By: Jeffrey Solomon
Jeffrey Solomon is a chiropractor and the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 115. He was the United States Olympic Team Staff Chiropractor for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Below is his view on the proposed State Road 836 highway extension.
On Thursday, September 27th, the Miami-Dade County Commission will vote on the application to extend the 836 highway.
I urge the County Commission to reject the application.
This 6-lane highway is a dangerous and expensive project that will put more cars on the road and promote more reckless development.
Studies on urban development make it abundantly clear: the more roads and bridges you build; the more cars will be clogging up streets.
It’s called induced demand and the same concept applies to development.
Extending this highway onto this very sensitive land will have commercial developers salivating with the thought of encroaching past the urban development boundary (UDB).
We should use the $1 billion cost of this highway and put it to work for the extension of the Metrorail.
It was recently made public that the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, or MDX, used $125,000 of our toll dollars to campaign in favor of the 836-highway extension.
They are using our money to convince citizens to let them take more money.
Without a doubt, this massive highway will have tolls on them.
It’s ludicrous.
The 836 at sunset. Photo: Ines Hegedus-Garcia
MDX was sued for their failure to release their records on the 836 extension campaign.
Additionally, the Florida Legislature amended MDX’s establishing legislation to use between 20%-50% of their surplus revenue for transit projects and that has not taken place.
There’s a fundamental problem here.
Tolls collect money for transportation projects.
We, the people, should get to decide what MDX does with this money because it’s our money.
For MDX to keep using public toll dollars for the construction of highways without end in sight is short-sighted and frankly undemocratic.
As I campaign in District 115, many residents have expressed their concerns with traffic.
This expensive and environmentally damaging highway must be stopped.
We need to provide relief.
As a member of this community, I’m confident this will not relieve traffic.
We should use the $1 billion cost of this highway and put it to work for the extension of the Metrorail.
It’s unfair that South West Dade residents need to drive to Dadeland mall to use it.
Metrorail and high-tech rapid transport will efficiently get people where they need to be, and actually reduce traffic.
Opinion: South Dade Needs Rail Not More Buses
Opponents to the extension of the Metro-Rail have claimed that the population in SW Dade is not dense enough to justify the expense.
There is a real yearning for rail that would connect commuters with the rest of the county.
It’s clear that more and more people are now and will continue to substantially increase the population of South West Dade County.
Extending the Metro-Rail West to Kendall and South West to Homestead will be proactive mitigation and accommodate the growing population with 21st century public transit.
Why are we not keeping up with world-class cities such as those in South East Asia?
Chinese citizens get to benefit from rapid systems with millions of people using them on a daily basis.
Why can’t all residents of Miami-Dade County benefit from such systems? It would relieve traffic and likely get people where they need faster. I want Miami-Dade County to be a leader in public transit.
I ask you to call your county commissioner today and urge them to vote NO on the 836 extension on Thursday Sept. 27 and attend the vote at 9:30am.
Find your commissioner here: https://www.miamidade.gov/commission/.
This expensive and environmentally damaging highway must be stopped.
We need to be proactive and not reactive and invest in smart traffic solutions like expanding Metrorail and high tech rapid transit.
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Miami’s Waterkeeper Is Seriously Worried About The Future Of The City’s Waterways
What’s News In This Story?
–Miami Waterkeeper Rachel Silverstein has built her non-profit into a legit force in the South Florida political and legal world.
-They’ve entered the scene at the perfect time to give our waters a fighting chance.
-From pollution to ecosystem crushing algae blooms to sea level rise and a nuclear power plant that could end up being swallowed by the sea- there’s a lot at stake right now.
Rachel Silverstein is the waterkeeper and executive director for Miami Waterkeeper.
–Silverstein leads a team of five lawyers and scientists who advocate for ecological protections and smart public policy through advocacy and scientific research.
–They also sue polluters. And they threaten people who are trashing Miami’s waters with lawsuits. They do that a lot.
–In 2014, Miami Waterkeeper sued Miami-Dade county to protect coral reefs that were impacted by the Port Miami dredging project. The county settled with Miami Waterkeeper and paid over $400,000 to relocate the corals to a University of Miami lab.
FPL’s Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant.
–Silverstein is concerned about the future of FPL’s Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant. She thinks that the plant will be submerged by the impacts of sea level rise by 2040. FPL wants to continue to use the site until at least 2052.
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He’s Married To An American Citizen And Has An American Son. But He’s Getting Deported Anyway
What’s News In This Story?
–The Musmanno family is in the middle of a horror that is becoming common in immigrant communities around the United States.
-A loved one is in a ICE jail. And there’s little hope of getting him out. He’s scheduled to be deported.
-Flavio Musmanno has been sitting in an ICE jail in Ohio since August 28.
-Flavio is an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the United States since 2000.
Flavio Musmanno and his family.
-Flavio has long worked construction jobs and was well liked by bosses who considered him a hard worker. He followed the work to Seneca County, Ohio.
-On August 28, he lost his wallet at a gas station.
-Within an hour, and many of the facts surrounding his arrest are still murky, he was called by an ICE officer and then detained.
-ICE did not respond to a request for information surrounding Flavio’s arrest.
-Flavio came to the country from Argentina under the visa waiver program and stayed after it expired. He married his longtime girlfriend Fabiana Zuin in 2017. At the time they were married, Fabiana was a permanent resident who was on the way to receiving her citizenship.
-Fabiana is now a US citizen.
-The family’s attorney tried to get the arresting officer to push for Flavio’s release.
-ICE has the legal authority to use discretion and release those they arrest due to extenuating personal circumstances.
-But the family’s attorney, Linda Osberg-Braun told RISE NEWS that ICE has not been using discretion like they used under the Trump Administration.
-So despite having an American son and being married to an American wife, Flavio Musmanno is scheduled to be deported back to a country he hasn’t been to in 18 years.
-And due to the special circumstances involving his entry into the US back in 2000 under the visa waiver program, Flavio does not have a right to be seen by a judge.
-Unless something changes, Flavio will be deported on October 9th.
-According to Osberg-Braun, he won’t be able to come back to the US for up to 10 years.
-The family is raising money to provide for the legal defense of Flavio.
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Cover Photo Credit: osseous/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Tim Canova Announces He’ll Run As An Independent Against Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
Law Professor and progressive activist Tim Canova announced Monday morning that he would be running as an Independent against Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District.
The news came during a press conference on Monday morning called by Canova.
“I did not leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party has left us,” Canova said. “I am not screwing over the Democratic Party, it has screwed over too many ordinary Americans.”
Canova’s decision could have major implications in whether Democrats can maintain control of the seat.
“She is the kiss of death. Look what she did for Hillary,” Canova said. “Debbie Wasserman-Schultz lost Florida for Hillary.”
Canova said that he would be changing his registration as an Independent in May and would be partaking in a state wide tour of Florida.
He said that he campaign for Progressive Democrats and Independents around the state and country.
Wasserman-Schultz was the former Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee and defeated Canova in a 2016 Democratic primary.
WATCH: Tim Canova announces Independent bid against Wasserman-Schultz.
This is a breaking news story. Stay with RISE NEWS.
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