In what seems like a classic case of putting the cart before the horse, Miami-Dade Commissioners will discuss on Wednesday the possible 
ballot language for a question on the future and uncertain FIU expansion into land now used by the Dade County Youth Fair an expo, which would be moved to another location without using county taxes.
The question is actually whether or not voters would allow FIU the same non-park use of the county land now afforded to the Youth Fair.
But what’s really happening is that the university and the PAC representing the special interests that stand to benefit from the expansion, want to pressure the non-profit Youth Fair, which really has no desire to move anywhere, with a public referendum.
“An ugly war,” is what someone at County Hall called it. And the ballot measure is seen as an offensive front from FIU, which is becoming frustrated, sources say, with protracted negotiations.
Because this isn’t a new idea. The school and the Fair Expo people have been talking about a “land swap” for four years. But any plan is contingent upon two things: Finding a site that is suitable for the Youth Fair Expo’s needs — “equal to or better than” the current location, according to their written-in-stone lease — and paying the cost to move them, estimated by Youth Fair folks (maybe someone else should check) to be at $230 million.
What’s new is the urgency to get the question on November’s ballot? That deadline is Wednesday and the commission chambers will line up with FIU honchos and their 27 lobbyists all of whom will tell our electeds how wonderful this major institution has become, a pillar of the community even, and that all they really want is to “give the people the opportunity to decide” and blah blah blah.
But all that would still be true — truer, even — after they nail down some more details, wouldn’t it?
Don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security. They’ve already set up a PAC called Friends of Higher Education that will bombard voters with catchy, one-sided propaganda in a vacuum of any real details or opposition — aka the School Board bond and the Jackson Memorial Hospital bond.
The ballot question language draft so far is very limited and shockingly lacks any real detail.
PROPOSED BALLOT QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED WEDNESDAY:
“The Dade County youth fair site at Tamiami Park is exempt from the public park purposes use restrictions and construction limitations in Article 7 of the charter. Shall the charter be amended to:
• Extend this exemption to Florida International University (FIU) for its expansion onto up to 64 acres of such site upon relocation of the youth fair; and
• Provide that no county funds be used for FIU’s expansion and the youth fair’s required relocation?”
“This is way far, far too premature,” says Youth Fair CEO Robert Hohenstein, who told Ladra they would just as soon stay on the site they have been on for 43 years and have a lease lock on through 2085. “We’ve been in conversations for four years with the county and FIU over the possible relocation, but we haven’t found a site. Nobody has identified funding.
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Premature ballot item = pressure on Youth Fair/FIU land deal added by Ladra on
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