Could Tolls Be Soon Ending On These Busy Miami Roads?
This interview is part of the “Tomorrow Lives Here” Conversation Series presented by Miami Business School.
WATCH:
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This photo was taken by a teacher at Stirling Elementary School. It shows some of the materials still left behind by the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Some of the equipment left behind at Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood.
These print outs are still taped to the wall of the Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood.
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I’m at Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton where there’s a polling place for inside the gated community (for a precinct with 2,217 registered voters). I was denied access to the polls as a journalist looking to check in on potential issues/talk to voters. #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/SF4Bz3XTtm
— Lulu Ramadan (@luluramadan) November 6, 2018
Lulu, it’s state law, section 101.71. “There shall be in each precinct in each county one polling place which shall be accessible to the public on election day and is managed by a board of inspectors and clerk of election.” They are violating state election law. Period.
— Dan Sweeney (@Daniel_Sweeney) November 6, 2018
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Flavio Musmanno and his family.
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Cover Photo Credit: osseous/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
We are taking this proactive step to ensure our residents and visitors are not affected as we collect samples in other areas for state testing. We will continue to seek guidance from the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and take precautionary measures as needed. https://t.co/ZasZwQbPqP
— Carlos A. Gimenez (@MayorGimenez) October 4, 2018
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Cover Photo Credit: osseous/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Steven Shulman is an insurance broker, real estate investor and the founder of a nonprofit charity that saves the lives of pets in distress, Animal Care Now. He grew up in Miami Beach and served two years in prison after being arrested for possession of quaaludes. He received his civil rights back in the 1980s and has become an advocate for convicted felons who have been denied the same privileged he has received. Shulman just released a memoir of his life called, My Uncle Gloria.
I’m a convicted felon.
Back in April 1981, I made a mistake in trusting an acquaintance.
That mistake got me arrested, convicted, and sentenced to five years in state prison for possession of methaqualone.
After completing two years in prison, two years parole, and being released from all government supervision, I applied to Florida’s office of executive clemency to have my civil rights restored.
I was lucky.
The process only took me a few years.
I have done incredibly well with my life because I was afforded a second chance.
In 1988 I had all my civil rights restored, including: the right to vote, travel abroad, perform jury duty, hold public office, and be employed in certain government organizations.
Since then I’ve created a great life for myself.
Steven Shulman during a period where he was using a lot of drugs.
I’m a successful insurance broker, real estate investor, published author and founder of a nonprofit charity that saves the lives of pets in distress.
I hold the proud distinction of being the first convicted felon to be issued a real estate license in Florida, and the first convicted felon in Florida to be issued an insurance license.
I made a mistake when I was young.
I served my time.
And I have done incredibly well with my life because I was afforded a second chance.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with a governor like Rick Scott.
There is of course a massive irony in all of this.
He’s a man with absolute dictatorial power who routinely denies people their right to vote after they’ve paid their debt back to society.
Scott doesn’t care if people turn their lives around.
He wants to keep them as second-class citizens- forever.
Shulman receiving his wife as a visitor while he was in prison.
25% of Florida’s black population is currently unable to vote due to prior felony convictions.
And right now, there’s more than 1.8 million people with felony convictions who have been permanently disenfranchised and cannot vote.
There is of course a massive irony in all of this.
In 1997, Scott’s healthcare company was charged by the federal government with the largest Medicare fraud in history.
Scott resigned as CEO during the investigation, pled the fifth 75 times when questioned by government attorneys, while the company pled guilty to 14 felonies and paid $1.7 billion in fines.
Scott lied his way out of criminal prosecution and a felony conviction.
Shulman showing off his book, “My Aunt Gloria” at Books & Books in Coral Gables.
He could easily have ended up as one of the millions of Floridians who are currently without their full civil rights restored.
But justice looks different for millionaires.
On November 6th, as Florida voters, we have the chance to change that.
We can take this issue out of the hands of politicians and give our fellow citizens their right to vote.
You’ll be amazed with what they do with it, if given the chance to be treated like everybody else.
Take it from my experience.
I was given a second chance and I made it count.
Others deserve the shot I got.
Vote for Amendment 4.
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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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