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would have given the commission the same power to waive fees they have now. Ladra is astounded at the many times commissioners speak on an item before they actually read it.
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So, then, Edmonson turned to the only last straw she had left: It was her territory, dammit, and a lack of respect on Zapata’s part to even suggest anything outside his district.
Say what? Now? A year after this conversation starts, a year after she seconds the item on getting the appraisals, she raises this ugly parochial argument? Really? This argument makes Ladra think the JLL thing is not so far-fetched.
Commissioner Barbara Jordan sure seemed to buy it, however, saying that there 
are regional properties for collective decisions and district properties where district commissioners have their own ideas.
“It is true that initially the property was a part of the original American Arenas property for developing the whole thing. When the property was turned back over to the county, it then became a part of the District 3 and 5 scenario looking at how we would entertain development,” she said, citing past and also divisive discussions about a Cuban museum or a black heritage museum.
Really? Really? It went to the district? When did I get a chance to vote on that?
“Regardless to whether we agree with it or not there has been an unspoken or a spoken process that when it comes to properties within our district, the leadership in those districts pretty much takes the lead. Maybe that needs to be this discussion that needs to come back to the commission. Do we want to start cutting across and doing things that, um… I just tend to be straight up about stuff. To me that is the bottom line issue.
“If someone comes and makes a plan for a property that is in District 1 that is not a regional asset like the Dolphin Stadium is a regional asset, then my hairs are going to rise 
on my head. I’m going to be concerned about it,” Jordan said, recommending an open Government in the Sunshine meeting between commissioners when these out-of-district issues arise. “I think there needs to be a certain amount of camaraderie where we respect the other person’s ability to make sound decisions based on what they think is the best interest of the area the person represents.”
I guess camaraderie trumps common sense and the good public policy? For Jordan, the answer is yes.
“Even if there is merit to what is being placed on the table, that a sunshine meeting should be called with the respective commissioner to kind of make sure they are on board with it,” Jordan said, jokingly (or maybe not) adding “Hopefully, we won’t have any intrusions in District 1.”
Really? Really? So she knows there is merit to the idea, that it’s a good thing for us in the whole county, but she voted against it because it didn’t come from Audrey Edmonson’s office? How does that make any sense?
How can a proposal with clear and admitted merit be killed based on the parochial and fact-void tirade by one commissioner? Because instead of debating the proposal on the actual substance of it, Edmonson characteristically turned the item into an opportunity to divide the dais.
“If this goes through,” she warned, ominously — you could almost see the waving finger — “then I think every singe one of us will now have to worry about each other crossing the lines and coming in and doing whatever we want to do in each other’s district. We may as well say let’s do that. This is disrespectful. And when you talk about a Sunshine meeting. A message was sent to me to call one. This is not my item. I am not going into someone else’s district.
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“This is why it was mandated that the voters choose us by single member districts. And until the voters or a judge decide that we are not going to be elected by a single member district, then we should honor that,” Edmonson said, sounding a little ignorant.
Talk about disrespectful.
Um, ah, no, commissioner. You are mistaken. Single member districts were mandated for diversity, to ensure that the ethnic and racial mixes in our population were proportionately represented in our local government. They were not created so you could carve out your little district as a fiefdom and make the wrong decision on behalf of all county residents and taxpayers.
“I know we are all here to represent the whole county,” Edmonson said at the meeting. 
“But, sometimes, we have to show respect on this counter. Otherwise, we are not going to get along. You have to show respect… I think it’s time we start respecting each other on this dais.”
Ladra could say that Edmonson needs to keep her ego in check and show some respect to the taxpayers who are getting bilked with the current deal.
And how on Earth are these five acres of rare public waterfront property, that voters mandated become a public park when they passed the 1996 referendum to build the tax-subsidized AmericanAirlines Arena, suddenly a District 3 asset instead of a countywide asset? It is, in fact, like the Dolphin stadium in District 1. It is also like the Youth Fair vs FIU expansion in District 11. It is like the Crandon Golf Course Trump deal that, thankfully, died in District 7.
These are county assets that belong to all of us and should be protected by all commissioners.
“This is a taxpayer investment. This land belongs to the residents of Miami-Dade County and someone else is benefiting from this,” said Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who wanted the additional funding set aside “to
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