Fourth union settles with Miami-Dade Mayor Gimenez

Fourth union settles with Miami-Dade Mayor Gimenez

AFSCME Local 199 became the fourth union to settle with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez when the administration and the union’s negotiating team reached an agreement Thursday. “We’re done. We’re finished,” said Andy Madtes, president of the union that represents the largest number of employees at about 9,000. “We got all of our […]

Mayor Gimenez more friendly to unions in face of recall

Mayor Gimenez more friendly to unions in face of recall

UPDATED: Three of Miami-Dade County’s 10 employee labor unions have reached tentative agreements with a suddenly friendlier administration that they now have to take before their members for approval. Three more meetings are scheduled for today and it certainly looks like Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez is more eager these days to strike deals. […]

Mayor Gimenez budget town hall on Election Night

Mayor Gimenez budget town hall on Election Night

Is Ladra the only suspicious and jaded soul who thinks that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez scheduled a budget town hall meeting on Election Night on purpose? You know? So nobody would show up? The fourth stop on the mayor’s “Best Case/Worst Case Scenario” budget tour begins at 6 p.m. tonight at the Palmetto […]

Layoff Mayor Gimenez signs pop up before recall

Layoff Mayor Gimenez signs pop up before recall

A planned recall of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Good to Go” Gimenez is not yet underway, but these very rustic signs are popping up already urging folks to “Layoff Mayor Gimenez.” It is one political sign that stands out from the rest in this election week, perhaps because of its minimalist style and rustic appearance. Capt. […]

Carlos Gimenez’s virtual town hall — a mayoral pep rally

Carlos Gimenez’s virtual town hall — a mayoral pep rally

Perhaps we should have expected it, but the virtual town hall meeting with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Good to Go” Gimenez on Facebook today was a real publicity coup and lovefest — with himself. It will be fun to watch him do that tap dance in the in-person meetings throughout the month. While Ladra was kind […]

Carlos Gimenez’s town hall talks start Wednesday — online

Carlos Gimenez’s town hall talks start Wednesday — online

Just like last year, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez plans to come out into the community to defend the cuts in his $6.2 billion budget, which calls for the firing of around 250 police officers and the slashing of other services while gifting millions to private developers and companies, especially those in the friends […]

Fireboat issue becomes force behind recall effort

Fireboat issue becomes force behind recall effort

The horrible, accidental death of four people on a Fourth of July holiday boat ride become part of the debate earlier this month on the Miami-Dade budget and what seems like the skewered administrative priorities of Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez, who cut the rescue boat from our fire department services two years ago. Now, […]

Miami-Dade Police brass: We’re ‘optimistic’ so keep working

Miami-Dade Police brass: We’re ‘optimistic’ so keep working

Call it the calming before the storm. Miami-Dade Police Deputy Director Juan Perez sent a feel good memo to all department personnel Friday morning telling them that he was going to do “everything necessary” to avoid “this worst case scenario” — the firing of 283 positions, including 228 officers. The memo comes more than a […]

Our own “The Purge” as Miami-Dade Police cut from budget?

Our own “The Purge” as Miami-Dade Police cut from budget?

You may have heard about that new movie that’s about to be released tomorrow, though you can see it today at some theaters, “The Purge: Anarchy.” It’s a sequel to the “The Purge,” which is basically a thriller about a future in which the law of the land is temporarily suspended. Well, someone wants you to […]

VIP lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez chummy with mayor’s staff

VIP lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez chummy with mayor’s staff

While the regular Joe P. Taxpayer citizens of Miami-Dade County were begging county commissioners to restore the library budget to what is needed to go back to the right level of services and not to fire police officers and not to increase the bus fair and prices for special transportation for the elderly and the […]