Last week Wire officially endorsed Frank Kruszweski in the Group VI seat now held by Commissioner Bower. We admit that it’s really, really early to be thinking about city politics, but we wanted to get the ball rolling early this year because we will elect almost a whole new commission along with a new mayor.
There are five candidates in the Group VI seat, but the best choice is Frank Kruszewski (www.frank4mbc.com). Frank is incredibly intelligent and takes political activism seriously. He’s been known to be a reasonable person who listens to all side of an issue and then makes up his mind based on all the info he gathers. We like that – and we wish more candidates and elected officials would do the same! It takes walking down Lincoln Road and talking to small business owners. It takes walking down Washington Avenue at night to personally witness the filthy conditions, aggressive homeless, and lack of police presence. Frank makes the time.
Frank also promises not to be swayed by the “mob rule” mentality that seems to be the case anytime there’s an important issue that comes before the commission. While there might be hundreds of people packing the commission chambers, who do those people actually represent? Frank says he will go out to find out what people really believe, to make sure it’s not just special interests trying to force their ideas on everyone. Frank will do his homework!
Frank’s credentials and experience are impeccable.—he went through the city’s Leadership Academy as well as the Citizen’s Police Academy. He’s also been active in his neighborhood in Sunset Harbour. Frank knows the city – inside and out. He knows how to get things done and how to work with all city departments and city officials already.
Frank has the ability – along with the new mayor and other new commissioners – to move the city forward and make it a better, cleaner, safer place for all of us.
So please take Frank’s candidacy and our endorsement seriously. Get ready to vote for Frank Kruszewski next November. Read about him in Wire today so you know where he stands on the issues and what we can expect when he’s elected.
Talk about your background and why you’re running for commissioner.
I was born in New York and moved to Florida in 1981. I worked on the West Coast of Florida for a long time and then moved here with my partner, Dave, in 1999. Almost from the beginning I became actively involved in all that I did. I was on the board of directors at Sunset Harbour South, I was president of the board, and I was president of our neighborhood association. I worked closely with the city on all our problems, including drainage in the neighborhood. I was also on the Police Citizens Relations Board for four years and now I’m vice chairman of the Budget Advisory Board. I really, truly believe that Miami Beach is one of the most special places on the face of the earth. I want to make sure we leave it to the next generation of Beach residents as good as we found it, if not better. So that’s why I decided to pick up the mantle and take on this challenge – to sort of put my life on hold and run for political office.
What distinguishes you from all the other candidates?
Experience. I’m a graduate of the City’s Leadership Academy – I was in the inaugural class. Because of the experience, I know how the city works. I know how you get things done – from the simplest things about who is responsible for street lights to how to get drainage fixed. I have a good background in how to work with the administration. I tend to look at things in a more reasonable way than others do. I’m not an extremist on almost any issue. I believe that compromise is the way we resolve most of our problems in this city. As a commissioner, that’s really what you’re called upon to do – to look at all sides of an issue and make a decision that’s best for everyone in the city.
What “master plan” or vision do you have for the City of Miami Beach?
That’s one of the things that distinguishes me from other candidates in the city. I do have a vision for where I would like the city to go. I believe we’re on a path in this city over the past 10 years that does us well. One of the things I found out while campaigning is that by and large Miami Beach residents are happy! Right now, there aren’t any large, over-riding issues – I mean, there is traffic, there is parking, there’s noise, there’s major events – but as a community we seem to be rather content with the way things are. But there are issues and challenges.
Talk about some of those challenges.
Transportation is one of our biggest challenges. As a real estate agent, I know the value of properties on the Beach. I know what it costs to build housing on Miami Beach. A lot of people are talking about building workforce housing or affordable housing for people who work in the entertainment industry, in the clubs, in the hotels and condominiums, the service industry folks. They are the heart and soul of what makes us a viable tourist and residential destination. I think the time has passed for building that kind of housing and we must have a vision of how we can get them from where they can afford to live to the Beach without driving. I would like to connect Miami Beach to the mainland somehow. I think we should explore bringing the Metrorail here directly from the airport. That would not only solve the problems for the service industry, but also help alleviate transportation problems for residents and tourists. We could build an intermodal transportation center near Mount Sinai and combine that with short loop busses like the South Beach Local that could take people from where they want to go to where they need to be. There needs to be some out of the box, imaginative way to address the transportation problem.
What about parking?
It calls for more private-public partnerships. Like the garage on West Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. That was a partnership with the developer of the Mirador, since he needed to augment his parking, and the city. The city made them build out all that retail space on the ground floor which has enlivened that entire neighborhood. It used to be a dead part of West Avenue and now it’s a happening place! I would like to see the city do that
