He may have gotten arrested and he may have been suspended from his post by the governor, but Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman is not going down without a fight: He is still campaigning to be re-elected mayor.
Nevermind the scathing details in the arrest warrant that charges him with multiple counts of unlawful compensation — because he used his political influence and position as mayor to score a secret side job making $125 an hour to facilitate government permits and approvals for his company. Bateman apparently has more important things to do than bow his head in shame and prepare, however he might, for his criminal defense: He has a “honk and wave” event tonight, for goodness sake.
“Dear Friends and Supporters, thank you all for your messages. Please be reminded that tonight is our first ‘Sign and Wave’ for this campaign,” Bateman posted on his facebook page a couple of hours ago, asking them to gather at 5:30 p.m. today on the corner of Campbell Drive and SW 162nd Avenue.
“See you there! And thank you again for your support!”
Not everybody was as surprised as you all might be (and as Ladra was). Apparently, Mayor Bateman is known to be stubborn, er, I mean tenacious. One source said “Steve is the kind of guy that if you push him, he’s going to push back.” Rumored to be a former Golden Gloves boxer, another Homestead regular said Bateman has a tendency when he feels beaten or cornered to look like a bell went off in his head. “Ding! Round two!”
The message now seems to be that he might be down, but he’s not out for the count.
I tried to reach Bateman to get his thinking on this. But I guess between his meetings with his defense attorneys and his campaign consultant, who I hear is Frank May, and trying to get people out to the honk and wave tonight — I mean other than the rubberneckers who are going to pass by just for the spectacle — he is probably a busy guy.
Hotelier and mayoral candidate Mark Bell had predicted this very defiant move as early as Wednesday right after Bateman was handcuffed and his mugshot plastered on every TV station.
“That’s his nature,” said Bell, husband of Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell and, as such, the considered front runner, with more campaign dough than the incumbent even before the headlines. But that’s if Vice Mayor John Burgess doesn’t get in the race. The qualifying deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday — and Bateman had not officially qualified yet by the time of this posting Thursday afternoon.
“I’ve known this guy for many years and this is his attitude. This is him,” Bell said. “He is not ashamed of anything. I would be embarrassed if just one thing like this happened to me. But he’s got 100 of them and it doesn’t matter.”
Bell was so sure of Bateman’s cockiness that he made a bet with his campaign consultant, lobbyist Jose Luis Castillo, who didn’t think Bateman had the balls. (My word. Not his). Whoever loses buys the other a beer.
“Believe me, I will gladly buy him the beer if I lose,” Bell told Ladra. “But I think he’ll do it.”
The clock is ticking. But we will know by this time tomorrow.
Arrested Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman wants Round 2 added by Ladra on
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