Miami Lakes Councilman Nelson Hernandez thinks he can win the special mayoral election by lining up support from the Hialeah-Tallahassee mafia, which is throwing him a fundraiser next week.
Sen. Rene Garcia, State Reps. Jose Oliva, Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez and Manny Diaz, Jr., as well as Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bovo have invited their friends — and donors, one would guess — to The Pampered Chef, 7347 Miami Lakes Dr., at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, in honor of Nelson’s candidacy.
“Many thanks to the Miami Lakes state and county legislative delegation for their support! Together, we will keep Miami Lakes moving forward with a fresh start,” Hernandez posted on his facebook page.
But, apparently, he doesn’t know the meaning of the word “fresh.” And he may also be counting on an aggressive absentee ballot campaign. Because the host list is the same stale bunch of flying monkeys that have tried to control ABs in Hialeah for years.
Sen. Garcia and State Reps. Gonzalez and Diaz, Jr., were all involved in the case of arrested boletera Deisy Cabrera. Garcia “can’t remember” if he was the man who accompanied Hialeah Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz to Cabrera’s apartment with a pan con bistec the night she got nabbed. He can’t remember. Nobody believes that. And nobody believes “El Bobo” Bovo was unaware of his commission aide Anamary Pedrosa‘s ballot collecting during last year’s primary.
It’s disappointing because when Ladra first met Hernandez — coincidentally at Hialeah City Hall — he was promoting the just-founded Hialeah Miami Lakes Republican Club, which would advocate for more ethics in government and would call out malfeasance in both parties.
Guess he gave up those lofty goals to get elected.
He was already on Ladra’s doghouse list because he seemed asleep at the wheel when former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi — suspended by the governor earlier this month after he was arrested on federal bribery and extortion charges — tried to run a scam on the city to put some cash in his pocket in what turned out to be an FBI sting. Now, this?
“I’ve known those guys for years. I have relationships with them. I’ve been working with them since I was in college,” Hernandez told Ladra Thursday morning referring to work he did as a budget policy analyst intern for Garcia and Gonzalez while he was an economics major at FSU.
“I consider them friends and colleagues,” he said.
Well, former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio were friends and colleagues for years and you don’t see the latter — the Great Republican Latino Hope — endorsing the tainted rep, do you?
“These are elected leaders and I respect them and they represent Miami Lakes,” Hernandez told Ladra. “It also shows how I’ll be able to work with Tallahassee and the county to get funding for different capital projects we have.
“It’s about trying to find other sources of revenue for Miami Lakes.”
It’s not about absentee ballot operations, he said, despite his hosts reputations and seeming knack for it.
“I don’t intend to bring any absentee ballot fraud or any type of fraud into this election. That’s not what I’m about” Hernandez told Ladra. Maybe not, Councilman, but that is what they are about.
“Just because I am associated with them, doesn’t mean I’m going to do that,” Hernandez said, which is as good an admission as we’re going to get that he knows they’re involved with these AB shenanigans.
How are these guys going to help him then?
“I’m not sure. They’ll reach out to people they know in Miami Lakes.”
Won’t this be seen as the continued encroachment of Hialeah politics into the Lakes?
“Do I want to partner with neighboring communities and cities like Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens and Miami Springs? Of course, I do. Do I want to bring in outside politics? Absolutely not,” Hernandez said.
“I respect these gentlemen and I consider them friends.”
The only one missing from the bunch is Hialeah Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez.
“I respect him as the mayor, but this is about people who represent Miami Lakes,” Nelson Hernandez said.
No, this is about people who can find you money and ABs and who you will later owe favors to. Tsk, tsk.
Nelson asked me for the benefit of the doubt. But there is too much doubt here to work to his benefit. Sorry, Nel, but if you want to hang with the flying monkeys, you’re going to get shot out of the sky now and then.
Hialeah AB mafia backs Nelson Hernandez in Miami Lakes added by Ladra on
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I claim that you make a lot of statements that are not factual, but it doesn’t stop you from writing it anyway.
Speaking to a good friend a few weeks ago. I mentioned politics here in Miami-Dade County, primarily in Hialeah and now Miami Lakes is similar to the movie The Departed. Where the Mafioso gets his minions into the police academies and eventually they become police officers. The same politicos have their minions who they later use to cash in their political favors.
What is the difference between Pizzi and Hernandez?
1- Pizzi allegedly took money from a company who he thought was receiving tax dollars for services it did not intend to perform.
2- Hernandez takes money from Dade Medical College who receives tax dollars (Pell grants) for educational services it does not perform (only 46% and 38% of Dade and Hollywood students, respectively, pass the state licensing tests)
I just don’t see it.
Try looking for Deisy Cabrera de Penton, Tom. Her court date is in October.
Just in time to do some work in Miami Lakes if she wants to.
Love, Ladra
Oh, and Mr. Duran, remember also that I’ve been talking about Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi’s shenanigans (as well as those of Sweetwater Mayor Manny Marono) forever. Before the FBI sting nabbed them for their graft.
Guess I wasn’t wrong there either.
Love, Ladra
Try looking up Deisy penton de Cabrera in broward clerk no info on her felony charge or her 10/08/13 court date.
Let me entertain you a little more, Frank.
I am not, as you say, aware of who you know since I have no idea who you are. Sure, we may have shared a cafecito once or twice. But do you know how many of those I have a day? Too many.
And if we shared more than two or three cafecitos, you would know it is ridiculous for you to insinuate that I am paid for anything I write. Ridiculous. If I were, I would not still be poor. Which is fine by by me. It is what everyone says (Robaina, Hernandez, you’re in good company) when they do not agree with me. Which is fine. But it also hurts your credibility. You know, the one you think has so much weight… the one you think is better than mine.
You say “there are particular political bloggers who accept monetary fees and personal gain, by writing on behalf or against campaign groups.” Please share. Who does that? Because I would suggest they are not respected bloggers that I consider my colleagues and friends. Of course, you say you are “hypothetically speaking” … which means it is you who is casting unknown allegations.
You also say that “the point of a good journalist or creditable blogger is to write on the facts and seldom allow themselves to be persuades by monetary gains in exchange for biased opinions.”
Seldom? Me and my blogger friends are purists in that way. We say never.
Did anyone pay you to write your comment, by the way?
I liked Nelson. I say liked because when we met, he was advocating ethics in government. And, yeah, I do guess he gave that up so he can become one of the flying monkeys. Power is so corrupting.
But, yeah, I do think that the others are flying monkeys, like in the Wizard of Oz. And the wicked cigar czar of the north is Jose Oliva, who they worship because he will be (read: could be) Speaker when they are all out of the House and lobbyists. You should be sickened by that.
Instead, you defend them. You “have known each of the public officials that you accuse for years, and they are very far from being anything that you claim.” Really? VERY far? You bet your already questionable credibility on it. Well let’s go over what I “claim.”
I claimed that Sen. Garcia was with the Hialeah Councilwoman, who is his BFF, when she went to take Deisy Cabrera a “pan con bistec” (I didn’t say, this time, that I think it was a bag of money) but that he didn’t remember. He, in fact, doesn’t remember. He admits to the fact that he doesn’t remember if it was him or not. And Ladra will bet her left tit that it was him.
I claimed that Eddy Gonzalez and Manny Diaz Jr were involved in some kind of AB shenaningans in their house races. Or, rather, in Diaz Jr.’s house race. This is not new to Gonzalez. Eddy’s past campaign reports for years,just like Rene’s, has shown payments made to known AB collectors. And their meeting at the home of Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yioset de la Cruz was all about AB operations in the 103 race. Remember, I know people, too. Maybe even someone who was there.
I claimed that Esteban Bovo’s office was boletero central when 164 ABs were delivered to his district aide. This is documented. I claim that he knew about it. And I stand by that. I don’t believe that this 20-something girl, who also worked in his state office and was paid for “campaign work” during that campaign, came up with the system all by herself. And if you do, then your credibility just dropped another notch.
The topic of libel and slander has come up before. Oooooh. I ain’t scared. Because I know the law. And I know that I have never committed either. You have to have “malicious intent” and know that what you are publishing is false, among other criteria. That is not the case. Never has been. Never will be.
But facts are not enough on their own. The whole point of Political Cortadito and other blogs like it is to provide analysis and background, to connect the dots and ask some questions, even if we don’t have all the answers. Maybe especially when we don’t have all the answers.
I’ve probably taken too much time, but I wanted to point out all self-serving inaccuracies in your comment. I am sure we could debate this some more.
Let’s go have a cafecito.
Love, Ladra
I have been following your blog “for entertainment” purposes since its inception. In fact I have known you for years, and on occasion we have shared a cuban coffee shot or two in common company, while discussing the barrage of personalities that make up South Florida politics. And while we have shared laughs and the occasional disagreement, I am a bit taken back by this latest post. You see by the same token, as you are well aware, I also have a long standing relationship with just about every official who has held public office in the Miami Dade County area since the 1980’s. And while I may tend to agree that not each has been the purest in their ways, I have to draw the line when your blog begins to bash Miami Lakes Mayoral candidate Nelson Hernandez. This is a well intended young-man with bright leadership potential.
Ladra, entertainment is one thing, but insinuating that Hernandez will commit AB ballot fraud is plain wrong. By the same token, I have known each of the public officials that you accuse for years, and they are very far from being anything that you claim. In fact I would bet my credibility on it, and believe me in this community my credibility carries more weight than the total holdings in the New York Federal Reserve. Ladra, although your allegations about this group are false, I understand that you need to get the public talking about your blog for ratings.
Hypothetically speaking, there are particular political bloggers who accept monetary fees and personal gain, by writing on behalf or against campaign groups. As an older more experienced pillar in this community, I recommend that you focus on the facts rather than using your blog for allegations. At some point the topic of Libel and Slander may surface, and you may end up facing a costly endeavor. I assure you that should this time ever arrive and you find the need to reach out to your strongest political clients, those you consider friends, for financial assistance in legal defense, you will find that they simply can’t help.
Anyhow, continue entertaining us, however do so in good taste and tread carefully in your accusations. After all, the point of a good journalist or creditable blogger is to write on the facts and seldom allow themselves to be persuades by monetary gains in exchange for biased opinions.
[…] vying for the post, including three anti-Pizzi veterans: Councilman Nelson Hernandez — who already has the support of most of the elected crooks in that area – founding Mayor Wayne Slaton and longtime activist David “Doc” Bennett. Nobody […]
Interesting comment Tivo. The problem is that the elected officials are pretty slippery so are hard to catch. But based on the recent arrest we now know what some of them were doing. Hence the public perception of public corruption. As I am sure you are aware, PERCEPTION IS REALITY, TO MANY……..
I suggest that if you have evidence to that these public servants have violated the law……get it to the proper authorities. Because anything else is just talk and border line false accusations.
Over the last two years….all those who you have accused of wrong doings have not been accused or arrested by anyone. We have all seen how you have wanted to screw these elected officials, maybe because you don’t agree with their votes or maybe you just want be the person who takes down an elected official, but nothing you have written has led to anything.
So, other than entertainment, this blog has nothing of substance.
CAN SOME BODY PLEASE CALL THE FBI ON THIS.
Ladra you need help and counseling
I wonder what Pizzi has to say about this!!!!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, time to call in our Private Public Corruption Squad.