Politics: To Be or Not to Be, Is Not the Question…

To Tax or Not to Tax, Is the Question

By: Alejandro Arce
Special to the SunPost

Following the irregularities occurring in our Miami, which includes The Miami-Dade County, The City of Miami, and The Miami Beach as well as the other numerous municipalities, the last irregularity,  the one and most “VISUAL”  is the big issue of the Stadium. Specifically the TAXATION OF THE PARKING GARAGES LOCATED IN,? where, Miami-Dade, the City of Miami or Miami Beach, who knows, but the taxation is a very important issue, maybe as large as the empty parking lots and building itself of the Miami Beach Convention Center, which has not yet been resolved and is costing tremendous time and money to the taxpayers.

Our precious area of South Florida, is not like flowers but like something as corrosive as chemical elements. The repetitious names and irregularities is making a big mess out of anyone of the many deals going on. Just as an example, If someone is coming to this area, they will tell you that they are coming to Miami, but to where? Dade, City or Beach?

Similar as what is happening with the elections for “One more Chief of Police.” One not familiar with our surroundings may think that they perhaps are South of the border, because of the names: the Gonzales, the Martinez, the Rodriguez, and the Rivera’s and, and, and, once in a while a “Gringo” such as a Peter, (not Pedro) a Mac Bride, or a John (not Juan) Smith runs for office, giving the appearance of being totally out of place.

Suddenly the news talks about TAXES AND SPORTS. At this point I have to remind you that sports are not related to gambling, well just a little bit perhaps when one of the large baboons is sold from one team to the other. But what are you expecting? Money is money, and we are in a capitalistic society and players are valuable commodities that can be sold using a form to made to us to believe that it is a fair transaction, of course for millions of dollars.

Forget education.  It does not pay. Why toil to go to college and get in a for-life debt when one can take a chance and become a ball player, using the many opportunities and avenues such as becoming a: football, basketball, baseball, whatever player and prove that your are so intelligent that you are able to play with a ball and prove that you are so patriotic, that before kicking or throwing a ball, you stand at attention, just like a soldier while the National Anthem is being sung by a brother or a sister, sometimes a child could also sing.

Somehow I developed a pain in the back, or my back itches when I read news about one of our municipalities. If it is not “The Garden Club” and its regulations, it is the camaraderie that is so applauded among our authorities; Mr. Rodriguez will help Mr. Fernandez to become the chief executive or the administrator with sufficient powers to tell the elected mayor and the councilmen. . . to go fly a kite if the mayor opposes to his desires. Who is ruling the city after all?

But we elect our representatives. Then, why is it that the other NON ELECTED COMPADRES have so much power? . . .  Well, is it because one is a cousin of the other or perhaps he or she comes from HIALEEEEEEA, or went to the same high school.  It is a camaraderie that is admirable and very Spanish, or perhaps, very Cubano.

Talking about high school and education in general, here comes the question:

IS PLAYING WITH A BALL AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR EDUCATION?

Bet your . . .  the coach makes as much money and has so much power as the school principal and the head of the university sports director can invite for lunch the President of the United States and pay the bill; after all with salaries around the millions, why not?.

So education is worth little money unless it is related to sports and sports are so relevant that the coaches sometimes play with little boys, in a respectable manner of course, as it happened in a prestigious university (names not mentioned).

Then the taxing of the parking garages is the latest news that has the city on the point of their toes. Who will pay for the bonds? who will buy the bonds? Why do we need garages in an area that is not that populated? Are the garages to be used by we THE TAXPAYERS?  Are you kidding me, if the taxpayers cannot use the Convention Center garages or parking facilities, why would they use the parking facilities at the stadium? Anyway, county or city parking facilities are mostly empty, but they still have many REGULATIONS. The “DO NOT PARK,” “THE PARKING ATTENDANT ONLY,” THE “VALET PARKING” . . . Mama MIA, what a way to produce employment and revenue for the one who is granted the favor of renting such places to the public for a little higher prices than regular parking meters; sometimes much higher than regular parking meter prices, and many times extraordinarily higher prices per hour but, with their approval of the parking authorities. Then, the question is: Should they pat taxes to one of the municipalities or be exempted?

To get an exemption, a regular taxpayer has to go thru numerous tasks. the Stadium should also produce evidence regarding the issue. but they have friends and the friends will requests meeting and them they will have to hire experts and then, then, then, nothing will happen and they will collect enormous money FOR PARKING. Is it our city, or what?

There are so many questions that, at the and THE FEDERALS decided to intervene and are doing a search or a study of the circumstances involved, because:

MIAMI SAYS IT SHOULD NOT PAY TAXES, WHILE THE HONORABLE (and I mean, seriously, an honorable person with honorable officers appraising in his department), MIAMI -DADE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER SUGGESTS OTHERWISE.

Good for him.  It is our city, it is our county, it is our beach, and it is time that the Federal Government enters the picture and stops such a wanton MAFIA which is controlling our lives. In Miami the word “millions” such as in this case, $634 million baseball stadium, are not unusual.

Imagine being a person of humble background, coming from a little town in a tropical Caribbean paradise.  Suddenly you are deciding the use of millions of dollars, such as the $500 million worth of bonds that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating.  Also the $1.2 million annual tax and more millions for other irregularities. What a dream for our humble authorities. Is this a democracy or what?

Thus the US Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed the counties, city, etc., etc.

The poor taxpayer sits in his patio and reads the news and dreams about THE MILLIONS. that in Miami are like the water of the Bay, almost ready to be drunk but not quite. Unless you are part of the group . . . is there a mafia in one of the three Miami’s? Perhaps we should have elections regarding the stadium and the parking, later on we can RECALL and have more elections. We love elections here, they are fun and provide us with something to talk about.

Fidel, Raul and Chaves must be having a ball because, practically, our Miami is so similar to . . . I suggest you finish the phrase, I refuse to compromises myself. The “authorities” could get insulted?

Have a very happy TAXABLE 2012 and pray that Miami avoids gambling, unless you have the right connections and the Marlins stop from producing players that, sometimes, and I mean sometimes, go to jail for raping or abusing.  But our children are learning that sports are the best for a future, provided you are a big, brainless baboon but you have connections.  And after all, sports are not considered GAMBLING. It is confusing when the selling of one baboon from one team to the other, for dollars, somehow resembles gambling, or does it?

Category: CITY, POLITICS, SPEAK YOUR MIND