District 12 race heats up with Goliath beating up on David

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Many 305 political observers thought the only commission race that was going to be fun this year was in District 8 — where incumbent Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell is facing a real challenge from political neophyte Daniella Levine Cava, who moved into the district just so she could run.

But the race in District 12, which only became a contest at the very last minute, is heating up to be quite an entertaining match — thanks to those crazy animal-loving Pet Trust people and a suddenly nervous incumbent elected, who is facing his first ever real test after having been basically unopposed for two cycles.

In one corner of the ring, you have Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, in his big, black county SUV — and maybe on county gas — sorta stalking and video taping some poor campaign person with limited English skills improperly posting signs in Doral for the commissioner’s challenger while his PAC files a disclosure violation complaint with the Florida Elections Division and his friends try to persuade her not to run because, well, because political campaigns are just so gosh-darned dirty.

And they expect us to believe they met with retired school teacher Marjorie Figueira out of the kindness of their hearts to spare her the pitfalls of the race?

In the other corner, you have Figueira — who has three different birthdays, depending on the ID — recruited and funded and wholly supported by the Pet’s Trust people, forgetting to disclose her $700,000 on Matacumbe Key and some property in Barbados that she inherited from her deceased husband while sending out mailers that basically call Diaz corrupt and telling voters to “send Pepe packing,” now using the Pet’s Voice not as a PAC but as a non-profit that doesn’t have to report it’s donations and expenses any longer. How convenient.

And Pet’s Trust/Voice President Michael Rosenberg expects us to believe that auto mogul Norman Braman only gave them $20,000?

When Braman told Ladra months ago that the Pet’s people had approached them to see if he would help finance a campaign against Diaz, he said he would — if they found a good candidate. Key word: Good. He mentioned former Doral Mayor JC Bermudez as an example. Well, I’ve met Mayor Bermudez. And you, Ms. Figueira, are no Mayor Bermudez.

But, then again, I have also seen Braman throw money away before.

And if not from him, then the non-PAC PAC is getting money from someone. Because the mailers they sent cost a pretty penny and they’ve had at least two, in both English and Spanish, though I heard there was a third. Then they have palm cards as well as what las malas lenguas say are almost nightly robocalls calling Diaz a very bad man.

“My mother is getting those calls, two and three a night, calling me a thief,” an indignant Commissioner Diaz told me.

The incumbent — elected unopposed in 2006 and then by 75% of the voters in 2010 — is taking Figueira’s threat seriously enough that he’s attacking the candidate’s source, by going after the Pet’s Voice.

On Wednesday, former State Rep. JC Planas — now ambulance-chasing attorney to the pols — filed a complaint on behalf of Diaz’s PAC with the Florida Elections Commission alleging that the Pet’s Voice is improperly funding ads for both Figueira and Levine Cava with improper disclaimers. They say some ads and other propaganda — like the truck that drives around with the wraparound — are paid for by the Pet’s Voice Political Committee, which doesn’t exist anymore.

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  Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Pet’s Trust