The list of people who are calling that shady Miami Beach Relentless for Progress 
PAC for what it is — at best, a conflict of interest, at worst an extortion scheme involving Mayor Philip Levine and Commissioner Jonah Wolfson — is growing and growing.
Commissioner Deede Weithorn sounded the alarm early and Commissioner Ed Tobin backed her up. Ladra was the first to expose what they are doing and now the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is investigating. Veteran TV journalist Michael Putney blasted it on his show (twice!) and in the Miami Herald. Former regime supporters like Miami Beach activist Frank Del Vecchio are defecting from Team Levine faster than you can swig down a mojito at the Broken Shaker.
And now, lawyer Steve Cody — who has done political videos critical of Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘ stadium deals and against former Commissioner Lynda Bell in her last election (you’re two for two, bud) — has taken aim at the shady PAC with his YouTube account.
Read related story: Daniella Levine gets more support from Bell attack ad
Cody, under the name Save Miami Beach, has been emailing residents with these negative campaign pieces against the PAC and their intended beneficiaries, the slate of candidates supported (read: hand picked) by Levine. Thursday, he posted a video on his personal account that he did with basic google tools that very simply but entertainingly states what Ladra has been writing about and what Putney is concerned about and what Weithorn really loses sleep over: That the donations from vendors and developers and contractors doing business with the city stink to high heaven of bribes or a shakedown.
See for yourself.
Wolfson and Levine need money. Lotsa, lotsa, lotsa money,” the written words say while The Beatles’ “I Want Money” plays in the background.
“The best things in life are free. But you can give them to the birds and bees. I want money. That’s what I want.”
“Developer money,” the gold-plated words say, with a picture of Stuart Miller, who gave the PAC $100,000 on a $500 bill.
“Billionaire money,” it says with a picture of Wayne Bioch, who also “kicked in $100,000.”
“Hotel money,” refers to the Fountaineblue’s $100,000 contribution and “casino money” to the Seminole Hard Rock’s $10,000.
“There’s lots more. Lobbyists, developers, contractors, and special interests have donated $1.4 million to their PAC. What do they want in return,” the message asks.
Then, “Jonah Wolfson and Phil Levine, selling the soul of Miami Beach.”
Read related story: Miami Beach: Levine and Wolfson on defense for shady PAC
Ladra’s favorite part is when the slate pops up one at a time 
— Betsy Perez, Ricky Arriola and John Elizabeth Aleman — and are called “three rubber stamps.”
Cody doesn’t have to have a PAC or anything to air this. It didn’t cost him anything to produce. Nobody is paying him to do it. He does it as a hobby. Sorta like Ladra and Political Cortadito. Why wouldn’t I believe him?
“I don’t have to raise money. I don’t have to spend money. I can do it all on my own computer.”
Why bother?
“Because I can do it. Because if I was living on the Beach, I would be afraid folks in power might tow my car or make my life miserable,” Cody said.
Sure, he’s going to get blasted for being suspended by the bar a year. His sins? The Palmetto Bay attorney bounced a check (says he grabbed the wrong checkbook) and failed to inform a client about a critical matter that could have cost the client $12,000. It won’t because Cody is paying for it. So what’s the big deal? It doesn’t make anything he says false. Ladra, for one, is glad something like that ain’t gonna silence him.
Yeah, it’s probably because we see things the same way most of the time and he has a real institutional knowledge of the 305’s political history — good, bad, ugly. He knows the Beach from when he was involved in a failed move to create single member districts in the early 90s. He’s also sued people like Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi before it became cool to hate him.
These days, he pours his political passion into more creative outlets.
Cody says he plans to release a different video each week. Ladra says keep ’em coming.
It’s not like you have to wait for good material.
New Steve Cody video jabs shady Miami Beach PAC added by Ladra on
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