The word in
Miami-Dade Democratic party chairman Joe Garcia and Frank Calzon, the veteran human rights advocate and director of the Center for a Free Cuba, were the guests. Calzon’s staff promoted the appearance in a Friday afternoon release e-mailed to reporters and others. According to Rui Ferreira – who has few details, but a few more than anyone else – Garcia asked Calzon what percentage of his organization’s federal funding reaches people in Cuba, whereupon Calzon, “defamed,” removed his microphone from his lapel and himself from the set, only to return after seeing that Garcia didn’t budge from his seat.
Rui calls on the producers to air the program. I’m with Rui. Advertise it, milk it to Oscar Haza’s discontent, weather the complaints – but air it.
8 comments:
Too bad Frank lost his cool. CFC is the most above-the-board of the USAID grantees. Its public record, btw.
Frank Calzon belonged to several terrorist organization that claimed violent attacks on Cuba. He's worked for the CIA. Today he makes his rather well-off living as a professional Cuba-distorter. US taxpayers funnel $5 million a year though his orgnization, of which most goes towards padding the budgets of his friends in Miami and abroad and produces nothing of value.
Calzon is a hard-liner to the death. If he is considered "above-the-board" I think that has more to say about Miami's, rather than Calzon's, politics.
CFC is above-the-board because it documents its expenses and is held to strict accountability standards, as a simple FOIA request would reveal. CFC was not among the minority of grantees cited for inappropriate expenditures in a recent GAO audit. As for the claim that Calzon leads "a rather well-off lifestyle", the poster is either ignorant or malicious, as anybody who's seen Calzon's crappy car will attest. As for the other spurious allegations, I already read Granma this morning, thanks.
What amazed me about the so called blow up is what and who is Joe Garcia??? Last I saw of him, he was a lackey of Mas canosa Jr.,living off the "hog" of federal funds that was allocated to the Cuban American Foundation.
His personal attack on Mr. Calzon was despicable theater, one of a desperate person trying to make aname for himself, since he has no identity of his own!!
I wonder if Joe Garcia, alias the "Cuban Jesse Jackson" can tell us how much money given by taxpayers to the Cuban American foundation was sent to Cuba? Also how much money was he given to "represent the CANF"? Can he also explain how the Mas Tec company recieved so many city,county,state ,federal and foreign contracts??? Now Joe Garcia is trying to pimp the Cuban community to the Democrats, and is selling them false hopes and aspirations, so the Democrats can pay him a salary and an expense account!!!
What's really a shame is the low level of political players we have in Miami, with no true leader to inspire the Cuban exiles, only loud mouths who defame others and aspire to steal money for there personal expense account!!!
Anon, I have not seen CFC open their books and the GAO report did not call out ANY specific USAID or NED grantees (they were anaonomous charges as I recall). If you know of any audit let us know. I do not beleive CFC is subject to FOIA either, as its not an official government agency.
As for Mr Calzon's lifestyle, that was not my point. My point was he makes a fine income (top 10% in the US at least) from taxpayers like you and me. He is an agent of regime change, quite openly. America still thinks it has the right to pay people to topple governments it does not like. Anyone who has so brazenly disregarded international law thoughout a career of sabotage and propoganda is not "above board" in my book.
More recently, Calzon has apologized for the Cuban hijackers. He supported the release of Posada and does not think the US has to live up to its international extradition responsibilities. He writes articles saying Cuba is indeed a terrorist nation and flies around the world on my dime supporting these archaic views and illegal policies. He is a dinosaur who would enjoy the support from less than 1% of Cubans on the island.
CFC does nothing of subsance but give its miami based cronies jobs.. (and spread misleading propoganda and SPIN)..
Leftside has great point:
Calzon "... would enjoy the support from less than 1% of Cubans on the island. "
this is spot on and illustrative of how out of touch the miami hard liners are with their 'own' people - cubans livin' on the island would NEVER vote for one of them!
I don't know how any one can say Frank Calzon is relevant. He wishes he was part of the CIA, and he also wishes anyone in Cuba has ever heard of him. CFC is a JOKE.
Calzon is a hot-headed, bipolar individual known more for his odd, sexual references than for remotely affecting Cuba. All CFC does is waste tax payer money on hardcover biographies of Cuban exiles to ship to Cuba (couriers typically cost nine times what the stuff they send are worth).
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