Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Joe Martinez: The Most Dangerous Man on the Miami-Dade Commission

Joe Martinez is the powerful chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission. He is also a man who can't take "No!" for an answer because developers are again knocking on nature's door with proposals to extend the Urban Development Boundary. We're already living on the edge of the Everglades but extending the boundary (in this case for a Lowe's home improvement center) is too much. He should be like fellow commissioner Katy Sorenson who won't even consider such an option. His reasoning for opening Pandora's box: Loew's promises to build a flyover which will relieve traffic congestion in that neck of the woods. How sad.

UpDate (4/25/08): The Miami-Dade County Commission votes 9-4 to move the UDB. Even if Alvarez vetoes the vote, the commission has enough votes to override it. Next step: litigation. The state will oppose and we predict the county will lose. Right now, the people have lost thanks to these short-sighted, visionless, usual suspects: Bruno Barreiro, Jose "Pepe" Diaz, Audrey Edmonson, Barbara Jordan, Martinez, Dorrin Rolle, Natacha Seijas, Rebeca Sosa and Javier Souto.

UpDate (4/30): Alvarez vetoes the vote. Whoop-te-doo.

UpDate (5/7): The county commission overrides Alvarez's veto 8 to 4. Those who voted against this asinine proposal and who should be lauded are: Commissioners Carlos Gimenez, Dennis Moss, Katy Sorenson and Sally Heyman. Now it goes to the state. Expect another court fight.

UpDate (7/18): The State overrides the county stating "the city and the county skirted their own growth-management rules." The State believes "there is still enough land inside the development boundary for commercial growth." According to Mike McDaniel, chief of comprehensive planning, "There is no need for additional commercial land." Lowes vows to fight on.

3 comments:

Dave said...

Many powerful developers have options or own large tracts of land on the western edge of Hialeah. Enough said........Everybody knows the commision with rare exception is in the pocket of the developers. The sad fact is most of them will be bankrupt in the next year because of their overbuilding in Miami.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the correction, but Joe is not the Chair of the BCC... Bruno is...

Anonymous said...

YES IN INDEED. MARTINEZ SHOULDNT EVEN BE A COMMISSIONER! HE IS SO DIRTY AND DEVIOUS THAT THE DISTRICT 11 RESIDENTS HAVE ONLY 1 CHANCE TO ELECT HIM OUT OF OFFICE ON AUG 26, 2008 ! ! ! !