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Beckham for the photo op and he would stand in the back. “Entonces se le pasa la pataleta,” Mayor Regalado said. “Then he’ll get over the tantrum.”
It does seem like a little petty, no? This stadium 
deal is good for everybody in the county. Heck, in the region. Miami Beckham United and leaders, including Gimenez, have been looking for a suitable location for almost two years and nada. Now, one is potentially found. And voters will get to make the final decision anyway.
But instead of taking the stateman’s route and, with his congratulations, offering Carvalho any help he could need, the mayor goes on a radio rampage calling the deal a political move — like Regalado’s campaign against the courthouse referendum before that and the value adjustment board lawsuit where Regalado pointed out how the county threw away millions in lagging property adjustments with owners who game the system.
Ain’t it always “political” for Gimenez when it’s not the agenda he is pushing? He goes on the radio and tries to paint a whole family black, calling it politiqueria — when he is the one who is making it political, as usual.
Read related story: Carlos Gimenez tries to hang on to piece of soccer stadium
He didn’t have a problem with the location when the University of Miami was going to be involve (wasn’t this Commissioner Xavier Suarez’s idea first?), though Gimenez could feel the deal slip through his fingers even back then. So he’s really just upset over who gets to be the landlord. He was hoping he would. He really needs to stop trashing the new stadium proposal because (1) Nobody cares
and (2) He looks like a baby. This is not how he wants to start a contentious re-election campaign.
Politics 101 calls for the incumbent candidate to grin and bear it, to be the “bigger man” he always, constantly claims to be, to not engage and let it lie, or to do what Elsa says and Let It Go, to shut up and allow the narrative of the conversation to change in a day or two. You had your chance. You should welcome someone else’s efforts.
But noooooo. Instead, Gimenez gets his panties all up in a bunch and calls every Spanish-language radio station to cry foul. He says this is all a Tomas Regalado concoction — to sell the city-owned land to the school board instead of the county so the school board can offer a tax break — in order to help his daughter’s political aspirations.
Nevermind that his real target ought to be Carvalho, who brought the deal to the school board, of which Regalado is only one member. Nevermind that Carvalho’s plan got unanimous preliminary approval from the nine members of the school board (albeit with the usual moaning and groaning from Member Marta Perez). Nevermind that a discussed magnet school of sorts for sports management and medicine or something like that meets the MLS requirement of an educational component. Nevermind that access to the facility could save the school board (read: us taxpayers) somewhere around $1 million a year. Nevermind that Team Beckham has also enthusiastically agreed to fund uniforms and instruments for team bands and other extracurricular stuff.
None of that matters. Because what Gimenez is really crying about is that they cut him out of the deal.
See? Gimenez somehow thought that if he could bring soccer to Miami — if he was the one to bring futbol to the masses of West Kendall and Doral and North Beach — then he could seal his re-election with those Hispanic votes. That’s why his campaign manager Jesse Manzano, aka @TridentStrat, has also been playing in his own pissing match, on Twitter, with Tadd Schwartz, @TaddSchwartz, who is doing PR for Miami Beckham United.
“Given the Marlins, this community deserves full disclosure sans the politics please,” tweeted Manzano in a hint of what might be a campaign against the yes for MLS. “Don’t underestimate the legacy of a ‘spiritually tainted’ site.”
“Seriously? MBU is privately financing 100% of the stadium. They take all the risk. Know your facts pal,” Schartz shot back.
“As they should. But let’s talk ‘facts’: They also get all the profits, pal,” Manzano tweeted right back at him.
“Both Mayors & public wld agree that privately funded Beckham plan has ZERO in common w Marlins deal,” Shwartz tweeted.
Manzano: “I am confident that a talented and experienced campaign expert like you will make sure of that, pal.”
Schwartz: “Back atcha.”
So, it looks like the mayor’s campaign manager is also going to actively work against the referendum to put a futbol stadium at Marlins Park.
Who needs soccer? We not only got ourselves a world class pissing match right here, maybe Miami has also invented the pissing tournament.
Somebody quick! Call Samsung! Or Citbank!
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