On September 7, 2023, approximately 80 red-shirted people attended a rally in support of the Pets’ Trust Plan outside County Hall before the 2023-2024 Budget Meeting. Many people spoke to the Commissioners about the plight of animals in our County. Each speaker was given only one minute to say their name, address and their message.
Commissioner Cohen Higgins addressing the entire Board of County Commissioners, September 7, 2023, made this astute assertion:
“The Pets’ Trust is not for the Mayor to implement; the Pets’ Trust is for us as a body to implement, should we so desire. So if we want to talk about the Pets’ Trust, let’s talk about it, and let’s bring an item and let’s talk about the Pets’ Trust. But no one has done that yet, and so I guess it’s not the priority of this Board to implement the Pets’ Trust. That does not fall on the Mayor, it falls on this Board.”
So you have to ask, why aren’t the Commissioners talking about it? While Commissioner Cohen Higgins was overly polite and didn’t call him out by name, the answer to the question is painfully simple: Commissioner Kionne McGhee is using an arcane rule (see Rule 5.06(a)(4) in the BCC Rules of Procedure) to block the legislation. That’s right, one Commissioner has the power to stop the remaining 12 from discussing an item. So we say to Commissioner McGhee, either move the Pets’ Trust Plan legislation forward, or release your block and allow Commissioners Cohen Higgins and Regalado to co-sponsor it and make it happen.
Please call Commissioner McGhee on 305-375-4832 or send him an email at District9@miamidade.gov and tell him to RELEASE HIS HOLD ON THE PETS’ TRUST LEGISLATION.
Rally covered by local media
Here are links to stories from local media about the protest:
- Sep 7 – Local 10
- Sep 7 – CBS News Miami
- Sep 8 – Local 10 – Video shows Commissioner Cohen Higgins saying the Pets’ Trust is not up to the Mayor, but up to the BCC
- Sep 9 – Miami Herald
Interviewing people attending the rally
Interview with Michael Rosenberg, Pets’ Trust Miami Co-Founder
Interview with Rita Schwartz, Pets’ Trust Miami Co-Founder
MegaTV Interview with Rita Schwartz
Interview with Mike Pryslak, Pets’ Trust Miami Volunteer
Interview with Giselle Rojas en español
Interview with Giselle Rojas in English
Interview with Alfonso Ellados en español
Interview with Sofia Valverde with Picolini’s Animal Rescue en español
Interview with Sofia Valverde with Picolini’s Animal Rescue in English
Miscellaneous scenes from the Rally and Budget Meeting
Watch the Budget Meeting
The Budget Meeting can be viewed online by clicking here. Use the slider bar under the video to scroll to different times. The double arrows left and right can be used to back up or advance ten-seconds at a time. Here are a few notable moments in the meeting by video time stamp (not clock time):
- 29:10 Michael Rosenberg, Pets’ Trust Miami Co-Founder
- 44:50 Julie Clark
- 46:00 Rita Schwartz, Pets’ Trust Miami Co-Founder
- 48:50 Sharon Shaw
- 59:55 Mike Pryslak
- 1:31:23 Maria Elena Prio
- 1:38:55 Christina DeCastro
- 2:37:52 Maria Elena Rodriguez
- 4:10:00 Commissioner Regaldo begins talking about the Pets’ Trust
- 4:29:48 Commissioner Cohen Higgens makes the best point of the night when she says, “The Pets’ Trust is not for the Mayor to implement; the Pets’ Trust is for us as a body to implement, should we so desire. So if we want to talk about the Pets’ Trust, let’s talk about it, and let’s bring an item and let’s talk about the Pets’ Trust. But no one has done that yet, and so I guess it’s not the priority of this Board to implement the Pets’ Trust. That does not fall on the Mayor, it falls on this Board.”
- 4:32:55 – Commissioner McGhee was asked for comments right after Commissioner Cohen Higgins finished, and he said nothing, even though he controls the Pets’ Trust legislation!
These were the invitations to the rally
Please arrive by 3 p.m., Thursday, September 7th at the downtown Government Center building, 111 NW 1st Street where the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners will be meeting to finalize next year’s $11 BILLION County budget.
We need as many people as we can get wearing RED SHIRTS to come downtown and protest outside for an hour before moving inside to the budget meeting. Our goal is to convince the Commissioners to allocate $10 million in the 2023-2024 budget to allow the Pets’ Trust Plan to get started. Next year, we’ll ask for the full $20 million needed to dramatically increase spay/neuter surgeries.
Starting at 3 p.m. you’ll need to go inside the building and register to be allowed to enter the Commission Chamber, and optionally you can sign-up to speak to the Commissioners. Please wear a RED SHIRT. Please bring a protest sign to carry until we enter the auditorium where the Commission meets–no signs are allowed there.
The most important thing we can do is arrive by 3 p.m. so we can register to get inside the budget meeting chambers. If we arrive too late, there won’t be any seats left.
We will not be allowed to bring our signs inside the chambers, but we can hold them and display them as we wait in line to register and wait to be allowed to enter the Commission chamber. We’ll have to leave the signs outside the chamber as we walk in.
Please do your best to get inside the building by 3 p.m. Our day’s goal is to fill the Commission Chamber with people wearing RED SHIRTS so the Commissioners can see how strongly we support our animals.
Please, RSVP, send questions, and request or offer ride-sharing via email at Newsletter@PetsTrustMiami.com. We’ll match those offering rides with those needing rides.
You can also take Metrorail, which operates until Midnight to the Government Center station—the Government Center building is a very short walk west of the station. County parking garages appear to be open well past 8 p.m.
Schedule:
- 3 pm – Register to attend the meeting, and optionally sign up to speak to the Commissioners.
- 4 pm – Walk around the area displaying our signs
- 5 pm – The Commission’s Budget Meeting is scheduled to start
- 8 pm – Although the Budget Meeting may continue, we will likely go home by 8 pm
Previous Pets’ Trust supporters inside the Commission building.
Previous Pets’ Trust supporters coming up to the second floor to go inside the Commission chambers.