Bullying on the Waterway ( Sunset Lake , Miami Beach)

[canucksailor]

Hi everyone - I'm reopening this thread as a new thread because I'm taking action to deal with this twit after our encounter on the Memorial Day weekend. The Miami Herald is investigating now and the letter following should outline what has happened, and what is GOING to happen.
If you're in the area, come out and join the Anchor Fest.

___________________________________
An open letter to Miami Beach Mayor Bower:

I know that running for office can be expensive, and that politicians often seek financing from those with the money to contribute, but at what price to the politician? And just what is the price to the people represented by that politician?
The balance of this letter, Mayor Bower, is intended to put the onus on you to stop the abuse of rights in Miami Beach that wealthy political contributors think they have purchased when they finance a politician’s campaign, not only in the specific circumstances outlined in my letter.

My sailing students and I had only just anchored at Sunset Lake in Miami Beach, behind the house at 2344 N. Bay Road, when the police boat came up to us. The officers aboard politely requested that we move the boat a couple of hundred yards south. They very carefully explained that we didn’t have to do this, that they had no right in law to make the request, but that they would appreciate our doing so.
The reason for their request? We had anchored in front of the home of a man with considerable political clout, apparently purchased with substantial donations to various politicians, although the police didn’t give specifics. The man had phoned the police, probably before our anchor had finished sinking to the bottom. The officers had been ordered to respond, and did so in less than ten minutes. I’m quite certain that there are victims of crime in Miami Beach who would be astonished by the speed of this response, but as we were discovering, wealth does have its advantages.
We and the officers had an entertaining fifteen minutes discussing the merits - or lack thereof - of the situation we found ourselves in. The officers were clearly disgusted at having to do the bidding of the man who had complained, but since they were acting on a superior’s orders, they really had no choice.
After the officers left us, we sat for a half hour and enjoyed watching the instigator of this situation surreptitiously watching us as he pretended to clean his boat. We left after a half hour at anchor, not because of this man but out of respect for the officers, who were only doing their job - no, belay that, they were doing what they had been told to do - which was most decidedly not their job.
My question here is this: are the politicians of Miami Beach, and the senior police officers giving the orders and who appear to leap at the politicians beck and call, so craven, so spineless, so hungry for political largesse that they will order their front line officers to break the law? Because that is exactly what happened here - with their request, these officers were violating our rights. They knew it, and clearly didn’t like being ordered to do it.
It’s not like these officers didn’t have more important things to do, it was a busy weekend on the water. No, they were ordered to break the law, to go after us, to get us to move on, all because one man has money and the politicians of Miami Beach (who are in his pocket) don’t have the backbone or integrity to tell him that his money doesn’t buy him that privilege. Quite frankly, if I were a voter in Miami Beach, I’d be asking some very difficult questions of the mayor and the Chief of Police.
For those who would like to ask those questions, Mayor Bower’s email is mayorbower@miamibeachfl.gov. The Chief’s email apparently isn’t publicly available.
There is something else that we can do about this as free citizens. I’d like to invite all Miami Beach and area boaters to an ‘Anchor Fest’, to be held on July 4th, starting at 2 p.m. The Anchor Fest will be a celebration of American freedom, particularly the freedom Americans have to see all legal rights respected by our politicians.
I’d like to see several hundred boats anchor in view of this man’s home, to help bring home to him the fact that, while he may be able to buy politicians, the Miami Beach Police do not answer to him through them, they do not violate the rights of others because he is displeased.
I’d also like to see the politicians of Miami Beach get the message that someone with money doesn’t have the right to force police officers to break the law through political patronage. I’d like Miami Beach’s politicians to remember and understand that they answer to the voters of the city - all of them, not just ones with lots of money and attitude.
I’d like to thank the officers for their courtesy and for the job they do for us. I know you’ll be with us at Anchor Fest in spirit.
I’d like to see everyone have a great time at this man’s expense, for him to see that his money doesn’t buy him the right to abuse the rights of others.
And I have a suggestion for this man: if you don’t like boats anchored where you can see them, buy a home inland. I’d suggest New Mexico or Arizona.
I hope to see everyone at Anchor Fest. You can get more details on Facebook, just search for Anchor Fest or Anchor Fest Miami Beach.

[ActiveCaptain]

This is a known problem spot and a known problem guy. We ran our own section in a recent newsletter all about it.

I've been posing this situation to a lot of cruisers over the last month. My fear is that the homeowner's past actions border on violence. Match that with the wrong boater and there's likely to be a bad outcome that no one wants.

None of us picks an anchorage looking for trouble. This situation could definitely use some calm thinking, possibly legal actions, and definitely some representation in Miami Beach. Your letter to the major is a good way to proceed. It would be really nice if he'd respond to it.

[boatman61]

Go for it Canuck...
To many A$$e$ like that around.... see it around Greece a lot as well.... just coz they have a property on a cliff top the beach below and anchorage is theirs to claim.... big 'No Anchoring' signs all over the place....

[Ishmael]

Great letter! Can't wait to see how it all plays out.

[Dockhead]

Did it occur to you that you might have put the police officers in a difficult position by talking so much about their behavior? I bet they are regretting having been nice to you right about now.

[canucksailor]

Dockhead, I absolutely did think of this. However, I think that if Karlton is defanged, his power to abuse these officers will disappear. The officers were not happy about having to do this man's bidding and, to be quite frank, it is their superiors, the politicians who are obligated to Karlton for his donations, who are going to face the music.
This day was coming sooner or later - there are numerous posts in various boating sites about him. Sooner or later, Karlton had to run into someone like me who won't put up with his crap.
Interestingly enough, one of his companies, run out of his corporate office on Sunset, appears to be Homeowners Privacy Rights. How droll.

[Surveyor]

This should get quite interesting. The Herald is a great paper and will not pull any punches when investigating or reporting their results.

thread subscribed!

[Sailagain]

This is great. Please take pictures of the group at anchor. I hope he is home!!

[canucksailor]

As far as photos go, I suspect the media will be out in force....this guy has been asking for this for a long, long time. He used to go out and tell people his wife didn't like boaters and would they please move? Now he's onto new tactics, as outlined in the original thread.

[doug86]

running to stock up on popcorn!

[canucksailor]

...and cold beer! Don't forget the cold beer!

[canucksailor]

btw, for those interested, the original thread is here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...i-60229-2.html

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by canucksailor

Hi everyone - I'm reopening this thread as a new thread because I'm taking action to deal with this twit after our encounter on the Memorial Day weekend. The Miami Herald is investigating now and the letter following should outline what has happened, and what is GOING to happen.
If you're in the area, come out and join the Anchor Fest.....

First,

Thanks man. Thank you for your efforts, I hope the event is a success.

I really like your approach, and to use some SSCA terminology thanks for leaving a 'clean wake' by respecting the LEO's who came out to deliver the news to you.

I hope we can keep this thread open, and avoid the politics... the fact is this goes beyond politics and what we are dealing with here effects us all.

Fair winds, and good luck in your efforts.

[canucksailor]

Faith, I think that most of us recognize this as an issue where politics has no place. And lampooning this buffoon in public is probably the best, maybe the only way to stop him. That, and defanging him so that the police can ignore him. Something I wrote several years ago in Southwinds about the Mayor of Melbourne accomplished that in Melbourne, so there's no reason that same approach shouldn't work here. The politicians know they answer to us, we just have to remind them from time to time.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by canucksailor

As far as photos go, I suspect the media will be out in force....this guy has been asking for this for a long, long time. He used to go out and tell people his wife didn't like boaters and would they please move? Now he's onto new tactics, as outlined in the original thread.

do we have any old 1909 wood jalopies on here? ya know the ones, $80,000 for a 100' boat? they in the area? that would be nice to anchor there. give the GPS cords, i will anchor there someday.