Corrupt Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Joe Arriola, Johnny Winton?

Miami Herald Editorial Opinion:
DIAZ, ARRIOLA, WINTON PARTNERSHIP A CONFLICT

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, City Manager Joe Arriola and City Commissioner Johnny Winton saw nothing wrong in forming a business partnership that conflicts with their duties as city officials.

But there is plenty wrong with the deal, starting with Mr. Arriola's failure to disclose his involvement in the partnership, apparently in violation of city law. If Mr. Arriola is found to be in violation of the law -- and in view of his handling of the fire-rescue fee settlement -- it will be time for the mayor to ask him to step aside.

With the real-estate partnership and the lack of disclosure, Messrs. Diaz, Arriola and Winton put personal enrichment above their public duties. We're not alone in saying so.

Here's what the International City/County Management Association says about such conflicts in its Code of Ethics: 'Members should not invest or hold any investment, directly or indirectly, in any financial business, commercial, or other private transaction that creates a conflict with their official duties. . . This guideline recognizes that members' official actions and decisions can be influenced if there is a conflict with personal investments. Purchases and sales that might be interpreted as speculation for quick profit ought to be avoided.''

A quick profit is exactly what Messrs. Diaz, Arriola and Winton will realize if they sell the 1.3-acre property in Coconut Grove for anything close to their asking price of $5.7 million. They paid $3.1 million for the property last May.

Since the purchase, Mr. Diaz and Mr. Winton have made decisions as public officials that prove the wisdom of ICMA's warnings and demonstrate why there is a conflict. Mr. Diaz has refused to heed calls that Mr. Arriola be fired for incompetently managing the fire-rescue fee settlement.

In that debacle, Mr. Arriola steered the city into a $7 million deal with seven plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit, which, as a result, denied compensation to thousands of other city residents with similar claims. Mr. Arriola testified that he did not know the settlement benefited only seven plaintiffs -- but he should have known.

Mr. Winton introduced a ''pocket item'' resolution to the commission in December that gave Mr. Diaz a $53,000 raise in pay, pushing his salary to $150,000 per year. As a ''pocket item'' the resolution never appeared on the meeting agenda and no notice was given to elicit public discussion. Mr. Winton later apologized.