1639-14 Politics 401- THE MIAMI HERALD Mon.,Sept.27,1971 rex
' Unholy Alliance ' Runs Beach
SEP 2 7 1971
But Can Be Destroyed—Dermer
By JAMES SAVAGE six months to find out why Builder Robert Turchin • the architect who was given
acrale sten writs the cabanas were built stands out most in this group the contract for the Conven•
Conven-
tion Hall expansion and the
Big-money special interests without a proper building because he built most of the concessionaire who was given
control the government of permit, with memos going major projects. I would also a three-year extension of his
Miami Beach through an"un- back and forth. A variance include Steve Muss in this a thre-yeation Hall contract
holy alliance"with the city's request to permit the ca• special interest group. He's r.._ with no competitive bidding.
councilmen, Beach Mayor banes to remain came in.The built four or five major high• He represents the builders of
lay Dormer has charged in a vote on the council was six rise buildings. the Brittany Bay complex,
series of recent statements. to one to give them the vari• All of these groups are in• 7,' and he represented many
This unholy alliance. he ance. terrelated and intertwined. people seeking zoning vari-
said. has taken the public's What ever request comes The last group includes those antes before the council be-
beaches, promoted casino in, if it's (Fontainebleau who actively support casino fore I had that law changed.
gambling and made the face owner) Ben Novack's re- gambling for Miami Beach. Q—had t does Roth oper •
-
of Miami Beach ugly by plac- quest, it seems it's always Here we have big restaurant ate?
ing the profit motive ahead s • Councilman owners, members of the A—He's a former city
of good zoning. e P �•rit.and it always Tourist Development Author- Mayor D(',rtrler coulean. He knows the
Best known for his series goes right through. Give him ity and the big hotel men and names names workings,the ins and outs of
of battles with an unsym- anything he wants,that's the developers. the council.If a man's an ex •
-
pathetic City Council majori• philosophy. /(� Q--Who are the members pert on Miami Beach City
tv.Dermer has announced he Others I include in this of the City Council you be- odd years and has watched Council politics, to me that
will not run for a new term hotel group with Ben Novack lieve are members of the since the days of the S&G expertise does not lend itself
as mayor. are Morris Lanshurgh(presi- "unholy alliance." syndicate through the years just to plain talent. I think
In an in-depth interview, dent of Associated Resort A—If you look at the re- the concrete jungle on Col- it's an influence peddler. I
Dormer tells what he's. Hotels) and Herb Robins, cords of the council, you'll tins Avenue was formed. don't think there should be •
learned about the"unholy al- (Carillon Hotel lessee,active find two men who consis- He's always stayed In the municipal lobbyists or munic •
-
liance" during four and a in the past in hotel and motel tently voted against the pub- background, but he's a man ipal influence peddlers going
half years as mayor, and he associations). tic's right to the beach . . . the special interests can al- around speaking to members •
tells how he thinks it can be Q—Give some details of That would be D.Lee Powell ways count on. of the council prior to the •
destroyed. the other"special interests." and (Vice Mayor) Leonard (Mayor Dermer's corn• time of the votes. •
Q—Mayor Dermer, what A—The highrise builder, Weinstein. ments about Powell were When you have almost
do you mean when you say developer, is an individual Q—Would you endorse made before the veteran 3,500 lawyers in Dade Coun-
an "unholy alliance" runs who wants to get the maxi- any of your fellow council- councilman announced on ty, and you see the same
Miami Beach? mum use out of his land and men for reelection? Wednesday that he will not lawyer coming up on the
A—It's an alliance be- the most money out of it.He A—The only incumbent seek a new term. Dermer major iso s involving mil- '
tween certain special inter- doesn't care if he takes away city councilman I would en- said he would not have lions andmillions of dollars,
csts and the city councilmen the public's right to the dorse for reelection is Jerome named Powell in his corn- you might feel he's an ex• •
they support financially, beach. He doesn't care if he Greene.I think he is an hon- ments about the "unholly al• pert.I don't.The only explo•
which leads these councilmen provides proper setbacks to est man. He's his own man. liance" if he knew Powellnation is if someone wants
very often to cast votes of in• keep this city beautiful. His There are many issues I don't was removing himself from something accomplished,you •
fluence rather than votes of interest is how much money agree with hint on, but 1 city politics.) go see Mr.X.Mr.X will then
conscience on matters of he is going to get out of his think they are differences of Q—How do they act bring your case before the •
public interest. property and he doesn't give conviction. I would not en- behind the scenes." council.Don't worry about it.
Q--Describe tfiese"special a care what it takes to do it. dorso any of the other locum- A—While I have been en •
Everything will be fine.
interests." If he's able to get away bents. the council,I would say that Q—When you discuss an •
A—You can divide them with taking the public's Q—Sinee you're not run• $urnett Roth has been up ••unholy alliance" do you •
into several groups. The beach, he w i l I. And they sing for reelection, will you /there as an attorney repro- mean there is outright brib-
owners of some of the major have. The hotel owners and be active in the city election senting the special interestscry involved in some of these
hotels; highrise owners and the high rise owners have campaigns? on major projects. council votes?
developers; builders and de- taken the public's right to A—Between now and And I understand that he'sp—I can't use the word
velopers;and all those other the beach, and they don't when I leave office next behind the campaigns of bribery because I don't know •
groups that are trying to care because no one is stop- month,I intend to talk about most of the counctlmanic of my own knowledge of any •
bring legalized gambling to ping them. the voting records of Powell candidates,or at least some money changing hands.But I •
Miami Beach under the guise Q—How has the public and Weinstein and show how of the candidates. He cam- come away with the condo•
of promoting tourism. lost the beach to the builders they are tied lock,stock and paigns and actively solicitsSion that the pattern of vot-
Q—Can you give an exam- and developers? barrel to the special interests campaign workers and ing on many issues is one •
pie involving hotels? A—They've built their sea- in an unholy alliance. money.If his candidate loses, that is a result of influence. •
A—Let's take the major walls and bulkheads in the Q—Who do you consider lie then ties right on to the Whether that influence is in
hotels,the Fontainebleau for ocean on state-owned land to be the leader of the alli- winner. '
the form of certain conces•
instance. Its latest cabanas and they don't care because ance on the council? Q--Who has Roth repro• sions or things going to
are built right out on the no one is stopping them. A—The leader on the rented in matters before the .
councilmen, 1 don't know.
beach without a building per- They come to the City Coun- council is Mr. Weinstein. In council? Whether it's in the form of
mit. cit for a bulkhead permit, the background is Powell. A—It's amazing to me that a c t u a I money changing
It took the city attorney and they get it. He's been there for some 20- you'll find Roth representing hands,I don't know. I can't
say that because I'm the out-
oider and as far as I'm con-
cerned,no one comes to me.
They know I would report it
to the proper authorities.
But I come away with the
feeling that it has to be more
than just dear old friendship. '
Q—Does this type of influ-
ence system extend from the
City Council down into the
city's administration?
A—I would probably say
yes. I'm not saying bribery, •
but I'm saying favors being
done.When Turchin was sit-
ting on the council, he built
most of the major projects.It
would have been difficult for '
someone in the Building De-
partment to tell a councilman
that he had, for example in
the 100 Lincoln Road Build-
ing.28 extra units not shown '
on the official plans. If you
asked me if some of the re•
cent disclosures of conces-
sions and favors done for
city officials were charitable
i
tort ot campaign '
this system _What - ect for a re
iinw can cd- Id �.OU Sugg
inthience P would of candidates•
youdescrtb the City Council form slate of
dung with if a number
r b.stotally the public A_1 think ether and ran
4--1 thirt: it d People got togetherissue-oriented
concerned an a totally hed win.
were totally involved t° on they sug- '
totally Beach campaign, n theme 1'd
became of Miami j The campaign it you
the business the his Voters,
e and this, gest is this: "Voters,
following,you
government, out
f in outrage i believe in issues. the Pub-
rose up ld be stopped' this: It ing specific the beach, good it But the tragedy ot directly s righist-
attecte
t nt in practices,beach,
corn-
public
°lo-
an individual is system, he clean zoning
tthem
public by this lack °t petitive fight for
c doesn't care is what sure,we will are elected.if
just involvement as a team with things
public in' s like this to
situations you're satisfied against us!'
allows sare,svote atisfied
i
it can g°sst• as they it could be accom-
plished.
continue. wa), through the f think
The only ed is
bly l Chang if you an.
process. tsar, and 'Ball has
election least Q_Chuck mayor
run for
could get at seven People stepping
•
racily would constant. nouncehat he'll
Prete wou intetr now you endorse
elected tand who
the specie down. Would Y
est and have no special inter-ty fig i hear are
to them, y°u ht A_lf the storiesBoth
alhance
ests dictating its Burnett e
could change thingse ,•rinholy true, that the scion
the counc does the
of . who is, making Hall and get-
retain Chuck 11 for him, I
calls for
council? tied to the support he'd
candidates ting `e tor believe
Ay lone Sts, the un- would have against, the
the special interests,so m work with, not
much alliance, have their dis- al interests•
holy special consider'
campaign money an op you
•
came swamp Q�What d° while
cal that they pod start successes
P°' t think a g your chief r
t
lovas made when they lis itfor Mayor?
\Ve stopped th�i Style
5t is A rezoning c the ptne.
•
I expenditures gut who Island
rezoning
e rezoning
two primaries. a candidate stopped the other day
going Ln Thee candidate for tree Drive. Just
from snips
$50 money lace to turn we stopp aid
•
only one P the special ping in Pensions t°be P
that,
like dna can bay
The media councilmen. pent
providing equalt we gave the P
interests. cande Unt 1change
ce this by despite a g, to vote to had ,
•
c desP big, the right council coverage v This is a
money. media, but it the charier, the rant zoning
dates for the the power to grin ant
meet' .
burden shouldered• were
shouldW id you endorse
incl n es, a dhere e count-
Q`W candidates to rep variances before variances 'i
on the Cp°i all appeals on instead
slate of how the courts 1
the incumbents roust go t° and the vari-
council, an dropped
til? w a grsuP of de. ' of the have Alf i sa
1e Tun ante requests 1
cent, honorable Would ftg:tt sharply. or decides l'
who I felt next ma)'
ning •g interests,I'd If the with the tide, it's for the Pubciarsing them•But to roll quiet and
consider endwere the , Going to be very t there
it candidates e see every °�.e' here and l lot 1
thecacetul e an awtu
e old nam P going to b that are not in Sam are g s done 1
election I wouldn't.should'ne of thing, interest.
I believe no roan ice, the pubic
elected to any Public until he
city,state or ceddl federal,
sure of
for
Makes public
his in returns
tax
come three years anis
thend
etWorth statement.
would help restore
public
confidence in public oiticta.s.
I