All, We share your frustration. These explosions are out of control. We have done a tremendous job in getting the word out, educating residents about the cause of the problem, and demanding advocacy from our elected officials. All of these things have been accomplished thanks to our perseverance and your involvement. Let's be honest here: I am very persistent and have been working nonstop on this, but if it wasn't for Mayor Messam, we would not have had the Blasting Advisory Board, the support of members of Congress Hastings and Wilson, and very recently, the full support of Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie (his letter is posted on our FB page). I tried to get the attention of all of them, but they kept ignoring me. Only when the Mayor got involved, they started to recognize that there was a problem. Why isn't Mayor Jimenez and the other commissioners doing the same? Some Miami-Dade schools are also impacted, why isn't the Superintendent demanding action? We all know why. White Rock Quarries is located in Miami-Dade and our neighbors in PSN, Lakes on the Green, and other areas are as affected as we are, but they don't have the same representation. I have attended the Miami-Dade Commission meetings, and I have left disappointed and angry every time. Here is the good news: what we have now that we did not have before is the ability to reach out to every community impacted by the blasting via SOCIAL MEDIA. So, I encourage you to please take the initiative and start organizing and mobilizing people on your side as well. 1. We need the Miami-Dade Mayor and Commissioners to do their job and support their citizens. 2. We need CFO/State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis to do his job and lower ground vibration levels immediately. He has the authority to do it, he just doesn't want to. Google "Chapter 552.30 FL Statutes." 3. We need State Senator Oscar Braynon II and State Representative/State Senate Candidate Manny Diaz Jr. to introduce legislation to eliminate the DOAH process so we can have a fair chance in court and to implement a safe distance restriction between active mines and residential areas. 4. We need volunteers in Miami-Dade to replicate our efforts and organize civic action. We will be in attendance. 5. We need people to stop saying that nothing is going to change and that the miners have been blasting for a very long time. If you aren't going to help then keep your opinions to yourself and let those of us that are trying to bring about change do our work. We've all heard the old adage about opinions...everybody has one. Your negativity and failure to realize your electoral power does not help and ensures that our task is made more difficult. Lead, follow or get out of the way. 6. We need YOU to understand that elections have consequences. If the blasting has been going on forever and you keep electing the same people, why do you expect them to do something different? Register to vote, show up to the polls and be an educated voter, ask the candidates their plan to fix the blasting problem. Get them to commit to a solution IN WRITING. No more broken promises. The time to Speak Up and get involved is NOW. 7. We did not make this political, campaign contributions by big business (WRQ) made it political. Again, be an educated voter, political contribution data in Florida is PUBLIC, easily accessible on the internet. Find it, read it and then it will become clear which side is/has taken money from whom and in what amounts. Then YOU can decide whether the source of those campaign contributions make you trust each individual candidate more or less. 8. The beauty of this effort is that it is an all-volunteer effort and all effort is welcomed. The key issue is getting beyond asking questions and putting forth ideas. Take the time to attempt to answer your own questions and to turn your ideas into action. Educate yourself and take the lead on items that you feel will benefit the movement as a whole. If you take the lead we've established a communications network which will ensure that your efforts will gather allies. Sincerely, Riviera Isles Blasting Committee. Follow us on Facebook & Twitter: @nomoreblasting