Race has always played a significant part in the history and politics of Miami, starting back when Black folks were given a day of full citizenship on July 28, 1896, so that they could cast the votes needed to allow the City of Miami to become incorporated.

Much of what's happened in Miami from that day to this has only served to distinguish Miami as a city where racism flourished in ways that affected not only the lives of both white and black residents of the city, but also the very configuration and development of the city itself.

The decision this week to prosecute 4 former members of the Miami Fire Department for the 2017 incident where drawings of ejaculating penises, accompanied by a noose were hung over the family photos of Lt Robert Webster, one of the few Black senior staff in the department was but the latest incident underscoring the reality that serious racial problems continue to exist in Miami.

Underscoring just how racially insensitive and tone deaf the Suarez administration is when it comes to dealing with racial issues was the lack of attendance by the Mayor, the City Manager, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief, or any of the 5 City Commissioners, including Keon Hardemon, the District 5 Commissioner - whose district is where the fire station is located  - at the press conference held by the State Attorney announcing the decision to prosecute the 4 former firemen.

Look at the photo of the press conference above and ask yourself why there aren't any city officials there to stand in solidarity with Lt. Webster, or the other Black members of the fire department?

CONSPICIOUS BY THEIR ABSENCE - PART II

While the politicians and senior officials were conspicuous by their absense at the press conference, Black members of the Miami Fire Department are conspicuous by their absense in the photos posted by City Manager, Colonel Klink, on his Twitter page.

The Colonel, as we all have come to know, likes to travel around and visit the troops, and to document those visits by posting photos on his Twitter page.

Here are the photos that he's posted to date of his visits to some of the city's fire stations.

Either the Colonel keeps showing up at fire stations where the assigned Black fire fighters are off duty, or there aren't a whole lot of Black fire fighters assigned to the stations he visits.

Just so you don't miss them, I've highlighted the 3 Black fire fighters with an arrow.

It's Miami, Bitches!

A very reliable source has informed the Crespogram Report that yesterday afternoon Commissioners Carollo and Reyes met at the Melreese Golf Course restaurant.

If true, this in and of itself might not on its own rise to the level of a violation of the Florida Sunshine Law, but given the debate and political double-talk at this morning's Commission meeting over both Reyes and Carollo's concerns about the Suarez administration's possible efforts to initiate contract negotiations for the Melreese property, as well as Reyes' separate concerns that the negotiations be completed before November because of any potential effort by the Beckham supporters to try and vote him out of office this November, one cannot but conclude that the luncheon meeting between these two public officials was not specifically about this pocket item that Reyes wanted to introduce..

I want to make it very clear that given the past behavior of Joe Carollo, who has never hesitated in trashing, abusing or ignoring the law and ordinances of the State of Florida, or the City of Miami when it suited his political agenda, that not only do I believe my source, but that I believe that a full scale investigation has to be opened on this possible Sunshine Law violation.

Reyes and Carollo might deny that they were anywhere near Melreese Golf Course yesterday, but I believe that the security cameras on the property will refute their denial.

In addition, given the double-barrel efforts by Carollo and Reyes to support each other this morning, to the point of each of them making totally bogus claims, such as Reyes's claims that since he's been on the Commission there have been hundreds of pocket items introduced - there have been less than 2 dozen, and the majority of those pocket items were introduced by Reyes himself, or the claim that no one has ever voiced any objection to pocket items being introduced - another outright lie, since on March 8, 2018, I wrote a story that included a copy of a letter that activist Grace Solares had written to the Mayor and the Commissioners voicing her strong objection to the use of pocket items to circumvent the public's right to know - the fact that the very first issue of substance to occur this morning was Reye's attempt to use a pocket item related to the contract negotiations seems all too likely to be something that was concocted by Reyes and Carollo yesterday.

Manolo Reyes might beat his chest and claim he is his own man, but the growing belief among city hall watchers is that he keeps showing up next to Carollo, or doing his bidding  as a way to keep Carollo from being the one who fields an opponent to run against him.

In any event, the question is, did Joe Carollo and Manolo Reyes meet at the restaurant at the Melreese Golf Course yesterday, and if they did, why?

Below is the portion of this morning's Commission meeting that dealt with Reyes, Carollo and the pocket item, and at the very end of the clip you'll hear Joe Carollo threaten his fellow Commissioners never to consider invoking the 5 Day Rule, or else.

As I tweeted earlier about this, the proper response to this bullshit is for his fellow commissioners to invoke the 5 Day Rule every time Carollo introduces any item for a vote.

Joe Carollo is a thug, and his threat this morning reveals just how thuggish he believes he can be with his fellow commissioners.