Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo is two for two in his bid to become mayor: Commissioner Xavier Suarez endorsed on Monday the Hialeah politico he came into the commission with in 2011.
Already candidate Monique Nicole Barley endorsed Bovo last week over Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, in a surprise move, so, really, only former Mayor Alex Penelas, who came in third place Aug. 18, is left to weigh in on the Nov. 3 runoff. Ludmilla Domond and Carlos de Armas who? Doesn’t really matter now — unless Bovo gets them all.
Even though X may seem a little more idealistically aligned with Levine Cava, the registered independent gave the only Republican in the race his nod mainly because they align fiscally. Bovo gave better answers to the open audition on Twitter that Suarez used for choosing his candidate, particularly responding to the commissioner’s longtime call to streamline government and consolidate departments.
Read related: Monique Nicole Barley backs Esteban Bovo for Miami-Dade mayor
But Suarez, who got 43,000 votes in the first round, didn’t base it on that, because they split the issues right down the middle. Basically, it was how far apart the two candidates stand on the COVID-19 reopening measures and law enforcement or police accountability — and the fact that X stands closer to Stevie on those matters — that made the difference.
It seems like he is stretching to come up with reasons to support Bovo — who also responded faster than DLC. Could it be because Stevie practically said Suarez would have his ear, perhaps even a place in Bovo’s administration?
“On transportation, like Xavier, I am dedicated to improving our system & will rely on his valued inputs & involvement,” Bovo tweeted last week.
And while X might be done with politics (he gets just as much out of writing his books), the apple of his eye, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican like Bovo, is likely not.
Read related: Poll has Daniella levine Cava vs Steve Bovo in Miami-Dade mayoral runoff
Or does Suarez know something we don’t? Las malas lenguas say Suarez did some polling before the end of Round 1, which is why he practically didn’t campaign toward the end. His 10% finish was predicted. Could his poll numbers also show Bovo winning in November?
After an all-day commission meeting that ended after 6:30 p.m., Suarez did not return a call and text from Ladra. But his statement, posted on twitter by Miami Herald reporter Doug Hanks, is long-winded enough, part lecture, and less than convincing:
“In various memos on social media, I began by forgiving those who had attacked me unfairly and asking the two run-off candidates to avoid unfair and defamatory attacks going forward. I followed that up by putting forth a 10-point summary of issues that seem important to me, as the county recovers from a business shutdown that has put well over 100,000 restaurant and hotel employees out of work.
There are thus three important themes to my endorsement as follows:
- Ten-Point Summary of Issues. In this matter, I was hampered by the Sunshine Law in not being able to discuss the issues with the two candidates without a Sunshine meeting. That point was made clear by com. Levine Cava, using social media. But I have enough history with both candidates to conclude that Commissioner Bovo would be more aligned on issues of streamlining and Levine-Cava on issues of resilience. I also consider Levine-Cava better on housing. Neither candidate was supportive of my efforts to stop the squandering of the half-cent tax for operations and maintenance, instead of for its intended as capital expansion. However, only Bovo seems inclined to cut expenditures enough, by streamlining measures, to provide funding for capital expansion while still balanicng the operating budget of the county without using the half-cent sales tax. I thus consider Bovo better on transportation. Overall, there is thus no clear favorite on the above substantive issues.
- COVID-19/Reopening of Businesses. It is on this issue that one candiate clearly emerges as more competent to lead this county back to physical and economic health. On the campaign trail, Commissioner Levine Cava constantly chastised the county for our supposed mishandling of the health crisis. Other than clamoring for more testing (in a state which tested well over four million people) and more “contact tracing” (totally impractical, as per the August 30, 2020 Miami Herald article), she never never could explain why she was unsatisfied with what I consider a magnificent performance by our county — both in terms of public and private health. But where she fails completely the test of common sense is when she resists opening restaurants to a 50% capacity and instead argues for a maximum of 25% capacity. The idea that you can reopen restaurants while limiting customers to 25% capacity, in what is one of the most competitive markets in the world, is sheer folly. A good percentage of restaurants fail even when able to fill to 100% capacity; at 50% it’s an enormous risk, for the simple reason that one must cover fixed costs (real property and equipment) while setting competitive prices to cover variable costs (food products) under an equation which assumes maximum capacity at peak times.
- Law Enforcement: On this issue, the two run-off candidates are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I disagree with Com Bovo on the establishment of some form of independent citizen’s panel to oversee police conduct and have consistently voted to implement in the county what we did in the city of Miami three decades ago. On the other hand, I disagree with certain pronouncements by Com Cava regarding certain constraints on police action to which she referred during mayoral forums. In particular, I oppose her suggestion that police should be prohibited from chasing or (to use her word) “persecuting” lawbreakers as they seek to leave the scene of a demonstration. There already exists a legal doctrine that prevents using lethal force on a “fleeing felon” except under certain circumstances. But police should not be hampered in enforcing the law, including use of non-lethal force against those who are disobeying the law, taking over streets/highways and otherwise threatening the security of the public or the property of others. In recent years, the county has implemented measures like body cameras; more recently our police director banned the kind of “neck restraint” that led to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In summary, the two remaining mayoral candidates represent extreme views. But one (com Bovo) states his views without pandering, regardless of the forum; the other one (com Levine Cava) manifestly panders.”
For the above reasons, I am recommending a vote for Esteban Bovo in the November election.
By the way, as of early Tuesday morning, Bovo had not responded or acknowledged the nod. Let’s see how much of his ear Suarez will really have.
Xavier Suarez endorses Esteban Bovo in Miami-Dade mayoral runoff Nov. 3 added by Ladra on
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