Britto meters to aid the homeless, one of the Trusts's innovations under Raymond.

The longtime executive director of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust is retiring after a decade of overseeing local services for the county's destitute. During his tenure, David Raymond has spearheaded the development of dozens of shelters with over 7,000 beds throughout the county, leading to a sharp decrease in the number of people without a place to live. 

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Thomas Kramer

Miami Beach's most controversial resident is ready for his close up. Thomas Kramer, the billionaire German developer who reshaped the South Beach skyline with glitzy condos, has made a reality show television pilot. After watching it on Youtube, we want more.

In the episode, the 56-year-old playboy is preparing for one of his extravagant bon vivant soirees at his $65 million compound on Star Island as he juggles his most daunting challenge yet: fatherhood.

After decades of hardcore partying, Kramer is reunited with his only daughter Joya Burda, a cute 20-year-old blonde who finds her poppa's lifestyle repulsive. It's a recipe tailor made for Bravo or Vh1. Think The Apprentice meets The Real World.
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Bruno Barreiro

Like a lot of Apple fanboys, county Commissioner Bruno Barreiro recently spent big at the silicon superstore -- nabbing $6,583 worth of electronics at the Lincoln Road and Dadeland Mall outlets. He also reimbursed himself $4,166 for a computer.

He didn't spend his own money on the gadgets; he dipped into his flush campaign coffers. Barreiro hasn't opened a campaign office yet, so Riptide was curious about how the political architect of Miami's most hated baseball stadium deal was using the pricey goods. Were they just personal toys?
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Today is the day Miami Marlins President Dave Samson is running 52 miles in honor of the construction workers who built him and his ex-step-daddy Jeffrey Loria the half-billion dollar ball park paid primarily by Miami-Dade taxpayers. We told readers about Samson's shameless publicity stunt to show off his double marathon running prowess earlier this month.

Well this afternoon, Samson blessed us with his presence when he stopped to take a break in front of the New Times offices at 4500 Biscayne Boulevard. Obviously, he didn't come in to say hello, so we went outside to see why Samson had brought traffic to a stand still.

Update: New Times video guy, Jacob Katel, hopped on his bike to catch up with Samson's marathon team and ask him a few questions on camera. Thing did not exactly go well. Click through for video.
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Barbara Jordan keeps it all in the family.

For Barbara Jordan, blood is thicker than water. How else can the Miami-Dade County commissioner justify the $5,000 her reelection campaign paid to the company owned by her sister Sandy Walker, a once-powerful lobbyist who five years ago pleaded guilty to defrauding the county?

In a recent interview with Banana Republican, Walker defended the payment to her firm, the Gospel Truth, which she says publishes a monthly magazine under the same name. "We are providing media consulting and management services for her campaign," Walker said. "We do more than just put out a magazine."

While it's not illegal for Jordan to hire her sister for political work, it's the kind of questionable judgment that should lead auto magnate Norman Braman to run an opponent against her.

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Driving on NE 163rd Street in North Miami Beach, you can't help but notice that several shopping centers contain sex shops that boldly proclaim their wares. And for 22 years, city officials long ignored a local law that prohibited three strip clubs from serving alcohol alongside naked dancers. Anyone visiting the city would think North Miami Beach is comfortably in touch with human sexuality.

But now that one of those establishments is catering to a mostly homosexual clientele and changed its name to Swinging Richards, North Miami Beach suddenly has decided it's time to crack down on erotic adult entertainment. That decision could end up costing city taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees and a barrage of bad press.

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Last Monday, Banana Republican came across a glossy flyer on our windshield that featured a photo of President Barack Obama next to the now iconic image of Trayvon Martin wearing his hoodie. Printed below the slain teen's chin were the commander-in-chief's statement on March 23, "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon." Was this some guerrilla marketer who wanted to subliminally induce us with weak-kneed liberal hyperbole about the boy's death at the hands of an overzealous neighborhood watch captain? Not really. Once we flipped the card over, we realized it was just a not-so-clever, anonymous attack ad against Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who is running for reelection against her old foe, physician Rudolph Moise.
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Courtesy of Karen Brindle

The makers of Marley's Mellow Mood, a beverage meant to relax the human soul, might want to consider adding a more potent chilling-out agent to the recipe. Because the drink is made in partnership with some members of reggae icon Bob Marley's family, we suggest something closer to ganja, because at least one person who drank Mellow Mood apparently needs something stronger.

On Tuesday afternoon, Miami-Dade public school teacher Karen Brindle and a friend were jogging on the sidewalk along Old Cutler Road in Cutler Bay when she was hit in the side of the head with a half-full bottle of Marley's Mellow Mood honey-flavored tea.
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Audrey Edmonson

The Carlisle Development Group sure knows how to show gratitude to Audrey Edmonson. The Miami-based affordable housing developer ponied up $15,000 in contributions to the Miami-Dade County commissioner's reelection campaign, according to her recently filed campaign finance report. Edmonson has been instrumental in helping Carlisle land a couple of key transit-related mixed use projects in her district.

On February 17, 30 different corporations controlled by executives of Carlisle, including chief executive Matthew Greer, each gave a maximum $500 donation to Edmonson, who collected $62,200 between January and March. Her lone opponent Keon Hardemon has not yet filed his report.
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Carlos Gimenez

Campaign finance reports for January, February, and March are in for the local county races. So who's funneling cash to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his main opponent, County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez?

If money is any indicator, Martinez has a long haul ahead of him. For the past three months, Martinez raised $325,524 for his campaign and his Get It Done political action committee, while Gimenez's campaign and his PAC, Common Sense Now, amassed almost double that: $625,820. Since beating former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina this past June 29, Gimenez and his committee have collected $1.6 million total for his re-election run.
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