State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez (R-Hialeah) is formally in the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s race.
Gonzalez, who is termed out at the end of this year, filed Tuesday, making true Ladra’s prediction from last month. Wednesday, he withdrew from the Hialeah Council race that he had originally intended to run in.
The representative did not return repeated calls from Ladra. He is still mad at me for catching him at home in his old district even though he was supposed to move to the new district he represents.
He joins a fat ballot of candidates, led by former Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia and independent perennial candidate Alex Dominguez — who are basically head to head in fundraising. There are a few other names on the list, but none that really matter. This is a three-man race for a position that pays $190,000 and pretty much controls the property tax base.
We voters should be paying more attention.
Especially now that Gonzalez is in, arguably bringing the absentee ballot machinery in Hialeah with him. Gonzalez’s ties to the AB machinery and Hialeah boleteras like Deisy Cabrera, who was arrested in the 2012 campaign for 
collecting ballots illegally, are known. And las malas lenguas say he was promised support from the Hialeah hoodlums in this race, led by Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez, if he withdrew from the bout with Councilman Jose Caragol. That battle could have ended up in court also since Caragol is technically termed out but got a ridiculous legal opinion that states he has another term.
Gonzalez will likely catch up to the $50K or so raised by the other candidates quickly. Especially if he has funds already that he can move from his abandoned council race. He could also tap the Miami Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross for a favor. After all, they owe him. Gonzalez sponsored the doomed Dolphins stadium roof bill scam in the House last year.
But that, by the way, could come back in August to bite him in the, um, ballot. Gonzalez has never run a real race in his life, let alone a countywide race. What makes him think he can get votes anywhere but Hialeah and Miami Lakes? And why is he doing this if his real desire is to be mayor of Hialeah one day? He abandoned that race in 2011 when former Mayor Raul Martinez jumped in. Did Gonzalez think he’d lose the council seat easier than he’ll lose this race?
Even Republicans have whispered that he has absolutely no qualifications whatsoever for this job.
I would say he has the opposite of that, since he lied about his residency for is current office.
So what is this really? A landing place? A temporary rest plaza on the way to another office?
“He finished his time in Tallahassee and doesn’t have anyplace to go,” Garcia told Ladra, adding that he was not in the least worried.
“It may affect various other candidates. It won’t affect me at all. I was prepared for him to enter the contest. I have what he doesn’t have, which is knowledge about the tax evaluation of properties. He has none.
“I have nothing against him. He’s just not prepared for that position.”
Well, Gonzalez has time to change his mind. Qualification deadline is June 17.
Eddy Gonzalez files for property appraiser, as expected added by Ladra on
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