(Lack of) Leadership 101 - allowing the community to be ravaged by infighting rather than bringing people together

“Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” 

– Robert Louis Stevenson.

They say elections have consequences.  We are seeing it play out locally.  Bully politics at play. Palmetto Bay is definitely not a "Bully Free Zone".   See a prior related post: May 9, 2024, Palmetto Bay News - Op-Ed: Rudeness and bullying should not be the norm in Palmetto Bay By Marsha Matson, Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3 -May 8, 2024

Yet we the taxpayers are destined to fund another lawsuit - all because the mayor and council refuse to avoid pettiness. 

What am I talking about? Well, in case you missed it:

For more insight provided in an opinion blast by the Palmetto Bay Neighbors Alliance: "They Hate You For Choosing Mark  CLICK HERE for the complete blast - here is an excerpt:

Mayor Cunningham's ally, Councilman Steve Cody, didn't like your answer. So he filed a lawsuit claiming Mark wasn't properly sworn in. Our Village Attorney has said many times that Mark's oath was completely valid. The village even paid over $6,000 of your tax money to hire another expert who said the same thing.

Our Village Attorney didn't mince words. He warned that "Steve will be lucky to stay out of jail when this is over" because of his "toxic vitriol" and "fabrications." The Village Attorney has been a lawyer since 1979. He knows what he's talking about. Meanwhile, Mr. Cody is a suspended attorney by the Florida Bar and is ineligible to practice law.

Don't be fooled. The oath story is just a smokescreen. Mayor Cunningham and Cody want to erase your vote.

They're not really fighting Mark. They're fighting you. They hate that you chose someone Mayor Cunningham didn't pick. They hate that you wanted change. They think they know better than you about who should lead our village.

Cody's legal filing, which he’s trying to get a ruling on, claims Leanne Tellam is still Vice Mayor. Tellam was Mayor Cunningham's preferred candidate and lost the election.

Lets see where this leads us and how much in will cost, both in tax dollars as well as further aggravation to our community.

Palmetto Bay News - Op-Ed: Rudeness and bullying should not be the norm in Palmetto Bay By Marsha Matson, Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3 -May 8, 2024

Palmetto Bay is definitely not a "Bully Free Zone".   

Council Member Marsha Matson is working hard - on her own - to involve the public - and it is sad that she has to go the route of an op ed piece. She can't do it alone at a meeting as she is but 1/5 of the votes of the council and cannot muster a majority for simple things like holding a town hall meetings for our fellow residents.  

Shameful. This is truly the never ending story.  This is your mayor and council, Palmetto Bay - and all those feel good proclamations and certificates are really just cringeworthy attempts to hide the toxic state of Palmetto Bay politics. Elections matter.

Here is opinion, her update, published online by the Community Newspapers on May 8, 2024:

Op-Ed: Rudeness and bullying should not be the norm in Palmetto Bay
By Marsha Matson, Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, District 3

I am a grandmother, who will turn 80 years old this year.  I decided to spend my retirement years serving Palmetto Bay, my community.   I helped found the Village as a municipality in the 1990s and early 2000s and I hold a deep affection for the Village and its residents.

So  I ran for Village Council in 2018 and won.  I liked making laws to help residents like reducing density in our downtown and regulating short-term rentals that disrupted quiet neighborhoods.  I enjoyed it so much that I ran for re-election in 2022 and won with over 60% of the vote, the highest of any village candidate.

In 2022, the Village Council added two new Councilmembers, Vice Mayor Leanne Tellam and Councilmember Steve Cody, who formed a solid majority block with Mayor Karyn Cunningham.  They set about running the village their way.  I did not have a problem with that because in our country, the majority rules while the minority is respected and has a say.   I sometimes disagreed with them and gave my opinion.  Over time, instead of listening to differences of opinion and working together to resolve problems, the majority block became more and more intolerant of dissent.  As I did not always agree with them, I became their target on Council to stamp out any hint of criticism of their policies.

In the last two years, they have intensified their efforts to stop me from asking questions and offering my opinion. You can see them in action by watching the most recent May 6 Council meeting on the Palmetto Bay Village website under public meetings:  https://palmettobay.granicus.com/player/clip/1943

I know it is disturbing to witness the rough tactics the Mayor and Councilmembers use on me.  Of course, it is extremely distressful for me.  What they do goes far beyond politics as usual.  When they perceive that I am going to say something they do not want to hear, they cut me off while speaking, talk over me until I stop, shout  “out of order” to have the attorney demand I quit talking, adjourn before I can speak, ridicule me, prevent me from finishing my sentence, and call me names.  They create a vivid picture of schoolyard bullies, except that they are public officials who, while knowing they are being recorded on video, verbally stomp on me.  In every instance, they succeed in preventing me from talking.

I am not the only person bearing the brunt of their distaste for dissent.  Mayor Cunningham, Vice Mayor Tellam, and Councilmember Cody banned the reading of resident’s emails out loud during Council meetings.  Emails were the most popular way for residents to be involved in village government.  When emails became more critical of them, they silenced them.  They abolished the Neighborhood Protection Committee, a committee that worked to protect residents’ quality of life.

I taught government at the University of Miami for over two decades.  I have a doctorate in political science.   I have a good idea of how democracy is supposed to work.   One of the most treasured principles of our democracy is the right of people to express their views of government leaders, especially when they disagree with what the leaders are doing.  This most sacred right, enshrined in our First Amendment, is under attack in Palmetto Bay.  If you find it hard to believe, I invite you to watch the May 6 Council meeting and witness the successful tactics Mayor Cunningham, Vice Mayor Tellam, and Councilmember Cody use to stop me from saying what they do not want anyone to hear.  This letter is my opinion.

Wait! Who wants to make a bet?

The village Public Relations team (whether you call it PR, Publicity or PIO) pushes out media featuring Mayor Cunningham.  Does anyone have any odds on whether the public information office will be fair and even handed by pushing out this council member's comments to the public?

As they say, "and that my friends, is the rest of the story."

PRIOR RELATED POST

Back to my opinion: It is unfortunate that this is far from an isolated event. This toxic bullying  has been going on for far too long. Please see a prior related post of October 11, 2021, Opinion: "Nevertheless, she persisted". Did this lead to a “Code Red” being called on Marsha? Cringe-worthy is the only way to describe the beat down administered on Dr. Matson at the October regular council meeting. Was this all because Dr. Matson wanted to restore just a scintilla of transparency into Palmetto Bay government?

TPO committee moves 87th Ave bridge forward to full TPO Board. Antagonism politics is not working for this Palmetto Bay mayor and council

Disappointing. Those in opposition of the bridge have suffered a huge loss in influencing the District 8 Community Connectivity Committee (CCC).  History has shown why you can’t just pick up your ball and walk off. The others will make decisions that profoundly impact you. Look to lessons not learned from 1950s. And the current Palmetto Bay electeds want to do it on their own; more than apparently not interested in consulting or working with those who have been there, and had fought this fight before. 

Where we are: March 10, 2021, the TPO Transportation and Mobility Committee voted unanimously to approve moving the SW 87 Avenue bridge vote to the full TPO Board on March 18.

Two Palmetto Bay officials were told time was up and eventually had their microphones cut off.  Embarrassing.  It’s embarrassing both from lack of preparation, being unable to prepare their remarks to fit within the time limit as well as the fact that they do not have the political pull to be allowed time to finish – this is an important issue that will profoundly impact the future.

But then again, our officials cut off the County when the current mayor unilaterally pulled Palmetto Bay out of participating in the Community Connectivity Committee (CCC). Perhaps the respect our officials are receiving from the County is directly related to the amount of respect (or lack of) that they are showing to Miami-Dade County Officials.

So we are not participating. I was one of many who watched the remaining members of the Community Connectivity Committee (CCC) do their work in hearing from experts regarding the possible impacts of the bridge on 87^th Avenue.  There is palpable fallout, irreversible damage, to Palmetto Bay through the current Palmetto Bay Mayor unilaterally packing up and walking away from participating is evident. How? Let’s review.

First of all, I am not sure that the report would have been a 4 – 4 deadlock on the bridge. Palmetto Bay appointed members are locked in opposition to the bridge, but I disagree that there is a solid 4-0 voting block in favor from the Cutler Bay members. I do see two solid votes in favor, but one that is still far from certain and one who I think could be swung to a vote in opposition.  But you don’t win friends or influence opposition when you remove yourself from a seat at the table.

That means residents north of the canal had a chance at a 5-3, or possibly (but doubtful) a 6-2 vote in OPPOSITION to the bridge, had the Palmetto Bay Mayor not removed Palmetto Bay from the group. An opportunity lost.

Additionally:

Palmetto Bay was downgraded from full participant and influencer to spectator who at best could speak in should sound bites at public comment. Remember, this is not a Palmetto Bay Committee. It is not a Cutler Bay Committee. It is a Miami-Dade County, District 8, Community Connectivity Committee (CCC). That committee continues to move forward unimpeded by Palmetto Bay’s walk out.

And, as it continues working, the 4 members from Palmetto Bay were unable to question the officials who were brought before the CCC on Thursday, 2/25/2021. Residents in opposition to the bridge lost their appointed representatives who could have asked the right questions that would have blunted arguments for the bridge. But once again, you can’t participate when you have removed yourself from the event.

I thought it was wrong for the Palmetto Bay mayor to agree to participate in the committee in the first place, but she did, and this error was grievously exacerbated by her allowing the proceedings in Palmetto Bay to get out of control, losing decorum (perhaps by design) and then, compounding the rolling errors, pulling out! 

Not only did Palmetto Bay lose any claim to a moral high ground in pulling out, but after seeing what appeared to be some uncertainty in the Cutler Bay members, Palmetto Bay clearly pulled out prematurely.

The moral high ground: The remaining CCC is clearing going through the efforts of evaluating the testimony and arguments before them prior to reaching findings. The Palmetto Bay Task Force spoke for a few minutes then announced that they were going to work on a report in opposition:  An admission that the entire effort will be to support the pre-determined opposition to the bridge.

This will have a profound, negative, impact the efforts to stop the bridge. I am far from conceding the bridge, but the road just became significantly more rocky and it is going to be much more difficult to stop the critical mass building toward to approving the bridge.

Why walk out now? Does no one pay attention to history?

1950: The Soviet Union removed its delegates from participating in the UN Security Council to demonstrate displeasure on a significant matter. It is obvious that the Soviet action backfired. They didn’t stop the Security Council from acting; to the contrary, the UN Security Council went on with its work unimpeded by the Soviets when the issue of North Korea’s invasion of South Korea was brought before the Security Council. Specifically due to the Soviet’s lack of participation, the Security Council voted to invoke military action by the United Nations for the first time in the organization’s history. The Soviets could have blocked the action in the Security Council, since the United States, Soviet Union, China, Britain, and France each had absolute veto power, but no Russian delegate was present. In just a short time, a multinational U.N. force arrived in South Korea and the grueling three-year Korean War was underway.

A strong lesson in how you lose when you fail to participate.  Does anyone believe the UN would respond to any policy paper unilaterally put out by the Soviets objecting to UN Military action in Korea?

Congratulations Danielle Cohen Higgins, newly appointed County Commissioner, District 8

Palmetto Bay resident Danielle Cohen Higgins has been appointed to complete the term of County Commissioner, District 8. She will be up for reelection in 2022. 

Congratulations Danielle Cohen Higgins!

Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins posted a statement to her Facebook page:

"I am honored and humbled to share that after 19 months of campaigning, I was just appointed to serve as the next County Commissioner for the hardworking residents of District 8. I was sworn in and immediately joined the meeting in progress. There is much work to do. It is my honor to serve you."

See coverage in the Miami Herald: How only one name landed on the ballot for a Miami-Dade commission seat, by Douglas Hanks, December 7, 2020

Not so breaking News - Xavier Suarez has announced that he is running for Miami-Dade County mayor - press conference held Fri, 8/23/2019

More candidates will emerge. Commissioner Xavier Suarez has been a strong advocate to extend metrorail to South Miami-Dade. Frustrated with the results before the commission, he is part of a lawsuit to force Miami-Dade County to comply with the promises of the 1/2 cent Transportation Sales Tax.

CLICK HERE to view a few relevant blog posts relating to Commissioner Xavier Suarez and his efforts on Transportation as well as Human Trafficking.



The above is the Facebook live video posted by Michael Miller, Publisher of the Community Newspapers.

When will it end? The time has passed for far too many who have waited for the legislature to act on distracted driving

Heartbreaking.  Simply heartbreaking.  Nov 27, 2018, update: DAVIE, Fla. - The news is not getting any better.  As reported by Channel 10 news, Second victim dies after driver crashes into group of bicyclists in Davie, Driver cooperating with investigation, police say: Report that a second person has died after a driver crashed into a group of bicyclists Sunday in Davie, police confirmed Tuesday. Also see Miami Herald online, A second cyclist has died after being hit by a distracted driver during group ride
By David Neal

Carlos Rodriguez, 62, was identified as the latest victim to die from his injuries. Denise Marsh, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

“Wife and mother killed when driver strikes 6 cyclists on Sunday morning group ride” – the headline of a Sunday article posted online Miami Herald, by David J. Neal.  Heartbreaking. No one has prematurely judged the driver – the journalist reported that “The driver said she was distracted, but doesn’t remember from what.”

I find it extremely troubling how so many people feel it is acceptable to drive while distracted. Most often the distractions are voluntary, created by the driver themselves. It is almost as if some drivers try to find something else to do to take up their travel time.Driving and texting is unacceptable. 

As a cyclist, a runner, as a person simply walking my dog through our neighborhood, I have had more than my fair share of close calls. 

I continue to be an active leader of Palmetto Bay, a community that has consistently pushed for strengthening the distracted driving laws. (CLICK HERE to view some of our efforts).

This is a matter of public safety, of preserving life. I don’t understand the reluctance. Innocent people are being permanently injured, worse yet, lives are being lost. 

I may be leaving elected office on December 5, but that will not silence me from continuing the efforts on this issue of great public safety. 

The time has long passed for the Florida Legislature to properly take this issue on and strengthen texting and driving Law currently on the books. 

How many more residents of this great State have to pay the price?

I want to thank past members of our Palmetto Bay Youth Community Involvement Board, particularly Mark Merwitzer, a Palmetto Bay resident, a founding member of our Palmetto Bay Youth Community Involvement Board, and past chair of our Youth Board. Mark is now a student at the University of Florida and is ready once again to lobby our Florida Legislature this coming year.

The Florida Legislature has pre-empted local governments on many issues, including anti-distracted legislation within their own jurisdictions (as they should as this is a State and a National problem, but preemption is a responsibility to act on our behalf).

We have called upon the Florida Legislature to hear the pleas and act numerous times! Let’s get Florida off the list of a mere 4 states(out of 50) which do not consider deadly distracted driving to be a primary offense.  It is up to the Florida Legislature – and our Governor – to enact a statewide law in order to keep our communities safe – everywhere – in public and private, in school and in parks AND on the roads.

Mark has been a contributor to my blog - one of my medias used to stay on the record and push out many issues of importance.  His latest post was last January - on, of course, the importance of ending distracted driving. Please follow the link (click on the headline) to view Mark's post of January 14, 2018, Guest Post - Mark Merwitzer - an advocate for safe roads - ending distracted driving.

Thank you Mark and fellow students for the work with Miami-Dade County and other municipalities. The Florida legislature has seen a massive push from numerous local governments across Florida.  Palmetto Bay has included the anti-distracted driving legislative annually.  We want lives saved.

How many more lives will it take before our legislature and governor act?

Eugene Flinn

Thank you Palmetto Bay!

I have enjoyed 12 wonderful years serving as Mayor of the Village of Palmetto Bay. Although eager to what the future will bring, I admit that I look forward to the freedom to participate as an engaged resident as I did from 2011 - 2014.

Each and every administration is held accountable for decisions made. Others now take on the responsibility of public office and will be judged by their own promises made and kept, their own accomplishments reached and their own handling of issues as they arise.

I remain proud of our accomplishments, and while not everyone may have agreed, we certainly moved our village forward from humble beginnings.

I am proud of my record for sustainability here in Palmetto Bay. I have worked hard to make Palmetto Bay a green city and make it greener every day.  Please click "Read more" to review some of my favorite accomplishments brought to Palmetto Bay. And, please feel free to review the official 2018 State of the Village Video to review some of the accomplishments of Team Palmetto Bay:

About last night (Mon. 10/15/2018) - I continue to work for you to reduce development. The council votes best tell the story.

Being Mayor means putting politics aside. It means taking the political criticism for standing up on behalf of our fellow Palmetto Bay residents and our environment as I did Monday, Oct 15!

I do what I always do, fight for our residents, irrespective of the political fallout.  I voted to reduce development. That is responsibility.  My responsibility to you.

It is important to me that we save the 22 acres of the threatened Pine Rocklands from development.

Karyn Cunningham now takes ownership of the 485. Her votes confirm it. This is significant as the Vice Mayor and Karyn Cunningham fell one vote short of undoing this alleged "485" at a special council meeting set for Saturday morning July 3, 2017, yes, the fourth of July holiday. Now they have flipped and voted to keep 485. Her campaign depends upon preserving this number. Karyn Cunningham is putting politics over our environment.

She is ignoring her responsibilities to you and is playing the "oh so tired" political games. She voted AGAINST an opportunity to scale back the development at the Palmetto Bay Village Center. She voted to keep development at the "needless 485" that she keeps criticizing. Once again, my opponent has no plan other than to criticize.

Last night, the Council held a vote on the Palmetto Bay Village Center. We had the opportunity to reduce development. This was the time for a united council to tell developers that we expect cooperation and reduction. Instead, my opponent and her ally voted against a clarifying ordinance that defines the rights of the development at the Palmetto Bay Village Center, reducing it from their political catchphrase of 485 down to 389. You can view the meeting video by CLICKING HERE.

There has never been and never will be 485- based upon the traffic chokeholds that we placed in the ordinance we passed 3-2 in 2016.  We are in some serious negotiations, and those negotiations are delicate. The negotiations require that politics be put aside and we speak in a unified voice.

So far these negotiations are playing out as expected at the Monday hearing as the PBVC owners:

• Objected to this ordinance, also alleging the timing is premature.
• Threatened to not deed over the 22 acres (actually 40 acres) unless they get their way.

Strong leadership stands up to threats.  We countered with the fact that the PBVC loses all of their rights of the 2016 ordinance if they walk away, reverting back to the 2008 rights. The owners of the PBVC don't want this.

We can also compare the plans, Council Member David Singer's Current legislation as opposed to the only plan pursued by our Vice Mayor and Councilwoman Cunningham (heard at the special council hearing set by the Vice Mayor on Saturday, July 3, 2017 )

Our position is strong under my leadership, but it would be even stronger if Karyn would put her politics aside and work with me as a team. Each council member has one vote, and each vote is equally important. She didn't vote the right way because she wanted to twist what happened to suit her lie that she is anti-development and I am pro. But regardless here are some of the early concessions I achieved Monday night:

• The owners admitted that the final number will not be "485" and in fact offered up a compromise number of 450 - 470. I contend that this is their starting point in these negotiations and the unit numbers will drop further. 
• The representative for the PBVC mentioned that negotiations are ongoing for 200 -- half of the units -- to be Senior housing units. That's a HUGE offer in regard to traffic reduction.

The Village Manager and our Village Attorney will now enter into negotiations that should result in a significant reduction of the overall impact of this property AND obtaining endangered Pine Rocklands.

None of the above would have happened if Councilman Singer had not brought this ordinance forward. None of this will happen, or our final results will be reduced if we don't stand together.

Being mayor is a special responsibility that I take very seriously. I have to continue to work hard and represent the best interest of the Village. Contrast this with a candidate who undermines the negotiations for her own political gain.

It is unfortunate that Karyn Cunningham is playing politics, on these very important issues, putting her political career ahead of our village. 

As your Mayor, I have worked hard to deliver on commitments while others simply make promises. I choose to remain focused in delivering quality service to our community and remaining true to my commitment to running a clean, positive issue focused campaign which points out my accomplishments to date, along with presenting a solid positive vision for the future.

Your, Mayor,

Eugene Flinn

MDC and SAS Students Demand Texting While Driving Ban - Wed., March 7, 2018

The students are speaking loudly, but will the members and leadership of the Florida Senate hear their pleas and act in time?

There are scant days to go before the end of the 2018 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature. Please join the effort - call or e-mail Florida Senate President Joe Negron (850) 487-5025 negron.joe@flsenate.gov and tell our State Leaders that SB 90 or HB 33 must be heard on the Senate Floor, passed and sent to the Governor.

It was my honor to join Mark Merwitzer and students from Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Wolfson Campus and the School for Advanced Studies (SAS) on Wednesday, March 7, to address the issue of teen roadway and driving safety, and demand the Florida Senate pass legislation to ban texting while driving in order to save lives.

This was a touching press conference that each member of the Florida Senate should watch and hear tragic real life experiences from loved ones who suffer daily due to the loss of a family member - included in this press conference were Debbie Wanninkhof, who spoke of her late son, Patrick, who tragically lost his life at the age of 25 at the hands of a cell phone distracted driver and from Delphia Samuels describe how she and her family have suffered form the loss of her (then) 12 year old brother E'arron James Haley.  Two lives, out of tens of thousands, who suffered preventable deaths due to distracted drivers.

The Florida House recently voted to pass legislation to make texting while driving a primary offense but the bill has met opposition in the Senate.  Event organizer Mark Merwitzer, is a Palmetto Bay resident and Miami-Dade County Public Schools senior at the SAS, a top high school in the U.S. with locations at five MDC campuses.  He has been advocating for the bill after seeing fellow teens and adults texting while driving.

I want to thank Mark Merwitzer, a Palmetto Bay resident, student of this outstanding school and a founding member of our Palmetto Bay Youth Community Involvement Board – Mark currently serves as chair of our Youth Board.

I also must thank all the students who work so hard on this and other issues that so PROFOUNDLY impact the lives of our youth. The Florida Legislature has pre-empted local governments on many issues, including anti-distracted legislation within their own jurisdictions. We therefore call upon the Florida Legislature to hear the pleas and act – let’s get Florida off the list of a mere 4 state (out of 50) which do not consider deadly distracted driving to be a primary offense.  It is up to the Florida Legislature – and our Governor – to enact a statewide law in order to keep our communities safe – everywhere – in public and private, in school and in parks AND on the roads.

Mark has been a contributor to my blog - one of my medias used to stay on the record and push out many issues of importance.  His latest post was last January - on, of course, the importance of ending distracted driving.  This was the 6th appearance for Mark on this blog, all related to his public service and advocacy, including how to navigate a traffic circle as well as fighting against distracted driving: Oct. 25, 2017, Driven (without distractions). YCIB Member Mark Merwitzer testifies before Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee and Aug. 14, 2017: Traffic Circle Safety - Please take the time to view this creative video by Mark Merwitzer, Jackson Ribler & Justin Merwitzer. Edited and produced through the talents of "Miami Hal" Feldman.

Thank you Mark and fellow students for the work with Miami-Dade County and other municipalities. The Florida legislature has seen a massive push from numerous local governments across Florida.  Palmetto Bay has included the anti-distracted driving legislative annually.  We want lives saved.