We all have grievances on all sides of any issue confronting our city beautiful of Coral Gables. For the last three months I've heard nothing but complaints and accusations hurled from all sides of the political spectrum of Coral Gables but what is it going to take for us to come together and work together to leave future generations a Coral Gables that's better than what we recieved? I have lived in Coral Gables for over 35 years and I want to continue to live here for the rest of my life. I hope and pray that we can look beyond our differences and agree about what we care about most in our community.
Ah, Kirk Menendez: master of smoke and mirrors, financial Houdini, and—judging by that Morgan Stanley letter—clearly a man who thinks “transparency” is just a buzzword you toss around when cornered. Nothing quite says “setting the record straight” like presenting a snapshot of your accounts that reveals precisely nothing about what’s been happening for the last nine years. Well played, Kirk. Next time, maybe try just sending a Post-it note that says, "Trust me, bro." It’d be equally informative and at least show some commitment to minimalist communication.
Now, let’s take a moment to marvel at his strategy. Kirk proudly brandishes a letter with the confidence of someone who’s just solved world hunger, when in fact all he’s done is show us that the money hasn’t completely vanished... yet. What’s more, he conveniently skips over the part where account statements—actual, detailed, full transaction histories—would’ve easily laid this all to rest. But no, instead, we get a couple of balances, like that’s supposed to make us forget the years of financial fog he’s left behind. If his plan was to distract us with underwhelming evidence, then Kirk, congratulations: mission accomplished.
And then, of course, there’s the audacity of presenting this gem at a candidate forum, waving it around like it’s the financial equivalent of a golden ticket. As if saying, “See? The money’s still here!” somehow erases the fact that he neglected to report to the IRS for years and managed to turn an 81-year-old nonprofit into a cautionary tale of “how not to manage public trust.” The man practically invented a new financial concept: negative growth in the middle of a bull market. Bravo, Kirk. Your accountant must be a wizard—or, more likely, in witness protection.
The real kicker here, though, is how close he came to making us all forget about his little... lapses. If we squint hard enough, maybe we’d miss the part where he failed to mention why the nonprofit’s assets haven’t exactly been growing, or why it took him nearly two weeks to share a letter that could have been printed faster than a Starbucks receipt. And that charming little reverter clause—oh Kirk, you sly dog, leaving out the part where the property could revert to a “familiar entity.” How considerate of you to keep us in suspense, like a bad TV drama with a plot twist no one asked for.
So, while Kirk’s performance at the forum was worthy of a daytime Emmy, it’s safe to say that no amount of dramatic letter-waving will distract from the bigger picture: we’re still left wondering what, exactly, happened to the money. Because, let’s face it, when your best defense is a letter with no context, no history, and no answers, it’s starting to look like the only thing Kirk’s managed to grow is suspicion.
It is far too easy to call our opponents deceptive when we deny the deception we are practicing towards ourselves. Once we admit we are deceiving ourselves and cure our own self deception, that is when we can find common ground to solve the challenges facing Coral Gables, and beyond, our country and our world. Let the healing begin.
We all have grievances on all sides of any issue confronting our city beautiful of Coral Gables. For the last three months I've heard nothing but complaints and accusations hurled from all sides of the political spectrum of Coral Gables but what is it going to take for us to come together and work together to leave future generations a Coral Gables that's better than what we recieved? I have lived in Coral Gables for over 35 years and I want to continue to live here for the rest of my life. I hope and pray that we can look beyond our differences and agree about what we care about most in our community.
Ah, Kirk Menendez: master of smoke and mirrors, financial Houdini, and—judging by that Morgan Stanley letter—clearly a man who thinks “transparency” is just a buzzword you toss around when cornered. Nothing quite says “setting the record straight” like presenting a snapshot of your accounts that reveals precisely nothing about what’s been happening for the last nine years. Well played, Kirk. Next time, maybe try just sending a Post-it note that says, "Trust me, bro." It’d be equally informative and at least show some commitment to minimalist communication.
Now, let’s take a moment to marvel at his strategy. Kirk proudly brandishes a letter with the confidence of someone who’s just solved world hunger, when in fact all he’s done is show us that the money hasn’t completely vanished... yet. What’s more, he conveniently skips over the part where account statements—actual, detailed, full transaction histories—would’ve easily laid this all to rest. But no, instead, we get a couple of balances, like that’s supposed to make us forget the years of financial fog he’s left behind. If his plan was to distract us with underwhelming evidence, then Kirk, congratulations: mission accomplished.
And then, of course, there’s the audacity of presenting this gem at a candidate forum, waving it around like it’s the financial equivalent of a golden ticket. As if saying, “See? The money’s still here!” somehow erases the fact that he neglected to report to the IRS for years and managed to turn an 81-year-old nonprofit into a cautionary tale of “how not to manage public trust.” The man practically invented a new financial concept: negative growth in the middle of a bull market. Bravo, Kirk. Your accountant must be a wizard—or, more likely, in witness protection.
The real kicker here, though, is how close he came to making us all forget about his little... lapses. If we squint hard enough, maybe we’d miss the part where he failed to mention why the nonprofit’s assets haven’t exactly been growing, or why it took him nearly two weeks to share a letter that could have been printed faster than a Starbucks receipt. And that charming little reverter clause—oh Kirk, you sly dog, leaving out the part where the property could revert to a “familiar entity.” How considerate of you to keep us in suspense, like a bad TV drama with a plot twist no one asked for.
So, while Kirk’s performance at the forum was worthy of a daytime Emmy, it’s safe to say that no amount of dramatic letter-waving will distract from the bigger picture: we’re still left wondering what, exactly, happened to the money. Because, let’s face it, when your best defense is a letter with no context, no history, and no answers, it’s starting to look like the only thing Kirk’s managed to grow is suspicion.
Wow! Just wow!
“What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”
It is far too easy to call our opponents deceptive when we deny the deception we are practicing towards ourselves. Once we admit we are deceiving ourselves and cure our own self deception, that is when we can find common ground to solve the challenges facing Coral Gables, and beyond, our country and our world. Let the healing begin.