Attention anyone who wants a high paying job with all the government perks at the city of Miami Beach: Just run for office.
That’s basically the message that the 
city commission sent when it unanimously approved a request by Commissioner Ed Tobin to apply to the police department without waiting the two-year period required of electeds before they can aspire to city jobs.
Tobin isn’t even going to wait a day. He’s applying while he is an elected. And that practically means he has the job. I mean, how is the chief, who now works for him, gonna tell him that he’s not up to snuff? He’s not. Tobin will get the police officer job, and in a few years quickly move up the ranks to a senior management position that will help him pad his pension.
Oh, and he’ll resign before his term is up, leaving Mayor Philip “Fix It” Levine to appoint someone who will then run as a de facto incumbent in November.
Talk about un arreglo. Word is that this was planned before the mayoral election last year. 
And those same malas lenguas say that there are at least two other commissioners in the wings waiting for juicy jobs on the public trough: Commissioner Deede Weithorn wants to be CFO and Commissioner Jonah “Potty Mouth” Wolfson wants to be city attorney.
Ladra is not surprised that these two voted for Tobin’s special request, which passed unanimously Wednesday. After all, it sets a nice precedent for themselves. And it’s no shocker that Commissioner Joy Malakoff, a total Levine lackey, voted to give him the opportunity to clone her on the dais.
But I am surprised that Commissioners Michael Grieco — who maybe now can become the assistant city attorney? — and Micky Steinberg voted for it, too. Especially since Steinberg said that the ordinance should be stronger so that electeds can’t appeal to this loophole, which requires a 5/7 vote.
Read related story: Ed Tobin wants city to bend rules for him to be a Beach cop
How strange is it that in Miami Beach, you can’t lobby the city for two years after leaving office, but you can apply for a job before your term is up. And why is that loophole there? Why are electeds allowed to apply for a job before the two-year waiting period — even with the nod of a super majority of their colleagues? That is something that should be addressed (read: removed) the next time the city’s charter review committee meets.
Again, this seems like a classic textbook case of public corruption — defined as using one’s elected office for personal gain — and Ladra hopes that the appropriate authorities are watching. It could also be a violation of the Miami Beach Citizens’ Bill of rights.
I mean, can you imagine the outcry if Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz were to apply at a job at the airport or Commissioner Audrey Edmonson wanted to be the county’s risk management director? In fact, while it may seem impossible at the county level, this move might not only set a precedent at the Beach but also at other small municipalities. Hialeah Councilwoman Isis “Gavelgirl” Garcia-Martinez might want to be a Human Resources director one day, South Miami Commissioner Walter Harris could apply to the city’s mailroom and Doral Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera might wanna do PR — oh, no, nevermind; she already worked for the city.
Meanwhile, there’s nothing stopping the person who gets appointed by Levine to fill Tobin’s shoes from applying for the next city position. How convenient.
Miami Beach paves way for electeds to become employees added by Ladra on
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