Published by "Los Tiempos" Newspaper on August 2012
With a fortune estimated at $ 1,500 million, a son of immigrant Jews of 79 years called Norman Braman, has been for the last 30 years the city of Miami financial guardian and in truth, it is hard to find an economical, political and social recipe where this factor is not involved.
Nominated by President Ronald Reagan as commissioner of immigration in 1981, whose candidacy later withdrew, Braman has never exercised public positions. In 1994 the Governor of Maryland designated November 1 as the day of Norman Braman. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Braman granted an award for having contributed to bringing Art Basel to Miami, an event that is currently considered as the most important art fair in the U.S. and among the most prominent in the world.
Braman, after a successful business career in Philadelphia where he became owner of the Philadelphia Eagles Football franchise, was established in Miami in 1975 within the field of car sales reaching 23 agencies and having a large collection of art. Despite his personal success, Norman Braman to achieved greater notoriety for its vertical position in the management of public funds and everything that affects the prosperity of Greater Miami.
In 1982 he led a campaign against a movement that sought to finance, with a tax increase, the remodeling of the Orange Bowl Stadium. Finally, Mr. Joe Robbie built his Dolphin Stadium with their own resources. In 1999, he once again opposed to an increase in the sales tax supposedly intended to improve public transport. Three years later, with the same purpose, Mayor Alex Penelas sought intervention Braman not to carry ballot boxes half-cent increase this time, which ultimately was approved from 7% to 7.5% we know today. In 2008, Braman opposes a massive reconstruction plan of downtown Miami in the amount of $ 3,000 million. It also rejects the construction of a tunnel from I-395 to the Port of Miami for $ 1,000 million on the grounds that according to the law "Florida Sunshine-In Government Act", any early recruitment should be subject to a prior public announcement. A circuit judge rejected this argument and now the construction of the tunnel advances expected that the work is completed in May 2014. In 2011, Braman finance a successful campaign to oust Mayor of Miami-Dade Carlos Alvarez for his proposal to increase property taxes.
Currently Norman Braman's crusade is against the mega-casino to be built in Miami. He has attended several media interviews on the Anglo-Saxons and Spanish radio, reporting which highlights irrefutable statistics that dethrone Miami to Las Vegas as the gambling mecca but also acquire all negative numbers as are national records in foreclosures, unemployment and crime. In addition, plans to create an "American Riviera" in South Beach would be affected by this mega-casino. It is true that the French Riviera is very close to the Casino de Monte Carlo. But the 'Charm' of this small but stately casino proposed differs radically from Miami.
Not everything is pink for Norman Braman. In December 2008 he was the victim of the Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Bernard Madoff. Like many banks, institutions and individuals, Braman lost a considerable fortune in the largest financial scam in U.S.
Norman Braman, defined as "a fiscal conservative but a social liberal as" is having a battle still pending. For fans of Baseball, Braman's opposition to the construction of the Marlins Stadium was painful.
If something negative should occur, making the Stadium in another 'white elephant' of the city, fulfilling the predictions of Mr. Norman Braman, will probably be called from then on 'The Oracle of Miami'
BENJAMIN F. DeYURRE
Economist and journalist.
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