Emails? Naw, we don't do emails. by Dignity

In Miami-Dade County we do not have an organized code enforcement for disability laws. We have a helter-skelter maze of people in too many departments who let sites like 9299 SW 152 Street happen, exist and continue to exist, month after month, year after year. 

People ask if any of my e-mails get things done. Surprisingly, yes. But, with some people, the emails fall on blind eyes... Here is an example of a real failure for my email letters:

 For the past three years, email letters to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez have led to a failure of code enforcement at the Medical Building, at 9299 SW 152 Street. It is directly across from the Jackson South Emergency Room. Go see it. Look at the NEW winding drop off sidewalk. See the misplaced disabled parking access aisle. Take note of the cars parked in the aisle blocking the access to the dangerous winding sidewalk with drop offs. Watch the cops drive by, all day long and not ticket the abusers parked in the misplaced disabled parking access aisle.

After the parking lot was resealed and striped several years ago, I began sending in complaints as the disabled parking was configured horribly wrong.

The emails to the mayor were copied to the correct code enforcement people. Most notably the location was visited by Ilene Hyams, ADA Office director, as she visited the near-by fire station that also had ADA issues. In spite of the parking issues, she came back to report the medical building was temporarily closed due to fascia falling problems. Ms. Hyams shrugged the issue off. End of story.

Months after that, when the building reopened, the parking was still not corrected. Even worse, a winding sidewalk was installed with severe drop offs due to lack of safety landscaping. I reported this sidewalk too. This site represents a blatant disregard for the safety of the disabled at a MEDICAL Building, of all places!

All of those e-mails have accomplished nothing. In 3 years!!!!

Today, there is still a disabled parking sign missing. Cars routinely park on the misplaced access aisle, blocking wheelchair access to the winding and dangerous sidewalk, with no fear of ticketing from the county police.

For the lack of code enforcement and the policing of the disabled right-a-away I give full credit to the county's top cop, Mayor Carlos Alvarez and his Chief of Staff, Denis Morales. The list of e-mails on disabled issues to their office is huge. Their response is zilch. They chose to ignore them. Guess they don't like my style.

Disability issues have been locked in the proverbial closet under their watch. The mayor’s and his staff’s enforcement of building code and commercial parking laws is the worst ever, and with the budget changes, even the “go to” people have been moved around. Additionally, they kept a lot of bad people in positions of power much to the detriment of both the disabled and general public.

What has happened to code enforcement under Mayor Carlos Alvarez  guidance will take years to repair after he is recalled or until his reign of “do nothing” politics ends under term limits. With this in mind, I think we should just go ahead and memorialize the current mayor’s eight-year administration by renaming the Medical Building, the Carlos Alvarez Medical Building as a symbol of his commitment to the disabled community. Fine job, Mr. Mayor.