South Miami’s Bicycle Bob rides again — in Sweetwater

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South Miami Commissioner “Bicycle Bob” Welsh is at it again — but this time, he’s passing out flyers from his two-wheeled throne more than a few miles away in the city of Sweetwater.

Welsh is supporting activist Deborah Centeno, who hopes to become the city’s first Nicaraguan-American mayor. He says he has distributed more than 5,000 flyers with headlines and excerpts from the Miami Herald and Political Cortadito about the scandals that have plagued Sweetwater since former Mayor Manny “Maraña” Maroño was arrested in 2013.

The first double-sided flyers were printed with the headlines from the local papers — and even Political Cortadito — about the scandals and the Maroño family penchant for absentee ballot fraud.

A second flyer also highlights the scandals.

“Whether Deborah wins or not, corruption is now on everybody’s radar screen,” Welsh said.

He really wanted to help “any candidates trying to replace the lady who said ‘There are two types of press that I know, bought off or buried,'” he wrote Ladra in an email in March. “Please put me in contact with them. I need the exercise.” 

I told him that Commissioner Isolina Maroño, the former mayor’s mama, wasn’t up for re-election this year. So he’s going after her allies.

“If they can be knocked off in this election then there are less chances City SUV’s and Police horses will go missing and less chance the Feds will get billed $50 for each domino game the seniors play,” he told Ladra.
It’s not the first time Bicycle Bob pedals his preach away from home. In 2012, he campaigned against Coral Gables Commissioner Vince Lago in support of Ross Hancock, calling attention to Lago’s Homestead exemption issues.

And he’s no stranger to controversy. A thorn in his own administration’s side, as well as utility giant Florida Power & Light, Welsh has even been accused of racism after a poster about a community pool had a mule laying on a floating device.

But Centeno — the longshot, underfunded, underdog candidate — is happy to have his help.

“His issue is to get rid of corruption and he is helping me because he knows my whole campaign is about that,” said Centeno, who is running against Mayor Jose Diaz and Commissioner Orlando Lopez for the mayor’s seat.

“He is welcome in this campaign,” she said. “And I think he is making a difference.”

  Bob Welsh, Deborah Centeno, Sweetwater