South Miami-Dade County Municipal / County leaders - united to make our community safer

I am proud to participate with this group of local leaders who are dedicated to working for resolution of this issue - safety in our schools and community is of upmost importance. It does take a Village; as well as a County, a State and a Nation! 

Everybody wants to keep our children safe. Together we can, and we must, do better.

As a nation, we are facing the reality that no place is sacred or free from violence; not schools or churches, movie theaters, dance clubs or concerts.

It is our job as local leaders to protect residents, and especially our children. Our hands are tied in some critical areas by state laws that prevent us from even having an honest conversation on the subject of gun violence. That doesn’t mean that we’re helpless.

But even if the state continues to block our calls for greater gun safety, there are a few things we can do in our local community by focusing on school security and community caring.

We continue to work together for our community.  Please review the complete joint statement issued by our County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Mayors Peggy Bell of Cutler Bay, Joe Corradino of Pinecrest, Philip Stoddard of South Miami, and Otis Wallace of Florida City. 

See (CLICK ON HEADLINE): We must do better to keep children safe, joint statement, Miami Herald Letters to the Editor, February 21, 2018

Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay remain committed to the most effective transit solutions. Participating in a panel before the South Dade Chamber of Commerce

The fight for rail continues. Cutler Bay. I took part in a panel today in Homestead before the South Dade Chamber of Commerce, General Membership Luncheon.

The main guest speaker was Alice Bravo, Director of DTPW.  All the South Dade municipalities were represented - Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead and Florida City.

This was my turn to address Homestead/Florida Cities - areas undergoing growth and suffering severe traffic woes to get north.  ​There have been several recent Transportation Summits at the municipal and county levels. Director Bravo provided her update regarding the pending environmental studies by our County', as well as the different timelines of anticipated future actions.

We need rail, not a band aid. The ridership is there to serve rail.  The issues are first/last mile, parking and the fact that there is a shortage of buses to transport both those whoare riding as well as those who would ride if the County would deliver on the promises of the half cent penny transportation sales tax.  We have buses that qualify fully as "BRT" based upon what we observed in Los Angeles - known as the "Gold Standard" and aptly names their "Gold Line."  Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay remain concerned that there will be insufficient investment in transit - planning for 30-40 years out, not merely to cover the current County created transportation crisis.