In his quest to be the next Miami Lakes mayor in the whiplash election that ends today, Councilman Nelson Hernandez is trying hard to set himself apart from the last 
Miami Lakes mayor, who was arrested last month on charges of public corruption.
Almost too hard. Some might think Hernandez is running against former Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi, who was charged Aug. 6 with federal bribery and extortion charges.
Others say he is trying to rewrite history with his whole “I told you so” campaign, which might be (read: hopefully is) backfiring.
Hernandez, whose main weakness is being considered part of the establishment, sent out mailers last week that try to show his longtime opposition to Pizzi, who the FBI had been recording for months as he allegedly oiled the wheels for a bogus government grant in exchange for kickbacks to his pocket and his campaign coffers.
“Councilman Hernandez stood up to Mayor Pizzi and opposed his hand-picked preference to be the town’s state legislative lobbying firm. In the end, the Fuentes Consulting Group won the contract, later joined the Becker & Poliakoff law/lobbying firm, and had a team member implicated in the recent federal corruption sting,” the mailer says.
Ooooh. A moment of clarity in years of inaction.
What the mailer doesn’t say is that Councilman Hernandez voted for the bogus grant application that said lobbyist brought to the council, even though there were a few red flags — the item had been pulled from the agenda a month earlier and brought under a different council member’s name — and without asking a single question. He went along with Pizzi on that one.
It also doesn’t say that Hernandez also voted with Pizzi on the special absentee vote only election last June that changed the way council members are elected. He went along with that one, too. Asked questions, there, and said he was against it. But voted with the mayor’s initiative to give people the choice — at an expense of about $50,000 to the city in what seems to everyone like a scheme connected to the Palm Springs North annexation effort.
In fact, besides the three times he notes in his mailer (sent to me by a voter who apparently doesn’t swallow the $8.3 million quoted for the new town hall), Ladra is hard pressed to find any other time that Hernandez has voted against Pizzi. Another voter, not the one who sent Ladra the mailer, told me that she checked with the city clerk’s office and, indeed, he had not voted against Pizzi at any other time.
Yes, Hernandez has been a critic of Pizzi. A soft and quiet critic who has let civilians take the lead on the opposition. But he has been all talk and no action. Certainly not a “proven leader.” That title would have to go to activist David “Doc” Bennett, who has been a better watchdog for this community than Hernandez, who was already elected to do so. It’s time to give Bennett a chance.
The only bigger disappointment to me than Hernandez winning is that he didn’t stay put in the first place, as he should have if he really were interested in the town’s future instead of his own. But this guy can’t get stars out of his eyes. Tallallassee stars. Make no bones about it: He will run for state rep eventually, as the hand-picked heir to one of his sugar daddies — either State Rep. Jose Oliva (R-Miami Lakes) or Sen. Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah), names he loves to drop.
Too bad I can’t ask him which. Hernandez the candidate has not returned my calls since I started to criticize his posse, who are known abusers of the absentee ballot system, and questioned some of his motives and tactics, especially the use of questionable PAC money at the hands of political hitman David Custin. So, naturally, now I can’t ask him why the ith a PAC that seems to have overspent it’s contributions by more than double, according to the financial reports posted online on the city’s website. The Tell the Public the Facts PAC (pft!) has collected $11,250 in contrbutions but spent $23,300 as of Sept. 24, according to the reports. That has to be a violation of law, isn’t it?
And is this what we can expect from Hernandez if he were to be elected? He can just ignore anyone that questions him or objects to his ideas? That might include you dear voter. Maybe he isn’t so different from Pizzi after all.
Hernandez could have brought stability to the changing council and stayed out of the mayoral bout. But he saw it as an opportunity for himself, not for the town. And he took it, making an opening for another one Oliva’s hand-picked politicos, his employee and husband to his district secretary Frank Mingo, to run for his vacant council seat.
I hope that Miami Lakes voters are not fooled and remind Hernandez today that he is not the “proven leader” against Pizzi and that they will not let the professional political mafia plant representatives in their small town.
‘New & improved’ Nelson Hernandez runs as the anti Pizzi added by Ladra on
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Come on people…just go vote!
The reality is that this blog is read by the political insiders, politicians themselves (many that deny it), and activists like Bennett and others. Let’s be real. I mean no disrespect to Ladra and her research and writing, but Juana Mengana that lives on the west side of Miami Lakes and is a normal, tax paying, law abiding resident, doesn’t read this blog. What you ALL should do is put that frustration into action! If you feel so strongly about Pizzi, Hernandez, Slaton, Bennett or la madre de los tomates, then go to any of the 7 precincts that are open today and share what you know to be fact about the candidates you support and why we should all vote for him (or her…in case of council). Otherwise, this is just a bunch of insiders and junkies that come to hammer one candidate or another. You don’t like what you read on here, then don’t read it. Some of you are gluttons for punishment. You bitch and moan about what she writes, but you keep coming back and then you whisper about what Ladra said or didn’t say. And don’t act like some of you don’t feed her information in your own ways.
This is my view of PoliticalCortadito: It is a local, political blog laced with humor, sarcasm, and many times…a SHIT load of truth. These are Ladra’s observations. I know she has been wrong about some things I’ve read, but dead on about others (and some that have not yet been proven to be true). It’s not expected to be all facts…it’s a damn BLOG. It’s someone’s view of things. Whether we like it or not, she has the right to write whatever the hell she wants just like I have the right to not read it. But…here I am writing a response.
Ms De Valle,what you have described is tabloid news. Nothing based on fact. Thank you for your confirmation on your type of “journalism”, Your resume was not required and if you are so proud of it, you should have stayed in that more reputable type of venue as opposed to a tabloid writer. Thank you for introducing Hernandez to me. After doing my own research. I just voted for right candidate. Again. Your bitterness is showing. Thanks again for pointing me to do the research!
And to Dr. Perspective: The meeting with the state legislator was documented in other press accounts and I believe that Hernandez admitted to it also.
Love, Ladra
Mr. or Ms. Observing… first, thank you for your observations. I always appreciate feedback, even criticism. Sometimes more so. But you are wrong about any bitterness.
I do, indeed, question why Hernandez, who used to be so chummy to me once upon a time, suddenly won’t return my calls, simply because I was critical of his posse. I believe that is a legitimate question and other journalists also call other electeds out when they refuse to comment to the media. That’s nothing new nor is it nefarious in any way. And I do think it speaks volumes of his leadership skills and/or intentions. And I don’t care if there are term limits or not, the fact that he has one foot out the door and his head in Tallahassee clouds is a legitimate point, too.
And no, he didn’t tell me that. He didn’t have to. That is the whole point of political bloggers like me: I will not limit myself to what they tell me.
The type of journalist I am is a seasoned one, with more than 20 years covering local government and politics, two team Pultizer Prizes and an Emmy for investigative news. My observations are made through a lot of experience, historical context, knowing what documentation to search for and a lot of discussion with other political observers, most of whom know much more than I and who educate me every day. But, yes, they are sometimes just that: observations. Very keen observations, naturally, but observations nonetheless. Unless Ladra specifically cites a document or quotes someone else, I am stating something that I observe and, unless I say otherwise, can either back up with documentation, anecdotal evidence or testimony if I have to. But that does not make it a tabloid.
In fact, if you go back through my archive, you will find that Ladra is more often right than wrong (I will bet you un cortadito right now that Hernandez runs for state office).
Some people value my observations. Others don’t, or pretend not to. You are free to fall into whatever category you are more comfortable with.
No bitterness at all.
Love, Ladra
Ms De Valle, your constant criticism of Hernandez obviously displays your bitterness towards him. You criticize him by saying, what type of a Mayor he would make if when something disagreeable is said about him, he doesn’t return calls. I would pose, what type of a “journalist” are you that constantly criticizes a candidate because he doesn’t return your calls. A bitter one, I dare say and unprofessional. I have yet seen your articles be informative or objective, much less credible since most of your rhetoric is based on gossip and conjecture. Your blog is a mere attemp at a political tabloid. I do have to say at times -It’s entertaining much like the tabloids at the grocery check out counter. Your articles’ literary value it’s retained but seconds. No substance.
Regarding your constant reference that this is a stepping stone for another job, has he told you? Or yet another assumption? And if it is, so what? If he does a good job while in office then what is the problem? Reminder – there are term limits Miami Lakes.
Your bitterness is showing…
Oh wait – you’re the guy that claims you don’t know Hernandez (your quote) and do not have a personal vendetta against him; just a concerned Miami Lakes resident – but yet you know about his whereabouts and who he talks to?? Comical…
You may also want to look into the times he has been absent. I recall a vote related to the new city hall or its debt that Nelson was busy talking to State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez at the Lakes Sports Bar & Grill.