As expected, there are going to be a plethora of PACs pitching a yes vote on three controversial city of Miami ballot questions to voters — and, so far, nothing on the “vote no” side.
Joining the strong mayor initiative and stadium park retail center initiatives, which are getting all the 
attention, is also a question about a 99-year lease on the city’s Miami Riverside Center administrative building that nobody really knows anything about (more on that later).
These important referendum questions on the Nov. 6 ballot are being pushed and promoted by someone or other. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez for the first two, and Jorge Mas and David Beckham and Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo on the soccer stadium for starters. These people and others who will profit from these measures will use PACs to push the yes vote.
Read related: Miami Commission should kick no-bid soccer shopping center out of Melreese
So far, there doesn’t seem to be any “vote no” PACs forming. And isn’t that usually the case? That’s why getting it on the ballot is so important to these special interests. Once it’s going before voters, it’s just a sales job.
We already know about Miamians for an Independent and Accountable 
Mayor’s Initiative, which spent practically all the $275,000 it has already raised since launched in March to get the strong mayor petitions signed and the question on the ballot. This PAC also has a website at strongmiami.com to promote the measure. Ladra is pretty sure we have not heard the last from them.
But there are at least three other PACs for the November election that have appeared in just the last six weeks.
Two of those committees came on board last month.
Building Miami’s Future filed Aug. 10 for the vague purpose 
of “Special Referendum Election in the City of Miami.” But we know it’s the MRC question because the only contribution so far is for in-kind polling data by FredrickPolls valued at $14,000 and paid for by Adler Development Group, which wants to redevelop the city-owned property into a mixed-use complex with four towers. This PAC has Steven Brownstein as the chairman, Tina Spano as treasurer and Morgan Sirlin as deputy treasurer.
Read related: Mayor Carlos Gimenez clan involved in Joe Carollo lawsuit vs strong mayor
Accountable Miami PC filed Aug. 24 with the equally vague purpose of “Miami ballot issues” and has already collected $11,000 from banker Leonard Abess, Sergio’s CEO Carlos Gazitua and attorney Juan Mayol. Daniel Milian is the chairman. Political CPA Jose “Pepe” Riesco is treasurer and Jeannine Miranda is deputy treasurer. Ladra bets it’s a pro strong mayor PAC, seeing as how more accountabili
ty is the presumed outcome.
Another PAC turned up just last week.
The transparently named Miami Freedom Park Political Committee filed its documents with the city on Sept. 17 for the purpose of “advocating for a Local Referendum amending the City charter.” Pablo Alvarez is the chairman, and Riesco and Miranda again as the CPAs.
That’s at least four PACs so far — there could be more registered at the state level — that will be vying for your attention, urging yes votes on the strong mayor, the MRC lease and the soccer stadium retail complex.
The poor no vote side never gets any organized money — except maybe, in this case, we just might see some against the strong mayor question coming from Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo or Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez or both.
Ladra will keep an eye on these PACs and any others that may form in the coming weeks so we can figure out who is investing in these three ballot questions and how much — and why.
This post was not paid for nor approved by any committee for anything.
PACs pop up in Miami to push ‘yes’ on strong mayor, stadium park, MRC lease added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
