It has been rumored for weeks but it became official on Friday: Democratic Party gadfly and social services activist Daniella Levine will be running against Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell.
Levine, who founded the Human Services Coalition of Dade County in 1996, filed the paperwork Friday. Well, Danielle Levine Cava did. Whoever that is. She added Cava to her last name either to sound more Hispanic or so she could have a three initial monogram. She will make the formal announcement tomorrow at the South Dade Government Center alongside, her press release says, a bevy of supportive electeds, including former Commissioner Katy Sorenson, who retired in 2010 and left the seat open, Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter, Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner and State Rep. Kionne McGhee (D-South Dade). A few former electeds will also be there: Former Miami-Dade School Board members Betsy Kaplan and Janet McAliley and South Miami Mayor and former State Rep. Julio Robaina, who is apparently coming out of hiding in the Keys for this.
But her candidacy has been the buzz of District 8 and Dem circles since the vice chairwoman’s husband, Mark Bell, lost the mayoral race in Homestead two months ago to Porter. Levine has talked to a number of people, including Annette Taddeo, the chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, who everyone says is making this personal since she lost that 2010 commission race runoff to Bell by 3 1/2 points.
‘”We definitely recruited her,” Taddeo told Ladra Monday morning.
“Besides not being ethically challenged,” she said in a not so indirecta against Bell, “she is a very smart woman, very capable and the community respects her tremendously for all the work she’s done for years. She’s already a public servant and we need to have public servants who have a track record of serving the public.”
Ethically challenged? Lynda?
“Well, there’s the connection between her and Maroño and the towing company,” Taddeo said, referring to former Sweetwater Mayor Manny “Maraña” Maroño, who got a towing contract in Homestead and who gave Lynda Bell’s police officer daughter, fired from her hometown force, a job in his city. Maroño is now facing bribery charges for allegedly taking $40,000 or so in kickbacks for bogus grant applications in a two-year sting.
Then there was her vote to lift the ban on chain link fences — without disclosing that her daughter and son-in-law own a fencing company with the commissioner’s own address on corporate records. She said there was “zero personal gain” for herself and her son-in-law. But that can’t be possible if her family’s business gets more jobs because the ban is lifted.
“It’s comical. And sad at the same time,” Taddeo said.
Bell, who is seen as vulnerable and is facing a recall, barely, did not return a call from Ladra. But Taddeo said Levine will not operate the same way.
“She’s open minded. She will listen to all sides. Just because she’s not ethically challenged and not going to be there for the special interests, doesn’t mean she won’t listen to all sides. We need to find the middle ground,” Taddeo said.
When the Democratic Party sent volunteers to do ground work for the Homestead election in November, they heard from people that were unhappy with Bell, Taddeo told Ladra.
“Everybody is ready for a change. It was a tea party year mix up and needs to be fixed,” Taddeo said of Bell’s victory.
Yeah, she does sound a little bitter.
But Levine’s is not the only name floated around. Among those is former State Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, who has also talked to some people about it.
“I am strongly considering the seat. I am being strongly recruited for the seat,” Rivas Logan told Ladra again Monday morning.
She couldn’t believe that Dade Dems were going to back Levine this early out. “That’s not the impression I got,” said Rivas Logan, who has talked to Taddeo about the seat. “I haven’t made up my mind. I’m being heavily recruited. And I don’t think the Democratic Party is going to make up their minds until everyone is announced.”
Rivas Logan, who served in the House as a Republican, may even change party affiliation.
“I am being heavily recruited to change parties for other seats as well,” said Rivas Logan, whose friends in the Republican good ol boy club abandoned her last year and went after her with a vengeance to make sure State Rep. Jose Felix “One More Pepe” Diaz was elected.
“My party has done me wrong. There is no love lost between me and the Miami Dade Republican Party,” Rivas Logan told me, adding that not one of her former colleagues have called or contacted her since the 2012 race.
“How’s that for statesmanship?”
Anyone making a serious challenge better get started in earnest. Bell has already raised $180,000. And that was as of Nov. 30. Ladra is pretty certain she will have topped $200K with the next report, which is due later this week.
Lynda Bell’s first promised challenge files: Daniella Levine added by Ladra on
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