I would think so too, but now I wonder if that's even possible, given the current Cuban exile leadership. This article is scary - they don't WANT any opposing views or new ideas, they want everyone to toe the party line, or else!
Groups 'warned' on Cuba resolution
Activist at odds with arts industry
BY J0RDAN LEVIN
jlevin@herald.com
Several people connected with the Miami Beach arts and entertainment industry say they are feeling pressure to back down from their opposition to Miami-Dade County's policy against doing business with Cuba with warnings of possible repercussions by Cuban Americans who support the ban.
The arts groups said attorney and civic activist Victor Diaz, a partner with the Podhurst, Orseck, Josefsberg law firm, has called to warn them about the potential consequences of opposing the county policy, such as a boycott or problems in securing permits.
Diaz said he is only trying to prevent the issue from creating further divisions and conveying the sentiments of the community.
``I don't want another issue that could divide this community along ethnic lines,'' Diaz said. ``If we're going to take positions on this we should listen to both sides before we reach a decision. If we could learn to do this we would have less division in our community.''
Last month, the Production Industry Council, a Miami Beach board that advises the city on behalf of the music, film, television, fashion and new media industries, voted to send a letter to the Miami Beach City Commission criticizing the policy, saying it hurts Miami Beach's image and ability to attract businesses.
The policy is being challenged in court by arts groups that say it infringes on their rights to free speech and free association, and interferes with the federal government's authority to set foreign policy.
The Production Industry Council's letter would be similar to one approved by the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, another city board that advises and funds arts groups.
SENDING A LETTER
Production Industry Council board member Pamela Gardiner, who is also executive director of Miami City Ballet, made the motion to send the letter, which was approved 4-1. Last week, Diaz called Mike Eidson, the president of the ballet's board, about the council's action.
Eidson said Diaz told him that because some people believed the ballet was taking a position against the policy, the troupe might suffer a Cuban-American boycott, problems with its line of credit and with its certificate of occupancy in its new Miami Beach building. In an interview with The Herald, Diaz emphasized that he was not making threats, but was conveying sentiments that he had heard in the community.
Diaz, 39, a Cuban American who graduated from Yale law school, said he was concerned that all sides be heard on a divisive issue.
Eidson told Diaz that Gardiner was acting on her own and not on behalf of the ballet, which has not taken a position on the resolution.
``I said, `Are you telling me that Pam doesn't have a constitutional right to speak about this?' '' Eidson said. ``And [Diaz] said, `I'm just saying that if you as an institution get involved in this, we will take these steps.' Victor said they would take any steps they could to punish the ballet if [the ballet] did not do what they wanted them to do.''
OFFERING A SHIELD
Diaz said he was trying to shield the ballet from potential problems. ``People were upset by the rumors that Miami City Ballet, through one of its representatives, had appealed to repeal the ordinance,'' he said. ``I was trying to get to the bottom of the situation, so that instead of resorting to protest they would resort to dialogue.''
Miami City Ballet Artistic Director Edward Villella found the exchange chilling. ``It's murky,'' Villella said. ``This is all innuendo and suggestion and it has the overall scent of threat.''
Diaz also spoke to Jorge Mursuli, president of SAVE Dade, a gay rights group, and the partner of Jimmy Gamonet De Los Heros, Miami City Ballet's longtime resident choreographer. Mursuli said he promised to contact Gardiner.
Mursuli subsequently called Gardiner at home last week and urged her to reconsider her actions. ``I suggested that given the tensions and sensitivities in the community right now, it might not be the right time to fuel what is already a troubling circumstance,'' Mursuli said.
Gardiner was upset by what she perceived as threats to the ballet because of her personal actions. ``I love my company,'' she said. ``I don't want my company hurt as a consequence of my constitutional right to express my personal opinion.''
U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno will decide by Tuesday whether to temporarily suspend a requirement that arts groups sign off on the policy in order to apply for county arts grants.
Alan Randolph, vice president of Mellon United National Bank and chairman of the production council board, also received calls urging him to withdraw the letter.
``People were questioning and pressuring that this not be on the agenda,'' said Randolph, who would only identify the callers as ``business leaders.'' ``The emphasis was on the timing, that due to sensitivities in the community the timing was inappropriate.''
AGAINST LETTER
Although Randolph said he agreed with his colleagues that the policy hurt the Beach's entertainment industry -- which makes up the bulk of the clientele at his Miami Beach branch office -- he voted in April against sending the letter to the Beach commission because he thought the timing was wrong.
After his telephone conversations with the unidentified business leaders, he asked council staff and board members to withdraw the final approval of the letter from today's agenda. But the item has not been removed.
Diaz and Randolph said they never spoke about the issue. But Diaz has made other efforts to get groups to reconsider action on the Cuba resolution.
In early April, Diaz sent letters to two board members of the Miami Light Project, one of the arts groups in the lawsuit, urging them to drop the suit in light of community sensitivities, and saying they should have considered opposing opinions before joining the suit.
He wrote to the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce in late April insisting they hear speakers -- including Diaz -- and read specific legal documents supporting the resolution in any discussion.
``Victor is trying to get things from getting to the commission level and even being discussed there,'' said Bruce Singer, president of the chamber. ``Obviously, it [the threat to the resolution] upsets him and other people. It's been expressed to me that there's a great deal of sensitivity now, and if you bring up another issue that deals with Cuba you only add fuel to the flames.'' |
