Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Wednesday, December 1, 1976, page 6 (of 27)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
Trip in question
opinion editorials commentary letters Trip in question While we have always considered South Miami Mayor Jack Block to be a conscientious and dedicated public official, we do question the propriety of a recent vote registered by the mayor concerning the city paying for the mayor's wife to accompany him on a trip to the League of Cities Mayors' Conference in Denver. To maintain control over junkets by the wives or husbands of council members, the South Miami council in August passed a resolution disapproving of these trips, that is, unless a council majority voted to approve of the spouse accompanying the council member. It is beyond our belief that the council intended for the council member seeking to take his or her spouse on the trip to have a vote in the matter. But Mayor Block broke a 2-2 council vote deadlock over his wife accompanying him by voting himself with those who condone the city paying for Mrs. Block to go to Denver. The mayor justifies his vote by pointing out that the Florida Commission on Ethics, by letter, had signified that it would be ethical for Mayor Block to register his vote which is surely in his own interest. Mayor Block, an attorney, should be cognizant of what is ethical and, in addition, what is a conflict of interest. We don't know the members of the Florida Commssision on Ethics or the methods they use in deciding what is and what isn't ethical. But to our way of thinking, it was improper and unethical for the mayor to have voted on a matter which is so pointedly in the mayor's own interest.
Subdue the flu
What has turned out to be Florida's busiest Swine Flu clinic, is back in business in South Dade. Because so many residents, 18,700 to be exact, visited the South Miami Hospital clinic site between Nov. 11 and 23, the decision was made to make this public service available once again the first three Wednesdays in December from 2 until 8 p.m. With so many tourists visiting or on their way to visiting Florida with the advent of inclement weather in the north and midwest (where the Swine Flu was first reported), it would certainly be worth while to consider getting the flu shot just to be on the safe side. And we're told that if an individual is unable to walk, the shot can be administered in his or her car. With something that easy to get and free besides, you can't lose. And most important, you'll be protecting yourself.
the gables publishing company
serving south dade and coral gables since 1926 jim storey general manager bea moss managing editor bill mc hugh circulation manager address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd. coral gables, fla. 33146 telephone: 666-7981
Parade watchers?
Photos by FRANK TURSI There are other things to do at a parade besides watch it, for heaven's sake! For instance, at a Coral Gables parade, you can sit on the bottom half of a fire hydrant and pretend it's a horse, or you can fool around with your umbrella to try and figure out how it works or, if you so choose, you can sit on the sidewalk and let somebody try to take the popcorn out of your mouth. Yes sir! There's much more to a parade than waving to the clowns!
Transit funds not 'something for nothing'
reader response Transit funds not 'something for nothing' EDITOR: The Federal Government is determined to ram mass transit down the throats of Dade County taxpayers, and the local and State of Florida elected officials (most of them) have swallowed the bait. The bait is hugh federal subsidies, and these funds are not "something for nothing" as some politicians would have us believe. The Federal Government extracts the funds from us in the first place, and it is analogous to sending milk to Washington which skims off the cream and returns the skim milk. Over the past decade, subsidies for mass transit have exerted a fatal fascination for Washington planners, and Dade County planners also have been fatally fascinated despite proof that people do not use the expensive mass transit facilities. Furthermore, why should an Iowa farmer help support mass transit which only a small fraction of the people of Dade County want and will use? If needed, our free enterprise system will find a capitalist to invest in the system if it is potentially profitable. Mass transit is a failure in Chicago, San Franciso and Washington. The Washington Metro System is losing $55,000 a day, and who is paying for this? You and all taxpayers in the United States are footing the bill. The project is years behind schedule with only 4.6 miles of the system open for business. As the results are being tabulated mass transit is a failure in city after city, and I predict it will be a failure in Dade County. Governor Askew is considering a one cent increase in the state gasoline tax to finance mass transit. Why should a farmer in central Florida or a resident of a rural area who are required to use automobiles for transportation help pay for mass transit in Dade County? The cost in Chicago to upgrade the transit system was $120,000,000. The idea was to divert people from traveling to the central business district by private car. It didn't work. Despite Chicago's favorable setting, the new and enlarged rail systems have not changed travel patterns substantially. The new system did attract passengers (though fewer than expected), but for the most part did not attract them out of automobiles. They came instead from other modes of mass transit - mainly bus lines and existing rail systems. Let's not permit the Washington and Dade County planners to ram mass transit down our throats. Let's convince President-elect Carter to discontinue government failures such as mass transit. WILLIAM R. ANGLE 15600 SW 77th Ct.