Police Chief John Timoney may fall victim to politics

Miami Police Chief John Timoney may have a communication problem.

It's an unusual dilemma for a plain-spoken Irishman who isn't prone to mincing words. But then, Miami isn't the usual place. It's a place where outsiders who don't speak the local political language can quickly find themselves in trouble.

Miami Springs has let progress pass it by

Mary Ann Taylor's first indication that not all change is good came in 1947.

Born in Hialeah and raised in Miami Springs, she used to routinely ride her horse, Rex, across the stretch of Miami River canal that separates the two communities.

Today's leaders too easily rattled by media scrutiny

Among Abraham Lincoln's remarkable achievements you can count the emancipation of a people, the restoration of a nation and the delivery of one of the great speeches in American history. Given those accomplishments, it's easy to overlook another of Lincoln's distinguishing characteristics: his dealings with the press.

Innovative government can boost Florida's chances at new jobs

After more than a decade of single-digit unemployment rates and businesses desperately trying to fill positions, job creation is a hot topic again.

Disconnect in home values is killing deals

This is supposed to be the perfect time to buy a home. Interest rates are low, prices have fallen and there's a glut of available houses for sale.

Mom's media debut sends mixed message

Anais Cruz, the mother of slain Coral Gables High School student Juan Carlos Rivera, has only been in the United States a few weeks, which might explain her lack of good judgment when she addressed the public during a press conference last week.

System of aid to charities needs change

Make it a tepid celebration.

Hundreds of charitable groups that had feared getting no money this year due to the budget crunch are celebrating the news that they'll get something after all, though just how much is unknown until a meeting of county commissioners scheduled for Tuesday. Despite a $444 million deficit, commissioners found a way to restore about 70 percent of the money earmarked for arts and community-based organizations.

Taxi drivers say `buying the door' is getting worse

Collins Avenue at dawn is a quiet blend of hues experienced mostly by tourists set on seeing the sun rise over the Atlantic. Most mornings, Idael Cejas' bright yellow cab cuts a swath through that stretch of Miami Beach landscape.

Madoff's estate reflects crook who owned it

If our homes are a reflection of who we are, then Bernie Madoff's Palm Beach estate doesn't disappoint.

The pay system, not just salaries, is the problem

What is fair pay?

It's a simple question that often yields complex responses. Social scientists have developed theories. Researchers have gathered countless data. Companies have formed, books written, dissertations defended, debates organized and speeches delivered, all in an effort to answer this simple question.

Citizens' input on local budgets fiscally sound

When it comes to budget fiascoes, Miami-Dade County is hardly alone. All around the country, cities and counties are grappling with the dilemma of too much expense and too little revenue, though few rival the size of Miami-Dade's looming $427 million deficit.

Repeating past could become JESCA's demise

The last time the James E. Scott Community Association was on the brink of collapse in 1991, the organization's charitable giving was extending beyond the services it has provided to Miami's poor and elderly for more than eight decades.

History, not opinion, merits preservation

In 1991, my husband, an architect, won a Fulbright grant to study the work of a mid-20th century Catalan architect who, among other things, designed artist Joan Miro's private studio in Palma de Mallorca. The studio had been closed and mostly untouched after the artist's death eight years earlier. So when his widow granted us permission to visit, and an aide swung open the door to the small structure, we were in awe.

History, not opinion, merits preservation

In 1991, my husband, an architect, won a Fulbright grant to study the work of a mid-20th century Catalan architect who, among other things, designed artist Joan Miro's private studio in Palma de Mallorca. The studio had been closed and mostly untouched after the artist's death eight years earlier. So when his widow granted us permission to visit, and an aide swung open the door to the small structure, we were in awe.