The crumbling courthouse crisis has now become a blame game.
Echoing lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez — who said on the radio 
during the campaign for the bond tax for a new courthouse that Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado was at fault for letting the building deteriorate so much — Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman pointed the finger at the City of Miami and basically put the onus of the historic courthouse’s condition on them.
Heyman, chair of the county’s Public Safety and Animal Services committee, also asked for an Inspector General to conduct an audit investigation into what happened at Cielito Lindo and how it got so bad.
Read related story: Commissioner Juan Zapata: Close courthouse if there’s a risk
“I’m appalled at the circumstances we are under,” Heyman said, adding that while it was a county building, which is several years overdue on it’s 40-year certification, all inspections and code enforcement fall under the city of Miami’s jurisdiction.
“No one from the city did an inspection. I’d like the Inspector General to take a look at, going back, an audit, of what the circumstances are, what the obligations are and by who,” Heyman said. “I’m not saying it was criminal, though I have my opinion on it. I sure thought it was neglectful. It didn’t come on anybody’s radar because the city of Miami, 16, 18, 20 years later, still didn’t do the 40 inspection that they should have.
“No one is asking who dropped the ball and how could that have been prevented,” she said.
Well, Commissioner Heyman, maybe the Inspector General inquiry should also look into the paid county courthouse manager that maybe was the one who dropped the ball.
There’s a manager for each of the 11 county courthouses, making between $70,000 and $90,000-a-year, to manage what exactly? Had the manager at 73 West Flagler made any efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating condition of the courthouse?
Because there are some in the community who believe that certain people in the county — and the people who benefit from those people’s positions in the county — knew that there were structural concerns and let them go on and on and on until it got to this critical point precisely so that a new courthouse would be more easily sold.
Read related story: Courthouse tax debate: Scare tactics vs. common sense
Those columns didn’t corrode overnight. The flooding isn’t new. The mold and asbestos and termites have been known of for months, if not years.
And just because the community has overwhelmingly rejected the notion that taxpayers should pay for a giant, brand new $393-million courthouse without getting any details as to where and how and why so big, all that hot mess in the historic building doesn’t go away. It still needs to be addressed.
The committee approved a resolution 
from Commissioner Juan Zapata to direct the mayor’s office to do an immediate inspection and assessment of the courthouse — and close it down if the conditions are so dire that there are risks to life and health to the almost one million people that go through there a year and the 576 people who work there every day. Commissioner Esteban Bovo wanted to amend it to assess the other 10 courthouses, too, but that was tabled until it goes to the full commission next month.
Chief Miami-Dade Judge Bertila Soto, whose dreams were dashed when voters killed the courthouse tax Tuesday, supported the measure. But she said the commission should go further.
“All of these are great short term requests. However, we need a long-term solution,” Soto said, applauding a proposed amendment by Commissioner Audrey Edmonson directing the mayor’s office to also look into the construction and funding alternatives for a new courthouse.
“This is like an old car. You fix one thing, the next day two other things break down,” Soto said, 
citing an elevator that was fixed in October as an example. “It was closed last week again.
“Even if the building were pristine, we all know its inadequate. There are 23 courtrooms for 41 judges. It goes far beyond what was envisioned for this building,” Soto said. “We were going to ask that this commission discuss, at its Dec. 2 meeting, to identify a funding for a long term solution and continue the process to build a new courthouse.
“That’s what the citizens of Dade County deserve. A safe and functioning new courthouse.”
The citizens also deserve answers to the dozens of questions that have come up about how to best use the assets we have now or have access to and any new courthouse space built in the future. They deserve a transparent and open conversation about how we are going to fix this.
Ladra fully expects that conversation to start Dec. 2 when Zap’s request and the accompanying amendments and Edmonson’s reuqest is heard by the whole commission.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t end in yet another bond referendum question next year.
Courthouse debate continues, becomes a blame game added by Ladra on
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Ulvert and Jorge Lopez got crushed. Those dudes mailed a million sleazy direct mail flyers. At the end Ulvert and Lopez stopped mentioning the $393 Million bond. Yup, the bond would have cost the taxpayers $800 Mil to pay back with all the interest included. The County needs to step up and show respect to historic buildings.
Ladra:
How many times are you going to support a candidate and then later bash them. Weren’t you the ever so supporter of Carlos Gimenez? You have poor judgement. Once again, you are repeating the same the mistake. Are you a glutton for punishment? What Raquelita did was to put her name out their in the same manner Carlos Gimenez did with the Marlins stadium. All for the sake to tell the public, in which the majority were against the Stadium and now the Courthouse,that Raquelita agrees with their position.
I am not trying to get into a spat with you, but you are really not making any sense here.
By the way, politics have gotten to be a bad and sad state of affairs, because of such bias reporting. I really thought you were different.
Jorge Luis Lopez, being the lobbyist, the face of the campaign, is what helped kill the proposal. Anything and everything he touches is great cause for concern to the community because of his closeness to Chicken little, cry wolf, Carlos Gimenez. Whether in the front end, or backend, probably both ends, he will score huge amounts of money. Maybe he can wine and dine Gimenez in Europe again.
He is smart, however, disguising himself as a caring philantropist, but it always has a billing angle for himself. His true caring is lining his pockets
We now know why Miami-Dade voters so overwhelmingly rejected the Courthouse renovation. According to today’s Miami Herald, Christian Ulvert turned it into his personal slush fund. “Liberal voters were our natural constistuency” said Ulvert, when explaining the diversion of $21,000 of Courthouse PAC money to the Charlie Crist Campaign. Really? Just ask the Amendment 2 (marijuana) folks how the linking of their efforts to Charlie Crist worked out. Strategically the best tactic would have been a non-partisan campaign. That’s how The School Bonds passed (backed by Raquelita, but more on that later). That’s how Miami-Dade College Bonds, FIU expansion, Children’s Trust, and others have passed. Christian the truth is that you are a partisan hack, and worse, a crook. you sent that money out of the county because you were also a paid consultant for Crist, and were feeding off both troughs. The $83K you made off the poor courthouse folks did not alone satisfy your greed. Never again will the contributors, candidates and even your own liberal buddies trust you with another campaign after this debacle.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/11/miami-dade-courthouse-campaign-also-supported-democratic-pac-.html#storylink=cpy
This should stay with Ladra having the last word.
Sorry to go back to an old issue: The way I understand it, Dade County is the authority with jurisdiction for the 40- year re-certifications and it is also the owner of the building. It just happens that the structure is located in the city of Miami. The owner of the building should have the inspections performed for recertification and the authority should recertify it (or not) based on the reports. Anyway, it is all Dade County’s fault.
No disclaimer is needed, Jameis. I am not being paid by Ms. Regalado. And like many media outlets with columns or opinion pages, I have every right to support anyone.
Do I like the idea of her challenging the mayor for his seat? Absolutely. I’m practically giddy about it. Would I support her? Most probably. Unless a better candidates shows her or his face. Is that journalism? Absolutely.
There has been a long history of political endorsements by journalists, as well as political commentary and satire. Please learn the difference between a column and a news story. My blog is my column. You do not have to read it if you don’t like it. You want bland news? There’s plenty of that around.
Love, Ladra
Shouldn’t there be a disclaimer on this blog?? “Paid political Advertisement by the campaign to elect R Regalado Mayor of Miami Dade” lol. What a joke! The fact that you admit that you are NOT FAIR and balanced is a sad testament to those of us with Journalism degrees. Jean, I think your argument was on the money. You go girl!!
It’s next to impossible to get a lawyer to realize that he/she’s been scammed.
Lol. You are so much fun to talk to!! No Elaine, repeating the same incoherent statement is not “debunking” anything. Much like incessantly repeating the same meaningless “we need to have a comprehensive conversation” soundbyte does not accomplish a thing. You guys must have gone to the same law school. Your redundancy is fruitless and your inability to listen is evidence of your agenda. But, like I said, you’re funny! I haven’t been this entertained in a long time. If you think you “kicked my butt” then you go with your bad self girl!! LOL………
Funny, Jean. By my estimation, I kicked your butt with this case right here. Our first face-off and I debunked each and every one of your weak arguments.
And a jury of our peers — the voters — seem to agree that I made my case better than you made yours.
I welcome another round.
Love, Ladra
PS: Hold your breath at work. Don’t want nothin’ to happen to you.
It is a shame that the people always have to pay for the consequences of poor management. We hire politicians to do a job and what do they do “nothing”. There is no reason why the courthouse should have reached this condition. Ms. Regalado may be very smart and Ladra may have started campaigning for her to become County Mayor but don’t disregard the fact that part of the problem with allowing the deterioration of the Courthouse is her father’s fault. Mayor Tomas Regalado is the City Mayor so he should have been aware of this problem since the courthouse sits on the City of Miami. I know that at this point what needs to be done is fix the Courthouse. I’ve heard there are millions of dollars for that purpose. But in no way should we disregard the fact that there are many people involved making pretty good money that should have made sure the courthouse didn’t reach such a deterioration. They should be questioned and if necessary relieved of their job. Also, how about the judges that work in the courthouse on a daily basis. Did they speak out? or anyone else that works in the courthouse, like maintenance, staff, attorneys. Is it that they all wanted a new courthouse?
Lol. I wish you were an attorney too. Perhaps them you would have some knowledge on what you speak of. Plus it would be fun to be your opposing counsel.
Trying to explain the actual facts is an exercise in futility and, as they say, is as frustrating as trying to smell the number 9.
But you sure are good for a laugh here and there.
Jean, c’mon, that was beneath you –
Whatever occurs, the downtrodden 9-5 working taxpayers will get the screw again. I think they should repair the OLD courthouse and bring it up to snuff (a-la-shiny, technologically NEW, lots of video screens, etc;). I’d rather spend the money bringing back to life a historical building, than creating yet another new one that might cost MORE than repairing. I’m open to hear more about a NEW building though, I’m trying to keep my mind OPEN.
The 2012 absentee ballot investigation by law enforcement was a picture window into the lows our elected and wanna-be judges will sink to get elected. After all, these judges are attorneys and will say or do anything that will put a couple of dollars in their pockets. The bottom line here is that an ammendment to siphon another half billion dollars in bonds failed to pass because citizens are tired of being led by the nose by greedy politicians and the peanut galleries of contractors, lobbyists and consultants that keep them in office. I am fully convinced that plans are already in the works to circumvent the process and find a way to build that courthouse with or without our approval.
Damn, I shoulda been an attorney!
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
First, to Jean. A conversation is had with more than one voice, so, no, that diatribe was not it. In case you don’t know what a conversation looks like, it would sorta look like this…
You: The “abandoned” Federal courthouse that you speak of has not been in use because it has such bad asbestos that a federal judge DIED from working there. It was shut down for safety reasons shortly thereafter.
Me: Wow. That is terrible. But what would it take to fix that, to eradicate the toxins and clean it up? Ten million? $50 million? $100 million? Still less than the $393 million BLANK CHECK for no clear plan they were pushing on us.
You: Let’s move your office, the school board and the commission to that “abandoned” Federal courthouse and we will try our cases in your respective offices.
Me: I work everywhere. Sometimes, by the way, I’ve worked in the courthouse. I have no control over the safety of my environment most of the time. But, granted, nobody wants anybody to work in those conditions. So how come the proponents of this non plan, you included I assume, are okay with LEAVING PEOPLE THERE for the thee or four (read: five or six after “change orders”) years that it takes to build a new building?
You: Oh, and the “abandoned” juvenile courthouse on 27th avenue that you are referring to? I practiced there. It consists of an old, small office space and several trailers. The “courtrooms” are closet sized and there are NO JURY FACILITIES. You can’t even seriously call it a courthouse.
Me: How many abandoned courthouses are we going to have then? Every time we outrgrow a building or a facility starts being obsolete, we abandon it and build a bigger, shinier one? What happened to improving what we already have first? And what are we going to do with that space? Just let it sit there empty and unused?
You: It’s amazing how people spout on about things they know nothing about and disregard those who actually have credible information.
Me: Where is the credible information? Are you saying that we cannot question the very people who have some — a little or a lot — of self interest in this happening? We have to take what is presented to us as absolute truth? A halfdrawn plan that was hatched when All Aboard was involved and there were going to lease offices? Who has answered the questions that have been asked? Like what exactly are the 625,000 square feet for? What about digital storate?
You: Oh, oh!! and that idea of a giant complex for all the courts…. that would cost BILLIONS and would not be completed for eternities… you know… after all of the “comprehensive conversations” are over…
Me: You really don’t know what a conversation is, do you? You have to LISTEN half the time. While I did say that the criminal courthouse has to be addressed too, nobody said it should be built brand new in the same place as the civil couthouse. Nobody said we need a giant complex for all the courts. In fact, I lean toward the opposite, which is decentralization.
You: De-centralization?? Great idea. Let’s tell the people who rely on public transit that they now must take 15 different buses to get to a courthouse on Krome or in Doral rather than hopping on the Metrorail and getting to court on time without having to start out their journey at 4 a.m.
Me: Wait a minute. Aren’t we also talking to the people in Homestead and Doral. Why would they have to start their journey at 4 a.m if they LIVE in Doral and can go to court there or LIVE in Hialeah and can go to court THERE. You are making no sense. It’s not just for the people who rely on public transit, who by the way also live in Doral and Hialeah. It’s for everybody who has to drive or bus or hitch a ride downtown from those very places. Are you not understanding me? Jan Richmond does. More people live in the suburbs that in the downtown.
You: But, by all means, let’s continue having “discussions”. Perhaps one of them will be determined to be “comprehensive” someday…. I have a feeling that that “someday” will never, ever come.
Me: Not if the conversation stays one sided. What we need is all the stakeholders at the table to consider these concerns and questions open mindedly and not just jump to a knee jerk reaction.
And dear Mr. Paine… you echoed what I said. Do we need a new courthouse? I’m pretty sure we do. Ladra only questions if this was the best way to move forward with it and pay for it and if this was the best price we could get. As for bashing the judicial community… I don’t think bashing is the right word. I did question why they used scare tactics and a misleading — a VERY misleading — campaign that made the public think this was about fixing Cielito Lindo. The ads made NO MENTION of this new inevitable courthouse. You don’t find that a little bit dishonest? And why was the chief defender a lobbyist who also got a deal for the Miami Heat that was a bad deal for taxpayers? We have to trust HIM? Really?
It was low hanging fruit, maybe, but Raquel Regalado was the only one to question it — at some risk to her own political career. I find that courageous.
And Mr. Pointy, again, this is my space where my bias and analysis are displayed for all to see. That is what my readers (who by the way are increasing in numbers daily, my ad servers can show you that) expect from me. That is the purpose of this blog. You want fair and balanced, go watch FOX.
Love, Ladra
Ladra,
Now Jean is saying exactly what I said about Raquel Regalado and your bias reporting. You are resembling ever so closely to the Herald’s reporting style. I really thought you were different. Your losing credibility and readership.
New Courthouse, yes but why does it have to be downtown? That adds a pretty penny to the cost. Keep it close to Metrorail but perhaps where property is cheaper. Yes, I am talking about neighborhoods that perhaps the lawyers and judges don’t know exist. You resolve the transportation issue, save money on the land purchase and maybe even provide a boost to a community. Everyone wins, even the lawyers and judges, although they may need to find new watering holes.
Gotta agree with “Jean” on this one, Ladra. A new courthouse is an inevitability. The subtext to all of this is that most people don’t really care about the judiciary, and love to bash it because (for ethical reasons) judges cannot really defend themselves too much. It’s low hanging fruit for R. Regalado and, apparently, now you as well.
You are misinformed….. The “abandoned” Federal courthouse that you speak of has not been in use because it has such bad asbestos that a federal judge DIED from working there. It was shut down for safety reasons shortly thereafter. But here’s what I think you should do…. Let’s move your office, the school board and the commission to that “abandoned” Federal courthouse and we will try our cases in your respective offices. There! I’ve had your “comprehensive conversation”.
Oh, and the “abandoned” juvenile courthouse on 27th avenue that you are referring to? I practiced there. It consists of an old, small office space and several trailers. The “courtrooms” are closet sized and there are NO JURY FACILITIES. You can’t even seriously call it a courthouse.
It’s amazing how people spout on about things they know nothing about and disregard those who actually have credible information.
Oh, oh!! and that idea of a giant complex for all the courts…. that would cost BILLIONS and would not be completed for eternities… you know… after all of the “comprehensive conversations” are over……..
De-centralization?? Great idea. Let’s tell the people who rely on public transit that they now must take 15 different buses to get to a courthouse on Krome or in Doral rather than hopping on the metrorail and getting to court on time without having to start out their journey at 4 a.m.
But, by all means, let’s continue having “discussions”. Perhaps one of them will be determined to be “comprehensive” someday…. I have a feeling that that “someday” will never, ever come.
Love,
Jean
Jean, there is no vendetta here. Be sure of that.
I agree that there needs to be something done with the courthouse. But there needs to be something done with the criminal courthouse too. And, in two months, we will have two abandoned courthouses in the downtown area, one federal and one juvenile. There are cities like Doral that want to build a satellite courthouse so we don’t have more traffic going downtown.
Maybe we do need a bond to address the issue as a whole. Otherwise we could be in this same spot just a few years from now with another facility.
I am sorry you don’t like the words you keep hearing but we simply have NOT had a comprehensive conversation that addresses the issue as a whole. We had the ballot language rushed through on the last meeting where the commission could possibly approve it for Nov. 4. You think that was a coincidence? You call that a conversation?
Now, the conversation has really begun.
Love, Ladra
The irony of the title of your article “Courthouse debate continues, becomes a blame game” is unreal. BECOMES?? Ms. Regalado has been beating that “who’s to blame” drum from the beginning. It seems that perhaps she did not “have a plan” before she put forth that argument as she never considered that a good portion of the “blame” lies with the City of Miami.
However, the “who’s at fault” argument is government bureaucracy that will lead nowhere and will only result in further unnecessary delay to solving the problem. The judges have never fallen into that trap – and why? Because they are trained in the law to find solutions to problems rather than spin proverbial wheels.
I listened to the entire discussion at the commission this morning. Your “reporting” of what occurred is orchestrated at best. You lack any neutrality in your reporting style.
It is apparent that you have a vendetta. However, the fact is that the judges “dreams were not dashed” at the election result. They simply were working to find a long-term solution to a serious immediate problem. That problem remains and they continue to work towards finding that solution. They indicated that they are willing to work with the commission and the administration in order to find that permanent solution. Their only goal is to get a safe and sufficient courthouse.
If I hear “we need to have a comprehensive conversation” 1 more time, I will scream. How many conversations need to be held before the people using that soundbyte actually do something productive?
It’s a building with a basement. A building with a basement in Miami. Know why? Because the plans were originally submitted for a competition for the Atlanta City Hall back in the early 20’s. The plans didn’t win, but there were submitted to the Dade County Commission and the City of Miami Commission. (Both governments were going to use it as a joint city/county hall.) The building was too heavy for the sandy soil and the pilings weren’t driven deep enough. So work stopped after the 10th floor was built to pour a thick concrete slab. Our courthouse was built with second hand plans designed for a climate 600 miles to our north and well inland. Add to that the construction at the time called for columns to be more tightly packed together, limiting the size of rooms and you have a mess.