Cason’s Gables campaign lacks track record and context

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Coral Gables Mayor James Cason lied again.

Cason really doesn’t have much of a track record to campaign on or anything substantial he’s brought to the city — all his alleged accomplishments would have likely happened without him. Like he really single-handedly brought back the Fourth of July fireworks. Ooooh. Ahhhh.

So his tack is to tear down his opponent, and only obstacle to his total domination of the city, Commissioner Ralph Cabrera.

Even if he has to basically lie to do it.

For the second time in two straight debates, Cason said Cabrera — who has probably done more for pension reform than anyone else in that city — had sat on the issue and urged his colleagues to wait rather than act and, here is the kicker folks, took a quote totally out of context to prove his point.

“We’ll do something about the pension when, you know, the excrement hits the oscillating device,” Cabrera said in a 2005 or so meeting.

But he was being totally facetious. The typically sarcastic commissioner was actually being critical of his colleague’s daliance, urging them to do something about the issue that he has been harping on for years. He was saying, in his sarcastic way, that the city should deal with it before the shit hit the fan. Ladra is less political with her words.

Truth is Cabrera has seen a lot of pension reform changes on the dais — dating to back when it wasn’t even the popular thing to do. In 2005, he voted to have workers contribute to their plan. And he’s advocated for and voted for caps on overtime and comp time.

But Cason’s campaign lacks so much of anything real that he turns to this complete fabrication not once, but twice. At least publicly. Ladra first heard it at the first mayoral debate last week. Who knows how many times he’s said it in other gatherings.

Ladra realizes he doesn’t have much of a track record. Cason doesn’t have any original initiative to boast about. He can’t keep running from the escalating crime issue forever so causing a distraction is a good idea (probably from his campaign manager, Jorge de Cardenas). But he isn’t even the candidate people think he is if he hasn’t anything better to pull out of his, er, hat.

This is the mayor’s smoking gun? Really?

And, another question for the voter: This is the man you should trust with your vote? Someone who takes a comment completely out of context to smear someone else and get your support fraudulently?

What other truths might he bend to win you over?