MIAMI MIRROR TRUE REFLECTIONS

19April2014 LuisEspinoza CommunicationsProgramManager MiamiDadeRegulatoryandEconomicResourcesDepartment EnvironmentalResourcesManagement 701NW1stCourt2ndFloor Miami,FL33136 DearMr.Espinoza: Thank you so much for your positive reinforcement, which took me by complete surprise. I thoughtitwouldsnowinMiamiDadeCountybeforeanyofficialthankedmeforanythingatall. It is true that effective law enforcement requires public cooperation, a truth that moved Sir Robert Peel to identify the police with the public. Of course Peel was a conservative, and a public may be especially afraid to complain where a conservative elite rules. The police power must take its own initiative, and not depend entirely on complaints. Complaintdriven enforcementfailswhereselectiveenforcementandretaliationarehabitual. Although there would be no civilization or improvement absent complaints, it is wrong to complain about everything, for wherever evil exists some good may be found. I have been complainingalotasoflate,forconstructivecriticisminmytownfallsondeaforhostileears. I used to believe that positive reinforcement, at least on an intermittent schedule, and only whencreditisdue,isnecessarytoobtaindesirableobjectives.However,experiencehasputme inapessimisticmood.I havegrownsocynicalthatthedoctrineoforiginalsinmakesverygood sense.Lifeinthisparadiseisawarofallagainstall,andIconfessthatIamguiltyashell. I have made many positive suggestions and offered considerable constructive criticism to the politicaleconomic elite of the City of Miami Beach since I returned to the beach ten years ago, and not once did I receive any thanks or credit at all although I did discover some time later that a few minor changes had been made, and even considerable money was collected albeit reluctantlyafterIputaspotlightonthesumdue. In fact, I was treated as if I were an Enemy of the State, as if good ideas offered from outside the ruling clique constituted insults to its members, all of whom were striving for superiority over the community. I was not the only one literally shunned, and misdiagnosed as a deluded, obsessedmoronforexposinguglytruthsbeggingforimprovements. A change of the guard was supposed to bring about the Change political aspirants sermonize on. That Change remains ideal in the face of recalcitrant reality. Business continues as usual,
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MIAMI MIRROR TRUE REFLECTIONS

and, even worse, with a vengeance, as the new ruling clique silences the community: threatening critics with defamation suits; retaliating against internal criticism; cutting committees; severely truncating public input at commission meetings; stonewalling dissenters; andsoon. A change in attitude at city hall was promised. Well, the new, customerfriendly, businesslike attitude is fascistic, with public praises galore offered up to the new Great Leader and the new Supermanager.Allthatwillseemfarcicalwhenthehoneymoonisover. The emphasis is not on the broader interest of the community. Instead, there exists a monomaniacal focus on which few real estate developers should get the biggest piece of the pie. And have no doubt whatsoever that the collaborators in the publicprivate partnership would like to be rid of you and your colleagues by abolishing the Department of Environmental ResourcesManagement,purportedlyforthesakeofsmallergovernment;thatis,government bythefewforthesakeofthefew. If you were around in September 2011, you may recall that MiamiDade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, at a budget hearing, alluded to his support of smaller government in the context of developerRussellGalbutsearliersuggestionbeforetheMiamiBeachTaxpayersAssociation. Barreiro hinted at his support of a smaller government, and uttered words that were suggested earlier in the week by Galbut at the Miami Beach Taxpayers Association: Rather thanconsolidate,eliminateDERMandsendpermittingbacktotheState,hesaid. AsyouhaveseenbythefactsthatIbroughtforwardtoDERMinrespecttoGalbutsGaleSuites at Kaskades project, that Galbut was refused a DERM permit yet the city manager and building official permitted him to proceed with construction, and even allowed him to continue after a complaintwasmadeinsteadofshuttingdownthejob,environmentallawisoflittlemomentin theCityofMiamiBeachwhenafavoreddeveloperistheviolator. ThereforeIthankyouforyourthanksgiving,andencourageyoutofurtherencouragethepublic to scrutinize activities that impact our environment in order to report violations and insist on enforcement, as well as demand legislation that would put more teeth in the environmental laws. In my opinion, an ordinance should be passed providing a mandatory $10,000 per day fine for anyonewhoproceedswithconstructionafteraDERMpermitisdenied.AsitisinMiamiBeach, few people get caught, and those who do get a slap on the wrist or a waiver if they are favorites.
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MIAMI MIRROR TRUE REFLECTIONS

Whistleblowerswhetheranonymousornotshouldreceiveaminimumof$10,000forreporting violations,anduptohalfthetotalfine. I once asked a senior partner of one of the top accounting firms in the state why there was no positive reinforcement for good work at his firm. The paycheck is the positive reinforcement. Studiesshowthatasimplethankyouwhenwarrantedcansaveonpayrollexpense. Thankyou. Sincerely, DavidArthurWalters April18,2014 To: DavidWestonandDavidWalters From: LuisEspinoza WethankyouandMr.Waltersforbringthismattertoourattention.AsIhadmentioned,we takeourmissionseriouslyandwestrivetoachieveourgoalsofenvironmentalprotection, preservationandrestorationeveryday.Nevertheless,wecannotaccomplishthesegoals withoutthehelpfromconcernedcitizenssuchasyourselfandMr.Walters.Wecanassureyou thatwewillfollowupwiththeCityofMiamiBeachandothermunicipalitiesinregardstothe subjectpropertyandphasepermittingmatters.

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