District 11 race: Alliances, attack ads, an old feud and lies

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Thank you to former Hialeah Councilwoman and Crime Watch Maven Carmen Caldwell for reminding me of one of the most heated battles on the ballot this election, which I am definitely following but forgot to mention in the post about the races to watch.

That would be the fight for District 11 between former State Rep. Juan C. Zapata and Miami-Dade Police Det. Manny Machado, which is turning into one of the most bitter and ugly and, hence, interesting-to-Ladra races this season. What with attack mailers and strategic alliances and the involvement of not only Absentee Ballot Queen Sasha Tirador — who is now out of the campaign — but also State Rep. and residency violator Frank Artiles, who has had a long feud with Zapata since he lost against him in an election and since Zapata supported his challenger in 2010, former Dade County Farm Bureau Director Katie Edwards, a Democrat who is now running for a state house seat in Broward. Artiles is tied to the PAC paying for the attack mailers on behalf of Machado (more on that later).

There’s a lot going on in this race. So let’s get some of the easy stuff out of the way first: Alliances.

It just so happens Ladra saw both District 11 candidates on Thursday night. Too bad it was in two different places.

First, we swung by Randazzo’s in Coral Gables for a Zapata fundraiser hosted by 1,758 people, mostly “young professionals,” like former Miami Assistant City Attorney Kira Grossman, now a policy advisor for the Miami Parking Authority and very friendly lady Ladra met at the MavPAC networker; Andy Perez, owner of The Academy computer school; Estrellita Starr Sibila, a land use attorney that appears before government boards throughout South Florida; and David Cardenas (son of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Al Cardenas) and Luis Gazitua, both local Republican poster boys who represent the SunPAC and Maverick PAC, respectively.

Also there: Zapata’s business partner, former state house candidate Jose Pazos — who lost the 2010 primary against State Rep. Michael Bileca (District 117) along with a slew of other GOP candidates that included Ralph Rosado, who was at the Randazzo event, and Ana Sol Alliegro, who wasn’t there (or anywhere) and whose role in a more recent election is being highly scrutinized (more on that later). But not former State Rep. and South Miami Mayor Julio “The Good One” Robaina, who has lost three races in a row and is still not making many public appearances, sticking to licking his wounds at his Florida Keys home. Maybe Ana Sol is there!

The most interesting people at Randazzo’s, however, was the huge contingent from the Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez team. Not only the mayor’s daughter-in-law Barbara “Barbie” Rodriguez Gimenez, a former aide to Zapata when he was a legislator, who was among the 3,175 hosts and presented the candidate with kind cariño. It was also her birthday so Republican Superwoman and former Congressional candidate Marili Cancio — who may have a chance now (more on that later) — brought Barbie a birthday cake. Que sweeeeet! Son Carlos J. Gimenez and his wife Tania Cruz Gimenez, both attorneys, were also there, as was one-time campaign staffer-turned-Deputy Chief of Staff Alex Ferro and Gimenez campaign fundraiser extraordinaire Brian Goldmeier, who is mad at me because Ladra forgot to remove something from one of my blog posts, so he didn’t say “Hi” (I will get to it now, Brian).

If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is. Expect one from the mayor himself very soon.

Zapata, who spoke about his big picture ideas and planning for what we want Miami-Dade to look like in 20 years, responded in kind, with a message CJ Gimenez could take to his dad: “He’ll get a lot more cooperation out of District 11 in the future,” Zapata said. There was much laughter in the room.

But it’s fair play. Because Machado has reportedly been getting not-so-secret support from Commission Chairman Joe Martinez since Day 1. Even though Martinez endorsed Zapata two years ago, he sort of was lukewarm about it when Ladra asked him and he’s been helping the fellow law enforcement officer, dicen las malas lenguas.

Well, tambien lo dice these photos, or so it seems, from a senior citizen center where Machado had a Father’s Day event during the primary campaign. Ladra loves facebook.

Bonus tidbit: The center, on Coral Way and 142nd Avenue, is reportedly operated by Cristina Peneido, who is the sister of former recalled Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez (and, naturally, gets county and state funding). Ladra has a feeling that connection is going to get important.

Reached late Friday, Martinez responded to my text message giving him a head’s up about this post, confirming that he sort of withdrew his support. “I didn’t do anything for Zapata as he didn’t ask. Truth is, thank God. It would have upset my friends at the PBA,” he said, referring to the police union endorsement of Machado. “However, I didn’t do anything for Manny either. Even though I know Zapata was collecting ABs for him and Gimenez against me. I still kept my word.

“I really stayed out of that race,” Martinez wrote in a series of texts. “It cost me acquaintances as there really are few friends in this business. I can sleep well knowing I keep my word, something that gets lost in politics. People are so hard trying to get elected that they will lie and cheat and do whatever just to win. Not my style.”

But maybe it’s Machado’s style. Read on.

Ladra ran into Machado after the fundraiser Thurday at the Community Council District 11 meeting at the rotunda in the shopping center at Kendall Drive and 122nd Avenue, on a requested zoning change in Horse Country, from agricultural to commercial. It’s just a coincidence that the applicant was none other than the father of termed-out State Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, the newly-elected county property appraiser (more on that later). The area is not in the district, which is why Zapata did not go. Maybe Machado’s presence was all for show.

But it was also a stroke of luck for Ladra. I’ve wanted to talk to Machado at a couple of other events, but he always disappeared when he saw me. This time, he was standing outside with his wife and a couple of friends so we chatted. Tensely. After all, I have not been supportive of his campaign. But it’s because of things like Tirador and the Artiles attacks and the fact that he dodges legitimate questions. Still, I could be convinced to be less partial. Especially if the rumors that he had fired Sasha were true.

But when I asked him about the rampant rumors that Tirador was let go after the primary in a big blow-out with his wife — who certainly seems like a hot head and I believe is former law enforcement, not current law enforcement, as she said to me when she asked me not to publish her photo — Machado told me Sasha left on her own accord, adding that there were no hard feelings. “My kids call her tia. It was her decision,” Machado said.

Yoicy Machado laughed at the mention of a catfight. “She has a lot of other things going on,” Mrs. Candidate told me.

Um, no. She had a lot of other things going on. A bunch of races she lost on Aug. 14, and which Ladra hopes is the end of her career here. Let her go work in New Jersey. Tirador only has one thing going on here now, working for Doral Councilman and mogul mayoral candidate Luigi Boria (more on that later).

But Mrs. Machado might not be entirely truthful all the time. When Ladra snapped a picture of the candidate at the meeting Thursday night, she approached me and asked who I was, saying “I’m a law enforcement officer” and telling me I could not take photos of people without their permission. Um, no again. You’re at a public meeting, standing next to the candidate with a “Manny Machado for Commissioner” polo shirt on. You’re fair game, lady. Or officer.

Outside, she said “You’re as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside,” as if that’s going to hurt my feelings. Then either they or Miami-Dade Sgt. Paul Hernandez — father of Hialeah Councilman Pablito Hernandez (I know! Riiight? It’s like a novel!) — asked another officer to go talk to me. You know, more intimidation tactics. Well, I’ve been thrown out of better places. And I was only trying to explain to her that she had to get used to the public eye if she wants to play in politics. She said that she meant that she would simply appreciate not being photographed since she is a law enforcement officer. Which Ladra would respect, if she was an undercover officer and did not have dozens of photos with the candidate already splashed all over facebook, which is maybe why she said later that it was okay to use the picture or, even, take another one of them posing. Or if she still was really a law enforcement officer. We don’t know. Ladra was told she was once a law enforcement officer  and found documentation that she worked for the Florida Department of Envrionmental Protection — which is kind of cool — for a whole year. And, while she may still be state certified, that doesn’t mean she can imply that she currently works for a state or local agency. And, sure, she may have gotten rehired at a different agency, because Machado told me she was with an agency. But he wouldn’t tell me which one. “I’m telling you she’s a law enforcement officer. That’s all you’re going to get from me,” Machado said, getting increasingly antsy. “I’m the candidate. Leave her out of this.”

I can’t see the logic in not giving a straight answer. So I have every reason to doubt him. I give him the benefit of the doubt and will still allow him to let us know where and clear the air. But, meanwhile, there is doubt Detective. You do investigations. You know that.

And if she is working at an agency, I hope it is not Miami-Dade, since they have a strict policy against officers having any ownership of security companies. And she is the registered owner of M Force Security Corporation. But the Machados probably know that policy. Since the company was owned by candidate Manny Machado until he put it in her name when he left the Florida Highway Patrol and joined the county force.

But Machado would not confirm or deny anything at all on this line of questioning. Guess he doesn’t like it when the tables are turned. Then came the veiled threat, which I’ve heard in other words before and could mean just that he will stop talking to me again — or it could be more ominous, seeing as how he’s a freaking cop: “Write whatever you want and deal with the consequences,” he told me over the telephone Friday.

Yeah, that’s pretty much my SOP.

Still, not the kind of talk you like to hear from a possible future county commissioner. My dad quipped that they’re going to find my body in the Miami River one day.

Of course, Manny Machado himself might not always be so truthful. He told Ladra that he only met Joe Martinez twice: Once at early voting and once at the opening of the new Caribe Restaurant on Southwest 137th Avenue (one of the places he ran from me).

“I don’t know Joe personally. When Joe left the county, I was still a trooper,” he said, as if that is evidence. Bad police work. “That’s all Zapata’s saying because he thinks Joe picked me for this race. But that’s not true. I am a family man and a member of this community and I decided to run on my own.

“I’m telling you I’ve only run into Joe Martinez two times.”

Guess he forgot about the dancing at the senior center in the photos he has plastered on facebook.

And, yes, I realize I may be unfriended by the Machados and, indeed, blocked on facebook. I hate when that happens! But that may only signal he is, indeed, hiding something or some things.

Like, maybe, this other time he didn’t meet Joe Martinez at the Chairman’s health expo event at the Dade County Youth Fairgrounds earlier this year.

Alliances? Check. We will look into the mailers and the finances of both candidates next. Stay tuned.