Double Cross

One of my photography clients was the City of North Miami but I still thought of myself as the Hippie Photographer. My daughter Elena was responsible for changing me into a suit & tie sort of guy. Howard Neu was on the city council.

One day he called me up. He wanted me to meet him over at his law office. After the usual hand shake and "how are the wife and kids?" sort of small talk we sat down (good thing I was sitting down!) and he hit me with "I want you to chair my campaign for mayor!" Like I said, I had this self image of hippie photographer. Hippies aren't supposed to chair political campaigns.

We went with something a bit different, as campaign buttons go. These do not look like your typical red, white, and blue "Elect So & So" campaign buttons. They worked! Howard became mayor!

This past spring I got involved in a couple of campaigns, but I also attended functions where I didn't want to show favoritism. You're walking a fine line when you've been long time good friends with both candidates. Monkette came up with a great suggestion! We dug out old T-shirts like the one I'd saved from John Patteson's campaign from twenty or so years ago, and buttons going back to the early seventies from other candidates. I wore them. It gave everybody a good laugh. I collected a bunch of T-shirts from this election cycle for future use. Nobody seems to give out buttons anymore.

The double cross is another story for another time.

A Decisive Win And A Recount? And Then There's The Carpetbagger...

Andre Pierre had no trouble beating Frank Wolland for the mayor's seat but Councilman Michael Blynn (striped tie and shades in the photo)and challenger Bonnie Schwartzbaum ended up only 14 votes apart triggering a hand recount Tuesday, June 9th to determine the winner. Bonnie, a political newcomer, had a very well thought out and executed campaign. On the other hand Mike was running on a "Look what a good job I did this past term!" platform. That included numerous cross country junkets at taxpayer expense, and voting for a new generous retirement and healthcare package plus a tenfold increase in salary and an expense account for the mayor and council. No money to bring our parks back up to standard and the water plants are in total disrepair!

And that guy in the yellow Marcellus T-shirt? Well Marcellus was in court this morning. It's very likely that he hasn't actually lived in North Miami long enough to qualify for this election and a lot of his yellow shirted suppporters live in the next county, including the one who beat the shit out of me for taking pictures of them. That race won't be decided until the judge rules on the residency issue.

Update on the Bonnie Schwartzbaum/Michael Blynn race. The recount confirmed Michael Blynn's 14 vote lead and he was sworn in for another term on the council. Still, it's hardly a mandate when an attorney who is the incumbant councilman only wins by 14 votes against a challenger with no experience at all in city politics. We still luv ya Mike, but work a little harder this time around!

Al Kaplan Wearing A Blynn T-Shirt?

I guess that I'm percieved as being a lot more influential in this city than I ever imagined! I was standing outside the polls on election day wearing a bright yellow Elect Bonnie Schwartzbaum T-shirt. She's running against the incumbant Michael Blynn.
Michael showed up dressed "Lawyer Casual", no jacket, collar and tie loosened a wee little bit, and just to prove that he wasn't dressed for business he sported a baseball cap on his head and he wore sunglasses. He acted genuinely hurt that I wasn't supporting his re-election bid. He said that he couldn't fathom why I'd be helping a political newcomer, somebody who'd never even been on a city advisory board before! He handed me one of his shirts, and just to keep the peace I put it on over Bonnie's shirt until Michael wandered off elsewhere.

His shirt reads "Qualified, Competant, Caring, Courageous". I also percieve "Complacent and Contented with the status quo", especially since the council just voted themselves a humongous raise in flagrant violation of the city charter.

Bonnie might be new to this but she is a successful business woman who is dedicated, dynamic, determined and daring. We need new blood on the council bringing new ideas and maybe a dose of idealism too.

I've got nothing against you Mike. You've done a good job. I just think that it's time for the city to move in new directions. Bonnie shares those desires. "Dedicated, Determined, Daring, Dynamic" is what the city needs.

Several candidates failed to make the cut in the election and now we have a run-off coming up on June second. This time Michael gets to go one on one with Bonnie to win the hearts and minds (and votes) of the North Miami citizens.

Thanks for the T-shirt, Michael.

Getting A Ride To The Polls

When Monkette saw Bonnie's dog wearing one of Bonnie's campaign T-shirts she threw a major fit! Jealous rage! She doesn't understand why none of the candidates thought about getting some tiny shirts printed. I pointed out that the shirt was really an ill fit on the dog, but she said that at least the dog HAS one. We managed to placate her somewhat by letting her go dogback riding. Then she got to go to the polls with me while the poor dog had to go back home.

You Can't Please Everyone So You've Got To Please Yourself

You're not supposed to do any campaigning within 100 feet of the polling place, and there I was, wearing that bright yellow "Bonnie" T-shirt! They told me that I could go straight in, vote, and immediately leave, but I was thinking "What if I get involved in a conversation with somebody?" Michael Blynn came to the rescue. "Here, wear one of mine!" he said with a big grin, handing me a Blynn T-shirt. He and Bonnie are running for the same council seat. I thanked him, and then put the shirt on inside-out over Bonnie's shirt. He wasn't a happy camper but I was good to go. I was able to stroll into the library no questions asked!

I showed my I.D., got checked off, and was handed my ballot. The guy who gave it to me admonished that I should make sure to vote on both the front and back of the ballot, and to fill in the ovals completely, not just "X" them. The electronic machine then read my ballot and entered my vote. On the way out they stuck a little "I VOTED" sticker on my shirt. It kind of stuck there for a few minutes,then headed off to someplace else. They should really buy stickers with better stickem!

A BONNIE STRATEGY SESSION

A group of us gathered at Bonnie's house. The idea was to meet one another, pick up a supply of elect Bonnie Schwartzbaum literature, yard signs, and a pair of shirts. We were each issued one of the BRIGHT yellow T-shirts emblazoned front and rear with the ELECT Bonnie Schwartzbaum spiel in black and candy apple red. Folks would be able to spot us coming or going three blocks away. The only competition that I noticed out on the street were the usual groups of bible toters, the women in conservative dresses and the men slowly turning to sweat in their polyester shirts, ill fitting dark suits, and neck ties with boring patterns.

For more civilized occasions we got some very respectible and less gaudy golf shirts in a slightly less intense yellow with the Elect Bonnie stuff embroidered neatly on the front. I noticed that Bonnie and her inner circle had District 2 planned out street by street, block by block. Bonnie sat at her computer, staring at the screen, clicking away at the keyboard. I guess the final number of drop-off-the-literature beats really couldn't be determined until she knew exactly how many people would show up. Meanwhile the men were busy getting some refreshments ready. Notice the fresh fruit platter? Notice that enticing hand of bananas? Monkette has indeed made a major impact on North Miami politics! She even said that the day would come when men would wash the dishes!

There was one lady there, Pat, who didn't have a car. That's her hand reaching for the coffee mug in the lower right corner of the photo. Once I determined that she needed a ride home, and lived just a few blocks from my house, I offered her a ride home. Hell, I would have offered her a ride anyway!

T-SHIRT CENTRAL ~ Elect Bonnie Schwartzbaum

Piles of shirts everywhere! Bright yellow T-shirts and a more sedate shade for the golf shirts. If it wasn't for the "But they're ALL yellow!" color acheme of the piles of shirts all over the place (and the nice furniture) you could almost visualize a scene from a church rummage sale.

Back in the good days running a succesful campaign in North Miami usually involved hiring a high priced political consultant to formulate and map out strategy, write and send out press releases, all that good stuff. Bonnie's drive and enthusiasm seems to infect her supporters and volunteers in a big way. Between her carefully mapped out plan of action and their unbridled energy things seemed to be very much under control. I got the feeling that if Bonnie had been in charge of the invasion of Iraq the Sunnis would be partying with the Shiites, the Kurds would be happy campers, and our troops would have been home months ago (and probably wearing yellow T-shirts)!

"I Need Your Vote!"

Councilman Michael Blynn wore one of his campaign T-shirts as he worked the tables at the annual North Miami Historical Society luncheon. Councilman Scott Galvin, facing the camera toward's the right side of the photo isn't laughing at Michael's speil. Scott always has that same smile. That must be the way his facial muscles are designed! The Scott Galvin signature smile!

Overall, Michael has been doing a great job on the council, and he should! Our elected officals should be doing a fantastic job! After all, they just gave themselves an obscene ten fold salary increase, a lifetime gold plated health insurance plan, and retirement benefits that make you wonder why they just don't go ahead and retire instead of raising the utility bill again.

But what can you expect from a councilman who doesn't know enough about campaigning to realize that the winner is always the one who gives out the coolest looking T-shirt! Michael, where are OUR T-shirts?

Down On The Corner, Out In The Street...

The North Miami city election is coming up May 12th and last night was the candidates forum at City Hall. As usual, Monkette was very insistant that we attend. I assured her that at best there would be coffee with powdered "creamer" and a tray or two of assorted cheap cookies. She's the boss! We were going anyway!

As we got closer the song playing on the radio was as if a Higher Power had chosen it. Creedence Clearwater Revival was singing their 1969 #3 hit "Down On The Corner, Out In The Street..."

We got there half an hour early, and still we were lucky to get a space in the parking lot across the street and within walking distance of city hall. There were lots of people carrying signs and wearing candidate's T-shirts, handing out campaign literature (the meaning of "literature" sure must have changed since I was in school) and exchanging pleasantries with one another. The candidates themselves shook every hand they could grab, including Monkette's little hand. She was upset that the Miami Herald photographer and the TV crews didn't cover the arrival. She might have made the 11 O'clock news!

Finally Monkette shouted "Cookie time!" and we headed inside.

The Last Of The Al Kaplan T-shirts?

Amazing. James Mitchell gets the idea of sticking my ugly face on a T-shirt, complete with a cigarette dangling from my lips, posts the thing on an internet Leica Photography forum, and suddenly orders are coming from as far away as Australia! Next thing I know I'm having coffee at a sidewalk cafe on South Beach, another photo of me, this time with Leicas draped across my chest. by a top advertising photographer, and James decides another T-shirt is called for. In the meantime I've discovered that a market has developed for the few T-shirts out there, used I'm assuming, and I suggested to James that maybe he should make up some more, or better yet, a coffee mug! He just emailed me this link. Seems he has a few of the first batch of both editions still available and right now he's listing them on ebay. Put one on, grab a cuppa java, and you can pretend that you're having Coffee With Al

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300280263884

"Al,Can you put a link to the auction in your blog. This is on Ebay for the remaining 7 Large size shirts. I have a couple of odd sizes, but these are the last. I have two more of the newer shirt too. But let's see how this goes. Here is a link"

Al Kaplan For North Miami Mayor

It's odd but the little strip mall has a Starbucks at its southern end, which is within the city limits of North Miami. A few store north and across a narrow alley is the City of North Miami Beach. One itty bitty strip mall, two cities. Just about everybody at Starbucks knows me and I'll talk with just about anybody and everybody. So I'm talking. To anybody and everybody! It's probably well past the time for just talking. Yup, time has run out for sure. The 13th hour has arrived!

For the past few years I've also been talking with everybody and anybody around city hall about "The Fence Issue" and getting nowhere. Today the deputy city manager, Dennis Kelley, came by my house. He agreed that the neighbor's fence was taller than he is. It's taller than his six feet for sure. Six feet maximum is what the code allows, and my contention is that at the time the fence was constructed the code said five feet. Even if the code was changed afterwards the fence should have been made to conform when I first complained. I'm also contending that it should have come in front of the Board of Adjustment for a variance, even if it was after the code was changed, bacause it's still overheight and it was constructed before the change.

Well, it seems that Clarence Patterson, our city manager, thinks that the fence is just fine as it is. That's great. An appointed official gets to make law? That's not the way I read the city charter. We have an elected council and an elected mayor. THEY make the rules and THEY hire and fire the city manager. For at least two years now people have been encouraging me to run for mayor. I still have that photograph of my bruised, cut, and bloody face courtesy of my neighbor's contractor. Well the cuts and bruising are courtesy of the contractor. My son Jonathan took the photo. What folks are telling me is that picture would make for a fantastic campaign poster. It would make for a great T-shirt. It would grab attention as the cover of a campaign brochure. It would probably get coverage in the Miami Herald and on TV as well. I'll even insist on using it as my official portrait to hang in city hall along with all the other portraits of North Miami mayors.

Yesterday I had lunch with the guy who made up the last "Al Kaplan T-shirt" a couple of years ago. Stay tuned...