by Javier Manjarres
Springtime in Miami could only mean babes, bikinis, and the beach- three sure-fire ingredients that always attract even the most cunning of political sharks. Combined with developing political turmoil that continues to ‘chum’ the warm Miami waters and you have all the ingredients for a political feeding frenzy. Ousted Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez got into hot water after negotiating with unions to increase the pay for the Miami-Dade Police and signed off on a property tax increase to pay for it. Interestingly enough, Julio Robaina, the popular Mayor of Hialeah, has negotiated a 12% increase in pay for the Hialeah Police Department, but now is unsure if it will be able to meet this commitment in light of the county and the state’s current economic plight. The only plausible way to cover this pay increase is to raise city property taxes as now former mayor Alvarez attempted to do.
Robaina is considered the frontrunner in the Miami-Dade Mayor’s race, and if his tax increase were to pass, he would not be in office to face the ensuing fiscal backlash were he to win the upcoming Miami-Dade Mayor’s race.
“We need to run government like a business—without affecting core services,”-Julio Robaina.
As a candidate, Mr. Robaina has stated that he wants to reduce duplication in county government, pointing out that it takes visits to five different buildings to get a single county building permit-WSJ
One of his opponents in the mayors’ race is County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, who according the PBA is is “no friend to law enforcement” after naming him the ‘Worst Commissioner’ because he was the only Commissioner to vote against the countywide pay increase for law enforcement. In recent polling. Gimenez comes in second to Robaina, with over 50% of the constituents polled still being undecided. Gimenez responded to a request for an interview by sending over this quote, a veiled jab at his opponents that references the purchase of a new suite at the new Miami Ballpark:
“I’ ve always been an outspoken critic of the blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars and misplaced priorities at County Hall. We need leaders who aren’t going to raise taxes and squander the revenue to bolster their pet projects, give salary increases to their friends, or to buy themselves a nice suite at the new stadium we all just paid for. Our opportunity is now as we start to hold government accountable, restore fiscal responsibility, lower the tax burden, and bring much-needed reforms to County Hall. “-Carlos Gimenez
The third candidate in the race, former State Legislator Marcelo Llorente, recently made his formal announcement to run. Llorente originally entered the race back in 2009 and is on the record of saying that he would cut the Mayor’s office budget as well as his own salary by 10% if elected. Neither Llorente nor Robaina were able to be reached for comment on this story.
4 Responses to “Police Salaries Take Centerstage In Miami-Dade Mayor’s Race”
Miami-Dade has all the problems of a Big City, Graft and Corruption. Have police made even a dent into the narco-terrorist gangs in Miami? Want a pay raise? Earn It!
To GenEarly.
Hey a-hole, ask the children of Detective’s Amanda Haworth and Roger Castillo, if their parents deserved a pay raise. I invite you to ride-a-long for one day in one of our rough neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County. See for yourself what officers have to deal with on a daily basis. Come see how we EARN our pay. We have dedicated our lives to responding to the aid of people, who have little to no respect for us. Genuinely bad people who would not hesitate to hurt us, you, our your family.
GenEarly, i suggest you get your facts straight. There are undercover naroctis operations going down on a DAILY BASIS in Miami-Dade County. IF you want to blame some one, blame the judges who give these criminals a slap on the wrist as opposed to a lengthy sentence. Or better yet, blame yourself and the other uneducated citizens who elect them.
Oh, and don’ worry GenEarly, if you or your family ever have an emergency and call 911, an officer or first responder will still risk life and limb to ensure your safety before theirs.
Typical thug cop response calling the first person an a-hole. The cops got raises totaling 13% in this budget year and they were already overpaid. That amounts to $1.3 BILLION to be paid by the taxpayers over the next ten years which is insane. Our nation’s military members, retired military members and Social Security recipients received ZERO % last year and ZERO % this year. Please tell me that MDPD officers are so far more valuable than this nation’s military members? NOT!
Fortunately for everyone, Alvarez and Commissioner Seijas, a strong supporter of big spending and Alvarez’s budget, resulted in both of them being recalled by 88% of the votes. If you think 12% of the voters are going to elect any big spenders in the future you are crazy.
Simply put, the taxpayers can no longer afford paying public employees far more than what the private sector makes. Miami-Dade county wastes more taxpayer money than some countries and a lot of counties operate with and it has to stop. It will stop when we start electing responsible county commissioners who pledge to reduce the size of county government and the pay levels of its employees.
Dear Mr. Hugh J.,
Mr. UNappreciated is simply venting his frustration at the uniformed citizens that simply don’t understand the collective bargaining process. Unions exist precisely because of the mentality of your way of thinking. If it were left up to you I’m sure police officers would be making $3.35 an hour. Yes, the police received a 13% raise. However, the general public doesn’t know, for decades, the Fire union always seemed to be able to negotiate more than the police, even though the jobs are equally as hazardous. The first 5% was never realized by officers, as all county employees had to start contributing 5% to their health insurance. The second 3% will never be realized as all FRS participants will have to start contributing 3% towards their pensions. In reality, only the last 5% will be “realized.” However, now the police will finally be making/equaling what the fire department makes.
You are incorrect in reference to $1.3 BILLION dollars the taxpayer has to pay due to the 13% raise. During the collective bargaining processes, the union made several concessions. The largest was that all ANNUAL high risk physicals are now administered every FIVE years. That one concession saved the county MILLIONS, given there are approximately 3200 sworn deputies. Without listing every concession, and there were several, they more than offset that so called 13% pay raise, and then some, making the contract “revenue neutral.”
You make reference to the fact that MDPD officers are already overpaid, and that tax payers can no longer afford paying far more than what the private sector makes. Could you please tell me what the average salary of a police officer is in the private sector?
Stop the anger at the individual employees and the unions. The unions are doing what they get paid to do, look out for the little guy. You should be directing your anger at the ignorant and unqualified politicians that caused the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the problem. Does the Marlins giveaway of every revenue stream from a stadium costing county taxpayers $3 billion over three decades ring any bells?