Why stop at Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo?
A group of longtime active citizens wants to oust all three of the Miami city commissioners that form the new majority and that, they say, have thrown the city into chaos and controversy. Ladra affectionately calls them the Three Amigos, and this group of activists 
would have them all recalled and replaced with “people who don’t bicker as much.”
Calling themselves the Concerned Committee of Citizens of Miami, this group is comprised of longtime activists in Brickell and Coconut Grove, in Commissioner Ken Russell‘s district. And he is not in their sites. They support the Carollo recall, but say it can’t stop there.
Ladra doubts they’ll go after Commissioner Keon Hardemon, either. If they want to hurt him, they can focus on the county race because he’s termed out in November anyway and running for Miami-Dade commissioner. But Carollo, Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Manolo Reyes “have no political life left — ever,” as far as Ernesto Cuesta, president of the Brickell Homeowners Association and one of the group leaders, is concerned.
On 2020 con Tomas Regalado, a Sunday night local news show, Cuesta and Chelin Cremata Duran, president of the Point View condo homeowners association in Brickell, announced that they had opened a political action committee to mirror what Take Back Our City is doing with Carollo. They call it the “domino effect.”
Read related: Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo recall signatures submitted for round 1
“There is no respect here, nor is there democracy. It is an usurpation of our democracy,” Cuesta said in an radio interview with Tomas Regalado. It sounds better in Spanish.
“These individuals have taken the work of the city hostage. The city is not functioning. This is the way they operate — creating 
chaos, offending people, defaming them. That is why this movement has grown. Because we the people are tired that our taxes are not invested for the wellbeing of the city that we want to progress,” Cuesta said.
“We are getting together and saying enough already. We don’t want this kind of elemento in our city,” he said. Using the word elemento in Cuban is like saying riffraff. “What we want is to see our taxes invested in the quality of life of our neighborhoods.
“With the disorder of the administration, the disorder of the politics, the city’s needs are not being covered,” Cuesta said. “The city employees morale is on the floor. Everyone is offended. People are tired of this already. You call public works and for them to pick up a branch it is monumental. Weeks pass. There is a hydrant without a cover on Biscayne that could cause an accident. It’s been like that for five months.”
Duran was once a big ADLP fan. Ladra remembers her from his failed 2012 bid to go back to the state House. Not anymore.
Read related: More Miami power plays proves ADLP is new boss, runs the show
“I don’t know what he is coming to do in Brickell because he lives in Allapattah,” she said, but actually, he only pretends to live there. She and 
others in Russell’s district are upset that Diaz de la Portilla took the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency for himself — because he is not accountable to her and the residents of that district. Russell is her commissioner and she watched as ADLP ripped him a new one at a recent meeting.
“Our commissioner, Ken Russell, started to talk about Brickell and Mr. Diaz de la Portilla turns on him and says, ‘You supported my opponent, so your opinion doesn’t count here. We are in charge.’ It’s not personal. It is that he is voting against our quality of life.”
She said that residents of the condominium come to her for help. There is flooding in some streets, other streets are dark, monstrous trash heaps take weeks to be picked up. “And we are asking about the status of the sea wall. What happened to the sea wall they promised? We don’t know.”
These are ‘get out the vote people,’ people. 
These are longtime and respected super voters who politicians normally try to keep on their good side because when come election time, they can be valuable surrogates. Because voters trust them. They should be able to handle a recall even better than the ragtag group of misfit frenemies working to recall Joe, who already turned in the required number of petitions plus a comfy cushion over the weekend.
Duran said residents show up to commission meetings to present their issue and leave frustrated and unheard. “The three commissioners spend their time on bobería,” she said, using the Cuban word for silliness (read: bullshit). “Like who gives the key to the city to who and why the mayor has to give the key.”
Read related: Recall effort vs Joe Carollo picks up after commission meltdown
She said a woman she knows recently went to speak about a park that Carollo wants to put next to her house (note to Ladra: look into who owned all those properties Carollo is buying to put parks in the middle of residential streets) but left without being able to say a word. It might have been that infamous meeting in January that was adjourned before it really even started.
“We are not lobbyists nor are we candidates for commission,” Duran said. “We don’t want anything from the city except what they ought to give, 
as commissioners and mayor, which is service to our community.”
So not even Mayor Francis Suarez, who is weaker than ever — but trying desperately to build a new alliance with ADLP — is safe?
Duran said she’s never met Reyes but that he shouldn’t have voted on a particular development after getting donations from developers and being told by staff that the change in allowable height was not recommended by the staff.
Carollo, she said, “fights with everyone. He doesn’t let people speak.”
Read related: Miami anti-recall ordinance — self serving safety net or city attorney test?
Joining the “recall them all” call: Miami Neighborhoods United President Grace Solares, who saw ADLP shutting people up 
at commission meetings also. She said that he shut down a woman who wanted to speak during the debate about the Puerto Rican flag mural on La Placitas restaurant. “She tried to talk and kept getting interrupted by Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla. He was very aggressive with her.”
ADLP was also aggressive last week against Solares, who ran against Russell once upon a time, when she dared speak against his anti recall ordinance, which would limit recalls to once a year per elected and gives them the cover to produce sham recalls and immunize themselves every year. She went to tell them that if they wanted that change, they would need to make a charter amendment and leave it to the voters. And she asked him to speak more slowly so she could understand.
“I’m sorry but that’s the way I speak. Maybe it’s the coffee,” he said, also calling her a sore loser and insinuating that she only defended the recall rules because she might want to recall Russell, who she lost to.
Maybe he forgot how to treat people. But it’s part of a concerning pattern to silence and intimidate any dissent.
“He was trying to hurt me. How ridiculous,” she told Ladra later.
Last week, Solares, president of Miami Neighborhoods United, also went on Regalado’s show to say that people have been approaching her about what is happening at City Hall and that the desire to start fresh is growing.
Now that the first recall Joe Carollo group, Take Back Our City, has submitted the first round of signatures, the momentum will grow even more.
Why stop at Joe Carollo?
New activists’ group wants to recall the Three Amigos, like dominos falling added by Ladra on
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[…] Manolo Reyes. Specifically, Acevedo alleged that the trio, often referred to by dais-watchers as “the Three Amigos,” had attempted to “weaponize” MPD personnel to satisfy personal vendettas and at times […]
[…] Manolo Reyes. Specifically, Acevedo alleged that the trio, often referred to by dais-watchers as “the Three Amigos,” had attempted to “weaponize” MPD personnel to satisfy personal vendettas and at times […]
[…] Manolo Reyes. Specifically, Acevedo alleged that the trio, often referred to by dais-watchers as “the Three Amigos,” had attempted to “weaponize” MPD personnel to satisfy personal vendettas and at times […]
Hector,
I’m disappointed to see you parroting Carollo talking points.
1. Yes, the Durans are big Democrats but support Republicans in non-partisan races. Always have. They are boosters for Francis Suarez, a Republican, and supported Tomas and Tommy Regalado, both Republicans. They held fundraisers for Manolo. Fer Chrissake, they even gave Carollo a tiny donation in 2017. How you see that as ‘hyper-partisan” is beyond me. Yes, significant people in local politics who are diehard Dems have taken the lead in pushing the Carollo recall, but they have been working elbow-to-elbow with significant people in local politics who are staunch Republicans (your friend Bruno Barreiro and your friend Lourdes Molina, for starters).
2. Cuesta lives in Brickell, and is the President of a Brickell umbrella condo association. He advocates for Brickell. Not sure what’s nefarious there.
3. I realize you ran a losing candidate against Grace, but … Seriously? Still holding a grudge? Grace holds monthly meetings with a dedicated group of activists that have been in the trenches FOR DECADES, and is constantly lobbying commissioners. She was out there shaking trees and making calls for Horacio in the D1 race. She is well-respected amongst not just her long-time allies, but many of her former political opponents. Does she have as much juice now as she did when her dear friend Tomas was in the mayor’s office? No. Is she at City Hall every day like she used to be when she was fighting Miami 21? Of course not. But to make it like this is the first time in years she’s been active on something big… well, that’s just not true.
4. You’re not the first one that’s argued recalls are somehow undemocratic. You’re also not the first one that’s argued we should somehow BUILD THE WALL between Districts and not have residents/candidates/commissioners from one District openly politicking in the others (secret politicking, like Carollo strong-arming donors behind the scenes to help DLP get elected is OK, though.)
But, whatever, there certainly are at least *reasonable* arguments on both those points. What’s not reasonable is arguing these people are all surrogates of the mayor somehow. People do have independent critical thinking, even if you want to deny them that.
Joe Carollo and his bosom buddy Marc Sarnoff should be recalled.
If in fact they have the signatures, this is what should happens next:
Grounds for recall.—The grounds for removal of elected municipal officials shall, for the purposes of this act, be limited to the following and must be contained in the petition:
1. Malfeasance;
2. Misfeasance;
3. Neglect of duty;
4. Drunkenness;
5. Incompetence;
6. Permanent inability to perform official duties; and
7. Conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Filing of signed petitions.—All signed petition forms shall be filed at the same time, no later than 30 days after the date on which the first signature is obtained on the petition. The person designated as chair of the committee shall file the signed petition forms with the auditor or clerk of the municipality or charter county, or his or her equivalent, hereinafter referred to as “clerk.” The petition may not be amended after it is filed with the clerk.
So Carollo must answer why his conduct as alleged in the recall petition does not rise to: Malfeasance; Misfeasance; Neglect of duty; Drunkenness; Incompetence; Permanent inability to perform official duties; and or Conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Simply stated there are only 4 or 5 which petitioners should have developed a theory sufficient enough to constitute any of the 4-5 causes of action that represent the basis of recall.
Notice.—Upon receipt of a written determination that the requisite number of signatures has been obtained, the clerk shall at once serve upon the person sought to be recalled a certified copy of the petition. Within 5 days after service, the person sought to be recalled may file with the clerk a defensive statement of not more than 200 words. So Mr. Carollo must file a 200 word statement why he should not be recall. Failure to file a response is an automatic removal, in my opinion. i may also be considered as a resignation.
Content and preparation.—Within 5 days after the date of receipt of the defensive statement or after the last date a defensive statement could have been filed, the clerk shall prepare a document entitled “Recall Petition and Defense.” The “Recall Petition and Defense” shall consist of the recall petition, including copies of the originally signed petitions and counterparts. The “Recall Petition and Defense” must contain lines which conform to the provisions of paragraph (2)(e), and the defensive statement or, if no defensive statement has been filed, a statement to that effect. The clerk shall make copies of the “Recall Petition and Defense” which are sufficient to carry the signatures of 30 percent of the registered electors. Immediately after preparing and making sufficient copies of the “Recall Petition and Defense,” the clerk shall deliver the copies to the person designated as chair of the committee and take his or her receipt therefor.
Signed petitions; request for striking name.—The clerk shall assemble all signed petitions, check to see that each petition is properly verified by the oath of a witness, and submit such petitions to the county supervisor of elections. Any elector who signs a recall petition has the right to demand in writing that his or her name be stricken from the petition. A written demand signed by the elector shall be filed with the clerk, and, upon receipt of the demand, the clerk shall strike the name of the elector from the petition and place his or her initials to the side of the signature stricken. However, a signature may not be stricken after the clerk has delivered the “Recall Petition and Defense” to the supervisor for verification of the signatures.
Requisite signatures.—Upon receipt of the “Recall Petition and Defense,” the committee may circulate them to obtain the signatures of 15 percent of the electors. All signatures shall be obtained and all signed petition forms filed with the clerk no later than 60 days after delivery of the “Recall Petition and Defense” to the chair of the committee.
So the process has started, upon verification of 5% Carollo must answer why his conduct does not rise to Malfeasance; Misfeasance or any other conduct detrimental to peace and proper government function.
Lorenzo J Palomares Starbuck
Lorenzo J. Palomares Starbuck, Esq.
Manuel Reyes seems to have Alzheimers. He can be batty AF. Carollo and Alex DLP are just Castro Cuban crooks. They steal.
Partisan driven dribble. The problem with Miami is systemic. Not just the administration that is in charge of the everyday, quality of life issues they are complaining about but the so call activists themselves.
The Durans are famous founders of the modern Democratic Party of Florida. This is a hyper partisan effort.
Cuesta is a well-mannered gentlemen who works for the same Brickell interests like the Duran behind Russell. I really like him but he’s misguided.
Solares has not been active on real issues for years and suddenly wants to start not with policy or changing the charter to reform the city but to remove the same politicians she needs their cooperation with.
With problemsolvers like these, we might as well just get in line like they do in other cities to ask: “Where’s mine?”
P.S. This continues to make Mayor Suarez look bad since these organizers are supporters of his (even Solares declined to run against him). What makes anyone think he and his famously anti-Carollo former Mayor father aren’t behind all this? (Yes, Carollo will say this, but that doesn’t make it any less true). If Mayor Suarez let’s supporters of his act so undemocratic as to invade other districts with recalls to fix his issues, that speaks volumes. Loudly.