The last candidate forum hosted by the Kendall Federation of Homeowners Associations 
sounds like it might be a little one-sided: While three candidates have confirmed their attendance, their opponents will likely be MIA.
All of them are — surprise, surprise — incumbents.
By now, we are used to Miami-Dade Carlos Gimenez skipping the neighborhood debates and forums with School Board member and mayoral challenger Raquel Regalado. He agreed to three debates only after he was forced into a runoff — two on TV and one on radio (at 10 a.m. on WMBM Thursday morning) but none in front of a live audience. You don’t have to wonder why.
But the invite from the KFHA also says that Republican incumbent State Rep. Michael Bileca had not confirmed his attendance, though his challenger, Jeffrey Solomon, will be there.
Also not coming: U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the Republican incumbent 
who is apparently sending a “representative from his office” to face former Congressman Joe Garcia, who Curbelo beat in 2014 amid damaging headlines about voter fraud. He shouldn’t be allowed to send a stand-in. We are not voting for a stand-in.
Also, Ladra hopes that when he says “office,” he means someone from the campaign office, not from his government office.
It’s a shame that Gimenez, Bileca and Curbelo have so little respect for the Kendall voters that they would skip this last opportunity to reach them at a debate where they would engage with their opponent.
Tsk, tsk.
If you want to hear the one-sided arguments from the challengers, the event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the ‘civic pavilion’ at the Kendall Village Center, 8625 SW 124 Ave. (it’s that little room in front of the movie theater).
Incumbents to skip KFHA candidate forum Thursday added by Ladra on
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Eddie,
Here is what we did. We gave the “stand-in” TWO MINUTES to make his pitch. Then, he had to sit down. Joe Garcia then had the floor for 30 minutes straight.
If you talk to Mr. Garcia, I am sure he will tell you is was NOT disrespectful and shameful. In fact, it turned out to be beneficial.
Joe took complete advantage of the moment by stating the obvious. HE WAS THERE!!!! Curbelo was not..
Trust me…..we all noticed!!!!!
The Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations has featured these town hall meetings for over 30 years. My job is to invite the challengers and incumbents, a task I have been doing these past four years since I have been President.
On behalf of the KFHA I have reached out to the Gimenez campaign over a dozen times trying to make the case why it was important for our current mayor to speak with the people of Kendall, almost 400,000 strong. We didn’t even receive the courtesy of a response. It’s like we don’t exist. So, even though the Mayor won’t be there tonight, it seems his message to Kendall is clear. He wants our votes, but not our opinions or questions.
The reason the KFHA decided on October 20th for this meeting tonight was because Mr. Curbelo told us that was the night he could come. Then, “something came up” and he wanted to change the date to just a few days before election day. We weren’t going to do that.
Mr. Bileca was also invited numerous times. He said he had commitments tonight and didn’t see the invites.
Incumbents should make EVERY effort to connect with the people that elected them. Unfortunately, for the people of Kendall, Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Curbelo, and Mr. Bileca, have come up with every reason possible to avoid us.
Tonight we offer you the opportunity to meet with candidates that do want to know you, hear from you, and speak with you.
Remember, the KFHA is made up of people that live in various Kendall communities. One person in our audience takes his or her perceptions of the candidates back to their neighborhoods that are comprised of hundreds or thousands of homeowners.
We’ll leave it up to you to determine what that message is, when an incumbent decides not to show up in our Kendall community.
Well said, Michael. You’re absolutely correct… Gimenez, Curbelo & Bileca have NO RESPECT for the voters and don’t care about our opinions, or our votes!!!
You should not allow a “stand-in” to speak for a US Rep seeking re-election. Anything can be said by such person and later retracted in a small press release that probably none of tonight’s attendees will see as an error on the persons part.
Disrespectful and shameful!
How much are you being paid to write this article?
Absolutely nothing. Just like the story on the ballot questions, the story on the Miami Beach train to nowhere and the story I just posted on Donald Trump’s veiled threat of a civil war. None of the stories on Political Cortadito are paid for, despite what you and your Gimenez or Curbelo cronies may say.
How much are you being paid to write that comment?
Love, Ladra
This lack of respect has been well earned, but there will be some frustrated conservatives in the crowd.