Gavelgirl makes nice with Ladra

Among the deferential, diplomatic decencies displayed during early voting liftoff over the weekend at the JFK library in Hialeah, was Council President Isis “Gavelgirl” Garcia-Martinez making nice with Ladra. No, really. First, she said “Good morning,” as she walked by, totally taking me by surprise because she had been completely ignoring me — just like el alcaldito […]

Lines drawn, crossed at early voting

A thick, bright, white stripe line that appeared out of nowhere and meantnothing became the most exciting part of the first day of early voting inHialeah Saturday. When candidates and campaign volunteers arrived at the JFKlibrary on West 49th Street, they found a freshly painted stripe boundary thatseemed further from the polling place than the 100-foot […]

Robaina returns in robocalls for notary

He’s baaaaaaack. Again. Hialeah voters got a blast from the past on the phone Saturday when former Mayor Julio Robaina — a relative recluse after his ruinous run for county mayor — reached out with a recorded robocall for his former sister-in-law Councilwoman Vivian Casals-Muñoz on  Saturday, the day that early voting started at the JFK library. […]

Alcaldito, J Martinez share $ sources

While the Back to the Future crew, under the leadership of former Mayor Raul Martinez, have shunned funds from the maquinita industry, there is one slate mate who has jumped ship: former Mayor Julio Martinez, once a foe now a friend, has taken at least $1,500 from companies with maquinita permits who have also donated […]

Hialeah’s AB machine whirs again

The numbers are simply staggering. Ladra took a stroll down the Miami-Dade election department’s website and the absentee ballot report as of Tuesday’s totals show that a whopping 17,780 absentee ballots have been mailed in Hialeah. That’s 20 percent of the 88,565 or so voters registered. There are more than twice as many ABs already […]

Ack! The PAC attacks are back!

While everyone is watching the candidates and their campaigns, PACs have proliferated at an alarming rate as four cities known for raunchy races — Hialeah, Homestead, Miami and Miami Beach — get within the two week mark of Election Day. We will get to the other cities later (really, we will… there is just too […]

Checks, lies & videotape in Hialeah

Not everyone was so surprised to hear about Hialeah alcaldito Carlos Hernandez‘s loansharking business. What surprised some people was that it took so long to come out again. But we can probably thank el alcaldito himself for that — and the campaign. And TV news host Oscar Haza, perhaps. And former Mayor and front-running candidate […]

City paid for campaign pancakes

Two weeks after that infamous lunch with senior residents from public housing at IHOP — you know, where Alcaldito Carlos Hernandez insulted balseros and divorced women and Council President Isis “Gavergirl” Garcia-Martinez had a hissy fit when we caught her in a blatant lie — we still don’t know what the real cost was and who paid for […]

More no-bid $$ in Hialeah handouts

Tuesday’s episode of As Hialeah Churns was [almost] a real sleeper. There was (of course) no restraining order awaiting Ladra at City Hall when she went — without incident — to the city council meeting. There was no verbal sparring between the Dark Prince and the man who thinks he’s king. There was no sea of red […]

Election starts today with ABs

Forget Nov. 1. The election in Hialeah starts today. That’s when absentee voters will begin to get their ballots in their mail. Then, they’ll each probably get a phone call from one campaign or the other to ask if they received their absentee ballot and if they know what to do with it — or maybe want help to fill […]