It’s been four years since 98 lives were tragically cut short in the Surfside building collapse — one of the deadliest structural failures in American history. Every June 24th since, families, survivors, and residents gather here in Surfside to mourn, remember, and honor those we lost.

And yet, this year, Surfside’s own leaders couldn’t even be bothered to show up.

​Town Manager Missing — "More Important Things"

Surfside’s incompetent Town Manager, Mark Blumstein, was on vacation during the memorial ceremony. At a time when leadership, presence, and solemn respect were needed most, he was off tending to “more important things.” His absence set the tone — one of apathy and arrogance that radiated across the dais.

Commissioners Velasquez Absent — Again

Commissioner Nelly Velasquez — who served on the Town Commission back in 2021 when Champlain Towers South collapsed — skipped the memorial for the fourth consecutive year. Maybe the long drive from her actual home in Cocoa Beach was just too much. Her consistent absence speaks volumes.

A History They Refuse to Acknowledge

Here’s the part they hope you’ll forget: In the months leading up to the collapse, Champlain Towers South submitted requests to the Town for necessary construction permits to address the serious structural issues. Those requests were denied. The Commission at the time, which included Mayor Charles Burkett, Vice Mayor Tina Paul, and Nelly Velasquez — was so obsessed with opposing “overdevelopment” that they rejected even critical, life-saving work.

Less than three months later, the building fell.

Surfside deserves better than officials who bury the past to protect their political legacies. We owe the 98 victims honesty, remembrance, and real accountability — not revisionist history and empty gestures.

Callousness in Plain Sight

Whether it’s a Town Manager vacationing through a memorial, or commissioners treating the ceremony like an optional inconvenience, their message is unmistakable: they’ve moved on. And they expect the rest of us to do the same.

Maybe Commissioner Mark Blumstein will work this into his next “Mondays with Mark” video — but don’t hold your breath. He seems far more interested in building his personal brand than honoring those who can no longer speak for themselves.

​We haven’t forgotten. And we won’t. Surfside deserves leaders who show up, own their past, and honor their people — not ones who run from all three.