on Recallpalmettobay.com or the Village of Palmetto Bay's Website.   

David Singer

October 18, 201 - The $600 toilet seat and the $500 hammer

To all,

I finally got the opportunity to speak with the Village Manager Ron Williams and Director of Finance Desmond Chin over the phone Wednesday.  All I can say is the Village Manager was not very forthcoming.  In fact, after five minutes on the phone, I got the feeling that the only way I was going to get a truthful answer was by contacting the CIA for a little water boarding.  The Village Manager evaded my questions as of he was avoiding Ebola.   I assume he has learned from the best – Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsay. 

As I hung up the phone, the only thing I could think was “WHAT ARE THEY HIDING”.   I started reviewing documents that I received earlier in the day and I found a spreadsheet that was titled “Village of Palmetto Bay Capital Assets Schedule 9/2011”. 

I guess, I’ve come to the point where I have to explain why I’ve titled my email “The $600 toilet seat and the $500 hammer”.   If you remember back in the 1980’s the Pentagon was involved in a scandal that uncovered their purchase of various items at over-inflated costs.

Well this is the story of Palmetto Bay’s $600 toilet seat and $500 hammer. 

Executive chairs for Council Members     -             $15,065.10

Gym Equipment for Village Hall               -             $33,487.77

(apparently the council doesn’t  

realize there is a gym at Village Hall)                                                                                     

Audio Visual Equipment                            -          $220,434.00

The 168^th Traffic Circle                             -          $350,179.32

Brick Pavers on 152^nd & Old Cutler          -          $293,339.00

Cashier system                                          -          $  56,538.00

Nikon D90 Cameras (2)                             -          $    2,278.00

These are just a few of the item’s I’ve decided to reference.  There is much more and, after repeated requests, I still have not received the 2012 Capital Asset Schedule - can you imagine what I’ll uncover?   No doubt it will be more Government waste. 

Now to be candid, a couple of these items were purchased in the last quarter of 2010 before Ms. Stanczyk was Mayor, but she was a Councilmember with Vice Mayor Brian Pariser both of whom voted on the budgets that Manager Williams prepared.   

Based a track record of wasteful spending,  it’s not difficult to see how the current council has reduced the Village’s reserves by $10 million in the last three years.  The $10 million figure is easily verified by reviewing the official Village finances obtainable on the Village website.

So don’t be fooled:  Mayor Shelly Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Brian Pariser and Councilwoman Joan Lindsey are not fiscally responsible.  Waste at every level is being perpetrated by a majority of the Council (only Patrick Fiore has voted against the budget two years in a row.) The residents of Palmetto Bay deserve to have services delivered efficiently with the balance of the money as a healthy reserve for a rainy day.

No one wants to foot the bill for our equivalent of a $600 toilet seat or a $500.00 hammer.

October 17, 2012 - The Lies Just Continue

Once again sent to the Mayor and Village Council

To all,

I’ve been reviewing the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Financial Statements in detail and have serious questions. Once again, neither Palmetto Bay’s Village Manager nor Director of Finance has given me the courtesy of a return phone call. So I am submitting this story to the Miami Herald.

What’s a bigger problem than a Village Council which refuses to be fiscally sound? One that uses lies and misinformation comparing itself to other municipalities in Miami-Dade County. At the final budget hearing, before the Mayor and others voted to support the use of 2.3 million dollars of reserves in the fiscal year 2012-2013 Budget, the Mayor described the concept of “Best Practices” to us. In doing so she noted how much healthier our Village’s reserves are than other Miami-Dade municipalities as a defense for spending more than we took in. The Mayor specially referred to Miami Lakes, the City of Miami (Seriously, are those the financial standards your trying to achieve?) and was about to name a third municipality before the Village Manager – no stranger to foot-in-mouth gaffes himself – stopped her. I guess he knew she was going down an indefensible path.

The fact is there is no municipality in Miami Dade County, that I have found, other than the City of Miami, as financially strapped as the Village of Palmetto Bay. (I have done a lot of research over the last few weeks.) Now to be fair, I did not look at every municipality, but I did review the following:
Aventura had, as of 9/2011, $41,309,000 in Total Fund Balance and $39,615,000 in unrestricted reserve balance or 97% of yearly operating expenses;

Pinecrest in their 9/2013 Budget, $18,628,095 in Total Fund Balance, with $8,248,619, in unrestricted reserve balance or 50% of yearly operating expense;

Coral Gables had, as of 9/2011, $60,112,541 in Total Fund Balance, $51,805,505 in unrestricted reserve balance or 40% of yearly operating expenses;

Miami Lakes which the Honorable Mayor quoted “only has 2.5 million in reserves” actually had as of 9/2011 $14,988,614 in Total fund balance, with a $6,947,000 in unrestricted reserve balance or 57% of yearly operating expenses, and;

Cutler Bay budgeted for 9/2012, $10,061,259 in Total fund balance, with unknown unrestricted reserve balance, or 40% of yearly operating expense.

Furthermore, every municipality above is fundamentally increasing their fund balances each budget year, while the Village of Palmetto Bay Council has been raiding our coffers for the past three years to the tune of $10 million total.

Now compare those municipalities with what you think is fiscally sound or “Best Practices:” Palmetto Bay has budgeted for 9/13, an $8,277,734 Total Fund Balance with a $5,419,341 in unrestricted reserve or 36% of yearly operating expenses. That is LESS than every municipality I described above. That doesn’t sound like we have a financially conservative policy or “Best Practices” to me. Maybe we have a different definition of what “Best” means. Maybe to the Palmetto Bay Council Worst Practices is good enough. I’ll get to “Best Practices” in a subsequent email because I’ve done plenty of research on the Mayor’s favorite phase and I’m not sure the Mayor knows what the real definition of “Best Practice” is.

Then add to that that we are facing a 13 million lawsuit without insurance coverage. 13 million is more than the five-and-a-half million we have in unrestricted reserves. But then the council spent more than $10 million in reserves over the last three years. That’s right – the council has spent more than $10 million dollars in the last three years. The Mayor believes this is misinformation – but numbers don’t lie – it’s all on the Palmetto Bay Website. We could only have hoped that the Mayor, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsey, all of whom pretend to be fiscally conservative, would have followed the same prudent approach that other municipalities in Miami-Dade County have – saving reserves in case of a hurricane – or maybe a $13 million dollar lawsuit.

As you can tell, the past few weeks I have been reviewing the finances of Palmetto Bay (most of you know I’m an experienced CPA.) It has been like watching a train wreck – I just can’t look away. Maybe a better analogy is that Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsay are driving a train fiscally headed for a cliff.

Either which way, when a concerned citizen who’s a CPA can’t get a meeting or a phone call returned from a Village Manager or Finance Director, when the finances are in turmoil and the Budget is bungled – the future stability of the Village is at stake.

Once again, as previously stated, for your pleasure, all referenced finances are easily substantiated on the Village of Palmetto Bay’s website or those of other municipalities referenced.

David Singer
Recall Palmetto Bay

October 15, 2012 - Where is 10 Million Dollars go?

Sent to the Mayor and Village Council

To all,

I have not been able to meet, after repeated attempts, with the Palmetto Bay’s Director of Finance [Desmond Chin]. This meeting was imperative to either confirm or refute my calculations below. Thus since no meeting occurred, this will be the story I will be submitting to the Miami Herald. Of course it will be more detailed.

In accordance with the attached Summary of Funds that I downloaded from the Village website, the beginning Fund balance on October 1, 2012 is $15,061,167. The ending Fund balance budgeted for September 30, 2013 is $8,298,573. Therefore the use of funds during the upcoming year, based on the current budget is going to be $6,762,594. You are spending almost seven million dollars of reserve. That’s not what you said on the record.

If you look further into the numbers of the attached document, you will see that the use of reserve funds over the past three-year period has been $10,014,568. That is really horrendous for a Village that ran in the Black for the first eight years of operation. Where did the 10 million dollars go?

Looking further down on the attached document, you will see that the Unassigned Fund balance ending as of September 30, 2013 is $5,440,180. This Unassigned fund balance, or ‘reserve,’ if you will, is lower than any other local municipality I have investigated, which includes Pinecrest, Miami Lakes, Coral Gables, and others. There were references made at the budget meeting that the Village had more money in reserves than other many municipalities in Miami-Dade – a total misrepresentation on the part of the Mayor.

At no point in the final budget meeting, and I’ve watched it repeatedly, was a $6,762,594 use of reserves mentioned. $6,762,954 is the number budgeted to be spent in FY 2012-2013 regardless of what was represented verbally at a public hearing. In fact, everyone who spoke about the numbers is on record as saying that only $2.3 million would be used. And that was only after they finally admitted that the $900,000 which they originally floated was deemed to be a misrepresentation during my simple questioning. If you need reminding, the budget hearing is on video, unless of course there is a Nixonesque deletion of the hearing in the near future.

At no point in the final budget meeting was there disclosure that there is only $5.4 million in unassigned reserves rather than $8.3 million. $8.3 million turns to $5.4 million because $2.8 million has been earmarked as “committed” and can’t be used for a contingency (unless you have your own accounting definition of what “committed” means.) In fact, when Vice Mayor Pariser asked for current reserves Manager Willams noted they were $9.8 million – another incorrect remark. If the Manager has not been able to review his copy of the Budget, he could always check it on the Village Website – that where all this information comes from.

At the last budget meeting, the Mayor accused me of disseminating misinformation, but it’s the Mayor and Village Manager that continue to mislead the public. But what is of further concern is that no other Council member corrected the financial information that was being disseminated. Somebody needs to be looking at the numbers. At least one Council Member, though, had the good sense to vote against the budget. It seems to me that there is enough to go the State Attorney’s office involved.

And as a personal aside, Eve [Boutsis, village attorney], I’m not being superfluous and inflammatory as you have accused me of previously – but you can only cover up the current administration’s incompetency for so long. I’m planning on making an appointment at the State Attorney’s office sometime this week if you would like to join me.

It is far from palatable what is occurring at Village Hall. Budgeting and correct financial records are a bedrock of any democracy. I guess the only transparency in the Village of Palmetto Bay resides in Meighan Alexander’s office where information is provided on a timely basis.

There used to be a saying when I was working in public accounting “NUMBERS DON’T LIE, PEOPLE DO.”

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Wednesday event [the State of the Village speech by Mayor Stanczyk].

David Singer

THERE WILL BE MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.

10-14-2012 - Intolerance at its best

 

Welcome to Palmetto Bay Village of Parks INTOLERANCE.

Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsey, please verify to the Citizens of Palmetto Bay that the list of items presented below is comprehensive and accurate:  Schools X, Churches  X , Children X , Noise X,Traffic X, Freedom of Speech X, Westchester & Hialeah X, Property Rights , Construction .  Check, Check, Check, Check, Check, Check, and Double Check.  Are there any other items which you as Village Council are intolerant that I’ve you’ve missed?

We’ve come a long way from the community that I was born and raised in.  I remember a day when we strived for and appreciated diversity of opinions and ethnicity.    Where and when did it all start going wrong?  Maybe it’s when Stanczyk, Lindsay and Pariser began cramming their community ‘vision’ down our throats without asking the residents of Palmetto Bay if we were actually interested.  One of the items included in their new vision is the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance (NOP).

The real question is does the NPO actually help the Village and who does the NPO protect us from and why?  

When one of the NPO favorite supporters, who is the chairperson of the charter revision commission states on the record that she didn’t want our Village “to look like Westchester or Hialeah,” what did she mean by “look like?” How much more offensive could political leaders of the Village become?  Are you representing the residents of Palmetto Bay or the members of the Concerned Citizens of Old Cutler, Inc. (CCOCI?)   

You remember the CCOCI, they were the group that pushed the Village into a six-year litigation battle with Palmer Trinity that will eventually cost the Village taxpayers’ millions of dollars in attorney fees and damages.

But that’s old news - what’s on the agenda today?  The NPO - the new zoning ordinance is punitive and onerous to Churches, Schools and Hospitals needing building permits.  The Village was promised it would be enacted four months after the building moratorium was passed by Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsey and the timing is right on target.   The NPO and its consequences are so technical and likely litigious that they are daunting and complex to the most seasoned professionals.  Yet, the Mayor believes that she and Joan Lindsey have done such an outstanding job that we should vote for a charter change which will entitle them to serve three - four years terms in various Council positions.   

Our Council, led by Stanczyk, Pariser and Lindsay, have again dug a proverbial hole in the ground.  It appears they have promised their fifty or so supporters that they would stop any future expansion of Churches or Schools by risking the liability of massive litigation.   Envision the Palmer Trinity fiasco, part two.   

Where does that leave us as a community?  The Florida State Statues allow us as Citizens the process of Recall.  The same set of Statutes that allow our Village to exist afford us the right to Recall Mayor Stanczyk and Councilwoman Lindsey. Vice Mayor Pariser can simply be voted out in the upcoming election.    As my mom used to say, “It’s all fun and games until the someone loses an eye.”  No one has lost an eye, but you don’t have to be blind to see the irreparable damage Stancyck, Lindsay and Pariser are doing to our community.  Please sign the Recall petition when I comes your way, its your right as a Citizen to be properly represented.  

NEXT UP .... THE THREE MILLION DOLLAR LIE AND THE PRACTICE OF DECEPTION BY CITY HALL.

 

New Blog

Welcome to my new Blog. 

I will be posting on all my new updates on this blog. I will no longer be using www.recallpalmettobay.proboards.com for my updates. 

Please  go to www.RecallPalmettoBay.com to view articles and information about the Recall and see how you can help

Thank you
David Singer

Village Council Meetings

I sincerely apologize for not updating the website recently, but my I.T. person in on the lamb and I can’t find anyone to replace him. In any event, there have been numerous events (too many to discuss) that have occurred in the Village of Palmetto Bay over the past month and I am hoping everyone is keeping up with these by reading the two fantastic blogs I have referenced on my home page.

I currently have a request with the Office Clerk for the Village of Palmetto Bay for all the Public Records regarding the SHADE meetings related to litigation by and between the Village and Palmer Trinity School. As soon as these are received, they will be scanned and posted on the website.

Please place the following dates on your calendars. They are Monday, September 24th and Monday, October 1st. These are two very important dates as they deal with finalization of the budget and the regular monthly Council meeting that has not occurred in the last 60 days.

If you care about the Village, you will attend both these meeting to see how various individuals are trying to damage the Village of Palmetto Bay once again.

An update regarding when we will be starting collecting signatures for the recall will be posted within the next two weeks. Please check back with the RECALL PALMETTO BAY website every couple of days.

08-30-12

Even though one sad chapter in the history of the Village of Palmetto Bay has closed, it is not a time to celebrate, sing, dance or gloat. There is still much work to accomplish in order for the Village to run effectively, efficiently and within the rule of law.

Whether friend or past political foe we must all work together for the good of Palmetto Bay and to become what we, the Citizens of Palmetto Bay, feel is an example of the way a City should be run. The Village was not incorporated for 50 individuals but for 25,000 residents.

This agenda is in no particular order and I’m sure others will let me know if I’ve missed something.
• The Recall of Mayor Stanczyk and Joan Lindsay
• The Election defeat of Brian Pariser in the upcoming election
• The defeat of all Charter Changes
• The defeat of the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance until a new council is elected
• The finalization of all litigation between Palmer Trinity and the Village
• A resolution to the Shores at Palmetto Bay lawsuit

In order to accomplish this there are various leader that are in the community that have to get off the sidelines, make their voices heard and put some skin in the game. This is not a task for three or four individuals.

This is a task for Leaders of the community that have been silent unless they are talking behind closed doors. It’s time for you to take a public stand and not hide behind an alias. This is your Village, what are you prepared to do to save it?

08-15-12

Great News the petitions are finalized, but unfortunately we are still on hold regarding the collection process. There has been a unanimous decision by members of the committee to delay the signature collection process for a short period time due to strategic factors. I know I’m being very evasive to the timing but it’s very important that I not disclose any details of our Recall strategy in this public forum.

The petitions to Recall Shelly Stanzyk and Joan Lindsay are now in a form that we feel are litigation proof and I am personally chomping at the bit to get this Recall drive officially started. As I’d like to think, failure is not an option for sake of the citizens of Palmetto Bay.

Due to the Florida Statue, it will be necessary for the electorate to vote Brian Pariser out of office in November. Personally, I will not only be voting for an alternate candidate but will be filing a Florida Bar complaint as a Palmetto Bay resident.

In the meantime, I am ready to enlist help in collecting signatures. We need approximately 15 very dedicated individuals who will devote at least one 10-hour day to collect the signatures necessary for phase one of the Recall. If you are interested, you can email me at dmsinger@bellsouth.net or call 305 235 5191.

We are moving along, be it not as fast as anyone would like or anticipated but I assume that is a consequence of changing the political landscape for the betterment of Palmetto Bay.

David Singer