As New Year’s Eve approaches, everyone looks anxiously to the state and local elections in 2014. But in one of Ladra’s favorite cities, the heat is already turning up for elections that won’t come ’til 2015.
And, when you start to peel the political onion, it’s really about the elections in 2017.
Make no mistake about it: State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez‘s run for a Hialeah city council seat is just a set up for the mayoral race four years from now.
That’s the seat that Gonzalez, a former Hialeah city councilman, really wants. He almost ran for it in 2011, but backed down when former Mayor Raul Martinez threw his hat in the ring.
But since current Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez, just re-elected in a landslide last month, won’t complete his term until 2017 and Gonzalez is termed out next year (more on that race later), there’s a whole three year gap in which the professional politician is going to have some time on his hands. Because, apparently, Gonzalez — who won’t face the same residency violation issues he faces at the state since he lives in his old district, not the new one — can’t stand to work in the private sector even for just a couple of years.
This way, he can also use his position and his last term in Tallahassee, where Gonzalez serves as chairman of the Miami-Dade Legislative 
delegation to raise funds with the mayor’s seat as the ultimate goal. Why else have a campaign fundraiser for a Hialeah seat in Boynton Beach? It was hosted by none other than fellow State Rep. Jose “Cigar Czar” Oliva and Tallahassee lobbyist David Ramba, among others. Gonzalez, who apparently filed paperwork for this seat months ago, has already reported raising close to $20,000 for the race.
As reported in El Nuevo Herald by Enrique Flor, Gonzalez — who has shown he doesn’t like to run in real elections that are contested — will run for the seat no occupied by Councilman Jose Caragol, simply because he believes Caragol is termed out of office, according to the city charter, since this is his third consecutive term.
But Caragol has said (read: has been commanded by his mayor to say) he will fight this in court, since his first election was in 2005 to fill out the term of then Councilman Julio Robaina, when he ran successfully for mayor. He interprets the charter as saying three full terms, I guess.
Caragol — an 82-year-old former police department spokesman who is infamous for inappropriate sexual innuendos and often falls asleep at council meetings — was also quoted as saying that he will run as long as he is breathing, term limits and court decisions be damned!
This, even though former Councilman Esteban “Stevie El Bobo” Bovo, now a county commissioner, told El Nuevo that he was told by the city attorney when he was faced with the same situation — his first term was also to fill out another’s seat — that he could not run again since he served three consecutive terms. The charter, apparently, is not specific on whether they are full or partial terms.
Count on Caragol getting the full support of Hernandez and his cronies, including Council President Isis “Gavelgirl” Garcia-Martinez, who is also widely said to be eyeing the mayor’s seat for herself and is considered Castro’s handpicked successor. They certainly do not want Gonzalez on the dais when he runs against Gavelgirl for the top job.
In fact, they may already be looking at alternatives to run against Gonzalez for that seat if it turns out that Caragol legally cannot.
But Garcia-Martinez might get busy defending her own seat, which is also up for grabs in 2015.
Unless, however, what a Hialeah City Hall insider told Ladra is true: That Hernandez will leave mid-term so that Garcia-Martinez can run as the “incumbent” mayor in 2017. This could even happen before her term is up in 2015.
After all, Hernandez, who is paid $175,000 a year, already has a $130,000 pension secured. And even if Garcia-Martinez — who makes $44,000 a year as a council member — lost in 2017, she would have an $80,000 annual pension secured.
That’s the game in Hialeah, where electeds — who never put one penny into the pension plan — leave with 3 percent of their highest paid year for every year they have “worked” for the city.
Reached via text late Thursday, Gonzalez told Ladra that he longed to return to city government and used the word transition.
“I’m coming home to do what I really love — which is local government,” he said. “Hopefully, we can have an agreement where it will be a peaceful transition, but if not ! We’ll be ready for anything! It is what it is!!”
Those are his exclamation points.
Hmmm, I told him. “Agreement?” Interesting word choice considering there are rumors that he has struck some backroom deal to run for council now in exchange for their support and a smoother “transition” to mayor later.
“Hell no!! There is no such deal!!” And you gotta love Gonzalez’s passion for punctuation.
“Hialeah deserves more than any deal for any one person or for a pension compromise!!”
I asked twice, because Ladra is a pain like that.
“There is no deal!! Two years is a long time. Anything can happen,” Gonzalez wrote.
Gonzalez, who said in the Herald that he respected Caragol and was only running because the councilman was termed out (told you he doesn’t like real races), ought to think about switching groups and run against Garcia-Martinez. And I told him so. That would be a real race. And, after all, she is the considered by all political observers the most vulnerable of the Seguro Que Yes council members and she only beat former Councilwoman Cindy Miel in 2011 with absentee ballots in a close race.
Or maybe, like las malas lenguas say, Gonzalez — who served with Miel on the council — has encouraged the schoolteacher to run again, with his support this time.
Or maybe, they might find someone else to run against the Mighty Isis. After all, it is easier to beat her in 2017 if he can take her out now.
It would likely be tit for tat. Those same malas lenguas say that Castro and Gavelgirl are encouraging someone to run against Councilwoman Vivian “I’ll Notarize That” Casals-Muñoz, the odd woman out. She is a thorn in their side because she has a semblance of independence, despite being Robaina’s in-law and, as such, una niña preferida who has magically been able to avoid any repercussions from her involvement in Robaina’s illegal activities, for which he is under indictment and which have her signature all over them.
She also has the dubious distinction of being a Gonzalez ally… so if she is helping him, as she has in all his state races, they won’t be helping her.
One name floated is that of former Councilman Jose “Pepe” Yedra, who openly cried when he was termed out in 2011 but can run again since it is not a consecutive term. Only someone as wildly popular with the over 60 set as Yedra can raise a valid challenge to Casals-Muñoz, who inexplicably ranks the highest name recognition and positives in Hialeah.
Well, maybe not so inexplicable if you look at her company.
So, while we are all saying Happy 2014 in a few days, it’s all about 2015 in Hialeah.
Or, rather, 2017.
Hialeah 2015 council races will heat up early in 2014 added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →