An also ran candidate who had pledged his support to Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower in her runoff for a commission seat pulled a surprise switcheroo and endorsed her opponent, instead.
And he admittedly did it so he could gain favor with the new mayor elect, Philip Levine.
Oh, and because he knows Levine is trying to stack the council his way.
Roger Abramson came in third during the first round that left voters with Bower and retired banker Joy Malakoff in the runoff Nov. 19. He was expected to support the de facto incumbent, who was termed out of her current seat.
But on Tuesday morning, in front of everyone at that breakfast thing they have at David Cafe’s, he pulled a Joe Carollo (circa 1983 when the former Miami Mayor was supposed to endorse Maurice Ferre but trashed him at the press conference where he was supposed to announce it, and backed Xavier Suarez, instead).
Or do we call at an Uncle Luke, now? You know, ’cause his 2011 double cross of then Miami-Dade Commissioner Carlos Gimenez for former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina is fresher?
Abramson told the folks sitting at David’s that, after a telephone call from Miami Beach Mayor Elect Philip Levine, he was going to back Malakoff. He told Ladra Thursday that he had, indeed, told Bower he was going to endorse her, despite the fact that he ran against her because he thought she should be termed out of all the city seats, not just the mayor’s, and that she had used a loophole to run. So that’s not the reason.
He also told me he had his change of hart shortly after his telephone chat with the new bossman.
“I think he was paid off or intimidated,” Bower told Ladra Thursday, adding that it was just the latest twist in what appeared like a heavy hand by Levine in her race.
“He’s going after me,” the mayor said.
A longtime activist, Abramson said told Ladra he was just tired of looking like the wild-eyed, crazy man that would talk until he was blue in the face about his issues and ideas — parking discount vouchers for residents, a government center in North Beach or a Latin Music Hall of Fame for tourists. He wants someone to listen. And he hopes that someone is Levine.
“I’m going to have to go and have enough contact with the present administration and commission to do any of these things,” Abramson told me. “I’m going to need to work with the new mayor and I have to support Joy because Joy is part of Philip Levine’s team. And then what he said next was really scary and proves that there are concerns Levine’s control will be absolute.
“Now, he has Dee Dee and Tobin and Jonah,” Abramson said about Commissioners Deede Weithorn, Ed Tobin and Jonah Wolfson and echoing other statements Ladra has heard about how Levine’s backers — lobbyists who represent special interests — are trying to get a friendly commission so that they can get the convention center deals.
“That’s four votes,” Abramson said, because he is counting Levine.
“If he ‘s able to pick up a Michael Grieco or a Joy Malakoff, or even a Micky, because she is probably going to line up with him,” Abramson said, referring to Micky Steinberg and Grieco, who are candidates in the other two commission runoffs, “then you can’t get anything done without him.”
Abramson reminded Ladra that unless he gets them all in, he might not have the super majority when he needs one — like on convention center deals.
But doesn’t this concern him? This apparent power grab in which Levine will have a rubber-stamp commission — sorta like in Hialeah — to just push through his agenda? Nah, Abramson says. Too many people are watching.
Ladra asked Abramson if Levine gave him any indication that his issues would be heard if he endorsed Malakoff. Did he make any promises? Abramson said he did not. But that he just got the feeling that it was the right thing to do of he wanted to be relevant.
“I have a lot to offer. Maybe like this, I will have their ear, at least.”
Oh, but he does feel just awful about the betrayal.
“I feel a little guilty about it. It’s a problem. My wife and children can’t believe I went and did this because I am not the type of person to do this kind of thing,” Abramson told me.
“I’m actually closer to Matti than I am to Joy.”
Well, maybe not anymore, Roger.
Philip Levine gets candidate to swap backing in Beach race added by Ladra on
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