Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

It’s Official: Annette Taddeo is Running for the County Council

It's been rumored for a while, now it's official: Annette Taddeo is going to run for the County Council in a bid to replace retiring local icon Katy Sorenson.

Driven by my commitment to community service, I am excited to officially announce my candidacy for Commissioner of Miami-Dade's District 8, an area that includes the cities of Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Homestead, and unincorporated Southwest Dade. The open seat is being vacated by the Honorable Katy Sorenson.

Leaders emerge in the face of daunting challenges. I was inspired to run because I want to offer my talents as a successful small business owner and community leader to help steer Miami-Dade through the churning seas of unprecedented economic woes. I'm a fiscally conservative businesswoman who believes Miami-Dade government should slash wasteful spending, operate transparently and provide maximum value to the real bosses, the tax paying residents.

Jobs, crime, healthcare, education and “hold the line” are priority issues. I'm going to work tirelessly to create local jobs, reduce crime, advocate for affordable healthcare, and prioritize education. I will be a vocal champion of sustainable growth, green initiatives and the preservation and protection of our natural environment with a keen focus on the Everglades.

Unfortunately, I don't live in District 8, but it would be great if Taddeo, who ran a good Congressional campaign in 2008, got elected…although as a reasonable person she could be mighty lonely on the Commission (as was Sorenson, more often than not).

Posted in Miami, Politics: 2010 Election | 35 Comments

Update on My Condition

I went into the law school today, mostly to sit in the quad (“the bricks”) and enjoy the sunshine. I saw a number of friends and colleagues, and they said I'm looking great. Apparently reading my earlier updates on this blog convinced them I would be looking like death warmed over.

Part of that may just be continuing progress. In addition to reportedly not looking so bad — and having lost 20 pounds or so the hard way — I can walk longer distances this week. I'm going twice around the block on each walk on good days, and not collapsing in a total heap when I'm done. I start outpatient rehab later this week, and am hoping it will add to my still limited strength and stamina. My hands are not normal yet, but they are distinctly improved.

So things are better. I'm still a convalescent, and likely to be working on mending for some weeks/months to come. But the trend, however slow, is good.

Posted in Personal | 10 Comments

Brad DeLong Seeks Your Advice About What to Do About John Yoo

Brad DeLong is looking for advice as to whether it makes sense to attempt to open formal proceedings at Berkeley charging John Yoo with sanctionable professional misconduct. See in Re John Yoo: In Which Brad DeLong Demonstrates That He Is an Ineffectual Procedural Liberal…

Posted in Torture | 9 Comments

UM Foreclosure Fellows in the News

We got some great publicity for the Foreclosure Fellowship program I started early this academic year. But what we really need is money.

Unfortunately, even though everyone loves the program and the participants are doing wonderful things, we haven't found the $150,000+ it would take to run the program next year, even though there will be even more foreclosures. (See, for example, March Foreclosure Activity Highest on Record.)

The good news is that (last I heard) the law school is planning to have a traditional clinic aimed at housing issues, staffed by law students, that will work with lawyers at Legal Services of Greater Miami.

Posted in Econ & Money: Mortgage Mess, U.Miami | 3 Comments

Follow the Bouncing Ball?

According to this unofficial source U.Miami Law's US News Score jumped 11 points this year, raising us to a tie for 60th place. If that's true, it's good news for the school, especially following last year's jump of 11 points. Whatever the actual merits, a 22 point rise in two years will help both student and faculty recruiting, and will be good for student morale.

As I have written before, the idea of ranking, or at least clumping, law schools is a good one; the US News system is a very bad one.

Yet, oddly, the jump in Miami's rankings may represent something real: because we have such a small endowment, we are in a particularly good position in this recession. We have a new marquee Dean, and we have been doing some great hiring, and expect to do more.

Update: Leiter says it's a hoax. He could well be right. The trouble is that the real rankings are so arbitrary and random, it's hard to tell real from fake.

Update2: As noted in the comments, they're real.

Posted in U.Miami | 7 Comments

No News Is Good News

My recovery continues its slow but steady trajectory. I can walk around the block, but it takes 20 minutes what with all the shuffling and stopping. The details are otherwise too boring to relate. Assuming things continue to progress at this rate, it will be some time before I'm near normal.

I don't think I'll resume my old blogging ways until I feel more renewed. What energy I have will first go to Jotwell, currently in the able hands of my colleague Donna Coker, who heroically stepped in as temporary editor until I (literally) get back on my feet. Check it out tomorrow afternoon for an announcement of a new section.

Posted in Personal | 5 Comments