wishful thinking

Rumors I have quit the race are really just wishful thinking by my opponents. I am in it for the duration. Take THAT to the bank. I remain cautiously optimistic. When people hear the numbers and the explanation they are interested because its THEIR hard-earned tax dollars that are disappearing. It was a long hot day but well worth it. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

questions persist

Let me see if I have this straight- Newman goes out to help local cops clean graffiti around town. The cops come away from that contribution and community service thinking that hes somehow NOT good for the community and wont help them? Explain that logic please, because it has escaped me. By helping the cops that day and the community they decide he-s NOT GOOD for either? The very act of helping the cops and the community did NOT prove his intentions? How so? Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Newman and Suco had reservations about the gym- okay, so do I, and a lot of other people. We are facing a 1.3 million dollar deficit next year, according to the City Manager, and the additional 200k per year for the next 20 years will be hard to pay in this economic environment. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

I had a choice today- wave at people as they drive by, or knock on some doors and talk to people. I chose the latter. The brave warriors who dont even have the cojones to sign their name are still posting here, so I really havent missed that much. Back to talking to residents. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

In an open letter to the residents in in the Gazette, noted general Contractor and construction expert Rob Youngs is quoted as saying,"This is the most frugal and responsible way to build our community center" Is he hoping it will be just as frugal and responsible as the city was when they built the BATHROOMS? the CC enclosure? HOW would Rob know? He is an attorney, and not even a construction attorney at that! Whether the taxes go up this year due to the new gym or the HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of our tax dollars that have recently disappearred (or both!)IS immaterial- they will go up due to general incompetence, ineptitude, or worse on the part of city officials. They raised our taxes last year, and they will raise them again this year to cover their butts. How anybody can consider the citys officials to be impressive is hard to understand, unless you are talking about the impressive (depressive?) amount of our tax monies they have disappeared! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Is the FOP aware they are backing a Mayor and Coucilmember (Best) who believes that 'costs are irrelevant and immaterial?" That is so out of touch with the average resident it isnt funny. All of the residents I have talked to believe that costs are VERY relevant, to them, and SHOULD be to their government. They are tired of their money disappearing and their taxes going up as a result. The FOP is backing a candidate in my group who likely doesnt even know that the city built two bathrooms, much less overpaid 275k for them! He likely IS aware that the CC was enclosed but has NO CLUE that the city overpaid 350k for THAT fiasco! Does he know ANYTHING about the issues at the pool? the golf course? Ask him! He knows only what Billy tells him. THIS is the candidate the FOP is backing? Unbelievable. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

The FOP has a problem with one of the candidates-fine. I agree they should sit down and discuss the issues. In my conversations with Mr. Newman he hasnt given ANY indication that he is NOT also for annexation, and, in fact, would probably be a strong supporter. Has the FOP made any gestures to come to an amicable solution to this problem? I havent heard of any such gestures. To allow those objections to one candidate become an issue about the entire election process makes no sense. What are the FOPs objections to Fred Suco, one of their own? It has been my experience that cops generally support their own if there are no compelling reasons NOT TO. For the FOP to NOT support Suco, at least, is hard for me to understand. The FOP supports LOB? He hasnt been to a dozen Council meetings in the past TWO YEARS. He is surely in favor of annexation, the new gym, and whatever else Billy wants. When Billy says JUMP, he asks only HOW HIGH. He has NO CLUE regarding the issues that face the city. THIS is the guy the FOP backs? With at least one, and maybe two other good choices?Incredible. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

No Problem

"could it be that the PBA wants to have someone in power to fulfill their own hidden agenda." Could it be that the FOP wants to have someone in power to fulfill THEIR own not-so-hidden agenda? There is NO evidence that there are warehouses full of drugs out there just waiting to be brought into our city. There is NO proof that the patrons that go to the strip shows, and adult video out there are ANY danger to our residents. There IS considerable proof that if annexation passes there will be MANY more police oppurtunities! At last we have one segment of our city functions that is completely TRANSPARENT! Billy is using the FOP for his own political purposes. His "costs are immaterial and irrelevent" approach to government is obvious in each and everything he does, as it is with all of his slate. He doesnt care what the costs are to the residents, and apparently neither does his supporters. Pay 415k for bathrooms that should have cost 140k? NO PROBLEM. Pay almost 500k for a CC enclosure that should have cost 100k or less? NO PROBLEM. Have no clue or witness about the Springs issues as addressed by the Council over the past TWO YEARS? NO PROBLEM. All Billy requires is the ability to agree with him on everything and make his legacy happen. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

forensic audit needed

There is nothing happening at the pool that a forensic audit cannot resolve. It is long overdue there. BTW, the mentally unbalanced person who believes he can read my mind is back. The increased Haldol apparently wasnt enough. I would suggest a change in their psychotropic medication, maybe Thorazine. Its pretty good for delusions of grandeur and other related mental illnesses, and he clearly needs it. Patients with delusions of grandeur not only believe they can read other peoples minds but they frequently distort reality and believe that, somehow, they are so important they are the center of everybody elses world, and others are concerned with them and what they have to say. Its a distortion of reality, of course, and has NO basis in fact, but its what they somehow sadly believe. Mental illness is NOT a pretty thing to see, here, or anywhere else. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Mr Big admires the courage of the hookers. Perhaps he should learn from them, grow a pair, and sign his REAL name here. That would at least be a start. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

"Dotson has flipflopped more that asn aunt jemima pancake. Dr. Jaime Gomez" Forgive me for my doubts, but that isnt the sentence structure or spelling that ANY of my doctor friends would admit to, certainly not in print AND in public. I am having a hard time believing THAT post was written by someone with an advanced degree. It seems more likely to me that the only fake and phony is him. Is this the same fake doctor who didnt want my signs? I have NO RECORD of a Jaime Gomez taking one of my signs. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

"not in thier right minds. thats why they argue the issue. common senceis not dominant..." I never cease to be amazed and amused at the low levels of literacy and rationality my opponents bring to this forum. You might think after repeatedly embarrassing themselves here day after day they would either try to do better, or shut up, but rational thought is NOT their strong suit. Loyalty is generally a good thing, but blind loyalty to a person or cause is something else. To this day, there have been NO facts or figures presented that contradict the ones I have presented here on numerous occasions. If they were disputable, they would have been disputed a LONG time ago. They werent, and STILL arent. It is my belief that the name-calling, etc. says MORE about THEM than it does about me, as it just demonstrates their childishness, pettiness, illiteracy, and paucity of rational thought for all the world to see. If you have ever wondered about the character and integrity of my opponents, or lack of same, you can see for yourselves right here, every day. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

annexation, with reservations

Is there ANY evidence that the warehouses out there are currently being used to house drugs? Has there been any arrests out there for drug warehousing? Is there ANY evidence that the patrons of the sex clubs, strip shows, an adult video stores out there are actually endangering our streets? Are we REALLY wanting the reputation for strippers, peep shows and free sex? Can hookers be far behind? Is THAT the reputation we want for Miami Springs? Its bad enough as it is out there, but if we dont control the zoning it could get MUCH worse! Until the pollution, mitigation fees, current and accurate property values, and zoning issues are resolved, and turn out to be beneficial to US, it makes it very difficult to vote for annexation in its current form. If these issues were to be successfully resolved for our benefit, then I would be in favor of annexation, but not until then. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

vote for change

I have been involved with early voting up until now but, you are right- this is a vote about transparency and accountability, starting at the City Managers desk. If you believe that " Costs are irrelevent and immaterial" then Gym, Billy and his gang are your people. Also, if you believe that paying TRIPLE for the bathrooms and the CC project was a sign of management excellence, then they are the group for you. If you believe that secret handshake deals are an acceptable, transparent, and accountable way to do city business, then Gym is your guy for that, and Billy and his slate are for you. If you believe half-truths, deception, and little to no accountability are what you want in a City Manager, then Billy and his slate are for you. If you have NO PROBLEM that the water, sewer, and electric hookups were FORGOTTEN with the bathrooms, and think thats a sign of competent management, then Gym is your guy. If NONE of the aforementioned are okay with you- vote for change. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

change, or more of the same

Apparently the only requirement needed to be on Billys slate is the ability to agree with him on everything. You dont need to have attended any Council meetings or have any independent thought processes at all. Most of his slate havent attended six Council meetings in the past TWO YEARS! Excepting Espino, of course, who has maybe attended a dozen, but he does have a habit of leaving early. Of course attending Council meetings and being current on city issues is NOT necessary if all you are required to do on Billys team is just agree with him on anything and everything. The choices are clear- change, or more of the same "costs are irrelevent and immaterial" decisions. Billy and his band of yes-sayers have approved multiple projects with NO CONCERN for the costs involved! This is evidenced by the bathrooms and CC both costing TRIPLE what they should have cost! Why would anybody believe the new gym will be any different? Change, or more of the same. Dr. Mel p. Johnson

eyes wide open

Doral "made the decision to accept the cleanup responsibility with full disclosure to the residents and with all of the information PRIOR to signing the paperwork." WE are deciding this issue with little and no accurate and timely information about the current status of pollution in the areas under consideration for annexation. DERM says they are monitoring 27 sites- what does that mean? Is DERM going to be responsible for any further cleanups needed? Even if we should annex those properties? Doral went into their situation with ALL the information and their eyes wide open, and paid a 2 million dollar price. In our case we dont have enough facts and figures from reputable sources to make an informed decision at this point. We have a BELIEF from Mr Corradino, a numbers cruncher with no environmental qualifications, that there wont be a problem out there. We have a City Manager, also without any environmental qualifications, who says there IS no problems because HE SAYS SO. And we have DERM, who says they have cleaned up a LOT of the pollution in those areas and is currently watching and monitoring the pollution sites but will NOT take responsibility for any future cleanups that may be needed. My thanks to the previous poster for shining some light on this situation and warning us of the potential problems, while also acknowledging the positive potentials. Both are real and need to be considered using the best information and guidance we can get. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

Doral is a warning

The Doral story was a warning to us that we could get stuck with a multi-million dollar cleanup out there if we dont do our due diligence AHEAD of time. Doing it AFTERWARD is not due diligence- it is rolling the dice and hoping. I have a 2004 map of the area and it stipulates VERY CLEARLY that it is NOT to be responsible for showing ALL the possible areas of pollution there. It states that there could be additional sites that are not known as of the date the map was drawn. Just because someone SAYS there are no issues with the areas considered for annexation does NOT mean its true! What are their qualifications for making a statement like that? The prior posts sound pretty official and logical to me. Is somebody saying they are not true? Does ANYBODY have ANY proof to that effect? Or is it just ANOTHER case where somebody says its true because THEY SAY SO. The City Manager frequently takes that approach. Is that you again, Gym? Dr. Mel P. Johnson

invitation accepted

"IF contamination is evidenced by inspection and lab testing, it must be assigned to the correct owner. If correct owner unavailable, untraceable or unknow, cleanup falls to annexing party unless specified in terms etc. So how old are the derm reports on each plot? How far back is proof of ownership and or contamination responsibility? I dont believe anything is free...so the truth is in the details and we are missing a bunch of them! Vote no annexation without full disclosure." Well, Gym, it appears that one of our citizens has taken you up on your invitation! Cleanup falls to annexing party sounds suspiciously like it could be US! More light is shed on this important facet of annexation along with a recommendation to vote NO until the details are made known to the public. On another topic, why is Dotson the only one who is expected to do due diligence! It is the duty and responsibility of the Mayor and each Council member to perform due diligence in the course of their duties! While its true that Dotson is usually the only one who is prepared, pays attention, or asks pertinent questions, ALL the Councilmembers SHOULD do it! The fact that they DONT do it is just another reason why change is needed. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

As I said before, I am not sure the FOP has thought all of the annexation issues thru completely before they made their opinions known. They had an issue with one of the candidates- fine. All I have heard from them is that annexation will provide more career oppurtunities for them. That much is true, but those are not ALL the issues involved in annexation. What about the possibilities of annexing polluted properties? WHY would we do that? They cant be built on, so we cant tax them, PLUS we could get hit with a big cleanup bill. Billing TEN bankrupt businesses back 40 years will NOT result in ANYBODY to pay for a cleanup! The County says there are currently 27 openly polluted sights that they are remediating or monitoring. Until the County signs a contract saying THEY will be responsible for cleaning up any more pollution in the proposed areas to be annexed, I am NOT comfortable for US to take that risk. One million-dollar cleanup could wreck us. What about mitigation fees? Zoning? Accurate and current tax revenue information? To take a stand on a major issue without doing the research, homework, and due diligence required to be well-informed about ANY major move could easily be seen as hasty, woefully unprepared, uninformed, and self-serving, if not irresponsible. While it may very well be the result of a LOT of political pressure from above, only having one reason for being for annexation is hard to comprehend and justify. This has shoot-from-the-hip feel to it that may be justified in an emergency, but this isnt an emergency and there has been sufficient time to study all aspects of this potential action for months. It is hard to point a finger at the FOP for not doing due diligence however, when the Mayor and Council havent done due diligence either. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Its true that Billy is focused on realizing his legacy project NO MATTER whether we want it, need it, OR can afford it! He could care less if our money disappears by the truckloads on every project that the city undertakes, and WILL on the new gym, as long as HIS LEGACY is fulfilled. He has shown NO INTEREST in the disappearing monies in the past and is unconcerned about the new gym monies either. He is undeterred by facts, figures, or options that are contrary to his legacy obsession. Its also true that he has stopped listening to outside voices (residents) long ago. I wonder how much of this new gym project is about community, and how much is really about BILLY. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

campaign issues

Ask Lob and Suco why they have only been to a half dozen Council meetings in the past TWO YEARS! Lob has NO OPINION of the job the City Manager has done for the past FIVE years!!??? You have to be elected to form an opinion???? Is that incredible ignorance, or just a sadly misguided belief? He says there is room for improvement by the City manager but doesnt say where those improvements need to be. Ask Lob about the bathrooms- does he even KNOW that the City built bathrooms? Ask him about the Country Club enclosure- does he know ANYTHING about either one? Ask Lob why he is NOT seen around town knocking on residents doors and talking to them? Doesnt he think that talking to residents is a good thing if he wants to represent them? Or is he just planning to ride whatever coattails Billy has? Perhaps Billy hasnt filled him in yet on all these details. All Lob IS sure of is that he wants WHATEVER Billy wants! Is THIS the representation the residents want and need? I have my doubts. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

George Lob is a Billy robot. Period. End of story. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

Gazette commentary

Not sure how Fred Suco can say he is "the only independent candidate in my group. No one is touting me" Did the PBA renounce their endorsement of him? Did he NOT take money from the PBA? I have taken money from NO organization and am indebted to NOBODY. Mr. Suco believes that the City Manager has done an "acceptable" job. I disagree STRONGLY. If Mr. Suco believes paying 415k for a 140k job is "acceptable", I disagree in the most strenuous manner possible. If Mr. Suco believes paying almost 500k for a 100k job at the Country Club is "acceptable", again, I disagree as strongly as possible. Is he even aware that the 1116 square foot bathroom project cost us 415k? If so, he should know how much it SHOULD cost for that project, that we OVERPAID by 275k, and that it took TWO YEARS to complete. If he doesn't know anything about the bathroom project, he should. To say that " Things could be better if more revenue came in" is to belabor the obvious. Prospective Council people should know whats been happening in the past in order to avoid making the same mistakes all over again. What we learn from our past mistakes should help us make better decisions for the future. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

Senior Center commentary

Billy and Garcia were up at the Senior Center today, using the mike to speak to the residents. Garcia said it was an ACCIDENT that he happened to be there when Billy was, but that he was VERY glad and grateful for the oppurtunity to hear Billy speak. Is there ANYBODY who believes it was an accident? Is there ANYBODY who believes that Billys talk was just an update of whats going on in the city, and NOT a political speech? Are we to believe that the timing, two days BEFORE early voting starts, was a coincidence? Why didnt ALL the candidates get the oppurtunity to speak to the seniors, like in the past? Are we to believe that ONLY the incumbents were interested in speaking to a group of 100 voters? Bob Best was there last week, Billy and Garcia this week- makes me wonder if the Senior Center is being used more for political purposes the past couple weeks, than as a community service, its intended purpose. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

I appreciate the efforts to lift the veil on those cowardly posters here, and everywhere, who use insults, twisted words, concepts, and moral compasses on this, or any other, website. I believe that if everyone signed their real name there would be more accountability, civility, and transparency shown to everybody. At the same time, if they signed their real names, they would still have the oppurtunity to express themselves, and demonstrate their ignorance, lack of education, strange thought processes, and lack of conscience and cojones. They could be fairly evaluated for what they are. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Is there somebody who is SERIOUSLY suggesting that MORE sex motels is the answer to adding to our commercial tax base? While it did come in on THIS Mayors and Councils watch and they apparently had NOTHING to say about it when it was being built, and would probably NOT oppose more being built here, I do NOT believe what we need is MORE sex motels! I was thinking more along the lines of a 3-story office parks with office condos, NOT more sex motels! Dont be RIDICULOUS! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

a response

It is my belief that the potential for pollution, paying high mitigation fees, zoning and generally doing DUE DILIGENCE before making a major move such as annexation SHOULD be of interest to ALL people who are concerned about the welfare of MS. All of those issues are relevent to the annexation issue and should be explored in detail before making ANY decision. I have met at least one real estate person in town who do NOT care if we annex polluted property, pay mitigation fees that are sky-high and unreasonable, or have ANY control over the zoning- they believe that annexation will put a LOT of money in their pockets and THATS all those individuals care about. They told me so, in those words. That is a narrow, self-centered approach to annexation that disregards the best interests of the rest of the residents that live here. I am concerned that perhaps the police have not thought this process thru completely and looked at ALL sides of all the issues before they have taken this stand. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

a pattern ?

Its about 8:30pm and I am back from talking to people around town. A pattern is developing here, where as I leave in the afternoon to talk to people around town imposters jump on this site and make ridiculous posts that I supposedly made and those posts live unchallenged until I return to refute them. It is annoying but mostly its embarrassing that people might think I have forgotten how to spell accurately, use good grammar, or punctuate properly. Otherwise, I believe most people can see thru this painfully transparent and childish attempt to discredit me. There are at least 100 General Contractors and builders that live here in Miami Springs. We could only get TWO bids out of 9? And the low bid started at TWICE the usual and customary number AND WENT UP! The same thing happened with the CC project. It started at 150k, which is TWICE what that 520 square foot enclosure was worth, AND WENT UP to close to 500k! Two walls were already there! We just tied into the existing two walls! Took 2 1/2 years+ to complete THAT project! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

transparency and accountability

I believe that transparency and accountability are generally good things and we should have more of both in our city government. By signing my statements I am hoping to provide the same transparency and accountability to this site- THIS is what I said- me, nobody else. I am being transparent and accountable here. Whether I win or not, I will leave THAT up to the people to decide! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

more fraudulent postings

These fraudulent postings would be amusing, perhaps,if only they had a shred of truth to them. Those who know me and where I stand on the city's dismal performance over the past 3-4 years know that I would never even consider any of those statements to be truthful in ANY way. This is getting ridiculous. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

fraudulent poster

Wow. Desperation is NOT a pretty thing to see. I DID NOT write anything to the effect that I am supporting either one of my opponents! THAT will NOT happen. While I do not know either of my opponents all that well, I am willing to bet that Fred Suco did NOT write that post! I hold Fred in higher regard than to stoop that low. Who DID write that post, I dont know, but I DO know it WAS NOT ME! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Is ANYBODY suggesting that the 415k number for the bathrooms is inaccurate? that came form an FOI from City Hall. Which number are they saying is wrong? The $125 a square foot? That comes from my insurance company and local contractors. The numbers I am quoting are what IT SHOULD have cost, NOT what it actually DID cost. Why did we pay so much MORE than it actually cost? WHERE did that money go? There is also NO rational answer to the CC enclosure, where we tied in 2 walls to existing walls (520 square feet), and paid close to 500k to do that! And THAT project took close to THREE YEARS to complete! No deadlines, no penalties, no quality of materials in the contract! NOTHING to protect the residents from the constant change orders and cost overruns! Incredible incompetence, at the VERY least! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Even IF, by some miracle, the bathrooms HAD been built for 285k and on time (another miracle), the costs would have been over $250 a square foot- TWICE the usual and customary costs! It clearly should have been rebid at that point. The bathrooms were NEW construction, not a repair. New construction doesnt include hookups usually? I find THAT hard to believe. Skip Reed is a General Contractor and an employee of the City. He regularly uses $125 a square foot in his calculations for construction projects here in the city that he inspects and approves. The numbers I have presented here are the usual and customary costs for new construction here in S Fla., as indicated by my insurance company and some local General Contractors. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

I would not bet my life on this, but my best recollection of the bathroom initial costs were 200K. I believe that was the original amount set aside for the bathroom projects. I could be in error but that is my best recollection at this time. They took over two years to complete and required additional monies for the FORGOTTEN hookups of water, sewer, and electricity. Absurd. Preposterous. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

140k commentary

The 140k number comes from two sources- one is my insurance company. I asked them how much it would cost to rebuild my house should it be blown down, and they said $125 a square foot. The bathrooms are 558 square feet each, 1116 square feet together. The second source is a General Contractor with 25+ years of construction experience. He gave me an itemized, detailed, line-by-line list of the costs involved in building those bathrooms- blocks, plywood, trusses, permits, electricity, plumbing, shingles, concrete, etc.etc. . His conclusion was the same as the insurance company-140k. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

My first impression of the email that may, or may not, have come from the police was skepticism. I mean, the police have NEVER sent an email to the entire community before! In my 50 years in the Springs I do not remember the police endorsing any candidate in the past, either. Its possible, but not probable. I also thought it odd that NONE of the officers of the FOP signed their names, as you might expect, or that a spokesman was designated to speak for them. Surely there will be questions and they need a spokesman to answer them. When I heard that Garcia was behind all this I became VERY skeptical! ALL the cops were so in favor of the WHATEVER BILLY WANTS group they didnt even vote for THEIR OWN 2 retired cops? Mr Espino is on record as saying publicly that 13-15 new police positions will be opened up IF annexation passes. That could have a large impact on an officer who is interested in career advancement, and who could blame them? Career advancement is generally a good thing, as long as its not at the expense of the residents. It is unfortunate that the FOP did not list any reasons why they, as an organuzation, were endorsing the candidates they did, other than the fact that the careers of their members would be enhanced. What is the FOP's position on pollution in those areas to be possibly annexed? What about mitigation fees? Current property values out there, as compared to the rosy 2008 numbers that has been presented so far? Zoning issues? All of these are valid issues about annexation that have NOTHING to do with the possible career advancement issue of our much-appreciated police force. It will be interesting to see if the current position is a result of political power from above, or an honest and rational expression of how our officers think about the entire annexation issue, and what is best for our community. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

setting the record straight

Well, lets see... I wasnt elected to anything when I umpired little league games, coached football and basketball as a young man. I have hlped out selling beer at the Festival several times over the years, without being elected. I have been the Acting Chairman of the Ecology Board for the past ten months, and that is another volunteer position. I was actively involved in the River Cities Festival Committee last year, and was Co-Chairman until I resigned to run for office this year, both volunteer positions. I am a Friend of Glenn, and have been active in the past with the Historical Society. I have only missed one Council meeting in the past two years and have written numerous letters to the Editors of the Gazette and the Herald. Those are most of my community involvements so far, all without benefit of being in ANY elective office. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

money and services ARE related

"...but with all the shut downs you want to start that will not help anyones taxes. As much as you try to scare people into thinking that cutting services will affect the tax rate you and I know that is not the case." If taxes and service cuts are NOT related then somebody needs to tell our very own Gymbo. He is predicting a 1.3 million dollar deficit and suggested in the Gazette that would require either another tax increase OR a cut in services. Talk to Gymbo, as I am sure he would be glad to explain the logic involved there. Putting people to work is one thing; paying them THREE times what the work is worth, or more, is something else. Some might even say its criminal. I would have a hard time arguing against them, even if I wanted to, which I dont. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

The Oracle Speaks?

At 2:50 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones industrials were down 318 points, or 4.1%, to 7,458. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was off 34 points, or 4.2%, to 782, and the Nasdaq Composite Index had slumped 55 points, or 3.6%, to 1,490. Remind us again, o wise one, how no matter what happens to the rest of the world, we here in Miami Springs will be immune to those problems and they will have NO effect on us! Explain to us how we can overpay and disappear hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on each and every construction project we undertake by paying TRIPLE the costs, and more, and it will have NO EFFECT... on the Mayor, Council or City officials! The residents, yes those residents actually pay the City's bills, will be unhappy with the increases in taxes and fees, that is true, but that is so negative! Lets focus on the HAPPY contractors who will make a LOT of money from all the change orders and cost overruns! Those who write open letters to the public in the Gazette or cheelead a new gym project without telling us they stand to make a LOT of money from the project, are masters at positive thinking. They are POSITIVE they will make a LOT of money from these projects, and they really dont care that it is an abuse the public trust. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

one more time

"Given out information and or numbers that are wrong, and or missing information in order to make his point is a lie." Okay, lets try this ONE MORE TIME. WHICH information or numbers are wrong? WHAT information is missing? I have provided my numbers on numerous occasions, and nobody has shown them to be in error yet. IF information is missing, provide the missing information HERE, for all to see, and explain how and why it is important in explaining where our tax dollars have been going. Feel free to provide YOUR explanation of where our missing tax dollars have gone. You can start by explaining how bathrooms that SHOULD have cost 140k wound up costing us 415k instead! While you are at it you can explain how a 100k Country Club project cost us almost 500k. When I asked Gym in his office he had NO explanation, no accountability, or transparency. That needs to change. NOW. Dr.Mel P. Johnson

interesting questions

...shouldn-t that "safety" include the safety of our children in a rundown recreation building? Should those without children & or families make decisions & policies for all those have them? These are very interesting questions. Is the one asking these questions ststing that they believe our kids are in imminent danger now? If so, we should close the gym NOW. What dangers, specifically, are the kids in? Is the roof leaking again? We just put a new roof on less than a year ago. Have the contractor back and have him fix it. For 2 million dollars we could have a new roof, new floor, new walls, new sprinkler system, new plumbing and electrical system and air conditioning on the same footprint, with NO NEW DEBT. For an extra million we could probably have a new pool, all with NO NEW DEBT. As far as having those without kids deciding for those WITH kids, someone might ask why those WITH kids should be deciding for those who dont or no longer have kids here, no? As was duly pointed out, what is more important is ones character, vision, and common sense that should be the criteria for a leadership position, no? Dr. Mel P. Johnson

commentary

Nope, no open houses for me, but I DO intend to come to YOUR HOUSE as I go around the Springs talking to people. There are serious issues to be discussed and debated and THIS is the time to do it! I had several interesting discussions yesterday about the pool and various other city functions, or malfunctions. This is American democracy in action, as it should be, debating and discussing the pros and cons of a wide range of opinions and possible solutions. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

annexation, with reservations

Let me be clear- IF the County signs an agreement to clean up any further pollution; AND the actual current and projected numbers are made known for tax assessments; AND the mitigation fees are negotiated down according to those numbers (or eliminated); AND we have complete and total control over zoning there- THEN I would be in favor of annexation, if the numbers show a substantial benefit to the residents of Miami Springs. By actually DOING due diligence we would have minimized the risks to us and gotten a clearer picture of the potential benefits, which is the intention and functional value of due diligence in the first place. Last year our tax millage rate was raised from 6.3 to 6.4+ and all of our fees were increased substantially, some doubled, tripled, and more. We cannot continue to raise taxes while our tax dollars disappear by the truckloads. Having more monies in our coffers means nothing if we have no accountability or transparency in how it is being spent! Dr. Mel P. Johnson

annexation position

Until The County says, in writing, that THEY will be responsible for any further pollution cleanups in the proposed annexation areas, I would have a very difficult time voting for it. The supposed 2.3 million in benefits are based on 2008 numbers, when property value were 30-40% higher. Until those numbers are adjusted to show the actual values NOW and the further projected 14.5% drop during this year, the mitigation numbers AND the overall benefits do NOT reflect accurately what we would gain from this action. Doral is paying one million a year in mitigation fees for properties that are worth 40% less today, than when they were annexed. Until the zoning is resolved where WE have total and complete control over the quality and quantity of the businesses in the proposed annexation areas, I would have a hard time voting in favor of this proposal. Its called doing DUE DILIGENCE, a concept that the Mayor and Council havent attempted in a long while, but is a process that should be done PRIOR to any major action. When one buys a house they look at it for possible structural damage, termites, traffic patterns, suitability, schools, taxes, financing, flood potential,etc. THAT is called DUE DILIGENCE, and the principles are the same here. Dr. Mel P. Johnson