Gimenez vs Suarez war of words heats up with new radio spot

As the war of words between Carlos Gimenez and his family and Xavier Suarez and his family continues to heat up, a new radio spot paid by the Suarez PAC began to air Tuesday — calling Gimenez a fraud.

Suarez narrates the Spanish language, 60-second spot and makes comparisons between Gimenez and his son, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, asking voters to reject all the county questions on the ballot and vote yes on the three charter amendment questions in the city.

“Democracy gives us the opportunity to reward politicians who represent us well and punish those who defraud us,” Suarez starts, after introducing himself.

“In the city of Miami, Mayor Francis Suarez has worked like a champion for the people. He kept his promise and immediately took out the red light cameras. He goes to the comedores and community meetings day after day. He added free trolleys all over the city. And he connected us by rail to Broward and Palm Beach.

“He asks us to vote yes to the three questions on the ballot,” Suarez says.

“Meanwhile, the county mayor has misspent the half penny tax, to the tune of $100 million a year, and he’s taken control of MDX with its tolls and unnecessary construction,” Suarez said.

“Say no to Gimenez. Vote against the referendums for the county. Vote yes for our Mayor Francis Suarez. Vote yes to the questions in the city of Miami.”

The spot is paid for by Imagine Miami, the senior Suarez’s PAC, which, according the the latest campaign finance reports available, hasn’t raised any money since July and has only spent $20,000 since September, mostly on donations to other candidates and PACs. There is still more than half a million available there to be used through Nov. 6. We’ll find out how much Suarez spent on producing and airing the ad in the next report. Ladra expects it to be on the radio a lot.

In comparison, Gimenez, who is indeed chair of the MDX board, has raised $70,000 for his PAC just in the last two months, using it to send at least four or five mailers urging Miami voters to reject the strong mayor referendum. He’s used the opportunity to attack both Papa X — his nemesis, as his strongest critic on the commission — and Baby X, who las malas lenguas say he will challenge in 2021.

Last month, after Suarez tweeted about $100 million in MDX monies that seemed missing from the budget, but were added later under capital improvements, Gimenez got personal, taking a swipe at X’s time as Miami Mayor and saying he left the city in better shape when he left as city manager, presenting budget figures that sources say his staff got through a public records request at the city.

That would be a second time Gimenez uses county staff or officials for his family feud. The first was when he got Commissioner Rebeca Sosa to tie up the CITT request to disentangle the half-penny tax funds from the operational budget. That vote by the board that voters created to oversee the tax they voted for in 2002 has still not been presented to commissioners (more on that later).

“I have dealt with him politely, almost obsequiously,” said Suarez, who did dial his criticism down last year before ratcheting it up again this summer.

“He has promised me he was going to do it [detangle the half-penny tax funds from the general budget] three or four times — in my house, with his son present — and then went back on all those promises that he made not only to me personally but to the electorate, which is more important.”

Then he went after Baby X, which is unforgivable.

“Without any particular reason, without any consultation, without any discussion, he went after the strong mayor in the city,” Suarez the senior said. “He is already the strong mayor in the county. He has the airport, the seaport, water and sewer and plus now he has MDX. What more do you want?”

He wants to land as mayor in the city of Miami, unseating your boy. That’s what.

“That’s laughable,” Suarez said.

Ouch. Strong words again. Ladra fears that Gimenez will strike back.

“How can he hurt me? Gimenez is termed out,” Suarez said. “I don’t see a political future for him.”

Carlos Gimenez, Francis Suarez, strong mayor, Xavier Suarez

Gimenez vs Suarez war of words heats up with new radio spot added by Ladra on October 31, 2018
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