Add another chief of something to the growing cabinet of Democrat castaways that Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava is building around her administration. Former Florida Emergency Management Director and State Rep. Jared Moscowitz is now our Chief COVID Officer.
Well, that’s not his official title but it’s what he is. He is officially just a “special advisor” and will work with the county’s emergency management team and “COVID leadership” — we have a COVID leadership? — to advise on our vaccination, testing and overall COVID response strategy.
Wasn’t Chief Medical Officer Peter Paige, a Jackson Memorial Hospital doctor, supposed to be doing that? Levine Cava named him to the post in November, shortly after her election, after promising to create the position repeatedly during the campaign.
It wasn’t the last position she created.
Know more: La Alcaldesa Daniella Levine Cava gets installed, declares war on COVID
Moskowitz joins a mayor’s office that is fat with chiefs. There’s Paige. And then there’s the county’s first Chief Bay Officer, Irela Bague, and first Chief Heat Officer, Jane Gilbert. We’ve got Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales, Chief Safety Officer J.D. Patterson, Chief Financial Officer Ed Marquez, Chief Information Officer Margaret Brisbane.
You know what these people used to be called? Deputy mayors. And La Alcaldesa has more of them than former mayor and now Congressman Carlos Gimenez ever had. I bet you it’s a bigger budget, too. It’s at least $1.2 million a year for the five of them without Gilbert, whose salary couldn’t be found on the county’s online salary search database.
Also not included is the Equity and Inclusion Officer, which is also a new position but not a chief. El pobre.
Because at some point there are too many chiefs in the kitchen.
Know more: La Alcaldes pushes on with Jimmy Morales post vs black leaders’ pushback
It’s not that it’s Moskowitz isn’t fantastic at the crisis crunch and worth every penny of that $5,000 a month Ladra was told he is getting paid. Known as the ‘master of disaster,’ Moskowitz — who was also a gun reform advocate after the Parkland shooting — has guided Florida through several hurricanes and the first year of the COVID pandemic, leaving the state job in February “to spend more time with family.” My quotes, not his. Because it’s what everybody says.
But he’s been helping Florida cities and counties out behind the scenes since leaving Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ administration, which by the way, since when has their COVID response been a model? So why are we paying for the cow when we could get the milk for free?
And we won’t need a chief COVID officer forever, right? Or does the mayor know something we don’t? So would Moskowitz segue into another position, as many “professional administrators” do? Or will he just go away? Or is he there to take some of the slack off Morales, who is the real mayor by all accounts, or help her raise money for her political action committee?
“He is a seasoned emergency management professional,” Levine Cava said at a televised press conference Thursday. “He led the state through the pandemic and we are glad to have him.”
Mmmm, hmmm. Ladra is sure you are.
La Alcaldesa Levine Cava names Jared Moskowitz as ‘chief’ COVID officer added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
I guess this Czar will make sure that the millions of illegal aliens the Biden administration is aiding and abetting into crossing the border (and paying at taxpayers expense to be bused or taken via airplane to all parts of the country) are thoroughly tested and vaccinated against covid plus wear their masks diligently before being allowed into MDC? NOT!
” This is extremely troubling. The last thing we need is a medical dictatorship in Miami-Dade county.”
Miami -Dade has the highest rate of vaccination in Florida but we are a tourist area for younger tourists and the gate way to Latin America so unless tourists are banned and not a single flight is allowed in from Latin America due to no fault of our own the virus stays high ( at least for now ) .
I’m in Doral and visitors are coming in daily from South and Central America to visit family , etc and seriously doubt all are vaccinated , in fact people from other countries get vaccinated here .
Months ago when it was in theory prohibited it was still going on .
Same thing from Cubans going back and forth to Cuba where the virus is obscene ( same as Central / South America ) you can be vaccinated but you bring it back with you .
Saying that being the gate way to Latin America might be a big contributor is not a popular thing to say here .
These ” Health Czars ” are useless unless they say no more flight coming from Latin America but again that is not going to happen here .
” More and more, DLC is proving to fall into Republicans favorite stereotypes of Dems. A shame since the only time they seem to show up is for backroom deals and to shout “Free Cuba!” when convenient.”
Agree with your post but I see the same thing with the ‘ R ‘ bunch in Miami as far as a brigade of extra people on government pay rolls due to cronyism and nepotism , its a family business .
However in Miami if you have the letter ‘ R ‘ in front of your name you can get away with it , perhaps not if you have the letter ‘ D ‘ in front of your name .
Both my sisters live in California , if I was a Republican I would run there as a Democrat and that letter ‘ D ‘ would protect me , allow me to get away with what I wanted to do much like the letter ‘ R ‘ in Miami would do for me .
The More This County Diggs The DEEPER in CORRUPTION We GET ?
This is extremely troubling. The last thing we need is a medical dictatorship in Miami-Dade county.
It appears DLC is falling into the trap most Democrats fall into – ambitiously surrounding themselves with so-called “experts” who are really just palancas for their own ambition.
Moskowitz is not only the former FDEM chief – he is also the son of Michael Moskowitz, an established and politically connected Broward lawyer, who defended Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony paid for by a mysterious pack.
And no where is blood thicker than water than South Florida.
More and more, DLC is proving to fall into Republicans favorite stereotypes of Dems. A shame since the only time they seem to show up is for backroom deals and to shout “Free Cuba!” when convenient.
Who is representing the taxpayers? Dumbo CFO Ed Marquez was a HUGE cheerleader for the Marlins Stadium disaster. That con will cost taxpayers over $3 Billion AND Ed Marquez gave it his endorsement. Former Mayor Manny Diaz was a huge leader of that scam. Cava needs better executives.