In what looks like yet another desperate attempt to gain votes through fear and misinformation, Coral Gables candidate Jorge Fors sent an email blast Wednesday vowing to fight annexation.
But Jorgie-Come-Lately — who apparently hasn’t been to a single town hall meeting on the annexations — got a few things wrong.
“The reality of annexation is that our fire and police department will be forced 
to assume responsibility for a larger area and more households without additional resources,” Fors says in an email with a photograph of the “scary” trailer park in Little Gables, which is a sore point with Gables residents.
Read related: Coral Gables candidate Jorge Fors stirs annexation fears for votes
“The same problem applies to other departments such as solid waste, code enforcement, public works and the rest of Coral Gables personnel. Eventually, we will need additional resources to service these areas and they will come at a cost to the taxpayers,” he added.
But this is a bunch of lies, or alternative facts maybe. The real facts are:
(1) There are two areas that are planned to be annexed. Miami-Dade County 
won’t allow the Gables to “cherry pick” only High Pines and not Little Gables. High Pines is considered a donor area because their tax dollars will surpass the expense of providing expanded services — and probably cover the initial expenses in Little Gables as well. So these additional resources will, indeed, come at a cost to the taxpayers. The new taxpayers. Not the current ones.
(2) Additional resources will be needed and that’s a good thing. The additional taxes brought in by High Pines could pay for an additional police officer or two or three and more code enforcement officers. These additional resources, however, will not be limited to those areas — not when the boundaries move — and will provide better services to the surrounding neighborhoods of current Gables residents as well.
(3) Police Chief Ed Hudak says it’s a good idea because annexation will 
reduce the city’s borders and make it easier to use the “geo-fence” system of cameras that track license plates as vehicles enter and leave the City Beautiful. It is easier to patrol one border rather than three, Hudak said. And because Little Gables is an enclave and it takes Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue longer to respond, Coral Gables police and fire respond a lot there anyway. This would be a way to get proactive with that neighborhood and get those property owners to start paying for those services they are getting anyway.
(4) Little Gables and High Pines will be annexed eventually by somebody. 
Miami-Dade County has said that it needs all enclaves — which are unincorporated areas surrounded on all sides by municipalities, which makes them difficult and costly to service — to be absorbed into the adjoining municipalities. If Little Gables does not become part of Coral Gables, it will eventually be part of the city of Miami. Which means that it will be under Miami’s zoning and code enforcement and the Gables will have absolutely no control over what is done or built there.
(5) This will be a windfall for the city. A 2017 study indicates that, with both areas annexed, the Coral Gables property tax revenue will grow by almost $82 million over eight years starting in 2020. After expenses due to increased services, there will be a surplus of $37.6 million.
A graphic on the email that looks like it might be a mailer, Fors even asserts 
that there could be a tax increase to service the areas and service delays to current residents. Both things are preposterous. If anything, the additional tax revenue — as said earlier, it’s a net gain of about $38 million — could end up lowering taxes for current Gables residents.
“His assertions are completely baseless,” Cabrera told Ladra late Wednesday.
“The Coral Gables millage rate will not be raised. The city’s services will not be compromised.
“The chief of police wants to proactively attack a troublesome crime area and wants Little Gables. Fors is interested in only ‘cherry picking’ Ponce Davis and High Pines,” Cabrera added.
“The only thing the city has left to do is approve an inter local agreement with Miami-Dade County to annex these areas. Even if he wanted to, Fors can’t bring this back. He isn’t on the prevailing side.”
That’s true. Fors, if by miracle he is elected, is one vote and can’t stop it. He should stop telling voters that he will.
The annexation was approved by the Gables Commission, after multiple public meetings that Fors did not attend, in November 2017. It was a 3-2 vote, with the yeas coming from Mayor Raul-Valdes-Fauli and commissioners Vince Lago and Pat Keon — all of whom will still be on the dais after the runoff April 23. The annexation is far along in the process. The next step is that the residents of the would-be annexed zones to vote.
Commissioners Mike Mena and Frank Quesada, who is not seeking re-election, voted against the annexation. And because they have the same campaign consultant as Fors, las malas lenguas say the anti-annexation movement aims to protect the hourly no-tell motels on Eighth Street.
Steve Marin told Ladra weeks ago that he had nothing to do with the hotels and had never lobbied on their behalf. There is nothing indicating that he has.
Coral Gables candidate Jorge Fors has it all wrong on annexation added by Ladra on
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[…] row — filling out a bogus homestead exemption on a Little Havana condo each March. A man who doesn’t respect the democratic vote of a group of Little Gables residents and thinks he knows better and wants to impose his will. A man who hides behind a mystery PAC to […]
John B. Thompson, J.D., M.A.
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366, cell 305-588-3005
[email protected]
April 20, 2019
The Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle
State Attorney, Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Miami, Florida Via e-mail to [email protected]
Re: Fraud and Mail Fraud
Dear State Attorney Rundle:
On March 26, 2019, I formally asked you and your office to investigate fraud as reported in this news piece:
https://politicalcortadito.com/2019/03/22/coral-gables-pac-hit-ralph-cabrera-fake/
Yesterday I received another installment of this fraud as indicated by the attached received via the United States Postal Service. This additional fraud and mail fraud has occurred in part because you and your office have failed to take this serious matter seriously.
Please advise by five o’clock pm, Friday, April 26 that your office has opened a criminal investigation of this matter, or I shall have to contact the Governor’s office in order that he might refer the matter to a State Attorney for an independent review, just as he recently referred a criminal matter in Broward to you because of the incestuous politics up there. You may have the same debilitating conflicts. See http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-ne-forman-executive-assignment-20190405-story.html
Personal regards, Jack Thompson
Copies: Media
If the Little Gables is such a Hell Hole as Candidate Fors seems to believe… why would he choose to make his home “3 HOUSES AWAY” from the Little Gables? What of Jorge, the Wildings might march over 16th street and ruin the whole neighborhood. #GoTGables Long live the Queen of The North!
Way TOO Many Promises from LIE Politicians ? They All Want In ,NOT for the best of the City but for their Own And Their Lobbyist ?
So you think that 25% saying yes is enough to move this process along. That’s crazy. This reinforces my argument that stronger forces are at play. ie. developers who bought and paid for your boy Mr. Cabrera to fit right into their pocket.
I have zero problems with Little Gables. I think they are perfectly fine and enjoy them as my neighbors. I am not calling for them “to clean their act up” or “God I hope they redevelop”. I am perfectly content with them the way they are. Mr. Cabrera (you by extension), Mr. Valdez Fauli and the development bought candidates are the ones clamoring for them to “shape up”. Talk about being elitist!
Further, the main argument for annexation is that it will raise property values in little gables, thus making it less affordable sooner than later. This is bad for all middle class professionals who don’t want to live an hour away from where they work (ie East Kendall).
Why would Mr. Cabrera feel the need to publicly fund your work, that would make it harder for you to be in the bag for him. You are a cheap shill and you are doing it for a crappy career politician, bought and paid by special interest developers, that can’t break 40% in a race against “nobody’s”. Good god, how desperate are you people. The only real explanation is that there is more nefarious work in play.
No, I am not bought by anyone. Wish I was. Seems like easier work than making an honest living.
I didn’t say any of that. What I said was 25% is the rule in the process. If you don’t like the rules, change them. But everything has been done through the process.
Also, I never said clean up their act. You were the one who called it a problematic area… Would I like to see some of the homes get fixed up? Sure. I bet the homeowners — the ones who own those homes AND their neighbors — would, too.
There is no reason to think there is nefarious development at play. There has been no bundling of properties (buying of contiguous homes by one buyer) or anything like that.
Again, the majority of the RESIDENTS in Little Gables want this. They middle class professionals who live there now, who invested in their homes, want to pay an average of $320 more in annual taxes to get Gables services and higher property values. Why would you deny them? It won’t affect city services. It will make the surrounding Gables neighborhoods safer. The police chief has said so. Or is he a sell out, too?
Love, Ladra
Why would any rationale Coral Gables resident want to make all the problems of the “little gables” their own. Why? Because of the proximity to our City? Coral Gables is surrounded by the City of Miami, West Miami, South Miami and unincorporated Dade? Why don’t I hear arguments for annexing other surrounding borders?
This makes zero sense. There is obviously more than meets the eye here.
The only people who are fervently in favor of annexation are those with residential property in the proposed annexed area. And las malas leguas say that a simple property search of who the major owners in little gables will reveal why this is so important to some, local influential DEVELOPERS to be exact, who bought and paid for Mr. Cabrera and by default Ms. De Valle (who lives in West Kendall and can give a damn what happens in Coral Gables).
Vote for whomever you like, but at least know the real reason as to why you vote for that person. Don’t be influenced by all bark and no bite pay to play bloggers.
Dear Manny, why would any rational Coral Gables resident believe your baseless smears with no documentation?
The process to annex Little Gables — which, again, is an ENCLAVE that is already getting some Gables services, so not the same as just annexing the surrounding areas — includes a petition that went out to 1,607 REGISTERED VOTERS in the neighborhood. Hmmmmm… not development companies. Not developers but registered voters. Corporations and LLCs can’t register to vote. Of those 1,607 registered voters, 400 voted yes, which is higher than the 20% threshold needed to move forward.
Will there be redevelopment in Little Gables if annexed? God, I hope so. Some of those houses are a bit dilapidated and the trailer park could be something beautiful instead. Another Gables entrance perhaps?
This neighborhood also provides more affordable housing in Coral Gables… or is it that you don’t want to share your zip code address with “those people” and their problems.
Lastly, I am not pay to play. Are you? This site is not unbiased but it is not bought. I am like a columnist who doesn’t just regurgitate the he said, she said but offers analysis born from 20 some years of government investigative experience, institutional knowledge and hundreds of sources. I also had advertisements from Jorge Fors and Mike Mena on this website. They paid for the audience, not for my opinion. If I am bought and paid for, wouldn’t I be endorsing Fors, because after all he and Mena have the same consultant who paid me for both ads — which was greater than what Cabrera’s campaign placed?
And, while I live in East Kendall (not West), I do care about what happens in Miami, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Homestead and even Hialeah. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. But I can’t help it.
Love, Ladra
Commissioner Cabrera, an experience and knowledgeable longtime resident and past commissioner of this city explained exceptionally well the ins and outs of the annexation of Little Gables to me . We will so lucky to have him back on the dais soon.
It is a win- win for all. They have two years to become in compliance with our code. It is supported by the Chief of Police. If we do not annex Little Gables someone else will and then we will have no control over it.
Not only is Mr. Fors confused as to where his actual residence is but he is very misinformed about the truth on the annexation of little gables. What I find most interesting is that he does not mention the two more affluent areas that are part of the annexation pie. High Pines/ Ponce-Davis. He only picks on the less affluent area of Little Gables. This is a package deal. All or nothing.
“This will be a windfall for the city. A 2017 study indicates that, with both areas annexed, the Coral Gables property tax revenue will grow by almost $82 million over eight years starting in 2020. After expenses due to increased services, there will be a surplus of $37.6 million.”
So Mr. Fors, once you find where you are sleeping tonight considering that you remember your address “du jour”, you are basing your campaign on ONE big lie.
The annexation of Little Gables is a good deal for the city. And Ralph Cabrera as our next commissioner is a great deal for the residents and the city.
Vote on the Run-Off Election – April 23, 2019 for Ralph Cabrera. Ready to lead on day one
I’m not surprised at all that the Marin clan voted against annexation, but I’m willing to giving the benefit of the doubt. Who is to say that they were not approached by some Gables voters that benefit from the proximity of the one hour motels? Who knows how many we’ll intended Gables voters contacted them to propose turning that area into a red light district? Let’s not be so critical of our two elected officials that voted against annexation even after hearing OUR Police Chief explain publicly why it would benefit the safety of our City. Maybe they know more than the Chief about public safety! Perhaps they also felt bad for those poor prostitutes that would lose their source of income. Who would support their families?
Whether you like annexation or don’t, an issue that does not seem to be addressed is these posts:
Grandfathering– MANY of the homes in the Little Gables area do not conform with Gables Zoning, let along that almost all do not conform to Architectural Conformity requirements. How long would the Little Gables homeowners have to conform with Gables requirements.
For the record, I think your post brought our some relevant security related considerations. The SW 8th street corridor from 42 to 57 is horrendous. Annexation would probably result in the “Motels” and other rickety properties being replaced.
Saul, I would argue that the new zoning rules might allow 8th street motels to be made BIGGER, rather than go away. Just look at Ponce de Leon and the new hotels coming in… but maybe that’s a positive, since the upgrade would encourage a wealthier clientele rather than the common rabble.
Ladra, let’s get to the point about what annexation is about:
Helping D-E-V-E-L-O-P-E-R-S make $$$.
And they are team same names all the way in this election.
The area being considered for annexation is in a prime location with under-developed real estate including some of the last big pieces of privately owned vacant lots East of the Palmetto.
Also, annexation will lead to gentrification, loss of affordable housing, loss of green space and more traffic in an area that frankly can’t support it.
The current tax base in the area cannot support municipal services which is why county wants to get rid of it, too. Oops.
P.S. The timing of this annexation coincidentally follows the resolution on the litigation that has prevented a huge vacant parcel at 4250 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33134 to finally become available for development. Then there’s the Gables trailer park which are always targets for redevelopment.