NMB's CRA Sounds a Lot Like Homestead's CRA, a Waste of Time and Space
Reprinted with Stephanie's permission: http://www.votersopinion.com/?p=7093
The new “PC:” Politically Connected
There are some strange things going on at North Miami Beach City Hall. As you know, the former City Manager Lyndon Bonner was given his walking papers at the end of his contract in September. Instead of looking for a new City Manager, the Council decided to shuffle the deck and rehire/promote the Current Assistant/One Time Interim City Manager Roslyn Weisblum. This is the same Ms. Weisblum who immediately handed out raises the minute she was handed the interim position to temporarily replace the former-former-and-fired City Manager Kelvin Baker. Obviously, she was the perfect candidate to fill the new vacancy, right? Uh, huh.
As current (and future ex, I’m sure) City Manager, Ms. Weisblum has made some changes. For starters, she fired the CRA Director Dan Wick. I don’t know the reasons why she canned him, nor do I care, since I think a CRA is another one of those questionable ponzi schemes that we should abolish altogether, but that’s for another day, another blog.
Good old Ros decided that we didn’t need another CRA Director because it would cost too much money, which was probably the only good decision she’s made so far. Then she blew that political capital by creating a position called “CRA Coordinator” and figured that the job was worth at least eighty thousand bucks. Boy, that sounds familiar. Where did I hear about this before? Oh, yeah! That’s EXACTLY what happened in North Miami! You’ll remember that our sister city’s mayor Andre Pierre created just such a position for his crony, Lesly Prudent, to replace its then CRA Director Tony Crapp. Smells like nepotism to me!
So who did Ros pick to fill our newly created “CRA Coordinator” job? Glad you asked.
A woman by the name of Rasha Soray-Cameau just happened to be available. Her resume is fairly impressive. She received a Masters in Business Administration from Florida International University in 2007. Ms. Soray-Cameau claims she worked for the Human Services Coalition from 1997 to 2004, and cites her job description as “oversight of staff, finance, contract management, human resources, day to day operations, negotiations with auditors, contractors and [illegible].” From 2004 to 2009, she worked for the City of Miami/NET, where she was again in charge of “oversight of staff, community programs, met with constituent [sic] to deal with issues” and the like. In 2009 she was transferred to the City of Miami/Little Haiti Cultural Center, where her job description was to “develop programs for cultural center, oversight of faculty, staff, events, grants management.”
When asked to explain in her own words why she’s qualified for the position, she wrote simply, “I believe that my past work experiences dealing with constituent issues, economic development and issues [illegible] management and budgeting make me qualified for the position mentioned.”
Sounds qualified to me!
The fact is that I have no idea what qualifications are required to run a city’s CRA, or Community Redevelopment Agency. Then again, I don’t have to know. I didn’t apply for the job. Considering that the word “CRA” does not appear on Rasha Soray-Cameau’s application, other than in the blank space after “Position Applied For,” I’m wondering why she thinks she’s qualified to run one. But, more importantly, why does the City Manager think she’s qualified?
I’m also wondering why someone who thinks she’s qualified to be a CRA Coordinator believes that this position has anything to do with constituent issues. Last time I checked, the management of a city, or its CRA, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS!
Unless, of course, the person seeking to fill this position just happens to be Politically Connected. Like Lesly Prudent, for example, whose political radio show helped Andre Pierre win his election as mayor of North Miami. Just who’s political career is this new hire advancing? I’m just saying.
Whether or not Rasha Soray-Cameau is qualified for the job, she sure is Politically Connected. Her list of Facebook friends is quite telling. For starters, she’s friends with two women with the last name “Martelly” – Rosa and Midge, and a man by the name of Ralph Martelly. As you know, “Martelly” just happens to be the last name of the president of Haiti, so I’m wondering if any of them are related to him.
Speaking of President Martelly, you’ll remember the hoopla during his visit stateside in July, when the City of North Miami shelled out $8,800.00 for police protection so that he could attend a gala at the Renaissance Ballroom given by Francois Adrien, owner of “Pikliz.com, a popular Haitian website.”
In a coincidence of all coincidences, one Francois J. Adrien just happens to be one of Rasha Soray-Cameau’s Facebook friends! The fact that Francois J. Adrien lists http://www.pikliz.com on his Facebook page leads me to believe he’s the same Francois Adrian, owner of pikliz.com, who hangs with the Haitian Prez. How cozy.
For Ms. Soray-Cameau, it sure doesn’t get more Politically Connected than that!
On December 2, 2012, ten days ago, I sent an email to North Miami Beach City Manager Roslyn Weisblum asking her questions about this new “CRA Coordinator” position, including the job description, whether or not it was advertised, and copies of all the other applicants’ resumes. So far, just like ignored public records requests in North Miami, I have received no response.
What I do know, however, is that in the month or so that Ms. Soray-Cameau has been an employee of our city, she’s done little more than sit at the receptionist’s desk in the City Manager’s office and answer the phones. Considering her resume, I’m sure she’s highly qualified to do just that.
Then again, so am I. If I had known that this position offered a salary of EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, I would have applied myself!
Then again, I’m not Politically Connected.
But since no receptionist, no matter how well she can answer a phone, is worth EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, one just has to wonder what the hell is going on around here.
Enquiring minds want to know!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
As current (and future ex, I’m sure) City Manager, Ms. Weisblum has made some changes. For starters, she fired the CRA Director Dan Wick. I don’t know the reasons why she canned him, nor do I care, since I think a CRA is another one of those questionable ponzi schemes that we should abolish altogether, but that’s for another day, another blog.
Good old Ros decided that we didn’t need another CRA Director because it would cost too much money, which was probably the only good decision she’s made so far. Then she blew that political capital by creating a position called “CRA Coordinator” and figured that the job was worth at least eighty thousand bucks. Boy, that sounds familiar. Where did I hear about this before? Oh, yeah! That’s EXACTLY what happened in North Miami! You’ll remember that our sister city’s mayor Andre Pierre created just such a position for his crony, Lesly Prudent, to replace its then CRA Director Tony Crapp. Smells like nepotism to me!
So who did Ros pick to fill our newly created “CRA Coordinator” job? Glad you asked.
A woman by the name of Rasha Soray-Cameau just happened to be available. Her resume is fairly impressive. She received a Masters in Business Administration from Florida International University in 2007. Ms. Soray-Cameau claims she worked for the Human Services Coalition from 1997 to 2004, and cites her job description as “oversight of staff, finance, contract management, human resources, day to day operations, negotiations with auditors, contractors and [illegible].” From 2004 to 2009, she worked for the City of Miami/NET, where she was again in charge of “oversight of staff, community programs, met with constituent [sic] to deal with issues” and the like. In 2009 she was transferred to the City of Miami/Little Haiti Cultural Center, where her job description was to “develop programs for cultural center, oversight of faculty, staff, events, grants management.”
When asked to explain in her own words why she’s qualified for the position, she wrote simply, “I believe that my past work experiences dealing with constituent issues, economic development and issues [illegible] management and budgeting make me qualified for the position mentioned.”
Sounds qualified to me!
The fact is that I have no idea what qualifications are required to run a city’s CRA, or Community Redevelopment Agency. Then again, I don’t have to know. I didn’t apply for the job. Considering that the word “CRA” does not appear on Rasha Soray-Cameau’s application, other than in the blank space after “Position Applied For,” I’m wondering why she thinks she’s qualified to run one. But, more importantly, why does the City Manager think she’s qualified?
I’m also wondering why someone who thinks she’s qualified to be a CRA Coordinator believes that this position has anything to do with constituent issues. Last time I checked, the management of a city, or its CRA, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS!
Unless, of course, the person seeking to fill this position just happens to be Politically Connected. Like Lesly Prudent, for example, whose political radio show helped Andre Pierre win his election as mayor of North Miami. Just who’s political career is this new hire advancing? I’m just saying.
Whether or not Rasha Soray-Cameau is qualified for the job, she sure is Politically Connected. Her list of Facebook friends is quite telling. For starters, she’s friends with two women with the last name “Martelly” – Rosa and Midge, and a man by the name of Ralph Martelly. As you know, “Martelly” just happens to be the last name of the president of Haiti, so I’m wondering if any of them are related to him.
Speaking of President Martelly, you’ll remember the hoopla during his visit stateside in July, when the City of North Miami shelled out $8,800.00 for police protection so that he could attend a gala at the Renaissance Ballroom given by Francois Adrien, owner of “Pikliz.com, a popular Haitian website.”
In a coincidence of all coincidences, one Francois J. Adrien just happens to be one of Rasha Soray-Cameau’s Facebook friends! The fact that Francois J. Adrien lists http://www.pikliz.com on his Facebook page leads me to believe he’s the same Francois Adrian, owner of pikliz.com, who hangs with the Haitian Prez. How cozy.
For Ms. Soray-Cameau, it sure doesn’t get more Politically Connected than that!
On December 2, 2012, ten days ago, I sent an email to North Miami Beach City Manager Roslyn Weisblum asking her questions about this new “CRA Coordinator” position, including the job description, whether or not it was advertised, and copies of all the other applicants’ resumes. So far, just like ignored public records requests in North Miami, I have received no response.
What I do know, however, is that in the month or so that Ms. Soray-Cameau has been an employee of our city, she’s done little more than sit at the receptionist’s desk in the City Manager’s office and answer the phones. Considering her resume, I’m sure she’s highly qualified to do just that.
Then again, so am I. If I had known that this position offered a salary of EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, I would have applied myself!
Then again, I’m not Politically Connected.
But since no receptionist, no matter how well she can answer a phone, is worth EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, one just has to wonder what the hell is going on around here.
Enquiring minds want to know!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
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