Unfortunately, some residents of Miami-Dade County are suffering from the damage caused by Hurricane Irene. Although most of us were only inconvenienced by power outages, many residents experienced flood damage.

Please keep me informed regarding any problems you are experiencing with the clean up process.

I am happy to report that the Miami-Dade County Commission passed an ordinance strengthening the powers of the Ethics Commission. A couple years ago, I sponsored the ordinance creating the Ethics Commission, an independent body that hears complaints regarding unethical activities by elected officials or county employees.

Prior to the current amendment, it was up to an individual citizen to bring a complaint before the Ethics Commission. Since the Ethics Commission was established, we discovered that many people are hesitant to initiate public complaints. The amendment passed by the Board of County Commissioners allows the Inspector General, Advocate, or State Attorney to initiate and file an ethics complaint.

Last year, the Commission passed an ordinance I sponsored prohibiting corporate campaign contributions. I recently sponsored an ordinance banning certain campaign contributions from individuals who have county contracts. My intent is to reduce and hopefully eliminate political influence over the county procurement process.

I am pleased to announce that the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority has instituted a Service Patrol Program for State Road 836. This program is intended to assist stranded motorists on the roadway. This service also is being provided free of charge to motorists.

Last year, several Miami-Dade County communities were designated as an Empowerment Zone. Empowerment Zone designation provides federal dollars to stimulate economic development in economically distressed communities. In the past, $100 million dollars were available to communities designated as an Empowerment Zone.

I represent Melrose, a community designated as an Empowerment Zone. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether Congress will fully fund the Empowerment Zone Program this year. Miami-Dade County put a lot of time, energy, and effort into preparing the Empowerment Zone application. Hopefully, Congress will do the right thing and continue funding this program.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to call my office at 305-375-5680.