Looking ever more like a would-be mayoral candidate, Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez released the 
second TV video ad this week in which he attacks Mayor Carlos Gimenez on a number of issues.
Last week, it was transportation and the fact that Gimenez uses funds from the People’s Transportation Trust bond to subsidize transit operating expenses. This week, it’s the Pets’ Trust and the fact that the mayor has ignored a mandate from nearly 500,000 voters to fully fund an aggressive spay and neutering program in order to reach a no-kill status.
Read related story: Miami-Dade Pets’ Trust back at county with a new chance
And Political Cortadito got a cameo! It’s thrilling to see our little
Ladra on the silver screen.
Next week, we can look for ads that will blast Gimenez on the $9 million gift to the private Skyrise development. And, en espanol, there is already two: A translation of the transportation ad and one that calls Gimenez out on his failure to hire police officers in a department that is facing a shortfall of between 350-600 officers.
Timed more for budget season than for the mayoral campaign, the ads are still the surest sign yet that Suarez — who has been on the fence about a mayoral challenge in 2016 — is leaning toward giving Gimenez a run for his money.
Otherwise, why else would he be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars from his Imagine Miami PAC for this blitz? To help Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado in her bid to unseat Gimenez?
“Maybe to get the mayor and some of my colleagues to rethink things,” Suarez told Ladra, staying non committal. “The other logical inference if I do not run is what will I do with the PAC money?”
Read related story: Xavier Suarez petition, barbs keep him in mayoral mix
Um, I dunno, keep it? You know, for your own re-election bid? Or to help your block chip, Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez, become the mayor of that city some day?
Nah. While I may have once thought that Commissioner Mayor Sir Suarez might concede his own political ambitions for those of his son, I’m not certain that is the case any more. Ladra
has come a full 180 degrees to say that X is running for county mayor next year, making it at least a three-way race. He sees the writing on the wall that says Gimenez’s support is neither deep nor wide. This is just a smart and stealth way to attack the incumbent — as a frustrated elected legislator, almost a colleague or equal, rather than as an early-and-often oppositionist (read: Regalado).
“It is clear that for four years, I’ve been trying to change business as usual here,” Suarez said. “It is clear from the mayor’s budget that I have not been successful in making great improvements in the way business is done here.
“Does that bring me to the conclusion that being one of 13 legislators is not the way to reform our county government?”
He never answered his own prophetic question, but he said he would be making the decision between his huge dinner event Oct. 10 and the end of the year.
“I’m a reformer,” Suarez told me, reminding me of his plan in 2011 to go down to 10 departments with 10 billing codes each instead of the 33,000 billing codes we have now — which both he and I are certain exist solely so that nobody understands the budget and they can hide money in drawers to find later.
“It is true that my level of frustration is close to the breaking point,” Suarez told me. “We don’t have the same priorities,” he added, referring to Gimenez.
X wants the mayor to stop using the People’s Transportation Plan half-penny sales tax money to pay bus drivers and keep the transit department afloat. In fact, he wants the mayor to refund the money back to the PTP for use in rapid transit solutions, including the four new lines of Metrorail expansion that he has proposed and have been backed by a Miami Herald editorial.
He also thinks that the budget could accommodate the desires of 483,000 voters who overwhelmingly approved the Pets’ Trust initiative, which calls for increased funding to lower the number of animals killed in Miami-Dade with massive spay and neutering vis-a-vis low cost neighborhood clinics.
Read related story: Carlos Gimenez keeps rejecting voter-approved Pets’ Trust
“For three years the mayor has refused to fund the voter-approved program,” Suarez said in his ad. “I have introduced a resolution to do exactly what voters approved without increasing the millage rate.”
His resolution died in committee last month, but he told Ladra that he can bring the issue back up again during in the budget process.
“It costs about $8 million to do what the voters approved in 2012, less than the increase in benefits that the mayor wants to give to 1,000 employees who report to him,” Suarez said in the TV spot.
“Send a message to Mayor Gimenez: Save the pets and stop funding the bureaucrats.”
Well, there’s a word that is going to be part of any X mayoral campaign: Bureaucrat. Because painting Gimenez as a professional bureaucrat who protects other bureaucrats is easy. Suarez did it already in the debut TV ad about transportation dollars.
“Let’s send a clear message to Mayor Gimenez: the people’s transportation plan is for the people, not the bureaucrats.”
And it’s even in Spanish, where the commissioner says the message to Gimenez should be “that we need more police officers, not more bureaucrats.”
See? This sounds like the groundwork for a mayoral campaign.
Xavier Suarez TV ad campaign smells like a mayoral race added by Ladra on
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Don’t be to humored by what Suarez is saying. He is only saying these things and then running through his pollsters to see if his impacting Gimenez’s campaign on behalf of Raquelita Regalado. Suarez wants ever so badly his son to become Mayor of the City of Miami.
Xavier we already have several bat shit crazy mayors in the City of Miami, we don’t need another who is more into his looks and the way he dresses versus having any substance to bring to the table. Yes. I am talking about your son Francis.
Commissioner Suarez has got it right. He is aware of what needs to be done and how to go about it. I am an ardent Pets’ Trust supporter who sees that Suarez, like the rest of Miami-Dade County is fed up with Gimenez; that Gimenez is not running a Democracy here, that he has no intention (Gimenez) of listening to the voters, who knew full-well what they were voting for (Pets’ Trust), and that as a public servant, Gimenez is obligated to pursue the majority’s wishes. While Gimenez stated repeatedly that he would carry out the votes of the majority, he suddenly, singlehandedly changed his mind and refuses to listen to the actual facts. Ironic, given that Gimenez is imposing upon his “subjects” the same oppressive philosophy which he fled. One could say that Gimenez is starring in his own (un)reality show-but the title “Jackass” has already been taken.
Got a point you manage to lob bombs with no bang. Lets hope at some point you say something germane and not just defamatory.
Xavier is a much better legislator than his son, luckily right now we do not have to imagine the alleged horse trading until proof is shown. I would really hope Xavier runs, he might be a bit kooky, but at the very least he has more substance than RAquel and more human than the tin man that is Gimenez.
Remember one other thing, we still have no idea if Joe Martinez is going to show up in this race. If he does, then it will come down to being able to win two elections not just one.
Got-a-point, remember these clowns are all controlled by the special interest that have run Dade down for years. It’s the same wheel and deal cenario over and over. We need a new honest face who has nothing to fear in this town and can take these people on without it affecting them in any way shape or form. We need a trump down here that will not worry about the back stabbing, or have to hire any of the campaign fools that seem to control votes and manipulate the outcomes. Miami Dade needs a modern day Robin Hood that will make run corruption out, need no favors from special interest and fix Miami-Dade. In Dade it’s al about getting in and getting the $$$ to friends and special interest. We need someone who has no need for that and can assure the citizens that each contract each move made by County Gov. Is done honestly and with the best intentions to our future. Not a two face creep that gets on Camara and says every deal is the best deal until it finally sticks like the Dolpins or a dreamed Becham deal. Gimene might ofucked out when he decided to not vote for the Marlins which I sure his people planned it that way. But he manipulated the Dolphins deal thru his Ballot Mafia squad to make us think tax payers wanted it passed. Any candidate unless back with lots of his own $$$$ like trump will have a hard time knocking this clan out of that 111 building. Unless he or she can pay her way into voters homes and delivery their message of honesty and integrety and make oaths of office will be the way to cleaning up Dade. “Clean Up Dade” should be that new slogan Commussioners should adopt, clean this corrupt shit hole up folks starting with career worthless lying politicians who care about one and one thing only. The color of the Green!
Got-A-Point AND Cabal – the two of you are both pathetic. Your elementary school teacher regrets teaching you writing, since all you are doing with this skill is using obscenities to show off your puny rage against public figures.
Xavier,
Let’s get to the point here. You are intentionally attacking Carlos Gimenez, not because you have any intentions to run for Mayor, you are helping out your pathetic son who is a worthless piece of shit. Your ads is to help Raquelita, another worthless piece of work, with your hope she is indeed elected County Mayor so your son can run and be elected City of Miami Mayor.
I will make my own prediction. You will not run for County Mayor.
By the way, isn’t your son best friend with the Llorentes? So why is it that the Llorentes are part of the Gimenez camp. What gives? Where is the love? I had so much respect for you until I met your son.
Gee, Mr. Mayor. Don’t you have something better to do with your time than firing off a poison pen post like that?
I saw Commissioner Suarez’ commercial on Good Morning America on the Pets’ Trust and I can’t tell you how impressed I am that an elected official has FINALLY stood up for our animals and our rights as citizens. 500,000 of us stood in line and voted to save our animals and our vote was totally disregarded by the Mayor and our Commissioners. This is not only a stand for our animals-which is desperately needed-it is a stand for Democracy which is why we live in America.
Taylor you are SO RIGHT! Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with us and spreading the word! And thank you Political Cortadito! Keep ‘barking’ at our lousy lying politicians and supporting the good ones!
Time for x man to shit or get off the pot. We need a leader who is convinced he is running, not thinking about it. File or get out of the way! I at least give Raquelita credit for running and moving forward. Hope Suarez runs.
“….which both he and I are certain exist solely so that nobody understands the budget and they can hide money in drawers to find later.”
That is a very astute observation and is certainly true as to effect, if not provable as to intention…
Xavier
Ladra, you have it wrong he is helping R. Regalado for the mayor race, so that she can help his son for the City mayor race.