Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Ex-Sunglass Hut owner Ziff sells Brickell mansion for $14M to developer

A member of Sunglass Hut’s founding family sold his mansion in Miami’s wealthy Brickell neighborhood to Terra Group President David P. Martin and wife Christina Martin for $14 million. Dean Ziff is the son of Sanford Ziff, who founded Sunglass Hut in 1971. Dean Ziff was a co-owner of the company with his father until they sold their stake in 1991. Ziff and wife Jania Ziff sold their 14,433-square-foot home on 2.07 acres at 2999 Brickell Ave. to the Martins. The buyers obtained a $10 million,…

Monday, March 30, 2015

5 things to know, and a dip for luxury designer Prada

Good morning, South Florida. 1. You've only got four days to get it done It's going to be a short work week for many folks with Passover and Easter coming up this weekend. Financial markets will be closed for Good Friday, but the federal government will still be open for business and, as usual, there will be plenty of tourists visiting South Florida. 2. Job creation story adds another chapter The latest jobs numbers will be out Friday. Economists expect 242,000 new jobs, and the unemployment…

5 thngs to know, and a dip for luxury designer Prada

Good morning, South Florida. 1. You've only got four days to get it done It's going to be a short work week for many folks with Passover and Easter coming up this weekend. Financial markets will be closed for Good Friday, but the federal government will still be open for business and, as usual, there will be plenty of tourists visiting South Florida. 2. Job creation story adds another chapter The latest jobs numbers will be out Friday. Economists expect 242,000 new jobs, and the unemployment…

What Does Each Miami Dade County Commission District Pay to Support County Services. By Geniusofdespair


According to the County's Finance Department, this is the total real property tax levy for Miami-Dade County districts. The amounts listed below represent the total amount of property taxes billed and sorted by Commission District. Is your District a donor district or a taker?

Commission District Bill Amount:

1 Total $ 155,616,035.44 - Barbara Jordan
2 Total $ 119,802,275.60 - Jean Monestime
3 Total $ 250,976,290.00 - Audrey Edmonson
4 Total $ 729,782,915.74 - Sally Heyman
5 Total $ 812,809,543.24 - Bruno Barreiro
6 Total $ 253,887,916.36 - Rebeca Sosa
7 Total $ 733,931,762.01 - Xavier Suarez
8 Total $ 263,396,987.01 - Daniella Levine Cava
9 Total $ 158,124,875.69 - Dennis Moss
10 Total $ 185,865,923.51 - Javier Souto
11 Total $ 202,126,843.08 - Juan Zapata
12 Total $ 388,390,883.22 - Jose "Pepe" Diaz
13 Total $ 160,474,957.15 - Esteban Bovo

Grand Total $ 4,254,712,250.90

The first three districts added together pay $526,394,600 which doesn't even come close to what the 4th District pays in: $729,782,915.

Maybe we should be dividing districts more equitably money-wise so everyone has a voice. My issues are never addressed. All we have to do is have districts divided East to West instead of North to South.

Sally Heyman, Xavier Suarez and Bruno Barreiro's districts pay the most: about half of the Grand Total. So 3 districts pay the same as the other 10. Maybe Javier Souto should remember that when he admonishes people East of U.S. 1 for their environmental interest. They are paying a lot of the bills for his district. Those 3 districts pay about half of the Grand Total for ALL 13 districts (over $2 Billion). Maybe Souto should learn to say thank you and try to address issues in the districts that fund his, at least to be polite.

See Fire Boat Issue brought up by Sally Heyman -- governing a donor district. That blog prompted me to get this information.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Carnival Corp. 'off to a strong start' in Q1

Carnival Corp. & plc (NYSE: CCL) The Miami-based cruise company said strong brand performance — especially from Carnival Cruise Line, — improved onboard revenues and higher ticket prices improved its first-quarter results, Carnival Corp. announced in an earnings report released Friday. The company expects its full-year 2015 net revenue yields to increase 3 to 4 percent compared to the prior year. Revenue: $3.53 billion, down from $3.59 billion in the first quarter of 2014. Net income: $49 million,…

Sorry to hear that Penny Townsley will be leaving. By Geniusofdespair


The head of Miami Dade County Department of Elections, Penelope Townsley, is leaving June 2016 when her drop takes effect. I will be sorry to see her go. Her departure date is BEFORE the 2016 election. I have always gotten 100% response, even on weekends, from Penny. I believe she truly cares about voters. But remember, she is not elected she is appointed by Mayor Carlos Gimenez and has to pass everything by him or his staff before she does anything. Do we want an Election Supervisor beholden to anyone? The rest of the State of Florida has elected Election Supervisors. That doesn't guarantee a good supervisor. Remember Broward's wacky Miriam Oliphant who was suspended? This is from Wikipedia (which means it could be true) on Miriam Oliphant:

Government investigators found that not only had her office neglected to perform some of its most essential tasks, but it had gone almost $1 million over budget. Among other findings was that Oliphant fired many experienced staff members, and replaced them with an all black and less (in some cases not-at-all) experienced friends and associates with significantly higher rates of pay. She hired a college admissions representative who didn't even know what a primary election was and put her in charge of registration and absentee ballots. She promoted a computer specialist, whom she'd met in her condominium building, to deputy supervisor.

The List: Florida Airports

A South Florida airport ranked first on the 2015 list of Florida airports in the South Florida Business Journal. The airport earned the top spot based on its 19.42 million passengers enplaned in 2013. To see who topped the list, click through the photo gallery included with this post. The only newcomer to the statewide airports list is Flagler County Airport. The complete Florida airports list includes contact information and comparison to previous year. We are currently surveying for insurance…

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Quiz: Can We Guess How Long You’ve Been Playing Tennis?

The post Quiz: Can We Guess How Long You’ve Been Playing Tennis? appeared first on The MyTennisLessons Blog.

What Are Pinky Munz and Wayne Rosen Up To with this PAC? By Geniusofdespair

Munz is the $5,000 and Rosen is the $20,000 in Moving Forward PC.
Pinky Munz
Wayne Rosen
You always have to keep your eye on Homestead. If you turn your back on Hudstead you never know what will appear.

Also in Homestead:

Farm Share may be forced to end giving food to about 6,200 families and 250 agencies if Miami-Dade Commissioners vote to cut off funding to the nonprofit for the next budget year, which begins Oct. 1.

All they want is money for refrigeration and fuel for their trucks which deliver the perishable donated produce, about $280K. Do you think that is what Munz and Rosen are up to? Helping??

Jon Stewart devotes new segment to Florida over 'climate change'

"La la la la ... climate change doesn't exist," is the name of "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart's newest segment, which makes fun of Florida over the reported "ban" on using the term "climate change." Early in March, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting revealed that Florida officials were ordered to avoid using the terms"climate change" or "global warming" in official communications. Gov. Rick Scott and officials quoted in the report have denied a policy banning the terms, but that…

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

SoBe Hostel sold for $8.28M

SoBe Hostel was sold for $8.28 million, according to property records. A company listed as owned by Jack Avid and Steven Oved, 235 Sobe Hospitality LLC, with a mailing address in New York bought the property at 235 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach this week. The seller, South Beach Hostel LLC, is a company affiliated with Blue Road, based in Bay Harbour Islands. The two-story, 8,933-square-foot building has 48 units with 38 available for guests, according to SoBe Hostel's website. It was previously…

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Banks fearing more cyber attacks and their cost

Bank boards of directors are worried most about cyber security attacks. That’s the key finding in a survey by Bank Director magazine. More than 80 percent of respondents said that this risk is a top concern. Last year, the same question had a 51 percent response. Almost eight out of 10 banks increased cyber security budgets this year – and the average hike was in the 10 percent neighborhood, according to the 2015 Risk Practices Survey. With all the money being invested into just cyber risk…

GOP Commandment 1: Climate change is like the weather: there is nothing we can do about it … by gimleteye

Although GOP leaders act as though climate change doesn't exist -- in red states like Florida even banning officials from even uttering the words (cf. Gov. Rick Scott), the GOP leadership is far from clueless on the issue, its reality and threat.

Their spin doctors provoke red meat voters to drumbeats like what a cold winter it's been in the Northeast, "Little Ice Ages", but that's to keep the Republican base boiling. GOP leaders can't avoid either the science or evidence of climate change.

Doing "something" about climate change is directly opposed to the interests of the GOP's key funders: polluting industries that depend on externalizing costs; whether damage to the atmosphere or using public waters as their sewage outfalls.

The problem for Republican leaders on climate change is the mismatch between the premise of limited government against the real, unlimited liability from climate change.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Why Developing Juniors Need Private Tennis Lessons

This post was written by Lisa Stone, author of Parenting Aces, a blog for parents whose children play tennis. Over the years, Lisa has chronicled her journey as a tennis enthusiast and mom through her son, a top junior player … Continued

The post Why Developing Juniors Need Private Tennis Lessons appeared first on The MyTennisLessons Blog.

Revealed: The GOP's Ten Commandments on Climate Change … by gimleteye

In public, GOP leaders are climate change deniers. In private, they understand climate change perfectly well. The difference is that disclosure doesn't serve the party's purposes. Climate change denial -- against the backdrop of accumulating science and fact -- is like an electrical charge stimulating the Republican base.

Here are the GOP's ten commandments of climate change.
1) Climate change is like the weather: there is nothing we can do about it.

2) We are top predator. Others must adapt to us or die.

3) It doesn't matter if climate change is man-made: whatever happens is God's will.

4) Since our God in the only God, we know what is best for you.

5) As the party of limited government, any effort to strengthen environmental regulations is cutting our own throats.

6) As the party of capitalism, we are against any climate-driven protectionism unless it serves our interests.

7) If climate change requires subsidies, existing subsidies will be protected, first. Any additional subsidies will have to adapt to ours.

8) Dissenters on climate change are psychological deviants, to be dealt with and isolated from decision-making.

9) If there is a dispute on climate change between constituencies the GOP represents, the leadership will side with that person who who concentrates our political power.

10) We will adapt our behavior to impacts of climate change as they happen, not before.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

President hopeful with his BFF and Roommate David Rivera. By Geniusofdespair

Marco Rubio and David Rivera's Tallahassee home is up for sale. They also shared a home for two years in Washington D.C.




Now, the three-bedroom property stands as a stubborn symbol of both a politically problematic friendship and lingering questions about Rubio’s personal finances, which dogged him on the campaign trail in 2010 and may do so again. The friendship has frayed in recent years, friends say, as the fortunes of Rubio, 43, and Rivera, 49, have diverged. Last week, they put the 1,228-square-foot house up for sale. The list price is $125,000 — $10,000 less than what the two men paid for it a decade ago.

But chances are the home won’t sell before April, when Rubio says he’ll decide whether to seek the presidency. Rubio’s critics are waiting to make hay of any revelations that may come of the federal investigation of Rivera and to point to their status as roommates during the years when Rivera allegedly engaged in illegal campaign activities.


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