Even Renier Diaz de la Portilla has realized he’s doomed to lose the race for Miami-Dade Commission in District 5 against incumbent Commissioner Eileen Higgins.
That’s why he started drinking already.
RDLP burst in late Thursday at the Urban Core Community Coalition virtual forum. He was a little erratic and disheveled with his face puffier than usual and, seemingly, with a few drinks in him. And he’s not a happy drunk.
Don’t just take Ladra’s word for it. You can see it on YouTube for yourself. Start at the 26 minute mark.
“I met you, I musta, I met most of you in the past,” he stuttered, stumbling out the gate. When asked what he would do to meet the needs of the community in the first 100 days, Renier didn’t understand the question.
“I don’t need to do research because I’ve lived in this community my entire life. Let’s start with that,” said the 49-year-old who has made his heritage his entire campaign, but a bit more combative than usual.
“I’m very familiar with the community. I don’t need to research the issues,” RDLP said. “I know the issues. I’ve lived the issues. All the way from Hurricane Andrew through COVID19. We’ve had a lot of crises in this community and a lot of issues we’ve had to overcome.”
Read related: Miami-Dade District 5 poll spells runoff: Eileen Higgins vs Renier DLP
“What I would tell you is I will work with the community, because I know the community, to solve our problems.”
He said he has worked on environmental, transportation and affordable housing issues. “I’ve done it all. I’ve been involved in all these issues.”
Then he had a hard time getting the next sentence out.
“I served on the housing board, the Florida house…uh, finance, uh, Florida Housing Finance Corporation.”
Whew. He got it out.
“I served on that board. As a board member.”
Because he’s never represented the downtown, as he said, he had to point to his brothers’ work and try to take credit by association.
Read related: Renier Diaz de la Portilla & brothers get hit with negative mystery attack mailer
“My brother who was a senator gave $10 million for the underline. My other brother got $10 million to dredge the river,” he said, referring to ancient history. “We’re a family that serves the public. I don’t think that’s a negative thing. That’s a positive thing.
“So we’ve done a lot lot more for the urban core than Eileen Higgins has, I can guarantee you that,” he said.
Later, after his time was up he interrupted the section where mayoral candidates Esteban Bovo and Daniella Levine Cava were speaking (this is 55 minutes and 40 seconds in).
“May I respond? Because Commissioner Cava,” and then he was muted. The moderator said she had to respect the order and format even if he didn’t. But Ladra wonders if he was too drunk and said Cava but meant Higgins, since the latter sorta got 20+ minutes to herself.
Is this how Renier Diaz de la Portilla is going to represent his allegedly under-represented community? Que pena! Elect “La Gringa” que, por lo menos, no nos va hacer quedar mal.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla shows up late, belligerent at Brickell virtual forum added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
