Wanted: Women voters — who already tend to lean blue

Wanted: Women voters — who already tend to lean blue

Women have always been a sought-after voter bloc, even though the 2012 presidential election and the alleged Republican War on Women — that, between us girls, we really shouldn’t buy into — took it all to a whole new level. And, as expected, that trend will continue as Florida females become a hot commodity this […]

Alex Diaz de la Portilla will tell us how we can smoke pot

Alex Diaz de la Portilla will tell us how we can smoke pot

Just because former Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla has kept pretty much low key since his blistering loss to State Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez in 2012 doesn’t mean he’s running away to Europe or hiding in a smoke-filled Little Havana Florida Room, plotting something or other. He’s actually writing legislation again. Hallelujah! Diaz de la […]

Carlos Curbelo petition demands answers from Joe Garcia

Carlos Curbelo petition demands answers from Joe Garcia

Miami-Dade School Board Member and congressional candidate Carlos “Crybaby” Curbelo keeps holding himself up as the “ethical” candidate in the District 26 race against incumbent Democrat Rep. Joe Garcia. His advertising is focused on investigations of absentee ballot fraud and plantidate campaign tampering that has implicated the congressman’s former BFF and chief of staff, Jeffrey […]

Miami-Dade finds another $8.5 million for non union workers

Miami-Dade finds another $8.5 million for non union workers

No me digas. For months, the lowest paid county workers — garbage collectors, librarians, bus drivers, janitors — fought to get back the 5% they had been providing for five years to a bogus “healthcare fund” that was used to balance the budget. Finally, they got that deduction from their paycheck restored, but Miami-Dade Mayor […]

Sleeper House race in 112 finally wakes up a true contest

Sleeper House race in 112 finally wakes up a true contest

Now that absentee ballots are dropping next week, we’re going to start seeing more activity in one of the dogfights Ladra had in this year’s midterm elections: The battle between attorney and young GOP climber, Daniel Diaz Leyva, and Democrat freshman State Rep. Jose Javier “J-Rod” Rodriguez. So far, it had really been a yawner […]

Carlos Gimenez recall is recalled after budget concessions

Carlos Gimenez recall is recalled after budget concessions

You could see it coming: As Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez found money here for this, money there for that, signing five union contracts and balancing the budget without cutting jobs or closing libraries, the anger that drove a petty recall effort launched emotionally by a father in mourning is pretty much out of […]

Medical marijuana opposition reaches out to Hispanic voters

Medical marijuana opposition reaches out to Hispanic voters

Sólo dile que no — a la enmienda. With Florida poised to become the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana, opponents hope Hispanic voters can help them defeat Amendment 2 on the Nov. 4 ballot. And some think that the Cuban vote in Miami can be the buzz kill they need. “Absolutely,” said Javier Correoso, a […]

Rick Scott must explain snub on suspended Michael Pizzi

Rick Scott must explain snub on suspended Michael Pizzi

Former Miami Lakes Michael “Muscles” Pizzi may like to say he’s half Cuban and may sound like the name of an Italian mafia enforcer, but he’s got the luck of the Irish. Suspended last year after he was arrested in an FBI bribery string, Pizzi let off last month by a jury that was simply […]

Merrett Stierheim: Coral Gables’ extra city manager for $50K

Merrett Stierheim: Coral Gables’ extra city manager for $50K

When former Coral Gables City Manager Pat Salerno resigned abruptly in April, city commissioners apparently did not have enough confidence in Acting City Manager Carmen Olazabal to leave her alone on the job as the city’s top administrator  — even though she got a 20 percent raise to rise to the occasion. So they hired […]