I am not defending anyone

A local Grove activist is sending emails around libeling me, saying I defended Comm. Marc Sarnoff's votes yesterday regarding the Marlins Stadium. This is a case of shooting the messenger. And to be honest, I have always taken up this activist's causes, but she is wrong to be attacking me. I am sorry she didn't get her way with the Marlins vote, but I had nothing to do what that and I don't like being part of the news.

I am finding out daily, that people actually think that I run things around here. I don't people. I am a peon. I only write the news and discuss it. I don't decide policy. Seriously. Thank you for giving me all that power, but it is only in your heads. I have no power.

The only reason I am not mentioning names here is because she retracted her letter the second she received notification from me that she should. She knows where it says danger. Spreading lies is not going to help her causes in the future.

I have been against the public paying for the Marlins Stadium since day one. I don't write much about it here because I try to stay on Grove issues and I don't cover city-wide issues, but each time I did write about it, I was totally against it and even mocked it with cartoons sent in by Harry Emilio Gottlieb and Old Grover. You can easily do a search in the search box above and find all the stories and posts.

I don't know what the point of her email is. I like the fact that Marc voted "no" on the main stadium issue, that is no secret, and if I seemed to have defended him in the comments section where one guy says that he made arrangements with the other commissioners so that he looked good. I just found that to not make sense at all, no matter who the politician is, no matter what vote there is. Especially in Miami.

If anyone thinks one politician is going to throw him or herself under the bus for the good of another, they really don't live in the real world and have not been in Miami for very long.

I was sent Marc's letter last night, as I am sure every media outlet in town was. I posted it here without comment. But then in the comments section, when the first anonymous comment came in, I just wanted to nip it in the bud before this became a whole day back and forth thing on something that makes no sense.

For someone to pick it up and spread it around as me defending Sarnoff, is really grasping at straws. Attacking the media is really not the right way to go about it. This activist sounds foolish, in fact. Very foolish.

The anonymous blog comment that came in, which I cleaned up said: "I think he [Sarnoff] is full of bs, and I think this was planned that he and someone else voted against it to make it look like he did not want it, but in reality he does."

My reply, for which I am being attacked was: "You believe that? You believe Sarnoff said, 'Hey you guys, how about you three make yourselves look like crooks and scammers and like you are on the take and you make me look like the hero? And Joe, I know you are running for mayor, but would you please jeopardize that for me by voting for the stadium, so that I look good? And let Tomas, who is running against you look like the good guy, too. Oh, and Michelle, they say you are on the take and want bribes, how about you vote for the stadium, too. So that I could look good? Thanks, babe!' "

I would have written that about any politician. Again -- politicians don't throw themselves under the bus for the good of others. Not gonna happen. Wouldn't be prudent.

I don't think that is defending him, I just think that is using common sense. I have not endorsed anyone and I am not on anyone's side or in the habit of defending anyone. I just wanted to stop a day of non-stop comments before it started. But I fear I may just opened the door now.