Now,

Whats Sleazy?
I write today to set the record st

raight.

I would like to start wit h a little

bit of background. Since Novem
ber of 2007, I have had the hon
good government and aga inst was
or of ser ving as a Miami Beach
teful spending. When I was firs
Commissioner. Ive fought for
t elected, it was during a time whe
million bailout akin to corporate
n residents were appalled that Mt
welfare. And my record includ
. Sinai was seeking a $95
es standing in the way of our form
Convention Center dea l in 201
er Commission selling out our
3. And, when Mt. Sinai wanted
qua
lity of life in the rotten
$15
mil
lion
lone vote aga inst them getting the
recent ly from our Cit y, I called
it for what it was, corporate wel
ir $15 million. More recent ly, Mt
fare. And I was the
.
Sinai has openly fought Baptist
hea lthcare to South Beach. Dis
Hospit als efforts to bring qua lity
gusted that they would put pro
and
fits
accessible
over people, I put the item on
support for tak ing back the $15
the July 31st meeting agenda and
million. Again, I was alone in the
tried to get my colleag ues
minorit y.
Earlier this yea r, I became Chairm
an of Relent less for Progress, a
statewide Political Act ion Comm
Miami Beach and to have an imp
ittee. It was formed to fight for
act on issues that affect us statewi
good government on
de, such as sea level rise, clea n
funded corporate giveaways.
water, ant i-ga ming expansion,
and combat ing taxpayer
Our fund raising has been swift.
The ma in reason for this letter
is that a series of false personal
fundra ising. As a result of Mr.
attacks have questioned the lega
Put neys unprofessional, fact ual
lity of the committees
ly incorrect, and unethical op- ed
funds. The Committee was form
he has adversely affected this com
ed to support good candidates
mittees ability to raise
in Miami Beach and throughou
our efforts back on track, so we
t the State. This is an appeal to
can go about our mission to elec
correct the record and get
t good people.
And the success of our efforts
has become the target of a series
of false personal attacks by loc
but as I lay out below, this once
al journa list Michael Put ney. It
respected journa list is failing to
is ala rming and disheartening,
disc
lose information and creating new
and Brian Willia ms before him
s in order to protect his cronies.
, Mr. Put ney preaches tra nspare
And like Da n Rat her
ncy, but conveniently doesnt app
because I ask the reader to con
ly it to himself. I ma ke mention
sider that Mr. Put ney is not who
of
these journa lists
he has portrayed himself to be
over the yea rs.
Mr. Put neys attacks on the fun
d raising success of Relent less for
Progress are baseless and rooted
various stakeholders all across
in personal interest. We have attr
Miami Beach, including people
acted major support from
and
companies who do business wit
federa l level. In fact, the curren
h the Cit y. This is 100% lega l at
t and former Cit y Attorney hav
the
e
county, state and
bot
h
concluded that the ordina nces
shape or form to donations to
Mr. Put ney uses in his arg ument
political committees. Our Cit ys
s
do
ord
not restrict in any
ina nce is not vag ue. It is clea r the
office, and the Relent less for Pro
ordina nce only applies to candid
gress donations are absolutely lega
ate
s for municipa l
l.
Mr. Put ney recent ly wrote an Op
-Ed alleging I went after the $15
million dollar gra nt for Mt. Sin
He never called me before leve
ai, because they didnt contribute
ling that accusation, as is the cus
to the political committee.
tomary professional journa list ic
always been aga inst Mt. Sinais
pra
ctice. Had he done so, he would
corporate welfare ways as I pre
have lea rned that I have
viously explained.

Mr. Put neys suggestion that my

votes aga inst taxpayer-funded han
douts to Mt. Sinai are related to
he called me to fact-check, he
campaign contributions is bot h
would have found out that Mt.
false and defamatory. Had
Sinai Board Members were the
refused their fina ncial support.
ones who wanted to contribute
to Relent less for Progress, but
I
But, inexplicably, Mr. Put ney, a
veteran political reporter who kno
ws better tha n to blindly trust his
did not even bot her to take a few
sources motives before runnin
minutes to call me. He had am
g recklessly wit h a stor y,
ple time. There was no deadlin
e. This was no mistake.
What did Mr. Put ney fail to eth
ically and professionally disclose
? Mr. Put ney failed to disclose
Glenna Milberg, is ma rried to
that his co-host and partner on
Mount Sinai Medical Center Fou
This Week in South Florida,
ndation Execut ive Director Mi
aga inst his employers corporate
chael Milberg. Hes obv iously ups
welfare (since 2007) and that I
et wit h my outspoken work
tried to save our residents hard-e
to rescind their approval of the
arned taxpayer money by ask ing
$15 million taxpayer handout to
my Commission colleag ues
Mount Sinai. And his wifes sho
conflict-ridden topics. Michael
w where Mr. Put ney works sho
Put neys failure to disclose the
uld steer clea r of such
se facts to his viewers and reader
issue. Journa list ic ethics and inte
s is a crit ical fact that cuts to the
grit y ma ndates this type of rela
hea rt of his credibility on this
tionship be disclosed to the pub
lic.
I have always abided by the phi
losophy of my good friend and
mentor, a former Miami Beach
ask everyone for their vote but
Mayor. He taught me early on,
dont be an elected official if you
Ra ise money from everyone,
cant say no to your friends bas
to my campaigns, yet Ive always
ed on principle. The Fontainebl
voted aga inst their casino gaming
eau Resort Hotel has donated
expansion agenda. I have raised
voted aga inst their items and stoo
political donations from develo
d up in favor of residents interes
pers, yet I have consistent ly
ts.
Political donations do not resu
lt in corruption. Corruption resu
lts from a wea k person that has
standards and follow my ethical
no ethical compass. I will always
compass on behalf of the people
ma inta in my ethical
I represent, even as a lone dissent
ing voice and amidst controversy
.
If Michael Put ney were truly con
cerned wit h the role of contrib
utions to PACs, he would cover
Mayors Political Committee rais
the tota lity of the issue. He wou
ing over $1 million from vendor
ld take issue wit h the Count y
s, lobbyists and developers a full
wit h the United States Suprem
yea r before the August 2016 elec
e Court s ruling that unlimited
tion. He would take issue
political soft money contributio
Mr. Put neys motivations in this
ns are protected free speech. Bu
regard are grounded in nepotis
t
tha
ts
not what he opts to do.
m
and
unp
rofessional bias. He has unfairl
Mr. Put ney has reduced himself
y singled out my Political Comm
to a political hack for Mt. Sinai
ittee wit h his angst.
and its operatives. Now thats
truly sleazy

Again, this is about getting the

committee back on track.

Please go to our website and co

nt

ribute at: ww w.relentlessforprogr

ess.net /donat ions

Sincerely,

J onah Wolfson

www.RelentlessForProgress.net
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