A couple days ago I received a call from a North Miami Beach resident I hadn’t heard from in a long time. This resident used to be extremely active in the community, but dropped off the face of the earth when he got pissed off at a City Council decision last year. Oh, well. See ya.
It would have been nice to hear from him if he hadn’t started out the conversation with, “I heard a rumor that you received money from [a local lobbyist] during the election last May.”
I was all like,
Then I got pissed.
When I asked him why on earth would I take money from a lobbyist? WHY? FOR WHAT REASON?
He responded with, “You wrote a lot of blogs during election season.”
NO SHIT!
It was an important election (aren’t they all?) and I had a lot to say about the candidates. Especially the carpetbaggers. I wasn’t about to sit back and let our government get hijacked by liars and posers if I could help it.
So, damn straight, I wrote a lot of blogs. No one had to pay me and no one did. I don’t receive a freaking penny for my blogs and I dare anyone to try and prove that I do.
My shock and indignation got me thinking that anyone is free to file a complaint with any of the various agencies in Florida if they think someone has done something wrong or fraud has been committed.
In fact, I’ve decided to provide my readers with a handy dandy list of complaint departments, complete with links, so you can bitch all you want about elected officials, public officials, your friends and neighbors, your smart ass teenagers, and even me. Knock yourself out:
Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit
Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Office of the Attorney General
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public Corruption
That should keep you busy for a while. Good luck with that.
A few words of advice before you go on a filing rampage:
If you hear a rumor that sounds ridiculous, it probably is.
Instead of repeating it try picking up the phone and asking the person involved if there’s any truth to the rumor. It could all just be a misunderstanding or a miscommunication.
If you still feel that there’s something to the rumor, start collecting evidence to prove your suspicion.
If you believe you found the smoking gun, start filing complaints with the appropriate agency or agencies. I do it all the time.
Likewise, if anyone out there thinks I’VE done anything wrong, please … feel free to BRING IT ON!
My lawyer looks forward to hearing from you.
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
How ridiculous!!! Reminds me of bogus complaints we receive here at the pd all the time when a call doesn’t go their way.
That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. It is amazing how peoples brains just stop functioning when they hear something that sounds like good gossip. Common sense goes out the window if they can think something juicy just dropped in their ear. Idiots.