If there was any doubt that Monica Colucci was a Republican Party plant in the Miami-Dade School Board race against Marta Perez, there isn’t any now that she’s filed several campaign finance reports.
Colucci reported raising $104,362 through July 1– not a bad figure for a newbie. But a closer look at the funding finds that at least $20,000 came from lobbyist and political consultants. Another $30,000 came from no fewer than 30 different political action committees that seem to have nothing to do with Miami-Dade K-12 education.
Jobs and Prosperity for Florida. Conservatives for a Better Florida. A Better Hialeah. Friends of Matt Caldwell. Wait, who? Matt Caldwell was a Republican state rep who is now serving as the property appraiser in Lee County. Ladra googled him. And it’s pretty obvious that this contribution, at the very least, was directed by someone else, not Caldwell’s friends.
Then there’s the mailer that went out last week, with photos of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, future House Speaker Daniel Perez and other top shelf Republican lawmakers. The message: Colucci’s values align with theirs.
“Respected leaders support Monica Colucci,” it says on the back side. “The true conservative candidate in the District 8 race,” it says on the front, where there is also a DeSantis message.
Read related: Three more Miami-Dade School Board candidates come out to play in 2022
“We need strong school board members who will set Florida’s children up for success, ensure parental rights in educaiton and combat the woke agendas from infiltrating public schools at the local school board level, and I know these candidats will do just that, and I proudly endorse them for their school board seats,” DeSantis is quoted as saying.
These candidates? Endorse them? School board seats?
This faux pas proves that, as Political Cortadito reported earlier this year, DeSantis and his team wanted to unseat three Miami-Dade School Board members because they did not defend him during his fight to keep masks out of the classroom. Guns are okay, but face masks are a no-no. The three: Perez, Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman and Mari Tere Rojas.
Tabares Hantman gave them a win early when she retired rather than face a challenge from a well-funded Roberto Alonso, who has some of the same PACs — though not as many — donating to his campaign. Like Advancing Florida’s Agriculture.
Alonso has reported raising $93,017, including donations from former State Reps. Jose Oliva and Eddy Gonzalez, to use against the two other candidates in that district race: Maribel Balbin, who has reported raising $18,210, and Kevin Menendez Macki, who raised $22,945
And Oliva’s political hitman, David “Disgustin Custin” is the political consultant for both Alonso and Colucci.
Read related: Miami-Dade School Board Member Mari Tere Rojas draws a challenge
But it looks like the DeSantis team has abandoned Sandra Manzieri, the candidate they put up to run against Rojas. Las malas lenguas say they don’t want to upset Congressman Carlos Gimenez, who is Rojas’ brother-in-law. That’s why she has only reported raising $12,365, mostly in small donations from real people.
It will be hard to compete against Rojas and her $177,521 raised so far. She’s also raised another $20K for her It’s All About the Kids PAC since her last run in 2018.
Perez, for her part, has raised the most of any school board candidate, with $217,805 so far. And there’s a vast untapped market that this Republican veteran politician may have already thought of: Democrats.
Outsiders and GOP influence (fund) Miami-Dade School Board races added by Ladra on
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[…] Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and, by extension, Gov. Ron DeSantis. These two put a lot of muscle and money behind two school board candidates in an effort to drive the message: You are either with me or I will run someone against you. The […]
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All you need to know about Sandra Manzieri is that she’s a backed the Moms for Liberty far-right extremists. Her campaign photos show M4L members and QAnon activists participating in her door knocking.
If you want a school board pushing the far-right agenda, banning sex ed, inciting fake panic against LGBTQ students and other nonsense, then she’s your lady.
How do we find out which candidates will stay with a high standard of teaching academics only.
DON’T WE HAV ENOUGHT CORRUPTION in The BCC of Miami Dade So OURSCHOOLS are Also a PAY TO PLAY System ?
The claim that DeSantis “put up” Manzieri is laughable. I met Manzieri while working on a Key Biscayne PTA committee this past Spring. She was completely frustrated with the lack of action from Rojas and MDPS after two years of ineffective leadership in our school. Rojas even called an informed parent who had done research on the administration’s dangerous shortcomings “a liar” in a local newspaper. It was nasty and we were clearly on our own. A grassroots movement led by parents and supported by the teacher perspective of Manzieri led to the removal of the ineffective leadership in our school. In May, as all of this was coming to a boiling point, Manzieri decided to run for school board. As a first grade teacher, she is passionate about kids getting the education they have a right to and has seen MDPS drop the ball on providing special services that taxpayers shell out money for every year. Here’s the other thing – don’t you think if she was a “put up” candidate that was dropped by DeSantis because of Gimenez that some other similar group would step in and fund her? Well, with 12k in the bank it doesn’t look like they have. That’s why parents are knocking on doors all through District 6.
Rojas never helped our school when we needed her to step in to fix mayor problems we had, she ignored us! It is so unfortunate that our kids future and education is related to politics, family ties and upsetting people. That’s why I will try my best to support in any way Sandra Manzieri! If you read this, if you are a parent please consider voting for her. Her only political inclinination and interest ARE OUR KIDS!
Political Cortadito, sorry, you have have made a false statement about Sandra Manzieri. She was not “put up by DeSantis”. Sandy Manzieri was “put up” by us families and teachers who begged her to run when Rojas ignored serious administrative issues at our school for 2 1/2 years. We, parents and teachers endorse Sandy Manzieri, and stand by her and put her into this campaign to bring our concerns on to the school board. She is the people’s candidate running a grassroots campaign against Rojas. Rojas has no business serving the MDCPS, she is a bureaucrat’s candidate, far removed from the daily realities affecting schools, families and students. Sandy Manzieri is a champion for all students, teachers and families in District 6. Shame on you for trying to undermine Sandy Manzieri’s grassroots campaign against your favored incumbent Rojas by casting Manzieri in a false light. District 6 needs Sandy Manzieri on the School Board. Can I have my donation to Political Cortadito refunded?
Sandra Manzieri is running as school board member to help the kids. This is all bad chisme about her
Sandra Manzieri is a 1st grade teacher at the Key Biscayne K-8 Center. She was not “put up” by De Santis or any other politician. She risked her job and stood up in front of Region / District Personnel and our School Board member at a school PTA meeting where more than 200 were in attendance. Sandra Manzieri stood up to speak for the students, teachers, and parents because they were being ignored. She is supported and funded by real people because we have witnessed first hand who she is and her dedication to her profession and the children.
Monica Colucci is not only the right person for the job she is the person who ALWAYS puts students first. Take the time to research her and you will discover that for decades she has inspired both students and teachers alike. Her dedication to students is stellar. Ask yourself when is the last time Marta Perez has taught children and know what schools truly need to excel our students?
If the idea is to help the children, which everyone always claims to do, Marta Perez should be the last candidate on the school board anyone should go after… especially the Republican Party. Check the voting record, she has been (for years) the only MD School Board member with the guts to vote for important things that benefit the children, not the politicians that are out for their own interest.
I don’t know Monica Colucci, but anyone that is coming in with so many strings attached is bound to put the children last.
Republican strategy is to win local races and to win all the races. Republicans and Trump Cult members want to elect any politicians who can help decide elections so that even if a Presidential candidate wins by 7 million votes over a Republican corrupt Republican local officials can step up to annul and/or overturn the election in favor of Republicans AKA Trump Cult members.
I was never “PUT UP” by any political group or organization. I was prompted to run because I saw a need after 21 years in the classroom. My family and my community are my supporters. I am a true grassroots candidate that has long been an advocate for students and parents in this district – way before it was “COOL.” You can’t BOX me. If you want to get information from the source and not “el chisme de las malas lenguas” dale! I’ve emailed you and provided my contact.
SI aprietas much la tuerca se le va la rosca.
El que much abarca poco aprieta.
Eso es Todo lo que tengo que decir.