Steve Berke is looking better and better every day.
Berke is the former comedian running for mayor in Miami Beach on a platform that advocates for decriminalized marijuana and a “2020 Vision” plan anch
ored by a skyline cable car system to boost tourism, which I thought was pie in the sky until he got the interest of Sir Richard Branson, CEO and Chairman of the Virgin Group, who not only likes the idea of a “breathtaking public transportation solution” but is willing to help fund it.
Berke is a smart, no-nonsense, third-generation Beach resident who seems to be the only one speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
It just happens to be funny a lot of the time.
He also seems to be the only one respecting the voters.
It’s too bad everyone expects Berke to do nothing more than force a runoff between the two front runners, Commissioner Michael Gongora, who is tied to the convention center controversy and, now, some hidden PAC monies that he preposterously denies having anything to do with, and millionaire Philip Levine, a businessman with questionable practices who is trying to buy this election busing seniors en masse to the movies and for an elaborate “senior prom” at the convention center (more on that later) and who is being driven by campaign consultant/lobbyist David Custin, who has several interests on the beach, and attorney (read: attack dog) JC Planas, who likely wants to.
Levine is like the Mitt Romney of the Beach elections: A stiff, socially inept millionaire funding his own campaign — spending at least $1 million so far from his pocket for a job that pays $10,000 a year — trying (read: buying) desperately to connect with voters.
He is dangerous. And he is mysterious. He won’t speak to me, or, I guess, anyone else that questions his methods or his madmen. Ladra approached him after a recent debate — and, man, the Beach has a ton of them — and he politely blew me off. I simply asked if we could speak, since none of his people would answer my questions about documented fraud charges on his businesses in Alaska. Since, in fact, they threatened me with legal action if I continued to ask.
He said no, we could not talk to me about it. He said he knew perfectly well who I was and that anything he had to say was all on his website (which it’s not but it’s an easy way to try to dodge accountability) and that no, he was not going to speak to me, either.
Minutes later, he summoned someone talking to me — someone who was actually telling me that he would vote for Levine — and stopped him from speaking with me. Why do that? Because he doesn’t want anyone talking to this blogger. Period. Or that one, because he had the same issue with a J.P. Morgan that writes for City Debate and whose ethics complaint, on behalf of Planas, was thrown out (read: laughed out of the Ethics Commission office).
And then what is next? He won’t have anyone talking to this gadfly? Or that critic? Or that activist, maybe? If he is elected, will he not accept anyone in his office who questions him? Watch out. That’s dangerous.
But if Levine is scary, Gongora is weak.
How can the incumbent with everyone and their mother’s endorsement — as he is quick to remind you — be running so scared that he would ditch a debate? (He says he was sick but nobody believes that.) How is it possible that he is not killing the shady and unknown Levine in the polls? Because Gongora is acting like someone who is not in a comfortable double digit lead.
And how can he be running so scared that he would have to hide his negative attacks behind a PAC and then deny having anything to do with it. For goodness sake, the Nevada-based Women’s Leadership Conference — which raised more than $27,000 since last summer — used to have Gongora’s mother among its registered agents. Nobody believes he had no knowledge of this PAC, Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, which is chaired by his former campaign consultant Randy Hilliard, who has also been accused of being his gatekeeper (read: paid bouncer) for anyone who wants something on the beach.
Maybe Gongora feels he has to fight fire with fire, since Levine is using PAC man Custin to do his dirty work. But he should do so openly and transparently.
That’s why Ladra likes Berke. No, it does not have to do with his desire to decriminalize marijuana. Or not entirely, anyway. It has more to do with the fact that he doesn’t use PACs and he answers questions and, just as importantly, asks them and also because he chose the word “transparency” as his one key word at the last debate.
Maybe Berke knows that is Ladra’s magic word. But Gongora chose “experience,” which can be and has been translated loosely to mean “veteran grafter.” And Levine chose “execution,” which Berke quickly used to illustrate his point that Levine — who many think wants to be a strong mayor in the near future — has no clue as to how government functions and what the job of mayor really means.
“He’s running for the wrong job. He should be running for city manager,” said Berke, who thinks fast on his feet and tossed out his closing remarks to respond to some of the things said at the last debate. Ladra’s tail wagged.
After Gongora had gushed far too enthusiastically about getting “every single endorsement” from everyone and their mother, Berke played down the Miami Herald nod with a line that drew both laughter and applause. “They also endorsed a little thing called the Marlins Stadium.”
Ladra thinks Berke is a fresh breath of air and exactly what Miami Beach needs right now: A painfully honest dreamer who calls things as he sees them and doesn’t pull any punches. Or punchlines. About the only thing I don’t like about him is that he retired from comedy so he would be taken more seriously. Really? Really? More seriously than the clowns in office now?
Meanwhile, Levine has proven himself to be a consistent and in-your-face liar calling Berke a comedian and saying that he is running for a reality show, despite being told over and over and over again that Berke is making a documentary on the behind-the-scenes of a municipal political campaign — a concept that everyone and anyone for good government ought to applaud.
“He’s either a liar or he doesn’t listen,” Berke said.
I would say it is both.
While I’m only getting started covering Miami Beach, and have had to do my research at other coverage on blogs like Bill Cooke’s Random Pixels, I get my solid footing the old fashioned way: Talking to some 35 or 40 people or so.
Many dislike Gongora, who some call “Con”Gora and slam for backstabbing the mayor to vote against then City Manager Jorge Gonzalez. Many distrust Levine, who they never heard of or seen before and who wants so bad to be mayor, he will spend a cool million or so for the job.
It’s unfortunate that many also dismiss Berke as a distant third who will do nothing more than force a run-off. Because, that doesn’t have to be true.
Berke, who has scored major points at these debates turning actual voters (I saw it happen), has nowhere to go but up and might be propelled in that direction by the negative back and forth between Gongora and Levine in everyone’s mailboxes (more on that later).
Maybe people will want someone young and fresh to lead them out of this infighting.
Then Steve Berke is looking better and better every day.
For Miami Beach mayor, third man Steve Berke is the charm added by Ladra on
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