Busy Mayor Luigi Boria saves Political Pics of the Week

Busy Mayor Luigi Boria saves Political Pics of the Week

Political photo ops usually slow down in the weeks leading up to the Christmas/Hannukah holiday and New Year’s Eve. But we gotta thank some of our electeds for being addicted to social media. They just can’t stop posting selfies and other promotional pics. God bless ’em. Especially Doral Mayor Luigi “Look At Me” Boria, who […]

County budget director gets love, forgiveness for blunder

County budget director gets love, forgiveness for blunder

While she may have borne the wrath of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez, county Budget Director Jennifer Glazer Moon got a lot of love, understanding and forgiveness from the commission when they voted Thursday to approve the do-over budget. And she also got the fine imposed by the mayor lifted. County commissioners were forced […]

Pot calls kettle black in Tri-Rail bid protest by MCM’s Munilla

Pot calls kettle black in Tri-Rail bid protest by MCM’s Munilla

In a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, Pedro Munilla of MCM has complained that another building company got the recommendation for a government contract because of an inside deal and political palanca — in other words, because of who they know. Yes, this is the same Munilla who is related, by […]

Teachers to sue Carlos Gimenez over lost, delayed tax dollars

Teachers to sue Carlos Gimenez over lost, delayed tax dollars

A group of teachers represented by United Teachers of Dade, which represents more than 35,000 educators and school employees in the fourth largest school district in the country, say that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez has violated the state constitution and shortchanged students at Miami-Dade Public Schools. They plan to file a lawsuit Friday […]

Hialeah’s budget shortfall may cause cuts to police force

Hialeah’s budget shortfall may cause cuts to police force

DEVELOPING STORY: Two months into the fiscal year, after approving what Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez promised was a balanced budget, the City of Retrogress announced this week that the city is actually facing a $28 million shortfall and may have to lay off dozens of police officers. Hernandez blamed the “unsustainable” union benefits as the […]

Busy county commission considers courthouse, cameras, gifts

Busy county commission considers courthouse, cameras, gifts

Ladra hopes Miami-Dade Commissioners packed a lunch and a snack for what looks like a marathon meeting Tuesday that brings back several controversial issues — including transgender rights, the $65 million consolation prize to Oderbrecht for taking away their Airport City hotel, body cameras for cops, the crumbling civil courthouse and millions of dollars in […]

More Doral drama as ‘new’ councilman aims to fire clerk

More Doral drama as ‘new’ councilman aims to fire clerk

Newly-elected Doral Councilman Pete Cabrera has not been on the job for a month even, and already he wants to fire City Clerk Barbara Herrera. Is he a savvy professional businessman who knows when administrative changes need to be made? Or is this, as some believe, the first salvo in a series of attempts to restructure […]

Ed Tobin withdraws cop application after failing oral exam

Ed Tobin withdraws cop application after failing oral exam

Miami Beach Commissioner Ed Tobin, who has reportedly wanted to be a police officer since he was a child, will have to wait a little longer. And Ricky Arriola, who was thought to be the mayor’s pick to replace Tobin and serve out the rest of his commission term (through November), will also have to […]

Political Pics of the Week: Chairs, turkeys and holiday cheer

Political Pics of the Week: Chairs, turkeys and holiday cheer

It was a week marked by the installation or swearings and the choosing of electeds to lead governing bodies. But it was also a week marked by the first of what is surely to be multiple holiday bribes — you know, the frozen turkeys and bags of accompanying Thanksgiving feast items given away to grateful […]

Body cameras are swell — but put one on the mayor, too

Body cameras are swell — but put one on the mayor, too

The violence that erupted in Ferguson — as well as the police shooting that started it — has refueled the debate about body cameras on police officers, including in Miami-Dade, where the mayor and commission have set $1 million aside in this year’s tight budget to equip 500 county cops with video recorders worn on […]