County wants affidavits

 BY DON FINEFROCK

 The Miami-Dade County Commission voted unanimously Thursday to tighten the
 county's ban on doing business with Cuba, the controversial policy that cost the
 county its chance to host the Latin Grammys and the Pan American Games.

 Under the new policy, companies that want to bid on county jobs will be required
 to submit affidavits saying they do not do business with Cuba.

 The county has required successful bidders to comply with the policy in the past,
 but the affidavits could be submitted at the tail end of the process.

 A senior aide to County Manager Merrett Stierheim said the new policy could
 discourage some companies from bidding, particularly when the county begins to
 solicit bids over the Internet, a development aimed at boosting competition.

 But Commissioner Javier Souto rejected that reasoning.

 ``Democracy sometimes is not efficient,'' he said. ``This is a political situation.
 We are political people and yes, we are Cubans. We are going to die defending
 this principle, which is: Dealing with the enemy is bad business.''

 The policy was tightened at the suggestion of Commissioner Pedro Reboredo, in
 response to another change proposed by Stierheim.

 Stierheim had wanted to eliminate the affidavit and require companies instead to
 comply with the policy as a condition of their contract. Stierheim said the change
 would help to streamline county purchasing procedures.

 Reboredo said the tighter policy was warranted. ``People are trying to circumvent
 the Cuban affidavit in more ways than one,'' he said, without offering specifics.
 ``What I am trying to do is put an end to that.''

 The clerk's office recorded the vote as 10-0, with Commissioners Katy Sorenson,
 Betty Ferguson and Natacha Millan absent, but Commission Chairwoman Gwen
 Margolis later told The Herald she missed the vote, too.

 Organizers of the Latin Grammys had wanted to stage their first awards
 ceremony in Miami, but the county refused to make the new AmericanAirlines
 Arena available for the event or offer any other support.

 The event would have violated the county ban if a Cuban artist had been
 nominated for an award. The event will be held in Los Angeles instead.

 The county also was forced last year to cancel its bid for the Pan Am Games in
 2007 after spending $222,000 because Cuban athletes might participate.