May, 2023

To my Constituents of District 106,

MIAMI BEACH HAS BEEN SAVED and I am Proud to report this and am grateful to State leadership and the support of my Tallahassee Supermajority family regarding this preeminent legislation.

For years the people of Miami Beach have allowed the local political machine to control their market. If one follows the money, everything is about a land-grab, a PAC and personal ambition, all at the expense of historic preservation, community integrity and the very land we call home.

After I exposed the Gelber and Levine regime for using our City Manager as well as the City Commission for leveraging brokers without a license to rob our citizens of their inheritance, they have continued to move fast forward, pushing for referendums and otherwise attempting to bypass our citizens wishes.

Every shady land deal should have mandatory built-in accountability partnership, which should apply if our city’s public land space is utilized for trades or is at all is involved. Land ownership, even by a city or public entity equals security.

Local regulations, along with a slowed planning board process have left development stagnant and given king-like power to those in community service positions who spend millions of dollars to be elected and re-elected, ultimately draining citizens pocketbooks in one form or another.

Miami Beach’s upstanding community has been cheated and lied to entirely too long. The corporate elite were navigated to bypass local legislation as the masterminds of the regime have lost control of their base. I have campaigned against, sometimes quietly and sometimes vocally supporting their opposition.

But now I have a seat with a bird’s eye view to confirm precisely what I knew all along. Collectively this group has no intentions of serving our needs and I’m here to defend the little guys – the residents and business owners who were here first and those who have fought to preserve our city’s unique identity which powers the economic engine of the state, being the largest tax contributor to the State pool, second only to Disney.

My family was part of the restoration of our Art Deco District and Ocean Drive during the 1980’s and the vision they helped to realize remans a large part our brand and global identity. Tropical Art Deco Architecture is engrained in the minds of our community and tourists alike and is a part of our history which must be protected and preserved.

There is a decorum and manner of how things should be done and what has going on is far from protocol. I have expressed the concerns of my district and have gained the trust and support of State leadership.

While unfortunately imperfect this time around, House Bill 1317 is well-intended, and I will be working with the Bill’s sponsor prior to our 2024 Legislative Session to ensure we come up with a long-term solution that prioritizes public safety and contemplates the character of prized neighborhoods such as Miami Beach’s historic Art Deco District.

I am humbled and proud to be coming home from my first Legislative Session with this good news, along with a willingness to listen and get to work locally in preparation for our 2024 Legislative Session, to take advantage of every available opportunity to us.

And finally, I will have more good news to share in the very near future, so please be patient and stay tuned, my loving Miami Beach and District 106 family.

 Most Sincerely,