MIAMI October 20th 2015, nhr.com– A simple transaction between two partners that could be resolved with communication and understanding, has been politicized by the administration of Mayor Carlos Giménez, as it has to do with the votes for the next election sources say.
According to our sources on the 29th floor, advisers have told Giménez that if he eliminates inferior plastic from entering the airport, it could cause problems in the next elections, since according to those sources the topic is popular; however sources more knowledgeable in local politics tell us otherwise.
“Those who call the radio stations are phone banks that belong to travel agencies that go to Cuba and benefit from wrapping packages outside the airport, the tourists who wrap their bags at hotels are not residents of Miami Dade and do not vote. Most of the individuals traveling to Cuba and using these ‘wrapping pirates’ do not vote, but have manipulated some politicians as Gimenez and radio talk show hosts” he said.
One of the pirates who wraps offsite says that even “Germans and other Europeans are wrapping bags for travel and to return home, but they do not vote.”
However Giménez “took the bait; hook, line and sinker” said a skycap at the airport that encounters many of the ‘mules’ traveling to Cuba and paid by the travel agencies, “they come and collect bags at 4 in the morning from inside a van that comes here to the airport” he told us.
The skycap refers to the mayor himself who drew up the terms of the contract with the company SafeWrap, and two years later, “he wants to retract something he wrote.”
Today commissioners should ratify the resolution sponsored by Commissioner Juan Carlos Zapata and supported by Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, if 9 of the 13 commissioners stand by their initial vote it will be enough to override the veto by the mayor; a veto that has been deemed by Commissioner and possible candidate for mayor Xavier Suarez as disrespectful to his colleagues on the committee that voted 10-2 in favor of Zapata’s resolution.
The commissioners Xavier Suarez and Esteban Bovo, told Erika Carillo reporter for Channel 23 last night that they had a contract and they had to protect their partners.
Safe Wrap also threatened to settle the matter in court, “if we review the contract there are many other things that would lead to a legal battle that is unnecessary,” said Commissioner Rebeca Sosa on the 6th during the adoption of the resolution banning unapproved plastic.
According to three lawyers who have reviewed the contract, “there is legal basis for SafeWrap to win a million-dollar lawsuit against the county, they said.
The Miami Herald published an article yesterday with various errors ranging from the photo illustrating the company at the airport to an error in the name of the actual company that wraps bags at the airport.
According to the article written by Douglas Hanks, Michael Minerva, the lobbyist for American Airlines wrote in a letter to the Airport on October 9 that implementing such a policy would increase the costs and the “frustration” and “threaten our competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, SWISSPORT a baggage handling company at MIA wrote the airport on April 29, “urging them to continue only allowing luggage wrapped in plastic approved by the airport.”
According to Safe Wrap officials neither Minerva or American Airline officials know of the problems in the baggage systems of the airport as they do not handle the luggage themselves but hire 3rd party companies such as Swissport.
Finally, today is the vote that could increase revenue to MIA, funds needed for an airport which has a debt of $ 5.6 billion and paying annual interest of more than $ 300 million, which is clearly not a game.
As such, in addition to doing right by a partner who has a contract that pays more than $ 850,000 monthly, more than $ 10 million a year, it would provide an increase of revenue to the airport. According to the Miami Herald article, SafeWrap predicts an increase in revenues to Miami International Airport of about $4 million if the “Implementation Plan” is performed and sales increase.
Revenue that MIA needs.
