Lying Larry Feldman backs proxy in Miami-Dade School Board race

Lying Larry Feldman backs proxy in Miami-Dade School Board race
  • Sumo

The August 18 election is not just for mayor and county commissioners, although that’s what one might think from all the hype. There are also school board and judicial races.

Of the four Miami-Dade School Board seats on the ballot, the District 9 race is sucking all the oxygen out of the room. Not only because Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss wants to continue his political stronghold on the public dime by switching from the county commission, where he is stepping off after 28 years. Moss will make it to the runoff on pure name rec and demographics. So more on that later. For the primary, voters should focus on who shouldn’t be in that runoff.

But also because School Board Member Larry Feldman is putting his name and weight behind educator and PTA leader Nancy Lawther and seems way too interested that she become his successor. Las malas lenguas say Feldman wants to be made superintendent when Alberto Carvalho‘s contract is up in 2023 (or sooner) — and a proxy vote is his way into that position.

Lawther might not want Feldman’s blessing, however, especially if she lives in the district, which stretches from Pinecrest to Homestead and hasn’t had true representation in more than a decade.

Because Feldman doesn’t live there.

Everyone knows that Feldman is a liar and a fraud who never lived in a 400-square-foot unit in District 9, but rather in a four-bedroom, three bath, 2,500-square-foot house in District 7 near the Hammocks that he and his wife of 40-some years, retired school teacher Avis Feldman, purchased in 1978. It is quite possible that he decided not to run for re-election because someone threatened to expose this very easily confirmable fact. It is still amazing to Ladra, who mentioned this four years ago, how it has never been of interest to any law enforcement type as Feldman has disenfranchised and defrauded voters for 12 years.

And now he thinks he can hand pick a successor?

Feldman is registered to vote at the tiny Monterey Gardens apartment, behind a Dairy Queen on U.S. 1 and in the shadow of the Dadeland North MetroRail station. But he really lives in the house on the 13900 block of 107th Terrace which is in both his and his wife’s name.

Two cars registered to Feldman, a black 2013 Kia Sorento and a green 2005 Jeep Wrangler, are parked at the West Kendall house night after night after night. Ladra has not driven by one night that both cars have not been there as well as an older Lexus registered to his wife that seems not to move.

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Two neighbors, including the guy who lives right next door, confirmed that Larry Feldman lived at the house. And a $200 check Feldman donated to Jeffrey Solomon’s state house campaign in 2016, has the 107th Terrace address, according to the campaign finance reports.

Ladra knocked on Feldman’s door Saturday night.

“Yes,” a man asked from behind the door.

“Dr. Feldman?”

“How can I help you?”

When I said who I was and that I was writing about the school board race for his seat, the man said “No, thank you.” From behind the door.

And that was it.

“Hello? Hello? Dr. Feldman?”

Nada.

Nobody said, “Sorry, you must have the wrong house.” Or, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Or even, “There’s nobody here by that name.” Which is what would happen at anybody else’s house. At my house. At your house, right?

It’s pretty clear that Feldman is as guilty as former State Rep. Daisy Baez of voter fraud for knowingly providing a false address in order to run in a more favorable district. He is as guilty as former State Rep. Frank “Socks” Artiles, who Ladra exposed living outside his district 2011. He may even be guilty of voter fraud.

But Baez, a Democrat, was forced to resign from office in 2017 after she was charged with perjury for lying on her voter’s registration. And Artiles, a Republican, was fined, forced to move and embarrassed to no end. His political career never really recovered.

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Is there a double standard? Because it seems Hispanic electeds are investigated and disciplined for living outside their respective districts while Feldman has gotten away with it for 12 years. This was part of his strategy from the beginning: He knows he never would have won in his own district, where Lubby Navarro replaced former Congressman Carlos Curbelo in 2015. Feldman could, however, get elected in white bread Pinecrest.

Finally, we thought we were done with this unethical interesado when he curiously “decided” not to run this year. But turns out he could get away with leaving an heir apparent proxy in his place for the next four years.

Don’t let him.

That might or might not be the only reason not to vote for Nancy Lawther — even though she also has a $250 contribution from Democratic operative Jeff Garcia, who did actual time for absentee ballot fraud and putting a straw candidate in a congressional race

But it’s reason enough.