Some Miami-Dade voters got a text message poll over the weekend, gauging support for many of the big candidates on the ballot this year and also for the $2.5 billion bond referendum promoted by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and dropped on us during her State of the County address in January.
And, for the first time, the bond referendum was tentatively tied to a new proposal to expand MetroRail.
The first questions were about whether or not the voter found several political figures favorable or unfavorable. In addition to La Alcaldesa, voters were asked about every other client working with her consultant Christian Ulvert on a county race That includes former Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson, who is running for tax collector, former State Rep. JC Planas, who is running for elections supervisor, Public Safety Director James Reyes, who is running for Miami-Dade sheriff and former State Sen. Annette Taddeo, who is running for county clerk.
There were also favorability questions on two of the mayor’s opponents in the election — Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid and Cuban-American activist and podcaster Alex Otaola — as well as several of the other candidates for sheriff, including John Barrow, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Mario Knapp, Ricky Mitchell and Joe Sanchez. It also asked for favorability for State Rep. Alina Garcia, who is running for election supervisor against Planas, Miami-Dade Clerk and Comptroller Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who is being challenged by Taddeo, and former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, who is running for property appraiser.
Read related: Manny Cid PAC hits Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on $2.5 billion bond
The poll asks the voter who they like today in the mayor’s race, the supervisor of elections race, the tax collector’s race and the sheriff’s race — pitting Democrat James Reyes against either Republican Cordero-Stutz or Joe Sanchez.
But the most interesting question was not even about any particular candidate. It was about the mayor’s proposed $2.5 billion bond referendum to invest in housing affordability, parks, resiliency improvements and infrastructure. “This would be financed through dedicated revenue generated from property taxes where the average homeowner would not pay more than $1 a month in additional property taxes,” the poll states.
That amount sounds artificially low.
And, perhaps anticipating some angst and resistance to such a large blank check, the poll dangles a carrot. “Would you support or oppose such a bond package if it expanded to include an additional tax payment of $1 per month for dedicated transit funding too expand MetroRail?”
Read related: Hard reception for Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s $2.5 billion bomb bond
Well, I’ll be. When did that become part of the formula? Is it because the mayor is reading the writing on the wall about the public’s lack of appetite for her very vague slush fund? Is it because people were upset that there were no real details revealed and no transit projects were originally included in the huge package?
And, just one 305 minute. Wasn’t the expansion of MetroRail already promised through the half-penny sales tax for the People’s Transportation Plan? Wouldn’t it take the whole $2.5 billion? Is that question about a completely separate $1 a month for the MetroRail inclusion? So another $2.5 billion?
Maybe Mayor Levine Cava (read: Ulvert) thinks we don’t remember. But like The Who used to sing, “We won’t be fooled again.”
Poll asks voters if $2.5 bil bond sounds better with MetroRail expansion in it added by Ladra on
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