Coral Gables Mayor Running on the Future, Only Candidate for More Taxes

March 14, 2011 1 Comment

Based on multiple and well financed ads, the Mayor has decided to overlook the past, except for a few awards that recognize the city of Coral Gables (also, ignoring the ones about the best city manager and the best city attorney), he pictures the beauty of Coral Gables (hardly one person’s achievement), and runs his campaign on virtually the same theme as Obama,”Win the Future.”

His feel-good-everything-is-great-campaign openly favors more taxes (he talks in terms of a “reasonable cost to taxpayers”) but he has nothing to say about how to ameliorate high salaries and unfunded pension liabilities, the failed Biltmore lease, the (still top secret) Biltmore audit, the continuing Country Club uncertainty, capital projects and city indebtedness, the disappearance of financial reserves, among others.

The Mayor’s view is perfectly fine if you don’t mind paying more taxes, and there are some apparently in the quiet Coral Gables PAC, the BID, commercial and residencial property owners and long-term residents who don’t mind paying more taxes.

This may be a winning formula for the Mayor if candidates Cason and Korge split the votes.

Filed under Coral Gables

Hard to find worse housing news for South Florida and Coral Gables

March 11, 2011 Leave a comment

I wonder what will happen to Coral Gables’ property values this year.  Won’t there be enormous pressures on the city of Coral Gables to raise tax rates yet again.

Dear candidates for commissioner and mayor: This is your real life challenge,  not Miracle Mile, parks, trolleys or public security.

Zillow found that 46.3 percent of all South Florida homes sold in January sold for a loss, down from 49.2 percent during the previous January.

South Florida home values have fallen 54.8 percent since their peak in June 2006. Nationwide, home values have fallen 28.2 percent since the peak.

Nearly 43 percent of all single-family homes in South Florida with a mortgage were underwater in the fourth quarter. Nationwide, 27 percent of homeowners owed more than what their home is worth.

via Zillow: S. Fla. home values down in January | South Florida Business Journal.

Filed under Coral Gables, Housing

Election Reform: A Job for the Coral Gables PAC

March 11, 2011 1 Comment

The CG PAC has been very quiet during this election cycle.  The PAC should take up the idea of changing the election date to November.  A simple project and something all citizens understand.

Filed under Coral Gables

Election Reform in Coral Gables: A Major Step towards Community Participation

March 11, 2011 1 Comment

The first task for a new mayor and the next commission is to move the Coral Gables election date to November.  It is assumed that Miami-Dade County will move to this critical reform.

The current system leads to miserable participation of the Coral Gables community.  If our politicians want to promote community participation this is a very first step.

Filed under Coral Gables, Election

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