The outspoken Big Mouths who so often make the lives of our elected officials a living hell around City Hall have earned themselves a grade of D-minus. Or maybe an outright F for failing to put their “money where their mouth is,” if I remember the old adage correctly.
There are about 10 people who continually gripe about our governing officials, thereupon making themselves look foolish when none could put Humpty- Dumpty together, as they failed to muster any opposition to Commissioner Bob (the Centrist) Welsh and Commissioner Josh (Running Man) Liebman. What an embarrassment!
Why couldn’t one of the habitual naysayers crawl out of their complaint corner and take a stab at running for office or con a friend into announcing a candidacy. Instead, it’s nada, nothing, zippo — no one came forth against either of the incumbent duo. My goodness! Josh and Bob should have plenty of political capital to spend over the next four years, which should mean a lot of fun for them if not for their constituents.
The mayoral race is a bit different. Mayor Phil Stoddard wants to keep his seat, but activist Claudia Hauri wants to stop Phil from serving another term. And from what I’ve been told, she is currently out-campaigning Mayor Phil. That being so, my hat is off to her for standing up to be counted among those willing to help guide our City of Pleasant Living. BTW: Claudia, 73, was one of my professors during the early 1970’s. Dang it! How fast those years go by!
Of course, there’s also my good friend and former mayor, Horace Feliu, who says he has sat on the bench long enough and now wants to return to his former leadership role. Frankly, I don’t know why he’s doing it. Me thinx he truly believes there’s a lack of understanding between our current mayor and what South Miami citizens believe is thoughtful and proper stewardship of city affairs.
Over here at the newspaper office, we’re pretty happy that several people want the mayor’s seat. It’s a healthy political situation to have citizens willing to run for office, win or lose. For that reason alone, we congratulate both Claudia and Horace for having the strength of their convictions to put their names up in behalf of our quaint little city. Golly, it was even difficult not to criticize any of the three for something — but we promised to be good ‘til after the election. Then, maybe we’ll go back to knocking around Commissioners Wally Harris and Gab (how did I ever get elected) Edmond (plus the new mayor).
Wandered over to CasaCuba on SW 73 St. and began chatting it up with some folks at the front door. Then I heard one of our local cops lean over and say: “Welcome Home!” Truly, that was one of those “Wow” moments when you are instantly reminded how much so many of us missed the special magic of a favored ‘haunt,” even as we stand around sipping a Cuban coffee and gobbling down a few pastelitos. While there, bumped elbows with Alex Almazan (attorney ‘extraordinaire’), SoMi Magazine Publisher John Edward Smith, South Miami Police Officer Echeverria, Dr. Jorge Blanco, Javier Hernandez-Lichtl (top guy at West Kendall Baptist Hospital), wannabe-your-mayoragain Horace Feliu and look-alike Steve Alexander. Also there: real estate guru Levi Meyer, wining and dining some clients. Really nice to be back home at the ‘Casa’ and if you go there for breakfast, ask for Morella. She’ll take good care of you, just as she did yours truly.
First it was the oriental Fruit Fly quarantine, now 10 inches of rain in 10 days wipes out 70 percent of vegetable crop in South Dade, Mayor Gimenez, Rep. Curbello, Ag. Commissioners PutnamMonday will tour the drenched areas in South Dade, seeking federal relief, with Sen. Nelson on board If the Oriental Fruit quarantine was not enough to push farmers to the brink, the recent 10 days of rain resulted in 10 inches of rain and the deluge has destroyed some 70 percent of the vegetable harvest in South Dade, say county agricultural people and the submerged land included Zoo Miami closing and causing a major economic hit to the attraction given the usual holiday crowds and even had the zoo’s front man and always upbeat Ron Magill grousing at the high water level that covered areas and moats were no longer able to contain there charge since lions could swim across the past impediment.
And given the potential impact to the $800 million industry, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is taking a delegation of officials on a tour that includes Florida Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbello, (RMiami/ Key West); the congressman is trying to get some legislation passed along to help the beleaguered farmers who have lost so much between the Fruit Fly and now this new hit, resulting in the rise of the cost of vegetables.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is raising some serious coin ($861,246) in the latest reporting period for his 2016 re-election mayoral race, he is facing Raquel Regalado, who also raised serious coin ($234,390) and sent out a Christmas greeting card featuring her children, as it is a soft-sell-piece and similar to when she sent voters an apple in a box when she ran for the school board seat and now the patent attorney wants to go for the big government gorilla. The county that has a strong mayor form of government some 11 unions and around 25,000 employees is a colossus of county government and has 13 members on the commission. Gimenez needs to be careful with how much he is raising because the tactic of shock and awe when it comes to fundraising could come back to haunt him since Regalado is likely to suggest the incumbent mayor is bought and paid for versus her more humble fundraising and there is a mood in the country that money “cannot buy you love, “with the electorate and was recently seen in the defeat of Teresa Sarnoff. These last several items were provided by www.watchdogreport.net.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com.
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