Stand Up to the Unions

To the Editor:

Kudos to Miami Beach Commissioners Tobin, Weithorn and Wolfson for having the backbone to stand up and vote no on the obscene increase in property taxes passed by the other four commissioners. When will the City Commission, the City Administration and the people of this city wake up and come to grips with the strangle hold unions hold over Convention Center Drive? I never thought I would say this but the Miami Beach City Commission should follow the courage of the Miami City Commission when in standing its ground with unions. The Mayor of Miami said it best “we must all learn to live within our means” ; that goes for the overpaid workers here in Miami Beach.
I value every bit what the police, firefighters and other city workers do each and every day; however the golden egg laying real estate goose has been long cooked and consumed and is gone. The new economics dictate that the city must learn to adjust, the bloated staffs of city hall must be cut, the expensive pension plans and medical insurance for life give aways must go; we the tax payers can ill afford higher property taxes for less services. I make significantly less today than I did 5 years ago; I like many people have not seen a pay raise in a long time; why do these union employees feel entitled to pay raises every year; the concept of I get raise every year is over in the private sector and should be over in Miami Beach.
Cutting is never easy, making hard decisions to do more with less is what the private sector has been doing for some time since the economy when south; the City Commission needs to stand up to the unions; forget the campaign contributions they get from unions and do what is required to maintain the safety and security of the city and steward the city through these difficult times without raping the home owners.

Frank Kruszewski
Miami Beach

Category: LETTERS