The escalating battle between Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago and activist Maria Cruz — who went from close kitchen cabinet ally to recall organizer — heated up another notch Tuesday when the 80-year-old grandmother dared call the mayor a wannabe king.
Cruz, a frequent flyer at City Hall and full-time thorn-in-the-mayor’s-side, took the podium — as she always does — and somewhere in her remarks referred to Lago as “the king.” She was referring to how he bends the rules and then calls other names and insinuates they are stupid if they take things out of turn.
“This business of ‘we have to do it in order’ doesn’t exist,” Cruz said. “If you look at the video from today, several things were flipped around and its okay when our king in residence decides that it’s okay but it’s not okay when somebody else presents a motion according to Robert’s Rules. She also said that the mayor often tells speakers to stay on the discussion item and not go off 
on irrelevant tangent. “Except, whoops, when the king wants it.”
Lago did not laugh. He did not roll his eyes. He did not gavel and move on. Sensitive snowflake that he is, the mayor moved to silence Cruz for the rest of the meeting.
Leave it to King L’Ego to turn a public comment into a royal decree.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago vs the free press — a clear aversion to the truth
And it seems like he really went out of bounds this time. Gables City Attorney Christina Suarez told the mayor — three times — that the protocol was for him to caution her. You know, issue a warning first. Something ala “Please refrain from personal remarks, or you’ll lose your speaking privileges,” — which, to be sure, Ladra still finds a violation of our First Amendment rights.
“If a determination is made that someone is out of order… you can give a warning and please remind the speaker not to make irrelevant and impervious remarks irrelevant to the topic,” Suarez began.
“I’ve done that on several occasions over the last few meetings,” Lago said. “It continues. The level disrespect, it’s not warranted. And I will not accept it.”
Suarez tried again. “Mayor, I think it would be appropriate to give a warning,” she said.
“They obviously get a warning and they continue,” Lago quipped back right quick.
Commissioner Melissa Castro looked like she couldn’t believe her ears, calling it a potential violation of the First Amendment. “People do have freedom of speech, okay?”
Even after taking a five minute break to try to find a way to do it, Suarez continued to warn the mayor not to go the route of just silencing dissent.
“Mayor, I just want to clarify a few things,” she said, trying very carefully to frame her words. “As chair, you do not need a motion to call someone out of order. You have that authority. It’s one of the powers that you have as chair to run the meeting and maintain decorum.
“Our code does provide that someone who becomes disorderly or fails to confine remarks to the identified subject or business at hand shall be cautioned by the chairperson and be given the opportunity to conclude remarks in a decorous manner,” Suarez said.
Cruz was certainly not disorderly. Salty. Sarcastic. Smart-assy. But not disorderly. And even if she were, he had no right to shut her down, Suarez basically said, repeating herself over and over again like Lago is a child that needs repetition to learn.
“So, that is what our code provides, that there should be a caution first and then, failing to abide by that caution, there are additional steps taken,” Suarez said, again repeating herself: “But the caution is required as a first step.”
Read related: Ethics board dismissed two Vince Lago complaints against Coral Gables activist
Lago didn’t heed the city attorney, anyway. He made the motion to cut Cruz off entirely for the rest of the meeting. Never mind that public comment is, inconveniently, a public right. Basic. Standard. Not exactly revolutionary governance.
He said he had cautioned her enough in the past. Apparently, prior irritation now carries over like unused PTO.
On cue, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara said went into their recognizable ‘all hail the king’ mode and agreed with the 
motion — because por supuesto — and just like that, Cruz was done speaking for the day. Lara called her a “repeat offender.”
Long live the majority.
And King L’Ego cited decorum of all things. This is the same mayor that sent a racy holiday mailer to residents painting Commissioner Castro in a sexualized manner. This is the same mayor that has a bunch of trolls on social media attacking Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez — another former ally — and, as noted by New Times recently, the mayor has liked comments calling Castro and Cruz gargoyles and Castro a bitch and Fernandez a homophobic slur. He’s been egging this behavior on for months.
Suddenly, he’s all about decorum?
Read related: Vince Lago’s not-so-silent night: A mean Christmas Carol for Melissa Castro
The motion to gag Cruz for the rest of Tuesday’s meeting passed 3-2 and everyone knows who voted against it. Fernandez said that he’s had plenty of disparaging and defamatory remarks aimed at him on the dais (Ladra might add from the elected to his right, even), “and I’ve never made motions to silence anybody. And I’m not going to do that today.
“The reason that America has stood for 250 years is because of the constitution, and because of the rights that are given to us 
under the constitution,” Fernandez added.
Here’s where things get less theatrical and more serious: Public comment at city meetings isn’t unlimited, but it is protected speech — and those protections do not end when it’s directed at elected officials, is critical in nature and/or occasionally sarcastic. Calling a mayor “the king” might be rude, exaggerated, or dripping with irony, but it’s not exactly shouting fire in a crowded theater.
The question now — and you can bet someone is already asking it — is whether Lago skipped a step. Because even his own legal counsel suggested warn first, act second. Instead, he went straight to ‘off with her mic.’
Whether the city charter or meeting rules require a meeting-specific warning before cutting someone off? That’s going to matter. A lot. Mrs. Maria Cruz is not one to let things go.
But honestly, it doesn’t really matter. It’s already a bad look for Lago, who has an election this year that he apparently expects to 
be a coronation. He got called “king” and didn’t like it, and used his authority to shut the speaker down. Kinda like a king.
When a mayor moves to silence a critic over a silly nickname, it raises a very uncomfortable question: Was it about maintaining order or protecting the throne?
Either way, if you’re going to react like that to being called a king, you might want to check the mirror.
Because in Coral Gables this week, the real headline wasn’t what Maria Cruz said.
It was how quickly the crown slipped and how people are noticing the king has no clothes.
And that ain’t a violation of decorum. It’s just an observation.
Vince Lago likes to say Political Cortadito is pay-to-play. It’s not. But this independent, government watchdog journalism is only possible through the support of readers like you. If you want to read more stories like this, consider making a contribution to support this website. Write Lago in the note space, so I know what motivated you. Ladra thanks you!
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Ladra,
That is exactly my point. It is the same argument being made King Lago. And of course, since you are judge, jury, and executioner of your respective platform, you are shutting down our collective voices and opinions.
I strongly urge you to reconsider your position and distance yourself from King Lago’s style of governing and/or decision-making.
Happy Mother’s Day!
No, it’s not the same.
First, Maria Cruz had something legitimate to say, as you do here, which is why I approved it. I don’t agree but it’s a valid opinion. Your omitted comment was nothing more than a profane screed.
Secondly, I am not an elected official and this is not an official public speaking place, paid for and maintained by taxpayer dollars. If you think it’s okay for an elected to treat commission chambers, which would better be called the people’s hall, like a personal website, then you are part of the problem.
Love, Ladra
Liar, Liar – well said. Lago is a disgrace as a Mayor, has questionable business dealings and has been implicated in an improper relationship with a subordinate (unproven) and yet we are stuck with his pettiness and bullying. Coral Gables deserves better. Anyone have any suggestions for his replacement?
How many untruths will Lago try to force down residents’ throats?
His behavior on the dais is horrendous, and his statement that Amos Rojas was unqualified and was removed is absolutely ridiculous. The “cesspool” that he continues to negate begins and ends with Lago, and his real problem with Amos Rojas was that he was a truly ethical person, above reproach, and a threat to Lago. To continue to degrade him only proves how intimidated he was (and continues to be.)
Amos Rojas was not removed. He left just as he promised, after serving for the agreed upon time.
The display of attempted intimidation at this commission meeting against Commissioner Fernandez was more than embarrassing. Never ever has a more dysfunctional, destructive mayor been seated at our dais. He needs to go.
We need a true leader, a respectful and respectable mayor, and someone who truly cares about our City Beautiful and its residents.
We are the laughingstock of the county. Let’s right the ship before we completely sink into the quagmire of an irreversible disaster.
Part two of this farce is Lago sanctimoniously “condemning the use of fictitious organizational identities” while being perfectly comfortable with using the anonymous Aesop’s Gables despicable blog being his voice, and actually publishing Lago’s statements on more than one occasion. Lago giving credibility to an anonymous blog is unbelievable. Except nothing Lago does is unbelievable any more. Anonymous is OK as long as they are on Lago’s side. He wants it both ways. What total BS!
Tuesday’s commission meeting was another embarrassment for the city. Same old, same old. Lago claiming he’s never disrespected anyone, and in the same breath referring to his fellow commissioners as “Melissa” and “Ariel”, no honorifics, while demanding respect for himself. Respect is earned, and Lago has earned nothing except distain and a despicable reputation. His continual harping on old news, Amos Rojas, salary increases, blogs, the Gazette, pay to play etc, is more than tiresome, and eliminating all the drama would possibly cut 3 hours out of the never-ending commission meetings. Now his new beating on his chest are his “legacy projects”. Lago, your legacy will be nothing more than the discord you brought to our community…regardless of what your three lackeys tell you to boost your already inflated ego. (Although I truly believe that all your bravado is a sign of a severe lack of confidence.) Confident people don’t need to put down those around them. And no matter how often you repeat lies, they won’t become truths.
Dear Mr. Jack Thompson!
I would not seek the advice of Joe Centorino. He had a good friend in Janet Reno early on in his career and has been riding that relationship for over three decades now, but since KFR took over, he has been bouncing around in an inspector general capacity(the beach as an example) where a lot of internal paperwork never gets discovered or challenged. That is the model that they have always wanted on the beach and the other 34 municipalities safely followed as they piggy backed off Dade County. That is exactly what Miami’s IG stands for.
Getting upset about public comments? Really. If you can’t take some insults or criticism, then don’t run for office.
” Lago is a petty little bitch.”
Agree and being the King of having people let me have it you just move on and take things in stride , no hard feelings .
You want an adult in charge not some insecure petty child .
”I think only “Jose” the Cuban hater has had more comments approved.”
Lol , I do not hate Cubans and yes some of my posts have not made it which I understand.
I do feel and strongly so that Cuban politicians and police chiefs are the WORSE thing that could happen to us all Cuban or not.
In fact the way I see things if I hated us I would urge we continue on this self defeating path of voting for Cubans .
If “all the Gables’ residents are thinking” the mayor is acting inappropriately, then someone decent should challenge him this November. I hope someone good does. The mayor should have to justify why he is the best for this job, and he should have to do so while facing a quality opponent. This is why we have elections. Thus far, however, it does not look like anyone decent is willing to jump into this race. At least I’ve not heard anything to the contrary.
Lago is a petty little bitch.
Hey here’s an idea, why doesn’t king bembón talk to little francis de los ricos so he in turn can reach out to the lying billionaire in the dc district and possibly take over Cuba cómo el fidelin moderno, kinda like maburro? Now that would be worthy of his kingship’s excellency wouldn’t it. Arriba con el bembón? Oh well, it made for a good laugh at least. Good luck fellow peasants
Ladra,
I’m definitely not a fan of Mayor Lago, Mayor Suarez, the Llorente bothers, and those that are part of this clan.
They are second generation of former Mayor Alex Penelas, Brian May, and Rodney Barretto, etc. All feeding from the trough. I can’t tell whether they are pigs or pricks. Obviously, they are all in it for the bacon.
But I must say that you do to me what Vince Lago does to Maria Cruz. You intentionally block my comments from being posted when you don’t agree with my statements.
So perhaps I should call you Vince Lago’s queen.
Mr. or Ms. ‘Truth’: I have approved 241 comments from you. You are a most prolific reader. Thank you.
I think only “Jose” the Cuban hater has had more comments approved.
If one of your comments wasn’t approved, it was because it offered nothing except insults to me or someone else. This is not a come and yell at people space. If you have something to offer in what you are yelling, then yeah. But if you are just spewing hate, it won’t make the light of day. Sorry, not sorry.
Love, Ladra
Dear Joe Centorino:
I hope this finds you and your loved ones well.
As you assuredly know, the voters of Coral Gables recently overwhelmingly voted to have a City Inspector General. Lots of alleged graft to investigate.
Strangely, there was no provision in the Referendum as to how the IG is to be selected.
So I am writing to ask you, Miami Beach’s IG,
a) how you think that selection should be accomplished, and b) if there is someone you would recommend.
Thanks so much. Jack Thompson
Sent from my iPhone
Lago is another wannabe Cuban dictator. When will someone qualified run against Lago in Coral Gables? Lago’s brother is a lobbyist at Greenberg Traurig and same brother was a baby
assistant to Francis Suarez in Miami then a novice commish. So much corruption…
I am sick and tired of Lago acting just like what Mrs. Maria Cruz called him, a so called “King”. Now that he got his wish to taint our elections by pushing them to November, it is up to us a residents to say “no mas” and vote him out. That will only happen if there is a solid, suitable candidate to run against L’EGO so here is hoping that we see that in the next few months. It is not enough for Gables residents to complain about this man and his runaway agendas supported by developers and PAC money, we need to ACT by voting him out and insert a new mayor that has Gables residents priorities first and foremost. Then follow that by voting out his crooked crony yes people Lara and Andersen. Enough of this drama, lack of civility and focusing on all wrong things and time to bring focus back on us as residents. GO OUT AND VOTE
Shame on Maria for having “the nerve” to express what all the Gables residents are thinking.