And the survey says: Ka-ching for lobbyist turned pollster

And the survey says: Ka-ching for lobbyist turned pollster

Well, results for the “survey” distributed by lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez, one of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s closest confidantes and favorite gala companion, came out Sunday showing that his readers prioritize traffic reduction, public/private partnerships and development at the airport. And Ladra is sure that it is just a coincidence that Lopez represents interests that would […]

Dolphins stadium owner wants different kind of tax break

Dolphins stadium owner wants different kind of tax break

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross seems to have given up on the grab for public funds for the renovation of his stadium. Now he just wants to stop paying almost $4 million in annual property taxes. Well, of course he does. Why wouldn’t he? If that’s good enough for the Miami Heat owners and the […]

District 8 race passes $600K mark — for a $6,000-a-year job

District 8 race passes $600K mark — for a $6,000-a-year job

In what looks, so far, like the most heated commission race in the county, both candidates have already collected more than half a million dollars between them — for a $6,000-a-year post. Miami-Dade Commission Vice Chair Lynda Bell has raised more than 50 times that much in her own campaign account and her PACs. Her […]

Frederica Wilson flew home Friday — with President Obama

Frederica Wilson flew home Friday — with President Obama

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson flew home to Miami for the weekend but not on a regular commercial or private airplane. Wilson (D-North Dade) accompanied President Barack Obama on Air Force One as the POTUS came to an event this afternoon at Coral Reef High School. She also hopped on the President’s helicopter, Marine One, to get from […]

Tallahassee 2014: ‘New rule’ on residency — all politics, no bite

Tallahassee 2014: ‘New rule’ on residency — all politics, no bite

The residency rule passed by both the Florida House and Senate Tuesday has been touted as both a way to tighten loopholes that allow legislators to live outside their district and a measure that was not politically motivated. It is neither. State lawmakers may have been all high fives and back slaps after they passed the […]

Tallahassee 2014: Rep. Jose Felix Diaz selfie tops Day 1

Tallahassee 2014: Rep. Jose Felix Diaz selfie tops Day 1

State Rep. Jose Felix “One More Pepe” Diaz was already quite the connoisseur and promoter of the selfie genre — posting photo pics of himself on instagram and twitter on a regular basis. He almost always lands some image on Political Cortadito’s Pics of the Weeks. But Diaz hit the big time on Tuesday when […]

Political pics of the week — the Guv and Marco Rubio trump

Political pics of the week — the Guv and Marco Rubio trump

The highlight of last week’s pols in pics has to be Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio, who were in town Friday to attend a Doral rally in support of protesters in Venezuela and demand sanctions from the U.S. government, which some called a publicity stunt and others said was a much needed public […]

Tallahassee 2014: Packed session could be a sleeper

Tallahassee 2014: Packed session could be a sleeper

It looks like this year’s legislative session in Tallahassee, which opens Tuesday, is going to be a little smoother than last year’s. While there seem to be some arguably controversial bills in the pipeline — we have gaming, medicaid, sports stadiums, red lighht cameras, a sales tax for higher education — not many seem to […]