Friday The Thirteenth ~ First Mug Of The Day

My friend North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin got an idea a couple of years ago. I know. Nobody expects city officials to think. He thought it would be nice if you could drive down the street and see American flags flying in front of the houses on patriotic holidays.

He decided to use his expense allowance for something other than weekend junkets and entertaining potential contributors to his next re-election campaign. He bought American flags with the money! Any resident who wanted one could have one for the asking.

That's me there, holding my imported-from-India Leica mug. My fiend Mukul Dube in Dehli came up with the idea for the mugs. He doesn't have a cushy government post with a huge expense account like Scott. He will sell you one though. $20.00 U.S. will get it all the way from Delhi to your door, mug and postage included! The little bit of profit he makes goes to help out poor children in Delhi. They can use the help! Mukul's email is uthappam@gmail.com and he'll accept your check.

Cheap Little Flag, Cheap Little City

It seems like at every patriotic holiday the City of North Miami

gives out these cute little flags. They must buy thousands of them every year. They're just the right size for Monkette to hold so often I get a picture of her holdiong one. I also keep a couple of them in the truck next to the rear view mirror. This photo is actually a direct scan of he flag, no camera involved!

But I'm going to tell you about how the North Miami mayor and city council conspired to shaft the members of the city advisory boards. One of my other posts this week tells about how city staff can't even get their shit together to get our checks out in a timely fashion, but this is more insidious. People in politics should be honest, the "My word is my bond" kind of thing. But not Mayor Kevin Burns and the North Miami City Council who gave recently themselves a ten-fold increase in pay, generous retirement benefits, expense accounts, and lifetime health insurance, followed by an attempt to increase the utility bill WAY up there. They claim it's to pay for a new water plant, but if you look at their row of brand new ultra deluxe SUV's parked behind city hall it kinda makes you wonder. The city manager has one too!

The council chambers were packed with angry taxpayers. The council backed off on the utility bill increase. I hope they can afford to make the payments on those big fancy SUV's because without the new water plan there's no chance (not that I'm implying anything here) for getting kick backs from whatever contractor would be awarded the multi-million dollar contract.

I spent a dozen years on the North Miami Planning Comission and six or so on the Board of Adjustment, my current position. Our pay is a token TEN BUCKS a meeting, the same as it was in 1961, and we pay for our own gas if we drive around looking at the properties on the agenda. I actually do drive around and look at them. I was dumbstruck a few months ago when our chairwoman said that she doesn't bother.

I've been lobbying to at least bring it up by the amount of inflation over the years. Of course the city has grown from maybe 20,000 to over 60,000 since 1961. The boards have a lot more work to do these days. I presented the council with a figure of $85.00, which is about what 1961's $10 became due to inflation. A raise was passed at last. Then when I didn't receive the check two months running (see the emails in another blog posting) I was starting to get major pissed. So was my girlfriend Robin because I'm no fun to be around when I'm pissed. She kept telling me that at a party around Christmastime Mayor Kevin Burns told her that we'd be getting $85.00 a meeting.

Was I ever surprised when I finally got my check for the two meetings. It wasn't for $170.00. It was for a lousy $40.00. TWENTY BUCKS A MEETING. It still doesn't pay for the gasoline! Mayor Kevin Burns lied to Robin. Yup, Kevin Burns lied to a lady! My mommy always told me that was a no-no! The entire North Miami City Council screwed us. Well, somebody has to pay for those big fancy SUV's , right? Please call (305) 893-6511 and tell Kevin what you think about this underhanded dealing. Monkette would be grateful too!

...and Kevin, remember Mayor Howard Neu! He got me pissed once too. Once is enough!

(But that's a story for another day!)

Flying The Stars And Stripes!

Councilman Scott Galvin got this great idea that our North Miami residents should try to make the city look more patriotic by getting everyone to fly the American flag on national holidays. He made a deal with a local flag company and got a "wholesale price" on a mess of 3x5 foot flags complete with aluminum poles and brackets. Anybody stopping by his office could pick up a free flag. He was hoping to see the streets lined with flags on the Fourth of July. It didn't happen. Oh, there were flags flying, but nowhere near what he'd hoped for.

I was driving down the street and saw this house, probably in foreclosure, all boarded up, and a huge pile of trash out in front. I stopped to check out the pile for treasures. The only thing I salvaged was that cute little toy monkey sitting on the shoulder of the dressmakers' form. Monkette was sitting on my front seat and she suggested that I get a photo of the little toy monkey showing her patriotism by holding up the American flag.

Next year I'm going to suggest to Scott that he should get a whole big bunch of little American flags. Maybe we can convince all the toy monkeys in town to go out in their front yards and wave the red, white, and blue.

All That's Missing Is The Parade

I guess you could say that patriotism survives but the glory is gone. When I was a kid over half a century back I used to love going to parades, and there were plenty of them. Every patriotic holiday there was a parade. My father or my grandfather would take me downtown and for block after block people would line both sides of the street, flags everywhere!

When you're three or four years old time passes slowly. We always arrived early to assure getting a good place by the curb so I could watch the parade without somebody having to hold me up. Then suddenly you became aware of drums beating in the distance! The parade was on its way. It wasn't made up of the high school drum and bugle corps, no squads of cheerleaders doing fancy tricks with twirling batons. These were real soldiers and sailors carrying real guns marching up the street, real military bands, rows of olive drab Jeeps. Marching groups of men in the Coast Guard, the National Guard, and units of World War II veterans, even units of proud old men who'd served in World War I.

Then there were the convertibles driving slowly down the street carryng the few remaining veterans of the Spanish-American War, and when I was real little, a veteran or two of the Civil War. Everybody was white. Whatever blacks that served back then were pretty much relegated to non-combat duty. They didn't march in parades. After I moved south from Massachusettes to Florida one southerner summed it up "It's glorious to die in defense of your country. We don't want to give no n*****s any glory!"

Vietnam changed a lot of things. The patriotism aspect of defending the United States this time around turned out to be a big lie. The military wasn't just a white man's army any longer. The country itself was changing, and the way we looked at the military had changed. Now we have public ceremonies in the park to honor our war dead and the veterans who survived, a speech by the mayor, the high school drum and bugle corps plays some music, we eat hot dogs and carry little flags, and those two cute little girls in red dresses will never know the excitement of watching a parade. But their grandmothers probably never knew that excitement either. They wouldn't have been allowed to live in the neighborhood.

Patriotism is Contagious ~ And Fashionable

This looks like it'll make for a good Fourth of July photograph. Actually I was wandering around the park on Memorial Day, May 30th, when I spotted this patriotic woman. Nobody could walk by without noticing her, for sure. As usual the city was handing out little Amercan flags, so I stood one in my shirt pocket. It looked great against the lighter blue of my shirt.

Councilman Scott Galvin made a good deal with a local flag company for bunches of 3x5 foot flags packed in a plastic bag along with a metal pole and a wall bracket. Any city resident could go to Scott's office at city hall and get one flag for free! I really thought that a lot more people would take advantage of the offer and that the streets would be awash in red, white, and blue. Well, in this neighborhood there's my flag and one on the next block, but he already had that one.

I'll attend tomorrow night's festivities, check out the refreshments, and watch the fireworks. Monkette wants to go too. I'm sure that I'll see this woman there, and I'm wondering what she'll be wearing. Most women don't want to be seen in the same outfit twice!

Flying Old Glory with Pride

This is a season filled with flag flying. Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence day which is also called the Fourth of July. My friend North Miami City Councilman Scott Galvin decided that we should all have flags flying on July Fourth and he's come up with a plan. This is an email he just sent out:

North Miami residents....I hope you'll come get your flag!
Councilman Galvin's
'Grand Old Flag Giveaway'
June 14 - July 4
This is an historic year in American history. Thousands of our soldiers are fighting overseas. In November, we will continue the world's longest tradition of democracy by electing a new President.

In honor of our great country, I'm announcing my first-ever "Grand Old Flag Giveaway!"
Starting on Flag Day (June 14) and ending on Independence Day (July 4), I'm going to give away hundreds of 3' x 5' American flags to North Miami households. Everyone should fly Old Glory, and this is your chance to show your patriotism!

"Grand Old Flag Giveaway"Kick-Off Event

Saturday, June 14, 2008 10:00 am

Griffing Park "Bicentennial Fountain"
123 Street and West Dixie Highway

The "Grand Old Flag Giveaway"... Here's How it Works

Get Your Flag Kit! The kits being given include a pole, bracket, and a 3' x 5' USA flag (made in the US). This promotion is sponsored by Councilman Scott Galvin and Freedom Flag & Banner. Flag Kits will be available at North Miami City Hall, 776 NE 125 Street, at the Second Floor City Council Office. While supplies last, Flag Kits will be given away starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 14, 2008, and ending at 9:00 am on Friday, July 4, 2008.
Eligibility. Only North Miami residents are eligible to participate. When picking up your Flag Kit, a valid ID with home address must be presented (e.g. Driver's License, Utility Bill). Only one flag per household. Residents may not pick up a flag for their neighbors.

Don't forget to join North Miami's July 4th Celebration!

Independence Day By The Bay, Saluting Our Heroes. Location: FIU - Biscayne Campus, 3000 NE 151 Street Time: 6:00 PM FREE Admission. Gates open at 6pm. Fireworks at sundown. Bring your family to enjoy children's games, live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks show! Music, food & more!