152 new voters and phones for Dolphins stadium phone bank

152 new voters and phones for Dolphins stadium phone bank

According to the Miami-Dade Elections Department, there were 152 new voters registered over last weekend so they can cast ballots in the special election on the publicly-funded Miami Dolphins stadium. Those are the ones who could get it done before the midnight Monday deadline after the short window was announced late last week. And that […]

Mayor Gimenez lobbies for Dolphin stadium deal. Duh!

Mayor Gimenez lobbies for Dolphin stadium deal. Duh!

The Miami-Dade County Commission approved the deal for the Miami Dolphins’ owner’s Sun Life Stadium improvements and the referendum for voters to approve paying for it through tourist-derived public dollars on a Wednesday. On Thursday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who negotiated what he calls the best-ever public/private agreement in the country, went to Tallahassee to promote […]

Miami Beach candidate Dave Crystal is clearly confused

Miami Beach candidate Dave Crystal is clearly confused

There are a slew of candidates in the upcoming Miami Beach election and Ladra doesn’t know them all. But one of them seems a little confused, or too emotionally and mentally instable to serve in office. Plus he needs tougher skin. Dave Crystal, who is running for commissioner in Group 1, shot off an email to […]

Tales from Tallahassee II: Regrets from a bad, bad dog

Tales from Tallahassee II: Regrets from a bad, bad dog

While there was a lot done and accomplished in Tallahassee when Ladra went up for Dade Days, there are regrets, too. Naturally. First let me say that I regret posting this so late. But there’s been an election in Coral Gables, posts coming about Doral and Sweetwater, and a lot of activity regarding the Dolphins […]

As many 305 elections approach, the pushy PACs proliferate

As many 305 elections approach, the pushy PACs proliferate

It is that season again. PAC season. Forget about the return of Mad Men. All the real drama in South Florida elections is about the return of PAC men. There are some important elections coming up — including the Dolphins stadium referendum, like, tomorrow — and of course that means that the political action committees, which are good […]

Dolphins owner’s wealth issue of anti-stadium video

Dolphins owner’s wealth issue of anti-stadium video

We all know that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is rich man. And that is why some of us are having a hard time swallowing this idea to pour at least $350 million and possibly up to $400 million in public funds into his private stadium. No matter how much the community benefits from the proposed roof […]

Referendum could be a fake play for a $90 million trophy

Referendum could be a fake play for a $90 million trophy

Might we call it a fake punt? While the owner of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium seems to be putting an earnest effort into a public referendum that would get him $289 million in tourist tax dollars, it’s a known longshot. So maybe he’s really making a pass for a different kind of score. Because […]

Voter registration deadline on Dolphins deal another dupe?

Voter registration deadline on Dolphins deal another dupe?

Talk about manipulation. We posted the last piece on the referendum and why Ladra doesn’t like it before we realized that the last day to register to vote in the special, shotgun May 14 election on the Miami Dolphins public funding stadium deal is Monday. That’s right, only five days after it was approved by […]

Not all referendums are created equal; this one is less than

Not all referendums are created equal; this one is less than

There are so many things that are bothersome or just plain wrong about the Sun Life Stadium deal and the much-touted referendum vote for the public financing of apparently desperately-needed upgrades to the private home of our beloved Miami Dolphins, that this may become a Political Cortadito series. But, for the most part, the main concerns […]

Dolphins stadium vote follows parade of flowers, not debate

Dolphins stadium vote follows parade of flowers, not debate

Despite what the Miami Dolphins say on their website — that “nearly five hours of debate yielded a favorable vote” — there really was no debate before the Miami-Dade Commission gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a hotly-negotiated, “unprecedented” deal that will give the team’s owners a revenue stream of nearly $300 million to fix up the stadium. […]