The Miami Herald's Sunday Editorial calls for Reform, not recall.
We disagree.
Miami-Dade County government needs recall and reform.
There are times when political systems are so broken, that the only way to fix them is through a shock to its core. The recall election of Mayor Carlos Alvarez is the catalyst that will bring much needed reforms to the county government structure.
Prior attempts at reform (including those proposed by the the Charter Review panel) have been stymied by the County Commission and not supported by the current Mayor. So why does the Herald think that the Mayor would be amenable to reform now?
Removing the main obstacle to reforms is the first step in bringing transparency and accountability to county government. Miami-Dade County's next mayor, whomever it may be, will be on notice that the people of this county will no longer sit idly by while government continues its wasteful ways.
Under normal circumstances, the Herald's reasoning that "recalls should be focused on malfeasance or misfeasance in office — not simply on making unpopular decisions" makes sense. But these are not normal times. While the county's unemployment rate continues to rise and it's economic foundation is in peril, Mayor Alvarez' actions have demonstrated such total disregard for the taxpayers that they rise above merely "unpopular decisions."
Consider these decisions: "Doling out double-digit percentage salary increases to top staffers while calling for shared sacrifice among other county employees was wrong. So was allowing his chief of staff to work in Panama as a private consultant on taxpayer time. Or for the mayor to have more than one taxpayer-paid luxury vehicle."
Such continued arrogance clearly shows the Mayor's disregard for the citizenry.
Add to that George Burgess' complete fiscal mismanagement of county hall, and the actions certainly amount to more that just "unpopular decisions."
Meanwhile, the Mayor does not offer a single compelling reason why he should remain in office.
Arrogance, utter disregard for taxpayers, complete financial mismanagement, and dipping into the collective wallets of the citizenry to pay for salary increases during a recession may not amount to "malfeasance or misfeasance" according to the Herald, but it's the people who will decide come March 15th.
And when the people do speak, politicians will be placed on notice. Ignore the electorate, and face Carlos Alvarez' same fate.
