Miami-Dade Commission - "Hold THIS"

That's pretty much what the Miami-Dade commissioners said today when they overrode Mayor Alvarez's veto that tried to snuff out applications to expand the county's Urban Development Boundary.

In a 12-1 vote (twelve to one!), the commission will leave it up to the state to consider the applications, with a final commission vote in April. Who was that 1 lone vote of sanity to "Hold the Line"? Katy Sorenson, who happens to represent my district. Good for you, Katy!

In a post way back during 26th Parallel's infancy, I highlighted the ongoing battle between Alvarez and the commission. This wasn't the first time they've overriding his vetoes, and it probably won't be the last.

This quote from Commissioner Joe Martinez says it all:

''I think everyone has said what they really have to say''

That's fine, Joe. Except you didn't give people too much of a chance to speak during the last hearing.

I'm sure the vote today was equal parts spite toward the Mayor and influence from lobbyists who want to develop beyond the boundary, regardless of its impact on our community. Admittedly, this may not be as big of a deal as many, including myself, are making it out to be, since the state can easily trash the applications.

What does bother me is the commission's reckless attitude when it comes to decisions that ultimately affect everyone in this community. A more reasonable approach would have been to keep the mayor's veto intact and take a harder and honest look at the proposed projects' potential impact.

By this and other commission's decisions, critics and cynics have every justification to continue poking fun at Miami and its politics.