CLC’s next political move is no big surprise

• Tweet
• Sumo

• Tweet

State Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera (Rep. District 112) just announced, minutes ago – drum roll, please — that he has launched his campaign to run for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser against incumbent Pedro Garcia.

Yeah, I know. We all knew. It’s been the best unkept secret in local politics for a few weeks now. But what is a little known fact is that this underestimated, little low-profile race could get ugly and become one of the more hotly-contested competitions on the ballot.

Even though our tiny, unscientific, scantísimo poll was split between a Senate seat and the commission seat now occupied by Miami-Dade Commissioner Mayor Sir Xavier Suarez (and this means X will keep marking his spot, btw), Ladra knew this low-key seat  was going to be CLC’s choice. Lopez-Cantera did not return several calls and texts this morning (I am sure he doesn’t want Ladra to let the cat out of the bag) but he lit up like a un arbolito when he spoke a couple of weeks ago at another pol’s event about his work in the legislature with property tax reform and how so much could be done proactively to protect land owners’ rights. Sure, it’s not a sexy seat now. But CLC — hey, that sounds like a cruise line or TV network, or wait, a chain of health centers — could actually shake things up and make the property appraiser’s office a more exciting political post.

In his press release, CLC inferred that it was an important role already.

“Miami-Dade is on the cusp of economic recovery. The decisions made by the Property Appraiser over the next several years will not only impact every resident of Miami-Dade, but will contribute to the future economic prosperity of our community,” Lopez-Cantera said. “The citizens of Miami-Dade cannot afford to keep the same leadership, and expect different results. I am running on a record of property tax reform and fighting for fairness for all the property owners of Miami-Dade. I look forward to visiting every community in our county from North Miami and Miami Gardens to Homestead and Florida City to listen to the citizens of Miami-Dade County talk about their property tax concerns.”

And yes, his friends refer to him by his initials just like some other pols. Could be a cool Miami trend starting. We already have a harmony section of DLPs (let’s not name them all; I go long already). The DB brothers (not Doobie Brothers, though) former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and current U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. I’ve actually seen U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen referred to as IRL in a text message. Maybe we should call Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez Mayor CAG (aunque eso pudiera sonar sucio!) Commission Chairman Joe A. Martinez can be Chairman JAM. Can I be Blogger ED? It seems the acronym thing is some kind of successful gimmick.

But all those fellow members of the My Name In Initials Club better start shaking the trees for CLC — and soon. Maybe the State Rep — termed out after eight years — took a little too long to make up his mind because he is starting $50K behind in the bankroll.

Garcia has raised almost $56,000 since last summer, a whopping 40 percent or so of which came in a tidy little — okay, tidy, big — bundle of 24 maximum $500 checks from Coral Gables health care management exec Miguel Fernandez. It adds up to $22,000 from a health care empire. That’s some support for the guy in charge of our property assessments.

So don’t think CLC has it in the bag just because of his long and highly-recognizable name and his buddies. Garcia is no wuss. Remember, he won that seat in 2008 with a $62,000 total war chest by beating State Sen. La Gwen Margolis (Dem., District 35) — a former county commissioner and State Senator with a war chest of $566,000. That’s almost ten times as much. And he beat her 60-40 in a runoff after voters picked them from an original five candidates.

Garcia still has more than $50,000 of this campaign fund. He probably knew he would draw a real opponent in this crazy year. Because he does not have one in Ernesto Castellanos, whoever that is. Castellanos filed to run last summer, but has spent all but $35 of the $1,230 he raised — $430 of which was in loans to himself — on signs and cards and ads and gas.

And we still don’t know who he is? Is he really running?

Ladra says no. But Garcia is. And he may try to pick up some steam and hit up friend Miguel Fernandez for 10 or 20 more checks or so now that he has a real challenge on the ballot.

An acronym, no less.