"First of all I'd like to say that this is an absolute lie," said Spence-Jones.

Michelle Spence-Jones Marc Sarnoff

The Miami New Times and some folks in the media think that Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones is soon headed the way of many corrupt officials in the area. Not so fast. Don't rush to judgment says State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle.

Spence-Jones' colleague, Marc Sarnoff is being called a liar by not only her but by former Miami city manager Joe Arriola. Sarnoff released the memo detailing the meeting where Spence-Jones' alleged demands for pay-offs were discussed. This is going to get interesting folks. There was a community meeting today regarding this issue. Stay tuned.

Related Links:

Miami Commissioner Outraged At Payoff Allegations

Commissioner Denies Being Paid Off For Vote

More Dirt on Commissioner Spence-Jones

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? I haven't. I've picked up a couple of token items but for the most part, there are no outwardly signs of the holiday season at my home. With six days left, I'm not about to stress about it either.

For starters, the best gift I could get is to have my mom at home for Christmas. She's improved tremendously but her health also puts all of the shopping madness in perspective. We haven't put up a tree or anything.

I just realized that I'll likely be responsible for Christmas dinner! Wow, I'd better get busy making those dinner reservations. No, I'm not cooking nothing, and I mean that ebonically.

Anyhoo, if your holiday shopping status is the same as mine, do check out my friend Lisa's holiday tips to save you cash and stress. Oh yeah, remember that HE is the reason for the season.

Lisa's 2007 Holiday Tips

• Consider not buying any gifts for family and friends this year. Let everyone know in advance that you are striving toward a goal and you need every dime to achieve that goal.
• If you still feel the need to buy gifts, create a holiday budget immediately and keep track of every dime that you spend.
• Buy or make only what you can afford to pay for with cash this year. Do not use any credit cards.
• Make a list of everyone who you are purchasing for. Tell family and close friends with whom you are exchanging gifts that you are working with a smaller budget. Consider pulling names if you have a large family and purchase one gift instead of multiples.
• Start early on your shopping list to avoid the last minute overspending.
• Shred the convenience checks that have come in the mail ASAP.
• If you have children in your family, limit the number of gifts for each child.
• Pick up a seasonal job to pay for your holiday purchases, that way you can use your regular income to pay for your normal living expenses and your seasonal job can cover all of your holiday expenses.
• Select gifts that people need (i.e. gas cards, gift certificates to the grocery store, or a coupon for a free night of babysitting.)
• Take some time out for yourself. Instead of fighting the crowds at the mall, turn on some holiday music, enjoy a nice evening at home and remember the reason for the season.

Lisa Rogers-Cherry is a motivational speaker and the author of Lifting the Burdens of Debt: A Helpful Guide to Getting Your Debts Paid and Your Life Back on Track, ISBN # 0-9774296-0-1 (2005; $14.95). If you have a question or would like more information about the book go to www.redpenpress.com, e-mail her at [email protected], or write to Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Red Pen Press, P. O. Box 1196, Dania Beach, FL 33004.

By now, surely you've heard that the Dolphins are no longer winless this football season as they defeated the Baltimore Ravens 22-16 on Sunday. It's a pleasure to see those guys smile for a change.

This community has really been down on the Fins. There were a couple of close games during the season but the team just couldn't pull it off. Watching the guys' confidence diminish and the fans become hostile has been the saddest of all that has occured this season.

Congratulations, Dolphins. No matter what, always bring your "A" game.

Posted on Fri, Dec. 14, 2007

Miami city commissioners Thursday reaffirmed their support of the controversial 1,050-unit, $200 million-plus Crosswinds project -- voting 4-1 to approve its development in the city's historic but struggling Overtown neighborhood.

City commissioners had approved the project once already last year, but that approval ended up being invalidated after a group of Overtown activists successfully challenged it in court.

Opponents again packed commission chambers to speak out against the project, but again failed to sway commissioners. Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, who represents Overtown, held steadfast in her support of the project. Commissioner Tomás Regalado cast the lone ''no'' vote.

Jurors failed to agree on the verdicts for the "Liberty City Seven." One of the men, Lyglenson Lemorin, was acquitted and a mistrial declared for the other six. The Bush Administration must be embarrassed by the outcome of the verdict in a case that clearly should never have occurred.

What is even more amazing is that the government may continue to press charges against the remaining men. What a ridiculous misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Spence-Jones Faces Indictment

State attorney investigates ethically challenged Miami commissioner.

By Tamara Lush 

Published: December 13, 2007

• Office of Commissioner Spence-Jones

  

  Spence-Jones: V is for venal.

  On Monday, November 26, Miami city Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones stood before a few hundred constituents in the auditorium of Booker T. Washington High School in Overtown. Before she spoke, a slick video touted her successful first year in office, the school's marching band played a gospel number, and staffers handed out glossy flyers outlining her agenda.

  Spence-Jones's speech was long on metaphor and short on detail. She talked about her grandmother's bread pudding, the need for affordable housing, and crime reduction. There were tired phrases such as "quality of life," "essential building blocks of the future," and the clunky "tangible, achievable, measurable, community-driven." The catch phrase for the evening, which she had printed on buttons handed out to everyone in the room, was "Wake Up!"

  "It's time, Miami, to wake up!" she told the cheering audience.

  Indeed it's time for Miami to wake up and check out Spence-Jones. She is poised to join the ranks of city commissioners — Art Teele, Miller Dawkins, Humberto Hernandez — who have been charged with corruption. The reasons: ethical lapses and potentially shady deals. [Continue reading…]

DOWNTOWN MIAMI

Vote could change face of Miami

Miami commissioners voted for a historic multibillion-dollar deal to transform downtown, including a Marlins stadium and a Port of Miami tunnel.

Posted on Fri, Dec. 14, 2007

BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ CHARLES RABIN AND MATTHEW I. PINZUR

[email protected]

JOHN VANBEEKUM / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

The Orange Bowl site could be reborn as a new stadium for the Florida Marlins.

• New Marlin stadium plan unveiled
• Stadium deal still far from a sure thing
• Miami's CRA must overcome its past
• Port tunnel survives a crucial vote
• Miami, Dade leaders reveal multibillion-dollar downtown plan
• Park plan faces hurdles at city, county, team level
• Video | Miami city commissioners vote on downtown deal
• Document | Resolution setting up changes to Omni Community Redevelopment Agency
• Document | Miami-Dade County's proposed deal with the City of Miami and Florida Marlins
• Document | Outline of the proposed ballpark deal, including non-relocation promise, financing and parking

Moving with dispatch and sidestepping voters, Miami commissioners on Thursday approved a historic public works package that would build a new Florida Marlins stadium and spur a downtown revival.

The 4-1 vote, adopted after hours of debate, embraced Mayor Manny Diaz's vision of a new Miami glittered with billions of dollars' worth of projects.

The package includes money for a $914 million tunnel to the Port of Miami, a Museum Park downtown and a $525 million baseball stadium on the site where the Orange Bowl now sits -- all tied together in one basket through a plan to expand city Community Redevelopment Agency districts. [Continue reading…]

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NOTE: Read the South Florida Business Journal's coverage of that same meeting. Ask yourself where blacks fit in in the future plans of Miami? How many blacks will benefit from the jobs to be generated?

President James H. Ammons announced today that Florida A&M University will form an alliance with campus health care experts, researchers, and local, state and national organizations to address the Infant Mortality Crisis in Leon County. He is calling the group the FAMU Black Infant Health Alliance.

During the press conference, the State Surgeon General of the Florida Department of Health Ana M. Viamonte Ros pledged her support of the initiative.

"We are pleased that Dr. Ammons has step forward to address this matter," said Viamonte Ros. "We are committed to being a partner."

Ammons says the high infant mortality rate among African Americans threatens the stability and future of African Americans. He wants to bring campus health care professionals and others on campus together to strengthen FAMU's impact and efforts to address this crisis. He would be relying heavily on the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Allied Health Sciences and the School of Nursing as resources.

"In as much as this crisis is in the shadows of the Florida A&M University community, we feel that it is our duty to engage all relative departments at the university and others with great interest in addressing this crisis," said Ammons. "We will join forces with state, national and local organizations and coalitions to develop strategies that will address this crisis. Infant mortality is a crucial issue that the university must embrace. We want to take the lead and have impact."

Ammons has asked Cynthia Hughes-Harris, dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences, and Dr. Joseph Webster, of the Webster Surgical Center in Tallahassee, to co-chair the alliance that would convene a think tank in January. The think tank on "Health Care: Infant Mortality Crisis in Leon County" will bring members of the alliance together to identify resources and develop goals and objectives. Dr. Ammons believes this alliance will be able to develop a plan that will be effective in addressing the crisis.

"Community leaders, healthcare professionals and county leaders have expressed there is indeed a crisis and a solution to this problem is imperative," said Ammons. "Although there are no immediate answers to the high rate of infant mortality in Leon County, this alliance will be used to address and obtain viable measures to decrease the number of infant deaths in the county. If we do not assemble scholars to review a life and death issue affecting the future of our communities, then we would reduce the meaning and impact that an institution of higher learning should have in its community and state."

Several organizations have agreed to support this alliance, including the Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee Health Equity Alliance Team, the Institute of African American Health, the Gunn Society, and Bond Community Health Center. Commissioner Bill Proctor has agreed to work closely with the alliance, as well as, Charles Evans, who will represent the State Chapter of the NAACP; Eunice Cofie, Miss Black Florida USA; and Dr. Nelson L. Adams, M.D., president of the National Medical Association.

"FAMU has a right and obligation to take a stand," said Dr. Joseph Webster. "I commend Dr. Ammons for taking that stand and thank him for his vision. Today, we stand ready to lead this alliance."

"There is a need to develop programs and coordinate resources," said Proctor. "The educational entities must become involved to improve health care access. The university will empower this initiative and find practical solutions to decrease the number of infant deaths in Leon County."

PHOTO CAPTION: FAMU President James H. Ammons announces the alliance to address the infant mortality crisis. Supporters of the alliance include (from left to right) Charles Evans, president of the Tallahassee Branch of the NAACP; Yolanda Bogan, director of FAMU's Counseling Center; Fran Close, assistant professor of behavioral science and health education; Jean Kline, representative from the Florida Department of Health; Ed Dixon, county commissioner for Gadsden County; and State Surgeon General of the Florida Department of Health Ana M. Viamonte Ros.

Related Link: Killing black babies before they have a chance at life