After voting to curtail protests in the light of recent pro-Palestine demonstrations, the city of Miami Beach could now limit free speech at commission meetings as well.
Following a March meeting where several public speakers were censored and Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez and Mayor Stephen Meiner lashed out at the police chief for what he said was insufficient police presence at a Jewish event, Meiner will bring an ordinance to Wednesday’s commission meeting that would establish a “code of conduct for interactions among elected officials, administrated staff and the public.”
Among other things, it would limit what the public or commissioners could say about any city employee.
It seems obvious that the move is a result of the March 13 meeting, where the commissioners voted on setting up “parameters” for future protests and in which Suarez blasted Police Chief Wayne Jones for the way the department handled an event at a Temple Emanu-El, outside which there was a pro-Palestine group demonstrating. Video clips of protesters chanting and waving flags were shown at the meeting.
“Where was the police? I only saw one officer,” Suarez told Jones, saying it was unacceptable and “grounds for firing.
“Elderly people, elderly jews came out of synagogue, walked down the street and were verbally accosted,” Suarez said, practically shaking. “If that was a KKK rally, things would have been different.”
Oh, wait. Did Ladra mention that Jones is the city’s first black police chief?
Jones explained that there were a total of 22 officers assigned to that event, some were inside the synagogue. But this is just the latest example of Suarez going off on someone. In December, he tried to have City Manager Alina Hudak‘s head, which is probably one of the reasons she resigned last week.
Miami Beach United, a non-profit of active citizens who advocate on city issues, supports the “intent” of the ordinance but wants to see it tweaked. “Anything that can be done to clarify the type of speech and behavior that is acceptable at commission meetings, and the decorum that is expected, is a step forward and timely considering unfortunate events during the last commission meeting’s Sutnick hour.”
That’s the public comment hour and both Meiner and Suarez had it out with several members of the public who complained about their ordinance to curtail free speech, er, I mean “establish parameters for protests,” like time, location and manner. They cut them off and cut the mic.
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“This is a non partisan government. If you want to talk about the protests, that’s fine. But I’m not going to sit here and allow you to make accusations agains the Israeli government that are anti-Semitic in my opinion,” he told one caller, a man who identified himself as Jewish and said he was “horrified by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza … and the unfolding genocide.”
Meiner told another caller that he was “not going to allow you to debase and lie about the Israeli government.” But what he meant was that he was not going to allow any disparaging or dissenting opinion.
The two also harassed an elderly Jewish woman who said she wished there were more protests when Nazi Germany was murdering her people.
MBU’s email to residents said the ordinance as is may limit speech too much in some areas. Big surprise, huh?
“For example, the proposal overreaches by limiting speech at commission meetings regarding the performance of city employees and behavior of members of the city government. This type of speech can be an important way for commission members to fulfill their political responsibilities, particularly in light of limitations imposed by the Sunshine Law.
“It is also important to clarify the difference between speech that occurs during the Sutnick hour, with speech at other times such as public comment during commission meetings,” the MBU statement reads. “During Sutnick, the public has the right to speak their mind on any topic, without interference from the dais, as long as the speech is respectful and decorous.”
Keywords: Without interference.
According to City Attorney Rafael Paz, the city code already provides a code of conduct for elected officials and employees as well as officers and employees of city agencies. “The code currently lacks, however, any guidelines regarding the manner in which the mayor and members of the city commission should treat one another, city staff, constituents and others with whom they come into contact in the course of their service as elected representatives for the City of Miami Beach,” Paz wrote in a memo to the commission.
“It is imperative for elected officials to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and respect in all interactions, whether on the dais, when addressing administrative staff and residents, or when engaging with each other. Further, elected officials should engage with each other in a professional manner, allowing for thorough examination of issues and respectful dialogue while refraining from disruptive behavior,” Paz wrote.
Ladra, for one, can’t wait to see what commissioners, especially Suarez, has to say about that.
The Miami Beach Commission meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive. It can also be seen on Miami Beach TV or the city’s website.
Miami Beach mayor wants more ‘decorum’ among city officials, residents added by Ladra on
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