One of FBI’s nabbed lobbyists worked for Esteban Bovo

One of FBI’s nabbed lobbyists worked for Esteban Bovo

Jorge Forte, one of the lobbyists arrested this week in connection with a bribery and extortion scam involving illegal federal kick-backs to willing politicians, worked for Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo. I mean, during the time that he was orchestrating a scheme to knowingly steal money from the federal government and split it with his buddy […]

Mayor Carlos Hernandez: I’d ‘love’ to fight Raul Martinez

Mayor Carlos Hernandez: I’d ‘love’ to fight Raul Martinez

The federal undercover operation that netted two local mayors and two lobbyists planning elaborate and illegal kick-backs in one day didn’t just throw a wrench into their plans to steal hundreds of thousands, even millions, from the federal government. It also canceled the highly-publicized charity benefit “mixed martial arts” match next month between former and […]

Wannabes line up to replace arrested Mayor Michael Pizzi

Wannabes line up to replace arrested Mayor Michael Pizzi

What some people might see como una desgracia, otros los ven como una oportunidad. The handcuff marks on his wrists were probably still itching him when wannabes started talking about running to replace Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi, who was arrested Tuesday on federal bribery and extortion charges. One obvious hopeful is Vice Mayor […]

Big surprise is that only 2 electeds were arrested in sting

Big surprise is that only 2 electeds were arrested in sting

You mean, there were only two? That’s one of the questions I am left with after Tuesday’s big news that Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi were arrested on federal bribery and extortion charges. Ladra is not too surprised that these two mayors — both of whom have been accused of abusing their power in […]

Will Tio Sergio Robaina be in court today? Or not, again?

Will Tio Sergio Robaina be in court today? Or not, again?

One of the boleteros nabbed last year in a series of politically-connected absentee ballot arrests is set to be in court today. Or is Tio Sergio Robaina, uncle of former and indicted Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, going to escape the limelight of the courtroom again and further prolong answering questions? There was a motion filed July 26 to […]

Mayor Carlos Gimenez governs by poll, loses trust

Mayor Carlos Gimenez governs by poll, loses trust

Maybe he was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez made a very well publicized about face last month when he backward flipped on his original budget proposal — going from what he said would be a necessary but small tax hike to keep services at current levels to a […]

Fire rescue brownouts — blame accounting blip, not OT

Fire rescue brownouts — blame accounting blip, not OT

Miami-Dade Firefighters – already in shock about the mayor’s about face on the budget for next year, which calls for six to eight stations to be shut down and 144 firefighters to be fired – got another surprise Friday. In a meeting they requested to go over the rolling brownouts due to the $15 million […]

Busted! Speaker’s ties to insurance giant questionable

Busted! Speaker’s ties to insurance giant questionable

Aha! So, now it seems there may be a reason why Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) was so aggressive against the Republican that challenged State Rep. Michael Bileca (R-Pinecrest) in the primary last year. Maybe Weatherford needed Bileca’s vote on the Citizens Property Insurance thing. The Miami Herald, using records obtained by the Florida […]

Norman Braman did not talk taxes with Mayor Gimenez

Norman Braman did not talk taxes with Mayor Gimenez

Several people have wondered out loud whether Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s sudden change of heart on the budget, setting a flat tax rate, had anything to do with Norman Braman and a possible threat at a recall like the one that paved the way for his existence. I mean, all electeds cower at the auto […]

Fake Oliver Gilbert recall another bogus Brito bungle

Fake Oliver Gilbert recall another bogus Brito bungle

The rumored recall against Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert has not materialized. Despite claims that there would be a petition filed last Monday by recall maven Vanessa Brito — who loves to take credit for the recalls of former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas, even though it was Norman Braman‘s money that did it — there had been no paperwork […]