Lying and corruption in the name of the almighty buck

Two interesting stories in today's Miami Herald. Stories that we first talked about here.

One, the Mercy 300 Bay Residence project and how favors were sought. From the Herald:

"In March 2007, [Barbara] Hardemon [a confidant and former campaign worker] landed a $45,000 job as a community-outreach consultant with another developer, The Related Group, weeks before a crucial commission vote on the company's plan for condos near Mercy Hospital.

"Related executives said they hired Hardemon and another Spence-Jones ally, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Carey Shuler, to muster support in the black community -- in an effort to gain Spence-Jones' vote. They said Hardemon was recommended by Arriola.

"Related also bought ads on Spanish-language radio in an effort to sway Commissioner Joe Sanchez, who, like Spence-Jones, was considered a swing vote."

It goes on to say: "Related officials say they were not trying to conceal the payments. But the hospital's public-relations consultant, Israel Kreps, told investigators the arrangement made him 'very uncomfortable.' "

The whole story is here.


On May 4, 2009, demolition crews took a sledge hammer to the original 1912 cross and bell at St. Stephen's Episcopal.

CLUELESS WILIFRED ALLEN-FAIELLA

And in another story, regarding the old 1912 church demolition at St. Stephen's, the clueless rector, the Rev. Wilifred Allen-Faiella, goes on to explain how they hid the fact about the demolition, because they weren't required by law to tell people. I call this LYING BY OMISSION. This is a a woman of God?

She says in the Herald: "Had there been different rules in place at the time, I'm sure we would have complied."

Guess she feels that morals don't matter if the law doesn't require it. We are just glad that it's not legal to kill small children and dogs.

From the Herald: "She blamed the city: 'They didn't do their homework. So the city has learned something from this.' City officials concede the old church fell through bureaucratic cracks."

The story goes on to say that new laws are in place and hopefully this desecration will not happen again. Whole Herald story here.

All of our coverage and photos are here.