The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

By Sharon Elster, Editor

We are pleased to report that Commissioner Dana Goldman has retained her Commission seat by a solid margin of 52% of the vote!

Unofficial results: A total of 1,089 votes were cast. 536 votes were by absentee ballot and 553 votes were cast at the polls.

Commissioner Goldman – winner with 554 votes

Kevin Thomas – second with 339 votes

Eugene Newman – third with 183 votes

We thank all Sunny Isles Beach residents who took the time to vote. We wish  Commissioner Goldman the very best. We know she will serve the needs of our community with excellence.

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter – Sharon Elster, Editor

If a candidate is willing to fabricate untruthful information about his background, how reliable a Commissioner would he be for our City? Eugene D. Newman (also known as Gene Newman, or whatever he may have used as his name and date of birth elsewhere) recently mailed out a campaign flier stating his academic credentials. The problem is that misleading statements were uncovered, as generally they are wont to do with those seeking public office.

Newman’s mailed brochure states: “After graduating Brown, Gene received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in marketing and finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His MBA thesis was marked “With Honors” and is included in the Wharton Library.”

Not so fast, Mr. Newman. I received email verification on February 13, 2015 from Ms. Cathy Ogur, Business Research Librarian, Lippincott Library of the Wharton School, wherein she informs me: There is no thesis by Eugene or Gene Newman held by the Penn Libraries, which includes Lippincott Library (Wharton Library), as you can see from the search for theses in the collection with an author of Newman, linked below:

http://franklin.library.upenn.edu/search.html?filter.format_facet.val=Thesis%2FDissertation&q=newman&qt=dia-author&sort=publication_date_sort%20asc,%20title_sort%20asc

By accessing the link provided by Ms. Ogur, Sunny Isles Beach voters can see for themselves, through library records which date from 1937, of the nineteen “Newman” names listed there is no individual by the name of Eugene (Gene) Newman.

Additionally we have discovered that with all Mr. Newman’s boasting about his business acumen, he drove his inherited family business into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. [Source: NooNoo Rug Co., Inc., U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey, #05-11564]

We have checked the credentials of all three candidates. Eugene Newman is the only one we caught overtly embellishing his record. There is no excuse for a potential public servant to do this.

If Mr. Newman is willing to distort the truth when it doesn’t matter, what will he do when it DOES?

WE AGAIN URGE VOTERS TO SUPPORT THE MOST FORTHRIGHT AND QUALIFIED CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT. THIS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th ELECT COMMISSIONER DANA GOLDMAN.

ON BOARD WITH COMMISSIONER DANA GOLDMAN

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

We have had ample opportunity to observe Commissioner Dana Goldman since her unanimous appointment to the Sunny Isles Beach Commission in December 2014. Her impeccable credentials include an extensive record of internship and research positions with prominent federal and state officials. The unique blend of versatility, intellectual talent and gentle charm she possesses would be hard to match. Long active in our community, Commissioner Goldman, along with her husband and young daughter have lived in Sunny Isles Beach for many years.

Commissioner Goldman has pledged to devote her energies to quality of life issues which relate to our City’s redevelopment plans, a senior citizens center, street safety and school overcrowding.

Moreover, Commissioner Goldman’s law background and expertise in condominium law is a perfect fit for our town – especially so considering more than ninety percent of our residents live in condominiums. As such, she hosted the City’s Condo Workshop Series. Of particular interest is the Oct. 29, 2014 program “What You Should Know About Condo Living.” To view this program, go to:

http://sibfl.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=186

Commissioner Goldman’s family is part of the rich history of Miami Beach. Their restaurant chain “Pumpernik’s” holds beautiful memories for many of us. It seems somehow appropriate that Commissioner Goldman is following her family’s tradition by serving our community in her own special way.

An election will be held on Tuesday, February 17th as two other candidates are challenging Commissioner Goldman’s seat. In recognition of her deep commitment to our City, her past accomplishments and top-notch qualifications, The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter proudly endorses Commissioner Dana Goldman to continue the outstanding work she is doing on the Commission.

On December 20, 2014, NYPD Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were brutally assassinated while working a Critical Response Vehicle in Brooklyn. They were murdered solely because of the profession they chose. Protecting and serving others. Please donate whatever you can to help the families.

http://jpupdates.com/2014/12/21/memorial-fund-launched-jp-others-help-families-assassinated-officers/

By Sharon Elster, Editor

On Tuesday evening, December 2nd, 2014, at a Special Commission Meeting, our newly elected Mayor George “Bud” Scholl was officially sworn into office. The standing-room-only crowd was wildly enthusiastic in their show of support for our new Mayor. Mayor Scholl heads up the commission which is now comprised of Vice Mayor Isaac Aelion, Commissioners Jeanette Gatto, Jennifer Levin and the newest member, Commissioner Dana Goldman. We wish them all great success. A twenty minute video of the ceremony can be viewed by going to the link below. Under Mayor Scholl’s photo, click into City Hall “Commission Meeting Video Archives & Live Broadcast” and access the Commission Meeting of December 2nd, 2014 by clicking on the video link.

To learn more about our new Mayor George “Bud” Scholl, and to watch the video of Mayor Scholl taking his oath of office, go to: www.sibfl.net/city-hall/mayor/

By Former Trial Judge Marc Mogil, J.D., (State of New York)

Not content to lose an election like an honorable man, 77 year old retired politician Lewis J. (“I Love Lew”) Thaler has decided to be remembered in the future as having been the penultimate hypocrite of his era by costing his “beloved” City hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses and legal fees in a run-off election for which he is suing the City and Miami-Dade County.

After conceding defeat and congratulating the winner, 55 year old GEORGE “BUD” SCHOLL — Thaler is now convinced that the voters are too stupid to understand for whom they voted on November 4th, and who was “certified” as the winner on November 14th.  A third candidate (Alex Amselem) withdrew from the race and was legally disqualified with the letter of the law being followed by the City and County. Yet Thaler — with the financial campaign backing of wealthy and powerful developers who are blighting our beachfront and skyline with density variance monstrosities — wants another  chance to win. Thaler’s powerful developer friends need Thaler to continue making millions. How pathetic is that? Where is honor? Is this how Thaler respects your democratic right to vote?

The Courts should put Thaler in his place and uphold the will of our voters. If not, and a costly and unnecessary runoff is ordered (not likely if our wise judiciary upholds Florida law), he will again be pummeled by an electorate DISGUSTED at the depths to which certain politicians will sink in their own self-interest. Justice most often prevails, despite back-room deals.

By Sharon Elster, Editor

In a hotly contested mayoral race, 55 year old George “Bud” Scholl pulled off a solid victory against his 77 year old opponent, Lewis J. Thaler.  Only 28% percent of registered voters in Sunny Isles Beach turned out to vote. A third candidate who had dropped out of the race still received 10% of the votes cast. Those votes were disqualified.

Incumbent Commissioner Isaac Aelion, 63, successfully managed to fend off his challenger,  64 year old Roberto Rodriguez and keep his Commission seat for a second term.

We congratulate both our new Mayor-Elect George “Bud” Scholl and Commissioner Isaac Aelion on their wins and wish them the very best as they continue to serve the people of Sunny Isles Beach.

Below are election results:

Sunny Isles Beach Election Results

FACT AND FICTION:

DECIPHERING THE ISSUES IN SIB’S MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

As we sift through the various mailers from both mayoral candidates, it may be difficult to discern fact from fiction. Below is a brief comparison that may help and demonstrate why we are endorsing George “Bud” Scholl for Mayor.

FACT: 77 year old Lewis J. Thaler served on the commission for nine years, and his voting record is replete with favors to developers, which created a skyline that did not conform to our City’s Comprehensive Plan. Thaler’s campaign chest is filled with hefty donations from grateful developers and their associates.

CONCLUSION: If elected mayor, Thaler will continue to favor developers over residents.

FACT: 77 year old Lewis J. Thaler has not sent a single mailer addressing Bud Scholl’s voting record or service as a seven year commissioner. He has, however, trolled through personal information about Bud Scholl’s children using school records, classmates.com, and résumés.

CONCLUSION: Thaler has no legitimate criticism of Bud Scholl’s seven year voting record or service as a City Commissioner, which is well-reasoned, independent (he was often the dissenting vote on 4-1 decisions), and in the best interest of our City and residents. For example, in the case of the historic Temple landmarking decision, had the rest of the commission (including Lew Thaler) followed Bud Scholl’s lone vote, it would have saved taxpayers over Two Million Dollars and an unnecessary lawsuit. Thaler cannot launch credible attacks at the things that matter. As a result, he stooped to new City campaign lows by attacking his opponent’s children.

FACT: Bud Scholl’s criticism of Lew Thaler is 100% factual and documented. These facts include:

1. Thaler and the mayor violated the Sunshine Law in a developer meeting and boasted about it publicly (pre 11/12/2010 vote);

2. Thaler supported a developer for an ill-fated aquarium to the tune of millions of dollars (11/12/2010 vote);

3. Thaler sponsored a measure to award himself $6,000 a year in expenses without having to provide documentation (9/20/2012 vote);

4. Thaler supported a $650,000 contract in a questionable bid process to a company tied to a convicted felon (9/20/2012 vote);

5. Thaler heavily lobbied to rename Heritage Park, primarily dedicated to our war veterans, after himself (9/20/2012 vote);

6. Thaler billed taxpayers for personal car repairs when he was no longer in office (City Finance Records check # 007887 issued to Thaler);

7. Thaler used city staff to run his personal errands while he spends summers in his second home in Connecticut (disclosure by former city manager).

** Wait a second… summers in Connecticut?! Would that actually make Thaler the part-time commissioner he has been claiming he was not?

CONCLUSION: Lew Thaler’s record as an elected official and thereafter (not that of his family or acquaintances) is a matter of serious concern for SIB voters. In fact, there are too many embarrassing Thaler votes to mention in campaign flyers, including Thaler’s vote to stop the feral cat feeding program. Thaler thought it would be a better idea just to let the cats starve. This was his ordinance on his last day in office, the same day he failed to get Heritage Park named after himself. It was an unfortunate “let them eat cake!” note with which to end his political career.

FACT: Despite running for office several times and having been a candidate for this particular race for over a year and a half, Lew Thaler has improperly used his campaign funds, which triggered a Florida Elections Commission investigation and shows Thaler’s ignorance and/or disregard for the most sensitive of campaign rules….the one relating to dollars.

CONCLUSION: Neither Thaler nor his close advisors are familiar with or care to respect campaign rules and procedures. We should be concerned by this amateur-hour performance from a supposed seasoned politician and his team.

FACT: 77 year old Lewis J. Thaler has every intention to ignore our City Charter, the City’s constitution, as well as our Comprehensive Plan. He has campaigned promising to be a full-time mayor when our City Charter requires a full-time professional City Manager and a part-time mayor and commission. For more on this point, please refer to our article at https://sibreporter.net/2014/09/in-%e2%80%9clew%e2%80%9d-of-quality-thaler-offers-quantity/. In fact, in a debate forum on October 22, 2014 at the Trump III, Thaler stated that he would not permit the City Manager to tell him how to implement public policy, and referred to the City Manager disrespectfully as a “hired gun” that needs to be watched over every single day.

CONCLUSION: Thaler is misleading voters and/or has no idea how our city is supposed to be run.

FACT: 77 year old Lewis J. Thaler accused Bud Scholl of missing all but one City Commission Workshop. What he fails to tell you is that Bud Scholl purposely does not attend these NON-MANDATORY “agenda” meetings because he believes it compromises Sunshine laws and deprives residents of the full discourse the Sunshine laws are intended to protect.

CONCLUSION: Thaler is trying to mislead voters and/or does not understand our Sunshine laws.

So, those are the facts and our conclusions. We hope this was helpful as you prepare to vote for the future of our City. The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter is privileged to recommend residents give their vote to Commissioner George “Bud” Scholl as our next Mayor of Sunny Isles Beach.

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

Mayoral candidate George “Bud” Scholl has been recognized by The Business Journal among the top 50 executives as “Power Leaders in Health Care for the great influence they have on the industry in South Florida.”  Bud Scholl, formerly CEO of Community Blood Centers of Florida, oversaw the merger of three organizations, making OneBlood the third largest blood bank in the nation.

This select group of leaders head the most important institutions, including hospitals, academic medical programs, insurance companies, research organizations, and innovative service providers.

See more: http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/gallery/84611?s=image_gallery&img_no=80

By The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

It has come to the attention of the SIB Reporter that the Florida Elections Commission has begun an investigation into the financial campaign records of 77 year old Mayoral candidate, Lew Thaler. On September 29th, the FEC received a 91-page complaint filed by a Sunny Isles Beach resident who discovered irregularities in the required Campaign Treasurer Reports filed by Thaler covering the period from April 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014.

Specifically, it is illegal for municipal candidates to use personal credit or debit cards for campaign expenses and later have the campaign reimburse them. Legally, they can only use a debit card issued from the campaign’s bank account, but must disclose all the items as they would normally appear on a bank check. Thaler has now run for office three times and should certainly be familiar with the rules, however he allegedly still did not follow the strict guidelines set forth by the FEC.

According to Thaler’s official Campaign Treasurer Reports and the complaint filed with the FEC, Thaler may have used either a personal credit card or debit card for many of his campaign expenses, and was later reimbursed personally by his campaign. The filings indicate he made improper expenditures on over 100 occasions through August 31, 2014. In accordance with state law, each unauthorized entry is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine per occurrence which could potentially reach a staggering fine in excess of $100,000.

The Florida Elections Commission has not issued a statement as of this writing but is commencing with a full investigation. We are unaware if the Florida State’s Attorney is involved as yet, but will keep you updated on any governmental decision in this matter.