No free ride - Editorials - MiamiHerald.com. SDU: Miami Herald Editorial Board provides food for thought for the Mayor and Council to consider over the Holiday.

No free ride - Editorials - MiamiHerald.com

This was an easy one, but one that Shelley Stanczyk and Brian Pariser whiffed terribly on (actually, the bat never left their shoulders).  The standards of acceptance have changed.  The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust says it is time for municipalities to stop accepting freebie tickets.  The Miami Herald Editorial Board compliments the response of City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado who, as they put it, “…wants to keep the city’s hands out of the cookie jar.”

Criticism is mounting where officials in many cities accept tickets to baseball games, symphony performances, tennis tournaments and such and used the freebies as if they had paid full freight or hand out the tickets to family, friends and their best supporters.

Palmetto Bay’s current Mayor and Vice Mayor continue to utter the phrase “transparency” yet we never seem to know why either of them failed to support Howard Tendrich’s efforts to bring Palmetto Bay within into compliance with The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust recommendations.  It is not like the council members are without the means to afford entertainment.  Palmetto Bay is one of the few municipalities that does pay its officials, $1,000.00 a month to each council member and $2,000.00 a month to the Mayor.  Does that not supply ample funds to purchase your own tickets to events without asking for freebees from events that you sponsor?

It was an opportunity lost for the remainder of the council to join with Howard Tendrich to show that Palmetto Bay supports good government and rejects even the appearance that events are sponsored because the council is even offered free entrance or VIP tickets in return. 

I originally asked the question earlier in the week with the post Work continues on new ethics rules regarding receipt of freebie tickets to elected officials. Why is Council member Howard Tendrich without council support forcreating ethic rules in Palmetto Bay consistent with the recommendations of theMiami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust?

It is more than apparent that the chemistry is not right on this Palmetto Bay Council when you have only one member seeking to make changes in line with the strong recommendations of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust and he is met with only blank stares,excuses,with no action or support, from Shelley Stanczyk and Brian Pariser.

Keep up the good work Councilman Tendrich,even in the face of adversity, Palmetto Bay’s good government watchdog.

Work continues on new ethics rules regarding receipt of freebie tickets to elected officials. Why is Councilmember Howard Tendrich without council support for creating ethic rules in Palmetto Bay consistent with the recommendations of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust?

The City of Miami Mayor is pushing a new city policy that would let event promoters for municipal venues distribute their freebie tickets to charities and the public on their own. The mayor, city manager and commissioners could request complimentary tickets, but only to use while conducting city business. See Miami Herald, June 24, 2012, Miami to clamp down on freebie event tickets flowing to City Hall

Miami-Dade County officials have been revamping policies, in part, based upon county ethics commission guidelines regarding gift tickets. The guidelines advise elected officials to get out of the business of distributing to the public complimentary tickets that flow through their offices. The goal is to avoid the use of tickets to curry favor with constituents.  See: Miami-Dade commissioners criticize new ethics rules on tickets, March 6, 2012, By Patricia Mazzei and Martha Brannigan

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has taken issue with the use of free tickets and has been pushing for stronger ethics rules regarding complimentary tickets. See: Miami-Dade ethics report rips ticket freebies, by David Smiley (2/21/2012).  Joseph Centorino, executive director of the ethics commission, was quoted as saying that “…even if the ethics commission adopts a ticket policy, municipalities aren’t necessarily required to pass their own versions. But elected officials could still face penalties if investigators find they violated the ethics commission’s rules.”

CLICK HERE to read the full Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust report.  You can CLICK HERE to read the addendum relating to “official function”

Said Centorino: “We’re putting people on notice.”

Well Palmetto Bay's Howard Tendrich has heard you loud and clear, but the message appears to be missed by the remainder of this current Village Council.  

Tickets have ranged from receipt of free tickets and parking to the entire Sony Ericsson tennis tournament to much lower value events such as in Palmetto Bay, where the only tickets I am aware of have been as a result of sponsorship agreements with The Deering Estate and the Cutler Bay Fireworks. 

Where has Palmetto Bay been on this recent issue? 

Current Palmetto Bay Councilmember Howard Tendrich, known as the current ethics watchdog on the council, has attempted to create more stringent policy in regard to freebie tickets. Unfortunately for residents, he has not had any support for to establish a policy consistent with the recommendations of the Ethics Commission 

I asked Councilman Tendrich for comment.  Here is his reply:

“I think the Council should not take tickets because the dollars given by the Village are village dollars given by the residents.  The tickets should not be given to council members to distribute because then it becomes a political toy.”

 The Deering Tickets have not been an issue for some Palmetto Bay council members who are paid members of the Deering Estate Foundation (including myself, while in office and continuing membership to this day) where admission to the events such as the Seafood Festival are free for paid Deering Estate members.  Of course, past council members like Paul Neidhart and current Councilmember Howard Tendrich are too busy actually working as volunteers at the events to attend as guests under free passes.

The other event is the South-Dade Fireworks Spectacular at Black Point.  Palmetto Bay currently notes on the official web site that: “The Village of Palmetto Bay celebrates its third year in a row as a primary sponsor of the annual South-Dade Fireworks Spectacular at Black Point.” 

Are there free tickets this year?  If so, how are they being distributed?

No mention is made as to whether there are any tickets provided this year and, if so, if any of the tickets are available to the general Palmetto Bay resident.  At least in the past, 10 tickets were/are made available for this event. 

The controversy concerning Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami have revolved about the use, that commissioners have in the past given the tickets to “friends” and “other important people.”

The rules are different now. What is the perception?

“The perception was that we were getting fringe benefits, and that the tickets were not being used to the benefit of the public,” said Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo, who has pushed for tougher standards on freebies.

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has prepared reports that have blasted other municipalities concluding that elected officials should play no role in divvying up complimentary tickets. In addition, it said public officials should use free tickets only when hosting dignitaries, visitors or community groups, or participating in public introductions or presentations.