Laura Cattabriga - Uses The Police As Campaign Props

Officers Lisa Gittner and Frank Pliega of the  North Bay Village PD

Less than a week after the Miami Herald story and less than a month after Village Clerk Yvonne Hamilton was accused of violating State and North Bay Village law when she was filmed accepting candidate qualifications from Julianna Strout and Marvin Wilmoth, Laura Cattabriga sent out a campaign flier featuring two in uniform North Bay Village police officers.   

 Now whether the officers had "permission" to appear in the ad, were supporting her campaign, or had their images used without their consent, this is shocking malfeasance from a commissioner who claims to have been greatly disturbed by an innocent video appearance and joined in the bullying that led to Ms. Hamilton's resignation.  

Cattabriga!  

Kevin Vericker

October 4, 2018

Bullying: Part 2 The Serious Part

The worst advice your parents and your teachers gave you in the schoolyard was "Ignore the bullies. They just want attention." It is finally dawning on us in the 21st century that what the bullies really want is power. It's the superego asserting itself. Like thievery and lying, it is a lazy and often effective way to take what was not rightfully earned.

On Saturday, I showcased a classic example of how bullying is used in the politics of North Bay Village. Read it here if you don't remember.

Well, today I want to speak about the more grotesque bullying happening on the dais and in plain sight. I refer to the way Dr. Paul Vogel, a man who served the city long and honorably, is being exploited.

Dr. Vogel had two strokes and is often confused. He talks openly about this. If you watch him on the dais, he never comments, never offers his views and his only questions are which item is being voted on. He then consults an already marked up agenda which notes how he is to vote on the item in question. When there is a variance in the order of the votes, he becomes confused.

Simple example, at the last meeting, there was an item by Corina Esquijarosa to open a search for a temporary city manager, followed by an item by Eddie Lim-Kreps to bypass a transparent search and install the former police chief as interim city manager. These were then combined to a single item as they were much the same subject.

This threw the rhythm off. Dr. Vogel's marked up agenda said vote No then Yes. But with the change, a No vote would have blocked Commissioner Lim-Kreps decision. Dr. Vogel followed the script and voted NO. His wife, Marietta, then shouted out from the audience, "Vote Yes" and he quickly changed his vote, clearly not knowing what he was voting on or why.

This happens all the time. When Dr. Vogel votes, he first looks to see how the twins have voted. If he is called on to vote first, he consults his agenda. His wife sits directly in the line of sight and indicates Yes or No.

It's sad. It's sad that age and sickness have struck this fine public servant and a hell of a guy, and it's made even worse to see how those who claim to respect and even to love him, don't hesitate to exploit him, in public, in front of cameras and in front of the city he served so well.

What's happening to Dr. Vogel fits the definition of elder abuse. Those surrounding him are isolating him, keeping him uninformed, directing his behavior for their own personal gain and punishing him with withdrawal if he does not comply. We are all complicit when we allow this to happen. We are all bullies if we do not protect our elderly.

When we are called to account, I firmly believe that the question we will have to answer is "How did I treat people who were weaker than me?" The longer we let this go on, how will any of us be able to answer that question?

Kevin Vericker
June 14, 2011

Bullying

Well the bullying happened again. Yesterday, Jean Pankey wrote an open letter about why she believes that the Mayor Esquijarosa should not be recalled. I reprinted it in the blog.

Within 20 minutes, an anonymous email was sent out attacking her personally, not her ideas nor her concerns or opinions. The anonymous writer went after her personally and llke most cyber bullies, anonymously.

Later in the day, the CFD resent the same information, again personal and unrelated to the subject at hand. All six of them did sign the email Richard Chervony, Alvin Blake, James Carter, Flo Clein, Jane Blake and Gloria Carter, so they get credit for that, but the email was just gainsaying until it got personal again so that wipes the credit out.

And that's the problem.

I started this blog to bring a calmer discussion to the many issues facing North Bay Village and in doing so, have exposed people I care about to attacks on their families, their reputations, and their employment by thugs without a scintilla of shame or proof.

In the last year, I have been the victim of mail fraud, slanders, libels and most recently, two weeks ago, my car was vandalized. My family members have been attacked at work and I have to tell you, it's creepy.

Other people have had their livelihoods threatened and their families defamed. Libels have been hurled at them at commission meetings with the explicit agreement of Vogel, and the commissioners Lim-Kreps.

He said, she said, do not make political arguments. They do not improve the civic discourse. These arguments are never resolved.

I have long ago given up on the members of the CFD and seldom engage. I've chronicled that in this blog. Frankly, how can you fight fair on only one side? How do you say "that idea is a problem" when the answer is "you're a (fill in your favorite obscenity)"? You can't.

But the better question is "Why?" Why fight? I need to ask that here.

I have over 400 readers in the area per week. Most of them are people interested in the city. It's time to show up at the meetings. I know they are unpleasant. I know you are exposing yourself to the bullying of a small group. But it's our city.

You don't have to agree with me. Heck, I don't always agree with me, but just come. Ask the questions and demand the answers. If you don't, then the bullies win and the city loses.

More about bullying tomorrow.

Kevin Vericker
June 11, 2011