By Carlos Miller
The Miami Herald shocked bloggers and Miami Lakes residents Monday night by finally reporting that Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Nancy Simon had been practicing real estate without a license.
However, the long-awaited news was anti-climatic because the Herald did not reveal anything that had not already been known to anybody that actually cares about what is occurring in the suburban municipality in northwest Miami-Dade County.
Unfortunately, the Herald refused to delve into the influential relationship between Simon and The Miami Laker newspaper, which decided to stop covering local politics in December after she raised hell about an article stating that she had been under investigation by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The Herald also failed to report on the status of journalist David Snelling, who ended up getting reprimanded by his editor after reporting the truth about the vice mayor.
Nevertheless, the elephant in Miami Lakes’ living room has finally been acknowledged. And she has a good excuse.
Simon, a three-term councilwoman, said the ordeal stems from a $115 license renewal check she thought she mailed in late 2004 but which was never received by the state regulation department. She also blames an illness that left her hospitalized in August of the same year.
”I have nothing to hide,” Simon said. “The three checks that I cashed, I didn’t do that under the table, I did it through my brokerage firm. Do you think my broker would have cashed it if he didn’t think I was legitimate? I have paid taxes on that money. Everything I have done was above the board.
And despite the fact that the state of Florida considers the act of practicing real estate without a license a third-degree felony, many South Floridians who have been jaded by years of corrupt politicians were quick to blow off the allegations against Simon as a “stupid mistake”.
At least according to the Herald’s comments section, which is usually an accurate reflection of what the community is thinking, although that can be embarrassing at times.
Simon is not the first person this happened to, as a realtor I know several people who were in a similar situation, they got a slap on the had a $1500 fine. It is riduculous (SIC) that her case is getting so much attention, get over it people. She did not hurt anyone or steal money she made a stupid mistake.
Posted by: a realtor
Other readers, however, were not so forgiven.
Another corrupt politician making excuses. Why doesn’t Simon own up to her behavior. Why did she lie to TV and say she never made a dime.
Posted by: Lakes resident
And …
The cause of political power is because the political leaders are no brainers (some of them). They let the power go to their head, and then they think that they are above the law and they deserve everything they want.THEY ARE WRONG. THE PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP AND ARE MAKING CHOICES OF WHO THEY WANT IN TOWN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.NANCY SIMON, YOU CAN FOOL SOME OF THE PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME, BUT YOU CANNOT FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.
Posted by: A CUBAN EXILE
Another reader insisted that Simon’s “crime” was completely small-time and not worth reporting.
$28k and you say business was “looking good”? You’re crazy. This is barely worth reporting, let alone the top-story treatment you’re giving it. Why indeed is she being crucified over b.s. like this? What is the Herald’s real motive here?
Posted by: Hatchet Job
And what is a Miami Herald comments section without the obligatory crack at someone’s race or ethnicity?
Is she a cuban blond by any chance? Those do not even know how to put gas in the car.
Posted by: LOL
Now that Simon is under investigation for a felony, she will most likely do what any South Florida politician would do in her position.
Run for a higher office.
Residents have long speculated that Simon will run (for mayor), though she has yet to declare her decision.
”I’ve always been the lightning rod for these set of people,” Simon said. “Every time the mayoral race comes up, the heat intensifies. It’s very sad that in a small town, the politics gets this dirty.”
Popularity: 7% [?]
Fernandez, as I mentioned in a
5 responses so far ↓
1 Eric Hundin // Feb 12, 2008 at 12:48 am
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Eric Hundin
2 Marjorie // Feb 12, 2008 at 1:44 am
Nancy still does not realize she violated the Law. Unlicensed Activity is a Third Degree Felony. She should be ashamed of herself. She is an embarrassment to Miami Lakes.
3 Ms Calabaza // Feb 12, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Yea, I read that last night in the Herald and thought to myself it was old news. Good thing I read your blog.
4 Carlos Miller // Feb 12, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Ms C,
I figured the Herald would get to it sooner or later, but I’m surprised that after all that time, they didn’t really report much.
5 Victor Montana // Feb 12, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Support Sarnoff, Get Paid
Tue Feb 12, 2008 at 05:39:16 PM
Since his election on November 21, 2006, Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff has cast himself as the do-gooder reformer on the commission dais.
He sponsored legislation that requires outgoing city commissioners to seek approval from their colleagues when doling out last minute bonuses to their staff. He also authored the city’s disclosure law, which requires people who are paid by city vendors or developers to disclose that fact when they appear before the city commission. Then there is the memo he authored last year detailing a conversation with former City Manager Joe Arriola, alleging Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones ordered the developer of the controversial Mercy Hospital condo project to hire two of her close friends in exchange for her vote.
But Sarnoff may want to keep closer tabs on the questionable dealings of some of his closest supporters. Consider the actions of the commissioner’s Senior Staff Liaison Ryan Alexander, who circumvented the city’s procurement rules by hiring his own company to install a fence at a Coconut Grove park.
A Grove resident, Alexander is one of Sarnoff’s closest allies, having known the commissioner since the Nineties, when the pair founded the Center Grove Neighborhood Association. In 2006 and last year, Alexander gave $1500 to his friend’s political campaigns. He is also the owner of Berimbau Investments, which last July put up a wrought-iron black fence with gates at a small city-owned park between Margaret Street and Oak Avenue in Coconut Grove.
According to an invoice – written on Berimbau Investments letterhead – Alexander submitted to the city’s Park and Recreation Department this past November, the commissioner’s aide sought payment for $14,500. In order to get paid, Alexander also provided two quotes for $26,536 and $24,638 from Bachiller Iron Works, a Miami-based fence installation company. He obtained the quotes on October 15 and 25 of last year – almost four months after he had already completed the job.
During a recent interview, Sarnoff said Alexander, who is not authorized to make purchases on behalf of the city’s park and recreation department, made a mistake and will not be getting paid for the fence.
“Ryan is a get-things-done-kind-of-guy,” Sarnoff said. “He took it upon himself to do a project that I wanted to get done.”
Sarnoff said he did not know Alexander decided to put up the fence without going through the proper channels. “He went too far too fast,” Sarnoff admitted. “He expended his own money and unfortunately he won’t be compensated for it.”
Alexander insists he did nothing wrong. “This issue was languishing on the city’s desk for two years,” he said. “At the time I was not very familiar with the city’s procurement process. Now I am.”
This is not the first time Sarnoff has had a conflict of interest problem in his office. This past September 11, he gave the Coconut Grove Urban Empowerment Corporation a $167,000 grant from his commission district’s community development funds. At the time, the nonprofit agency listed Sarnoff’s Coconut Grove Community Liaison Yvonne McDonald as its president. McDonald contributed $100 to Sarnoff’s reelection campaign and served with him on the Coconut Grove Village Council.
This past January 10, the city commission rescinded the $167,000 allocation to Urban Empowerment because McDonald’s involvement with the group violated conflict of interest rules established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provided the funding. “When I made the allocation I was not aware that there was a conflict,” Sarnoff explained.
Then there is Sarnoff’s campaign manager Wilbur Jackson, who is employed as a Miami firefighter and as the executive assistant to the president of Miami Association of Firefighters. Apparently, Jackson found enough free time from his two demanding jobs to run Sarnoff’s campaign from April 10, 2007, the day Sarnoff qualified, to election day this past November 6.
According to state incorporation records, Jackson formed Southeast Political & Campaign Consulting Inc. on February 26, 2007. Sarnoff’s reelection campaign paid Jackson’s company $271,873.76 to do everything from producing television commercials to mailing out campaign literature to election day logistics. The amount paid to Southeast Political is $91,787 more than the entire amount Sarnoff spent in his first run for commissioner in 2006, when he faced an incumbent who raised twice as much money as he did. Last year, Sarnoff only faced marginal opposition from a socialist candidate and a communist contender.
So did Jackson obtain permission from City Manager Pete Hernandez to have outside employment doing political activities? Jackson did not return a phone call seeking comment. According to Sarnoff: “As far as I know yes he did.” Francisco Alvarado
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