emptiness is next to godliness

Exmiami reports that the old Miami Herald building has not had any advertising on its sides for ten days. These advertisements face a highway, which is not only technically illegal (though god forbid the City of Miami ever do it's actual job) but an exploitive distraction.

I hope Genting, the company which is tearing down the Herald Building, keeps the adverts down too!

the two-tiered first ammendment protections of presstitutes and citizenry

The slew of citizen journalist arrests at protests deemed unauthorized demonstrates a clear double standard in the protections municipalities and their police grant regarding the first amendment. While orders to disperse from public streets are constitutionally questionable on face, the arbitrary discrimination between government condoned journalists and anyone else on the scene raises startling questions with human rights violation implications.
As if working together like members of a team, corporate sponsored mainstream media representatives are literally given a game plan by the policy media liason, as everyone else is treated like a criminal for what is a clear expression of the constitutionally protected right to assemble freely.

While I am interested in any cases which have augmented the 1st amendment to allow governments to impose time or place restrictions, the wording itself suggests no scope of time or place, which implies all collective spaces more than any other are subject to this constitutional protection.

Let me tell you why I've brought it up:
When journalists, "the press" are not as much watchdogs of power, but rather than lapdogs, it's becomes increasingly difficult for the population to understand what goes on around them. I won't purport any conspiracy about the unhealthy relationship between the powers that be and those charged to report on them, but rather, take a look at this youtube playlist featuring a segment from the Conan show called,  "media matters" In the segment Conan demonstrates the reality of a corporate local news affiliate feeder system whereby dozens of organizations across the country all report the same stories, in many cases with the same words.
Homogeneity in journalism is a big a problem for society. When everyone is getting the same news from the same voice, and that voice is not a free voice, we should all be terrified.

the 17 million dollar tracking system

Slowly working my way through my RSS feeds I came across (perhaps too late) this note on Miami Today about the Citizen's Independent Transportation Trust group approving a 17+ million dollar contract for a GPS tracking system on Miami-Dade Transit's buses.
This is something worth looking in to.

Here are links I've compiled so far, hopefully more to come once I've gotten back my public records requests.

http://www.miamidade.gov/citt/home.asp

the illustrious Faustin Denis

A quick write up requiring some follow up regarding Biscayne Landing, North Miami, and someone I have written about previously, Faustin Denis. The blog I wrote was later and much more recently featured in Voters Opinion, in part of a series on corruption in North Miami. In that particularly series my own investigations and analysis of bids made for a work contract led me to believe Faustin Denis is engaged in some kind of bid-rigging.

The rich want to pay for it, but why should they?

In this Miami New Times article, it is claimed by Neisen Kasden of the Downtown Development Authority that the filthy rich tenants of Brickell ave are "willing to tax themselves to pay for part of the improvements." Notice that there is no exploration of how much of these improvements they would be willing to pay, but given the project is estimated at only a measly $5-10 million, maybe they should just pay for the whole thing? They can call it giving back to the community, right?
One comment on the article by Esperanza Suarez Kelly notes, "My friends at Curtis + Rogers have been working on this for a very long time."

And so there is part of the story. You've got a design group whose been working on a project for some period of time despite their not being any money reserved for the project to begin with.
Who wants this project done?

I'm certainly very concerned with safety issues in the area, particularly Brickell which is notoriously anti-pedestrian, despite being one of the densest areas in Miami. However I am always skeptical of any plans that begin to hatch before they are laid.

Follow Up

One hopes it doesn't get out of hand, but I want to start a follow up-pile. Essentially, as I'ev done in the lst two days, I will post tidbits to be looked in to for further understanding.

Consider this piece on Curbed Miami:

Unbuilt SoBe Park/500/600 Alton Project Put Up For Sale.

It's got so few comments but they are so poignant that I copied most of them here. The story here is rather obvious from the comments. How common is it for flippers to get special ordinances given to their projects so they can increase their profitability?

Government, get out of our way

Given that All Aboard Florida recently won part of a process to acquire land in downtown Miami from a city agency to build a passenger train station, this comment from FEC vice president is a bit ironic: We just ask that government get out of the way.

Seems that they don't mind dealing with government when it gives them sweetheart deals on prime land.