I have anxiously been awaiting Gwen Margolis’ last campaign report, from 11/22/08 through 12/11/2008, for her run for Property Appraiser. I previously reported on Pedro’s Garcia’s donors because his report was released BEFORE the election, when it was due. Anyway, I looked over Gwen’s campaign contributions...just to beat a dead horse because there is no particular reason for me to do this after the election, except I think we should know who is financing campaigns, even after the fact.
Names that popped up in the $69,395 collected: Armando Codina and companies ($2,000), Ron Book and family members and family companies, White Rock Quarries, Rinker Materials, Steven Becker, Wayne Chaplin, and Gwen chipped in $41,870 of her own money. I still didn’t see any of the usual suspects that own land on the other side of the Urban Development Boundary like Brown, Pino, Barreto, Guerra, etc.
She paid Al Lorenzo’s “Quantum Results” quite a bit this last report: $26,900, most of it was to get out the vote. Hmmm. That didn’t work. Sometimes I wonder if some of these consultants actually work against the candidates that pay them.
yes, I know the photo has little to do with the story but did you want to look at Gwen again?
6 comments:
Gwen's comment to the Herald was curious, "Obviously I did not get my constituents out to vote." It takes more money that she raised to get out a county-wide vote; even in her district, it would have taken more. I wonder what conclusions she has, herself, about this loss?
Gwen didn't win because she did not go out and beat the bushes in her stronghold area to get people out. She was above direct voter contact and relied instead on her powerful friends...who did nothing. I didn't get a flyer or even a robotic call.
Gwen didnt win because she is not the right person for the job.
That is not the reason because Souto, Seijas, Martinez, Jordan, Rolle, Edmonson, Diaz and Barriero always win...and who could be more wrong for their jobs? Gwen is not Hispanic and the county is about 67% Hispanic and about 15 to 18% Anglo. In a county wide election with low voter turnout a Hispanic was destined to win. The only way Margolis' could have won was with a heavy turnout...
Genius, you seem to be cheapening what was a correct result on its face. I agree with you that a bigger turnout would have probably favored Margolis, though, without more context as to the nature of the turnout, wvwn that statement is a bit thin.
Garcia may turn out to be less than competent to deal with the issues facing the Appraiser's office, and on that count he should be judged come election time.
But you cannot change the fact that on credentials alone, he was the best qualified, and most deserving, of our support.
If the demographics in the county were the other way around, you might be hailing this result as an example of the process working (voters ignoring the "majority" candidate, as well as the effects of overwhelming funding advantage and name recognition, etc.).
Perhaps the majority doesn't deserve the benefit of your doubt in this case...
Nonee -- you forget one thing...this is not just about appraising, if it were you would be right. This is a political job foremost. Gwen can deal with the politics, Garcia I think cannot. As I said before, Lori Parrish, the property appraiser in Broward, who is mighty effective, was a commissioner before becoming appraiser. They still have a staff which handles the nuts and bolts of the job -- what Garcia has been doing for the past 30 years. The PA will set policy --- that is all Margolis has done for the past 30 years. She is also well qualified for this position...what he lacks she has and if you read the Herald endorsement of her, she did have related experience in appraising as well, chairing Committees over the years.
So no he is not the best person for the job necessarily. He is a good person and may do an excellent job. I liked him when I met him.
And, ethnic politics does play heavily in Miami Dade County. It is a fact of life.
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