It was a ‘Florida is Marco Rubio country’ weekend in Miami

It was a ‘Florida is Marco Rubio country’ weekend in Miami

Taking a cue from his yard signs, South Florida became Marco Rubio country for real over the weekend with four back to back events. Two were official campaign events and two just sorta happened. The first was a barbecue and pot luck Saturday organized by Facebook supporters at Tropical Park. Called Marco Rubio’s Hometown for America […]

It’s official: Ladra is all in with Team Raquel for mayor

It’s official: Ladra is all in with Team Raquel for mayor

There comes a time when it’s no longer enough to sit on the sidelines and just report what you know and hope people see the wizard behind the curtain for the failed traveling salesman he is. There comes a time when you have to put your blood and sweat and guts where your big mouth […]

Carlos Gimenez’s latest giveaway: Our bed taxes to Havana

Carlos Gimenez’s latest giveaway: Our bed taxes to Havana

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez couldn’t backpedal fast enough from his plan to put a ferry to Cuba at PortMiami, which was announced Tuesday, although it’s obviously been on his plate for weeks, at the very least. He must have heard the collective gasp because Gimenez held a hastily called press conference Thursday afternoon to say […]

Jean Monestime stays put, tells Dems: ‘no mayoral run’

Jean Monestime stays put, tells Dems: ‘no mayoral run’

Thanks, but no thanks. That’s what a smart Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jean Monestime told a group of Democrats at a fundraiser Thursday night after weeks of pressure to have him run for the mayoral seat against incumbent Mayor Carlos Gimenez. He told them he was “greatly honored” by the consideration and blah blah blah, but […]

Philip Levine hastily adds preservationists to NoBe committee

Philip Levine hastily adds preservationists to NoBe committee

Betsy Perez may have lost the commission election in Miami Beach, but she’s got two nice board appointments, thanks to Godpapi Mayor Phillip Levine. Maybe she can steer more money her hubby’s way on the Cultural Affairs Board (She and Rudy Perez own a production company that put on the mayor’s centennial concert last year). […]

Miami Lakes: Manny Cid becomes #3 to file for mayor

Miami Lakes: Manny Cid becomes #3 to file for mayor

Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi can’t step left or right at City Hall without running into a challenger. Last month, Town Councilman Ceasar Mestre filed to run for the mayor’s seat now held by his one-time friend and ally. On Monday, Manny Cid became the second council member to file paperwork to run in what […]

Jean Monestime’s mayoral bid would be for Hillary’s sake

Jean Monestime’s mayoral bid would be for Hillary’s sake

Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jean Monestime isn’t the first Democrat that the local Party leaders have courted for a mayoral run. First it was former Congressman Joe Garcia, who was beaten in 2014 by Carlos Curbelo after his chief of staff and longtime campaign manager was caught requesting mass amounts of absentee ballots without the voters’ […]

Juan Zapata enters FIU/Fair fight to slap down the mayor

Juan Zapata enters FIU/Fair fight to slap down the mayor

It looks like that famous Harvard education that Miami-Commissioner Juan Zapata is getting — which has brought him so much grief — hasn’t helped him understand the difference between a true mandate and a marketing plan. Zapata, who has been against the Pet’s Trust Initiative voted by almost 65% of the residents in 2012, used […]

FIU’s bully battle vs Youth Fair keeps costing us plenty

FIU’s bully battle vs Youth Fair keeps costing us plenty

There have been a few recent volleys in the battle for the public land that is now occupied by the Dade County Youth Fair and dearly coveted by Florida International University for it’s much-ballyhooed expansion plans. None of them really matter, since The Fair has no intention of moving and we are still where we […]

Jeb Bush has Hialeah breakfast sans loanshark mayor

Jeb Bush has Hialeah breakfast sans loanshark mayor

Missing from the long list of electeds who are hosting Former Gov. Jeb Bush at a breakfast Monday morning in Hialeah: Mayor Carlos Hernandez. Was he snubbed because he’s an admitted loanshark? Hernandez isn’t on the host committee list. Could be because he hasn’t come out publicly for any candidate yet, as far as Ladra can tell. But it could […]