The Miami situation today went from bad to worse. I say this after learning that Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson announced this afternoon that she will NOT be seeking reelection. Sorenson was by far the finest commissioner we had as a county. First elected in 1994, she was often (way too often if you asked me) the sole NO vote on controversial zoning issues. In other words, it was not unusual to see a 12-1 vote on issues. And that one was usually Katy Sorenson. And that one was usually the right vote -- at least when it came to the interest of the residents of Miami-Dade government.

Although not a friend, I can say I am an admirer. I hate to see her go.

I’ve always said there’s a good reason for everything. I hope this turns out to be true in the long run when it comes to Sorenson’s announcement. We will see…

Alvaro F. Fernandez

What follows is the statement and remarks made by Sorenson upon her announcement:

I am troubled right now with the relationship between citizens and government. There’s too much mistrust and too much ill will. And it isn’t just between citizens and government, it’s between governments—city vs. county, county vs. state, county vs. school board—and even within our government we have fights between the legislative and executive branch, between elected officials and staff. People seem to forget that it’s not us and them – we’re a government OF and BY the people. We’re all in this together. - Katy Sorenson

COMMISSIONER SORENSON’S REMARKS

February 4, 2010

Today I’m making two important announcements. The first is that I will not be running for re-election to the District 8 County Commission seat.

Let me say that I am very grateful to the residents of District 8 who first elected me in 1994 and returned me to office 3 times. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve them, and I’ve done my best to always put the public interest first.

I would also like to thank the 30,000 County employees for the excellent work they have done and continue to do for our community. It has been a pleasure to serve with them and to learn from them. I am particularly grateful to my own staff of 7 who serve the public interest every day, and do so with professionalism and enthusiasm.

I thank Mayor Alvarez for his support, Chairman Moss for his longstanding friendship and confidence in me and I thank my colleagues for their courtesy and respect, even when we disagree. I thank the mayors and councilmembers of all our municipalities, especially Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead for their hard work and partnership in serving our constituents.

I appreciate the sacrifices my husband and children made so that I could serve the public.

Over the years, from post-hurricane Andrew to our current economic crisis -- with some good times in between -- I have fought for what I thought was best for all of Miami-Dade County, and I’m proud of the work we have been able to accomplish together.

I’m proud of our work preserving our two national parks by preventing the Homestead Air Reserve Base from becoming a commercial airport.

I’m proud of my fights against discrimination, including the passage of the County’s human rights ordinance that I sponsored which protects our County residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

I’m proud of my sponsorship of the Safe Neighborhoods Parks ballot measure which has added land and improved the parks and recreation areas for our community.

I fought to strengthen our building code to protect residents from the destruction we saw with Hurricane Andrew.

I worked to increase Head Start funding.

I supported the Performing Arts Center, which has become a jewel for our community and is now operating in the black, and I’ve supported the arts in general, which provide benefits to our entire society.

I fought for rights and resources for farmworkers, the backbone of our agricultural community. And I fought to preserve and defend agriculture, one of our largest industries, and give farms and farmers the tools to survive, including opportunities in agri- and eco-tourism.

I fought for healthcare expansion, particularly in South Miami-Dade.

I’m particularly proud of the County’s environmental efforts, including the creation of our Office of Sustainability, something I championed. I’m glad to now have so many allies on the commission in this regard. I sponsored legislation to cut fuel consumption, helped lead our move to hybrid vehicles and other alternative fuel strategies, and by serving as the Chair of the Mayor’s Sustainability Task Force, I continue to work on planning for the effects of global warming, climate change and sea level rise.

I’m proud that ‘smart growth’ is a term many of us our using and I’m proud of our victories in holding the line against urban sprawl. We didn’t win all of the fights, but we did bring awareness to this important issue, and I think the collapse of the real estate market shows that we were right about overbuilding.

But it would be foolish of me and the height of arrogance to take the sole credit for any of this. Because the truth is, none of this could have been done without the hard work and the support of the grassroots activists. I would not have had the success I have had without those thoughtful, committed citizens who volunteer their time and spend their own hard-earned money to fight for what they believe in – whether it’s the environment, adequate housing, immigration reform or human rights. They are the conscience of this community – the people with heart and soul. I have been privileged to stand with them on many occasions and to share some victories. There’s a lot we have done together that I am very proud of and I am so grateful to all of them.

But now it’s time for a new chapter.

Public service is important work, and I’ve taken my responsibility as a public servant very seriously.

Haitian and Cuban doctors help to bring some sense of humanity to the Haitian tragedy. Instead of guns and soldiers they’re offering their medical expertise.

Steven Kastenbaum, of CNN, reports that La Paz Hospital, established by the Cubans, is one of the few places in Port au Prince currently where ordinary Haitians can go and be treated. Based on his report, between 600 and 700 patients are being treated daily. Several dozen surgeries are taking place daily and with few supplies and facilities the hospital is operating 24 hours a day.

While the U.S. still tries to figure out how to help Haitians in their $100 million (committed) relief effort, the Cubans (with little money to spare) are working round the clock to help save lives. Click to see the latest video provided by CNN: