Shameless & Ethically challenged Mayor Steven Bateman: An Undercover Lobbyist

Jim DeFede, journalist at CBS4,  has an expose on Mayor Steven Bateman that premiered on TV at 11PM last night.  It appears our ethically challenged Mayor has been on the payroll of Community Health of South Florida Inc (CHI). There's no problem with the Mayor having a second job considering the city only pays him $6000 a year for his mayoral duties.  The problem is he represents himself at County Hall as the Mayor of Homestead while lobbying the County Mayor, Carlos Gimenez and other staff for an additional Sewer pump in Homestead on behalf of CHI.  There's the conflict of interest the Mayor disregarded. The sewer pump will allow Homestead to permit additional residential and commercial developments in the city, one of them being a new CHI Clinic for children.  The Mayor has no shame to his game.  He will do whatever is necessary to bring growth and jobs to the city and if his bank account grows with it, well so be it!

The problem with his exuberance is that now the Mayor finds himself being investigated by the State Attorney's Office for this and the Dade Medical College conflict of interest.  The City of Homestead is no stranger to controversial Mayors. We had Steve Shiver already, another Mayor and subsequent County Administrator during Alex Penela's County Mayorship, who was sent packing for his ethically challenged ways.  Ironically, Mayor Bateman wants to bring back Steve Shiver as City Manager but doesn't have the votes on the City Council to get rid of George Gretsas.  Indeed, the sewer backup at City Hall is worse than we're led to believe.

It has become evident that Mayor Bateman has serious issues with holding office and his private enterprise. However, the only ones that can directly hold him accountable are the voting citizens of the city of Homestead come this November, regardless what the State Attorney's office determines.

You can read the expose on this link, there's even a video.
 http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/07/01/homestead-mayor-privately-paid-by-firm-seeking-his-help/

The Miami Herald also has the in-depth story.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/02/3481006/homestead-mayor-steve-bateman.html

The Miami New Times now has a chronology of Mayor Bateman's ethical lapses.
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2013/07/homestead_mayor_steven_bateman_2.php

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Keys Gate Residents: Activate AT&T Protection One System!

Here we go again!  There's a robbery in Keys Gate?  Oh My!   Let's call CBS4 because of course this is a tragedy worthy of Local News at 6 and 11PM.  Must've been a slow news night for the TV station to trek down to Keys Gate and report on a house being "ransacked".   If this had happened in Southwest Homestead, well, that's not news.   House watchers, Mr. and Mrs. Gunther and Shirley Karger left the doors and windows unlocked on a neighbor's house they were "watching" while the neighbor was hospitalized. Mind you they also never activated the burglar alarm system for the house.  It is the homeowner's or house watcher's responsibility to turn on the alarm system.  

In Keys Gate the alarm system is monitored by AT&T Protection One and paid through the association.  The monitored alarm system goes off when tripped by the motion sensor or a door or window is opened.  Residents are able to add other services upon request for an additional fee.  Once tripped Protection One contacts the homeowner via telephone to the house or mobile phone.  Otherwise, shortly thereafter the company calls the Police Department. 

This will not be the first time nor the last that residents fail to turn on the system and get robbed.  Then indignant at the circumstances they yell and scream at the Keys Gate Community Association (KGCA), Homestead Police Department , CBS News 4, neighbors, you name it.  "Something must be done!" they say,   Indeed:   Activate the Alarm and chances are this would have never happened.  Don't bother going to KGCA requesting to increase alarm monitoring for glass braking and smart phone monitoring. The alarm system isn't being turned on anyway so why pay more in maintenance fees for a service that will go unused.   

The Homestead Police Department did a fine job apprehending two suspects that allegedly broke into this and other homes in the North Gate Village in Key Gate.  They do a great job after the fact but are unable to be everywhere all the time.  Homestead Police needs the residents' help:  Be vigilant and proactive, by turning on the alarm system so these robberies happen less frequently.

Reference Link:

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/06/10/homestead-police-make-arrest-in-rash-of-neighborhood-burglaries/

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