Dems called for ‘undermining’ black Dems on Dolphins deal

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Whether or not the Dolphins stadium scam gets its green light in Tallahassee this week, whether or not voters here get the chance to kill it, the negotiation to provide up to $379 million in public tax dollars for the renovation of SunLife Stadium has split both parties at the local level, at least.

And Democrats seem to be showing it more than Republicans.

All the Miami-Dade Democratic Party forums have had Democrats opposing each other on the debate: Local party chairwoman Annette Taddeo Goldstein against attorney H.T. Smith, Jeremy Glazer, former aide to former Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson, against corporate attorney Roland Sanchez Medina,(who had the most cordial of the confrontations), and, most recently, Sorenson and her former colleague, current Commissioner Barbara Jordan, pictured here with local activist Jacqui Colyer moderating.

All are Democrats who see the Dolphins deal differently.

Jordan, who is perhaps the deal’s biggest cheerleader after Mayor Carlos Gimenez, is the only elected official who has gone out and endorsed the deal publicly. Gimenez, who was all gungho for it before and as he delivered the “unprecedented” agreement, seems to have taken a back seat.

But in addition to defending the deal — and not in the best way (more on that later) — Jordan also criticized on Wednesday the way that the local Dems had come out against the referendum and the deal.

“If the party has taken a position on it, there is bias,” the commissioner said, aiming a steely glaze at Taddeo, who issued a statement early on that said she was against the agreement.

“The committee has taken a position. But we have members who are for and against,” Jordan said. “The party should stay out of this race. It is fine to have forums for information. that should be our role. But let’s not put ourselves in the same position as the Tea Party.”

Countered Sorenson: “Sen. Oscar Braynon championed the bill and he’s a Democrat. I don’t think its a partisan issue.”

She is right on that. Braynon (D-Miami Gardens) was the sponsor of the bill in the Senate that passed 35-4. Sens. Dwight Bullard (D-South Dade) and Gwen Margolis (D-North Miami Beach), both Democrats, also voted in favor, as did one of our Republicans, Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R-Coral Gables). But two other Miami-Dade Republicans voted against it and I’ve already thanked Sens. Anitere Flores (R-Kendall) and Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah).

In the House, where it should die but may come up on the floor at the 11th hour, there has been division within both parties as well.

Democrat Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who is set to debate Sanchez Medina Saturday (and I can’t help but wonder if that will turn into a party of a different kind, rather than a debate, if the bill dies Friday), has been vocally against it while State Rep. David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) has told people he will vote in favor.

Of course, rates for the hotels in Richardson’s district because they will not get a penny bed tax increase. And his campaign report reflects $500 from Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and $1,500 from Ron Book while Rodriguez reported $1,000 from Book, who seems to give generously and bipartisanly (more on that later).

On the red side of the House State Rep. Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez (R-Hialeah), the sponsor of the bill and chair of the Miami-Dade delegation, does not have all his ducks in a row. And that’s not only divisive because both Reps. Michael Bileca (R-Pinecrest) and Carlos Trujillo (R-Doral) have been vocal against it but more so because Rep. Jose “Cigar Czar” Oliva (R-Miami Lakes), Gonzalez’s partner in grime and one of his flying monkeys voting bloc, has told people he will vote against it. Oliva has taken $2,000 from car mogul Norman Braman, a vocal stadium opponent and — well, I’ll be — card-carrying Democrat.

But the local Republican party activists and leaders — most of whom are staying silent on the matter because they don’t need it to stay relevant like the Dems do — are not seemingly as torn as the local Dems.

“Why is the DEC undermining Democrat elected officials, particularly black Democrat elected officials,” said Elizabeth Judd, a party activist, referring to Braynon, Jordan and Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert, all Democrats who support the Dolphins deal.

Taddeo Goldstein felt the need to respond. “I would never criticize one of our Democratic elected officials. I want everybody to make their own decision.”

Wendy Sejour with Democracy for America clarified the matter: The DEC executive committee has not voted against the deal. Only the steering committee, of which she is a part, did. It goes before the executive committee Monday.

Maybe there won’t be a need and the local Democratic party can heal — especially since it seems to be building on last year’s momentum with a slew of events — including voter registration drives and party office openings 16 months before the next partisan primary.

And what Judd might not know is that the Miami-Dade Republican Party already came out with their own stance against it last month, with a strongly worded resolution that states “taxpayers should never be the source of corporate welfare for billionaires, and should not be responsible for the funds to renovate Sun Life Stadium for the Miami Dolphins. The narrowly-passed measure also calls on Gonzalez and bill co-sponsor State Rep. Erik Fresen (R-Coral Gables) “to immediately withdraw sponsorship and support.”

But nobody there is claiming that anyone is trying to undermine Republican Cuban elected officials.