Florida’s tomato fields in the south and southwest supply most of the tomatoes to our nation's fast food industry. Migrant farm workers were paid 45 cents for every 32 pound bucket of tomatoes they hand pick. Every worker picks about 2 tons of tomatoes a day.
Then in 2005 McDonalds and Taco Bell agreed to a one penny per pound increase (77 cents per 32 pounds) payable directly to the migrant farm workers. However, Burger King, whose headquarters is in Miami, has adamantly refused to agree to the penny per pound increase. Burger King’s entire exposure in the pay raise has been estimated to be $250,000.00 per year.
The Herald is reporting that today (Friday) the City Of Miami will close the streets along a nine mile march route of a protest staged by the Coalition of Immokaleee Workers (click to see their web site). The march will begin at the headquarters of Goldman Sachs (the largest shareholder of BK) at 200 S. Biscayne Boulevard. The march will end at the BK headquarters at Blue Lagoon Drive off of 836.
The top dozen or so executives of Goldman Sachs will probably be paid more than 200 million in year end bonuses this year. The ten thousand or so migrant farm workers of Florida will probably earn less than half that, or about $10,000.00 per worker per year.
Talk about “having it your way” at Burger King.
Charge an extra nickel for those French fries that are slowly killing us anyway, and give those farm workers a decent wage. We’d like to see some of those fat cats at Goldman Sachs hop off their spin bikes and stair masters and try some real exercise by bending over for 10 hours a day lugging a 30 pound bucket through Florida’s hot sun.
Rumpole vows that until Burger King antes up the penny a pound for the migrant farm workers, nary a Whopper will pass the lips of this blogger.
BOYCOTT BURGER KING!!! We say, until the King decides to pay.
See You In Court, where Au Bon Pain’s turkey wrap is just as good, and much better for you.
When you see something that is not right, not fair, find a way to get in the way and cause trouble. Congressman John Lewis
JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG
WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL RICHARD E GERSTEIN JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE BUILDING RUMOR, HUMOR, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT AND BETWEEN THE JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT STAFF, CLERKS, COURT REPORTERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORLD OF MIAMI'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE. POST YOUR COMMENTS, OR SEND RUMPOLE A PRIVATE EMAIL AT HOWARDROARK21@GMAIL.COM. Winner of the prestigious Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award.
78 comments:
Bill Barzee, your next PD, supports the migrant farm workers and the boycott of Burger King. No public defender employee shall consume any burger king products on the premises of the publci defender's offices until further notice.
as MR. Eiglarsch's press secretary, our position is that we are "with burger king" all the way....
Much like the 1980 Republican Presidential Convention when Ronald Reagan floated the idea of a "co-presidency" with Jerry Ford as Vice President, some in the PD's office are grumbling that Carlos Martinez may need to hop on the Barzee bandwagon before it leaves the station and Martinez finds himself begging Joe George for a 50K a year job as a conflict counsel hack.
RUN GAIL RUN!!!!!
He floats like a butterfly
He stings like a bee
you can run for PD
but you'll never catch Barzee
Vanilla strikes again! The most innovative coach in the NFC, Rumpole.
Bandwagon closed, so just keep hating...
Can't you just see the idiot who posts all the barzee comments snickering with his one friend about how funny they think they are. His one friend is probably the guy that posts the q stuff. You guys were made for each other... go f yourselves.
Barzee has just received the endorcement of Rory Stein! Rory and Barzee were seen this morning eating at S&S burying the hatchet.
Great to see those guys together again. A condition of their resolution was an agreement that the BANNED BY BRUMMER rule has been lifted. Country and Lynn are welcome back into the building!
Who the heck is Barzee anyway? What experience does he have in Tallahassee? What experience does he have in the community?
Too late for Carlos b/c it's Marcus/Barzee
Why does this blog need to discuss tomatoe boycotts????
Love,
Dan Quayle, Former Vice President
The Coalition of Immokaleee Workers demanded money over and above the fair market price of tomatoes- and Atlas Shrugged.
Breaking NEWS
3 arrested in Ft. Myers for the murder of the red skins football star Taylor
A Coral Gables attorney was arrested Friday morning at Miami International Airport after screeners noticed a .40-caliber pistol in his carry-on luggage, according to Miami-Dade police.
Keith Brais, 48, who was headed to Orlando, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. He told federal screeners at Concourse G that he had forgotten the gun was inside the luggage.
His concealed weapon permit had expired on June 14, according to an arrest report.
The incident happened about 7:45 a.m. Brais is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Just as he forgeto he had a gun, the Florida Bar should forget that he is a member.
Bout time screeners found something!!
You think he going to testify for himself?
For a crime to be committed, the fuzz must prove that it was intentional.
Investigators believe the young men learned of Taylor's house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about the football star's wealth.
^^^^This is a bunch of bunk. There are three football teams and two baseball teams full of wealthy players that make their homes in Florida and make way more money and they single out Sean Taylor ??? Not to mention all the other wealthy multimillionaires that call Florida home. I ain't believing this for one second.
What does Au Bon Pain pay for its tomatoes? How about The Cheese Cake Factory? And those ladies who man the sausage carts in front of REG? I bet they pay market price for *all* their vegetables. Bastards.
Why stop with Burger King? It's time to boycott all Florida grown tomatoes. If we're successful, we'll drive the greedy farmers out of business and the migrant workers will be free to pursue their graduate studies.
"My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue." [From "Playboy's 1964 interview with Ayn Rand"]
-------------
Rumpole... If someone wants to give charity to the Immokallee workers, then so be it. Your position is that BK has moral duty to be charitable and, moreoever, that you will seek to compel them to be charitable. Regardless of whether this is good or bad, it is an absolute repudiation of Rand's philosophies.
Screw the workers. I like my whoppers cheap. They are illegal anyway, right? So if Rumpole is going to stay away, more burgers for me.
Here's my question:
How would Billy Boy have anywhere NEAR $250 K? Was he a member of the Martin crime family and the millions that were in question there?
8:16 AM. The Q does not have, nor will he ever have, any association with this Barzee ruffian. As the Q's personal representative to the blog, please accept this as a formal protest of any allusions to the Q being associated with this unseemly public campaign for public defender.
I don't seek to compel Burger King to do anything. They are free to tell me and all migrants to go f ourselves.
However, where I see a wrong I attempt to right it.
Burger King is taking unfair advantage of a group of individuals who are targeted and exploited. If Burger King could contract with all the Judges of dade county to pick their tomatoes for a nickle for 32 pounds, they have the right to do it.
However, if Burger King chooses to use migrant workers, then I SUPPORT the migrants attempts to obtain a better wage. I don't support the government FORCING Burger King to pay the migrants anything. These are my private thoughts and I choose to privately support the migrant workers in a strike. Just like I support the writers strike. I don't support any attempt to force anyone to support the migrant farm workers as charity.
As Ms Rand wrote: "There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them."
To Rand, the government's enforcememt of altruism as a social ethic, a moral and civil duty, and social policy was a crime that needed to be fought. Her critics manipulated her philospohical battle and painted her as a mean spirited individual who loved to hurt orphans and old sick people. She was nothing of the sort. She just believed that individual rights were sacrificed by people who under the banner of altruisim, sought to consolidate power. People like Stalin and Hitler or the religious right today. Rand well understood that the person who at the point of a gun puts his hand in your pocket and forces you to feed your hungry neighbor neither cares about you NOR your neighbor.
In this instance you are free to eat all the whoppers you wish. And I am free to call for a Boycott. The market will resolve the issue.
It would be neato if KFR was able to hand pick the next PD and get that person elected. Talk about getting plea deals. Court calendars cleared in hours.
I represent that lawyer who was charged with CCF at MIA.
This was all an honest mistake. He forgot the gun was there.
Funny how we actually do not have a criminal law that applies to that situation.
CCF is intentionally carrying a concealed firearm.
There is no law against negligently having a gun in your bag at the security checkpoint.
The client took the gun out of his car when the car went in for routine service. He put it in bag and forgot it was there.
Otherwise, why would a lawyer carry a gun on an airplane to Orlando for a 1 hour routine deposition?
I have had this happen to other clients too.
Lesson learned, search YOUR bag before you go to the security checkpoint... just in case.
Mike Catalano
dear 2:31(rory)
good question. the answer is that barzee is in private practice making around 50k per month. private practice is when you leave the public defender's office and have a go at real life. rory, step down and we will call off the barzee.
Carlos will roll Barzee and he knows it. He'll never run. Too lazy anyway. This is all nonsense.
Carlos Martinez ia a qualified, outstanding servant and will be the next PD.
4:18:00 PM Miguel de la O ?
Considering that BHB said that Juan "Trinity Tour" Gonzalez did not work for the PD office. Plus don't forget the DCBA sanctioned him for saying he did during his 2006 campaign.
Just for kicks he would be a great candidate for PD. (entertainment only he won't win).
WE SADLY REPORT THAT EVEL KNIEVEL HAS PASSED AWAY.
4:55 surely (or Shirley) you jest!!
Barzee engineered the ascension of his sister to the bench without opposition. He is a political mastermind. If he runs he wins, by a landslide. The question is whether he runs. He is mulling it over this weekend.
KFR supports GAIL for the next PD! Let's all vote for GAIL!
Maybe Billy's sister can lend him her married last name. What a fucking joke.
And the alleged 250K? Give up bad habits and save, save, save!
No.
I'm sure there's PLENTY of people making "50K a month" that would LOVE to be an administrator of an agency (that most lay persons don't even think should exist) for 150K A YEAR.
There's no one in the county other than the few barzeemonkeys that continually post here that would would vote for him.
Morons. All.
Dear Mr. 4:18.
Yes I had permission.
No, you don't know what you are talking about.
He told this all to the police so it is hard to believe you know better than I what happened.
Maybe the client should have called you from the airport and asked you what to do?
Thanks for being a smart ass.
A REAL LAWYER FOR PD...............
JAYNE WEINTRAUB
I am not repudiating Ayn Rand. I am interpreting her for nitwits like you.
I did not publish your comment because the individual in question has repeatedly requested that his name not be associated with the blog because he has been harassed beyond any expectation I would have expected as running this blog- and its not true- indeed I have no idea why anyone would even suspect him, as I don't even know him and I doubt we are much alike. I have honored his request.
I have no idea about his political beliefs. I suggest you go ask him.
PS- instead of relying on an old playboy interview, why don't you read some of her non-fiction work on things like Epistemology and ethics. Start with her book The virtue of selfeshness and go on from there. When you learn the real issues and stop getting sidetracked about things like charity, then I would be happy to have a real discussion with you.
Based on experience and ability alone, Alexander Michaels is the person best able to lead the Public Defenders office into the next decade and beyond.
If Carlos is going to get the support from the people who care about the office, he is going to have to make major changes.
He needs to cut the fat. Rory, Cox, Warren, just to name a few. Then, and only then, we will call off the hounds. The hounds have a lot of political moxey.
I am calling for a VOLUNTARY boycott of all Barzee/Martinez comments for the weekend. I will still post what is submitted, but this is becoming wearisome at best. Give it a rest for the weekend.
Barzee can't win that race unless he raises and spends 200k. Non-hispanic white boy in Miami-Dade better have some money.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
It is NOW official. The police have arrested four individuals in the Sean Taylor case.
Venjah K. Hunte, 20; Eric Rivera Jr., 17; Jason Scott Mitchell, 17; and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18. The charges have not yet been made public, but a police spokesperson said that "we are talking murder and burglary."
"They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone," Miami Dade Police Director Parker said. He added authorities had more than one confession but would not elaborate.
"We're looking into whether or not one or more of the individuals had been at the residence before," Parker said.
CAPTAIN OUT .....
The comment referencing sexual identity has not been posted, and will not be posted no matter how many times you submit it. It's against the rules of the blog.
Barzee's not going to run. He'll surely decide it is hopeless against the Brummer/Martinez machine. A judgeship race is on thing (Barzee managed his sister's campaign-and quite well, I must say), but this is a bit of a step up in quality, and Billy Boy knows when to say when.
The best Rand novel is "Anthem". What do you think, Rumpole.
why not a hot female pd like margot moss?
ray tasseff was so annoying as an apd he would be awful as pd. also he hated half the office who didnt kiss his ass and look up to him
all this talk re barzee is silly. i know the guy from when i was an asa and he was a good trial lawyer. at the end of the day he is still a gringo in a city that isnt. plain and simple.
His sister won because she was a woman and her opponent dropped out late in the race. billy cant call himself flores. if there were any justice in this world you should not be able to run with a new name unless you had used it for at least 5 years before you run for office
sharpstein is truly outdoing himself by whoring for the media as "sean taylors family friend". what a joke. yeah richard i am sure you would be inviting sean and his dad over for latkes on hannukah if this tragedy hadnt occurred. heard him on footie and he still has to attack mike greico--leave him alone sharpie its like kicking a puppy dog.
still sharpies best media moment was when his client goes down in the cops trial and he is in new york times hugging one of the acquitted cops who was repped by another lawyer
Update from the picket lines, Blog writers union, Local 202; a proud member of the Writers Guild of America.
Rump, the writers strike has hit the blog writers pretty hard. Here is an update:
Both fake Blechers (real fake, and fake) are working Christmas retail- one at Macy's and one at JC Pennys mens's fragrance department;
Fake Alschuler is working the concessions stands for the Heat, Panthers, and Dolphins this Sunday,
Fake Captain is doing some "car detailing" and lawn service, while Fake Blake has grinded out a couple of bucks an hour sitting at the poker tables at Flagler Dog Track.
Chris and Alan, who we learned moved to Washington DC where they blog as employees of the Department of Energy accounting department, are working as waiters in a "singing waiters" restaurtant in Georgetown.
And finally poor Fake Pannunzio doesn't realize there is a strike, but he never charged for his contributions anyway.
Keep the faith guys and walk those picket lines.
Barzee would kill Carlos in a DEMOCRATIC primary. That aint "Cuban time". Lets just be honest. And then in the general election, he'll win for the same reasons BHB was unbeatable--he's a Democrat in Dade County.
Barzee is the next PD if he wants it. Carlos knows what he must to do avoid that certainty.
I see my voluntary ban on Barzee/Martinez posts is working out quite well.
that last post on the "fake" bloggers and what they're doing during the writers strike is hilarious.
1:23, dont the 4 of you realize that everyone knows who you are?
Carlos
The ban on lawyers should be lifted. Lynn Overmann can't step foot in the office or she will be arrested! She was a golden girl before she broke ranks with the office. What a sin!!
Rumpole
I need a lock this week. Business has been soooo slow!! Also, the Captain needs to find some balls and should not have blog privileges until he reveals himself.
So Sharpie now says that the guys they arrested for Taylor's murder should float down the Miami River????? This coming from a defense attorney???
Where is Ed O'Donnell Sr. these days? That guy has represented more NFL players than anybody. At one time, he represented the whole Dolphins' secondary. Of course today the Dolphins don't have a secondary (or a primary for that matter).
Hey, guys, leave it alone with all the campaigning on the blog. Nobody is going to win an election because the person's name appeared on the blog. You win campaigns in the streets so take it to the streets.
Qualifications for New Public Defender: 1. Have a hispanic name 2. have a hispanic name 3. have a hispanic name. Like in real estate ; location, location, location. When Bennett Brummer became Public Defender in 1976 Dade was not primarily hispanic and had a lot of NY retirees, Jews on Miami Beach and whites in Hometstead, Coral Gables. So with the current demographics of Dade is the only possible candidate somone with a spanish'/hispanic name because the county is 60% hispanic? Are hispanics that unsophisticated? or can someone with real experience and a proven track record and ethic be elected? Martinez is a bureaucrat who is never in court and has probably been handpicked because he proved loyal to Brummer and did what he was told and did not rock the boat. Does that mean a white, black or female candidate who believes in the notion that to run for office is to participate in our democracy, to pursue one's goals, to take a chance, to try to effectuate positive change even if it is to just enter a political race and enter into a debate and dialogue with the opponent even if you may not have a chance at winning. Perhaps in debate you raise awareness of issues and influence the victor to adopt some of your ideas thereby only forfeiting your time and money in running and not losing. So, if you want to run for office, run!The worst that can happen to you is that small minded people will talk about you behind your back and as in all american elections sooner or later you will be personally viciously attacked. The reward is an important job in one of the most volatile areas of a country with 310000 million people which pays 140000 a year. Is it worth it to run and have to have a well run campaign, organized and a little luck to beat someone with a hispanic name? If you answer yes to this than do the paperwork and run. This comment is dedicated to the 50 attorneys in Miami who have the experience to be a great public defender and vibrant new life into an office that is bloated with overpaid lazy career bureaucrats while the attorneys in the trenches are overworked and underpaid. P.S. I rarely see the PD filing complicated motions or visiting the jails which should be prerequisites for defending people facing in excess of 15 years in prison. If Martinez is elected there will be little change in the PD's office with the exception of more hispanic attorneys hired from FIU.
Can someone call Yale Galanter's office and tell him to find a second client? I've never known of a lawyer to be so closely tied at the hip with a single client. Maybe their relationship is closer than we think.
I almost want O.J. to win (just going to get his "shit" back) and Galanter to lose, but I know both of these things can't happen.
Do defense lawyers usually give such comments to the press. Amazing!
Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former attorney, said he had not spoken with the victim's family regarding Friday's arrests, but said he doubted they provided any comfort.
``I know they are just saddened and appalled. The fact that they arrested his killer is no comfort to them,'' he said. ``It probably inflames them more, because it tells them people were trying to steal from him. They are murderers. They should be treated like murderers and put in the Miami River and floated away.''
Judge Barzee was pushed on to the Bench by Al Lorenzo, Bob Levy and Juan D'Arce. Young Bill Barzee did not and does not know how to campaigning. As a matter of fact, he was one of the problems in Gabe's campaign. Too angry and too difficult to work with.
Thus, Bill is a No Bill and that is a fact. In my humble opinion, Al Millian has a better chance and as you know, h has not chance whatsoever.
Carlos Martinez is a nice man, but has no backbone. If elected, he will continue to do BHB's mission or lack of mission. The PD's Office is the revolving door of the Courthouse.
Voting for Carlos Martinez is equivalent to four more years of waste and corruption.
Dade County needs better. It's Time for a Change!
Are Miguel De La O and John Clayton from ESPN twins separated at birth?
Much of the defense bar seems to love complaining about the LOOBHB. Many of those who post on here have even taken to denegrating the quality of the APDs who work at the LOOBHB. My two cents: as an ASA who's been around awhile, has remained in division, and continues to try cases on a regular basis, the average APD (whether she be a C or a twenty year vet) does an excellent job. Within the halls of the SAO, a win against the PD is considered a real victory; a win against some private hack is considered almost meaningless.
Richard Sharpstein for KFR's new spokesman/public information officer.
Chief Judge Joe Farina, State Attorney Kathy Fernandez-Rundle and Public Defender Bennet H. Brummer who is trying to reincarnate as Carlos Martinez.
4:56 PM clearly qualifies for the horse's ass of the day award. Do you realize how incredibly clueless you are? Although it has barely gotten mention here, the PDO was recently selected by the NLADA - National Legal Aid and Defender Association (spelled out for you, moron), as the best PD's office in the country. That's no accident. It occurred because from top to bottom, the office is filled with lawyers that are dedicated to public defense - they work hard and make less than they could earn in private practice. It occurred because the office has a much broader approach to the issues in the criminal justice system than just the defense of 3d degree felony cases (undoubtedly your highest level of achievement). The legal challenge that led to nationwide movement to unshackle juveniles in court was started by the person you named a bureaucrat, Carlos Martinez. By the way, Martinez has been heavily involved in the community for many years - now, he's on the State's Blueprint Commission to revise the juvenile justice system. Who is going to have the greater impact - a guy who is trying to impact thousands of young people who are run through the system, or you, with your tunnel vision, if it's not about me then it's not important, attitude. On your best day, you couldn't carry Martinez' briefcase.
Rump, I have just been advised that Sharpstein does not give a crap what any of the meaningless just trying to make a buck lawyers are saying about him on this blog.
I am also very upset that what everyone is saying is seemingly having no effect on anything.
I heard you can put "I have no idea what I'm talking about but" in front of any comment on this blog and it will then make total sense.
Sean Taylor is a chameleon. I haven't seen two photos of him where he looks the same. I'm still trying to figure out what he looks like. I'm sorry about his death. I'll be at the funeral next week.
To 4:56 P.M. on Sat., 12/1
After your comment, I'm still wiping tears from my eyes while listening to the national anthem.
But I agree with every bit of your comment. Freedom of competition starts today.
What is the deal with Joe Farina?
Does he think that a war chest is going to save him from all the people he has screwed?
Yo, Joe! What you gonna do when they come for you? Bad Boy, Bag Boy!
;-)
respones to 10:10 pm. It appears I struck a nerve, truth will do that. The pd received an award, as is common, to pay respect to someone at the end of their career. I never see pd visiting the jail or filing and arguing motions in 2nd, 3rd and juvenile cases. What I do see typically is 3 pds sitting in court watching for the first hour of the calendar while the private attorneys go, time they could spend conveying pleas, talking to clients, reviewing their files. obviously you are one of the 20 attorneys at the pd making a lot of money for a half days work, the rest of the time you are taking 2 hours lunches, leaving at 415, 215 on friday, and only work hard when you are in trial and right before. Let me guess your name. Warren, Oliver,Pat, Joe, Gary, Rory, Carlos, etc.
One PD who works hard is Steve Bustamante, the ex-Marine. He should run as the Republican candidate for PD.
Post a Comment