It should be resolved today — the 5% deduction taken from county employees since 2009 will most likely be returned to them in a piecemeal way. It will likely be fashioned after the agreement reached with the two unions at Jackson Health System, which happened without Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who keeps saying it is impossible despite evidence to the contrary.
The votes at the county commission are there Tuesday for that kind of phasing out of the deduction that we have come to learn was really taken from employees so that the county could balance its budget. One of the five commissioners who voted against the employees last month — for the second time — is willing to vote on a settlement in which employees get about half their salary returned to them immediately and the other half returned at the end of the fiscal year. What Ladra hears from employee labor leaders is that, sigh, they are willing to accept that.
Commissioner Sally Heyman wanted to float that idea the last time — and maybe it would have gotten the 9 votes it would need to be veto proof. Which is what many believe will happen today when commissioners consider the mayor’s second veto.
But there is a more important political opportunity here, ladies and gentlemen of the BCC — what you should really be concentrating on. If the money, which is rightfully the employees, will be returned to them anyway one way or another, why not stand by your colleagues — oh, and yo
u know, that old-fashioned democratic standard that the majority rules — and override the veto, which is really a slap in the face to all 13 of you, even the five who voted with the mayor the first time.
Not just because it makes sense that in a $4.4 billion budget, if you can give 3% now and 2% later, you can figure out how to give it all now. Especially if at the same time you are thinking about giving away your most valuable property to a millionaire for a soccer stadium, giving millions in “marketing incentives” to Fortune 500 travel companies and considering multi-million energy contracts with the mayor’s friends and relatives (more on that later).
The most important reason is to send a message to the mayor and the community: That this is still a democracy.
Think about it: Next time, it could be you in the majority that gets vetoed.
Yes, I am talking to you directly: Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa, Vice Chair Lynda Bell and Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Jr., Juan Zapata, and Heyman even.
Heyman told Ladra that she was disappointed that she wasn’t given the opportunity to make the motion last time and could bring it up again if it is a way to resolve the situation. She is the unlikeliest to change her mind.
My money would be on Zap, who is level headed and has had trouble (read: been frustrated) with the county’s moving budget numbers before and could use a ‘leader moment,’ or Sosa, who had repeatedly said that she doesn’t want to treat employees differently but voted to divide them anyway into those who get the 5% back and those who don’t. This is her chance to make them whole again while still saying she voted against the 5% originally.
But let’s give them all the benefit of the doubt. And maybe a little encouragement. Because it just takes one of you from the ‘5% Five’ to make this a turning point in Miami-Dade history. Do not underestimate this vote.
Rather than give Gimenez another notch in his belt, which will only result in more arrogance and bullying, you can put the power back where it belongs: In the 13 elected commissioners that represent the people when their collective voice is heard. You can let him know that he cannot govern without the approval of the majority of you all.
The PBA is suing the county and the mayor on the first veto. Their argument is that since Gimenez is one of the aggrieved parties of the impasse and the county commission works sorta like a judge, that he cannot use his veto power to dismiss decisions made that he doesn’t like, as a grieving party. Of course he is going to veto it; he wants it to go his way. It makes sense that he wouldn’t be allowed to extend his veto power to such decisions. But two lower courts have dismissed the case based on the county charter.
That shouldn’t matter right now, anyway. Today, county commissioners have the power to make that lawsuit irrelevant. And, at the same time, show everyone who is really in charge here.
There’s enough political cover to vote to override the veto. Nobody will fault you for voting to restore democracy to Miami-Dade. You can always said you voted against giving back the 5% — we all know you’ll call it a ‘tax hike’ rather than a pay restoration — but stood with your colleagues when the mayor tried to veto their majority decision a second time.
“Because after all, this is not a dictatorship,” you can say on the radio programs, explaining that you simply wanted to restore a system of checks and balances to the dais, so that no one person has all the power. Trust me, that will resonate in this community.
If you think about it, it makes no sense not to vote to override the veto. Whether or not you supported giving the 5% back to employees is not what you are voting on today, commissioners.
What you are voting on is restoring democracy.
Miami-Dade 5% compromise will compromise democracy added by Ladra on
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