Friday, July 11, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Head of Miami-Dade police union tells citizens to 'buy an attack dog' and 'get yourselves some firearms'
Via WSVN:
Miami-Dade County could end up with hundreds of police officers losing their jobs in a budget proposal made by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Tuesday.
[...]
If police department cuts are made, officers from administrative posts would likely shift to the street and certain specialized units that deal with robberies and child abuse cases could see positions vanish. "One of the directions I told the director was that I wanted to have the same number of patrol officers in the street that we have today," said Gimenez.
The Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association fired back after the proposal, saying public safety is paramount and these proposed cuts will have a negative impact. John Rivera, president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association, said, "If the mayor's not going to provide security, then my recommendation, as an experienced law enforcement officer for nearly 40 years, is either buy yourself an attack dog, put bars on your windows and doors and get yourself some firearms because you're going to have to protect yourselves. We won't be able to."
Miami Herald: Miami-Dade police and libraries take big hits in mayor’s budget
Lawrence O'Donnell: 'When it comes to Cuba policy, the American government is still crazy after all these years'
"Our government's best estimates of how many Cubans ever see TV Marti indicate that it is less than one percent of Cubans."
Washington Post: Grounded TV Marti plane a monument to the limits of American austerity
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine is now a published author!
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| Mayor Philip Levine is one of South Florida's more modest politicians. |
Boys on the Bus, by Timothy Crouse.
What It Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, by Hunter S. Thompson.
If you're a political junkie, you no doubt recognize those titles as examples of modern political campaign reportage.
Now comes word of another book about a recent political campaign - one that's destined to take its place on your bookshelf right next to those other classics of political reporting.
This morning, Miami Beach's egotistical, millionaire populist mayor, Philip Levine, unveiled his contribution to modern political campaign literature: a modestly titled magnum opus he calls, "The Journey, Levine for Mayor Campaign 2013."
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| Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine signs copies of his book, "The Journey," at Manolo's in North Beach. (Click images to enlarge) |
I can't find the book on Amazon, so I'm guessing this is one of those self-published things. But self-publishing a sumptuous coffee table book, jam-packed with color photos of yourself would be so out of character for a guy who spent $2,000,000 of his own money - or about $355 per vote - to
But Levine, despite spending all that money, won "the election with less than half a point over the 50% mark in a four-way battle where he outspent the No. 2 runner up, former Commissioner Michael Gongora, about 10 to 1," writes political blogger Elaine de Valle.
Levine posted pictures of himself on Facebook, signing copies of the book for constituents at an event this morning in North Beach.
Blogger de Valle, recently named by Miami New Times as Miami's best blogger, left this comment under one of the photos:
De Valle also points out that during the campaign, Levine "derided [opponent Steve] Berke for what he said was a fake waste-of-time campaign that was really a gimimck for the sake of a 'reality show.'"
"Well, who has got the gimmick now?," de Valle asks rhetorically.
De Valle asked Berke for his reaction to the release of the book. Here's part of his response:
I think the mayor should have called his vanity publication; "The Checkbook: How Philip Levine bought the Miami Beach Mayoralty in 2013."
Ultimately, Philip Levine is a shameless self-promoter. He is constantly bragging on his Facebook page about the 'good works' he is doing, while using everyone from Miami Beach lifeguards to the MBPD to enhance his image. He went to the VFW on Memorial Day and stepped up to unveil the new mural even though he wasn't invited to do so by the organizers -- it was supposed to be done just by the old war veterans. But this is the Levine way.
From lifeguards to law enforcement officers to true American heroes, the mayor rides their coattails for his own glory.
Random Pixels: Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine is a Dickhead
How can an airline nearly kill you without crashing?
From the Daily Business Review's John Pacenti:
"First, Allan Campbell’s Air Jamaica flight from Kingston to Fort Lauderdale was delayed. Hours passed. Once given the go-ahead to board, he says, he was recalled to the boarding gate and forced to reschedule to another departure the next day -- when his permanent resident alien card would expire. Air Jamaica charged him a $150 fee to change flights and refused to put him up in a hotel. Terminal repairs left him to spend the night outside, exposed to the elements. As Campbell put it in his complaint, the ordeal took its toll: he was hospitalized with a heart attack after falling ill during the delay, seeking medical help upon arrival, and collapsing at his home."
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