Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo‘s fight with the city’s relatively new police chief could become a factor in the upcoming election on Nov. 2, especially after the top cop said he contacted the FBI about the elected’s “misconduct.”
Six weeks before the election and a week or so before absentee ballots are mailed to voters, the three candidates challenging the commissioner should take advantage of his shameful, bizarre rant against Police Chief Art Acevedo at Monday’s special meeting. Because voters are taking notice.
Rodney Quinn Smith, the Spanish speaking gringo who has been knocking on doors the longest, told Ladra he had the best 24 hours of electronic contributions starting Monday afternoon since he started raising funds in May. In one day, both electronically and in local checks, he collected about $10,000 in mostly unsolicited donations.
That’s about what he collected in all of July. And it’s an indication that people have had it.
Know more: Train wreck Miami city commission goes off rails on police Chief Acevedo
“It was a great day,” Quinn Smith told Ladra. And he means for him. It was a terrible day for the rest of us. And that’s the point.
Throughout Monday, Andriana Oliva, another candidate, received messages and saw the social media posts about “how embarrassed people are and how disgruntled they feel with District 3’s commissioner.”
So much so that the editorial board at the Miami Herald asked about it in their review of the candidates: What did they think of his demeanor and the way he addresses people.
“It’s unprofessional,” said Miguel Soliman, another District 3 candidate who ran against Carollo in 2017 and also for county commission last year against Eileen Higgins (and Carollo endorsed former School Board Member Renier Diaz de la Portilla after promising Soliman his support).
“He speaks down to people. He doesn’t respect the public, he doesn’t respect the city manager.
Know more: Chief Art Acevedo fights back, reports misconduct by Miami electeds
“People think Carollo is crazy. They already don’t like him,” Soliman told Ladra, adding that he’s been getting that reaction from voters he visits even before the latest battle with the chief.
“As soon as I say where I’m running they say, ‘Stop, you got my vote. Don’t waste anymore time with me. You got me, my wife, my kids. Go next door.”
Oliva says the special commission meeting was a waste of time and a blemish on the city.
“It was an unnecessary public display for the need to exude power, demonstrating the careless disregard and respect for our community,” Oliva told Ladra. “It was an exhausting full-on show, wasting city resources and personnel time, all to request and approve a series of needed investigations, which could have been conducted efficiently in about an hour, aside from public comments.”
Sure, yeah. But it’s also campaign gold, chica. Someone needs to get the meeting video and string some of the nuttiness together. Make sure to highlight the part where Carollo fixates on the junk in the chief’s trunks.
The message is this: The chief is cracking down on corruption and Carollo doesn’t want that. Acevedo is not letting the commissioner use the police department as his own personal G2, and Carollo doesn’t want that either.
It’s like taking a toy away from a toddler.
Know more: Miami Police chief under political fire for selfies, ‘Cuban mafia’ comment
Ladra did an unscientific poll on twitter and almost 9 out of 10 people are siding with the chief on this latest fight from Carollo. Because he is always fighting with someone: Ball and Chain owner Bill Fuller, Mayor Francis Suarez, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla.
It makes for good drama, good reality TV, but lousy public service.
“We have real issues that need to be addressed such as clean streets, illegal dumping, improved public transit and related infrastructure, housing availability and affordability, and neighborhood safety, along with having an accessible and transparent government,” Oliva said. “These are the basic concerns we need our elected officials to focus on.
“The majority of the residents and business owners I have been speaking and meeting with throughout the campaign are eager for new leadership,” she said.
Quinn Smith said it’s geographic. Voters in Shenandoah and The Roads are more likely to want change. Little Havana voters are a harder sell.
Let’s see how everyone feels after round two of the fight on Friday, when Carollo — who spent hours reading a carefully curated group of google hits on the chief’s past troubles — promised he would talk more trash about Acevedo.
The other candidates should bring cameras.
Joe Carollo vs Miami police chief may help opponents in Nov. 2 election added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
