It looks like that famous Harvard education that Miami-Commissioner Juan Zapata 
is getting — which has brought him so much grief — hasn’t helped him understand the difference between a true mandate and a marketing plan.
Zapata, who has been against the Pet’s Trust Initiative voted by almost 65% of the residents in 2012, used the word mandate in a strongly-penned memo to Mayor Carlos Gimenez last month about the possibility of having the Dade County Youth Fair share its grounds with FIU, which wants to expand on the county owned park property Miami-Dade leases to the Fair.
“As the commissioner whose districts includes both FIU and Tamiami Park, I am urging you to strongly oppose any such idea, and to immediately take steps toward supporting the expansion of FIU , as dictated by voters,” Zapata wrote Dec. 17.
As dictated by voters? Really?
Let’s refresh his memory, shall we? Voters approved a measure in 2014 that would give FIU the same waiver on use of park land that the Dade County Youth Fair and Expo has on its lease and that any expansion — if it happened independently — wouldn’t cost the county a penny. The vote was not to push the Youth Fair out.
Read related story: Juan Zapata to Mayor: ‘Where’s the money?’ and ‘Cut taxes’
But, hey, it gave Zap a chance to swipe at the mayor and maybe give him a little payback slap for leaking that county payment to Harvard that the commissioner said he always intended to reimburse. And that’s what this really is about: 
An opportunity for Zapata, who has butt heads with the mayor on multiple budget and infrastructure issues, to turn the heat up on his political rival.
“It is difficult to understand why your administration has allowed the eighth largest public university take a back seat to the selfish interests of a three-week county fair,” Zapata wrote. “FIU has expended considerable time, effort and resources on this initiative and the expansion of FIU will benefit everyone in this community. The fair’s delay tactics and your lack of strong leadership on this issue are no longer acceptable to me as county commissioner of this area.”
I guess Zap would want to break the rock solid lease the Youth Fair has through 2085 and risk having to pay millions in penalties? I guess it’s worth the noted $900 million in construction and the billions more in yearly economic impact that the proposed expansion is projected to have.
“How can we possibly ignore this for so long?! Your administration continues to support the creation of low paying jobs while squandering incredible opportunities to create numerous high paying jobs that would result from FIU’s expansion,” Zapata wrote.
“The Fair is not vital to the long-term well-being of this community but rest assured that Florida International University is and its impact will continue to grow. It is my duty as county commissioner and my privilege as a proud FIU alum to urge that you move forward with FIU’s expansion onto the fair grounds site. The voters have already spoken on this issue.”
There he goes again. Zapata knows full well that voters did not vote to move the Fair so FIU could take over the county property.
Read related story: FIU’s bully battle vs. Youth Fair keeps costing us plenty
Mayor Gimenez reminded Zap of this little fact in his own memo, fired off Dec. 29 in response. It reminded him of the rock solid lease. It reminded him of the four locations that the county and FIU are still trying to push on the Fair folks. 
It reminded him of the ballot language that voters approved, which was not to move the Fair. And it reminded him of costs.
“Certain relocation scenarios may cost tens of millions of dollars in order to meet the conditions of the Fair’s lease. Miami-Dade County cannot and will not be exposed to any costs,” Gimenez wrote, adding that FIU is unwilling or unable to guarantee anything over $50 million in costs.
And the winner of this particular pissing match is Gimenez, who nevertheless snidely urged Zap to sponsor legislation endorsing the South Dade site (which all county sources tell Ladra is the preferred location for the county).
But the mayor should also take another read of his own memo and put the brakes on his involvement in this whole exercise in futility. He should not get embroiled later this month as more reports and analyses come in from FIU (saying what a great location South Dade is) and the Youth Fair (saying absolutely not). But he will probably take these contradictory reports and have his staff pore over them to review and discuss a move that the Fair doesn’t want to make.
Hasta cuando? We’ve been at this for two and a half years because, yes, the discussions began before the ballot question which was a way for FIU to pressure the Youth Fair because it wasn’t getting what it wants.
Let FIU and the Fair work it out and bring back a proposal they both agree to before the county spends one more man hour on writing memos about this.
Juan Zapata enters FIU/Fair fight to slap down the mayor added by Ladra on
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Zap is just looking at filling his pockets with cash from the FIU developers and contractors who he probably already has staff members lobbying for. This moron has wasted more time in his never ending efforts to incorporate his now meniacle “West End”. Ladra next time you speak to this fool have him share how bad his meetings have gone. Scum bag get it thru your head we don’t want incorporation, get a real job and get to work, your a fraud and underhanded crook. Your a disgrace to MD politics and your ethics are the worst. Funds intended to pay back, sure let me go thru the trouble to get my Harvard accelerate class mumbo-jumbo payed for bhbTax dollars then when your busted red handed say you’ll pay it back! He should be indicted and each one of his shady companies investigated, funny how they’re all run out of his apartment in another District! Ladra how come you never hit that topic. All this clown is helped some developers build out in west end, ridiculous it’s west Kendall, Hammocks, Devonair, Westwind Lakes, And Kendale Lakes stop trying to fix what’s not broken. As far as his police issue, you can wish for the fairy tooth lady but she’s never coming! What he needs to do is stop using the police in helping his buddies HOA company in getting police services on Tax Dollar times. While the rest of the District and communities are being overrun with drugs, crime, and problems. If constituents have problems they can forward the info to them and the commissioners can let police know they proper channels not have direct access to have cops work for them like if they were police directors or administrators. This practice needs to end ASAP and the need for an Elected Sheriff in obvious.
P.s. Tell him to stop sending out his stupid Birthday Cards, last time I checked he’s not or ever will be invited to any of my Birthday parties!
I hear Chanel 51 is almost done with Part 2 of their Zap special report, hopefully the Feds will have enough to go after this clown once and for all. Once a criminal always a criminal!
I would think he might encourage FIU to expand west by Tamiami airport and anchor the high tech center in soon-to-be-incorporate Zapataville.
“hasn’t helped him understand the difference between a true mandate and a marketing plan.”
And this is also why my local library, the West Kendall Regional is now called the West End Regional. A Zapata marketing plan. This forced name change feels awkward and is a misuse of his position.