Biscayne Times catches the Herald napping

Jim Mullin, former editor of Miami New Times, and now the editor and publisher of the monthly Biscayne Times, has published an old fashioned, take-no-prisoners piece of investigative journalism in the current issue of his paper that's likely to have lots of people talking at Miami City Hall.

It's the kind of reporting we've come to expect from our big city daily and not a struggling monthly neighborhood newspaper.

The piece, written by former Miami Sun Post editor Erik Bojnansky, is also the kind of journalism that makes politicians nervous.

Bojnansky's piece reveals that "in calendar year 2008, a total of 97 city employees received more than $200,000 in compensation, costing taxpayers more than $22.76 million, according to documents prepared by the city’s budget office and department of employee relations. Interestingly, 84 percent of those individuals were middle- to high-level supervisors at the fire department."

Bojnansky also reports that of the Miami Fire Department's "685 employees, 81 received more than $200,000 in total compensation in 2008. Capt. Jon Hart was the highest-paid person among that elite crew. In fact he brought home more money last year than anyone employed by the City of Miami: $308,317.88."

What does Miami mayor Manny Diaz have to say? "...never at a loss for comment when talking about pet projects like a taxpayer-subsidized Marlins baseball stadium, [Diaz] was tight-lipped about the salaries. His spokeswoman, Helena Poleo, would only say this: 'He does not have any comment.' "