On Thursday, the Miami-Dade ethics commission is expected to decide if Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and former City Commissioner Johnny Winton violated local conflict-of-interest laws when they, along with former City Manager Joe Arriola and a fourth individual, bought a prime Coconut Grove property. The legendary Tristam Korten wrote an excellent article in the Biscayne Times questioning why it’s taken so long for the county’s ethical watchdogs to crack down on Miami’s political cosa nostra.
To recap, the four men partnered up to buy a 1.3 acre Grove parcel for $3 million in 2005. The Miami Herald first reported the transaction a year later, shortly after Winton proposed and voted in favor of a $53,000 pay raise for Diaz. But the most Diaz and Winton can expect from the ethics commission – if it rules against them – is a public black eye and a fine. After all, the ethics commission doesn’t have any authority to lock em up for being a pair of greedy goombahs. - NA
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