New Miami Fire station named for Mayor Carlos Gimenez

New Miami Fire station named for Mayor Carlos Gimenez

The newest City of Miami Fire station on Northwest 79th Street will be dedicated Saturday and named in honor of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez — yeah, the same guy who wanted to drastically slash county fire-rescue services earlier this year. Really? Really? Ladra is not the only one scratching her head. The decision is […]

Libraries saved: Carlos Gimenez performs another magic trick

Libraries saved: Carlos Gimenez performs another magic trick

It’s hard to believe it, but we saw it with our own eyes. And it’s on video tape for proof: One after another, people came before the Miami-Dade County Commission Tuesday evening and basically begged commissioners to tax them further to save libraries, fire-rescue services and dogs and cats. But mostly libraries. More than eight […]

Next to recall? Carlos Gimenez thinks he’s always right

Next to recall? Carlos Gimenez thinks he’s always right

A ‘message’ to the mayor: Careful, they may veto you. Without a doubt, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was already walking a fine line. Last week’s last minute veto of an 8-4 decision by the county commission, for many, is just the last straw in a series of possible political abuses by the man we elected […]

Numbers, schnumbers: Commissioners fly blind on budget

Numbers, schnumbers: Commissioners fly blind on budget

On tonight’s big budget night, which everyone has been anticipating, commissioners are flying blind. Pretty much just like the rest of us. That’s because the last minute about-face made by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who first proposed a small tax increase to maintain services and then switched to a more politically convenient (really? how’s […]

Recall effort to be set against 1 of 8 county commissioners

Recall effort to be set against 1 of 8 county commissioners

Pick a commissioner, any commissioner. A group of activists will go to County Hall this afternoon and pick a name out of the hat. The winner, if we can call the chosen that, will face a recall effort for their vote on keeping the tax rate flat and slashing county services. “We are on a […]

Blame commissioners, not just mayor, on budget cut woes

Blame commissioners, not just mayor, on budget cut woes

Remember way back when in June, when Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez wanted to raise taxes just a bit, less than a 4.5 percent, to keep services in tact and libraries open all the hours that we are accustomed to? Well, he didn’t do backwards flip flop to a zero increase because it was his own […]

Big week: arraingments, budgets and Miami Lakes deadline

Big week: arraingments, budgets and Miami Lakes deadline

Look like it’s going to be a busy week in the 305 for political intrigue, what with a caliente county commission meeting, the arraignments of two allegedly corrupt elected leaders, a hearing for a Hialeah boletero and the qualifying deadlines for the suddenly open seats in Miami Lakes due to the mayor’s arrest. Ladra expects […]

Sunday could be Political Cortadito cartoon day

Sunday could be Political Cortadito cartoon day

Ladra would like to start a new feature on weekends: cartoons. Check out this first one that I got in an email from Mike Burke. He titled it “Let ’em eat cake.” After getting Burke’s somewhat childlike yet perfectly on-point cartoon in an email, and getting his permission to reprint it, I figured I would […]

Voila! Libraries are magically saved… but what else could be?

Voila! Libraries are magically saved… but what else could be?

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in July, when he presented his severe budget cuts at a county commission meeting, that he was no magician. But it turns out he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. It’s really no surprise to anyone that no libraries are closing. We heard the drumroll as we saw […]

Mayor Carlos Gimenez puts Fins before voters — again

Mayor Carlos Gimenez puts Fins before voters — again

The Miami Dolphins trump the community again. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has cancelled Tuesday night’s  budget town hall in Florida City — which has been advertised for a month — so he could go to Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 1972 champion football team being recognized by President Barack Obama in what seems like […]