My Cousin Vinny - Disclosure - Thank you to the residents of Palmetto Bay, still part of Miami-Dade County. Grassroots are actually bringing home the results, but that’s won’t stop the current mayor and council from taking credit.

Let me break the news to everyone here and now: Miami-Dade County won’t be giving Palmetto Bay anything they aren’t giving any other municipality or that they haven’t offered before. There is no ‘threat of litigation’ hanging over the County’s head (it is not the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of the County). The County has one of the biggest (and most qualified) law firms in the state – and much of it is in house. It is second in size only to Palmetto Bay’s vast list of panel and in house lawyers (OK, that was tongue in cheek), but you get the idea.

For the County, it would have been easier to negotiate when there was actually a threat of loss or delay before the TPO. But current Palmetto Bay officials would rather spend significant time, effort, tears and tax dollars to play out their fantasy roles. As the County may say; "we have phones, call us, we'll discuss like rational people". But no, my sources tell me that our current mayor, nor any other member of the village council made the rounds at County Hall to try to discuss matters before they came to a vote.

Our village is looking much like a fictional backwater township [and currently enjoys the same level of credibility (or lack of)].  It reminds me of the hilarious disclosure scene in the classic film "My Cousin Vinnie" when newbie attorney Vinny Gambini spends a day with the prosecutor and returns triumphantly to his hotel room with a box containing the prosecutor’s files. He is so proud over his victory (the concessions he obtained). That is until his girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito calls him out, informing him (after reading the Georgia State evidence code) that the prosecutor gave him the files – because he had to.   Yes, this is a funny scene, but what is not so funny is that it is currently playing out before our eyes (and at our tax expense) here in Palmetto Bay. I can hardly wait for the mayor and council to crow about the ‘complete street, the bike lanes, nice landscaping, or no-right turn signs, or even more 4 way stops as if they got it under (no) threat of litigation through the empty ‘dispute resolution’ process.

We need a “Mona Lisa” to call out the Palmetto Bay officials who are desperate to take credit for anything these local officials can call their own. As Mona Lisa would say, “that’s very impressive finessing.”

Mona Lisa Vito: Don’t you wanna know why Trotter gave you his files?
Vinny Gambini: I told you why already.
Mona Lisa Vito: He has to, by law, you’re entitled. It’s called disclosure, you dickhead! He has to show you everything, otherwise it could be a mistrial. He has to give you a list of all his witnesses, you can talk to all his witnesses, he’s not allowed any surprises.
[Vinny has a blank look on his face]
Mona Lisa Vito: They didn’t teach you that in law school either?

How long do the residents humor this bunch of Palmetto Bay officials? Maybe things will get serious around budget time. 

BOTTOM LINE: Palmetto Bay will get items from the County that the current Palmetto Bay elected leaders will attempt to repackage through their expensive public relations firm as ‘concessions from the county’ but in the end the Palmetto Bay mayor and council members should be thanking the village residents. The County won’t be offering anything because of our local leaders, but to the contrary, it will be in spite of the current Palmetto Bay officials. Palmetto Bay residents remain residents of Miami-Dade County and you can bet that County officials will not allow the Palmetto Bay residents to suffer because of our current lack of Palmetto Bay municipal leadership.