South Florida 2023: Corruption, sky high rents, and a whole lot of heat & rain
MIAMI - 2023. It was the year we lost Jimmy Buffett, a Miami City commissioner who was jailed, and there was oppressive heat all summer long.
Mixed in were the jaw-dropping events surrounding the popular Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department. There were plenty more shockers and ongoing economic and political issues to keep South Floridians a bit edgy and concerned.
South Florida residents were hammered by inflation, the cost of groceries and gasoline, but most disturbing rent soared as thousands from across the nation moved to Miami-Dade and Broward seeking respite from high taxes, crime, and high cost of living, along the way driving up rent and local home prices.
The lack of affordable housing impacted the service industry, even professionals moving into the area found it was difficult to make ends meet. Local employers found it a challenge to hire potential employees who found the price of living in "paradise" exceeded their budgets.
Camilo Sequiera summed it up, "I live in Hialeah and I pay too much for rent."
How much?
"I pay $3-thousand a month," she said.
There was the weather. It was simply "hot and wet" all year long. Unusually high summer temperatures prompted concern for outdoor workers. The ocean water was so warm coral reefs bleached. A big April rain in Broward saw almost 26 inches of rainfall in 24 hours on and around the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Homes and businesses flooded, the streets were littered with abandoned cars, and the airport completely closed. Homeowners in the area, many without flood insurance, saw their houses swamped with rainwater that stood for days.
In mid-November, the rains came again and drenched Broward, record-setting in the traditional "dry season."
There was big trouble at Miami City Hall. A federal jury found Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo liable in a lawsuit brought by two Calle Ocho businessmen who accused him of trying to destroy their businesses. They claimed Carollo weaponized the city's police and code enforcement departments to shut down several of their Little Havana establishments because the owners supported the commissioner's political opponent. Carollo was hit with a $63 million judgment.
Another Miami commissioner was arrested. Commissioner Alex de la Portilla was accused of money laundering and bribery related to accepting campaign contributions but failing to disclose them. When he walked out of jail, he said "Of course I will seek reelection and I am going to win." He did not.
CBSNews Miami broke the story that North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo was arrested on illegal voting charges after authorities accused him of voting from a North Miami Beach address where he did not live. He was suspended by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Miami Beach hired the city's first Black police chief. Wayne Jones, a 27-year veteran of the force, was sworn in front of a cheering crowd. The new chief faces the city's high-profile struggle to manage spring break crowds and related crime impacting Ocean Drive.
There was shocking Miami news from Tampa.
In July, after an incident at a Tampa hotel, Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez attempted to take his life. Tampa police were called to the hotel to investigate a domestic disturbance involving a gun. Ramirez and his wife were questioned but let go. Hours later while driving with his wife back to Miami, Ramirez put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Ramirez, a candidate for the newly created office of Miami-Dade County Sheriff, survived but lost an eye. The incident put an end to his run for sheriff.
Broward Sheriff school resource officer Scot Peterson, accused of failing to aggressively pursue the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooter, was acquitted on all counts of felony child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence, and one count of perjury. Families of the 17 people who died and 17 who were injured were angered.
"He did not do the right thing. He ran away," said Tony Montalto, who lost his daughter Gina in the mass shooting.
Petersen who said the verdict gave him his life back told local news reporters, "The only person to blame was that monster."
In late August, two people were killed and four others were hurt when a Broward Sheriff's Office helicopter crashed into a Pompano Beach apartment building, sending a plume of thick black smoke and flames into the air that were seen for miles. Two crew members aboard the chopper survived.
Reacting to new laws passed by the state legislature, Broward and Miami-Dade school districts wrestled with what students could read and could not read in school libraries and in the classroom. Some books were removed. Organized groups on both sides of the issue, that spurred a major public debate, were vocal at school board meetings throughout the year.
Donald Trump was never far from South Florida. The former president, who is a resident of Palm Beach County, made a high-profile visit to Miami on June 13th. Trump was in town to surrender to authorities at the federal courthouse. Trump was indicted on 37 counts related to more than 100 classified documents recovered from his Mar-a-Lago compound in August. He pled not guilty. Trump turned the appearance into a campaign opportunity, making a high-profile appearance at Little Havana's Versailles Restaurant proclaiming, "I think it is a rigged deal, we are a country that is corrupted."
Finally, a fitting farewell for the man that many in South Florida say provided "the soundtrack of our lives." Jimmy Buffett moved on to that Margaritaville in the sky. Key West, where Buffet honed his career, turned out for a huge. There was a huge farewell parade on Duval Street. Hearts were heavy but full of celebration for the icon who gave us wisdom like, "If life gives you limes, make margaritas."
That's how the year went. Looking ahead to 2024, we remember Jimmy Buffet who left us with, "We got to roll with the punches, play all our hunches, make the best of whatever comes your way."
