Monthly Archives: August 2010

Voter’s Guide to the Miami-Dade Downballot – Part I: Introduction

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

Early voting for the upcoming primary and judicial election in Miami-Dade County begins today. The Sample Ballot for the August 24, 2010 Primary in Miami-Dade County is now available. (And it is already subject to one correction: Ronald Brise has dropped out of the race for District 108 State Rep.)

Most of the ink gets spilled on the high-profile primary races: the Senate (I'll vote Kendrick Meek, faute de mieux), the Governorship (Alex Sink), with a little oxygen left over for the race for Higher-Office-in-Waiting Attorney General (in which I'm strongly leaning Dan Gelber).

But little gets said about the the other contests and issues on the ballot, even though voting on these is in some ways as important. Because these are local races or ballot questions there is a smaller pool of eligible voters than for statewide rares, and being downballot many people don't even bother to vote. If you vote, your vote counts that much more. Unfortunately, it's hard to get information about judicial elections. Plus, many people don't even know which state legislative district they live in. Find out which Florida Representative district you live in, or if you know your zip+4 number, find your State Senator, State Rep and US Congress district using the tool in the left margin of the Florida State Senate homepage. (Note: in entering your zip+4 number, don't enter the “+” sign, just the nine-digit number.)

So I thought I'd say a few words about the downballot issues on which I'll be voting. I don't have a primary vote in either the US Congress race, the State House or the State Senate, or even the County Commission (I live just outside the hotly-contested District 8 in which Annette Taddeo is running; you can find your M-D County Commission district here) but there are still a number of choices to make: two circuit judges, two county judges, a school board member, and three county charter amendments. (I don't live in a community council district although some are also on the ballot.)

In the coming days I'll explain how I'm voting in each of these downballot races or issues and give some reasons. Here's the plan:

Part I: Introduction (today)
Part II: Circuit Judges
Part III: County Judges
Part IV: School Board, District 6
Part V: Miami-Dade County Charter Amendments

Incidentally, if you don't know where to vote use the handy precinct-finder. It's too late to register to vote for the primary elections, but not too late to vote in the November general election, as registration closes 29 days before the election. Check your registration status if you are unsure whether you are eligible to vote.

Posted in Miami, Politics: 2010 Election | Comments Off on Voter’s Guide to the Miami-Dade Downballot – Part I: Introduction

Recovering Takes a Long Time

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

Today's NYT has an op-ed article by someone who had heart surgery fairly similar to mine. In My Heart's Long Surprise Rick Hamlin describes his surprise at the slow pace of his recovery. They told him he'd be fit in weeks. It took over a year.

Mr. Hamlin's surgery seems to have differed from mine in four important ways:

  • His was planned, mine was an emergency (he probably had a leak; I had an eruption).
  • He got a bovine valve, I got a metal one. As I understand it, a bovine valve is a lot easier to take care of and doesn't require the blood thinners and strict dietary regime I will be subject to the rest of my life. It's a lot better than metal … until it wears out in 10-15 years and requires another surgery to replace. Which is why for middle aged people such as him and me, my surgeon chooses metal valves which are supposed to last indefinitely and don't require a surgical rematch when one is pushing 70.
  • He wasn't unconscious for 11 days after surgery due to complications.
  • His doctors were ridiculously optimistic about the expected speed of recovery. When I was flat on my back and weak as a couple of kittens, mine told me I'd feel a lot better soon. I did indeed manage to stand up on my own in a matter of weeks, which improved matters greatly. But they also warned me, I hope accurately, that it would be six to 12 months before I felt really normal. His didn't.

I think, despite my post-surgical complications, I may have gotten the better deal. Or the better doctor. It's been almost six months since surgery and I still have a ways to go. My stamina remains less than it was, my ability to concentrate on work isn't yet back to par. I'm not pulling my weight at home. But at this rate I'll get there before a year has passed.

Posted in Science/Medicine | Comments Off on Recovering Takes a Long Time

Charon, QC Receives a Sales Call

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

Charon, QC is a blogging barrister. Charon deals with cold callers: 101

Caller: Can I speak to Charon please?

Charon: Speaking.

Caller: You are Charon of The Staterooms, Battersea?

Charon: Yes…and you are?

Caller: We are doing conservatories in your area and wondered if you would be interested in hearing about the opportunity we can give you.

Charon: Yes, but you do realise that I am a lawyer and I charge everyone for my time? I've just started the time clock running. Can you provide your credit card or AMEX card details, please?

Caller: Sorry? I'm not with you.

Charon: It is perfectly straightforward. I am a lawyer. I charge for my time. Nothing in this world I live in is free. You called me up to ask if you could speak to me — ergo, you want to buy some of my time. Time is money. I take money. In fact, I have a most useful device from Barclays which allows me to take money from your account and put it straight into my account. Can you provide your credit card or AMEX card details, please?

Caller: I'm not sure I understand…you want to charge me money to listen to what I have to tell you?

Charon: Bingo!

Caller: Bingo?

Charon: Bingo!…yes, you have understood the position perfectly. Can you provide your credit card or AMEX card details, please?

Caller: This is ridiculous…..

Charon: What is ridiculous?

Caller: That you want to charge me for calling you.

Charon: I don't see what is ridiculous about it. I have to make a living, as you do. I didn't call you. You called me to ask if I would listen to you tell me about conservatories. I said that I was happy to do this, warned you that I am a lawyer and charge for my time, and then asked you for your card details so that you can pay my fees for listening to you.

Caller: This is mad.

Charon: Mad? Fortunately this call is not being broadcast for you have just slandered me by calling me mad and as I've just finished writing a chapter on the law of defamation for my new Tort book, I'm fairly well up on libel.

Caller: I haven't libelled you.

Charon: Technically, because there is no publication to a third party in this instance, you have not libelled, but calling me 'mad' when I am not, could found an action in defamation, had I been broadcasting this conversation; one which even in these anti-libel days we live in I may well have won.

Caller: This is now getting more ridiculous…. I am terminating the call.

Charon: Did I tell you that I am on the third floor of a block of flats? I assumed, given your thorough market research, you were aware of this. In the circumstances, I was fascinated to hear how you were going to build a conservatory for me. I haven't seen many conservatories hanging off the side of mansion block buildings. I was genuinely keen to learn….

Caller: CLICK

Of course, by quoting the whole wonderful thing I have probably exceeded fair use, and can now expect a writ the next time I visit London…

Posted in Shopping, UK | 2 Comments

Donna Shalala Stopped by Israeli Airport Security

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

The Israeli press describes it as, American VIP humiliated at airport:

Donna Shalala, who served as the US Secretary of Health and Human Services for eight years under Clinton and is currently the president of the University of Miami, was held for two-and-a-half hours at Ben Gurion Airport during which she underwent a humiliating security debriefing because of her Arab last name — all this despite the fact that her hosts notified the airport ahead of time that she is a VIP.

The fact that Shalala arrived in Israel as part of an official delegation of the heads of universities fighting against the academic boycott against the Jewish State also seemed not to help her.

Shalala, 69, was born in the US to Lebanese immigrant parents.

Steve Clemons has some thoughts about this at The Washington Note.

As he points out, what Shalala says she went through is what many panic-ridden conservatives in the US want to inflict on our travelers — ethnic and racial profiling.

Posted in U.Miami | 2 Comments

Please Tell Me He’s Wrong

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

Glenn Greenwald has some gloomy thoughts in What collapsing empire looks like.

Please tell me why he's wrong.

Posted in Politics: US | 4 Comments

More Dirt on David Rivera

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Michael Froomkin

Via DownWithTyranny!, more bad stuff about David Rivera: Will Florida Republicans Put Up With A Candidate Who Beats Up Women— And Then Lies About It? (That post includes a copy of an amazing anti-Rivera campaign flyer from 2002. Miami politics is was and remains the home of the brass knuckle approach to campaigning. Note the caveat: “It is not clear if the woman photographed is Rivera's victim.”)

If you are Joe Garcia, would you rather the dirt comes out now and knocks off your most serious Republican rival, or rather have it come out after he's won the primary? That depends, I suppose, on the quality of the other candidates in the race, and I know very little about them.

Earlier related post: This Could Be an Interesting Lawsuit.

Posted in Politics: FL-25/FL-27 | Comments Off on More Dirt on David Rivera