Herald not a watchdog

I am stunned that the Miami Herald Editorial Board published a glowing recommendation for a Major League Soccer stadium on Melreese Golf Course, a no-bid sweetheart deal to billionaires and a global soccer icon and suggested that Miami voters say Yes.

The Board’s opinion that Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was punished for taking billions from Miami taxpayers is a fantasy. He got rich beyond all belief. That is not punishment.

“We know the numbers are fluid and agreements are still fuzzy,” wrote the Board, “but we’re going to recommend that Miami voters take a leap of faith.”

The Board did not behave like a local institution safeguarding taxpayer’s and resident’s interests by advocating a faith-based vote, even though it recited the sad fact that Miami residents have been burned by every major stadium subsidy in the last three decades.

The editorial did not address the MLS plan’s unknowns, such as the lack of a traffic impact study or the pernicious influence of these billionaires dominating our local politics with their money, realistically.

The editorial did not mention that the Beckham/Mas/Claure group has been Herald advertisers or that sports news subscriptions are a key revenue stream.

The Editorial Board disregarded the Herald’s conflicting interests and seems uninterested in the lessons of history.

The objective facts clearly support voting No to a no-bid MLS plan that would take this large asset from one of the poorest cities in America and turn it over to billionaires for a playground and a highly profitable commercial private venture subsidized by taxpayers.

No on MLS stadium

What a disappointing editorial by the Miami Herald suggesting a Yes vote on the soccer stadium deal. How nice of the Mas family to go out of their way for our community. Sure, they’ll be nice in order to get free land for a million square feet of office and retail space and at least a 750-room hotel — all near MIA.

Billionaires love free public land to make millions more, and Mas jumped into it with the ruse of building a soccer stadium — for 17 games!

The Herald believes Mas won’t use public money, believes Mas will make sure there is not a traffic problem, and believes Mas will resolve other issues.

Does the Herald also believe in the Easter bunny?

Potential threat

Excellent editorials on sea level rise and global warming have been published in recent months through a collaborative effort of the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post, with reporting from WLRN radio.

A take-home message was that global warming — which is causing sea level rise — is an urgent issue for South Florida.

However, it’s not being debated by the candidates in the mid-term election races. This dismal fact suggests that only a fraction of voters are aware of South Florida’s vulnerability to the potential disaster posed by sea level rise.

I suggest the Miami Herald and its partners redouble their efforts in reporting on this present danger.

Stories vs. opinions

In the Oct. 29 letter “Taking sides,” the writer asks would it not be prudent to simply report on all candidates and let the voters make up their own minds.

What part of an editorial or opinion page does the writer not understand?

World-class parks

It’s a great time to recognize that Miami-Dade County is headed in the right direction. It’s long overdue, yet it’s starting to come together at the right time. Our community urgently needs greenways to connect us for transportation and social interaction.

Last week, The Underline broke ground. Last month, the Ludlam Trail was approved for acquisition. These two projects drive home the message that to be world class, we need great parks. For too long, we have neglected our parks. I trust that residents will enjoy these new trails so much that we will soon know that we need more of what we didn’t know we needed.

Much of our emphasis is on development, building of roads, reducing crime and attracting tourism. But much of that effort can be enhanced with well designed and properly maintained parks.

Miamians must keep running forward to truly be a city planning for the future by investing its time, effort and finances in parks.

Parks are not just for recreation, they are what bring communities together to make a city world class.