Politics won out over reason Thursday night as City of Miami Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez pulled a political kamakazi with his ‘no’ vote on Miami 21. The vote was surprising because only moments before the vote he described the items that would have to be changed before second reading. Most observers have been scratching their head over this bizarre turn of events. The Chairman cited his concerns over potential property rights litigation, but he did not offer an alternative motion to consider the item without including the questionable properties (as chair of the commission we assume that he knows he can do that). I think the Commissioner has to think quick at this point if he is going to salvage any bit of his campaign.
Later he issued the following brief press release (I’ve added my comments in blue):
| Office of Chairman Joe Sanchez 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, Florida 33133 |
FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
PRESS STATEMENT |
|
| Telephone: 305.250.5380
Fax: 305.250.5386 |
For Immediate Release August 7, 2009 Miami, FL
|
CHAIRMAN JOE SANCHEZ SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT
ON MIAMI 21 VOTE
(Miami, FL) – Chairman Joe Sanchez issued the following statement regarding his no vote on the version of Miami 21 considered by the Miami City Commission on Aug. 6:
- It was painful to vote against a concept I believe in.
Mr. Chairman, as Mayor you will be faced with a variety of tough decisions. Part of being Mayor is setting priorities and sticking to them. This was one of the initiatives you supported. What happened? Is this the sort of flimsy leadership you will display once elected? I might not agree with Commissioner Regalado, but he sticks to what he says.
- For more than a decade, I have supported smart growth principals such as pedestrian-friendly development, public transit, bicycle lanes, neighborhood preservation, shade trees, parkland, green space and sustainability.
What good is all that work and leadership if you are going to play politics with one of the most important pieces of legislation you have been confronted with? Should you really be at the helm of organizations such as the DDA and Green Commission considering their strong support for the plan, and your apparent disregard for their opinion?
- Tragically, the version of Miami 21 that came up for a vote yesterday was tainted by restrictions that placed our residents in harm’s way by exposing us to tens of millions of dollars in lawsuits from loss of property value.
If you were really concerned about the budget then why not defer this meeting from the get go? As Chairman, I’m sure that you know the advertisement alone cost $50,000 (the cost of 2 Bike Miami Days). As with the Miami River properties that were not being included in the vote because they are under litigation, you could have simply removed questionable properties from the vote and moved forward.
- We are in a budget crisis that threatens to bankrupt the City, so I could not uphold my fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers if I approved that version of Miami 21.
See my previous comment. $50k = 2 Bike Miami Days. I hope you don’t cut Bike Miami Days from the budget now as a result of the money you wasted on advertising this meeting.
- However, I am extremely hopeful that this is a temporary setback to a common goal that is within our reach. Miami 21 must be revisited immediately after we have cut the bloated salaries and pensions that threaten our current budget.
- We now have a golden opportunity to resolve key issues and craft a pure version of Miami 21 that truly protects our neighborhoods and our City revenues.
- With all five Commissioners on the dais, we must reconsider Miami 21. We must adopt a final version of Miami 21 that truly is the people’s plan.
All five Commissioners would have been great, but don’t use that as a copout. You should have voted to approve. You still have time to correct this misstep. Let’s be honest: your campaign is dead as a doornail. Any voting constituency that you were previously courting you lost, and you definitely didn’t pick up any Regalado voters. As soon as Tomasito is elected he is going to put Miami 21 on the agenda (not subsatntially different) and it will get approved. Your ‘no’ vote will have been in vain. I can’t vouch that it will make a lot of difference for your campaign, but at least you can leave public office knowing that you contributed in a positive way to the future of our city. You have a chance at redeeming yourself, I hope you take it. Don’t delay, put Miami 21 back on the agenda, and vote to approve.
I disagree.
Sanchez urged Manny Diaz to defer the item, it was even on the paper, but the Mayor wouldn’t budge.
The budget is more pressing than anything else. It means people’s jobs and cutting services to people.
Sanchez issued a statement claiming Miami 21 is not dead. Maybe, if other commissioners…aka (Sarnoff…Regalado) would vote for what’s best instead of adding more than 10 amendments to this plan because they’re using every single vote for political leverage, Miami 21 would’ve been approved last week.
I don’t know where you get off saying Joe’s campaign is dead. Just this weekend he knocked on my door. Regalado has yet to make any type of contact letting me know what he stands for, besides just voting ‘no’ on everything, including Miami 21.
Anon, What I didn’t say above was that I was a Sanchez supporter. Regardless of whether your arguments have merit (which I think some do), there are other ways that the Commissioner could have handled the decision. What a great legacy for him to have been the deciding vote to move forward.
I’m not saying that other Commissioners didn’t add to the problem, but as Chairman (and Mayoral aspirant) he should found a better way of handling the vote. It doesn’t help that he looked so confused at the end either.
Why do I think that his chances are shot? Because voters like me find this political ploy distasteful and disingenuous. He didn’t gain any voters, but he definitely lost voters. Seems like a loss to me…
As Chairman he can defer the item and the Mayor would have to veto it.
Joe is reaaallll good at sending out press releases. He did not defer it and only “urged” the Mayor.
You know what was another tough decision Joe? The Marlins stadium. Which is a financial fiasco!
The Mercy Towers AND Cubix.
Both of which overwhelming support from the local community came out against, and eventually sued the city and won!
What the hell were you thinking man?!
Wow. that’s all I have to say about that.
I hope Sanchez can step it up now. Regalado as mayor scares the s**t out of me.
I think WOW was the best response! What a fiasco… there is plenty of blame to go around- Sarnoff pilling on sweets for his district, Sanchez looking befuddled and confused failing to suggest an alternative motion, the administration failing to suggest the item be continued until a full commission could decide (even after the first vote). WOW, WOW, WOW
I invite everyone to come out Aug 26th to the Transit Forum at Capital Grille 6pm. Until we have transit we will not have a real city.
Please send this to the commissioner and to steven wright. I think the commissioner really believes this stuff that is written for him. He let us down. End of story.
My understanding is that Sarnoff attempted to add in language at the last second that would have exepmted his area from the Miami 21 height requirements on Biscayne, and Sanchexz’ no vote was predicated upon that portion.
To the Anon at 2:34
One of the things Sarnoff added was a height restriction. In the historical district of MiMo
Look Sanchez did the right thing by voting it down. What Sarnoff did was unbelievable with all of those poison pills he proferred. And Gonzalez missing the vote is inexcusable. Joe simply did not want to put the City at financial risk. In addition, he requested the vote be deferred but Mayor Diaz said no. Maybe Joe should of not voted like AG or like the County Commission when recently they decided not to vote on the millage rate.
Unlike the sneaky and petulant Sarnoff, Sanchez did the right thing.
Maybe voting down Sarnoff’s changes was the right move, but he could have very easily made another motion (after his no vote) to approve the code without the changes that Sarnoff proposed. That would have been a 2-2 vote with Sanchez and Spence-Jones voting yes, and Regalado and Sarnoff voting no. Why did he choose to take the political heat if Sarnoff was in the wrong? Doesn’t add up in my head.
or…
He could have just voted to approve and addressed the changes between first and second reading. Watch the last moments of the meeting.
He looks like he thought there was another motion, and only moments before he had been discussing the changes that needed to be made/issues to be addressed before second reading. It looks like he simply made a mistake.
[...] into a bittersweet stalemate when one of the up-to-then supporters, Commissioner Joe Sanchez, voted “No” on the plan, achieving a 2-2 result (the fifth City Commissioner was undergoing surgery that day), citing weak [...]
[...] into a bittersweet stalemate when one of the up-to-then supporters, Commissioner Joe Sanchez, voted “No” on the plan, achieving a 2-2 result (the fifth City Commissioner was undergoing surgery that day), citing weak [...]