Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was elected the commission chairman Tuesday.
Sure, the board chose Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Jr. over Xavier Suarez. But the victory 
belongs to the mayor, who now has a compliant chairman and control of the commission agenda. You could see the satisfaction on his face when the two embraced after the vote. Watch for a bunch of “emergency” contracts to be awarded to companies you will find on Gimenez’s multiple campaign finance reports. You may also see the words “piggy back” and “waive” more often when it comes to the bidding process.
Gimenez campaigned hard for Bovo because he knows that he’s got him in his pocket. The two have been in cahoots since they committed absentee ballot fraud together in 2012. Bovo even used his district office in Hialeah as a drop-off point for boleteras. So ushering contracts and ordinances and resolultions through the commission, bypassing committees and the normal vetting process, is no big deal.
With a blow to checks and balances in one of the most important decisions the board can make — this can set the tone for the next two years — the vote was 8-5, with former 
Chairman Jean Monestime and Commissioners Audrey Edmonson, Sally Heyman, Bruno Barreiro, Rebeca Sosa (who nominated him), Dennis Moss and Javier Souto joining Bovo’s nod for himself. Suarez was joined by Barbara Jordan (who nominated him), Daniella Levine Cava, Joe Martinez, and Jose “Pepe” Diaz.
Ladra was surprised by Diaz, Monestime, Moss and Edmonson — until Edmonson got the vice chairmanship out of the blue. Was that a deal struck with Bovo for her vote? Shouldn’t have Suarez been made the vice chair?
Maybe too much damage was done already.
Ladra has said it before: X is his own worst enemy. His opening statements began with praise for Bovo, calling him a realist and applauding the way he has chaired the transportation committee. “I cannot imagine that I would outperform him. He has done eminently well. And he has a great sense of humor that I try to emulate,” Suarez said in what sounded way more like a Bovo endorsement than an opening pitch for himself.
Then he reminded them of his involvement in both the Frost Museum and the Liberty Square redevelopment — neither which has been smooth going. And then he rambled on and on about projects he has collaborated on with each of the commissioners, wasting time on people like Sosa and Souto who were not persuadable.
“I think I’ve broken the record in terms of Sunshine meetings and met with each of you in many times and worked out deals and agreements in a consentual way, supporting projects and actions,” he said. “I’m even ready to embrace water taxis if that works.”
Yeah, yeah, we get it. You are very collegial. And maybe too genuine. Which makes you a nice guy and a good public servant, but leaves you at a disadvantage as a politician.
Of course, he also quoted one or two intellectuals. But it seemed like a parade of minutia, and it didn’t really move the ball forward. Bovo talked about the future much more forcefully and persuasively and positioned himself as someone with a sense of urgency. “We, as a board now, enter a new dynamic — the dynamic of term limits,” Bovo said, referring to the term limits that were approved by voters in 2012 and are finally going to start kicking in. Six commissioners are running for their final time in 2018 and termed out in 2022. (Monestime, Heyman, Levine Cava, Sosa, Souto and Diaz). The ones re-elected this year, save Martinez, will be termed out in 2020 (Jordan, Edmonson, Barreiro, Suarez, Moss and Bovo).
While Suarez promised to inspire them, Bovo promised them a legacy.
“The time of procrastination, the time of long deliberations 
when at the end of the day studies would end up on the shelves, I believe are no longer present. I would like to see the county move progressively foward over the next two or four years,” he said, and those commissioners probably heard angels singing.
Transportation is going to be a priority, Bovo announced, like it wouldn’t be for anybody. And he mentioned a proposed “policy council that works hand in hand with administration to move policy forward… whether it’s funding for transportation or how do we address our prison.”
Notice he said administration instead of commission.
That’s why we still need Suarez to be the chairman for the community. Let Bovo represent the mayor, er, I mean the commission. X can assume a much more important role, which is to represent us and be the reality check for Mr. Puppet Chair.
It may be the only shred of checks and balances we have left.
Carlos Gimenez, er, Stevie Bovo wins commission chair added by Ladra on
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