Says new rules target people who ‘look like me’
Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon on Tuesday blasted Miami Beach leaders for approving an increase in parking fees, the doubling of tow fees and the shutting down of the beach at 6 p.m. — measures they say should stem the violence that has often come with the Spring Break revelry.
“Onerous, Draconian, heavy-handed,” Hardemon called the actions taken by the Miami Beach Commission to crack down on Spring Break. “Especially when directed at people who, for the most part, look like me.”
He stopped short of calling the policies racist. But that’s what he meant. And Hardemon asked if the county could bill the city of Miami Beach for use of its officers during the two-week Spring Break season, which has come to attract many Black college students.
According to the city’s website, there will be curfews, bag checks at the three only entrances open to the beach (on 5th, 10th and 12th), DUI checkpoints, flat rates of $30 to $100 in parking garages, closed surface parking lots and double the tow charges to $516. But, hey, they’ll enhance trolley service.
Coolers, inflatable devices, tents, tables and a lot of other things — presumably, guns — will not be allowed on the beach.
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“Miami Beach obviously needs policing, but why should we pay for the sort of policing that’s going to be problematic for individuals coming to the match to enjoy themselves? I don’t want to pay for the mistreating people or violating of people’s rights,” said Hardemon, a former Miami city commissioner. “If they use our officers, can we require them to pay our officers?”
So, wait. He’s okay with violating people’s rights as long as someone else pays for it?
Miami-Dade Chief Operating Officer (read: deputy mayor) Jimmy Morales and Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert said that mutual aid agreements like the one with Miami Beach meant that the cities lent each other aid without charging for it. Said Hardemon: “I’m sure they use us more than we use them.”
Gilbert said it may be time to revisit the mutual aid agreements because they are used not only for emergencies but for this type of preventative initiative. “That, to me, is problematic because we don’t have a say in the actual plan,” Gilbert said. “We are going to put our officers in the position to do something that might be questionable.”
Hardemon added that the measures could affect tourism countywide.
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“Miami Beach is, to me, making itself to be a place that is unwelcome to a complete group of people,” Hardemon said, adding that people shoot and kill each other in the city when it’s not Spring Break, too. “The number of things they are doing to reportedly discourage Spring Breakers is something that is wrong.
“The eyes of the nation will be on Miami Beach,” Hardemon said. “No one should be coming to Miami-Dade County to break the law, but I believe a majority of these are law-abiding citizens. These are kids.”
Vice Chairman Anthony Rodriguez said he was also concerned about the business owners who would have to close early and wondered if any of the increased towing fees could go to offset their losses.
Keon Hardemon blasts Miami Beach’s “Draconian” Spring Break measures added by Ladra on
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Keon “Pay to Play” Hardemon calls himself Pay To Play while live at the City Commission Meeting. Keon was making it clear to lobbyists and sleazy developers that he would sell his vote to anyone willing to pay. Everyone in Keon’s district knows he is corrupt. We hope he loses to Audrey Edmunson this August.
Beach residents typically get out of dodge for the weekend or stay safely south of 5th ave. This wouldn’t be the case if the visitors were respectful and law abiding. Its just not the case. Keon is trying to be relevant and waving the race card. Its not race. It its behavior. Years ago Ft Lauderdale did the same thing to their, mostly white, spring breakers.
People hate corrupt politicians. People especially hate politicians who never held full time jobs in the private sector. People hate politicians who sell their votes. Black or white honest people hate corrupt politicians like corrupt Keon Hardemon. It is not a racist thing it is “we hate corruption” thing.
Most of the comments against commissioner Keon Hardemon, are overtly racist. Debate about crowd control issues Miami Beach is having can be stated without attacking the commissioners, family, and talking down about the black community. The discussion about public safety loses all credibility when main arguments are about personal attacks.
Keon Hardemon should NEVER have been elected. He is too corrupt.
Keon “Pay To Play” Hardemon. Is anyone investigating how Keon pays for his house, his many babies, his wife and all his fancy clothes on a commissioner’s salary? Inquiring minds want to know…
What a clown, pandering to a class he would not even invite to his house.😂
Keon Hardemon is one of the most corrupt politicians in the history of South Florida.
I am a resident of the beach for over 50 years, Beach High grad, etc. I’ve participated in the Goodwill Ambassador program to help keep the peace.
Yes, it’s an invasion of Black people and large crowds do ressult in problems. But this extreme draconian attempt stop black people from coming to Miami Beach is not very well veiled. It is racist to the core and portends tremendous social damage.
If the people going to Miami Beach are law-abiding citizens, as Mr. Hardemon points out; then there is nothing to worry.
Law-abiding citizens do not get DUI. They do not carry guns to the beach. They do not illegally park. And also, they do not vandalize property.
For those law-abiding citizens that Mr. Hardemon points out, there is nothing to worry about.
Of course, they are going to use the race card because they are unhappy that MB finally woke up (literally) and realized the residents that live there year round do not need to be subjected to the kind of disgusting menace that comes every year to do a plethora of abuses (too numerous to even write). Why does it have to be about race? Wait, let me check into this because apparently according to these idiots on the Commission Board who claim it’s against people that look like them other races NEVER go to MB for spring break. The lawlessness needs to be stopped. Mind you, I don’t live on MB nor do I frequent the area due to the continuous element that comes there to incite problems, hurt the people that do go there/live there and destroy the general peace of the area along with the s**t they do to the businesses. Finally, in my opinion MB is heading in the right direction.
I suggest Mr Hardemon come take a walk down Ocean Drive this weekend or next with his family. I can assure you he has never done this over a spring break weekend…these are NOT kids. Seems to me Mr Hardemon is looking for headlines…you come live with this mess that has occured in the past years during spring break..its bedlam.