Tag Archives: Blake Macdiarmid

Mayor Dean Trantalis Urges Fort Lauderdale Residents to “Shop Local”…By Promoting Wilton Manors Business?!?

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Mayor Dean Trantalis spending money in Wilton Manors

Imagine this. After spending more than two months shuttered due to COVID-19, most Fort Lauderdale businesses were finally allowed to open on Monday. Local store owners and restaurants desperately need customers to come through their doors to jump start the local economy. So what does Mayor Dean Trantalis (D-Backbencher) do?

Like a true backbencher, Mayor Dean Trantalis takes to social media to urge residents to #shoplocal. Trantalis even shows off the face mask he purchased at Julian’s Fountain of Treasures.

Just one problem.

Julian’s Fountain of Treasures is not located in the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Julian Cavazos’ high-end thrift store is located at 2378 Wilton Drive in the City of Wilton Manors.

After two months in lockdown, Dean Trantalis’ first post in support of “local” business is a Wilton Manors thrift store?!?

Can you imagine the Mayor of Miami urging residents to “shop local” by visiting The Galleria Mall?

Or the Mayor of Hollywood asking residents to visit the Elbo Room in support of “shop local.”

Does Dean Trantalis even know the boundaries of his City? Does he realize the city limits extend past I-95? Maybe his advisers, Eric Johnson of Wilton Manors and Blake MacDiarmid of Miami Beach, gave Trantalis bad directions?

Dean Trantalis sez Shop Wilton Manors?

Social Distancing? Mayor Dean Trantalis Met With Lobbyists & Campaign Adviser At City Hall During Lockdown

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For the last two months, non-essential Fort Lauderdale businesses have been shuttered. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place unless buying food or seeking medical help. Fort Lauderdale schools and parks are deserted. Yet, it appears “government lobbyists” are an essential business in the eyes of Mayor Dean Trantalis.

According to official meeting logs, Trantalis welcomed three lobbyists to City Hall in April. The visitor log for April 27, 2020 shows lobbyists for AECOM met “in person” with Mayor Trantalis. The lobbyists were Matthew Sacco, John Milledge and Eric Johnson.

Surely the lobbyists were there to discuss emergency COVID-19 related issues with Mayor Trantalis, right?

Nope.

According to the log, Trantalis and the lobbyists discussed “downtown projects.”

In February, REDBROWARD revealed AECOM lobbyist Eric Johnson is a key campaign adviser to Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Ben Sorensen. In addition to a new police headquarters building, AECOM wants built a privatized government center to be shared by the City of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.

REDBROWARD also exposed Johnson’s role, alongside fellow Trantalis adviser Blake MacDiarmid (R-Lobbyist), with companies seeking to privatize Fort Lauderdale’s water service.

Are these essential services? Did the lobbyists wear facemasks? Did the foursome maintain six feet of separation? Why do lobbyists get to work during quarantine while local restaurant owners get harangued by health inspectors and police officers?

Did Trantalis and Johnson discuss his re-election campaign?

Didn’t Mayor Dean Trantalis have better things to do during a pandemic?

Dean Trantalis lobbyist log